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WCQ: HALLER’S BRACE LIFTS IVORY COAST AS SOUTH AFRICA DOWNS GHANA

Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller netted both goals to secure a 2-1 home win over Cameroon while South Africa scored late to beat Ghana in two heavyweight clashes in African World Cup qualifying on Monday.

Both victors took an early advantage in their respective groups where only the winners advance to the final phase of qualifying for Qatar 2022.

Haller netted a 20th minute penalty and added a second nine minutes later as he broke free of the visiting defence to give the Ivorians the halftime lead in the Group D clash Abidjan.

But the home side, who were allowed a small crowd to support them after all other African World Cup qualifiers were ordered to be played behind closed doors, had to endure a nervy finish after missing chances when Cameroon pulled one back.

Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu’s 60th minute penalty handed Cameroon hope before Ivory Coast’s Jean Michael Seri hit the bar with a free kick. Substitute Christian Kouame might have finished Cameroon off in the last five minutes with just the goalkeeper to beat but fluffed the opportunity.

The Ivorians have four points from their first two matches.

South Africa had a first-half effort from Percy Tau controversially ruled offside and then missed two good chances before Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s 83rd minute winner against a Ghana team without six key English-based players.

The absentees did not travel to Johannesburg because South Africa is on the UK government’s COVID-19 ‘red list’ and they would have had to quarantine for 10 days on returning to their clubs.

Hlongwane got an inadvertent touch to a cross seven minutes from time to ensure four points for South Africa from their first two Group G matches.

For a second successive game in Group J, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Dieumerci Mbokani scored to give his side the lead only for hosts Benin to pull level before halftime in Cotonou in the 1-1 draw. Benin have four points with the Congolese on two.

Mali head the Group E standings on four points after the opening two rounds after they played out a 0-0 draw away to Uganda earlier on Monday.

Minnows Djibouti, who conceded eight to Algeria last week in Group A, let in another four as Niger beat them 4-2 in Rabat, Morocco. Both countries had to move their home qualifiers to neutral territory because of the poor state of their stadiums.

Djibouti led at halftime but two goals from Victorien Adebayor saw Niger come back to triumph in a section where Burkina Faso host Algeria on Tuesday in Marrakesh.

Kpah Sherman scored the only goal of the game in Douala as Liberia, coached by Englishman Peter Butler, won 1-0 away to the Central African Republic in Group C.

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Gareth Bale not in favour of biennial FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar could be Gareth Bale’s last opportunity to play in the tournament but the forward said making the competition a biennial event would diminish its appeal.

Wales captain Gareth Bale said he is not in favour of a FIFA proposal to hold the World Cup every two years.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be the 32-year-old’s last opportunity to play in the tournament but the winger said making the competition a biennial event would diminish its appeal.

“I like the tradition of every four years. It has that prestige, like the Olympics where it comes around every four years. It feels that little bit more special because it’s not happening too often,” Bale said.

“It does make it that bit more prestigious … I don’t really like that every two years because it loses that bit of history.”

Manchester City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano said the football calendar was already overwhelmed.

“There is no space for anything,” he said. “No room at all. The players cannot play more games.”

Nasser al-Khelaifi, the European Club Association (ECA) president and Paris St Germain chief executive, and Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani urged FIFA to engage with clubs on the matter.

“I would like every four years but perhaps there could be a discussion around every three,” Radrizzani added.

A joint statement signed by Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and fans’ groups from across the six confederations called on FIFA to abandon their proposals.

“Such a move threatens to destroy the already fragile balance between local, domestic, continental, and international competitions and calendars,” the statement read.

“The game needs to change. But it needs to change for the better. We do not want or need more World Cups.”

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FIFA OPENS DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS FOR ABANDONED BRAZIL-ARGENTINA MATCH

World football’s governing body FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings into Sunday’s Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier which was abandoned after five minutes due to intervention by health officials.

Brazilian health authorities invaded the pitch to stop the game after accusing four of Argentina’s English Premier League players of violating the country’s COVID-19 quarantine rules.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham Hotspur duo Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were on the Neo Quimica Arena field as part of Argentina’s team when officials from Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa halted the match.

“Following the analysis of the official match reports related to the FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Brazil and Argentina, FIFA can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened involving both member associations,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The two teams were asked to provide further information on the facts that led to the suspension of the match, which will be gathered and then thoroughly reviewed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee.”

Anvisa said Brazilian rules make clear that travellers who have been in the UK, South Africa or India during the previous 14 days are forbidden from entering the country unless they are Brazilian citizens or have permanent residency.

It said Argentine players had made false statements about their previous whereabouts on immigration forms. Brazil’s Federal Police said on Monday they had opened a formal inquiry into the actions of the Argentine players who, a spokesperson said, were deported.

Argentina’s Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia had also traveled from the UK and was in the stands.

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GRIEZMANN DOUBLE FIRES FRANCE TO VICTORY OVER FINLAND

Antoine Griezmann played chief tormentor as France sprung back into life to end a five-game winless streak by beating visitors Finland 2-0 in a World Cup Group D qualifier on Tuesday.

