International Football
World Cup play-off: Ghanaians resort to blasts from the past to psyche up
It is exactly one month today to the first of two World Cup qualifying play-off, Ghanaian publication, Ghanaweb is recalling a 5-0 defeat of Nigeria in a duel played 59 years ago.
On that day, 24 February 1963, in Accra, the Black Stars defeated the then Green Eagles 5-0 to qualify for the final of the Kwame Nkrumah Cup.
The publication went ahead to recall the flowery description of the match by another Ghanaian newspaper. ‘The Black Stars playing like the real emperors led 1-0 at half time.
‘They came back in the second half to overwhelm the Green Eagles (now Super Eagles) who had no answer to their copybook soccer.
‘Scorers for Ghana were inside right Mfum (brace), Aggrey –Fynn, Baba Yara and Edward Acquah.
‘Ghana kicked off and for the first three minutes harassed Nigerian goalmouth.
‘Mfum was put through thrice but was superbly checked by the Nigerian right back, Nwosu.
‘A typical Baba Yara pass found Edward Acquah at inside left who headed a neat ball, goalkeeper Ezekwe had to dive full length to concede a corner kick.
‘Nigeria forced the tide in their favour. Their centre forward, Ekpe, thrilled the crowd with his dribbling but inside left Hamilton always shot over the bar.
‘In the eighth minute, right-winger Kwame Adarkwa with his typical body swerve, beat three Nigerian defenders in a row, passed to Mfum who missed the post by inches.<
‘But barely five minutes later, a beautiful Baba Yara pass went straight to Mfum. He trapped it and with, his usual bulldozing manner, cut through the Nigerian defense and gracefully beat goalkeeper Ezekwe to put Ghana ahead.
‘That goal really inspired the Black Stars. Their characteristic shot passes were in full cry and the Nigerians could not find their feet.
‘Halftime came with Ghana leading with one goal. Ghana resumed the second half with a terrific bang and for sometime kept the Nigerians under heavy pressure, but a number of scoring chances were wasted
‘Aggrey-Fynn increased Ghana’s lead in the 65th minute from a penalty kick.
‘Mfum, the hero of the day weaved his way through a bunch of Nigerian defenders when right back Nwokedi brought him heavily in the penalty box.
‘Senegalese referee Moustafa did not hasten to award a penalty kick and Aggrey- Fynn made no mistake about it. “King of West African wingers”, Baba Yara in a solo effort scored Ghana’s number three goal in the 70th minute.
‘It was a long pass from Ben Simmons which reached Yara.
‘Yara made a quick dash through the Nigerian defenders and after bamboozling goalkeeper, Ezekwe he beautifully placed the ball right in the corner of the net.
‘Nigeria were completely out of the game from that moment. All their passes went the wrong way and the Black Stars treated them with cheeky ease.
‘In the 81st minute left-winger, Tetteh Akrong put Mfum through to score a beautiful goal to give Ghana a comfortable 4 -0 lead
‘With a minute to full-time Edward Acquah sealed Ghana’s victory with a powerful shot.
Line-up
Ghana: Dodoo Ankrah, Anum Okai, E. O. Oblitey, E. J. Aggrey-Fynn, Addo Odametey, Ben Simmons, Kwame Adarkwa, Wilberforce Mfum, Baba Yara, Edward Acquah, Tetteh Akrong
Nigeria: Ezekwe, Nwosu, Shotayo, Nwokedi, Oduah, Remi, Osah, Edguonu, Ekpe, Hamilton, Iyamu
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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