International Football
How the Super Eagles will qualify for Qatar 2022
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Nigeria need an outright win to qualify for the Qatar 2022 when they face Black Stars of Ghana in Abuja on Tuesday. A goalless draw will take the game into penalty shoot-out. A score draw will give the ticket to Ghana.
There is the possibility of another scoreless draw, Eguavoen and Amuneke therefore need to add penalty kicks to the training schedule of the Super Eagles.
The ghosts of the Afcon final match of 2000 must be banished.
Super Eagles have faced a penalty shoot-out situation in World Cup qualifying series only once. That was on 12 July 1980 when they beat Tunisia 2-0 in Lagos to bring aggregate scoreline to 2-2.
Nigeria triumphed 4-3 on penalties. Sports Village Square recalls that that was the first time the Nigerian national team had a penalty shoot-out situation.
The team has a lot to learn from lessons of history. They have to realise how an hitherto simple arithmetic can turn into a complex Greek puzzle.
The most recent example of such was the qualifier played against Cape Verde whom they had beaten at home. Even with a first minute goal in Lagos, it was a miracle how the team managed to survive the remaining 89 minutes of regulation time.
First within four minutes, they lost their solitary goal advantage as the visitors were threatening to even win the match. The situation easily opened the exit doors for Gernot Rohr.
Rewind to the Africa Cup qualifiers in 2020 when within 30 minutes, the Super Eagles were four goals up against visiting Sierra Leone. But under a spell of 20 minutes, the visitors cancelled the four goals and threatened to even add another one in what has become one of the biggest come-back stories in African football.
The often repeated phrase of ‘It is not over until it is over’, is applicable here.
Nigeria missed out in the maiden edition of the African Nations Championships (CHAN) which is for the products of the domestic league owing to complacency.
Nigeria scored two goals before half time and Ghana staged a remarkable come-back in the second half to win 3-2. Ordinarily, such a result may not be too bad for a team that will host the return leg as they needed just a goal to advance.
Alas, the return leg in Calabar ended goalless. Adios, home advantage! Such lessons call for cautious optimism as well a focus until the game is over.
Lessons should also be learnt from the last Africa Cup of Nations when the Round of 16 encounter with a heavily depleted and hitherto unimpressive Tunisia.
But the same Tunisia bounced back and fortuitously eliminated the hitherto unbeaten Super Eagles from Afcon 2021. There are lessons to be learnt.
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
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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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