By aiming for World Cup victory, Louis van Gaal does not believe he has increased pressure on his Netherlands team; rather, he suggests the players are supportive of his lofty goals.
Even if their results in beating Senegal and drawing with Ecuador were not totally impressive, Van Gaal continued to tout the chances of Oranje throughout this tournament.
The coach does not regret being so upfront with his aims for the finals, but the Netherlands still have work to do in their third encounter against Qatar to secure a place in the last 16.
“I hope this is no pressure at all, because I think you always have to identify the goal, the purpose for which you are here,” he said. “Then you can work towards that purpose.
“If you don’t identify that purpose and say the quarter-finals is enough, that is not the right way to do things. The right thing is to say you want to become champions.
“I set out the reasons why we can become champions. I didn’t say we would become champions, but we can. The players believe in that.”
That belief is evident in Frenkie de Jong, appearing alongside Van Gaal on Monday, as he said: “I think we have an excellent squad. We have demonstrated that on more than enough occasions.
“We are 17 matches unbeaten, that is telling. We have four points, and we played two excellent opponents. We’re well positioned despite the fact the last match we didn’t play as well as we could.
“We talked a lot in the squad about what we want to do, what we want to improve. Everyone is full of confidence, so it’s up to us to show you.”
Van Gaal is not very interested whether his team tops the pool and secures a purportedly easier draw, but he does plan to keep track of the outcome of the other Group A game on Tuesday because the Netherlands would advance even with a loss if Senegal also loses.
“If you want to become a world champion, you will have to be capable of beating everyone,” he said. “Particularly those countries you don’t suspect will progress very far, they are progressing or making it difficult.”
The Netherlands will also need their key players fit and firing if they are to go all the way.
Van Gaal is “not surprised at all” by Cody Gakpo’s form at the finals, believing he can “evolve even further, much further”, but he knows Memphis Depay can be decisive.
“To become world champion, we need Memphis,” said Van Gaal. “That’s how I see it.”
Depay has not started yet as he works his way back from injury, but the coach added: “We’re going to do anything and everything to progress to the next match. We’re still in the group stage, but in the knockout stage every match is important.”
If Van Gaal is able to guide the Netherlands to glory, could he yet stay on as coach into 2023?
The coach himself pointed out that would be unlikely, given Ronald Koeman has been appointed as his successor, but he added: “If we become world champion, then the football world is a very opportunistic world. You never know.”
Moroccan-American referee, Ismail ElFath, who has been heavily criticised for awarding Portugal a “controversial” penalty in a match against Ghana has broken silence.
According to reports, Ismail ElFath said he was in the right for awarding Ronaldo a penalty, which enabled Portugal to lead the game.
He indicated that he was professional and holds nothing against Ghana. He said based on what he saw at that moment, it was a penalty.
According to the referee, he used to play soccer with Ghanaians in the US in his neighborhood, thus regrets the uproar the game has brought.
The penalty decision handed 3 points to Portugal and sent Ronaldo into the top of FIFA World Cup records ahead of Pele and Maradona.
Many pundits around the world say the referee’s penalty call was wrong while a third goal by Rafael Leao has come up strongly as a possible offside.
In preparation for the match against South Korea, Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has made three adjustments to the Black Stars squad that played Portugal in the team’s opening match.
Alidu Seidu, Daniel Amartey, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, and Baba Rahman made up the back five for the match against South Korea. Addo has since switched to a four-back.
Tariq Lamptey and Gideon Mensah replace Seidu and Baba Rahman, and Djiku moves to the bench.
The gaffer keeps the Abdul Salis Samed, Thomas Partey, and Mohammed Kudus trio in the center of the park.
As Ghana looks for a successful outcome, Jordan Ayew joins Andre Ayew and Inaki Williams in the front row.
Following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Spain, Manuel Neuer expressed relief that Germany is “still alive” in the World Cup.
Germany’s unexpected loss to Japan in their opening encounter ended their chances of making it to the round of 16.
However, Costa Rica bounced back from a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Spain by defeating Japan 1-0, leaving everything up for grabs in Group E’s remaining matches.
In the clash of the Group E powerhouses at Al Bayt Stadium, Alvaro Morata gave Spain the lead. However, Niclas Fullkrug, who came off the substitute, equalized and gave Germany its first point.
Hansi Flick’s Germany team needs to defeat Costa Rica in their last group game on Thursday in order to advance, and they also need to pray that Spain wins against Japan.
Goalkeeper Neuer is just happy that Germany still has a chance of avoiding a second consecutive World Cup loss at the group stage after Dani Olmo palmed his effort against the crossbar to deny him an early goal.
“It was a tough match against a very good Spain side,” said the Germany captain. “We took on the fight and didn’t allow them many chances over the 90 minutes.
“Our defensive work was superb from front to back. Our compactness made it difficult for them to score a goal against us. Their goal was simply quality and very hard to defend against. Nevertheless, we continued to believe in ourselves.
“The main thing is that we’re still alive. The thing we can have influence over is getting three points against Costa Rica.”
After receiving a last-minute call-up to the team, Fullkrug only recently made his full international debut for Germany and scored his first goal in a competitive match.
The 29-year-old Werder Bremen striker said: “We were determined to get a result from the game, and it was very important for our confidence.
“We still have room for improvement. We don’t need to get carried away, but we can go into the final game with hope that we can make it through.”
Ghana midfielder Salis Abdul Samed has explained why the Black Stars suffered defeat against Portugal in the World Cup.
The Black Stars lost 3-2 in their World Cup opening game against Portugal and will hope to turn things around against the Koreans.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player in World Cup history to score five times, with his second-half penalty giving Portugal the lead against Ghana last Thursday.
Ghana’s Andre Ayew then equalized, but two goals in three minutes from Joao Felix and Rafael Leao secured the victory and moved Portugal to the top of Group H, despite Osman Bukari’s late winner.
The Black Stars will take on South Korea in their second Group H game on Monday afternoon at the Education City Stadium.
Speaking ahead of the Korea clash, the RC Lens midfielder said Ghana lost to Portugal because there were spaces between them in the second half after defending so well in the first half.
“I think we did a good job against Portugal although we lost the game. Before the game, we knew they are very good individually, they have good players who plays for big clubs”
“So we thought they will kill us but we listened to the instructions from our coach and defended well in the first half but in the second half there were more spaces between us so they scored us on counter breaks on two occasions” he said.
Ghana need a win over South Korea on Monday to give themselves a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup in Qatar, while defeat would see them exit the tournament after only two matches.
Here are five things you need to know.
Promising signs
The Black Stars may have lost their opener to Portugal, but there were lots of promising signs in the game and it was, on paper at least, their hardest match in the pool. But they will have targeted the game against South Korea as a much win with a fixture against their nemesis Uruguay to come in their final fixture on Friday.
First time
This will be Ghana’s first meeting with an Asian nation at the World Cup finals. They played Australia in 2010 (and drew 1-1), but while the Socceroos play in the Asian confederation, the country itself is not part of that continent and the style of football is very different. They have, however, played South Korea seven times in the past, edging the head-to-head 4-3. They last played as a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup, where Ghana won 4-0 as Andre Ayew scored a hattrick.
Mixed record
South Korea have a mixed record against African teams at the World Cup having met opposition from the continent on three occasions – beating Togo in 2006, drawing with Nigeria in 2010 and losing to Algeria in 2014.
Knockout challenges
Ghana famously came within an Asamoah Gyan penalty of reaching the World Cup semifinals in 2010, but are one of three African nations to have made the quarterfinals along with Cameroon (2010) and Senegal (2002). South Korea are the only Asian country to have reached the semifinals, when they were co-hosts in 2002.
Winless in five
Ghana are winless in their last five World Cup games since they beat the USA in extra-time in the Last 16 in 2010. They have two draws with Uruguay (1-1) and Germany (2-2) since then, and losses to the USA (1-2) and Portugal twice (1-2 & 2-3). In all they have won four of their 13 World Cup games (D3 L6).
Could Ghana’s comeback at the ’06 World Cup show the current Black Stars the way to the knockouts?
In 2006, Ghana were defeated in their opening World Cup fixture—losing 2-0 against Italy—but bounced back with consecutive victories over Czech Republic and the United States to progress to the knockout stages.
16 years on, the Black Stars need the same spirit again after a controversial 3-2 defeat by Portugal in their tournament opener, and Monday’s meeting with South Korea is an opportunity for three points that cannot be passed up.
Speaking to GOAL, veteran of 2006 John Paintsil has explained how Ratomir Dujkovic’s team battled back from their opening loss against the eventual champions in order to reach the Last 16.
“We had a belief before that although we lost to Italy, our next game would determine our fate,” he began. “Either we are staying or we are going, so we made an agreement and decided that we should go all out and die, this is our last chance if we don’t win we’ll be off so we have to go all out and get the three points.
“We also decided we must go for early goal as soon as possible,” he added. “The early goal would help us put pressure on the Czech Republic and not allow them to play.
“We did that, and it worked for us.”
Asamoah Gyan ultimately netted a second-minute opener to stun a star-studded Czech side, before Sulley Muntari made sure of progression with a second eight minutes from time.
Now, the 2022 generation need to follow in their footsteps and keep their World Cup dreams alive.
“We all witnessed how great the players were,” Paintsil added, “there was a lot of positive stuff, they kept the team plan until [Portugal scored] and then we opened up.
“Looking at the performance, enthusiasm and fighting spirit, it shows that the boys are committed and ready to turn things around.”
“We are positive and we believe that in the two matches, the boys will go for it.”
Korea held Uruguay in their opening match, one of the most lacklustre bouts so far, and based on the evidence of that showing, the Black Stars may quietly fancy their chances of bouncing back from their valiant defeat against Portugal.
A controversial Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring on Thursday in the 65th-minute—after Mohammed Salisu was dubiously adjudged to have brought the free agent down—although Andre Ayew equalised eight minutes later.
Joao Felix and Rafael Leao gave Portugal a two-goal advantage with strikes in quick succession as the Black Stars crumbled, before Osman Bukari’s late goal made for a nervy finale.
When Ghana travels to the Education City Stadium to play South Korea today, they risk being eliminated early from Group H of the 2022 World Cup.
On the first day, the Asian rivals impressively held Uruguay to a scoreless tie while the Black Stars suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Portugal.
On the opening day of the 2022 World Cup, there were a total of four 0-0 ties. South Korea put out a valiant effort in their 0-0 draw with Uruguay, however the woodwork did save them on a few occasions.
Paulo Bento’s team held on for a point against their South American opponents, displaying their defensive resiliency that was also present in their most recent games prior to Qatar. Federico Valverde and Diego Godin both saw shots crash off the goal frame.
The Tigers of Asiaenter their match against Ghana having only lost one of their previous 10 games across all competitions, and the Kim Min-jae-managed defense has kept three consecutive clean sheets during a four-game unbeaten run.
Despite their strength in the defensive third, South Korea failed to register a shot on goal during the Uruguay draw for the second time in four World Cup games, and Ghana undoubtedly had some experience holding teams at bay during the run-up to Qatar.
Another World Cup group game, another goal for Cristiano Ronaldo, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could only watch on from the bench in horror as A Selecao very nearly threw away a two-goal lead against Ghana on Thursday evening.
Following Ronaldo’s penalty, Joao Felix and Rafael Leao struck either side of Andre Ayew’s response before Osman Bukari reduced the deficit further, and the howler of the tournament award very nearly went to Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who rolled the ball out without knowing that Inaki Williams was behind him.
