World Cup
World Cup qualifiers in Africa kicks off with Nigeria’s Group
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Wednesday NOV 15
Group C: Rwanda v Zimbabwe – 2pm
Group H: Equatorial Guinea v Namibia – 2pm
Group B: Congo DR v Mauritania – 5pm
Group A: Ethiopia v Sierra Leone – 8pm
The African qualifying series for the 2026 World Cup gets under way this Wednesday afternoon as the first ball is kicked in the Group C harbouring Nigeria, South Africa, Lesotho, Rwanda, Benin and Zimbabwe.
It is Rwanda hosting Zimbabwe that will set rolling, the projected 260-match series spanning 47 months. The matches could have been 270, but the 10 matches involving Eritrea in Group E have to be cancelled following the country’s withdrawal.
Zimbabwe who are away to Rwanda are just returning to the international competitions after the country was suspended by FIFA. The suspension was only lifted in July.
Rwanda, the hosts will be hoping for a good start having not won any competitive match since their 1-0 win over Mozambique on March 24, 2021.
They will be hoping for good form of the trio of Djihad Bizimana, Hakim Sahabo and Lague Byiringiro . The trio can be decisive to the result.
Djihad Bizimana
After a torrid time at Belgian side KMSK Deinze which affected his output in the national team, Bizimana has burst into form again with series of fantastic displays for his new club FC Kryvbas in the Ukrainian Premier League.
The Rubavu-born defensive midfielder has featured in 13 league games this season providing one assist and went on to establish himself as a key figure at the heart of Kryvbas’ form.
Bizimana remains the orchestrator in the Rwandan midfield and his leadership as the new national team captain could add value to the country’s performance against Zimbabwe. If the former Waasland Beveren player exerts his authority in the game, he can propel his side to victory.
Hakim Sahabo
Despite Rwanda finishing at the bottom of Group L in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, teenager Hakim Sahabo proved himself to be one of the revelations in the Amavubi set up.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder assisted Gilbert Mugisha as Rwanda held Benin to a 1-1 draw in Cotonou as Rwanda.
In the youngster, Rwanda has a player who has the eye to give that “final” pass. Against Zimbabwe, he is expected to operate just behind the main striker as a number 10.
One moment of brilliance from the Standard Liege II wonderkid can decide the game. Currently, he is even playing professional football on Belgian Challenger Pro League and his maturity in the game has been improving.
Lague Byiringiro
The Rwandan forward will be going into the game against Zimbabwe with so much confidence against the back drop of his sterling performance for Sandviken IF in Sweden.
He scored 10 goals in Sweden in the just-ended 2023 season where his club secured promotion to the second league.
The former APR forward is capable of operating on both flanks, either as a supporting striker or as the main striker. With Rwanda struggling for goals in recent games and considering his fine form, Spittler might be tempted to use him as the number 9 against Zimbabwe.
He is physical, great technique and ability to dribble past defenders.
You can’t forget that Amavubi’s last win in a competitive match was thanks to his goal against Mozambique on March 24, 2021. Byiringiro can be the saviour again.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER
Ghana’s hopes of having midfielder Thomas Partey available for their crucial FIFA World Cup clash against Panama suffered a major setback on Tuesday after a Canadian court dismissed his appeal against a visa refusal.
The Federal Court in Ottawa rejected an application by Partey, 33, seeking to overturn a decision by Canadian authorities that denied him entry into the country ahead of Ghana’s Group L encounter in Toronto on Wednesday.
In his ruling, Judge Roger Lafreniere said Partey had sought “extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief” that would have compelled Canadian authorities to set aside a “lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event.”
The decision effectively ends the player’s efforts to feature in Ghana’s second group match after his legal team confirmed before the ruling that no further appeal would be pursued if the case was dismissed.
Partey’s lawyer, Mackeda Bramwell, had expressed optimism about the outcome before the verdict but did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the court’s decision.
