International Football
Race to Costa Rica 2022: Falconets arrive Brazzaville to battle Congo
The U20 Girls’ National Team, Falconets have arrived in the capital of Republic of Congo, Brazzaville ahead of their 2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup African qualification first leg, third round clash with the Congo U20 Girls’ National Team on Sunday.
Member of the NFF Executive Committee and FIFA Match Commissioner, Alhaji Babagana Kalli led the contingent of 23 players and officials into the Congolese capital about mid-day on Friday, aboard an Ethiopia Airline flight from Addis Ababa. The delegation is quartered at the Hotel Saint Francois de Paula in Brazzaville.
Officials confirmed that the Falconets, two-time runners-up at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup and one-time semi finalists, will have the official training at the match venue on Saturday evening.
To reach this stage, the Falconets walloped their counterparts from the Central African Republic 11-0 on aggregate, while Congo’s U20 Girls prevailed 4-2 over Egypt on aggregate.
This is the penultimate round of the African qualification series. The winner on aggregate in this fixture will proceed to the ultimate round scheduled for next month, where three teams will emerge to fly Africa’s flag at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup to be hosted by Costa Rica in August 2022.
The second leg comes up at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos on Saturday, 18th December.
FALCONETS IN BRAZZAVILLE FOR CONGO CLASH:
Goalkeepers: Nelly Ekeh (Sunshine Queens); Monle Oyono (Bayelsa Queens); Inyene Etim (Abia Angels)
Defenders: Oluwatosin Demehin (Rivers Angels); Omowunmi Oshobukola (Edo Queens); Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Jumoke Alani (Edo Queens); Motunrayo Ezekiel (Naija Ratels); Oluwabunmi Oladeji (Nasarawa Amazons); Oluchi Ohaegbulem (Confluence Queens)
Midfielders: Bashirat Amoo (Nasarawa Amazons); Esther Onyenezide (FC Robo Queens); Yina Adoo (Nasarawa Amazons); Chidinma Ogbuchi (FC Robo Queens); Chinyere Kalu (Nasarawa Amazons); Deborah Ajibola (Rivers Angels)
Forwards: Joy Jerry (Bayelsa Queens); Mercy Idoko (Nasarawa Amazons); Flourish Sebastine (Bayelsa Queens); Taiwo Lawal (FC Robo Queens); Precious Vincent (Bayelsa Queens); Blessing Okpe (Rivers Angels); Kehinde Adebowale (Brighton Hove & Albion, England)
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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