International Football
ALGERIA STRETCH UNBEATEN RUN
Reigning African champions Algeria stretched their unbeaten run of matches to 20 after being held to a 2-2 draw by Concacaf Gold Cup holders Mexico despite playing almost half the game with 10 men.
Adlene Guedioura was handed his matching orders 10 minutes after the break after a second yellow card. Algeria had come from a goal down after Jesus Manuel Corona had given the Mexicans a 43rd minute lead.
The African champions however drew level two minutes later when midfielder Ismael Bennacer struck a low shot from the edge of the box after being teed up by Sofiane Feghouli.
After Guedioura’s r
ed card, Algeria were not turned back as they kept their attacking game and were rewarded in the 66th minute through captain Riyad Mahrez who was set up by Ramy Bensebaini.
However, Algeria saw victory snatched right infront of their eyes when the Mexicans drew level four minutes from the final whistle through Diego Lainez off a Raul Jimenez pass.
Japan 1-0 Côte d’Ivoire
In the Netherlands, Côte d’Ivoire lost 1-0 to Japan, conceding a last gasp winner against the Samurai Blue. Naomichi Ueda stepped off the bench to head in the winner in added time to aid the Japanese to victory.
Cote d’Ivoire had chances to score, with the best falling on the returning Gervinho who saw his point blank effort at the start of the second half saved by the keeper.
Centre-back Ueda however ensured Japan had the last laugh with his first international goal when he headed home Gaku Shibasaki’s long free kick at the back post in the third minute of added time, just after coming on.
Mozambique 0-3 Angola
After their previous friendly match against Guinea Bissau was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, Angola took to the pitch at the Municipal Stadium of Óbidos in Portugal, picking up a healthy 3-0 victory over Mozambique.
Mateus Galiano scored a goal in either half in the 45th and 69th minutes before Gelson Dala put the icing on the cake with the third with 12 minutes left to play.
The friendly match result is a booster for Angola who are preparing to face DR Congo in a double header qualifier of the Total Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021.
Morocco 1-1 DR Congo
Morocco’s Atlas Lions followed up their impressive 3-1 victory over Senegal with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.
The home side broke the deadlock at the stroke of halftime when Noussair Mazraoui stretched his foot ahead of the keeper to tap in from close range off a Youssef El-Arabi cross from the left.
However, the DR Congo Les Leopards drew level in the 65th minute when Yoane Wissa’s left footed low shot from the edge of the box landed in the bottom right corner of the goal after being teed up by Jordan Rolly Botak
Nigeria 1-1 Tunisia
Nigeria’s hopes of bouncing back from last week’s loss against African champions Algeria didn’t go much to plan as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Tunisia, the side they beat to clinch the AFCON 2019 bronze in Cairo, Egypt last year.
They had the chances to win though, with Kelechi Iheanacho who scored the opener for Nigeria also missing a penalty.
Iheanacho quenched his three-year thirst for an international goal for the Super Eagles when he opened the scoring with a beautiful shot on the half turn inside the box after 20 minutes.
He had a chance to double his tally after 28 minutes when Ahmed Musa was cluttered down inside the box by Tunisian keeper Farouk Ben Mustapha. However, his tame penalty was well saved by the Tunisian goalie.
The Carthage Eagles then drew level at the stroke of halftime when Mohamed Drager struck the ball home from the edge of the six yard box after a good build up on the left, Rafia Hamza delivering the final cutback.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s opponents in next month’s AFCON qualifiers Sierra Leone suffered their second successive friendly match defeat after going down 1-0 away to Niger in Niamey.
Ghana 5-1 Qatar
Ghana’s new head coach CK Akonnor breathed a huge sigh of relief on Monday night as he saw his side bounce back from last week’s 3-0 beating at the hands of Mali to thrash Qatar 5-1 in their second friendly match in Turkey.
Making five changes from the team that lost to Mali, Akonnor was under pressure to ensure the Black Stars made a resounding statement and they did so with a superb performance.
Skipper Andre Ayew bagged a brace to add on to goals from Tarique Fosu, Samuel Owusu and Caleb Ekuban. Qatar’s consolation was scored by Ali Almoez.
Midfielder Thomas Partey starred in the match though, as he played a crucial role in the middle of the pack and started the build up for the opener. He laid the ball through for Jordan Ayew who in turn fed Fosu for the opener.
The Qataris found themselves back in contention just before the break when Almoez lobbed the ball over Razak Abalora.
But, Ghana were a different side in the second half, Ayew making it 2-1 before Partey fed Owusu for the third. It was a goal made in the Abedi Pele household for Ghana’s fourth as Jordan fed his brother Andre.
Substitute Ekuban wrapped up the tie with the fifth.
