International Football
Mali through to play-off round of World Cup qualifiers as Benin raise chances
Mali have progressed to the play-off round of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after beating 10-man Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali on Thursday. Meanwhile, Benin have raised their hopes of progressing off Group J after beating Madagascar 2-0.
Rwanda 0-3 Mali
Mali finished match day five with 13 points, attaining an unassailable four-point lead over second placed Uganda Cranes who they meet in the last match day on Tuesday in Morocco.
The Malians were handed a boost of confidence pre-match when Uganda was held to a 1-1 draw by third placed Kenya in Kampala. The draw meant that Mali needed to win against Rwanda in Kigali to remain top of Group E.
And they did so, scoring two goals in two minutes. Rwanda were handicapped from early on when Djabel Bizimana was sent off after a straight red card in the seventh minute of the game.
Mali made full advantage of the numerical prowess and scored the opener in the 19th minute through Moussa Djenepo. Just a minute on the turn, the on-fire Ibrahima Kone doubled their tally with the second goal.
They managed the tempo of the game with ease in the second half and would have gone 3-0 up in the 64th minute but Adama Traore’s well taken shot was saved by Emery Mvuyekure.
Mali however added the third to seal the game with two minutes of regulation time left when Kalifa Coulibaly’s long range shot on the volley dipped into the bottom left corner.
Benin 2-0 Madagascar
Benin’s Les Squirrels moved top of their group with a 2-0 victory over Madagascar in Cotonou. The maximum haul sees them scale to 10 points, two ahead of DR Congo who earlier beat Tanzania 3-0 in Dar es Salaam.
The two sides will face off in the final match day of the group on Sunday with Benin just needing a point to progress.
Against Madagascar, Jodel Dossou starred with a goal and an assist as the Beninese side powered top of the group.
He gave his side the lead two minutes from half time.
Benin buried the game in the 79th minute through Steve Mounie. Off a devastating counter attack, Dossou picked the ball on the right before squaring back to Mounie who did the simple task of side-footing the ball home.
Elsewhere, Namibia and Congo who were playing for pride in Group H shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. Peter Shalulile scored the opner for Namibia in the first half before Guy Mbenza drew Congo level in the second half.
Senegal have already booked their ticket from this group.
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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