International Football
NIGERIAN PLAYER, ADESINA, MAKES WAVES IN SEYCHELLES
Seychelles is an unlikely destination for every footballer, but for Nigerian Peter Adesina, it has become home, an opportunity he forever remains grateful.
The 28-year old midfielder Adeshina has been one of the unsung heroes Seychellois champions, Cote d’Or, but doesn’t mind being in the background and play his part towards the success of the team.
“I played in Nigeria for a long time notably in the second-tier (Nigerian National League) with City of David (COD) Club and Calabar Rovers.
After a short stint in Benin, I was due to return to Nigeria until this opportunity to play in these beautiful islands came, and I grabbed the chance with both hands,” he reflected.
Adesina recalls he needed some time to adapt with the climate especially upon arrival in 2017, but he managed to do the business on the pitch helping Cote d’Or to runner-up spot in the Seychellois top flight.
The following season, the club based in Praslin, the second biggest Island in Seychelles, moved a step further winning the national title championship, with the Nigerian netting 12 goals in all competitions.
“I played in Nigeria for a long time notably in the second-tier (Nigerian National League) with City
He had to fight for his place as one of the four foreigners at the club for the three slots per club according to the regulations of the Seychelles Premier League.
Others foreigners are Uganda Tonny Kizito and Jonah Randriamisaina of Madagscar are other foreign players at the club.
“It has been a privilege to get the chance to showcase my talent and I’m grateful for the club management and coaches as well as the other partners and the whole community of Praslin where the team is based for all the support. I will always strive to give my best for the club,” Adesina said.
The league title feat earned Cote d’Or the right to represent Seychelles in the CAF Champions League 2019/20, a participation which has come with bitter-sweet memories.
For the first time, the Praslin-based club went past the preliminary round after eliminating Fomboni of Comoros on the away goal rule after a 3-3 tie on aggregate.
Next in line was South Africa and 2016 champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, standing between the islanders and a historic place at the group stage of the premier continental club championship.
However, the Brazilians as Sundowns are nicknamed proved a
mountain too tall for Cote d’Or. After a 5-0 loss in the first leg, the
Seychellois outfit suffered a humbling 11-1 loss in the reverse, a result which
went down as the biggest loss in the history of the competition, and the
aggregate score of 16-1, also another record.
Despite the infamous result, which has seen Cote d’Or drop to the Playoffs of the second-tier Total CAF Confederation Cup, where they come up against El Masry of Egypt, Adesina who has one goal to his name has described the experience worthy.
The Islanders host the Port Said-based outfit in the first leg on Sunday in Victoria, and the Nigerian is upbeat about a convincing result to boost their quest for a historic feat, this time for the positive reasons by becoming the first-ever Seychellois club to participate to reach the group stage of a major continental club championship.
“We hope to use the experience from our last contest against Sundowns to do better.
“Though we are conscious that we are playing a highly ranked club on the continent, what is important is that our players have the right attitude for the match as we must realize we have our reputation and that of the club at stake,” Adesina added.
The Seychellois champions are boisterous mood after a record 9-3 win over Red Star Defence Forces last Saturday in the domestic top flight. The result ranks as the biggest of the season so far.
“The record league win against Red Star Defence Forces, one of the title contenders will serve as a morale booster for the continental test against El Masry, which will be of a different level,” the Nigerian concluded.
-CAFonline
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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International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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