International Football
Massive injury blow for Ghana, Addo leaves camp ahead of Nigeria clash
With just 24 hours to the big match, Ghana have suffered another massive injury blow ahead of the decisive 2022 World Cup playoff clash with Nigeria.
It is gathered that Moldova-based midfielder Edmund Addo has been released from the squad due to injury.
The decision to release the UEFA Champions League sensation means the tough tackler will also not be available for the Black Stars in the second-leg to be played in Abuja on Tuesday.
The FC Sherrif star arrived in Ghana with an injury (unspecified) he picked up playing for his club side at the weekend and thought he would recover in time for the two important matches.
The 21-year-old underwent an MRI on Wednesday in Kumasi and the result showed severe damage which means he will not be available for the matches.
This comes as massive blow for the Ghana coach Otto Addo who was planning to pack his midfield to prevent the Super Eagles from creating any chances in the first-leg in Kumasi.
Addo is expected to travel to the Ghanaian capital of Accra on Thursday to see a specialist at Korle-Bu Teaching hospital.
Already, the Black Stars have been ravaged by injuries with the likes of Baba Rahman, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Samuel Owusu, Richmond Boakye-Yiadom sitting out this month’s contest.
Addo popped up in Europe with some superlative displays for FC Sheriff in this season’s UEFA Champions League.
His consistent displays earned him a place in Ghana’s squad for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations which was held in Cameroon this year.
This rules him out of selection for the first leg which will be played in Kumasi on Friday, 25 March 2022 and the return leg in Abuja four days later at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The winner of the tie will be in Qatar for the World Cup later this year.
Ghana are aiming for a fourth appearance after missing the 2018 edition in Russia, while Nigeria are hoping to qualify for a seventh.
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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