International Football
NIGERIAN WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA HAIL SUPER FALCONS
Super Falcons’ victory over South Africa in last weekend’s final match of the 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Accra Ghana is still attracting accolades, even beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Mrs Chidilim Chukwuma, Nigerian Union South Africa Women League leader, in Johannesburg said that Nigerian women in that country were still in celebration mood.
According to her, Nigerian women living in South Africa have commended the Super Falcons.
“On behalf of the Nigerian union South Africa Women`s League and the entire Nigerian community in South Africa, I heartily congratulate the Super Falcons on their achievement on Saturday, she said in a statement released.
“The women joined their husbands and other households to watch the match and we are happy with the outcome.
“They did us proud and we rejoice in their victory. We wish them more success stories. God bless Nigeria,” she said.
Chukwuma also commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for rising up to the occasion in taking care of the team`s welfare during the tournament.
“We understand that the NFF did everything possible to pay the players’ bonus and entitlements.
“We are happy with this gesture because it motivated the team to work extra hard.
“We praise the NFF for increasing the players’ final match bonus from $5000 to $10,000.
“This is a step in the right direction and we are happy with the result achieved,” she said.
Chukwuma urged the team to start early preparation for the FIFA Women`s World Cup scheduled for next year in France.
She said the team, having won the Nations Cup and qualified for the World Cup, must now work extra hard to perform well at the tournament.
“The task ahead is not going to be easy but we believe that through hard work and dedication, the Super Falcons will do well at the tournament.
“Nigerian women in South Africa are joining others at home and abroad to rejoice with the rest of the country on the Super Falcons victory,” she added.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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