International Football
Aisha Buhari Cup: Four Super Falcons to watch out for
As the countdown begins for the prestigious Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament, we list four key Super Falcons players to watch out for: Asisat Oshoala, Onome Ebi, Rita Chikwelu and Rasheedat Ajibade
Asisat Oshoala is the reigning African Woman Player of the Year. She is a toast of all fans in African football.
A role model in football for the upcoming players, her eyes for goal remains ever-sharp, no wonder she is playing in one of the biggest teams in the world, FC Barcelona.
The former FC Robo Queens of Lagos goal-poacher will be the chief tormentor of the opponents’ defence when the Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament gets underway in a few weeks.
Onome Ebi is the oldest player in the team as well as the most capped player in the present Super Falcons’ squad.
Her wealth of experience in the defence-line can never go unnoticed; she is a trojan in the defence with fabulous qualities such as aerial power and timing in tackling.
Game-reading ability is her greatest strength. Above all, she is a leader on and off the field of play.
Rita Chikwelu is another Nigerian professional who plays for Spanish club, Madrid CFF. She previously played for Umea IK and Kristianstads DFF.
A midfield general, combative in the middle of the park with amazing skills, full of strength, Rita’s sense of creativity in the middle of the park is renown.
Rasheedat Ajibade is a product of FC Robo Queens who passed through the junior category before she finally graduated to the Super Falcons. She shone brightly for the Flamingos and Falconets. She is versatile, can play as a central striker as well as from the wings.
Her versatility brought about the meteoric rise in her career as a professional footballer. She is definitely one of the star players to watch out for in the Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament.
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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