International Football
VIDEO: YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET, SAYS NEW FLYING EAGLE, DELE-BASHIRU
The last time Nigeria won their opening match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup was back in 2011, against Guatemala.
Since then the Flying Eagles, who have never won the tournament and who even managed to miss out on it altogether last time around (in 2017), have suffered more than their fair share of bad luck.
In their opening Group D encounter on Friday, Paul Aigbogun’s charges appeared determined to put their previous failures behind them by scoring four well-worked goals – two in each half – against Qatar, who were outclassed by the dynamic and powerful Africans.
Ayotomiwa Dele-Bashiru, scorer of the third goal, was one of the star Nigerian performers in Tychy.
“We prepared well for the match, and we got our reward,” he said. “We fully deserved the win, and I’m glad that we’ve brought our bad run of luck to an end.”
The Manchester City man put in a tireless shift in the middle of the park, and he was recompensed for his efforts after an hour of play, when he made a superb run to take Kingsley Michael’s threaded pass in stride and finish adroitly.
“I’m really proud of my goal, because it’s the first I’ve scored for my national team and it comes on my first official appearance for the U-20s. I’ve worked so hard to be here today,” Dele-Bashiru said with a smile.
This excellent start to the competition, during which the Nigerians more than showed what they are capable of, sent a clear message to their future opponents.
“I think we could go far in this tournament,” said Dele-Bashiru. “We’re going to do all we can to keep this momentum going while making sure we keep our feet on the ground.”
Nigeria are the undisputed kings of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where they have earned winners’ medals five times and been runners-up on three more occasions. Now they have their minds set on finally capturing the U-20 version at Poland 2019, having twice finished as runners-up, in 1989 and 2005.
After his side’s eye-catching opening performance, Dele-Bashiru was bullish on his team’s chance to make history.
“We’ve got a strong squad whichever way you look at it,” the 19-year-old said. “We’re not lacking in individual talent either, and both those things lead us to believe we can achieve something worthwhile here in Poland.”
In order to do that, they will have to maintain their momentum when matched up against the United States on Monday in Bielsko-Biala.
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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