International Football
Morocco close to guarantee final round spot; Senegal continue 100% record
Morocco moved closer to guarantee a place in the final round of FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022 qualifiers after beating Guinea-Bissau 3-0 in Casablanca in Group I matchday 4.
Ayoub El Kaabi brace and Aymen Barkok strike gave the Atlas Lions their second win over Guinea Bissau in 72 hours, as they could virtually win the group with a win over Guinea in their rescheduled Matchday 2 game next Tuesday.
Meanwhile in Thies, Senegal maintained their 100% record in Group H after thrashing visitors Namibia 4-1, as the Teranga Lions grabbed their third win in as many games.
Guinea Bissau 0-3 Morocco
Just 72 hours after beating them 5-0 in Rabat, Morocco completed the double over Guinea Bissau, winning 3-0 in Casablanca. Despite considered visitors, Morocco were actually playing at home, as Guinea Bissau opted to play their home games there having no fit stadiums for the qualifiers.
Ayoub El Kaabi continued his scoring streak for the Atlas Lions, opening the score after 10 minutes. Another ten minutes later it was 2-0 when Aymen Barkok doubled the result for Morocco scoring his first international goal.
El Kaabi completed his brace after 69 minutes with all traffic going Morocco’s way. The Atlas Lions could have added more goals on the night as they cemented their grip on top spot.
Morocco are on nine points from 3 games, five more than Guinea Bissau who played one more game. Guinea has 3 points and Sudan two in that order.
A win over Guinea in Rabat on Tuesday means Morocco will guarantee a place in the third and final qualifying round with two games to spare.
Senegal 4-1 Namibia
Meanwhile in Thies, Senegal completed their 100% record in Group H beating Namibia 4-1 to go top in style.
In-form Idrissa Gueye opened the scoring for the Teranga Lions as early as the tenth minute. The Paris Saint Germain midfielder continued his amazing club form this season to put the hosts ahead.
Seven minutes from the break it became 2-0. Famara Diedhiou doubled Senegal lead as Namibia defense seemed hapless in front of the hosts’ strong attack.
Ten minutes after the restart, Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane had his name on the scorers’ list as he added his side’s third of the night.
Joslin Kamatuka gave Namibia a lifeline when he pulled one back after 76 minutes, but Keita Balde made it 4-1 with six minutes remaining to secure maximum points for Senegal at home.
Senegal tops the group on nine points, five more than second placed Namibia, before they lock horns again in Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesday. Congo (2 points) and Togo (1) follow in that order.
-Cafonline
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
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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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