International Football
Former Nigeria national football team striker, Usiyan dies in US
Barely two weeks after the death of a former Nigerian national team striker, Segun Adeleke in the United States, another one has also fallen. He is Thompson Usiyan a prolific striker who made goal scoring a habit in the brief spell he had with the national team before he went to the US for academic pursuit.
According to information gathered, Usiyan died, aged 65, at his Lamset Redonda beach home in California, United States.
In the brief spell he had with the national team, where he played 24 times he averaged a goal per game.
Usiyan came into national limelight the moment he came in as a dying minute substitute for the then Mid Western State intermediate team that beat Western State in Lagos in 1973.
With scoreline at 1-1, and with the extra time just two minutes to end in the semi final clash, Usiyan was brought in by Mid West just as a corner kick was about to be taken.
Usiyan ran into the penalty box just in time to finish up with a classic header that beat Goalkeeper Zion Ogunfehinmi.
From that moment, Usiyan became the striker that the national team needed. He scored the winner for the Nigeria Academicals in the defeat of their Ghanaian counterparts at the Ghana-Nigeria Sports Festival in 1975.
Usiyen who was playing for Asaba Textile Mill made his international debut for the Green Eagles in the 1-1 draw with Kenya on 7 February 1976. It was a scoring debut for him.
A week later, he scored again against Zambia in a 2-1 triumph in one of the friendly matches played in preparations for the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.
With Nigeria depending on his scoring exploits, it was a rude shock when he abandoned the team for academic pursuit in the United States just as Nigeria got into a triangular final qualifying match involving Egypt and Tunisia.
He made his final outing for Nigeria in the first leg of the final qualifiers for Spain ‘82 World Cup when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Algeria in Lagos.
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
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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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