International Football
Nigeria’s Flamingos to face Ethiopia in U-17 qualifiers
After the 6-0 aggregate defeat of Egypt, Nigeria’s U-17 Women’s team, Flamingos will face Ethiopia in the final qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup scheduled to hold later this year in India. Ethiopia stunned South Africa 3-0 in Johannesburg in the first leg but lost 1-0 at home to scale through on 3-1 aggregate.
Nigeria on Saturday at the Petrosport Stadium in Cairo only needed early first half goals from Opeyemi Ajakaye and Amina Bello to seal their progression.
In other fixtures, Morocco, Ghana and Cameroon have joined Nigeria in picking tickets to the last lap to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, India 2022 after third round, second leg wins.
They secured their fourth round berths as Morocco pummelled Niger 7-0 in Rabat, as Cameroon thrashed Zambia 3-0 in Yaounde and in Cape Coast, Ghana cruised past Guinea 7-0, while Nigeria silenced Egypt 2-0 in Cairo.
At Stade Moulay Hassan, the baby Atlas Lionesses raced into a four goal lead thanks to strikes from Hiba Karimi, Douae Azizi, Doha El Madani and Kenza Laksiri to follow up on their 11-0 first leg win in Niamey.
Maysene Khelefi made it five 20 minutes after the restart before Laksiri bagged her second on the match and El Hannichi sealed the rout three minutes from time.
This means the Moroccans completed an emphatic double over the Nigeriens with an 18-0 aggregate win and a final round date with Ghana.
In Yaounde, Camilla Daha brace and Lamine Mana effort were all the baby Indomitable Lionesses required to see out the Zambians at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.
Cruising from a 2-0 first leg win, Daha gave the Cameroonians a 23rd minute lead before Mana doubled the advantage 10 minutes later.
Two minutes from full time, Daha scored her second of the match to guarantee a 5-0 win on aggregate and set up a final round date with winner between Burundi and Tanzania next month.
Elsewhere, braces for Nancy Amoh and Constance Agyeman and a goal each for Georgina Ayisha Aoyem, Dejean Kubura and Mary Amponsah ensured Ghana’s humiliation of Guinea at the Cape Coast Stadium.
With the result, the Black Maidens, who won 4-1 in the first leg in Conakry progressed to the next round on a 10-1 aggregate win and will slug it out with Morocco for a ticket in India.
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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