International Football
APART FROM SUPER EAGLES ATTIRE, NIKE ALSO SHOWCASE TOKYO 2020 RANGE UNIFORMS
American sports kits manufacturer,
Nike, early this week unveiled the football attire of Nigeria along with those
of South Korea and the US.
According to Inside the Games, the kit manufacturers have also unveiled its new range of uniforms – made from the latest “cooling” material – and shoes for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Officials from the American company claim it is the most high-tech and sustainable range produced to date.
The sports manufacturing giant, which has been recently involved in controversy over the technological advantages being built into its VaporFly range of shoes, put on a show at The Shed in New York City during New York Fashion Week of uniforms that will be worn by Nike athletes in track and field, basketball, football and skateboarding at this summer’s Games.
In a presentation led by chief design officer John Hoke, Nike showed off innovations including the Air Zoom Mercurial soccer boot made with 3D-printed materials and running spikes optimised for short-distance sprinting.
To counter the heat and humidity that will be expected at Tokyo 2020 this summer Nike’s has produced a new material it calls Aeroswift, a micro-ribbed version of its popular Dri-Fit technology.
This will enable air to move along the skin and will offer a flilckering appearance when athletes are in motion.
According to Nike the new material “supports the body’s natural cooling system by wicking away sweat and dispersing it evenly throughout the surface of the garment”.
The Air Zoom Alphafly Next% running shoe mark the official version of the prototype – now banned from elite competition by World Athletics – in which Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in less than two hours last October.
“These are not just platforms that stop at Tokyo, they’re springboards for our company and new technology going forward,” said Hoke.
Among the countries that Nike are due to provide uniforms and equipment for at Tokyo 2020 are the United States, Germany, Kenya, Canada and Brazil.
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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