International Football
It’s a winner-takes-all in Abuja! Ghana saved by VAR in Kumasi
Ghana and Nigeria played a goalless draw in the first leg of the play-off for the qualification for the Qatar World Cup. It is the only goalless outing of the five matches played in the framework of the African qualifiers for the global show piece.
And so the Tuesday’s match in Abuja will be ultimate decider.
Ghana started the game brightly and just a minute into the match won a corner which was wasted by the Black Stars before AS Roma teen sensation Felix Afena-Gyan half volleyed a half chance three minutes later.
A defensive mishap by Nigeria nearly saw Ghana profiting but a quick tackle from Leon Balugon prevented Fatawu Issahaku from taking a shot.
Few minutes later, Afena-Gyan tried to outwit Trost-Ekong before forcing a strike which was kept out and just on the hour mark, Fatawu Issahaku nearly grabbed the opener after firing from outside the box only to be parried away by Francis Uzoho.
Nigeria had their moments in the first half with Victor Osimhen and Joe Aribo coming close in the final ten minutes of the half.
The Black Stars controlled the half but had nothing to show for it as the half remained barren.
Ghana returned from the break determined to get a goal but it was Nigeria who had the best of opportunity early in the half, when Moses Simon pulled a great save from Jojo Wollacot.
With twenty minutes left Mohammed Kudus weaved his way into the box before firing but Uzoho was there to save Nigeria, forcing the ball off for corner kick.
Nigeria were awarded a penalty after Iddrisu Baba had his hand to the ball but a VAR check reversed the decision.
Coach Otto Addo replaced Fatawu Issahaku with Osman Bukari, who added the some fire power in attacker with his marauding runs.
However, the end product was not there for the Black Stars as the game ended in a goalless stalemate.
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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