International Football
Cameroon keep World Cup hopes alive as Zambia thrash Mauritania
First half goals from captain Vincent Aboubakar and Franck Zambo Anguissa and a late brace from Christian Bassogog handed Cameroon a 4-0 victory over 10-man Malawi in Johannesburg on Saturday as the Indomitable Lions kept their World Cup hopes alive.
The victory took them to 12 points and top of Group D pending Cote d’Ivoire’s match against Mozambique later Saturday. The Ivorians are two points behind.
Against Malawi, Cameroon broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute from the penalty spot after John Banda handled Aboubakar’s goal bound shot on the line.
For his mess, Banda was sent off and the Cameroonian skipper stepped up to the spot, calmly converting the penalty.
Earlier, they had come close when Nicolas Ngamaleu’s well curled freekick from 25 yards out went inches over the bar.
Cameroon were dominant especially when they had the advantage of numbers.
They doubled their tally four minutes to halftime when Anguissa struck a superb goal.
From a short start to a corner, the midfielder set himself up with the first touch before volleying into the bottom right with his second.
Cameroon went to the break two goals up and deservedly so.
Malawi gave a fight in the second half despite their numerical handicap but couldn’t gather enough to get the two goals back.
In their hunt for goals they were hurt further when substitute Christian Bassogog scored twice within two minutes. The forward who had come on for Ngamaleu scored in the 85th and 87th minutes.
Zambia 4-0 Mauritania
In Zambia, a Fashion Sakala Hatrick adding on to Patson Daka’s opener handed Zambia some hope of qualification.
The victory took the Chipolopolo to seven points, three behind Tunisia who later play Equatorial Guinea.
If the Carthage Eagles lose against the Equatoguineans, Zambia will stand a chance heading to the final round of matches.
The home side were in for business from the onset against Mauritania who had no hopes of progressing to the playoff round.
They scored thrice within 11 minutes towards the end of the first half. Daka broke the deadlock wi to a connection inside the six yard box off a cross from the left.
Mauritania were undone from width once again as Sakala added the second in the 37th minute with a simple tap in, this time the cross coming from the right.
Sakala added his second at the stroke of halftime, scoring from the penalty spot.
He would complete his hatrick in the 63rd minute as Zambia collected their second victory of the group phase.
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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