French amateur football tournament celebrates diversity, fights racism

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Congolese fans enter the pitch after Congo defeated Mali during the final game of the national cup of working-class neighborhoods in Creteil, outside Paris, France, on June 2, 2022. (AP)
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Updated 04 July 2022
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French amateur football tournament celebrates diversity, fights racism

  • Event grew out of local tournaments in France's suburbs where former immigrants have lived for generations
  • Competition challenges French ideals of a colorblind republic that doesn’t identify people by ethnic background

CRETEIL, France: An amateur football tournament in France aimed at celebrating ethnic diversity is attracting talent scouts, sponsors and increasing public attention, by uniting young players from low-income neighborhoods with high-profile names in the sport.

The National Neighborhoods Cup is intended to shine a positive spotlight on working-class areas with large immigrant populations that some politicians and commentators scapegoat as breeding grounds for crime, riots and extremism.

Players with Congolese heritage beat a team with Malian roots 5-4 on Saturday in the one-month tournament’s final match, held at the home stadium of a third-division French team in the Paris suburb of Creteil. The final was broadcast live on Prime Video.

The event competition grew out of local tournaments modeled after the African Cup of Nations that have been held in recent years in suburbs and towns across France where former immigrants with African backgrounds have lived for years or generations. This tournament, however was broader, and international in scope.

Along with teams from former French colonies in Africa, the participants included teams from European nations like Portugal and Italy. Players from France’s former colonies in Asia also competed.

The tournament, which was launched in 2019, challenges the French ideal of a colorblind republic that doesn’t count or identify people by race or ethnic background. The ideal was intended to provide equal opportunity by treating everyone as simply French; in practice, people in places like Creteil experience discrimination and ethnic tensions daily.

HIGHLIGHT

The France team — like its World Cup-winning national team — is made up of white, Black, Arab and multiracial players that reflects the country’s diversity.

“We are Afro-descendants, we are claiming our roots and we are proud,” said tournament founder Moussa Sow, who works at the Red Cross and grew up in a Creteil neighborhood with a tough reputation. “It’s not because we carry this heritage that we are going to erase our French identity.”

The France team — like its World Cup-winning national team — is made up of white, Black, Arab and multiracial players that reflects the country’s diversity.

“We have players who have two or three nationalities. It is a strength for us, a richness,” Sow told The Associated Press.

Sow witnessed firsthand the growing tensions among young people divided into rival groups according to which quarter of Creteil they were from, and wanted to gather inhabitants around the love of football and a celebration of cultural heritage.

Mohamed Diamé, who made 31 appearances for Senegal and played for West Ham and Newcastle in the English Premier League, former Mali and Paris Saint-Germain defender Sammy Traoré and Senegal manager Aliou Cisse all took part. In February, Cisse became a national hero after guiding Senegal to long-awaited victory in the African Cup of Nations.

Traore and Diame both made it to the top level in football and both grew up in Creteil, providing an example to young people that success is within their reach, too.

“I started my first training here when I was 7. I considered people from this neighborhood as brothers,” Diamé told the AP. “This feels like a pro tournament. We have a group chat, we support each other, we are determined.”

The amateur cup has grown since Sow started in 2019. Colorful placards of multinationals and local companies sponsoring the event were seen around the field. Young people and families can grab a merguez sandwich — a spicy sausage of North African origin long popular around France’s football stadiums — or other snacks and sing along to popular French songs, played by a DJ near the field.

“I am happy and proud, despite the anxious climate in France, to see people of different generations gathering,” Sow said.

Even though the tournament is strictly amateur, the technical level among players was good. At last weekend’s semifinals, high-quality cross-field passes and clever dribbles were cheered by the crowd. Some scouts were on the sidelines, sensing an opportunity to recruit talented young players.

Suburbs and satellite towns around big cities, known in French as “les banlieues,” are fertile ground for football talents in Europe. Academies in France — notably Lyon, Monaco, Nantes and Rennes — are ranked among the best in Europe along with Spain for developing young players such as Real Madrid great Karim Benzema and World Cup star Kylian Mbappe.

But these same areas have also carried and been scarred by a rough reputation.

