International Football
FRANCE 2019: SANUSI CHARGES SUPER FALCONS TO SET NEW NIGERIAN RECORD AT FIFA WORLD CUP
African champions Nigeria departed the shores of the country on Monday for Austria, where they will set up a two –week residential camping before flying to France for the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place 7th June – 7th July 2019.
Before their departure, the newly –crowned WAFU Cup winners received at their Serob Legacy Hotel, Abuja abode the General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, Director of Competitions, Bola Oyeyode and Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire.
Dr. Sanusi congratulated the ladies on triumph at the WAFU Cup tournament in Abidjan and charged them to see it as a sign of great things to come in France.
“His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has already congratulated you on your victory in Abidjan, which shows how much the whole nation appreciates your effort.
“I believe the triumph in Abidjan will spur you to greater things at the World Cup in France. As you go to Austria for the final camping programme and from there to the World Cup, I want you to go with the belief and confidence that you have the capacity to defeat any team in the world.”
While assuring the girls that all their entitlements before and during the FIFA World Cup will be paid by the Federation, Sanusi challenged the girls to aim for a Nigerian record outing at the finals in France.
“It is 20 years ago that we accomplished what remains our best performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup – a quarter final berth in USA. It is time to write a new record, and I know that as you play Norway, Korea Republic and France in the group phase, this aspiration will be close to your hearts.
“No team can browbeat you. Rather, let them fear you by the confidence and ability that you show on the pitch.”
Head Coach Thomas Dennerby said he was edified by the comeback feat of the Falcons against host nation Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the WAFU Cup on Saturday.
“Scoring the equalizer in the very last minute of time-added-on showed the never-say-die, never-give-up attitude of the Super Falcons and I really, really love that. It means that this team has learnt to fight till the last second of every game and that spirit will be massive for us at the World Cup
“I want to thank the NFF for their huge support to the team since the team qualified for the World Cup, with all the friendly tournaments and campings that we have had. We will go to France to give our best effort.”
Eight home –based players, alongside technical and administrative officials led by Head Coach Thomas Dennerby travelled aboard Air France flight to Paris, to connect the Austrian city of Bad Tatzmannsdorf, where they will perfect tactics and strategies at the Avita Resort before hitting France on 4th June for the World Cup finals.
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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