International Football
NIGERIA’S FLYING EAGLES SET TO REENACT THEIR FORM OF OLD
It is 14 years since Nigeria’s Flying Eagles last made appreciable impact at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing runners-up to Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
The runners-up position, which the team also had in 1989, remains Nigeria’s best position so far, even though Ghana won the tournament 10 years ago in Egypt.
The redemption flight begins this Friday in Tychy with an encounter with Qatar as action in Groups C and D gets under way on day two of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019.
The AFC Asian Cup semi-finalists will hope to erase memories of their first-round exit at New Zealand 2015, which came with three defeats. For their part, the Nigerians are making their return to the event after missing out on Korea Republic 2017.
Dele-Bashiru is a member of Nigerian football’s new wave. Currently on Manchester City’s books, the promising midfielder lends even more weight to Nigeria’s credentials.
Innately gifted, he has excelled at both the U-18 and U-20 levels, and his coaches have high hopes for him in Poland.
Qatar defender, Ahmed Alminhali already knows he will have his hands full in the encounter. According to fifa.com, he remarked: “All the teams here in Poland have to be taken seriously.
“There are no minnows anymore and everyone has genuine aspirations for the title. We all know about Nigeria. They’ve reached a few finals and won trophies too.”
Qatar coach. Bruno Miguel is a firm believer in the ability of Ali Abdellatif
to spearhead his side to success over the next few weeks. And not without good
reason, following the forward’s five-goal haul at the Asian Cup in Indonesia,
an impressive return that has Qatar pinning their hopes on the young
goalscorer.
In other matches, Honduras take on New Zealand with revenge on their minds after losing 3-1 to the Kiwis in the group phase at the 2017 competition, a result that contributed to early elimination for Los Catrachos.
In the other match in Group C, Uruguay take on Norway, with the South Americans intent on victory after their penalty-shootout exit in the semi-finals in Korea Republic two years ago.
Meanwhile, 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-finalists Ukraine take on a USA side ready to improve on their quarter-final defeat at the hands of Venezuela in 2017.
The games
Group C
Honduras-New Zealand (Lublin,
18:00)
Uruguay-Norway (Lodz,
20:30)
Group D
Qatar-Nigeria (Tychy,
18:00)
Ukraine-USA (Bielsko
Biala, 20:30)
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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