International Football
CAF list four Nigerian referees for World Cup qualifiers
Four Nigerian referees have been listed to officiate in the on-going African World Cup qualifying round of matches.
According to the statement by the National Publicity Secretary of Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Kelechi Mejuobi, he said NRA is delighted with the development and it is a sign of good things to come to the country.
“As the Super Eagles of Nigeria are engaged in the World Cup qualifying games, members of the Nigeria Referees Association, NRA, who are FIFA referees are not also left out,” the statement reads
“In one of the games for this weekend, four international referees of Nigeria extraction; Joseph Ogabor, Samuel Pwadutakam, Mimisen Iyorhe and Quadri Adebimpe are already in Kigali, Rwanda for the Rwanda vs Kenya match.
“Dr Ogabor, a University of Calabar lecturer and household name at the domestic scene is already in Kigali with his refereeing equipment to be at the centre of the field while seasoned linesman from Adamawa Council, Pwadutakam is the Assistant Referee 1 as one of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, women history makers, Iyorhe of the Benue council will again be at the spotlight of African football as the Assistant Referee 2.
“Lagos based Quadri is the Fourth Official in the match a retired FIFA referee from Libya; Sharfeddin Essam Ibrahim and Marcao Jose Fernando of Angola are Assessors and Match Commissioner respectively. The game is at 3pm Nigeria time.”
The development really excites the NRA and the president had taken out time to wish the members of his team well ahead of the assignment.
“The president of the NRA, Otunba Tade Azeez who is elated by the development on behalf of the association wishes the officiating crew best of luck and journey mercies.”
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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