International Football
CAF TAKES ITS AWARDS TO THE RED SEA IN EGYPT
The Confederation of African Football was silent on the official title sponsors of the annual CAF Awards, which enters the 27th edition this year, by it announced the venue as Egypt while Albatross Citadol is named as the official partner.
In the last two editions, Nigeria’s Aiteo firms were the main sponsors of the event that held in Ghana and Senegal in January 2018 and 2019 respectively.
For the 2019 edition to be held in January 2020, the event will hold at the Albatross Citadel resort in Hurghada, which is located on the Egyptian Red Sea coast and is one of Egypt’s main tourist centres boasting a number of beautiful beaches and resorts.
The major event partner as announced by CAF is the PICKALBATROS Hotels and Resorts Group, one of the largest hotel chains in Egypt.
Last year’s awards were held at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Centre in Dakar, Senegal.
CAF President Ahmad Ahmad expressed his delight noting that the ceremony and venue will capture the imagination of the footballing world.
“We are very much looking forward to seeing the CAF Awards take place here in the Albatross Citadel resort in Hurghada. I’m certain that our guests will talk as much about the location, on the shores of the Red Sea, as they will the awards,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad said that the body will introduce some new awards to recognise and celebrate some exceptional contributions to African football and inspiring individuals.
Kamel Abou Ali, President of the PICKALBATROS Hotel and Resort Group, said the event was a testament to Egypt’s football culture following its successful hosting of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
“This signing ceremony represents a great opportunity to promote Egypt’s beautiful Red Sea region and we look forward to welcoming the football family to our iconic city,” Ali said.
The Awards include a number of categories for men and women’s football such as: African Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Youth Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, Goal of the Year, Africa Finest XI and Federation of the Year.
The top ten award nominees will be announced in October and an announcement of the top five nominees will follow in December.
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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