International Football
Bayelsa Queens keep semi-final hopes alive after TP Mazembe win
Bayelsa Queens bounced back from a disappointing opening defeat to beat TP Mazembe 2-0 in their second CAF Women’s Champions League group stage game in Marrakech on Thursday.
First half goals from Miracle Joseph and Chinyere Igbomalu were all Domo Okara’s ladies needed to see off their Central African rivals and keep their Women’s Champions League semi-final hopes alive at Grand Stade de Marrakech.
Bayelsa made a fine start to the duel as Igbomalu was brought down inside the box as early as they opening 30 seconds of the match for Joseph to convert the ensuing penalty and put the Nigerians in front.
The DR Congo champions almost found a way back when Richanelle Kiteko fired a powerful shot from distance but keeper Ange Gabrielle Bawou pushed the ball over the back in the ninth minute.
The WAFU-B representatives went on to add another when Juliet Sunday teed up Chinyere Igbomalu to blast home on the second attempt after her first was rebuffed by keeper Yvonne Obonga in the 24th minute to ensure a two-goal lead at half time.
Both teams created chances after the break, with Sunday twice coming close to increasing the tally, while Kiteko and Naomie Kabakaba got their moments of brilliance but could not reduce the deficit as the Nigerians hanged on to claim their first win.
With the victory, Bayelsa now has their destiny in their own hands as they move up to second on Group B standings with three points before their must-win final match against Wadi Degla in Rabat on November 6.
For Mazembe, they look to keep their qualification dream afloat against title holders Mamelodi Sundowns, who required just a point to confirm their place in the last four of the competition.
Meanwhile, Cameroonian goalkeeper Ange Gabrielle Bawou won the Woman of the Match following her goalkeeping heroics between the sticks in Bayelsa Queens’ clinical victory over their Congolese counterparts.
-Caf
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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