International Football
A five-day seven-match ‘Festival’ of World Cup qualifiers begins in Morocco today
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
From this Friday afternoon to Tuesday, Morocco begins what is aptly a festival of World Cup qualifying matches. Within the period, a series of seven World Cup qualifying matches involving 10 countries including Nigeria will be played.
Thus, the Kingdom of Morocco has become the preferred destination for African sports events due to its world-class infrastructure.
With arenas in some of African countries ruled inadequate and coupled with unrest, instability as well as deteriorating health conditions in some of the countries, the ultimate destination turned to be Morocco.
The countries with inadequate facilities are: Sudan, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Liberia. They all opted for Morocco for their home games just as they did in the days leading to 2015 Afcon when owing to outbreak of Ebola virus, Guinea took their matches to Morocco.
The ‘mini World Cup’ will take place between this Friday November 12 and Tueady 16, as part of the qualifying rounds for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Rabat, and Casablanca will host the games.
If the seven matches are added to the eight Morocco had earlier hosted within the qualifying series for Qatar 2022, the country is on record as having most World Cup qualifying matches.
The projected games are scheduled as follows:
- Morocco will face Sudan on November 12 in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat at 8:00 p.m.
- Also on November 12, Burkina Faso will play Niger at Grand Stadium in Marrakech at 2:00 p.m.
- On Saturday 13 November in group C, Liberia will play against Nigeria on in Tangier Grand Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
- The next day, Sunday 14 November, it will be the turn of Mali facing Uganda on at Agadir Grand Stadium before facing their Central African Republic counterpart on November 16 in Tangier at 5:00 p.m
- On Monday, Guinea Bissau and Sudan in Group E will face off on November 15 in Marrakech Grand Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
- The encounter between Morocco and Guinea, which will take place at 8:00 p.m. on November 16 at Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, will bring the series to a close.
Morocco had previously hosted eight African qualifying matches for Qatar World Cup 2022, on October 12-16. Morocco’s Atlas Lions was ranked 29th in the latest FIFA rankings, which were released on October 21.
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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