International Football
NIGERIA’S JUNIOR AJAYI LEADS AL AHLY TO EGYPT SUPER CUP TRIUMPH
Egyptian giants, Al Ahly, profited from the exploits of Nigeria’s Junior Ajayi to emerge once again victorious in the infamous “Cairo Derby”, involving Zamalek.
Junior Ajayi scored two in the 3-2 defeat of Zamalek in the Super Cup at the Alexandria based Borg El Arab stadium.
The one match playoff was delayed from last season due to organizational reasons, and was used a curtain raiser for the new domestic season. The Cairo rivals will clash again in the 2019-20 Egypt Super Cup next January.
Nigerian import Junior Ajayi scored in each half, with Hussein Elshahat scoring inbetween for The Red Devils. Mahmoud Alaa scored twice from the spot to initiate a probable comeback for The White Knights but they couldn’t find the goal that could have forced the game to penalties.
It was Ahly’s 11th glory in the history of Egypt Super Cup compared to Zamalek’s three titles. Arab Contractors and Haras El Hodod has one title each in the competition that started in 2001.
After a slow start, Zamalek had to deal with an early blow when defender Mohamed Abdel Ghany suffered injury after just five minutes and was substituted by Mahmoud Hamdy.
Ahly had the first chance when Elshahat tried to make use of goalkeeper Mohamed Awwad blunder at the quarter hour mark but his shot was handled easily by the keeper.
Four minutes later Awwad came to rescue Zamalek again deflecting Mohamed “Afsha” Magdy’s shot over the line. But from the resulting corner Ajayi sent a powerful shot from close space giving Al Ahly the lead after 19 minutes.
Ahly had a similar blow at the half hour mark with defender Mahmoud Mitwally injured and leaving the field to Mohamed Hany. But the Red Devils continued controlling possession. And just before the break Elshahat was their hero. After passing brilliantly from Hamdi Naguez, he sent a powerful shot that was stopped by Awwad, but the rebound ball fell again to him from Mohamed Abdelshafy’s poor clearance to send both sides into the break with Ahly having a two goal lead.
The Red Devils started the second half from where they ended the first, and just three minutes after the restart Ajayi completed his brace, connecting well to Ramadan Sobhy’s pass before firing into the net, sending frenzy to Ahly supporters in the stands.
Zamalek fought back and had a penalty three minutes after the hour mark when Ahly’s goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy fouled substitute Mostafa Mohamed. Alaa stepped to reduce the deficit and give the White Knights hope again.
Ahly’s defensive problems worsened with defender Yasser Ibrahim also injured, leaving the field to veteran Hossam Ashour. And 15 minutes from time Zamalek had another penalty, with Alaa sending Elshenawy the wrong way to make it 3-2.
But the possible memorable comeback was never completed as Ahly remained solid in the remaining minutes to claim the trophy.
Meanwhile the 2019-20 season of Egyptian Premier League kicks off on Saturday (21 September 2019) with 18 teams competing for the title Al Ahly holds in the past four seasons.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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