International Football
Super Eagles to wear away jersey in New Jersey clash with Ecuador 
The Super Eagles will on Thursday conclude their tour of the United States of America with a match against Ecuador at the 25,000 –capacity Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
The Ecuadoran sides are expected to wear their predominantly yellow attire while the Super Eagles will then put on their olive green away shirts.
In what was coach José Santos Peseiro’s first outing with the squad, the Super Eagles lost 2-1 to Mexico in Dallas early Sunday morning (Nigerian time). The Mexicans used the match as part of their preparations for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
England –based forward Emmanuel Dennis has joined the team. Also, defender Olaoluwa Aina has shaken off a knock to train with the squad on Tuesday.
The match against the Ecuadorians comes exactly a week before the Super Eagles tackle the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone behind closed doors at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja in their opener to 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
A total of 20 players are now available to Peseiro and the rest of the coaching crew to pick from against the feisty South Americans, known for their pace, poise and power.
Midfielder Innocent Bonke is unlikely to play any part in Thursday’s session, but home –based professional Chiamaka Madu, who saw action in the second period against the El Tri, has been working assiduously hard to step up to the plate in the former’s absence.
Goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Olorunleke Ojo and Adewale Adeyinka are all fit and in form, with Captain William Ekong, Aina, Chidozie Awaziem, Sani Faisal, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey and Ibrahim Buhari all ready to be involved.
Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, Alex Iwobi, Madu, Terem Moffi and Babatunde Bello are up for it in midfield while Dennis, Cyriel Dessers, Moses Simon, Victor Mbaoma and Ishaq Rafiu are rearing to go in the attack.
Victory in Thursday’s game will go a long way to pumping up the spirit of the Super Eagles ahead of the two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe on 9th June and 13th June respectively.
The match kicks off at 8pm ET (1am Nigeria time on Friday) at the venue that is the home of New York Red Bulls in the Major League Soccer, and which was opened in March 2010.
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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