International Football
ARGENTINA GETS AMAZING DISGRACE FROM NIGERIA
The boogie always presented by Argentina was Tuesday terminated as the Super Eagles of Nigeria were truly super, coming back from two goals down after 36 minutes to amazingly disgrace former World Cup champions.
It the second time Nigeria had beaten Argentina after eight matches. The first time being in Abuja in 2011 when Argentina fielded a second string side that crumbled miserably by 4-1.
The struggle that Argentina went through without Lionel Messi in some of the qualifying matches for the Russia 2018 came up as it is obvious the Argentines are paper weight without the mercurial Messi.
It was the prowess of Messi that actually delivered qualification for Argentina on the last match day of the South American series leading to the 2018 World Cup.
Going into Tuesday’s game in the Russian city of Krasnodar, Argentina initially profited from the poor goalkeeping of Daniel Akpeyi whose poor knowledge of football laws led to the opening goal in the 27th minute.
He came out of the penalty box to touch the ball with hands instead of kicking. At the prompting of the Argentine players, the referee awarded the free kick that led to the curtain raiser.
Ever Banega fired through the opening of the Nigerian defence wall which Akpeyi should ordinarily have guided. But he was positioned at the back of the defended portion of the Nigerian goal area.
Nine minutes later, Sergio Aguero doubled the lead before Nigeria began their comeback bid.
Kelechi Iheanacho pulled a goal back just before half time through a spectacular free kick. At half time, Coach Gernot Rohr did the needful, pulling out Akpeyi who may have had his last opportunity in the current dispensation.
His place was taken up in goal y debutant, Francis Uzoho whose cooler disposition restored confidence in Nigeria’s goal area.
Russia Based Bryan Idowu was also introduced to take the place of Ola Aina in the defence. The changes worked like magic. Seven minutes into the restart, Alex Iwobi levelled up for Nigeria before ‘home boy’, Bryan Idowu shot Nigeria into the lead in the 54th minute before Alex Iwobi sealed the victory the 73rd minute.
For Mikel Obi, who made his 80th appearance for the Super Eagles, he had kept to the tradition of the four other players that had chalked that number of caps.
With the win over Argentina, Nigeria remains undefeated in the matches where the country’s players had their 80th appearances.
When Muda Lawal had his 80th cap, Nigeria played a goalless draw with Cote d’Ivoire on June 16, 1985.
The result was the same for Nwankwo Kanu as he came off the bench to replace Kalu Uche in a World Cup qualifying match with Tunisia to earn his 80th cap.
The match played in Rades, Tunisia ended goalless. It was even more remarkable for Joseph Yobo when he earned his 80th cap in Antananarivo, Madagascar, the home country of the current CAF President who was his nation’s FA president at the time.
In the September 3, 2011 Africa Cup of Nations duel, Nigeria did not just have a 2-0 away win, Yobo, a defender opened scoring! When on June 5, 2013 Vincent Enyeama made his 80th appearance for Nigeria in Nairobi, Kenya, he had a clean sheet and Nigeria won the away World Cup qualifier 1-0.
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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