Griezmann struck in each half after his partnership with Karim Benzema bore fruit in satisfying fashion to put the world champions on 12 points from six matches at the top of the group.

Finland, who had a decent opening half, are third on five points but have two games in hand of the French.

Bosnia are fourth on three points from four games after a 2-2 draw with bottom side Kazakhstan, who also have three points. Ukraine are second on five points from as many matches.

“Even it was not perfect we showed determination and with that came some more technical quality,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.

“We had more confidence, it was more like us. It’s a very important result for us, now we have to finish the job in November.”

After two 1-1 draws against Bosnia and Ukraine, Deschamps’ tinkering paid off as France started in an usual 5-2-3 formation with Leo Dubois and Theo Hernandez as fullbacks and Griezmann, Anthony Martial and Benzema up front.

But it was Finland who had the first clear chance through Urho Nissila, whose floating strike was tipped over the bar by Hugo Lloris.

Les Bleus, however, were on the attack and Lukas Hradecky pulled off a nice save in the 22nd minute to deny Benzema.

Griezmann found the back of the net when he whipped the ball past Hradecky with the outside of his foot after collecting a clever deflection in the box by Benzema on 25 minutes.

Finland continued to threaten on the break, but France proved clinical early in the second half.

After some more nice work from Benzema, Dubois found Griezmann in the area and the forward sneaked the ball between Hradecky and the left-hand post to give the hosts some breathing space in the 53rd.

He has now scored 41 international goals to become France’s joint third all-time top scorer alongside Michel Platini.

Shortly afterwards, Martial missed Hernandez’s cross for what would have been France’s third.

France controlled the end game, keeping the ball high on the pitch and creating a few chances through Benzema, who had a night to remember on his visit to his former stadium, 12 years after leaving Lyon for Real Madrid.

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WCQ: RED-HOT MEMPHIS DEPAY NETS HATRICK AS NETHERLANDS THRASH TURKEY

Red-hot Memphis Depay nets hat-trick as Netherlands hit Turkey for six

Memphis Depay scored a hat trick as the Netherlands ran out 6-1 winners over 10-man Turkey at the Amsterdam Arena on Tuesday to go top of World Cup qualifying Group G on goal difference.

It was the first international treble for the 27-year-old striker — who joined Barcelona as a free agent this summer — as the Dutch posted an emphatic victory for the second time in four days. The big win put them on 13 points from six games and vaulted them above Turkey at the head of the group.

Davy Klaassen scored in the opening minute to make a dream start for the home side, who had lost 4-2 to Turkey in Istanbul in March at the start of the qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 finals, before Depay added three more, including a penalty.

Guus Til scored the fifth 10 minutes from time and Donyell Malen added a sixth in stoppage time before a consolation goal for Cengiz Under.

The result means Turkey slip from top to third in the group as they remain on 11 points with Norway moving second, behind the Dutch on goal difference, after beating Gibraltar 5-1 on Tuesday.

It was a night for dominance by the Dutch, who picked up where they left off after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Montenegro to snatch the lead as Klaassen combined with Depay to score almost straight from the kick-off. An aggressive Dutch approach led to Klaassen then providing the assist for Depay’s first goal in the 17th minute as they doubled the score, and it was 3-0 at halftime after Depay converted a 38th-minute penalty.

Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu was booked for a foul on Klaassen to concede the spot-kick, which was awarded after a VAR check. The Turkey defender was then sent off for a second caution on the stroke of halftime. From there, Depay completed his hat-trick with a diving header on the goal-line to touch home Steven Berghuis’s cross in the 54th minute, before Til and Malen sealed the win with two more goals.

The one blemish came from a errant pass from goalkeeper Justin Bijlow that allowed Under to score for Turkey with the last kick of the game.

All in all, it was a triumphant night for veteran coach Louis van Gaal at the start of his third spell as coach. He had just days to prepare the team for their draw in Norway last Wednesday, but has since engineered two emphatic wins and a clear path to automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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WCQ: NIGERIA COME BACK FROM BEHIND TO GET NARROW WIN AT CAPE VERDE

Victor Osimhen’s strike and Kenny Rocha Santos’ own goal helped Nigeria come from behind to beat Cape Verde 2-1 in their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying game.

Two defensive blunders from the hosts secured maximum points for the Super Eagles as they clinched back-to-back wins in Group C.

It was a memorable outing for Ahmed Musa who made his 100th appearance for the Super Eagles while Malmo’s Innocent Bonke and Bolgona’s Kingsley Michael were handed starting debuts, in the absence of Wilfred Ndidi and Joe Aribo.

The Blue Sharks drew first blood in the 19th minute after Dylan Dos Santos beat an offside trap to fire his left-footed shot past goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

Five minutes later, Ryan Mendes tried to test the Super Eagles shot-stopper with another shot but it went off target.

Osimhen and Ejuke linked up a few minutes later as Nigeria kept pushing for an equaliser and the CSKA Moscow winger forced Cape Verde’s Vozinha to parry his long-range shot for a corner-kick.

