International Football
SUPER FALCONS IN NERVY WAIT FOR PROBABLE ROUND OF 16 SLOT
BY FOLAKE OKEGBENLE
Nigeria Super Falcons will have to wait till Thursday to be sure of a probable Round of 16 qualification after going down 0-1 to hosts, France, through a retaken penalty kick on Monday night.
The Nigerian side, the obvious underdog of the encounter played
defensively to frustrate the home side ho had to wait till late in the second
half to get a penalty kick that decided the game.
And so, for the first time in the history of the competition, France won all three group games. If Nigeria eventual qualify, an explosive pairing with Germany will be on the card.
Already, 12 teams have picked qualifications, leaving four slots to be taken. Of the four slots to be contested for by the six third place finishers in the group, China in Group B are likely beneficiaries having obtained four points as against Nigeria’s three.
Nigeria will have to contest Australia, which also have three points going into their final group match against bottom-placed and pointless Jamaica in Group C.
Nigeria will hope Argentina should not win their final match in Group D as the South Americans who will face Scotland have just a point. A win over pointless Scotland gives Argentina a edge over Nigeria.
Scotland on the other hand may edge Nigeria out if they beat Argentina by a three-goal margin
Cameroon in third position in Group E have no point yet and have a goal deficit of three. The Nigerian eastern neighbours will have to win by at least four goals in their final match with equally pointless New Zealand to upstage Nigeria in the struggle for Round of 16 ticket.
The complexion in Group F also favours Nigeria as both Thailand and Chile, both with no points and heavy goal deficit of 17 and five respectively no realistic chance of getting a slot, even if any of them places third.
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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