International Football
SOUTH AFRICA SHOCKS NIGERIA IN AFRICA WOMEN’S CUP OF NATIONS
South Africa’s women team, Banyana Banyana on Sunday in Cape Coast, Ghana shocked Nigeria’s Super Falcons 0-1, in the Group B of the Africa Women’s Nations Cup. The Nigerian side was the defending champions and went into the game with a scorecard of 13 previous wins two drawn games and a loss to South Africa.
Thus, Sunday’s loss was the second the Nigerian women’s team suffered from South Africa in 18 encounters. The last time South Africa beat Nigeria was in 2012.
The Super Falcons were punished for the many goal chances wasted in the course of the game and thus have an Herculean task going into their next fixtures against Zambia on Wednesday.
Surprisingly, it is the first time Nigeria lost an opening match of a competition that they had dominated since inception 20 years ago. The dominance is very glaring if one considers that in 10 editions, including the last one, the Nigerian side won eight.
It was with such impressive record and having a foreign coach for the first time in the tournament that expectations were raised.
They paid dearly for the wasted opportunities when in a counterattack five minutes to end of regulation time, substitute player, Thembi Kgatlana finally broke the deadlock for Banyana with a smashing volley from a tight angle that sailed into the far corner.
The two sides played cautiously in the opening period of the match, but the Nigerians had the upper hand and created chances that were not utilized.
Mamello Makhabane for South Africa had chance to break the deadlock for Coach Desiree Ellis’ ladies two minutes before the half hour mark with a strike from outside the box that sailed wide.
Four minutes later, Desire Oparanozie had a wonderful opportunity to find the breakthrough for the Super Falcons after going through in the box unmarked, but she fired her strike over the crossbar.
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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