International Football
Gambian wrecker of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, Adama Bojang heads for further exploits in Europe
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles and their followers will not easily forget Gambian striker, Adama Bojang whose goal eliminated the Nigerian side from getting to the final match of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt last month.
The goal against Nigeria was not the only mark made by the 18-year old.
He easily blew away oppositions to earn the nickname ‘The Gambian Hurricane’.
He scored four goals to help the Scorpions reach the final where they were defeated 2-0 by Senegal.
His tally included a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of South Sudan in the quarter-finals and the winner against Nigeria in the last four.
Those performances have the rumour mill churning out links to some of Europe’s top clubs including Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, as well as Marseille, currently riding high in France’s Ligue 1, and Dutch giants Ajax.
But Bojang insists he remains grounded despite the reported interest.
“I’ve heard about the news and I am excited about it,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“It boosts my morale. I’m focusing more on consistency which motivates me a lot, because seeing such clubs following you is a great feeling.
“Through consistency it will make them hungrier for me.”
Coached by grandad
Bojang says football is “the only game I’ve ever known” – but his family hesitated in assisting his goal of becoming a professional.
“Sometimes my mum would talk to my school team to stop me playing and focus on my education.”
Despite her initial reservations, the striker’s mother is now fully on-board with her son’s career.
“Later, she started coming to games because she sees this is what I love. She keeps supporting me and together we are making this happen,” he said.
“You have to follow your dreams and do what you love doing.”
And the family support network does not end there because the Bojangs had more than one representative at the U20 Afcon – coach Abdoulie Bojang, Adama’s grandfather.
“I’ve been with him since I was a child,” revealed the junior Bojang, discussing the importance of the relationship.
“It’s all because of him, he has played a big role for me.”
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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