International Football
AFCON U-20 KICKS OFF IN NIGER
Eight African youth teams today in Niger Republic begin the quest for not just continental championship, but also places in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
All the semifinalists will pick ticket as one of them is destined for the ultimate prize which the Nigerian team is gunning for, for a record extending eight times.
Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal have a strong case to win the tournament as defending champions Zambia failed to qualify for the finals.
Hosts, Niger kick off the tournament against South Africa in the capital Niamey. Maradi will feature as the other host city during the two-week long tournament.
Niger will hope to build on their participation at the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India when they registered their first-ever goal in a FIFA competition through Salim Abdourahmane for a 1-0 win over North Korea, enough to progress to the knockout stages.
Niger will not be expected to play a major role in the competition as more traditional heavyweights of the African youth game will battle for four tickets to the U-20 World Cup in Poland later this year. The four semi-finals will all seal their ticket for the global showdown.
Four years ago, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal represented the continent at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Both Mali and Senegal reached the last four before falling to Serbia and Brazil respectively. The quartet has history on its side and they will be favorites in Niger to book their slots for Poland and represent the continent once more at the highest level.
Mali have never won the tournament, but were victorious two years ago at the U-17 Afcon. That generation also went on to play the last four of the U-17 World Cup.
In qualifying the Malians laid down a marker with emphatic aggregate wins over both Tanzania and Cameroon. Ghana finished as runners-up to Mali at the U-17 level and the Black Satellites can’t be discounted after they missed out on the last edition of the tournament in Zambia.
On home soil the Zambians won the title, but they didn’t make it to Niger, faltering in the qualifiers.
Their absence paves the way for Nigeria’s title assault. The Nigerians have won the title on seven occasions and boast a squad replete with quality. Senegal dispatched both Egypt and Congo in the qualifiers and will also fancy their chances.
The top two of each group progress to the last four. Niamey will stage the final on February 17.
Groups:
Group A: Niger, South Africa, Nigeria, Burundi
Group B: Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana
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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