International Football
FIFA PROVIDES FORENSIC ANALYSES OF AFRICAN PRELIMINARY DRAW FOR QATAR 2022
Excitement is mounting ahead of the African qualifying competition for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, especially with the draw for the first round being made on Monday. There is something for everyone in the 14 ties, which feature derbies, reunions and more than one intriguing match-up.
After overseeing the draw, Ghanaian football legend Anthony Baffoe identified the West African duel between Liberia and Sierra Leone as the pick of the 14 ties.
“The countries have produced two of the continent’s great players: George Weah and Mohamed Kallon respectively,” said the former Black Star.
“Gambia v Angola and Botswana v Malawi will also be interesting ties,” he added. “The meeting between two teams that appeared at the 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations [Burundi and Tanzania] should also be exciting.”
The ties will be played over two legs, to be held between 2 and 10 September 2019. The 14 winners will join the continent’s top 26 teams, who were all given first-round byes, to form the group of 40 sides that will contest the second round.
Did You Know?
Ethiopia-Lesotho,
old foes meet again
The last official meeting between the two was a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
qualifier that ended in a 2-1 victory for the Ethiopians, with all three goals
truly spectacular strikes.
Somalia-Zimbabwe,
from opposite ends of the Ranking
Zimbabwe are the best-ranked of the 28 teams contesting the first round in the
FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking for July 2019, lying 112th. In contrast, Somalia
are the joint lowest, bringing up the rear in Africa in 202nd, a position they
share with Eritrea.
Eritrea-Namibia,
a foregone conclusion?
Another clash of opposites. Surprise qualifiers for this year’s Africa Cup of
Nations, Namibia will be expected to see off the Eritreans, the joint lowest
African team in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
Burundi-Tanzania,
too close to call
Judging by their recent appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations, which saw
Burundi make their debut in the competition and Tanzania their first appearance
in 39 years, this tie should be one of the tightest in the first round. The
duel between Tanzania forward Mbwana Samatta and Burundi front man Fiston Abdul
Razak will be one to watch.
Djibouti-Eswatini,
revenge in the air
This tie presents Djibouti with an early opportunity to avenge their 6-0 and
2-1 defeats to Eswatini in the qualifiers for Russia 2018.
Botswana-Malawi,
happy memories for the Flames
It was against Botswana that Malawi chalked up their record international win,
an 8-1 victory on 13 July 1968, a result that is also Botswana’s heaviest
defeat of all time.
Gambia-Angola,
experience could prove crucial
Of the 28 teams in action in the first round, Angola are – along with Togo –
the only ones to have graced the World Cup, at Germany 2006. Meanwhile, Gambia
have never so much as appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liberia-Sierra
Leone, a rivalry renewed
One of the few genuine derbies in the first round. “They won’t have too far to
travel to knock the other one out,” said Baffoe at the draw ceremony.
Mauritius-Mozambique,
history in the making again?
The Mauritians have happy memories of playing Mozambique, the islanders having
beaten them 1-0 to record their first ever Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win
back in 2015. Can they repeat the trick in a World Cup preliminary match?
Sao Tome e
Principe-Guinea Bissau, a battle of two Portuguese-speaking nations
There are six African countries where Portuguese is an official language. Sao
Tome e Principe and Guinea Bissau are two of them.
South
Sudan-Equatorial Guinea, a score to settle
Like Botswana and Malawi, Equatorial Guinea recorded their biggest ever win
against the South Sudanese: a 4-0 win in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
qualifier.
Comoros-Togo,
together again
Comoros and Togo will meet in the first round, having just been drawn together
in the first round of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Chad-Sudan,
the derby of the west
Aside from Liberia-Sierra Leone, this is the other derby in the first round.
Chad and Sudan are neighbours and the rivalry between the two national teams is
intense.
Seychelles-Rwanda,
a first-time meeting
The two sides have never faced off in an official match before, with Seychelles
aiming for their first ever win in a World Cup campaign.
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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