International Football
Liberia’s Lone Star delegation departs for Morocco for ties with Nigeria, CAR
A Liberian delegation of officials and local players left the country’s capital, Monrovia for Morocco for Match Day 5 & 6 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers.
Liberia, although with the remotest chance of qualifying from the Group C of the World Cup qualifiers in Africa, have the luxury of a back-to-back home games.
But the home games are moved away from home and they settled for Tangier in Morocco.
They complete their Group C World Cup campaign with home matches on Saturday, 13 November against group leaders Nigeria and three days later against third-placed candidates, Central African Republic (CAR).
The delegation is led by Mighty Barrolle Vice President, Mrs. Roseline Hunter-Konneh. The team in Tangier include Liberia FA Deputy Secretary for legal affairs Benedict Yarsiah, Media Videographer and Photographer Salia Kamara, and Journalist Christopher Walker of Front Page Africa.
The other members of the delegation were: Head Coach Peter Butler, Assistant Coach Christopher Wreh, Trainer George Gebro, Goalkeeper Trainer Nathaniel Sherman who replaced his predecessor Sunday Sieh, and Team Doctor Torsou Jallabah.
The delegation also included: Administrative Manager Sebastian Collins, Kit Manager Tommy Johnson, Physiotherapist Patrick Konuwa, and Kit man Sunnyboy Mason.
The local players on the delegation were: the Watanga contingent of Derrick Julu, Carlos Williams, and Alvin Maccornel, LPRC Oilers’ defensive duo of Sampson Dweh and Ben Benaiah, and LISCR shot stopper Tommy Songo’s.
Other members of the Lone Star contingent which will include LFA President Mustapha Raji and oversea players will join the team in Tanger, Morocco in the coming days.
Below is the complexion of the full Lone Star squad assembled by Peter Butler for the two rubber stamp qualifiers.
GOALKEEPERS: Derrick JULU (Watanga FC, Liberia), Tommy SONGO’S (LISCR FC, Liberia) and Boison Wynney de SOUZA (FC Someșul Dej, Romania)
DEFENDERS: Sampson DWEH (LPRC Oilers, Liberia) Ben BENAIAH (LPRC Oilers, Liberia), Alvin MACCORNEL (Watanga FC, Liberia) Carlos WILLIAMS (Watanga FC, Liberia), Prince BALDE (FC Drita, Kosovo), Jamal ARAGO (Sabail FK, Azerbaijan) and Mark PABAI (PEC Zwolle, Netherlands)
MIDFIELDERS: Abrahim SOUMAORO (Paeek FC, Cyprus), Seth Kanteh HELLBERG (IK Brage, Sweden), Allen NJIE (FC Aarau, Switzerland), Marcus MACAULAY (Sahab FC, Jordan), Oscar Murphy DORLEY (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Justin SALMON (Degerfors IF, Sweden) and Abu KAMARA (FC Makedonija, North Macedonia)
FORWARDS: Peter WILSON (Olympiakos Nicosia, Cyprus), Moussa SANOH (CS Mioveni, Romania), Van-Dave HARMON (KF Laci, Albania), Kpah SHERMAN (Kedah FC, Malaysia) and Sylvanus NIMLEY (Ilves, Finland)
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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