International Football
STATBOX-Soccer-Cameroon at the World Cup
Following is a statbox on Cameroon at the World Cup:
FIFA Ranking: 43
Odds: 250-1
Previous tournaments:
Cameroon have competed at more World Cups than any African country, starting in Spain in 1982 when they achieved the rare feat of being unbeaten in their three group games but failed to reach the next stage.
On their second appearance in 1990, they became the first African country to make the quarter-finals on a heady run led by 38-year-old striker Roger Milla.
They beat holders Argentina in the opening game of the tournament in Milan and then Romania before ousting Colombia in the last 16 but were eliminated by England after extra time.
However, in five subsequent World Cup appearances they have won only once – against Saudi Arabia in Japan 20 years ago.
How they qualified:
The Indomitable Lions had among the toughest qualifying paths and, although they stumbled and stuttered, grabbed a dramatic winner minutes from the end of the campaign to book a place in Qatar.
Cameroon had been drawn with Cote d’Ivoire in the group phase of qualifying with only the group winners advancing to the playoffs and edged their rivals by a point.
In the playoffs they looked dead and buried after losing at home to Algeria but in the return leg in north Africa won 2-1, with Karl Toko Ekambi scoring the winner four minutes into stoppage time at the end of extra time to go through on away goals.
Form guide:
Cameroon lost two friendlies on a long trip to South Korea in September and have drawn much criticism for their performances from pundits at home.
Defeat by Uzbekistan and South Korea did not sit well with the fans. Cameroon will go to the World Cup decidedly ill-prepared in comparison to some of the teams they will face in Group G, having played only three internationals since qualying in March.
In June, they narrowly edged tiny Burundi in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier but their other match against Kenya was cancelled when their opponents were kicked out of the tournament.
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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