International Football
Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles are on a 5-match unbeaten run after 1-1 draw with Russia
Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, has not lost in five matches. This sets a possible tone for Nigeria’s next four crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
On Friday, the Super Eagles came from behind to secure a 1–1 draw. It was their first-ever senior international match against Russia. They showed resilience despite the absence of several key players.
Fresh off their Unity Cup triumph in London, the Super Eagles were missing several stars. Key players like Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, and Ola Aina were not present. Their absence gave fringe players a chance to shine.
Tolu Arokodare emerged as the standout performer. He scored a well-taken equaliser in the second half.
Tolu Arokodare put Nigeria on level terms with Russia
Russia played their first home match in months. This was due to ongoing FIFA and UEFA suspensions. They took the lead in the 29th minute. A dangerous cross from Danil Krugovoy deflected off Semi Ajayi into his own net.
Ironically, Ajayi had helped force an own goal for Nigeria just a week earlier against Ghana.
Despite limited clear-cut chances, Nigeria nearly equalised before halftime, but Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was denied by a brilliant save from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.
Russia should have gone 2–0 up after the break when Viktor Melekhin missed a gilt-edged opportunity. That miss proved costly as substitute Arokodare capitalised on a rare error from Safonov to draw Nigeria level.
The hosts pressed for a winner. Maduka Okoye produced two superb stops to preserve the draw. One stop was a fingertip save from Aleksey Batrakov. Dmitri Barinov also squandered a late chance, firing over from close range.
The result ends Russia’s eight-game winning streak since October 2023. Nigeria will take heart from a strong performance. They look ahead to their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.
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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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