International Football
UPDATED- MATCH HERO, IBRAHIM SAID IS NIGERIA’S 6TH U-17 HAT TRICK SCORER
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
With the hat trick feat by Ibrahim Said in the heroic comeback performance of Nigeria against Ecuador, Nigeria now lead the pack among countries whose players have scored three goals or more in a single match
Not only has Said become the first hat trick scorer at Brazil 2019, he has put Nigeria ahead of other countries regarding the number of hat trick stars.
He is the sixth Nigerian to score three goals or more in a match after that of Phillip Osondu in a 3-2 defeat of Bolivia on July 14, 1987 at Jeux Canada Games Stadium, Saint John’s New Found land in Canada.
That of Nwankwo Kanu followed 26 years ago when the lanky footballer scored three of the goals in the 8-0 defeat of Canada on August 22, 1993 in Japan.
Femi Opabunmi also scored three goals in a 5-1 defeat of Australia on March 23, 2001 in Trinidad & Tobago. The fourth Nigerian to score a hat trick in the competition was Kelechi Iheanacho who netted four times against Mexico in 2013.
He thus becomes one of the only three players to have scored four goals in an U17 World Cup match.
Sports Village Square reports that the other two are David of Spain in a match against New Zealand in 1997 and Colombia’s Carlos Hidalgo in the match against Finland in 2003.
After his hat trick performance on Tuesday night, “I just want to make my country proud of the team,” Said reportedly told FIFA.com.
Victor Osimhen became Nigeria’s fifth player to score a hat trick when he found the net three times in a 6-0 defeat of Australia in a Round of 16 match in 2015.
Incidentally, Said’s hat trick of Tuesday night came a day after the fifth anniversary of Osimhen’s feat.
NIGERIAN HAT TRICK SCORERS AT U17 WORLD CUP
- Phillip Osondu – 3 goals; Nigeria 3-2 Bolivia; July 14, 1987
- Nwankwo Kanu – 3 goals; Nigeria 8-0 Canada; Aug 22, 1993
- Femi Opabunmi – 3 goals; Nigeria 5-1 Australia; Sep 23, 2001
- Kelechi Iheanachor – 4 goals; Nigeria 6-1 Mexico; Oct 19, 2013
- Victor Osimhen – 3 goals; Nigeria 6-0AustraliaOct 28, 2015
- Ibrahim Said – 3 goals; Nigeria 3-2 Ecuador; Oct. 29, 2019
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
BREAKING: At last FIFA’s Axe falls on South Africa!
- World Cup1 week ago
South Africa to Appeal FIFA Ruling Over Mokoena Eligibility Case
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Super Eagles Set for Double Friendly Showdown with Venezuela and Colombia in USA
- World Cup1 week ago
Sport Minister Orders Probe into SAFA over Bafana’s Costly Points Deduction
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Sanction on South Africa Offers Super Eagles a Lifeline — But a Lesson from History Looms
- CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Asante Kotoko End Kwara United’s Confederation Cup Campaign in Abeokuta
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Two penalty appeal lost as Flying Eagles stumble at first hurdle
- World Cup4 days ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers