International Football
SUPER EAGLES DEMYSTIFY BRAZIL’S SELEÇÃO
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It was Samba-decoded as the emerging Super Eagles assembly played with a lot of guts, but was held to a 1-1 draw by the record-holding five-time World Cup winners, the seleção of Brazil.
The Nigerian side,
which placed third in the African Cup, has thus increased to four, the winless
streak of the current South American champions, Brazil.
For Joe Aribo, he
showed he still has a lot to offer Nigeria as he scored the Nigerian goal just
as he opened scoring in his debut for the Super Eagles last month in Ukraine.
For him, it is now two goals in two matches. After impressive display by the Super Eagles, it was Joe Aribo who plays for Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish league that got Nigeria the deserved lead.
The 35th minute goal can go for television exhibition any day. Aribo latched onto a Moses Simon’s pass, weaved past Brazilian stars including Marquinhos to slam a shot beyond Ederson for his second international goal in as many games.
It was a beauty of a goal! The main star of the Brazilian was to be Neymar. But he spent less than a dozen minute on the pitch as he had to be substituted after just 11 minutes 49 seconds due to a hamstring complaint.
Interestingly, there were both jeers of disappointment at seeing the £198 million (S$344 million) man come off, as well as cheers when the Liverpool fans among the 20,385-strong crowd realised that Philippe Coutinho was the replacement.
Neymar started in a deeper central midfield role behind the front three of Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino and Everton as Brazil coach, Tite made just two changes as Sports Village Square had earlier announced.
The exit of Neymar no doubt unsettled the Brazilians, as they could not find their rhythm.
The young Nigerian side, whose average age is 23.5 years, gradually imposed themselves in the game as the Selecao struggled to cope with Super Eagles’ pace and power.
Leicester City defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi was a beast in the engine room as he easily outmuscled the likes of Coutinho, even decking the Bayern Munich man in the 27th minute.
But in a twinkle of an eye, the tempo changed in the second half as Brazilian Coach Tite appeared to have gotten an anwer to the first half free-flowing football of the Super Eagles.
The Nigerian side appeared not to have an answer. Within three minutes of the restart, it was obvious that the Nigerian defence would have to cope with a lot of pressure.
Brazil’s Skipper Dani Alves’ cross from the right was headed on to the bar by Marquinhos, and Casemiro was on hand to sweep home the loose ball.
The goal appeared to disorganized the Nigerian team as Brazil regained their esteem.
It was raid after raid into the Nigerian territory as more players had to retreat to help fortify the defence and banking on just break-away moves.
Under pressure, Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho made a landing that apparently got him injured and had to be substituted by debuting Maduka Okoye.
It is not certain how serious Uzoho’s injury is and how long it may take him to return to the field.
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
BREAKING: At last FIFA’s Axe falls on South Africa!
- World Cup1 week ago
South Africa to Appeal FIFA Ruling Over Mokoena Eligibility Case
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Super Eagles Set for Double Friendly Showdown with Venezuela and Colombia in USA
- World Cup1 week ago
Sport Minister Orders Probe into SAFA over Bafana’s Costly Points Deduction
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Sanction on South Africa Offers Super Eagles a Lifeline — But a Lesson from History Looms
- CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Asante Kotoko End Kwara United’s Confederation Cup Campaign in Abeokuta
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Two penalty appeal lost as Flying Eagles stumble at first hurdle
- World Cup4 days ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers