International Football
POLAND 2019: NIGERIAN AMBASSADOR VISITS FLYING EAGLES
Nigeria’s quest for a good outing at the Poland 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup received a huge boost on Sunday when the Nigerian ambassador to Poland, Eric Bell-Gam paid a visit to the team at their Vienna House Hotel abode.
The Flying Eagles flew
into Katowice, Poland from Munich, Germany on
Sunday where they were welcomed by a few Nigerians and then driven
under police escort to their hotel in the heart of Katowice.
Ambassador Bell-Gam, who was accompanied by some consular staff
of the Nigerian embassy in Warsaw was received at the Flying Eagles’ hotel by the
leader of the Nigeria delegation, Abdulrafiu Yusuf and the team’s
secretary Aliyu Lawal Ibrahim.
The ambassador charged the Flying Eagles to go all out and make Nigeria proud when the competition starts, reiterating that himself and the Nigerian community in Poland are fully behind the team.
“The mood is very high at
the embassy because of our expectations of
Nigeria participating at this event (FIFA U20 World Cup),” Bell-Gram told thenff.com.
“The expectation is high
as the Polish expect a lot from our team and we know that we are capable of
doing it and we expect something good
in terms of performance from the team.
“Let me start by saying that it is an honour that during my
period as the
ambassador to Poland, the country will be hosting the FIFA U20 World
Cup and my country is participating.
“I find it to be a good thing that Nigeria qualified,” he added. The ambassador also assured the Flying Eagles that Nigerians in Poland are solidly behind the team and despite challenges with getting match tickets, he promised to do his best to make sure that the issue is sorted out.
“Nigerians in Poland are aware of this event and there are have
been a
plan to secure tickets in bulk but there is a little challenge,” he
revealed. “The challenge is we could not get the tickets in bulk, which
would have allowed us to throw our unflinching support to the team.
“But we are working hard at this and we still expect a good number of them to come to show up and give the team their full support.
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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