International Football
Senegal’s maiden Women’s World Cup hopes dashed by Haiti
Senegal’s hopes of competing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history took a major blow as they suffered a 4-0 semi-final loss to Haiti at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday.
The Terranga Lionesses came into the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Play-off Tournament on the back of a historic 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal playoff win but could not upstage their Caribbean foes.
On the other hand, Haiti were also on the same quest for a maiden ticket to the global showpiece this summer, after they finished third in their group at the 2023 Concacaf Women’s Championship.
The Senegalese were fully in control of their destiny with some promising moments until Sherly Jeudy set up Kethna Louis to hand the dominant Haitians the lead on the stroke of half time.
After the break, the West Africans could not bounce back from their late slip-up in the first half as the Caribbean further consolidated their lead when Nerelia Mondesir doubled the lead off a Melchie Dumornay’s assist 10 minutes after the restart.
Almost 10 minutes later, Roselord Borgella further buried the comeback hopes of the WAFU-A champions when she notched the third off a solo brilliance before similarly bagging her second in a space of two minutes to seal the fate of the Africans.
Despite missing the global finals, Mame Moussa Cissé’s side will seek to overcome their disappointment from the heavy loss, in Tuesday’s dead rubber international friendly with the Group B loser between Cameroon and Thailand.
-Cafonline
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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