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South Africa names final squad to face Super Eagles in World Cup qualifier

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South Africa’s Coach, Hugo Broos Dissects Super Eagles; Says Team Getting Better With Every Match -
South Africa’s coach,  Hugo Broos

South Africa’s coach,  Hugo Broos has named his final 23-man squad that will face the Super Eagles in the June 7th World Cup qualifier in Uyo. The same selection will be used for the other qualifier at home against Zimbabwe Foster in his final 23-man squad for next month’s huge 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria away and Zimbabwe at home.

According to South African media, the Belgian coach continued to overlook in-form Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa, the Belgian deciding to stick to the strikers he’s worked with.

Mabasa ended top scorer in the Premiership with 16 goals, one ahead of Stellenbosch FC’s Iqraam Rayners, who got the nod alongside Burnley’s Foster, Percy Tau, Themba Zwane, Oswin Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi, Elias Mokwana and Relebogile Mofokeng in the forwards.

Lyle Foster of the recently relegated Burnley in the English Premier League is a major inclusion. He was excluded in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 squad on health ground.

Broos reportedly explained that the health issues were a thing of the past as he also had discussions with Burnley before including the striker again.

“His health problems are over,” the coach explained as he announced his squad on SABC Sport.

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“And I know I was at one stage very unhappy because we got the news Lyle was not ready and had a mental problem and suddenly he started playing with Burnley [ahead of Afcon].

“So we had contact with [the club in] England again and they said, ‘Yeah, but he’s not ready’. And also Lyle wrote a letter to us that he did not want to go to Afcon. That’s why he was not with us in Ivory Coast.

“After that, for [the friendlies against Andorra and Algeria] in March I made contact again and again they said, ‘No — it’s better you don’t call him because he’s still not 100%’.

“But he still played every game for Burnley, so it was not easy to accept that. But OK, I followed the medical reasons for why I couldn’t take him.“But now, everything was OK. I phoned him [Foster] and we had a good chat. I called [then still Burnley manager Vincent] Kompany and we had a good chat. So there are no problems any more and that’s the reason Lyle is with us again.” 

South Africa are in second place in group C on three points to Rwanda on four. Nigeria, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have two points and Benin one.

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The top teams from the nine African groups qualify for the first 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US. The four best runners-up go into a playoff to decide one side that will contest a six-team intercontinental tournament.

Bafana started with a 2-1 win against Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, then lost 2-0 away to Rwanda, both in November last year.

Nigeria’s poor start, drawing matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, has left the group wide open and South Africa could put themselves in the driving seat with positive results in next month’s matches.

According to reports, Bafana Bafana target a draw in Nigeria and a win against Zimbabwe at home to have a commanding lead of Group C.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Uruguay’s Suarez bids farewell in goalless draw with Paraguay

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- World Cup - South American Qualifiers - Uruguay v Paraguay - Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay - September 6, 2024 Uruguay's Luis Suarez in action REUTERS/Mariana Greif

Paraguay held Uruguay to a goalless draw in their South American World Cup qualifier on Friday, with striker Luis Suarez bringing his 17-year international career to an end at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo.

The 37-year-old forward reached 143 appearances for his country, finishing as their all-time leading scorer with 69 goals.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who finished third in the Copa America, played without five players from their starting line-up, including Darwin Nunez, who were suspended for their involvement in clashes with fans following the defeat to Colombia in the continental showpiece in July.

Uruguay wasted several chances, most notably a first-half right-footed volley from Suarez that struck the post after Facundo Pellistri’s cross.

Paraguay also created clear-cut opportunities, with Miguel Almiron coming closest only to be denied by goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, but neither side managed to capitalise.

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Uruguay remain second in the World Cup qualifying standings on 14 points, four behind leaders Argentina. They face Venezuela on Tuesday, while Paraguay take on Brazil.

-Reuters

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Brazil return to winning ways with dreary win over Ecuador

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- World Cup - South American Qualifiers - Brazil v Ecuador - Estadio Antonio Couto Pereira, Curitiba, Brazil - September 6, 2024 Brazil's Rodrygo celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Rodolfo Buhrer

Brazil got back to winning ways in the South American World Cup qualifiers with a drab 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Friday thanks to first-half goal by Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.

After its first streak of losses in three successive qualifiers, Brazil did just enough to earn the win that lifted the struggling five-time World Cup champions to fourth in the standings with 10 points.

They are eight points behind leaders Argentina and only two points over Ecuador in sixth, the last spot guaranteed a berth at the 2026 finals.

Playing their first match after a disappointing Copa America defeat to Uruguay in the quarter-final, Brazil had another lacklustre performance, dominating possession but failing to create clear chances throughout the match.

Brazil misplaced too many passes and struggled to connect up front, out of ideas on how to beat Ecuador’s rock solid defensive block.

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Ecuador were relentless while applying a physically aggressive pressure high with three hardworking forwards, making the locals uncomfortable when putting the ball in play. They Brazil almost no room to get inside their box either, forcing them to roam the ball horizontally around their penalty area and resort to strikes from long range.

Brazil’s only two shots on target on the first half were made by Rodrygo, who, after stinging the goalkeeper’s hands from a free kick early, were lucky to break the deadlock in the 29th minute. His effort fired from the edge of the box deflected off a defender and arched around the wrong-footed goalkeeper before hitting the right post and finding the back of the net.

Ecuador almost levelled in a counterattack right before the break, but defender Gabriel Magalhaes denied Moises Caicedo’s effort with a last-minute goal-line clearance.

Brazil came back even worse in the second half, with an uninspired Vinicius Jr creating their only shot on target in an absolutely morose 45 minutes, with boos greeting the final whistle.

“We needed this win, doesn’t matter if it was ugly or not. I’m happy with the victory and to have scored, and I hope it helps us getting better and progressing to the level that we want to reach moving forward,” Rodrygo told Brazilian TV Globo. Brazil will face Paraguay at Asuncion on Tuesday while Ecuador is set to host Peru in Quito on Monday.

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-Reuters

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Home grounds of Barcelona, Real Madrid among 11 proposed World Cup 2030 venues

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- Real Madrid celebrate winning the Champions League - Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - June 2, 2024 General view inside the stadium and Real Madrid's Toni Kroos during the Champions League celebration with fans REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo

Spain’s soccer federation (RFEF) has proposed 11 stadiums as candidates to host matches during the 2030 World Cup, including the home arenas of LaLiga clubs Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Spain, who will co-host the tournament with Portugal and Morocco as well as centenary hosts Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, will also have 45 additional grounds as team bases, the RFEF said on Friday.

Other LaLiga clubs whose home arenas have made the list include Sevilla, Malaga, Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Las Palmas and promoted Espanyol.

Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium, despite being the fifth-largest stadium in LaLiga with a capacity of 49,430, was not included in the list of potential venues.

“In order to define the venues, all the possibilities have been analysed, including the option of expanding to 13, an option that must be taken unanimously by the three federations,” the RFEF said in a statement.

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The tournament will have a maximum of 20 venues, the RFEF added.

Co-hosts Morocco last year announced plans to build a stadium near Casablanca and upgrade six others before the World Cup.

-Reuters

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