International Football
Black Stars need a miracle to beat Nigeria, says Dan Owusu
Legendary Ghana forward Dan Owusu has written off the Black Stars in their two-match World Cup play off with Nigeria. According to the former striker, Ghana will need a miracle to edge past Nigeria for a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Dan Owusu, should not be confused with the more dangerous Kwasi Owusu who was a ‘tormentor-in-chief’ of the Nigerian defence in matches of the early 1970s. Easily recalled was the hattrick that Kwasi Owusu scored against Nigeria in a tempestuous World Cup qualifier on 10 February 1973 – the first time Nigeria lost a match at the Lagos National Stadium.
He died two years ago. But his name sake was almost as good as the late Kwasi Owusu whose goal also made Nigeria lose the gold medal at the maiden Nigeria-Ghana Sports Festival in August 1974.
The Black Stars will take on their sworn rivals in crunch final play-offs on Friday at the Baba Yara Stadium before the reverse fixture at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on March 29, 2022.
The winner of both legs will secure one of the five African World Cup slot.
In an interview with Sylvester Ntim of Koforidua-based Bryt FM, the former Kotoko forward cast doubt about the Black Stars qualification chances, claiming the team will need a miracle to beat the Super Eagles to qualify.
“Ghana’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup is very slim, in fact, the game against Nigeria is very dicey but here is the case we don’t know the men to even do the job for us. Why have they kept the squad for all this while? He quizzed.
“Before a team can be a champion, it will depend on the goalkeeper because we all saw what Edward Mendy did for Senegal at the AFCON, Senegal couldn’t have won the title had it not being him”
“But our case is different, so I think it will be difficult for Ghana to qualify unless miracle but miracle is not considered in football, it’s about quality” he said.
“To get a strong starting lineup for the Black Stars now is very difficult. Every coach has players he calls which brings inconsistency to the team. We have many Ghanaian players locally and others in Europe who are very good footballers yet when coaches are making call ups, they choose more foreign players than the local players”
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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