International Football
Russia 2018: My Worries over Cameroon, says Akwegbu
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA
Former Super Eagles’ player, Benedict Akwegbu has joined other pundits in pointing out the importance of the back-to-back fixtures the Super Eagles have with the Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in the final phase of the Russia 2018 World Cup.
The first leg of the encounter comes up in the last week of August in Uyo. A week later, both teams meet in Yaoundé.
Akwegbu, a member of the early 2000 squad of the Nigerian team told Sports Village Square that winning the first leg is very crucial as it would make the Super Eagles to attain a nine-point head start and give a seven point difference going to Cameroon for the return leg.
That in his opinion would have mathematically edged out Cameroon from the race. But to achieve this, the Nigerian team manager, Gernot Rohr must select a team devoid of sentiments.
“Team selection should be limited to those very active in their various clubs. Playing in the best league shouldn’t be a yardstick for making the first team. I urge him to feature players who play regularly.”
Nigeria with six points, currently lead the pack in Group B and are followed by Cameroon which have two points. A win for Nigeria in the next fixture increases the gap between the two teams.
But as Benedict Akwegbu remarked, Cameroon’s winning of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations has buoyed the confidence of the Indomitable Lions.
“They are currently chasing us on the log with players who play regularly in their club sides and are willing to make name. Nigeria is full of talented footballer and those Rohr invited for Nigeria’s next clash are also good but I urge him to play the best legs and feature players on merit”, he said.
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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