International Football
We beat Liberia under difficult condition, Says Rohr
Franco German tactician, Gernot Rohr, said he was the happiest man at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Friday following the 2-0 win against Lone Star of Liberia last Saturday in Lagos.
Brace off Leicester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, in the first half of the match at Teslim Balogun stadium puts Nigeria on the driver’s seat in Group C with five more matches to go in the second phase of the qualifying tournament.
“I know Nigerians are happy with the result but when you put into consideration behind the scenes the invitation of players and preparation for the match, myself and the others on the bench are happier.
“At the end of the day, it was good that the quest to win the first match on home soil is now behind us and the focus is now on the next match gives you a palpable relief.
“I am happy that we did not concede a goal at home which is even a record because we have maintained a clean slate in the qualification series in five matches now.
“A situation where you have to prosecute two matches with different sets of players makes the job a bit more difficult but the first half is over and now we have to move into the next half which is against Cape Verde.
“Some of the players knew they had just one match to play before they returned to their respective clubs. I am delighted that they all put in the best and Nigeria was the biggest winner.
“We won under a very difficult condition going by the downpour yesterday (Friday) and the pitch wasn’t good enough to play swift football but we are able to adapt and the result was a good way to start another qualifying campaign,” explained after the match.
On why the players did not consolidate in the first half as they fired blanks in the second half, he said that it was best to be a bit conservative in the second half and not to be too adventurous as they did in the first half.
“The most important thing is the result which I think is favourable to us. We cannot underestimate our opponent and good enough we scored two in the first half but we failed to convert the few chances that came our way in the other half, all the same the three points is vital and we got it,” he pointed out.
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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