The Athletic Bilbao forward immediately tried to pounce on that gilt-edged chance right at the death, but he slipped at the vital moment as Ghana succumbed to a 3-2 loss, which leaves them bottom of the Group H standings and at real risk of an exit before the final matchday.
No matter what transpires in Uruguay’s showdown with Portugal, Ghana will be out if they suffer defeat to South Korea at the Education City Stadium, but a six-game scoring streak at the World Cup does stand the Black Stars in good stead.
Monday’s game will mark the 10th meeting between South Korea and Ghana in all competitions, with the last six yielding three wins apiece for both nations, but Ghana ran out convincing 4-0 winners during the most recent battle in a 2014 friendly.
South Korea fans rejoiced in the return to fitness of Son Heung-min, who donned a protective mask against Uruguay after his recent eye socket fracture and came through the game unscathed.
However, fellow Premier League attacker Hwang Hee-chan – who was an unused substitute on Thursday – is dealing with hamstring discomfort and will not be able to feature here.
Bento has also been handed a concern over key centre-back Kim Min-jae, who has been dealing with calf discomfort and is classed as a doubt for the contest.
As for Ghana, Otto Addo lined up in a defence-heavy formation for the showdown with Portugal, which very nearly paid dividends, but the need for victory could see the Black Stars shift to a four-man defence here.
Addo should be working with all 26 players for Monday’s meeting, where any change in system would likely put Mohammed Salisu’s place at risk as Bukari and Kamaldeen Sulemana push to return in a more attacking setup.
Andre Ayew won the battle of the brothers with Jordan Ayew to start in the loss to Portugal, and the Al-Sadd man’s goal last time out should be enough to see him retain his place alongside Williams.
Andre Ayew did train separately from the team alongside right-back Alidu Seidu on Friday, but there is nothing to suggest that the duo will not be ready for Monday.
South Korea possible starting lineup:
Seung-gyu; Moon-hwan, Min-jae, Young-gwon, Jin-su; Jung, In-beom; Na, Lee, Son; Ui-jo
Ghana possible starting lineup:
Ati Zigi; Lamptey, Amartey, Djiku, Baba; Partey, Abdul Samed; Sulemana, Kudus, A. Ayew; Williams
Ghana’s previous defensive resilience was broken with ease by Portugal, but they demonstrated plenty of attacking nous at the other end and should have no problem troubling this South Korea backline.
Bento’s side proved their worth against Uruguay, though, and we can only envisage a closely-fought battle ending with the spoils shared as the race for a top-two spot goes right down to the wire.
At the Education City Stadium in Qatar, the Black Starswill play again today when they take on the Taegeuk Warriors.
Following a 3-2 loss to Portugal in their Group H opening, Ghana will enter the game wanting revenge. South Korea and Uruguay were able to draw 0-0 in the meantime.
Prior to Monday’s match against South Korea in their second World Cup game, Ghana coach Otto Addo acknowledged feeling under pressure.
Ahead of the clash, Addo has revealed why they will face a difficult task against the Taegeuk Warriors.
The Black Stars will need a win to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stage. Heading into matchday two, Ghana are fourth without a point while Portugal are top with three points.
After facing South Korea, Ghana will conclude their group matches against Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium on Friday.
Head coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has revealed that the hunger of the players to play and succeed ahead of their next World Cup match in Qatar, is making it difficult for him to make decisions.
Addressing a pre-match presser ahead of the team’s Group H game against South Korea, he stressed that Ghanaians will see a more ‘passionate’ Black Stars.
He however disclosed that the enthusiasm of his troops is making it difficult for him to finalise his decisions.
“We will see a passionate team against South Korea. We will see this same passion they showed the last game. Everybody is hungry to play and training [well], making it difficult for me to make decisions”, Otto Addo said.
Meanwhile, coach, Otto Addo, has dismissed assertions that the team over-respected Portugal in their first World Cup clash at Doha’s 974 Stadium.
According to some critics, the team lost their opening Group H game because they were overwhelmed by the calibre of the Portuguese, forcing them to coil into their shells.
But reacting to these concerns, the Black Stars trainer stated in a presser on Sunday that his boys played without any intimidation.
According to him, even though the squad had some inexperienced legs, it did not affect their confidence against the star-studded Portuguese side.
Responding to a question from JoyNews‘ Gary Al-Smith, he said, “I don’t think it’s true. Our players did so well. I don’t think we over respected them”.
He continued, “For me, we showed that we could compete with them, even though we had a lot of inexperienced players.
Some even had their debuts in the last game against Switzerland, but they performed”.
In a match that saw what has been widely described as ‘unfair officiating’, the Black Stars lost by three goals to two against the Portuguese last Thursday, November 24.
After a goalless first half, the Portuguese drew first blood after Ronaldo converted a controversial penalty in the 65th minute.
The lead was soon canceled by Ghanaian skipper, André Dede Ayew in the 73rd minute, after tapping home from a pass by Ajax midfielder, Mohammed Kudus.
But the Portuguese took the lead again and deepened their dominance with goals from João Félix and Rafael Leão in the 78th and 80th minute respectively.
The Stars managed to close the gap with an 89th minute strike from substitute, Osman Bukari, heading home a cross from former Chelsea defender, Baba Rahman.
However, this was not enough to stop the team from conceding their first defeat in the tournament.
The team is therefore poised to make amends in their next match against South Korea, Otto Addo said.
Addressing the press, he said his charges are fired up for their second game in Qatar.
He said Ghanaians will see a passionate Black Stars team against South Korea on Monday.
The smart move is a realisation of a plan the Minister for Youth Sports, Mustapha Ussif, told Parliament ahead of the start of the tournament, would be an innovative fan mobilisation strategy due to the inability of the government to fund supporters from Ghana as a result of the economic challenge the country finds itself in.
Ahead of Ghana’s opening group match on Tuesday, the Ministry and the Ghana mission successfully mobilised over 1000 Ghanaians and Africans and provided them with match tickets and apparel in Ghanaian colours.
The mobilised fans, together with the few from Ghana, set the stadium agog as the Black Stars battled Portugal.
Mustapha Ussif, in the company of the Ghana Ambassador to Qatar, met the supporters and thanked them for availing themselves to cheer on the Black Stars.
The Ministry will continue the mobilisation effort in upcoming games against South Korea and Uruguay.
The Sporting Lisbon youngster was an unused substitute as the Black Stars were defeated 3-2 in their World Cup opener at Stadium 974.
Despite not participating in the encounter with the Navigators, Fatawu Issahaku stated that he accepted coach Otto Addo’s choice.
“I expected to play, because all players want to play. It’s the coach’s decision, but I’m fine with that. He knows in which position I can perform more, so it will always be his decision,” said Fatawu.
The Black Stars of Ghana will play their second group game against Asian giants South Korea at Al Rayyan’s Education City Stadium. The game will kick off at 13:00 GMT.
At Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, the Black Stars, who are playing in their fourth FIFA World Cup, will play Uruguay to round off their group stage schedule.
The game on Monday will be played at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana’s first game ended in defeat against Portugal on Thursday. Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups as his dubious penalty was Portugal’s first in the encounter. Ghana equalised through Andre Ayew in the 73rd minute.
South Korea on the other hand drew goalless with Uruguay also on Thursday. Hwang Ui-jo blazed over from close range before Diego Godin hit the post with a header as the two sides traded blows in the first half.
Edinson Cavani came off the bench to replace Luis Suarez but no goal was forthcoming – Federico Valverde hitting the post from distance being the closest either side came.
Coach Otto Addo after the game against Portugal stated that Monday’s game against the Asian giants is crucial.
On Thursday night against Portugal, Andre Ayew scored Ghana’s first goal at the 2022 World Cup.
