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.
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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