International Football
Angola clinch first win as Egypt beat Libya to go top of Group
Egypt went on top of Group F of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after a 1-0 win over second placed Libya in Alexandria on Friday.
Debutant Omar Marmoush scored the solitary goal with a belter of a strike in the second half as The Pharaohs remained on course to push on their journey to Qatar next year. They sit top with seven points, one ahead of second placed Libya.
The Egyptians enjoyed a fair share of chances. In the 15th minute, a mistake from the back by Libya gifted Abdalla Bekhit of the ball but the midfielder’s shot was deflected wide for a corner.
Two minutes later, Mohamed Salah did well on the right to find some space, but his teasing cross delivered into the box rolled just wide with Mostafa Mohamed arriving a few seconds late in an attempt to slide in and score.
The Libyans weren’t taking the pressure lying down and had a chance of their own in the 23rd minute when Sanad Al Warfali rose to connect to a corner inside the box but his header went straight to the keeper’s arms.
Five minutes to the break they almost got the opener when Mohamed Zubya was denied by the upright after striking a low shot off a cross on the right.
At the stroke of halftime, Salah had his first effort at goal from a freekick, his curling shot going beyond the wall but well collected by the keeper.
Three minutes after the break though, Egypt finally broke the deadlock when Marmoush found space from distance before releasing a pilediver that beat the keeper hands down.
The Libyans dug in for some effort to get back but couldn’t. The closest they came was via an Al Musrati shot from distance but it was wide.
Angola 3-1 Gabon
Earlier on at the 11 de Novembro stadium in Luanda, hosts Angola picked up their first win of the qualifiers with a 3-1 victory over Gabon.
Zini Ambrosini gave the Angolans the lead in the 25th minute of the game after a commanding start to the match. They had to wait till the second half to cushion their lead with a second goal, this time Ary Papel finding the back of the net in the 56th minute.
Gabon fought back to try and get their feet in the match and halved the deficit in the 83rd minute through Axel Meye. This was the ingredient of some nervous end to the game.
However, the home side relieved all the pressure in the first minute of added time when Jonathan Buatu scored the third goal to kill off the match.
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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