International Football
SEX WAS THE REASON SUPER EAGLES LOST 4-1 TO DENMARK AT FRANCE ‘98
Twenty years today, the Super Eagles lost heavily to Denmark in a France ’98 World Cup. British newspaper, Daily Mail has revealed that one of the prime actors on the match, Taribo West has claimed that the Nigerian players “were tired after overworking themselves with women, the night before the match.”
According to the report, Taribo made the hilarious confession of why his side lost 1998 World Cup clash against Denmark after sneaking groupies into training camp.
Before the match, the Super Eagles were one of the fairytale stories of the competition after surprisingly topping their group with six points ahead of Spain, Bulgaria and Paraguay.
The Super Eagles were paired against the Danes for the knock-out tie and were overwhelming favourites but failed to continue their astonishing run as an abject performance saw them bow out as 4-1 losers.
After becoming one of the tournaments main talking points, West said players enjoyed the sudden attention they started to receive.
The former Inter and AC Milan defender, well known for his outlandish haircuts, said his team-mates were too complacent for the game and had made themselves fatigued the night before.
Brian Laudrup and co went ahead just three minutes into the tie at the Stade de France and sailed into a four-goal lead, with Tijani Babangida’s strike a consolation for the African side.
‘I read reports about Eagles visiting nightclubs and driving limousines during the World Cup in France, honestly, I don’t know about that,’ Taribo told the Punch.
‘But what I know is that some players sneaked women into camp, I saw that.
The women were Africans who came to watch the tournament and fell in love with our team, because of the way we played in the group stage. So, it was easy for these players to woo them to their rooms.
‘That is why on match day, you could see a lot of the players didn’t have the strength to curtail the Danish players.
Nigeria’s popular side included stars such as former Bolton showman Jay Jay Okocha and ex Arsenal and Portsmouth striker Nwankwo Kanu.
‘They were tired after overworking themselves the night before with the women. I was yelling at them on the pitch, I was very angry with them. They did all these because they thought we were going to beat Denmark,’ West added.
The 46-year-old, who had a brief spell in England with Derby County, now practices as a Christian pastor in his native Nigeria.
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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