International Football
Burundi in do or die matchup against Nigeria
Match details: Sunday 10 July. Time 9pm
As far as fate is concerned, what are the odds that a team finds itself in a David and Goliath affair having to prove that they have what it takes to conquer?
Well, ahead of the last Group C ties set for Sunday at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the debuting Burundi find themselves between a rock and a hard place as they prepare to face the most successful team in women’s football on the African continent – Nigeria who have won nine titles.
On paper, many would like to think that they can predict the outcome except that the beautiful game has provided us with upsets over the years to learn from.
“We are going to play against a very experienced team at the WAFCON. We want to go into this game to correct our past mistakes in the two games that we have played so far and we hope to do well,” explained Falonne Nahimana, who turns out for Huddersfield TAFC in the UK.
About featuring at the biggest tournament for women’s football on the continent, Nahimana added that, “I am very grateful to the federation for giving me the opportunity to play for the Burundian team and tomorrow’s match is a match of my dreams to play against a great team like Nigeria is a great opportunity. For us as players, we need to go and fight as a team and do it with respect for our country.”
For Gustave Niyonkuru’s side, this is a lifetime chance to announce their arrival at the big stage. The Swallows have played two games and lost both 4-2 to Botswana and 3-1 to South Africa but Nahimana believes that they have what it takes to make amends.
Meanwhile, Nigeria head coach Randy Waldrum said that, “We want to build on the confidence that we got from winning our second game. When you go into the third group game, as the coaching staff, we start looking at who we want to play, who should rest.”
“Some of our players have played 90 minutes twice already and it is a long tournament. If you are fortunate enough to make it through six games, we have to be mindful so these are some of the challenges that we have. So we have to try and find that balance.”
This fixture will be played at the same time 2100hrs as South Africa vs Botswana with two places in the quarterfinals up for grabs for Nigeria, Botswana and Burundi. The two games will be live on SuperSport.
-Cafonline
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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