International Football
World Cup qualifiers: Last gasp equalizer saves 10-men Egypt in Gabon
Substitute Mostafa Mohamed scored a 90th minute equalizer to save Egypt blushes as they held Gabon to a 1-1 draw at Stade de Franceville on Sunday night.
Jim Allevinah gave Gabon the lead after 73 minutes, shortly after Egypt was down to ten man after Omar Gaber was sent off for receving a second yellow card. It seemed The Panthers were on their way to a historic win, but for Mohamed’s last gasp equalizer.
Egypt tops Group F on 4 points, while Gabon had their first point of the campaign. Angola faces Libya in Luanda on Tuesday.
It was a cautious start to the game with both sides trying to control possession. Egypt had the first shot on target after 8 minutes when Mohamed Sherif’s backheel pass found Mohamed “Afsha” Magdy who sent a shot just over the crossbar.
As time passed, Gabon started to find more spaces, and had their first chance after 18 minutes when skipper Pierre Emerick Aubameyang tried to find the best of goalkeeper Mohamed Elshennawy, but his shot went wide.
Guelor Kanga shot from a long range went just wide after 35 minutes. Sherif tried his luck after a swift counter attack for Egypt but his shot was high, as the first half ended goalless.
After the break, Gabon was asking more questions, and five minutes into the second half Aaron Boubendza went one on one with Elshennawy who brilliantly saved the situation.
Mario Lemina’s header after a corner kick threatened Egypt’s defense but went just wide, as the hosts continued to press.
Egypt hopes had to deal with a blow when Omar Gaber was sent off for a second bookable offense after 70 minutes. And just two minutes later, substitute Jim Allevinah broke the deadlock.
Clermont Foot forward found his way through Egyptian defense and exchanged the ball with Andre Biyogo Poko before sending a low shot past Elshennawy.
Egypt coach Hossam Elbadry made number of attacking changes, fielding in strikers Mostafa Mohamed and Salah Mohsen trying to find a late equalizer.
And both substitutes combined in the last minute. From a long pass Mohsen’s header found Mohamed, whose initial effort was stopped by Gabon’s goalkeeper Anthony Mizwe, but he followed with a header home to give Egypt a precious away point.
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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