The former Arsenal midfielder is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault in Britain, allegations he has consistently denied.
While the United States granted Partey a visa to enter the country for the World Cup, Canadian immigration authorities maintained that under Canadian law, a foreign national can be deemed inadmissible even without a conviction in another jurisdiction.
“When there are reasonable grounds to believe an act that would trigger inadmissibility has been committed by an applicant, they can be deemed inadmissible to Canada,” a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told Reuters.
The visa refusal has generated widespread reaction among Ghanaian football supporters both in Ghana and within Canada’s sizeable Ghanaian community.
Speaking to Reuters earlier this week, Akua Mensah, a 45-year-old Canadian of Ghanaian heritage, described the Canadian government’s decision as unfortunate, reflecting the frustration felt by many supporters who had hoped to see one of the Black Stars’ most experienced players in action at the tournament.
Partey’s absence is a significant blow for Ghana as they prepare for their showdown with Panama, with the experienced midfielder expected to miss the match unless there is an unexpected change in his immigration status.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER.
Norway will begin their first FIFA World Cup campaign in 28 years with a formidable attacking trio after coach Stale Solbakken named Premier League Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland in the starting line-up for Tuesday’s Group I clash against Iraq.
Solbakken opted for his strongest forward line, with Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa joining Haaland in a three-man attack as the Scandinavians seek a winning start to their first World Cup appearance since France 1998.
Captain Martin Odegaard will marshal the midfield alongside Sander Berge and Fredrik Aursnes, while Oscar Bobb begins the match on the bench.
Iraq, making only their second World Cup appearance and first since 1986, will look to upset the highly-rated Norwegians with veteran striker Aymen Hussein leading the attack. Hussein is partnered by Ali Al Hamadi and Ali Jassim in a front three selected by coach Graham Arnold.
Arnold made several changes to the side that suffered a 2-0 defeat to Venezuela in their final warm-up match as Iraq seek a positive start in a difficult group that also includes France and Senegal.
Norway arrive at the tournament with high expectations after an impressive qualifying campaign and are regarded as one of the dark horses of the competition, with Haaland and Odegaard spearheading a talented generation.
Teams
Iraq: Jalal Hassan; Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski; Amir Al Ammari, Zaid Ismail, Ibrahim Bayesh; Ali Jassim, Ali Al Hamadi, Aymen Hussein.
Norway: Orjan Haskjold Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe; Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes; Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland, Antonio Nusa.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER.
France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name into the record books on Tuesday, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Senegal to become France’s all-time leading international goalscorer.
The 27-year-old striker surpassed the previous record of 57 goals held by Olivier Giroud during France’s Group I opener at New York New Jersey Stadium.
After a subdued first half, Mbappe came to life after the break, putting France ahead in the 66th minute when he calmly slipped the ball past the Senegal goalkeeper for his 57th international goal, drawing level with Giroud’s long-standing mark.
The Real Madrid forward then claimed the record outright deep into stoppage time, unleashing a thunderous strike to register his 58th goal for France and seal a memorable night for the World Cup holders.
Giroud, who was working as a pundit for the BBC, was among the first to congratulate his former teammate.
“Congrats, Kylian. You made it. I’m really happy for him,” Giroud said after Mbappe broke his record.
The former France striker also revealed that Mbappe had promised to give him the match shirt from the historic occasion.
Mbappe had faced intense scrutiny heading into the tournament, with expectations high following another prolific season at club level. However, the French captain emphatically answered his critics, leading his side to victory in their opening match of the tournament.
The win gives France an ideal start to their World Cup campaign ahead of their next Group I fixture against Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday. Didier Deschamps’ side will then conclude the group stage against Norway on June 26.
With the scoring record now his, Mbappe’s attention will turn to guiding France deeper into the tournament as they seek to retain the World Cup crown.
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Canadian Court Rejects Partey’s Appeal Ahead of Ghana-Panama Clash
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Mbappe Becomes France’s All-Time Leading Scorer at World Cup
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