Following his goal, he was replaced by his brother Jordan Ayew.
Before Andre Ayew’s equaliser in the 73rd minute, Ronaldo’s penalty kick made the difference in the 65th minute following an easy penalty awarded by the American referee of Moroccan descent.
Osman Bukari scored Ghana’s second goal to make it 3-2.
Since joining Ghana’s senior team in 2008, Ayew has amassed more than 100 caps. He played a key role for and served as captain of the under-20 squad that won the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2009 African Youth Championship.
He has participated in two FIFA World Cups (2010 and 2014), seven Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021), and two Olympics. He helped Ghana finish second in 2010 and 2015 and was the tournament’s leading scorer in 2017.
In 2011 Ayew was named the BBC African Footballer of the Year and Ghana Footballer of the Year.
Andre Ayew previous played for FC Lorient, West Ham, Swansea City, Fenerbahce and AC Arles-Avignon. He currently plays for Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd SC.
Argentina’s victory over Mexico helped keep their World Cup ambitions alive thanks to a moment of characteristic magic from Lionel Messi.
Following the shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening match, Messi and Argentina knew defeat would kill their ambitions of making it to the round of 16 after just two games.
Mexico was frustrating Messi in an attritional match, especially in the first half, which was rife with fouls and pauses that prevented Argentina from gaining any momentum.
After 64 minutes, Messi changed everything when he controlled a pass with his left foot and drilled a precise finish past Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Huge crowds of Argentina fans in the 88,966-person crowd erupted in joy and relief as their World Cup campaign kicked off.
Three minutes before full time, Enzo Fernandez added a beautiful second goal by curling a shot into the top corner, but Messi’s goal was the game-changer.
The 23-year-old forward, who has scored goals for France at the competition’s youngest age, once again stole the show by scoring goals in the second half to help his team advance.
Theo Hernandez and the Paris St. Germain player exchanged a beautiful one-two before stroking in to break the tie just past the hour mark.
Seven minutes later, Denmark equalized when defender Andreas Christensen headed in at the far post after France failed to clear a corner.
Christensen, however, would have considered himself fortunate to still be on the field at that moment after only getting a yellow card for hauling back Mbappe on the 20th minute as he attempted to sprint clear.
Hugo Lloris of France made a quick save to stop Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Tottenham’s first-time shot, while Martin Braithwaite agonizingly fired into the side netting.
Mbappe, however, had the ultimate word with four minutes remaining, slipping in at the far post to score Antoine Griezmann’s cross.
The South Korean team’s defensive strategies have been disrupted by Kim Min-injury, jae’s according to coach Paulo Bento.
Kim Min-jae of Napoli sustained the injury during Thursday’s scoreless draw between South Korea and Uruguay.
While Uruguay started with both current and former Liverpool strikers in Darwin Nunez and Luis Suarez, Heung-Min Son was able to play for South Korea despite having just damaged an eye socket, but none of them were successful in breaking through in a competitive game in Qatar.
“I don’t have enough data to make comments (about his injury). We will see what will happen,” Bento said.
“Because of his injury, it hindered our performance as we could not continue the game as we had…We struggled to take our defensive lines to other areas and then decided to lower it and group them together,”
“Min-Jae is a player who played almost all matches (in the Champions League for Napoli) in a short time and, as a consequence, we now have an injury in the World Cup,”
Sutton says the former Real Madrid star has a set a ‘terrible example for young kids everywhere’ because of his ‘cheating’ to win the penalty as quoted by Daily Mail.
Ronaldo elected himself to convert the penalty before two more goals were added by Joao Felix and substitute Rafael Leao to complete the victory in the Group H opener of the World Cup.
Ghana head coach Otto Addo was outraged by Elfath’s decision to give the penalty to the Seleçao as he expressed during the post-match conference.
“If somebody scores a goal, congratulations. But this was really a gift. Really a gift. What more can I say? [It was] a special gift from the referee,” Addo said
Prior to the Al Sadd forward tying the score ten minutes later, Ronaldo had given the 2016 European Champions the lead from the penalty spot.
