International Football
GERNOT ROHR THRILLED WITH DRAW SCORE LINE WITH BRAZIL
Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has landed his playing body a huge pat on the back for a gutsy performance in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Brazil in a friendly match in Singapore.
Five –time world champions Brazil to to dig deep into their arsenal before securing the equalizer as the Super Eagles had them on the back foot following Joseph Ayodele-Aribo’s 35th minute goal.
“This result is a good confidence booster for the team. We now have to prepare for the more competitive games next month.
“I am happy we stayed organized even when the Brazilians mounted a lot of pressure on us in the second half.
“The only negative thing is the injury to (Francis) Uzoho,” the Franco-German said minutes after the final whistle at the Singapore National Stadium in Kallang.
Aribo’s goal, his second in as many matches in the colours of the Super Eagles, was an eye –catching finish as he received a pass from Moses Simon and then waltzed his way through a number of outstretched Brazilian legs to shoot past goalkeeper Ederson.
Brazil drew level three minutes after the restart but the three –time African champions held firm in the face of onslaught after onslaught, and could have won in the end had Thiago Silva not upended a marauding Aribo with the South Americans exposed.
Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who horribly twisted his leg as he went for the ball from a corner kick, will be out for a minimum of six months, according to team doctor Ibrahim Gyaran.
Nigeria host Benin Republic on 14th November in the opening day of the 2021 AFCON qualifying campaign, before flying to Lesotho for a Day Two match on 19th November.
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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