International Football
CAF U-20: SOUTH AFRICA’S COACH BANKS ON TACTICAL DISCIPLINE TO UPSTAGE NIGERIA
The South African U-20 side, the Amajita hopes to commit fewer mistakes in order to curtain the Nigeria’s Flying Eagles when both clash at the Seyni Kouche Stadium Niger Republic on Tuesday.
Their coach, Thabo Senong is quoted by the official website of South Africa Football Association (SAFA) as saying that he reckons that good tactical discipline and hard work on the pitch, will see his side producing desired results against Nigeria.
In their first Group A match, Amajita played to a 1-1 draw against hosts Niger, while Nigeria produced a 2-0 score-line against Burundi.
Senong stated that watching the Nigeria vs Burundi match made it very clear to him that they just need to be focused for the entire 90 minutes, and every will flow according to their plan.
“The truth of the matter is we are in a tough group,” Senong said. “Every side that is participating in this tournament would like to see themselves surviving their group by finishing in the top two.
“Sides like Nigeria had a strong start,” Senong added. “They beat Burundi convincingly without conceding a single goal. We play them tomorrow and I believe that we need to be switched on mentally if we are to come out with a positive result at the end of fulltime.”
Senong added that he was expecting more of a tactical play from their Tuesday’s opponents as compared to a physical encounter, adding that both sides have good players who enjoy having the ball at their feet.
“It is going to be a tactical match because both sides have got a good technical staff with players who are also good on the ball,” Senong said. “A team that makes more mistakes is this encounter is the one that is going to lose in this upcoming matchup. We just need to make sure we minimize the possibility of such occurring on our side, and we will be just fine.”
A top two finish in this group will see Amajita earn their spot in this year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup set to take place in Poland later in the year. Only four nations from this biennial eight-nation continental football tournament will get to represent CAF on the upcoming world stage.
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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