Cameroon, the defending African champions, lost their initial match to the Netherlands, and Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, and Morocco also failed to score in their opening matches.
Ayew has now netted three goals at the World Cup, making his third appearance on the global stage.
Meanwhile, in a thrilling encounter, Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and Rafael Leao scored for the Portuguese, while Ayew and Osman Bukari netted for Ghana.
Ayew must produce another warrior performance for his country in their second group game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar to have a chance to play in the knockout stages of the mundial.
Ghana will next face South Korea, before finishing their group with a clash against Uruguay on December 2.
Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia’s football association after its team hung a controversial flag depicting Kosovo in their dressing room prior to their World Cup defeat by Brazil.
The flag showed an outline of Kosovo filled with the Serbiaflag, with the words ‘no surrender’.
Tensions are running high between ethnic Serbs and the Albanian-led government in Kosovo, amid fears violence could flare up again, 23 years after the Kosovo war.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but Serbia – an ally of Russia – does not recognise it as an independent country.
On Friday, the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) submitted a complaint to Fifa, football’s world governing body, over Serbia’s “chauvinistic rhetoric”.
In a statement, it said: “Such acts of chauvinism have no place in a sports event, and even less inside the facilities where the biggest event of world football takes place, therefore FFK, as an equal member with all other members of Fifa, demands from this institution to undertake sanctioning measures against actions that incite hatred between peoples and are against human values.”
It added: “It is unacceptable for this act to pass in silence, therefore we strongly request that Fifa strictly implement its rules and punish the football federation of Serbia for this aggressive action and against the values that football conveys.”
Kosovo’s sports minister, Hajrulla Ceku, said it expected “concrete actions” from Fifa against Serbia’s “hateful, xenophobic and genocidal messages”.
Fifa’s proceedings were opened on the basis of article 11 of the Fifa disciplinary code, which is “offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play” and includes “using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature”, as well as article four of the regulations for the 2022 World Cup which refers to team’s responsibilities at the tournament.
Kosovo was accepted into Uefa and Fifa in 2016 but under Uefa rules, Serbia and Kosovo can not play each other in World Cup qualifying because of the tensions between the two countries.
Serbia were beaten 2-0 by Brazil in their World Cup opener in Qatar on Thursday, and play Cameroon in their next Group G fixture on Monday.
Eddie Jones said England’s defeat by SouthAfrica was “entirely my fault” but believes they can have a “really good go” at next year’s World Cup.
The hosts were beaten 27-13 at Twickenham as the world champions dominated the set-piece.
Head coach Jones apologised for the performance but said his players were still heading in the right direction, 10 months out from the World Cup.
“We are disappointed we didn’t play how we wanted to,” Jones told Amazon Prime.
“South Africa do things to you that are some times difficult to deal with.
“We didn’t land a shot like we wanted to. You have to win contests and we didn’t win in the air or the set-piece, so it’s hard to get in the game.
“We lost two of the key contests but we will improve in those areas. Results tell you everything and that is what we are judged by but I feel like there is growth in the team, which we have seen, but wasn’t evident today.”
Jones’ side have lost six of 12 Tests in the calendar year, England’s worst run since 2008.
Defeat by the Springboks followed a comeback draw against New Zealand, a victory over Japan and a defeat by Argentina in a disappointing autumn schedule.
Asked if he was still confident in his ability to lead the side into next year’s World Cup in France, Jones said: “I think about where we are going towards a World Cup.
“Obviously we want to win games and be successful but are we moving in the right direction? Yes we are.
“I have coached for a number of years and I believe I can coach well. People will say what they say, and there are ups and downs in sport but we didn’t play well today and I apologise for that, it’s entirely my fault.”
He added: “Obviously on results, we are not happy but I feel like we are building a really good base to have a really good go at the World Cup, a really good go.
