ABIDJAN: Mohamed Salah saved Egypt from an embarrassing defeat in their opening Africa Cup of Nations game on Sunday as he converted a penalty seven minutes into injury time to snatch a 2-2 draw with Mozambique.
The penalty was awarded following a VAR check by the referee for a foul on Mostafa Mohamed in the area at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, and Salah’s strike denied Mozambique a historic first ever AFCON win.
Mohamed had given record seven-time African champions Egypt the ideal start when he scored inside two minutes of the Group B encounter, but the sapping heat and humidity of a late afternoon kick-off then seemed to get the better of the Pharaohs.
Mozambique, who had not won a match in 12 previous attempts in four past appearances at the Cup of Nations, equalized through Witiness Quembo in the 55th minute.
The game was completely turned on its head as Mozambique scored again three minutes later when Clesio Bauque, on as a half-time substitute, burst through to make it 2-1.
However, the Mambas could not hold on for a famous win as Salah kept his cool at the death.
Group rivals Ghana and Cape Verde meet later in the same stadium.
Salah penalty rescues Egypt against Mozambique at Cup of Nations
https://arab.news/m34rf
Salah penalty rescues Egypt against Mozambique at Cup of Nations
- The penalty was awarded following a VAR check by the referee for a foul on Mostafa Mohamed in the area at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan
Man City fined more than a million pounds for delayed kickoffs
- The club accepted and apologized for the rule breaches
- City are awaiting the verdict of 115 unrelated charges of alleged breaches of the FFP rules
MANCHESTER: Manchester City have been fined more than one million pounds by the Premier League for breaching the rules around delayed kickoffs and restarts nine times last season, England’s top-flight league said on Thursday.
The fine comes a year after City paid 2 million pounds ($2.56 million) to the league for breaching the same game-delay rules.
The club accepted and apologized for the rule breaches, and confirmed they have reminded their players and staff of their responsibilities in complying with the rules.
“Rules relating to kick-offs and re-starts help ensure the organization of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs,” the league said in a statement.
“It also ensures the broadcast of every Premier League match is kept to schedule.”
Fines totalling 1.08 million pounds were imposed relating to City’s home games against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, West Ham United and Newcastle United and their away fixtures against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Ipswich Town.
The longest game delays were two minutes 22 seconds each for restarts v West Ham and Ipswich.
City are awaiting the verdict of 115 unrelated charges of alleged breaches of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
The charges cover a period starting from 2009 and continuing into the 2022-23 season. City have always denied any wrongdoing.
Soccer fans storm field in Libya and a Portuguese referee is injured during a suspended match
- The match was suspended in the 39th minute
- Al-Ittihad’s bus was set on fire, the club said in a statement
TRIPOLI: A highly-anticipated derby in Libya’s top soccer league was suspended after fans stormed the pitch and officials said Thursday the Portuguese referee and some fans were injured.
The match Wednesday between Al-Ahly Tripoli and Al-Ittihad was suspended in the 39th minute when Al-Ahli substitutes and fans stormed the pitch in protest of Al-Ittihad players’ celebration of their opening goal.
Al-Ittihad’s bus was set on fire, the club said in a statement.
Players and soccer officials fled the stadium amid a fan disturbance outside the facility. Footage circuited online showed clashes between fans and security forces in and around the stadium.
Al-Ahly blamed what they called a “provocative act” by one of Al-Ittihad players for the disturbance.
They said in a statement that security forces used “excessive force and live fire” against fans at the club’s headquarters.
Local media reported that Portuguese referee Fábio José Costa was injured.
FIFA hands four-match bans to Boca Juniors players sent off in Club World Cup opener
- Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players
- “We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal,” said the club
MIAMI: Boca Juniors players Ander Herrera and Nicolas Figal were handed four-match bans by FIFA after being sent off in their Club World Cup opener against Benfica, a spokesperson for the Argentine club told Reuters on Wednesday.
Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players after Benfica’s Andrea Belotti received a two-match ban for catching Ayrton Costa in the head with a high boot in the 72nd minute.
“We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal,” said the club spokesperson.
Spanish midfielder Herrera, who was subbed off due to a muscle injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after protesting to Mexican referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to the Portuguese side.
Defender Figal was sent off in the 88th minute with a straight red card for a foul on Florentino Luis when the match was tied at 2-2.
Boca will face Bayern Munich at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday in their second match in Group C.
