International Football
Adamu Greets Amaju Pinnick
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The immediate past Nigerian member of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Dr. Amos Adamu was among the growing list of eminent Nigerians that have congratulated Amaju Pinnick for the success he achieved last week in shaping the outcome of the election into CAF.
Pinnick, it will be recalled, not only defy the odds to arrow head the unseating the immediate past CAF President, Issa Hayatou, he achieved a remarkable success in winning a seat by beating the hitherto pre election favourites, Moucharafou Anjorin of Benin Republic.
Dr. Amos Adamu is a well known ally of Hayatou and his strong support for Anjorin was legendary. In an interview with the Sports Village Square, Pinnick disclosed that Dr. Adamu had called to congratulate him and that on his part; he was not going to throw aside opinion and suggestions from Dr. Adamu and all those who had served in CAF before.
“I bear no one any grudge. No one had constituted a stumbling block to my success at the election; rather I see them as stepping stone to launch us into a new sphere. I will not throw away any opinion or advice offered”, remarked Pinnick.
He also disclosed that he has had communications with Amanze Uchegbulam, who served in the CAF Judicial and Appeals Committee of the Issa Hayatou cabinet.
He also dismissed the speculations that went global about his being pressured by the Federal Government of Nigeria to vote for a particular candidate at the presidential category of the CAF election.
He declared that he did not vote against his openly declared conscience and that there was never any official communication to him to vote for a particular candidate.
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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