Tanzania 0-1 Burundi
Saidi Ntibazonkiza struck the lone goal in the 85th minute as Burundi came out 1-0 victorious over hosts Tanzania in a friendly match played at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Ntibazonkiza struck a belter from the edge of the box after some swift passing movement by the Burundians to pluck victory over a star-studded Tanzanian side.
So impressive was the Burundian winger in the match that Tanzanian giants Yanga wasted no time in enquiring for his services and ended up signing him a day after the friendly.
Togo 1-1 Sudan
Claude Le Roy’s Togo conceded a last gasp equalizer as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sudan. The Togolese had gone ahead in the 70th minute courtesy of Gilles Sunu’s goal, but could not hold on to the lead as they conceded in the third minute of added time.
Mohamed Abdel Rahman scored the late equalizer for the Sudanese.
Burkina Faso 2-1 Madagascar
Burkina Faso’s Stallions were 2-1 victors over Madagascar’s Barea in another friendly match. Eric Traore scored the winner for the Burkinabes in the 65th minute.
Aston Villa’s new signing Bertrand Traore had opened the scores in the 33rd minute with a simple tap in inside the box after the Madagascar backline struggled to clear the ball.
Madagascar equalized from the penalty spot a minute to the break, through Marco Ilaimaharitra.
However, Eric ensured Burkina Faso earned victory with a goal in the 65th minute. The Madagascar backline again struggled to clear from a corner, with Eric picking the spills at the edge of the six yard box and slamming the ball home.
South Africa 1-2 Zambia
Zambia bounced back from their defeat to Kenya’s Harambee Stars with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over South Africa at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
After a dull first half, the game sprung to life in the second period and the hosts broke the deadlock 20 minutes after the break when Keegan Dolly rounded the keeper off a Percy Tau pass before tapping into an empty net.
Just like he did against Kenya, Kevin Kampamba stepped off the bench to change the game and this time as a scorer when he slotted in with a low shot in the 78th minute.
Chaniza Zulu scored the winner four minutes later with a tap in unmarked at the backpost.
In other friendly matches, Comoros beat Libya 2-1, Benin won 2-0 away to Gabon while Malawi and Zimbabwe played to a 0-0 draw.
-CAF
French soccer icon Zinedine Zidane has agreed to take over his national team’s head coaching duties following this summer’s FIFA World Cup, ESPN reported Monday.
Zidane, 53, reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the Federation Francaise de Football to replace Didier Deschamps, who has held the role since 2012.
Zidane, who managed La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid for two stints (2016-18, 2019-21), has long been expected to eventually become the skipper for France.
As a player, the dynamic midfielder won the 1998 Ballon d’Or and was a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year (1998, 2000 and 2003). He helped France win the World Cup in 1998 and finish second in 2006. He was infamously sent off during the final of the 2006 World Cup when he headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest.
-Reuters
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The ‘Finalissima’ match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East, while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have affected countries throughout the Gulf, disrupting travel in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs and forcing several sporting events to be cancelled due to safety concerns.
The contest between European champions Spain and Copa America winners Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, where fans would have had the opportunity to watch Lionel Messi go head-to-head with Lamine Yamal.
UEFA said they held discussions with the organising authorities in Qatar and concluded that the match could not take place due to the “current political situation” in the region.
“It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar,” UEFA said in a statement.
Qatar’s Local Organising Committee said airspace disruption and travel restrictions led to the cancellation of its Qatar Football Festival, where the host country, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Serbia were also set to play friendly games this month.
The Football Association of Serbia later announced they would play away in Spain on March 27 and host Saudi Arabia four days later.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES REJECTED BY ARGENTINA
The Finalissima’s cancellation was not just about Qatar’s security concerns, however, with UEFA saying they explored other feasible alternatives, but they proved to be ‘unacceptable’ to the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
UEFA first offered to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid with a 50:50 split of supporters in the stadium.
A second option was to stage the Finalissima over two legs — at the Bernabeu on March 27 and the second leg in Buenos Aires during an international window before the next Euros and Copa America in 2028.
However, the AFA rejected both options. UEFA said Argentina made a counter offer to play the game after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.
“Ultimately, UEFA sought a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue in Europe could be found, the game could go ahead on 27 March… or on the alternative date of 30 March. This proposal was also rejected,” UEFA added.
SPAIN WERE READY TO PLAY
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said they had offered Argentina “all possible options” in collaboration with UEFA to ensure the match went ahead, adding that they had the organisational capacity to stage the clash on short notice.
“From the very outset, the Federation has expressed its absolute commitment to ensuring this match goes ahead, as it believes it brings prestige and international reputation at a crucial time in a World Cup year,” the RFEF said.
“Furthermore, it has worked tirelessly to achieve this. Spain was prepared to play, as has always been stated.”
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11.
The 2022 edition of the Finalissima was held at Wembley Stadium in London where Argentina beat Italy 3-0.
-Reuters
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Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
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