International Football
Africa’s biggest World Cup hopes, Senegal face big Dutch challenge
African champions Senegal open their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign with a Group A fixture against three-time runners-up the Netherlands, who are back at the finals for the first time since finishing third in 2014.
The Dutch are at the Qatar 2022 with the same head coach, Louis van Gaal, who led them in Brazil 2014.
This game, which is numerically, Match Number 2 at Qatar 2022 will be first encounter ever between both countries and will hold at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha 5pm Nigerian time, but 7pm here in Qatar.
Senegal were quarter-finalists on their FIFA World Cup debut in 2002, beating defending champions France 1-0 in the opening match.
Their three victories in two finals appearances have all come against European opponents.
The Netherlands are appearing at the World Cup for the 11th time. They are undefeated in their last 13 World Cup group-stage encounters, winning the last six, and have never lost their opening group match, winning six and drawing two.
But Sports Village Square observes that Senegal have started their tournament with a win in each of their previous two World Cups.
The first being their famous triumph over France in 20 years ago and another 2-1 victory against Poland in their first group game at Russia 2018.
Aliou Cissé is the coach of Senegal for their second successive World Cup. He also captained the nation in 2002 in their only other appearance at the finals.
The Netherlands are unbeaten in their last 15 international matches, winning 11 and drawing four.
All these were achieved since Louis van Gaal was appointed coach in August 2021.
Their last defeat was against Czech Republic in June 2021 at UEFA EURO 2020.
The Netherlands have only ever lost two out of 30 group-stage matches at the FIFA World Cup (this includes first and second group stages).
The only teams to have defeated the Dutch in group matches are Scotland in1978 and Belgium in1994).
The Netherlands have not lost their opening game at a FIFA World Cup final competition since 1938, when they were defeated in the first round by Czechoslovakia.
Their opening match record since then is six victories and two drawn matches.
At the age of 71 years and 105 days, Louis van Gaal will be the third oldest coach in World Cup history when he takes charge of the Netherlands in this match.
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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