International Football
Remo Stars’ loss to Enugu Rangers headlines CAF’s African Club Round-up
In this Monday’s review of the domestic leagues in African countries, CAF’s website focused on the duel between Enugu Rangers and Remo Stars as the major event in the continent. Remo Stars’ unbeaten streak was suddenly terminated as the team had hoped to strengthen their hold on the top position in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
Remo Stars had gone on a 77-day winning streak and inflicted home and away defeats on some of Nigeria’s legacy clubs.
Their Sunday encounter with Enugu Rangers ended in a 2-1 loss. CAF website captured it thus:
African football is alive every weekend with exciting league action around the continent and our weekly round-up of league action highlights a selection of the most important results.
NIGERIA
Remo Stars lost to Enugu Rangers in the Professional Football League on Sunday but still have a comfortable eight-point lead at the top of the table.
Rangers beat them 2-1 in Enugu on Sunday allowing them to move into third spot and to within two points of second-placed Shooting Stars, who lost 2-1 to Heartland in Owerri on Sunday.
Remo Stars had been unbeaten in their last eight league games but were undone through goals in the first 50 minutes from Isaac Saviour and Kingsley Maduforo, before a late consolation from Hadi Haruna set up a nervy conclusion to the contest.
Two of the three goals in Shooting Stars’ loss at Heartland came from the penalty spot after Chukwuma Agor had the hosts ahead with a deflected effort.
Stars equalised from the spot through Mustapha Adams, who had been fouled and got up off the grass to convert.
Four minutes later, the home side was awarded a penalty and although Stars goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal saved John Bassey’s kick, the referee ordered a retake with Bassey making no mistake the second time around.
Rivers United slipped to fourth after a 1-0 loss to Enyimba in Aba where Imo Odot scored the game’s only goal.
ALGERIA
A five-goal thriller saw Mouloudia Alger edge JS Kabylie 3-2 in Algiers on Thursday and restore a two-point advantage at the top of the standings as Ligue 1 returned to regular action after a six-week break.
The club competing in the CAF club competition have played catch-up games throughout January and MCA were, therefore, a touch sharper than their visitors in the ‘classico’ with Tayeb Meziani’s 78th minute goal proving decisive.
MCA were 2-0 up after 65 minutes through Akram Bouras’ deflected effort and Zakaria Naidji’s tuck away.
New Russian signing Ivan Ignatjev came off the bench to score JSK’s first with a headed goal in the 72nd minute and a late consolation came from Redouane Berkane.
Chabab Belouizdad had gone top the previous evening with their 3-0 home win over Khenchela in Algiers in a dream start for new coach Sead Ramovic, who joined from Tanzania’s Young Africans. MC Alger sit on 31 points from 16 games and Belouizdad on 29.
In third place are USM Alger on 26, having dropped points in a goalless draw at bottom of the log US Biskra on Friday.
More key games are ahead in midweek with MC Alger at Paradou and Belouizdad away against Entente Setif on Thursday.
ZAMBIA
The top five teams in the Super League all won at the weekend, but defending champions Red Arrows were the big losers as they fell seven points behind after losing 1-0 to leaders ZESCO United as Pasco Phiri scored the only goal of the game in Ndola on Saturday.
ZESCO have 46 points from 24 games, two more than Kabwe Warriors in second place, and a further two ahead of third-placed Power Dynamos. Nkana and Nkwazi both have 40 points.
Warriors were 1-0 winners in Kabwe on Saturday as they edged Zanaco thanks to a strike seven minutes from full-time by Simon Tonga.
Power Dynamos claimed a 2-0 victory at Atletico Lusaka on Saturday to keep their title chances alive as Fredrick Mulambia and a penalty from Brian Masanyinga gave them the points while Nkana defeated 10-man Green Eagles 1-0 as Clement Mwape’s goal on the stroke of halftime in Kitwe on Sunday proved the difference.
UGANDA
Vipers extended their lead in the Premier League after two successive wins after the campaign’s restart last week.
They beat Marrons 1-0 in Kitende last Monday and followed that up with a 2-0 away triumph over Kampala Capital City Authority on Sunday.
It was a fifth successive league win for Vipers, who are now three clear of National Enterprise Corporation, who dropped points in a 1-1 away draw against Police in Wakiso on Sunday.
The two have a major points advantage over the rest of the pack with Vipers 10 points ahead of third-placed Uganda Revenue Authority.
MADAGASCAR
AS Fanalamanga, with seven points, lead after three rounds of the national championship despite being held at home in Ambatondrazaka by Elgeco Plus on Saturday.
The 0-0 draw moved Elgeco to five points. Fosa Juniors are third with four points but were held 0-0 by Disciples on Sunday in Mahajanga.
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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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