International Football
8 DAYS TO FINAL DRAW: WORLD CUP MATCHES THAT HAVE NEVER TAKEN PLACE
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
On Wednesday, Sports Village Square enunciated the most recurring fixtures if the World Cup in over 80 years.
The final draw for another World Cup is barely eight days away when the 32 teams will be grouped into eight and fixtures thereafter emerge for the 64-match series.
As there have been recurring fixtures of the World Cup in the past 87 years, so also are match ups the world is still waiting for.
For instance, neither Brazil nor England has ever come against Korea Republic which is historically the most successful Asian team in the World Cup.
For the 2018 Final Draw, Korea Republic is in Pot 4 while Brazil and England are in Pots 1 and 2 respectively. Russia 2018 may just break the ice for one of the two former World Cup champions to face South Korea.
France and Russia also have never been paired with Netherlands. These fixtures will have to wait till another edition, 2022 at least. The Dutch, finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010 are one of the glaring absentees of Russia 2018.
In fact, just like the Brazil versus Germany had to wait till the final day of 2002 World Cup after an anticipation of 72 years, Spain and Netherlands finally clashed in the final of South Africa 2010.
Also, a number of Southern European countries have not played each other in the World Cup. An instance is a clash of Italy and Portugal. Again, this will not hold at Russia 2018 as Italy failed to make the final cut. Also, Italy has never been paired against Serbia.
There has never been a clash of two African teams in the World Cup since more than one of the teams hardly progress beyond the opening round. The nearest to a possible clash was at Brazil 2014. Nigeria and Algeria were the last two African teams standing. That was the only time ever that two African teams crossed the group stage in one edition of the World Cup.
Both Nigeria and Algeria lost on the same day to European teams. If they had scaled the hurdles, they would have clashed in the semi finals, guaranteeing a slot for Africa in the semi finals.
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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