Their push finally paid off as Osimhen capitalised on a defensive error to draw both teams level in the 29th minute.

Ejuke proved to be a threat to the Blue Sharks’ defence with his long-range efforts, he again forced Vozinha to make a fine save off his curling right shot from the edge of the box.

Nigeria started the second half with a much higher tempo with Nantes winger Moses Simon winning a number of fouls for the visitors.

Just before the hour-mark, Cape Verde coach Bubista opted to introduce Garry Rodrigues for Vagner while Rohr made his tactical changes in the 70th minute as Henry Onyekuru and Terem Moffi replaced Simon and Musa respectively.

Onyekuru made an instant impact but his effort lacked power to beat Vozinha, however, they finally turned the game around after another defensive error. Kenny Rocha Santos played the ball into his team’s net after the goalkeeper had left his position.

With three minutes left on the clock, Vagner Dias nearly canceled the Super Eagles’ second goal but his header was slightly off target.

The victory stretched Nigeria’s lead in Group C to six points after two games while Cape Verde have just gathered a point and they are behind second-placed Liberia.

On Tuesday, Kpah Sherman helped Liberia beat Central African Republic 1-0 with his 86th-minute effort in Douala.

Nigeria will shift their attention to next month’s double-header clash against CAR with the aim of extending their dominance in the group while Cape Verde have a date with Liberia in October.

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Liverpool considering move for Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio

Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio has reportedly emerged as a potential transfer target for Liverpool.

Despite making a number of sales during the summer window, Jurgen Klopp opted to add just RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate to his first-team squad.

However, according to todofichajes.com, the Merseyside giants may look to take advantage of any opportunities at the midway point of the season.

The report claims that Liverpool are interested in signing Asensio, who has been restricted to appearances off the substitutes’ bench during Real’s opening three La Liga fixtures under Carlo Ancelotti.

Liverpool are allegedly prepared to test the water with a bid of €35m (£30.07m) at a time when Asensio will have just 18 months remaining on his contract.

Los Blancos officials could be tempted into accepting an offer of that size ahead of pushing forward with plans to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

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Joan Laporta confirms talks with Ronald Koeman over new Barcelona contract

President Joan Laporta has revealed that contract discussions have already been held with Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman.

The Dutchman has needed to handle a number of on and off-the-pitch issues during his time at Camp Nou, including the club’s financial crisis and the departure of Lionel Messi.

There has also been a change of leadership behind the scenes with Laporta returning to the Catalan giants to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Despite calls for a fresh face in the dugout, Laporta has insisted that Koeman has his full support for the coming season.

Speaking to Onze TV, Laporta said: “Koeman has all my support, my respect and all the confidence so that he can work as comfortably as possible.

“We have already spoken a couple of times with Rob Jansen, his agent, so we are talking. I told the coach that he has to be strong, he cannot be in the weak position of ending the contract, so I raised the possibility of extending the contract.”

Barcelona have recorded two wins and a draw from their opening three La Liga fixtures of the new campaign.

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Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain to battle for Theo Hernandez

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly identified AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez as a future transfer target.

The two European giants are regarded among the favourites for this season’s Champions League after a productive summer window.

However, the left-hand side of defence has sometimes been an issue for both clubs, something which PSG have attempted to rectify with the addition of Sporting Lisbon’s Nuno Mendes.

According to Calciomercato, that signing may not stop PSG joining Man City in the race to sign Hernandez in 2022 or 2023.

The Frenchman has enjoyed a hugely impressive two years at San Siro, contributing 13 goals from 67 starts in Serie A.

Despite Hernandez possessing a contract until 2024, Milan may be tempted into a sale if they can make a significant profit on the €20m (£17.18m) which they shelled out in 2019.

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Father went to hospital after Verstappen win

Max Verstappen may have been on top of the world, but his father Jos Verstappen had to be airlifted to hospital shortly after watching the Dutch GP on television.

Dutch reports say the 49-year-old former Formula 1 driver was taken to the hospital in Roermond, in the southern Netherlands, due to stomach and intestinal pain.

De Telegraaf claims he has been treated with antibiotics.

“After that, it should be fine again,” Jos Verstappen confirmed.

Before that, Verstappen snr watched his son Max race to victory from pole position at their home Dutch GP at Zandvoort by watching television at home.

“Jos had been having problems with his intestines for a few days,” Max and Jos’ manager Raymond Vermeulen told Het Laatste Nieuws.

“He watched until halfway through the race, but then couldn’t walk straight anymore.”

Vermeulen says Jos agreed to be checked out in hospital because he plans to travel again soon.

“A precaution,” the Verstappen manager said. “He was then able to go home again. Everything is going well with Jos.”

However, the Verstappen family is unlikely to be too disappointed that they couldn’t celebrate the highly popular Dutch GP dominance all together.

“There was not so much euphoria from Max, because the Verstappen family has only one goal – to become world champion,” said former F1 tyre engineer Kees van de Grint.

“If they don’t get that title by the end of the year, all of this glory and this orange party will be forgotten,” he told RTL GP.

“That’s why Max is so down-to-earth – he knows what a tough task lies ahead of him.”