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 overcame a sluggish first-half display to defeat Senegal 3-1 in their opening Group I match of the FIFA World Cup at New York/New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday, with captain Kylian Mbappe making history as his side began their title defence in style.

The French were second best for much of the opening period as Senegal matched and at times outplayed the reigning champions, creating the better opportunities and unsettling Didier Deschamps’ side with their pace and physicality.

However, France emerged a different team after the break and gradually asserted their superiority, eventually breaking the deadlock in the 66th minute through Mbappe.

The Real Madrid forward found space in the Senegalese defence and calmly finished to score his 57th international goal, drawing level with former striker Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer.

France’s dominance grew as the match wore on and substitute Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage late in the contest, putting the result beyond doubt.

Senegal refused to surrender and were rewarded in stoppage time when Ibrahim Mbaye pulled a goal back to briefly raise hopes of a dramatic comeback.

Those hopes lasted only moments, however, as Mbappe responded almost immediately with a stunning strike from outside the penalty area deep into added time.

The goal was his 58th for France, allowing him to surpass Giroud and become the nation’s outright leading scorer while sealing a convincing 3-1 victory.

The result gives France a perfect start to their World Cup campaign and puts them in a strong position in Group I.

The group’s other opening match was scheduled for later on Tuesday, with Iraq taking on Norway in Boston.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Following the dismissal of head coach Sabri Lamouchi after their heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden, Tunisia have appointed experienced French manager Herve Renard as his replacement for the remainder of their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.

The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) announced the decision on Tuesday, making Lamouchi the first managerial casualty of the tournament.

The former Côte d’Ivoire coach and Tunisian-French national had only been appointed in January on a contract running until 2028, but departs after a disappointing run of results.

Tunisia’s crushing loss to Sweden in Monterrey proved the final blow for Lamouchi, whose side had struggled for form in the months leading up to the World Cup. Under his leadership, the Eagles of Carthage won just one of five matches, a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti in March. They also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Austria and a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium in World Cup warm-up fixtures earlier this month.

With crucial Group F matches against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on June 25 still to come, Tunisian officials moved quickly to make a change in the hope of salvaging their campaign.

In a statement released on social media, the FTF confirmed that Renard would take charge until the conclusion of Tunisia’s World Cup participation.

“The agreement also stipulates that negotiations will be opened after the World Cup campaign to consider a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives,” the federation said.

State broadcaster Television Tunisienne reported that Renard was expected to arrive in Monterrey later on Tuesday to join the squad and begin preparations for the decisive clash with Japan.

The appointment echoes a remarkable turnaround at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, when hosts Côte d’Ivoire dismissed coach Jean-Louis Gasset during the group stage after a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea. The Ivorian federation explored the possibility of bringing in Renard — who had led the Elephants to the 2015 continental title — but was unable to secure his release from his role as coach of the French women’s national team. Côte d’Ivoire instead turned to interim coach Emerse Faé, who guided the team to an improbable AFCON triumph on home soil.

Tunisia will hope Renard can inspire a similarly dramatic revival.

The 57-year-old arrives with one of the most accomplished résumés in international football. He is the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries, guiding Zambia to a historic title in 2012 before repeating the feat with Côte d’Ivoire three years later.

Renard is perhaps best remembered on the global stage for leading Saudi Arabia to one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history when they defeated eventual champions Argentina during the group stage of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

After leaving Saudi Arabia, Renard took charge of France’s women’s national team, leading Les Bleues at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Paris Olympics. He later returned to Saudi Arabia and helped the Green Falcons secure qualification for a third consecutive World Cup appearance before being replaced by Georgios Donis in the build-up to the 2026 finals.

Tunisia now hope Renard’s reputation as a tournament specialist and crisis manager can spark an immediate response, with their hopes of reaching the knockout stages hanging in the balance after a disastrous start to the tournament.

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