International Football
EXCITED EX FLYING EAGLE, MUSA MUHAMMED GRABS FIRST GOAL FOR HNK GORICA
Erstwhile Golden Eaglets’ captain Musa Muhammed and later Flying Eagles player, has described his first goal for HNK Gorica in the Croatian Priva HHL as a big breakthrough after his side crushed NK Istra 1961 4-1 on Friday.
The 22-year-old capped a remarkable performance of the evening in the home fixture played at Gradski Stadion Velika with the final goal of the match in the 83rd minute.
Earlier, Senegalese Cherif Ndiaye got the curtain raiser in the 58th minute while Matija Dvornekovic and Lukasz Zwolinsnki were the other scorers in the 70th and 79th minute.
“I’m just too excited for scoring my first goal for HNK Gorcia and it’s a reward for my consistency over the last few months,” the 22-year-old stated.“ It’s a good feeling to have finally scored my first goal for the club since my arrival here.”
Since he turned professional in 2015, the former Flying Eaglets captain has played in Turkey and Bulgaria but has been in excellent form since arrival at HNK Gorcia after loan spells at Basaksehir and Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
Friday’s 4-1 win over NK Istra has further pushed HNK Gorcia to fifth position in the top region of the table as the club search for one of the three continental tickets with three more round of matches to be played.
“I’m just happy to be here now with HNK Gorica and my transfer here is good for my career,” the free-scoring defender who was top scorer when he led Nigeria to win the CAF U-20 AFCON in 2015 hinted when he arrived at the club last August. “People here really like me and I love to work with this kind of people and I hope we can achieve something great together. Honestly, I’m just happy to be here.”
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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