International Football
Africa’s number 1, Senegal, truly number1! First to get into World Cup qualifying final play offs
Even with two matches to spare, Senegal this Tuesday became the first team through to Africa’s play-offs for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after beating Namibia 3-1.
Senegal for many months have sat atop of the Fifa monthly rankings in Africa.
Turkey-based forward Famara Diedhiou was the hero, outshining Sadio Mane and others as he scored once in the first half and twice in the second to register his second hat-trick for Senegal.
Peter Shalulile had found the back of Edouard Mendy’s net after Diedhiou’s opener to give the Namibians brief hope of holding on against the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up.
The match was played in Soweto, South Africa, since Namibia’s home stadium in Windhoek has been declared unfit to host matches.
The win takes Senegal to 12 points in Group H, with Namibia (four points), Congo (two) and Togo (one) now all out of the running. Congo host Togo later on Tuesday.
The winners of Africa’s ten qualifying groups will contest the play-offs next March, whereupon the continent’s five representatives in Qatar will be determined.
Elsewhere, Ghana won their second straight Group G game in a row under new coach Milovan Rajevac, as they beat Zimbabwe for the second time in four days.
Following on from Saturday’s 3-1 win on home soil, the Black Stars secured a 1-0 win in Harare as Arsenal’s Thomas Partey netted a free-kick for his second goal in as many qualifiers.
The win takes Ghana to nine points, two more than a South Africa side who can reclaim top spot with victory over Ethiopia later on Tuesday in Johannesburg.
With just one point, Zimbabwe can no longer qualify for the World Cup, while Ethiopia – on three points – need a win to keep their slim hopes alive.
Later, Niger play an Algerian side looking to extend their unbeaten run to 31 games.
The African champions are currently eyeing the world record of 37 games without a loss, which was recently set by Italy.
In Tuesday’s late game, Guinea ‘host’ Morocco in Morocco in a game that was postponed from last month following the coup in the Guinean capital Conakry.
Owing to the uncertain political situation in Guinea, the tie was moved by the Confederation of African Football to the Moroccan capital Rabat.
The North Africans can join Senegal in the play-offs should they win the Group I clash.
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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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