International Football
Unlucky Super Eagles look ahead for another clash with Cameroon
‘He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.’ That seems to be the thinking in the camp of the Super Eagles in Vienna, Austria as they prepare for another clash with Cameroon on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles created a hat-full of chances but were undone by lack of precision in the final third as Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions ran away with a 1-0 win in an international friendly in the Austrian capital, Vienna on Friday evening.
Andre Zambo Anguissa caught goalkeeper Maduka Okoye napping with a ferocious grounder after latching on to William Ekong’s interception nine minutes before the break at the Stadion Wiener Neustadt.
Before the goal, Moses Simon had seen his shot blocked by Anguissa as he broke down the left; Paul Onuachu’s close-range header had been thwarted by goalkeeper Simon Medjo’s reflected save; Okoye had saved from Karl Toko Ekambi and; Onuachu had lifted the ball too high when it appeared easier to score, all within the first six minutes of action.
Cameroon arrived the venue with their well-known power and grit, and added workmanship and vigour. The Eagles, who edged the two teams’ last encounter 3-2 in the Round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt two years ago, were quick on the counter and balanced on the turn but the absence of some players, particularly of Victor Osimhen and Zaidu Sanusi, undoubtedly told.
Ekong and Abdullahi Shehu had to spirit the ball away from danger before Simon’s shot flew inches away from goal in the 35th minute. A minute later, Cameroon scored and the momentum naturally swung in the Lions’ favour.
Despite this, Nigeria dominated a fiercely –contested second half. England –based midfielder Wilfred Ndidi was a pillar in the middle of the pack as always, and Alex Iwobi and Etebo also upped their game. An Iwobi, Simon and Onuachu orchestra in the 51st minute ended with Onuachu lifting the ball too high. Ndidi and Iheanacho also wasted chances. But the most painful was Simon blasting over from inside the six-yard box after a flurry of shots had been blocked by the Lions.
Medjo did a great job to accomplish a doube save as Ekong and Etebo unleashed shots in the 64th minute.
The introduction of Ahmed Musa in the 66th minute added even more urgency to Nigeria’s game, but there was still no way past the Indomitable Lions’ defence, with Musa’s own shot diverted from goal with 14 minutes left. Iwobi also blasted over the woodwork with three minutes left.
Both teams will clash again also in Vienna on Tuesday.
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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