International Football
FLYING EAGLES EDGE MALI TO REACH WAFU CUP FINAL
Nigeria’s U20 Boys, Flying Eagles, once more came from behind to excel, edging their Malian counterparts 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the final of the WAFU U20 Cup Tournament in Lome, Togo on Friday evening.
Sambou Cissoko got the Junior Eagles of Mali in front after only 11 minutes at the Stade Municipal, but the Flying Eagles, who came from behind to tear apart Ghana’s Black Satellites 4-2 on Wednesday, were unruffled, and equalized two minutes into the re-start through Valentine Ozornwafor.
The tournament’s first semi final also went into penalties, as Senegal and Niger Republic ended it 2-2 in regulation time. Ousseynou Niang and Souleymane Aw netted for the Junior Lions of Teranga while Abdoulaye Salou Issah scored both goals for Junior Mena, who shocked Ghana 1-0 and held Nigeria to scoreless draw in Group B. In the event, Senegal prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
The results conspired to guarantee a second final clash between Nigeria and Senegal in a major tournament in three days, with both countries’ flags raised in the final of the CAF Beach Soccer Cup of Nations in Egypt on Friday afternoon. The final in Lome will take on Sunday evening.
A remarkable final half of year 2018 for Nigerian Football has seen the Super Eagles qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations; the Super Falcons retaining the Women Africa Cup of Nations; the U-17 Boys winning the WAFU Cup to qualify for the 2019 U-17 AFCON and; the U-20 Boys qualifying for the 2019 U-20 AFCON.
The Supersand Eagles won silver at the CAF BeachSoccer Cup of Nations and qualified for the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup; the U-15 boys won silver at the 3rd African Youth Games in Algiers and; the U-20 boys have now reached the final of the WAFU U-20 Cup Championship.
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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