International Football
Scorer of goals in Liberia’s last defeat of Nigeria is back in Lagos for World Cup encounter
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Christopher Wreh may not be a household name in African football. But his name rings bell to those who may have been following encounters of Nigeria and Liberia.
Ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifying match, there have been 17 of such matches and Nigeria have the edge having won 10 times and drew thrice but lost four times.
The most famous of those four losses was the 2-1 victory of Liberia 21 years ago in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.
The loss was a huge setback as it offered the driver’s seat to Liberia in the Group B that also had Ghana and Sierra Leone and Sudan.
Nigeria had to struggle till the last matchday to wrestle the group ticket from a George Weah-inspired Liberia. The scorer of the two goals that set dreadful problems for Nigeria is Christopher Wreh.
In the 9 July 2000 match at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, in Monrovia, Wreh scored in the fourth minute and doubled the lead in the 48th minute before Sunday Oliseh pulled one back.
Wreh is back in the Liberian fold for yet another World Cup qualifier for final edition in Asia just as the case was 21 years ago.
This time, the 46 year old who was a member of the Arsenal side that won the Premier League and FA Cup double in the 1997/98 season, is the assistant coach of Liberia.
On the Nigerian side is also Joseph Yobo, an assistant coach who as a young player at the time was given the enormous task of policing George Weah in the return leg played in Port Harcourt on 5 May 2001.
He executed the assignment well, neutralising the ageing Weah as Nigeria won 2-0. Ahmed Musa too has an unfinished task if fielded on Friday.
He scored the second goal in the 6-1 demolition of Liberia in the final qualifying match for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
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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