Kolo Muani, Conceicao each score twice in Juventus’ 5-0 win over Al-Ain in the Club World Cup
- The 36-time Italian champions opened the scoring at the 11th minute on Kolo Muani’s header
WASHINGTON: Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao each scored twice and Juventus closed out the first round of the group stage in the Club World Cup with a 5-0 victory over Al-Ain on Wednesday night.
The 36-time Italian champions opened the scoring at the 11th minute on Kolo Muani’s header in front of 18,161 fans, many on them wearing white and black-striped Juventus jerseys.
Ten minutes later, Conceicao dribbled the ball inside the penalty box and made it 2-0.
Kenan Yildiz scored into the lower left corner in the 31st minute and Kolo Muani’s second goal four minutes into first-half stoppage time put Juventus up 4-0. Kolo Muani’s loan from Paris Saint-Germain was extended for the Club World Cup, with negotiations ongoing.
Conceicao scored again from a center-field kick in the 58th minute.
Key moment
Juventus scored three goals on Al-Ain goalkeeper Rui Patricio in the span of 20 minutes in the first half. The team had 10 first-half shots, eight of which were inside the penalty area.
Takeaways
Al-Ain, from the United Arab Emirates, will face a tougher challenge against current Club World Cup champions and Group G favorites Manchester City in Atlanta on Sunday. Juventus currently sits first in the group by goal difference and will travel to Philadelphia to attempt to secure a spot in the next round against Wydad.
What they said
“They play a strong game every week, doesn’t matter if it’s championship in Italy or if it’s Champions League. For them these kind of big games is something usual, and for us it is different. In our country, we play in front of two to three thousand people.” – Vladimir Ivic, Al-Ain head coach.
“He (head coach Igor Tudor) trusts me. He wants me to go to attack, to keep defenders in front, so I like to play together. I’m very happy to play with my teammates. ... We played this game for a win. I’m happy to start this competition like this.” – Randal Kolo Muani, Juventus forward.
Real Madrid wilt in Miami heat as Al-Hilal spoil Alonso’s debut
- A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat
MIAMI: Real Madrid labored to a 1-1 Club World Cup draw against a spirited Al-Hilal in searing heat on Wednesday as Xabi Alonso’s managerial debut for the 15-time European champions delivered flashes of promise but ultimately felt like an exhibition match.
Gonzalo Garcia, stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappe, gave Real an early lead with a composed finish, but Ruben Neves levelled from the spot before halftime as Simone Inzaghi’s men showed defensive grit and enough attacking intent to rattle their illustrious opponents.
A last-gasp missed penalty from Federico Valverde summed up a day when Real’s legs, and ideas, wilted in the heat and humidity at a nearly sold-out Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
RB Salzburg and Pachuca meet in the other Group H fixture later on Wednesday. Real will next face the Mexican side on Sunday, while Al-Hilal will take on Salzburg in what could prove a decisive clash for qualification to the knockout stage.
With Mbappe ruled out, it was the 21-year-old Garcia who led the line for Real and he did not disappoint, while new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was nowhere near the level that persuaded the Spanish club to lure him from Liverpool.
It was Al-Hilal, however, who burst out of the blocks, swarming around the Real penalty area with early intent — though their finishing let them down at crucial moments.
In the 29th minute, Salem Al-Dawsari nearly produced a moment of magic, weaving his way into the box before Aurelien Tchouameni slid in with a crucial interception to steer the ball behind.
The Saudi side thought they had taken the lead shortly after, only for their celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Despite the heat — and with the cheapest tickets in the stadium selling for over $160 while premium seats soared beyond $950 — a vibrant crowd kept the energy high.
A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat. The short pause worked wonders.
Four minutes later, Real struck. A slick team move carved open the Al-Hilal defense, and Garcia showed composure beyond his years, delicately lifting the ball over Yassine Bounou after being teed up by Rodrygo.
But Al-Hilal refused to wilt. They drew level four minutes before halftime when Ruben Neves calmly slotted home a penalty after Raul Asencio pulled back Marcos Leonardo in the area.
On the stroke of halftime, Al-Dawsari went close again, firing narrowly wide after latching onto a clever pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to cap another flowing Al-Hilal attack.
Real stepped up a gear after the restart with substitute Arda Guler’s shot crashing against the bar before Bounou made a stunning reaction save to deny Garcia.
A second cooling break in the 68th minute did not refresh Real and although they continued to dominate, the Al-Hilal defense held firm.
Real were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Mohammed Al-Qahtani’s flailing arm caught Fran Garcia in the last minute, only for Valverde’s soft spot kick to be saved by Bounou.
