International Football
Ghanaian publication claims Siasia offered handy squad warning for Ghana’s coach Otto Addo
Ghanasoccernet has reported that Samson Siasia has some sound advice for Ghana coach Otto Addo ahead of this month’s 2022 World Cup playoff against the Super Eagles.
The publication claims that Siasia insistedthat the two-leg encounter must not be used for experimenting with new players.
It was also claimed that Siasia, a former Super Eagles’ player and ex-coach also slammed Nigeria’s decision to invite players who were not part of the qualifiers claiming it would damage the team work that has been established among players that played in the qualifiers.
According to the publication, the former international striker was forced to come out after Nigeria head coach Austine Eguavoen on Friday released the names of the players invited to play in the two-legged match and also put seven others on standby.
Among the players are two several debutantes as well as players who have not played with the Super Eagles for a long time.
Ademola Lookman and Akinkunmi Amoo who were given their first call-ups for their debuts as well as long-term injury-affected Oghenekaro Etebo all made the cut.
Likewise, Ogenyi Onazi, who has not played for Nigeria in more than four years, is placed on the reserve list.
This is the situation Ghana finds itself as several new players are rumoured to be part of the squad to be released by coach Otto Addo while some players who have not been called for a long time are set to be recalled.
Ghana’s stand-in coach Otto Addo is yet to name his squad.
And Siasia’s advice that the match is too close to be a place for experimenting while recalling some former players could be counter productive because it doesnt augur well for team work.
“You need to play people that understand themselves if you bring new ones it becomes difficult for them to understand themselves and play the partner you want to play,” Siasia told Brila FM when asked by the Nigeria squad.
“For me it’s not the right decision to bring new players, you are better off with the ones you know already that have been playing together and understand themselves because you have three days to practice before you go to Ghana.
“So for me this is not the right list.”
With just over two weeks before Ghana takes on Nigeria for the match and just about three days of training, Siasia advice is what Ghana coach Otto Addo must take into account.
Siasia played for Super Eagles between 1984 until 1999 and scored a total of 16 goals over 52 games.
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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