International Football
Egypt call up two new but experienced defenders for crucial away match against Senegal
Egypt’s Pharaohs, aiming for their first ever back-to-back qualification for the World Cup have called up two new players not invited for last Friday’s first leg play-off match with Senegal.
Their Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz called-up two experienced defenders, Pyramids FC’s Ali Gabr, 33, and Ahly’s Ramy Rabia, 29
The 69-year-old Portuguese tactician faces a dilemma ahead of the game in Dakar due to multiple shortages in the defence area as three of his first-choice defenders will miss the second leg game against Senegal in Dakar.
The Pharaohs starting centre back Ahmed Hegazi, 32, who missed game one against Senegal due to injury, is out for the second game.
Egypt will also miss in Dakar the services of Ahly’s defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, 23, who broke his nose and left the pitch in the first half of the Pharaohs’ 1-0 narrow win over Senegal in the first leg in Cairo on Friday.
The Pharaohs will also have to do without Zamalek’s Mahmoud El-Wensh, 26, who received his second yellow card in the same game.
Gabr, who has had 29 previous international appearances with the Pharaohs, is expected to be a replacement for centre back Abdel-Moneim.
Meanwhile, Rabia, who has had 23 previous international appearances with the Pharaohs, is expected to fill the gab left by El-Wensh’s absence.
Gabr, a one-time Zamalek star – who was also a member in Egypt’s squad during the 2018 World Cup in Russia – made his last appearance with the Pharaohs in a friendly game against Liberia last year.
Rabia, who was part of the Egypt national team that qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, missed the African continental tournament in Cameroon due to a lengthy injury.
Abdel-Moneim, who has proved vital in the Pharaohs defence since making his debut at the last African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, underwent a surgery on his nose late on Friday.
The Pharaohs only need a draw with Senegal in Dakar to book a place in the FIFA World Cup that will take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022.
Both the Lions of Teranga and the Pharaohs eye a second successive World Cup appearance.
Senegal reached the FIFA World Cup finals two times in 2002 and 2018, while Egypt made it to the prestigious tournament three times in 1934, 1990, and 2018.
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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