At the end of May, some far-right politicians blamed young people from the suburbs for violence outside the Champions League final at Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. They were widely accused of vandalism, disruption of public safety and fraud.

Sow stressed that despite many people being suspicious of young people from the suburbs, where poverty and minority populations are concentrated in France, the tournament in Creteil has gone well. Defeats have been accepted with grace, and fans who have run onto the field after wins have been joyous rather than violent.

The mayor of Creteil supports the events, and a newly elected parliament member for the district, Clemence Guette of the left-wing parliamentary coalition NUPES, came to the semifinals. Guetté called it a “unifying” event that promoted “beautiful values” that sport generates.

Diame, who made around 240 Premier League appearances, has never let that take him away from his roots.

“No matter if you are Black, white, or Asian, everyone is welcome,” he told the AP. “Children, parents, grandparents, uncles or aunts. Everyone is here to enjoy a pure moment of pleasure.”


PSG rout Messi’s Inter Miami to reach Club World Cup quarters

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PSG rout Messi’s Inter Miami to reach Club World Cup quarters

  • PSG will face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta on Saturday

ATLANTA: Paris Saint-Germain steamrollered Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
Miami hoped the Argentine superstar’s magic could help them produce an unlikely result against his former side, but the Major League Soccer side were dismantled in Atlanta by Luis Enrique’s rampant European champions.
Ageing great Messi and his former Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba had done well to reach the last 16 but the gulf in quality between the teams was laid bare over the 90 minutes.
Joao Neves netted twice for PSG, who benefitted from a Tomas Aviles own goal, while Achraf Hakimi was also on target.
After Neves opened the scoring early on Miami resisted until PSG hit three goals in 10 minutes toward the end of the first half.
Messi was the main draw, as fans chanted his name and most of the 66,000 crowd were clad in Miami’s hot pink interspersed with Argentina shirts.
PSG dominated from the start, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia floating into the box and teeing up Bradley Barcola, but Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari thwarted him with an outstretched leg.
However shortly afterwards over-run Miami right-back Marcelo Weigandt fouled Desire Doue and it led to PSG’s opener.
Vitinha whipped a free-kick to the back post where Portuguese midfielder Neves ran in completely unmarked, stooping to nod past Ustari after six minutes.
PSG’s Fabian Ruiz had a goal disallowed for offside before Miami defender Noah Allen limped off injured in a further blow for Javier Mascherano’s side.
With the Ligue 1 champions pressing high and keeping possession Miami found it hard to get Messi involved.
The 38-year-old Argentine superstar played a superbly weighted pass down the right flank for Tadeo Allende but a rare Miami break came to nothing.
Messi’s intermittent interventions were not enough to hold back the Parisian tide.
PSG doubled their lead in the 39th minute when veteran holding midfielder Busquets got his footwork wrong in front of his own box.
Spanish compatriot Ruiz rapidly relieved him of the ball and combined with Barcola to set up Neves to tap home his second.
PSG grabbed their third when Aviles deflected Doue’s cross into his own net, and Hakimi netted the fourth before half-time to put PSG out of sight.
The Morocco international’s first effort was deflected onto the crossbar but he stayed alert at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium to fire home the rebound.
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi lost his cool with a swipe aimed at Vitinha as the Argentine raged against the midfielder, Miami’s impotence and PSG’s swagger.
Messi produced a brilliant pass for Suarez early in the second half, chipping a ball over the PSG defense, but the Uruguayan could not finish to offer Miami a lifeline.
Despite the impossibility of a comeback — there was to be no comeback like the one Luis Enrique’s Barcelona managed in 2017 against PSG from four goals down in which Messi and Suarez scored — the Argentine was determined to bow out with a bang.
Messi drew a first save from PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma after the hour mark with a low effort.
Luis Enrique sent on winger Ousmane Dembele for his first appearance at the tournament after a hamstring injury, but the Frenchman was rusty and imprecise.
When Suarez was fouled by Lucas Beraldo on the edge of the box Messi had the chance to repeat his free-kick winner against Porto in the group stage, but his effort hit the wall.
It was not to be for Messi or Miami, but their second-half performance was respectable and the defeat was by a lesser margin than the French side’s 5-0 Champions League final thrashing of Inter Milan.
PSG will face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta on Saturday.


