International Football
FORMER SUPER EAGLE, RABIU AFOLABI DEVASTATED ABOUT MOTHER’S DEATH
Former Super Eagles defender, Rabiu Afolabi is grieving over the loss of his mother, Alhaja Kosenat Afolabi.
The two-time World Cup hero lost his mother aged 85 on Sunday 13 September after a brief illness. He hails from Inisa in Osun State, the same hometown of former Nigerian international, Felix Owolabi.
Afolabi who captained the Nigerian Flying Eagles to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1999 is also a two-time World Cup player having been in the Super Eagles’ squad to 2002 and 2010 World Cup finals.
He made his Super Eagles’ debut in the 2-0 home defeat of Sierra Leone on 17 June 2000 in a World Cup qualifying match for Japan/Korea 2002.
He is one of the few Nigerian footballers to have played for all the national teams from the U-17 to the Super Eagles having also played for the UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup-winning Golden Eaglets in 1997.
Speaking from his base in Belgium, Robo Cop as fondly called who is currently Logistics Manager at Royal Antwerp FC Belgium and currently studying for his UEFA coaching licence, said he felt devastated with the demise of his mother but is seeking solace in the Islamic phrase that God giveth and taketh.
“My mother played a very significant role in my life. She was a great role model who impacted in her children the virtue of humility and fear of God.
“She was very accommodating and a cheerful giver. I really learnt a lot from her”, he said.
Madam Afolabi was interred on Monday at the family compound in Inisa, Odo Otin Local Government, Osun State according to Islamic rites.
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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