International Football
Statistics ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup matches
- South American champions Argentina open their 18th FIFA World Cup finals campaign – and 13th in a row – by taking on Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium, the venue for the final on 18 December. This is the first match between the countries in the final competition.
- Denmark will hope to continue their impressive form of both the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign and UEFA EURO 2020 as they kick off the final competition in Qatar against African qualifiers Tunisia. Both countries are appearing at the World Cup finals for the sixth time.
- Mexico’s 17th FIFA World Cup finals campaign kicks off against Poland, who are making their ninth appearance, in Group C at Doha’s Stadium 974. The teams have met once before at the tournament, in 1978, Poland emerging 3-1 winners in the final match of the group stage.
- Didier Deschamps’ France begin their FIFA World Cup defence in Group D against Australia, the same team they faced, and defeated, 2-1 in Kazan in the opening match of their triumphant 2018 campaign in Russia.
- Gareth Bale became the first scorer of World Cup goal for Wales since the country’s loss to Pele-inspired Brazil 64 years ago. It also offered Wales, their first World Cup point since 1958.
- Liberian-born Tim Weah has become the first player born in the current millenium to score a goal at the World Cup, making him an international record holder. He is the pride of his father and President of Liberia.
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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