Arab Golf Federation wraps up inaugural Elite Scholarship Camp in Riyadh

Updated 29 June 2025
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Arab Golf Federation wraps up inaugural Elite Scholarship Camp in Riyadh

  • Targeting under-18 boys and girls, the program forms part of the federation’s broader effort to create a sustainable pipeline of Arab golfers capable of competing on the global stage

RIYADH: The Arab Golf Federation concluded the first-ever edition of its Elite Sports Scholarship Program Camp on Sunday.

The event brought together 16 promising young golfers from across the region for an intensive four-day development experience at Riyadh Golf Club.

The camp, held in partnership with IMG Academy, marked the launch of one of the AGF’s flagship long-term initiatives aimed at producing a new generation of Arab golfing talent by 2035.

Targeting under-18 boys and girls, the program forms part of the federation’s broader effort to create a sustainable pipeline of Arab golfers capable of competing on the global stage.

Over the course of the week, participants underwent technical, physical and psychological assessments, including high-performance testing using TrackMan technology, as well as on-course and indoor training.

To simulate competitive pressure, players took part in two 18-hole championship rounds, with final-day winners crowned and scholarship recipients selected.

Those chosen will begin receiving full support from August, including elite coaching, academic tutoring, strength and conditioning, and mental performance services.

Speaking at the camp, IMG Academy Executive Director Kevin Craggs delivered a session titled “Mastering the Margin: Coaching for Clarity and Competitive Edge.”

Addressing families and coaches, Craggs highlighted the value of resilience, conscious leadership and athlete-centered development.

AGF President Sheikh Fahim Al-Qasimi had previously said the scholarship program represented a pivotal moment for Arab golf, positioning the region as a serious player on the global sporting map.

“By investing in the next generation of athletes, we are creating long-term opportunities for Arab players to succeed internationally,” he said ahead of the camp’s launch.

The conclusion of the Riyadh camp coincided with another major milestone for regional golf: More than 35 Arab players took part in an Asian Development Tour tournament in Morocco during the same week, highlighting the AGF’s commitment to providing real-world competitive exposure as part of its talent pipeline.


Lando Norris resists Oscar Piastri to lead dominant McLaren one-two in Austria

Updated 29 June 2025
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Lando Norris resists Oscar Piastri to lead dominant McLaren one-two in Austria

  • 25-year-old Briton came home 2.695 seconds clear of the 24-year-old Australian to trim his lead in the title race by 15 points

SPIELBERG: Lando Norris resisted vigorous attacks from team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri to claim a masterful McLaren 1-2 in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

In torrid heat at the Red Bull Ring, the 25-year-old Briton came home 2.695 seconds clear of the 24-year-old Australian to trim his lead in the title race by 15 points.

It was Norris’s first win in Austria, his third win this year and the seventh of his career.

It was McLaren’s first win in Austria since David Coulthard triumphed in 2001.

The McLaren pair battled throughout the race to provide thrilling racing for the packed crowd and put behind them their collision in Canada two weeks earlier.

Charles Leclerc was third ahead of his Ferrari team-mate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, their best result of the year, with George Russell finishing fifth for Mercedes.

“It was a tough race,” said Norris.

“Pushing the whole way through... tricky, hot, tiring, but the perfect result for us as a team, a 1-2 again. We had a great battle, that’s for sure.”

For Piastri, it was equally demanding.

“Intense!” he said.

“I hope it was good watching because from inside the car it was hard work. Yeah, I tried my absolute best.”

Liam Lawson came in a career-best sixth for RB on a desultory day for the senior Red Bull team after four-time champion Max Verstappen retired on the opening lap after being hit by Mercedes’ teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli. He is now 61 points behind Piastri.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was seventh ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and his Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, the future Audi outfit showing their huge potential, with Esteban Ocon finishing 10th for Haas.

After a frantic prelude, during which Carlos Sainz’s Williams failed to leave the grid and then caught fire in the pit lane, the race was delayed for 10 minutes — before delivering immediate drama at the second attempt.

Norris made a clean start while, behind him, Piastri passed Leclerc on the outside of Turn One before Antonelli locked up and lost control at Turn Three and hit Verstappen’s Red Bull.

