Connect with us

International Football

South Africa leave it late to pick match day two win

blank

Published

on

blank

South Africa scored in the last 10 minutes of the game to defeat Ghana Black Stars 1-0 in a Group G World Cup qualifying match in Johannesburg on Monday.

At the FNB Stadium, Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored with seven minutes remaining to take Bafana Bafana  top of Group G with four points, having picked a point in the 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe on match day one.

Hlongwane simply adjusted his foot to direct the ball into the net from inside the six yard box after a cross from the right. It was a bright spark for Bafana and a huge relief to pick a win at home and hand coach Hugo Broos his first victory as the head coach.

It wasn’t a game with so many chances, but the home side will take the victory nonetheless.

They had a chance early in the game when Richard Ofori who plays his club football in South Africa with Orlando Pirates spilled a cross from Teboho Mokoena after an akward bounce infront of him. The rebound fell on Mothobi Mvala but he couldn’t hit the target on the half volley.

Percy Tau thought he had given Bafana the lead in the 37th minute but his header from a cross which beat keeper Ofori was flagged down for offside.

Advertisement

South Africa had a brilliant chance to break the deadlock in the 46th minute but Evidence Makgopa missed a complete sitter. Ofori who seemed to be struggling with injury let a seemingly harmless ball from Mokoena slip through his legs, but with the goalmouth at his mercy from two yards out, Makgopa connected wide.

South Africa sought to make amends and came close after 66 minutes when Mavala controlled the ball inside the box from Hlongwane’s cross before going for an acrobatic kick, but it hit the side netting.

They kept pushing and ultimately rewarded with a goal in the 83rd minute.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

International Football

Guinea names Portugal’s Duarte as new national coach

blank

Published

on

blank
African Cup of Nations - Semi Finals - Burkina Faso v Egypt- Stade de l'Amitie - Libreville, Gabon - 1/2/17 Burkina Faso coach Paulo Jorge Duarte Reuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh Livepic/File Photo

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.

Advertisement

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

International Football

Veteran coach Van Gaal says he is cured of cancer

blank

Published

on

blank

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.

Advertisement

He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

International Football

Like father like son, Davide Ancelotti becomes Brazil’s Botafogo manager

blank

Published

on

blank
Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, has been appointed coach of Botafogo, the Rio de Janeiro club announced on Tuesday.

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.

Advertisement

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.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Most Viewed