International Football
SUPER FALCONS LOOK SET TO CONFIRM OLYMPICS NEXT ROUND QUALIFICATION
The Super Falcons are soar-away favourites to eliminate their counterparts from Algeria and reach the next round of the African qualifying series for next year’s Olympics Women Football Tournament, ahead of Tuesday’s concluding leg in Lagos.
The nine –time African champions thumped their hosts 2-0 in the first leg in Blida on Wednesday and look to quickly shut the door against the North Africans at the Agege Stadium, Lagos on Tuesday in order to start focusing on the second round of the series against either Cote d’Ivoire or Mali.
Mali, who host Tuesday’s return leg in Bamako, lost 0-3 to the Ivorians in Abidjan last week and have a mountain to surmount against the visitors, whose game has been steadily improving over the years.
An own goal by an Algerian defender and a second half strike by midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo gave the Falcons the robust lead ahead of Tuesday’s home leg.
Head Coach Thomas Dennerby has even a stronger pack to choose from, with six foreign –based professionals having joined the squad for the return leg, led by FC Barcelona of Spain’s Asisat Oshoala. There are also defenders Ngozi Ebere and Osinachi Ohale, midfielder Ngozi Okobi and forwards Rasheedat Ajibade and Francisca Ordega.
World football –ruling body, FIFA has appointed Zomadre Kore from Cote d’Ivoire to be the referee.
Her compatriots Lou Ta (assistant referee 1), Denise Akoua (assistant referee 2) and Fatoumata Kra (fourth official) will join her on the assignment.
Ghanaian Emmanuella Aglago will serve as referee assessor and Cameroonian Souadatou Kalkaba will be match commissioner.
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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