A safety car was deployed as both drivers retired on lap one ending, for the defending champion a run of 31 races in the points.

“I got hit,” said the Dutchman on team radio.

The teenage rookie apologized. “I locked the rear. Sorry about that,” he told Mercedes.

The race resumed after a two-minute slowdown and Norris was forced immediately to defend as Piastri, looking sharp, attacked as also did Russell on Hamilton for fourth. Both were thwarted by defensive driving.

By lap 12, the McLaren duo were four seconds clear and delivering a show of their own.

Unhampered by any embarrassing hangovers from their collision in Montreal, they raced side by side and wheel to wheel, but each time the Australian attacked, the Briton hung on.

In scorching heat of 32 degrees (air) and 55 (track), it was a perfect advertisement for the historic venue in the Styrian Alps which had secured a 16-year contract extension to 2041 before the race.

Norris pitted, taking hards, after surviving another Piastri lunge, at turn four, on lap 20.

Piastri then followed suit, emerging fourth until Leclerc pitted.

After the leaders out on track also changed tires Norris led Piastri by 6.5 seconds.

Red Bull’s misery intensified on lap 30 when Yuki Tsunoda hit Colapinto, sending both to the pits for repairs.

The Japanese rejoined 16th and last of the runners with a new front wing before being handed a 10-second penalty.

As the field settled Norris led Piastri by 3.2s.

Russell began the second round of stops on lap 46, followed by the rest of the leaders, leaving Norris to complete a near-perfect day in the Styrian mountains.


‘I take full responsibility’: Renard disappointed after Saudi exit from CONCACAF Gold Cup

Herve Renard has accepted responsibility for Saudi Arabia’s 2-0 loss to Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. (AN photo)
Updated 29 June 2025
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‘I take full responsibility’: Renard disappointed after Saudi exit from CONCACAF Gold Cup

  • Green Falcons 2-0 loss to Mexico in Arizona saw side leave tournament at quarterfinal stage

JEDDAH: Saudi coach Herve Renard expressed his disappointment and accepted the blame after his team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico, which saw them exit the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the quarterfinals.

“We did not perform at the (right) level, and the Mexican team deserved to win,” Renard said during the press conference following the match held in Arizona on Sunday morning.

“Sometimes the coach makes wrong decisions, and that’s part of football. I take full responsibility for today’s loss.”

He added: “We have to work on developing the offensive side of the national team, and we have benefited from our interactions with other teams during the tournament.

“We were lucky that Mexico did not play at 100 percent. I asked the players to put pressure on their defense, but we did not do it well and kept the ball.”

The French coach said that his time with the players was fruitful in terms of gaining experience, but admitted that the team failed to perform at its best during the crucial match. Focus will now shift to preparing well for the World Cup playoffs, Renard said.


Gold Cup: Mexico into semifinals with shutout of Saudi Arabia

Updated 29 June 2025
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Gold Cup: Mexico into semifinals with shutout of Saudi Arabia

Defending champion Mexico found the scoring touch in the second half and advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals with a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona
Mexico will face Honduras in the semifinals Wednesday in Santa Clara, California Honduras ousted Panama after a 1-1 draw in regulation with a 5-4 edge in penalty kicks in a quarterfinal earlier Saturday in Glendale.
Alexis Vega got Mexico on the board in the 49th minute after his initial shot was stopped by Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi. Vega put in the rebound and the goal was confirmed following a VAR review that there was no offside violation.
Abdullah Madu of Saudi Arabia tried to reroute Mexico’s crossing pass in the 81st minute, but he instead put it past his goalie for an own goal and a 2-0 deficit.
Mexico controlled 60.3 percent of the possession time against Saudi Arabia and that was reflected in more shot attempts (18-1), shots on goal (5-0) and corner kicks (7-2).
Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Al-Aqidi made four saves, while Mexico’s Angel Malagon had none.
Mexico had advanced through the group stage with a 3-2 win over the Dominican Republic, a 2-0 shutout of Suriname and a scoreless draw with Costa Rica to win Group A with seven points.
Saudi Arabia defeated Haiti 1-0, lost to the United States 1-0 and tied Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 to finish second in Group D.