International Football
Croatia Beat Egypt 4-2 To Win Friendly Tournament –
World Cup semi-finalists Croatia came from a goal down to defeat hosts Egypt 4-2 and win a friendly tournament near Cairo on Tuesday.
Croatia fell behind to an early strike from Egypt defender Rami Rabia but roared back with goals from Nikola Vlasic, Bruno Petkovic, Andrej Kramaric and Lovro Majer for their second win after they beat Tunisia on penalties following a 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Egypt, who defeated New Zealand 1-0 in their opening match, scored a stoppage-time consolation through defender Mohamed Abdul-Moneim.
The four-team tournament is part of FIFA’s new series of friendly games introduced to allow teams from different confederations to play each other.
Egypt made a strong start and took a sixth-minute lead when Rabia side-footed home from six yards out following a left-wing cross from Mohamed Hamdi.
Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed almost doubled Egypt’s lead on 18 minutes but saw his chip come back off the post following a one-on-one with keeper Nediljko Labrovic.
The miss proved costly as Croatia then gained the upper hand, with Torino forward Vlasic levelling the score three minutes later with a shot from the edge of the area.
Croatia pinned Egypt into their own half and missed some good chances, including an effort from Petkovic that went over the bar with the goal gaping. The Dinamo Zagreb striker made amends to put the visitors ahead on 57 minutes with a bullet header following a corner.
Substitute Kramaric added the third with another free header and Wolfsburg’s lively midfielder Majer bagged their fourth goal three minutes from time.
Abdul-Moneim reduced the deficit with a late header but it did little to cheer up a subdued crowd at the newly-built 92,000-capacity stadium, 45 km (28 miles) east of Cairo.
-Reuters
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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