International Football
GOLDEN EAGLETS RUN RIOT WITH GOALS
Overwhelming attacking football was on display when five –time world champions, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria scored four goals within 25 minutes of play and one more in the second half to ensure 5-1 victory over Guatemala on Matchday 2 of the UEFA/CAF U17 Tournament in Turkey.
A 5th minute goal by Olakunle Olusegun unsettled Guatemala and as they were still trying to gather themselves together, Abdullahi Fawaz rattled them further with his goal in the 10th minute. Eaglets continued their attacking forays into the vital area of Guatemela and it was another goal seven minutes later when David Oduko, a left full back registered his name on the scoresheet.
Mercurial left footed attacking midfielder, Akinwunmi Amoo made it goal number four for the Eaglets in the 24th minute. There was no doubt that the record champions of the world were in dominant control of the game, but Guatemala got a goal in the 30th minute as the game went into the break with Nigeria leading 4-1.
The second half witnessed Nigeria missing some goal-scorong opportunities. However, Ibraheem Jabaar was very clinical with his sublime goal in the 84th minute to make it 5-1 against the hapless Guatemalans.
Speaking to thenff.com after the game, Samson Tijani, captain of the Eaglets said that the players only implemented the instructions of the coaching crew of the team in line with their coaching philosophy of how a team should play and the players were happy with the number of goals scored.
“We are glad that we played well according to the formation that the coaches wanted us to play and followed their instructions on the pitch. It was not that easy against Guatemala, but we followed our game plan and it worked well with the team scoring five goals.”
Nigeria will be play her last game on Thursday against West African rivals, Senegal.
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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