International Football
NIGERIA VS AUSTRALIA: MIXED FORTUNES AS FAMILIAR OPPONENTS CLASH
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
One of the often-occurring fixtures of the FIFA U17 World Cup is a clash of Nigeria and Australia. Both have met sixth times in the past. Thus the Friday Group B fixture at the
When Nigeria and the Estadio Bezerrão in the capital city of Brasilia will be the seventh clash of the two teams. But certainly, epic confrontation may not be expected as Nigeria may not field its full strength as some players may be rested for the potentially more challenging knock-out stage.
The Golden Eaglets are already through to that stage and top position is almost guaranteed except they lose by more than three goals while Ecuador beat Hungary by four goals.
In that scenario, both Nigeria and Ecuador qualify and Nigeria will then be second on the group log.
But the situation is most unlikely and could be one of the major upsets of the competition that started 34 years ago. Sports Village Square recalls that both Nigeria and Australia had met six times in the past.
Nigeria won all the games, scoring a massive 18 goals and conceding just two. Apart from winning all the previous encounters, some of the duels provided fertile lands for Nigerians to shoot into record books.
For instance, it was in the game with Australia in 2001 that Femi Opabunmi entered into the record books as a hat trick achiever.
Five years ago, Victor Osimhen did the same with Australia in 2015. Which Nigerian player will enter the record books after the clash with Australia on Friday? We wait and watch.
THE SCOREBOARDS: AUSTRALIA VS NIGERIA
- 19 Jul. 1987 Australia 0-1 Nigeria – Quarterfinals
- 26 Aug.1993 Australia 0-2 Nigeria – Group Stage
- 6 Aug.1995 Australia 0-2 Nigeria – Group Stage
- 23 Sep.2001 Australia 1-5 Nigeria – Quarterfinals
- 16 Aug.2003 Australia 1-2 Nigeria – Group Stage
- 28 Oct. 2015 Australia 0-6 Nigeria – Round of 16
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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