International Football
NIGERIA ON COURSE FOR 2ND EGYPT 2019 TICKET
After the Super Eagles overcome challenges in the Group E of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt, the next tier team, the Olympic Eagles are also on course for another Egypt 2019 tournament.
Egypt hosts the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in November after the enlarged version of CAF premier competition which holds in June/July.
The Nigerian side whose offensive is anchored on the 2015 FIFA U17 hero, Victor Osimhen, sailed into the final round of the 3rd Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifying series on Monday, beating Libya 4-0 on the back of a Victor Osimhen hat –trick at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
The North Africans won the first leg 2-0 in Ben Guerdane, Tunisia on Wednesday last week, and came fully prepared to defend their advantage. But Osimhen, alongside fellow U17 World Cup winners Kelechi Nwakali, Samuel Chukwueze and Orji Okonkwo bossed proceedings in a one –sided affair in the city that is fast turning to Nigeria’s football capital.
After 10 minutes, Osimhen, highest –ever scorer at the FIFA U17 World Cup, and who was drafted into the younger squad from the Super Eagles following the reverse in Tunisia, hinted of what was to come when he turned sharply and shot towards goal, but goalkeeper Islam Alharam, who had a torrid evening, held the ball.
Four minutes later, another U17 World Cup winner Taiwo Awoniyi missed from a brilliant team move, and in the 19th minute, Nwakali rocked the upright from a free –kick as Alharam was beaten. A minute later, the energetic Orji Okonkwo blasted over the bar from the six –yard box as Alharam punched a close range shot.
Osimhen opened the scores in the 33rd minute, following up on another blocked effort from another Nwakali free -kick to hook the ball into the roof of the net with Alharam stranded.
Now, the Olympic Eagles started to fire from all cylinders. Chukwueze, from a free –kick, rocked the crossbar in the 35th minute, and two minutes later, Orji Okonkwo’s shot was parried. Osimhen picked up the ball from the left side, dashed past a defender and unleashed a scorcher that rocked the upright on the dot of 45 minutes.
Four minutes after the re-start, Nwakali’s shot went over the bar, and in the 65th minute, Alharam, just too busy, saved from Victor Osimhen.
A minute later, Osimhen would not be denied, as he stole the ball when Alharam thought he had saved from a pull –out, and slammed into the net to equal the scoreline on aggregate.
The Nigerian boys became unstoppable. Coach Imama Amapakabo brought in Dennis Bonaventure for Orji Okonkwo and David Okereke replaced the ineffective Awoniyi. From a glorious pass in the middle, Osimhen latched onto the ball, outran a defender and left Alharam with no chance as he scored his third of the afternoon.
On the dot of 90 minutes, Chukwueze, with Alharam to beat, failed to make impact with the ball. But there would still be a fourth, and again Osimhen was involved, as he back-heeled the ball from a goalmouth tussle, gifting substitute David Okereke with a glorious opportunity to slot past Alharam.
Nigeria will square up against the winner of the Kenya/Sudan fixture in the final round of qualifiers in June, with the winner to be eligible for a place at the 3rd Africa U23 Cup of Nations in Egypt in November. The three –top placed teams at that championship will represent Africa at the Men’s Football Tournament of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
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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