International Football
FIFA’s latest Centurion, Ahmed Musa clocks 29
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Super Eagles’ skipper and one of the three most capped international footballers from Nigeria, Ahmed Musa is 29 today. Last Sunday, in leading Nigeria to a soul-lifting 2-0 win away from home over Central African Republic, he officially clocked 101 caps, even though Fifa had initially denied his 100th cap which was supposed to be at the 2-1 defeat of Cape Verde last month.
But in an instagram post on Sunday, Fifa congratulated him for his 101. The first match with Central African Republic in Lagos may have been taken as his 100th match.
Nigeria lost the match. Sports Village Square recalls that in the past two two instances that Nigerian players clocked 100th cap, Super Eagles ended up as the losing side.
First it was at the Round of 16 World Cup 2014 match of Nigeria and France. Despite putting up spirited efforts, Nigeria lost 2-0 even as Skipper Joseph Yobo clocked 100 international games.
That was followed by that of his immediate successor, Vincent Enyeama who even had the benefit of an elaborate preparation for his 100th cap in front of his home fans in his native Akwa Ibom State.
Alas! He had the heavy task of picking the ball from his own net as Nigeria lost 1-0 to visiting Uganda at the sumptuous Uyo stadium.
It may therefore have been a convention that Nigeria loses matches when its player clocks 100th cap. But the 1-0 loss to Central African Republic in Lagos, on what turned to be Ahmed Musa’s 100th cap since his debut against Madagascar on 5 September 2010, has not discredited the Nigerian player who marks his birthday a week later.
He is an African Record holder in goal-scoring at the World Cup. Musa’s feat against Iceland means that he is the first African player to ever score multiple goals in more than one game in consecutive World Cups. Neither Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan (6 goals) nor Cameroon’s legend Roger Milla (5 goals) can boast of that record..
By the virtue of his braces in matches against Argentina (2014) and Iceland (2018), Musa became the first Nigerian player to have scored in, at least, two editions of World Cup. And the first to score multiple goals in more than one game.
He is the second African player to register two goals in two World Cup matches since Cameroon’s Roger Milla in 1990.
Ahmed Musa’s fourth minute goal against Argentina in 2014 was the fastest of the 23 goals Nigeria had scored in 21 World Cup matches from 1994 to 2018.
At the last World Cup, he became the first Leicester City player to score at a FIFA World Cup finals, netting twice in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Iceland in Volgograd.
Beyond that, he has scored two braces on two occasions he played against Lionel Messi’s teams – the first being the double strikes against Argentina in Brazil 2014 and the brace for Leicester against Barcelona on August 4, 2016.
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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