International Football
Flying Eagles head to Niamey for WAFU B Championship
Seven –time African champions Nigeria have high expectations as they head to Niamey, capital of Niger Republic for this year’s WAFU B U20 Championship taking place in that country, 7th – 20th May. Nigeria’s contingent will fly into Niamey on Thursday and the Nigeria Football Federation has arranged two friendly matches in Niamey to put the team in premium shape and readiness for the competition proper.
Head Coach Ladan Bosso has selected a team of 28 players who will compete against Ghana’s Black Satellites and the Young Etalons of Burkina Faso in Group B. Hosts Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire will battle in Group A.
The Flying Eagles will confront familiar foes Ghana in their first match of the competition on Sunday, 8th May, before they take on Burkina Faso three days later. Both matches hold at the General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey.
Two teams will sail into the semi finals from each group, with the two finalists qualifying to represent the WAFU B zone at the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
Egypt will host the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations while Indonesia will host the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup finals. All four semi finalists from the tournament in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa in Indonesia.
FLYING EAGLES FOR WAFU B CHAMPIONSHIP:
Goalkeepers: Nathaniel Nwosu (Water FC); Chijioke Aniagboso (Giant Brillars); Saheed Jimoh (Adoration FC)
Defenders: Opeyemi Omooloyi (Akure City); Abubakar Babaji (Niger Tornadoes); Lekan Oyedele (Remo Stars); Oluwatosin Adegbite (Enyimba FC); Augustine Njoku (Abia Warriors); Chikezie Okolie (Giant Brillars); David Sholumade (Akwa United); Benjamin Frederick (ABS FC)
Midfielders: Anas Hassan (Vandrezzer FC); Daniel Daga (FC One Rocket); Oluwaseyi Falodun (Jossy United); Samson Lawal (Katsina United); Onuche Ogbelu (Fosla Academy); Muhammad Aminu (Gombe United); Muhammad Shehu (Katsina United); Frederick Godwin (City FC)
Forwards: Adams Olubi (FK Zalgris Vilnius, Lithuania); Tolulope Ojo (Remo Stars); Ibrahim Muhammad (Maikunkele FC); Ibrahim Yahaya (Gombe United); Rilwanu Haliru Sarki (Mahanaim FC); Divine Nwachukwu (Adoration FC); Ahmed Abdullahi (HB Academy); Abdullahi Adam (Nasarawa United); Albert Hilary (Plateau United)
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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