International Football
REMORSEFUL SUPER EAGLES PROMISE A TITANIC FIGHTBACK AGAINST TOGO
The Super Eagles B have apologised to Nigerians for the poor result they posted against Togo on Sunday in an African Nations Championship qualifying match.
According to a media release by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the
Players, led by Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa apologized to Nigerians for the shameful outing and promised to repay the Sparrow Hawks in bigger coins in the second leg and claim the Cameroon 2020 ticket.
Sparrow Hawks of Togo thrashed the Eagles 4-1 in a first leg, second round qualifying match of the 2020 African Nations Championship despite the Eagles being the first on the score sheet after only eight minutes.
Addressing a disappointed Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Joseph Olusola Iji after the match, Ezenwa said what had happened on Sunday evening had gone to the past as the team would redeem itself in the final leg of the fixture on October 19.
“Sir, we have been truly honoured by your fatherly care for us since we arrived in this country. The Embassy has ensured everything worked for our comfort here.
“We are pained that we could not reciprocate with a good result from this match. As a team we apologise for what has happened.
“What we are saying to you and Nigerians is that we are sorry and that we would make it up by securing the ticket. Kindly exercise some patience with us.
“What we are saying in one sentence is that we will qualify; it is not over yet.”
The Ambassador who had promised the team dinner in his residence kept to his promise in spite of the result at Stade de Kegue.
“We are all pained but I understand how it works in sports; sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I ask that you put this result behind you and work towards the ultimate goal of qualifying.
“The only way to make all Nigerians happy again and give back our voice to us in this country is that you beat them well when they visit Nigeria. And I am sure that you can achieve that.”
The leader of delegation, NFF Board Member Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi said: “Your Excellency, I can tell you that this is far from the expectation of the Federation. But these young ones have truly shown remorse. They were so dejected to leave their hotel again.
“Please understand that it was a deliberate move to field largely a young team because we are also looking to the future and this team has faced difficult games in the past and came off successful.
And I am sure that given what I have seen of them, the ultimate goal to get to Cameroon in 2020 would be achieved.
”
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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