International Football
EX-GOLDEN EAGLET DEFENDER ABUBAKAR EXCITED AFTER MOVE TO OLYMPIC DONETSK
Erstwhile Golden Eaglets’ defender, Aliyu Abubakar has penned a two-year deal with Ukrainian side, Olympic Donetsk following his transfer from Belarussian First League FK Slutsk.
A member of the national Under-17 team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013 in the UAE, Abubakar has improved greatly since he arrived in Europe in 2014 and had previously featured for Kuopion Pallosura (KuPs) in Finland and FC Dila in Georgia.
“I’m really excited about this move to Olympic Donetsk,” explained the 23-year-old well-built defender.
“But I’m grateful to the players and management of my former club in Belarus, FK Slutsk for the opportunity they gave to me while I was with them.”
Abubakar indeed enjoyed some rave reviews at FK Slutsk and was rewarded with the Man of the Match awards a couple of times.
“No doubt, I had great time at Slutsk but I believe I would even get better here at Olympic Donetsk; I stand to learn and develop better here in Ukraine because it’s a very strong league and my coach was even a former defender during his playing days.”
Abubakar who was offered the contract after a string of good performances in trial matches, was equally full of gratitude to his Russian agent Dimitry Seluk who facilitated his move to Olympic Donetsk.
“I’ve been working with Dimitry Seluk since last year and he was the one who took me to FK Slutsk and I’m happy he has also facilitated big step up for me to Olympic Donetsk; this is another opportunity for me to learn and improve my game, “ noted Abubakar who oves the sobriquet ‘Son of Grace.’
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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