International Football
THE WOMEN COMMENTATORS BRINGING THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE TO THE WORLD STAGE
BY BRENDAN BRADFORD
The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup is breaking new ground, and it’s not just on the pitch where strides are being made.
For the first time ever, a three-woman commentary team from Vanuatu and Fiji, are commentating on New Zealand’s matches in their native languages.
Dele Willie
and Jennesa Hinge Moli, both from Vanuatu, and Lavenia Yalovi, who is Fijian,
have followed the Football Ferns from Le Havre to Grenoble and now Montpellier,
calling their games for the Oceania Football Confederation website.
In a world-first, the trio predominantly commentate the games in Bislama, which is a native language common in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
“I’m the analyst for the game, and I do that in English,” said Lavenia, who played football, rugby and hockey for Fiji. “Jennesa calls the play-by-play in Bislama, while I analyse in between. So, I understand what they’re saying and are talking about, and then analyse the game in English.
“Everywhere you go in the Pacific, they understand English, even if they are not fluent. But in the majority of the Pacific Islands, if you speak Bislama, they will understand it. So, between all three of us, we find an in between to bring the game to the people.”
The project was eight months in the making, with the trio first teaming up for commentary duties last August. After impressive performances calling games on a regional scale, FIFA got wind of what they were doing and helped fund their trip to France.
As Adele said. “This is the first time for Vanuatu that we’ve had only females commentating, and it’s a first for FIFA now too. It feels like we’re ambassadors for Vanuatu.”
For Jennesa, who is a sports journalist in Vanuatu, the chance to make the world game more accessible to people back home is an honour.
“This year is the International Year of Indigenous Languages, so we decided to do the broadcasting in Bislama,” she said. “It’s the first time we’ve done commentary for the World Cup, but we think we’re nailing it.”
Judging by the reception they’ve received across the region – with their calls being broadcast on radio to Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, Niue and New Zealand – the trio have already started inspiring the next generation of female footballers and sports broadcasters.
In a part of the world that has traditionally seen people gravitate towards other sports, Football Ferns coach Tom Sermanni says their work is crucial in continuing to grow football around the world.
“It’s fantastic. We come to these tournaments representing not only New Zealand, but Oceania as well, and what we hope we can do is continue to encourage and to be a leader for the other islands to embrace football and women’s football.
“There’s a foundation for the sport to do really well and it’s important for all of us in Oceania to continue to grow the sport as best we can.”
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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