International Football
STATBOX- Senegal, the African team most likely to have best of results at the World Cup

Following is a statbox on Senegal at the World Cup:
FIFA Ranking: 18
Odds: 80-1
Previous tournaments:
Senegal are one of three African countries to reach a World Cup quarter-final – the best achievement by a team from the continent. They did so on their debut appearance in 2002, when they upset holders France in the opening game in Seoul. Senegal qualified again for the last World Cup in Russia and lost out on a place in the knockout stage on the number of cautions received in the first round after they were tied in the group standings with Japan on points, goal difference and goals scored.
How they qualified
Senegal were the top-ranked team in the African qualifiers, earning a bye in the group phase which started last September. They romped through their group, winning five of their six matches against Congo, Namibia and Togo, who were the only side to take points off them in a 1-1 draw. Senegal then met Egypt in the playoffs in a repeat of their Africa Cup of Nations final success six weeks earlier and won a shootout again, after the two-legged tie in March ended 1-1 on aggregate, to book a place in Qatar.
Form guide:
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse led a chorus of critics demanding to have Cup of Nations qualifying matches, scheduled for the June and September international window, postponed to allow the Qatar-bound African teams to organise more testing World Cup warm-up games. He was partially successful, after Senegal beat Benin and Rwanda in Cup of Nations qualifiers in June, and a postponement of the campaign in September allowed Senegal to instead beat Bolivia in a friendly in France and then draw 1-1 with Iran in Austria.
-Reuters
International Football
Guinea names Portugal’s Duarte as new national coach

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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International Football
Veteran coach Van Gaal says he is cured of cancer

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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International Football
Like father like son, Davide Ancelotti becomes Brazil’s Botafogo manager

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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