International Football
Ghanaians find solace, claim Kumasi is opponents’ slaughter ground
With just a week to the crunchy first leg match of the Ghana-Nigeria World Cup play-off, troubled Ghanaians are trying to console themselves claiming that the alternative home ground for the encounter, the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi has always been the slaughter ground for visiting teams.
According to reports from Ghana, “the Baba Yara Sports Stadium brings good memories for the senior national team after recording some great wins at the venue in both Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.”
But answers could not be given on why the stadium was not the country’s choice in the first instance.
On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the Confederation of African Football confirmed the Baba Yara Stadium as the venue to host Ghana’s crucial first leg encounter against West African rivals Nigeria.
That came after the inspection team from CAF rejected the Cape Coast stadium, stating it is unfit to host the game on March 25.
According to GhanaGuardian, “the news has been received with great excitement by Ghanaians and this has sent some shivers to Nigerians, knowing the last World Cup play-off game by Ghana ended with a huge victory over Egypt.
“The Black Stars whitewashed Egypt 6-1 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on October 15, 2013, making the second leg in Cairo a mere formality. Ghana qualified for the World Cup in 2014, thanks to the win in Kumasi.
“The 6-1 drubbing is not the only famous win by Ghana in Kumasi, a year before the game against Egypt, the Black Stars thrashed Lesotho 7-0 at the same venue.
“The Black Stars also defeated Ethiopia 5-0 at the Baba Yara sports stadium during the qualifiers for AFCON 2019. Kumasi produces goals for the Black Stars, hence a reason for the Super Eagles to panic.”
Continuing, the report has it that “football is considered a religion in the Ashanti Region and when the Black Stars arrive in town they are kingly received.
“The fans troop to the stadium in numbers to watch Ghana play all the time, and as usual the 40,000 capacity seater stadium is expected to be filled to the brim.”
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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