International Football
CAF MOURNS NIGERIA’S CHIEJINE AND GHANA’S AGOGO
CAF would like to express our deepest condolences on the passing of former Nigeria midfielder Ifeanyi Chiejine and ex-Ghana forward Manuel ‘Junior’ Agogo who have both passed away.
Chiejine, a legend of women’s football in Nigeria passed away on Wednesday after a brief illness, whilst Agogo died on Thursday in London after a long illness.
Chiejine, 36, was one of the pioneers of the women’s game in Nigeria, playing for Super Falcons between 1998 and 2008.
At the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999, she was the youngest player at 16 years and 34 days old, to date a record.
She will go on to make two other appearances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003 (USA) and 2007 (China) and also two Olympic Games, 2000 (Sydney) and 2008 (Beijing).
The midfielder enjoyed over 60 caps with the Super Falcons during her checkered career that saw her play for clubs in USA, Finland, Russia and until recently Kazakhstan.
On the other hand, 40-year old Agogo was the poster boy of the Ghana team during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations hosted in the West African country. His late winner in the 2-1 win against rivals Nigeria made him a favourite of the fans as the Black Stars won bronze on home soil.
His exploits after the tournament landed a deal with Egyptian giants Zamalek, where he remains a cult figure among the fans.
He spent the greater part of his career in England with spells notably at Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic, Chesterfield, Lincoln City, Queens Park Rangers, Nottingham Forest among others.
‘Junior’ as he was fondly called also had spells in the United States of America donning the colours of Colorado Rapids, Chicago Fire and San Jose earthquakes as well as stints with Cyprus and Scotland.
– CAF
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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