International Football
Osunwa Excited To Play Against Former Teammates
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigerian striker of the visiting Al Merriekh, Kelechi Osunwa has told Rivers United official website that he was excited to be back in Port Harcourt and playing against some of his former teammates in the defunct Dolphins.
Osunwa featured for Dolphins which has since been merged with Sharks to form Rivers United. It was from his former Port Harcourt club that he moved to Sudan to join Al Hilal which he helped to reach the semi finals of the 2007 CAF Champions League.
He has been in and out of Sudan before joining Al Merriekh. His goal against Sony Ela Nguema of Equatorial Guinea gave Al Merriekh, a soul-lifting 1-0 away win.
He now returns to the city of his birth and youth. “I have great memories of Port Harcourt and I am glad to be back to play against my former club even though they have now merged (with Sharks to form Rivers United)
“It will be a great game on Sunday and we will see how it goes in the end.
“I didn’t really give tips (about Rivers United) to my coach (Diego Garzito) because most of the players are new players,” Osunwa said.
Another Al Merriekh player of Nigerian origin, Dayo Ojo who plays in the midfield said: “We are not here for fun. We are here to play football.
“There are no easy games in football anymore and we hope we can get a positive result on Sunday.”
In all these, Rivers United coach, Stanley Eguma does not doubt the ability of his players. But he called on the fans to come out and stand as the “12th player” for Rivers United.
“I have always clamoured for the fans to come to the Stadium to cheer the boys.
“The boys always do better when they see the fans cheering and giving them support.
“We got great support from the fans when we faced (Malian club), AS real Bamako (in the preliminary round) and the result was a resounding victory.
“The players have assured that they will give their best on Sunday to make the fans happy,” he said on the club’s official website.
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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