International Football
SHOWDOWN IN POLAND: FLYING EAGLES FACE ZERO OPTION IN LAST GROUP MATCH WITH UKRAINE
“To be or not to be? That is the big poser for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in their encounter with current table-toppers, Ukraine. Will the Flying Eagles cross the group stage Hurdle as the team goes into the last match day of Group D on Thursday in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
After a below par outing against Team USA in Bielsko-Biala on Monday night, Nigeria’s U20 boys know they must earn a result against group leaders Ukraine at the same venue on Thursday to prolong their stay at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland.
Goals by Sebastian Soto and a sterling performance by the entire USA squad condemned the seven –time African champions to a 2-0 defeat.
They still have three points and two goals advantage from their defeat of Qatar in Tychy on Friday, but any slip could be costly for further interest in the tournament.
Although they already have a spot in the Round of 16, Ukraine could still finish third on the log and be condemned to face the first –placed team in Group B (race still between Italy and Japan).
That is, if they lose to Nigeria and USA, on three points as Nigeria, racks up a big win over Qatar.
Both teams go toe-to-toe at the Bielsko-Biala Stadium as from 7.30pm Nigeria time on Thursday, with the Flying Eagles determined to take the game to their opponents and get a win.
However, Paul Aigbogun’s boys will do well to avoid the kind of lethargic start they contrived against USA, and put together more fluent attacking moves complemented by clinical finishing.
If they end up as group D winners, the Flying Eagles will travel back to Tychy to play a third –placed team in the Round of 16 on Monday.
If they finish in second place, they would be off to Bydgoszcz to play the winner of group E (which has another African flagbearer Mali, as well as France, Panama and Saudi Arabia). And if they end up as one of the best third –placed teams, they would be off to Lodz to play the winner of group B.
Whatever their game plan for Thursday night’s encounter, Aigbogun’s wards must watch out for Ukraine’s Denys Popov, who has scored two of the Ukrainian side’s three goals at the championship so far, as well as Serhi Buletsa, who scored one of their goals against USA.
Two of Africa’s three other representatives, Mali and Senegal, are also on good ground to reach the knockout rounds.
Senegal top Group A after amassing six points from beating Tahiti and Colombia, while Mali perch in second place in group E with four points after drawing with Panama and edging Saudi Arabia in a seven –goal thriller.
South Africa, after losses to Argentina and Korea Republic, are pointless in Group F.
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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