International Football
Continental championship-bound Rivers Angels stumble again at Betsy Obaseki Cup

Rivers Angels endured a TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League build-up to forget as they suffered penalty shootout heartbreak in the 2021 Betsy Obaseki Cup final 4-3 defeat on penalties to Bayelsa Queens after a goalless draw in full time.
Edwin Okon’s side are gearing up for the maiden Women’s Champions League, where they will battle Kenya’s Vihiga Queens, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Morocco’s ASFAR in Group B in Egypt from November 5-19, 2021.
Smarting from the 2021 WAFU-B final defeat in Abidjan, where they lost 3-1 to Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies in August, the Nigerian league champions were hoping for an ultimate redemption at the 12-team pre-season tournament but floundered yet again.
On Sunday, Rivers went up against their biggest domestic rivals Bayelsa Queens for a fourth time in 2021 in a bid for a third win, having won twice (1-0 and 4-0) and lost once (5-0) in their previous meetings.
Bayelsa made a fine start as Mary Anjor and Amada Mbadi forced Ghanaian goalkeeper Charlotte Adjei to fine saves, while Rivers duo of Maryann Ezenagu and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu threatened but no goal in the regulation time.
Straight to penalties, Ifeoma Ikenokwalu and Evelyn Nwabouku missed from the spot to see the Women’s Champions League hopeful missed another title celebration and no one was as disappointed as Ezenagu, despite being consoled with the Best Player of the Tournament award.
“I’m down psychologically losing two finals (WAFU-B) in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire and now (Betsy Obaseki Cup) in Benin, Nigeria. I don’t feel happy although I also think we gave our best and put in a lot of work,” Ezenagu told CAFOnline.com.
“I’m very grateful to the organizers for giving us (Rivers Angels) this great opportunity to compete. It has helped us a lot and I believe we will do better when we get to Egypt. I can assure everyone that we will do the country and Rivers Angels fans proud.”
Reviewing the tournament and teams’ performances, NFF first vice president Seyi Akinwunmi lauded the organizers over the successful event, while stressing that quality preparatory games were offered to Rivers Angels.
“I’m extremely impressed with the quality of competition by the teams and standard of organization by the organizers. We hope to see more of these for the development of women’s football,” Akinwunmi, who also oversaw the Aisha Buhari Cup recently won by South Africa, told Cafonline.com.
“The final was a tough match and I don’t think they (Rivers Angels) would get a tougher opponent on the continent (in Egypt). It is a good preparation tournament for them. I’m sure they will value and learn from it in order to do the country proud in Egypt.”
Rivers Angels were pipped by Bayelsa Queens to the coveted crown and Local Organising Committee chairperson Sabina Chikere is happy the championship gave some quality preparation for the country’s representative on the continent.
“I’m super excited that the invitational tournament was a huge success and the opportunity given to the women’s clubs. We hope to make this a yearly recent and hope to improve on the standards,” Chikere told Cafonline.com.
“This is a opportunity for Rivers Angels to assess themselves, sign new players to beef up their team and also know their lapses so as to represent the country well in Egypt.”
Sharing her excitement, wife of the Edo State governor Betsy Obaseki expressed joy of the success of the week long domestic showpiece and further backs Rivers Angels to make huge success on the continent come November.
“I’m very happy that we’re able to revive the past glory of the state in sports through women’s football and providing the platform to engage and promote the girl child and doing this in the campaign against child trafficking,” Obaseki, the initiator of the women’s club championship, told Cafonline.com.
“We’re excited with the quality of competition and also the opportunity to support Rivers Angels in their preparation for the Champion League. We are confident that their participation in this invitational will help them excel in Egypt.”
Rivers Angels will look to wrap up their preparation at the 2021 Flying Officer Cup in Abuja, Nigeria this month ahead of their Women’s Champions League opener against Moroccan side ASFAR at Military Academy Stadium on November 6, 2021.
–cafonline
International Football
Guinea names Portugal’s Duarte as new national coach

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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International Football
Veteran coach Van Gaal says he is cured of cancer

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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International Football
Like father like son, Davide Ancelotti becomes Brazil’s Botafogo manager

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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