International Football
CYPRUS CUP: SUPER FALCONS ROUND OFF WITH A SWEET WIN
The Super Falcons have ended their participation in the Cyprus Women’s Cup with a commanding 3-0 win over Thailand – one of the 24 countries that will take part in this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.
Forward Asisat Oshoala scored her second goal of the tournament in the 23rd minute to open the floodgate, before defender Onome Ebi made it two for Nigeria five minutes later. Anam Imo, who also scored Nigeria’s winning goal in the 4-3 defeat of Slovakia on Friday last week, got Nigeria’s third in the 74th minute to seal the victory.
The Falcons had edged Slovakia in an interesting encounter on Friday, with goals from Rita Chikwelu (who made a brace), Osinachi Ohale and Imo. On Monday, the nine –time African champions lost 0-1 to Belgium.
Nigeria had opened her campaign in the annual tournament with a 1-4 loss to Austria, but Coach Thomas Dennerby said he was happy with the team’s output in the remaining games as the Falcons continued their preparations for another World Cup appearance.
“We lost to Austria but we recovered well against Slovakia, and if we had put away the chances we had after scoring our third goal, there would have been no way for them to equalize. A good thing that we won in the end.
“I am happy that we were able to come here and participate in this tournament. The lessons are good for the team, just like we also learnt a lot at the tournament in China.”
At the China Tournament, the Falcons lost 0-3 to China’s Steel Roses but then lashed Romania 4-1 in their second and final game in Meizhou.
The Nigeria Football Federation and Coach Dennerby are presently studying a number of invitations from some other countries qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, with a view to deciding which teams the Falcons should still confront before the finals.
The 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals will take place in France, 7th June – 7th July 2019.
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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