International Football
India 2022: Nigeria’s Flamingos take 3-0 away win advantage against DR Congo
Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos ran riot round their hosts, DR Congo and earned a 3-0 victory in their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup second round, first leg encounter in Kinshasa on Sunday.
The three –time World Cup quarter –finalists started the game like a house on fire, and dominated the hosts to such a degree that it was a surprise the opening goal did not come until the 36th minute.
Defender Miracle Usani drove the ball forward and pulled out for Blessing Emmanuel to score the Flamingos’ first goal of the day. There were near –misses and shunned penalty appeals, so there were no more goals as the first half ended 1-0 in favour of Nigeria.
In the second half, the Flamingos blasted a couple of free-kicks against the wall, and goalkeeper Faoth Omilana ensured there was no silver lining for the home team. In the 63rd minute, Coach Bankole Olowookere threw Raheemot Adebayo and Anastasia Atume into the fray, pulling out Aminat Bello and Kafayat Bashiru. The changes brought instant reward as Atume was fouled near the Congolese goal area, and Tumininu Adeshina rammed the ball into the net for Nigeria’s second.
Atume missed a sitter two minutes later, but with 14 minutes to go, Taiwo Ajakaye took on the Congolese defence and teased out goalkeeper Lumela before finishing smoothly for Nigeria’s third goal. The Congolese finished the tie with only 10 players after Nwanji was shown the red card 20 minutes to full time.
Both teams clash again on Saturday, 19th March at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, with the Flamingos already with a leg into the third round, where they have the U17 girls of Egypt waiting.
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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