International Football
Morocco secures title in girls division of African Schools Football Championship
Morocco have won the CAF African Schools Football Championship UNAF Qualifiers after securing a comfortable 12-0 victory over Libya on Day 2 of the competition played in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Monday, 18 December.
Mariem Obla, who has been a shining star at the competition led the victory with an impressive 5 goal contribution to the score, taking her total goal tally to an impressive 8 in two matches.
The victory sees Morocco win the title with a day to go and becoming representatives of the UNAF Zone’s girls division at next year’s CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals set to take place in April 2024.
In the boys’ match of the day, Morocco played out to a 1-1 draw against Libya resulting in both teams tied on a point each with tournament hosts, Egypt on 3 points to set up an interesting close to the competition on Tuesday.
To date, three CAF Zones have officially conducted their CAF African Schools Football Championship qualifiers, which are WAFU B, CECAFA as well as COSAFA.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship is a first of its kind in world football which affords school going learners under the age of 15 a unique opportunity of competition in international football.
In addition to the exciting talent on offer, CAF is conducting capacity building programmes for the youngsters in the form of the Young Reporters Programme, Young Medical Officers Programme and the Young Referees Programme to capacitate the learners beyond the field of play.
-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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