International Football
Don’t rush me! Ighalo roars at Rohr
Although confirming that talks were on about a possible return to the Super Eagles, former Manchester United and Watford striker Odion Ighalo has told BBC Sport that he is not rushing to come out of international retirement.
The 32-year-old quit the Super Eagles after finishing top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and previously resisted pressure from coach Gernot Rohr to reverse his decision.
Both Rohr and Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick have publicly called for Ighalo to play in the country’s upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
“Talks have been going on for a while now, and I respect the coach and the NFF president,” Ighalo, now playing for Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia, told BBC Sport Africa.
“But it’s still an ongoing talk and it’s not something I have to rush.”
Victor Osimhen has filled the void left by Ighalo’s absence as the Napoli striker emerged as joint-top scorer with five goals in qualifying for the 2021 Nations Cup.
But Ighalo’s impressive recent club form has prompted Rohr to consider him again, while Pinnick reiterated the need for his experience to “combine with our energetic youthful Osimhen, [Paul] Onuachu, Kelechi (Iheanacho) et al”.
Death threats despite scoring goals
The decision to bring back Ighalo, who has eight goals in nine matches for Al Shabab this season, has led to a public backlash from fans on local radio and social media.
“Osimhen is still is our number one striker,” Rohr said. “But if Ighalo will come back, his maturity and experience will help Osimhen, the others and our team.”
Ighalo captained Nigeria at the Under-20 World Cup in 2009, but then had a six-year wait for his senior debut, which came in a friendly at home against Uganda in Uyo.
The player endured death threats aimed at his family after failing to score at the 2018 World Cup as the side failed to progress from their group.
But he produced seven goals to finish top scorer in the 2019 Nations Cup qualifying, before his five goals and one assist helped Nigeria finish third at the tournament in Egypt.
Ighalo’s 16 international goals rank him among the country’s top six scorers.
Nigeria face Liberia and Cape Verde next month in their final two Group C matches in World Cup qualifying, with just the group winners progressing to the play-off round.
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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