International Football
Brazil held by Ecuador in action-packed World Cup qualifier
Brazil had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Ecuador in a remarkable World Cup qualifier on Thursday after Felix Torres’ header 15 minutes from time canceled out an early Casemiro strike.
The incident-packed clash saw both sides have a player sent off inside the first 20 minutes and Brazil goalkeeper Alisson shown a red card on two occasions only for both to be rescinded after consultation with the Video Assistant referee (VAR).
Ecuador had a goal chalked off and two penalty awards rescinded via VAR, including one in second-half stoppage time.
Casemiro had put Brazil ahead after five minutes when he hammered home from close range after a goalmouth scramble.
Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez was red carded after 15 minutes for a reckless challenge, and Brazil fullback Emerson Royal was dismissed five minutes later for a second yellow card following a clumsy tackle.
Five-times world champions Brazil have already qualified for this year’s finals in Qatar along with Argentina, who are playing in Chile on Thursday.
Ecuador are third in the 10-nation South American qualifying standings with 24 points from 15 games.
Uruguay moved into fourth with 19 points after beating Paraguay 1-0 in Asuncion, Luis Suarez getting the winner five minutes into the second half to give new coach Diego Alonso a winning start.
The result keeps Uruguay’s qualification hopes alive and dealt a heavy blow to Paraguay, who sit second bottom of the table with 13 points.
Colombia and Peru, who meet on Friday, are on 17 points.
The top four qualify automatically for the World Cup while the fifth-placed side go into a playoff with a team from the Asian confederation.
ENTHRALLING CONTEST
Ecuador’s match against Brazil ebbed and flowed but was enthralling throughout, especially in the opening half hour.
Already a goal down, Ecuador’s keeper Dominguez was shown a red card for a neck-high challenge that felled Matheus Cunha on the edge of the box.
But moments later the numbers were even as Brazil’s Emerson Royal, who was shown a yellow card in the first minute for a firm challenge, got a second for a clumsy intervention.
Brazil goalkeeper Alisson looked like he would be the third player sent off after 25 minutes but following a lengthy delay Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan overturned the decision.
Ecuador, on a home pitch where they had earned 16 of their 23 points ahead of Thursday’s match, thought they might snatch all three points when they were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
Alisson felled Ayrton Preciado in attempting to punch the ball clear and was again shown a red card, but after consulting VAR the referee overturned both the penalty award and red card.
The draw saw Brazil extend their unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers to 31 games to match the South American record they set from 1954 to 1993.
Bottom side Venezuela are the only team out of the running to qualify for Qatar, with most sides having four games left to play.
-Reuters
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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