International Football
EGYPT SET FOR GHANA’S CHALLENGE
Despite having picked their ticket ahead of the last match day of the World Cup 2018 qualifiers, the Egyptians are not leaving anything to chances and had possibly taken their Sunday match with Ghana Black Stars as part of the build up to the World Cup.
Coincidentally, it was Ghana that eliminated Egypt in the last stretch to Brazil 2014 World Cup four years ago. It has therefore turned a payback time.
Sports Village Square has gathered from Egyptian publication, Ahram that Egypt on Monday kicked off their preparations for the away game against Ghana.
“Sixteen players were available in the national team’s first training session amid preparations for Ghana match,” the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) revealed in a statement on social media.
“Etoile du Sahel’s striker Amr Marei was rested from today’s (Monday) training, but he will be available tomorrow (Tuesday) with Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny, Braga’s striker Ahmed Hassan “Kouka” and Lens’ defender Karim Hafiz.”
“Ahly’s international players (who lost the champions league final against Wydad Casablanca on Saturday in Morocco) will join their teammates on Tuesday,” the statement added.
Last month, Egypt’s coach Hector Cuper called up 16 foreign-based players for the Ghana game, before adding nine local-based players from Ahly and Zamalek for the squad last Wednesday.
Liverpool’s in-form winger Mohamed Salah is the prominent absentee in Egypt’s current camp after being allowed to rest by Cuper, while Al-Raed’s winger Mahmoud “Shikabala” Abdel-Razek has been called up for international duty for the first time in three years.
Shikabala could be Salah’s replacement against Ghana after his recent outstanding performances in the Saudi league.
Egypt ended a 27-year World Cup drought after defeating Congo 2-1 earlier this month to book their ticket for next year’s World Cup in Russia.
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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