International Football
How and Why We Lost Woefully to Nigeria, Says Hugo Broos
Cameroon’s Belgian coach, Hugo Broos did not mince words in declaring that the Super Eagles were far better than his team in last Friday’s humiliating defeat in Uyo.
It was not just the biggest loss that Cameroon ever got in a World Cup qualifying encounter, it was the biggest that a Nigerian team ever inflicted on a Cameroonian side.
It went beyond the 4-1 defeat that IICC Shooting Stars posted to Roger-Milla inspired Tonnerre Kalara FC of Yaoundé in the 1976 African Winners’ Cup first leg final match.
Shooting Stars repeated the same humiliating defeat on Tonnerre Kalara winning 4-0 in Ibadan while Enugu Rangers also beat Canon Yaoundé 4-1 in the 1977 African Winners Cup final match.
After another humiliating defeat in Uyo, Cameroon24 net attributed the following statements to Hugo Broos on how and why his team was disgraced:
“In the first half of the game and in the first half of the second half we did what we could and for the rest of the game Nigeria were better, they were more determined to get that victory. It was not a good game for us. We lost 0-4 and I think they deserve their victory.
“When you watched the game, you saw what had to be done and it was obvious. On the other side, Choupo Moting was put in at half-time and after ten minutes, he left the field because of an injury.
“So, here too it is bad luck because I find that Choupo is well into the game, but with his wound, it had to change. When you think that during the half-time you explained what had to be done and afterwards an event like this comes spoil your plans, it can only be a pity.
“In a game, everything can happen. The Lions play the return to Yaoundé. I think we will try everything to defeat Nigeria in Yaoundé”.
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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