International Football
TODAY IN HISTORY: NIGERIA GO TO TOULOUSE TO LOSE
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
With qualification for the Round of 16 already secured after the Super Eagles two victories over European sides, Spain and Bulgaria at the Group D of the France ’98 World Cup, the third match against South America’s Paraguay became a mere formality.
And so on this date, 24 June in 1998, at the match played in Toulouse, it was more important for Paraguay to win as the Super Eagles only played to fulfill the fixtures. Little wonder, the Super Eagles did not put up much attacking flair as they did in their preceding two games.
After enduring 180 minutes of tedious, goal-less soccer against Bulgaria and Spain, Paraguay needed less than one minute to hit the target against Nigeria.
A 51-second header by Celso Ayala helped Paraguay to a 3-1 victory over Nigeria and paved the way into the second round of the World Cup at the expense of Spain.
Ayala’s header was the fastest World Cup goal since Bryan Robson’s 27-second strike for England against France in Bilbao, Spain, in 1982.
Francisco Arce swung over a free kick from the right and, with the Nigerian defense stationary, Ayala jumped unchallenged to beat goalkeeper Peter Rufai’s attempted punch and head into an unguarded net.
The goal sparked Nigeria’s talented strike force into action and the Super Eagles, fielding only four of their regular starting lineup, equalized in the 11th minute though Wilson Oruma.
In the build-up to the goal, Nwankwo Kanu slipped an elegant pass through to overlapping winger Tijani Babangida who cut inside, and was felled by a Paraguayan defender, but still found the unmarked Wilson Oruma some metres from goal. Oruma, who at the time played for French club Lens, side-footed home.
The Super Eagles appeared fighting to go ahead. In a space of six minutes, the popular Paraguayan goalkeeper, Jose Luis Chiavert was kept busy, forced to make acrobatic saves from a Sunday Oliseh’s shot, a header from Taribo West and another shot from Rashidi Yekini.
Half time scores stood at 1-1. Paraguay went ahead again in the 59th minute. They got the third goal, five minutes to regulation time to edge out pre tournament favourites, Spain and advanced along with Nigeria.
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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