International Football
CAF Schools Championship: Nigeria’s National Grammar School vies for third place
Contesting only for the first-time ever in the WAFU B zonal qualifiers of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, Nigeria’s representatives, National Grammar School, were gallant losers to their counterparts from Cote d’Ivoire in a hotly-contested semi final match at the Stade Municipal de Kegue in Lome on Saturday evening. The 1-0 defeat meant the boys from Enugu will have to contend for the bronze medals against Ghana’s flag bearers on Sunday.
In their first match on Thursday, the National Grammar School boys routed the representatives of the Republic of Togo (host nation) 4-0. In their second match, they drew 1-1 with the team that represented Cote d’Ivoire.
On Saturday, a bizarre schedule saw them play three matches. They defeated Benin Republic 1-0, before losing 0-2 to Ghana’s representatives in a match they played the most part with 10 men after their central defender was red-carded. The unfavourable circumstances did not help as the team then lost 0-1 to Cote d’Ivoire’s representative team in the semi finals played on Saturday evening.
“The team did its best in the circumstances, though its best was not good enough. It is their first appearance and they gave it their best shot.
“We must commend the efforts of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, particularly its president, Dr Olabisi Temitope Joseph and the Chairman of its School Football Committee, Dr Obafunsho Usman for their efforts in organizing the National Finals that produced National Grammar School (in the male category) and FOSLA Academy (in the female category). This has been a learning curve for the schools, the NSSF and the NFF, and things can only get better,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said in Lome on Saturday.
NFF’s Assistant Director (Technical), Mr. Abdulrafiu Yusuf confirmed that the Confederation of African Football, during the week, informed the NFF that it (CAF) will send a total of 800 balls to National Grammar School through the Federation, as the school’s reward for its participation in the WAFU B zonal finals.
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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