International Football
World Cup qualifiers: Benin, Burkina Faso victorious away from home as Namibia, Congo draw
Benin and Burkina Faso secured vital away victories in their opening matches of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Thursday while in South Africa, Namibia and Congo shared the spoils.
Madagascar 0 – 1 Benin
At the Municipal Stadium of Mahamasina, Benin gave themselves a brilliant start in the qualification journey towards Qatar, beating home side Madagascar by a solitary goal.
Michel Dussuyer’s Squirells got the all important goal in the 22nd minute, star player Steve Mounie hitting the back of the net with a well angled header from a corner.
The victory in the island nation saw Benin go top of the group after DR Congo and Tanzania played out to a 1-1 draw in the other group match played earlier on Thursday.
Niger 0 – 2 Burkina Faso
At the Grand Stade in Marrakech, Morocco, Burkina Faso got the better of the hosting team Niger, beating them 2-0. Niger were staging their match in Morocco as their home stadium in Niamey is yet to be approved to host international matches.
After a goalless first half, the game grew into life in the second period with Burkina Faso scoring twice in the last 15 minutes of the game.
Lassina Traoré opened the scoring in the 76th minute before Mohamed Konate doubled the tally for the Burkinabe Stallions three minutes later.
In the group’s other match, the reigning African Champions Algeria will face off with Djibouti and before then, Burkina Faso will assume leadership of Group A.
Namibia 1 – 1 Congo
At Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, Namibia “Brave Warrriors” were held by visitors Congo. Namibia opened the scoring in the 24th minute, when Deon Hotto’s free kick found the head of defender Charles Hambira who broke the deadlock for Namibia.
Paul Put’s Red Devils find it difficult to revive, but found their way back in the 57th minute when Hambira, who opened the scoring for the Brave Warriors, deflected a shot into his own net.
Housed in Group H, Congo and Namibia will face Senegal and Togo respectively on the second day of the group stage.
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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