“A number of young players got great experience today and they’ll come back better players for that. We’ve got other players coming back to form, some of our more senior players and we’re not far away.
“We need to develop consistently. Test match rugby is all about consistency.”
‘The plan was clear’
Manu Tuilagi’s 50th cap brought pride but frustration as South Africa thwarted England
England centre Manu Tuilagi, who won his 50th cap, acknowledged that South Africa forced England into errors.
“It was a tough game,” Tuilagi told Amazon Prime. “We wanted to come out and attack, which I thought we did at the start but the Springboks were tough and physical and they put a lot of pressure on us. They forced us to make mistakes and they capitalised on it.
“The plan was clear but South Africa are a quality side and they put us under a lot of pressure. We weren’t good enough today and we have to take it on the chin.
“We are building nicely. Sometimes it’s hard for people to see that but we definitely believe in that.”
England captain Owen Farrell, Tuliagi’s midfield partner, said the side would come back stronger.
“It has not worked out for ourselves today and we were not able to show the best of ourselves but we have put in some good work over the past five weeks and we have to make sure that is not for nothing,” said Farrell.
“We lacked a bit of accuracy and bite at times. The game was really slow to start which they are very good at. We didn’t get our teeth stuck in much like that Argentina game, we must learn to do better.”
South Africa ended the year on a high after narrowly losing in Ireland and France before beating Italy last weekend.
Captain Siya Kolisi, who lifted the World Cup in 2019, said: “It is a big relief for us. We have been working really hard over the past few months.
“I know some results haven’t gone our way but we are still grateful to get the kind of support we are getting from back home.
“England were tough at the beginning but we just stuck to our guns and tweaked a few things.”
Domestic abusers are being targeted by Sussex Police in the run-up to and during the men’s football World Cup in Qatar.
As part of the force’s “proactive” response, 49 suspects were arrested the week before the event, on November 15, 16, and 17.
Domestic violence is more common during football tournaments, according to research.
Visits to high-risk individuals would also be carried out.
Domestic abuse, according to Det Supt Miles Ockwell, has “no excuse.”
“While figures may show that domestic abuse increases during football tournaments, there should be no suggestion that this could be used as a defence, or a reason, for perpetrators,” he said.
Officers will conduct safeguarding visits with specialist support workers to people known to be at high risk of domestic abuse, particularly around England games when tensions may be increased.
As we cheer for our teams, there are many women & children who need support too. Football doesn’t cause domestic abuse but abuse can become more severe during the #WorldCup. Stand with survivors 👉 share this post. If you need support 👉 https://t.co/YsX33xQR31pic.twitter.com/NG1MbSeRH0
Fans in Saudi Arabiahave been unable to watch all of the World Cup after a streaming service was blocked by the country’s government.
Tod TV, owned by Qatar-based broadcaster beIN SPORTS, holds the rights to the tournament In Saudi with 22 matches free-to-air.
But 42 can only be watched via a streaming service, that was blocked an hour before the opening ceremony.
The Saudi Media Ministry told viewers the service violated regulations.
Saudi Arabia came from behind to beat two-time winners Argentina 2-1 in their opening match in what is one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
Tod has written to advertisers on its platform explaining that it is “experiencing an outage which is currently impacting” its service.
The service also sent a message to viewers saying the situation was due to “matters beyond our control”.
Subscribers have complained on social media about the issue.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, draped the Saudi flag over his shoulders at the Argentina match
This comes nearly two years after Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states announced an end to a diplomatic dispute with Qatar. As part of the row, Qatar had filed a complaint against Saudi Arabia for blocking beIN and refusing to take action against alleged piracy of its content, which the Saudis denied. The dispute was resolved last year.
This week the Saudi Sports Minister told BBC Sport that Qatar had done an “amazing job” with the World Cup, and that it could help strengthen ties between the two countries.
“We’re neighbours, everyone has issues and we have to overcome these issues and use such an event to showcase that people are willing to work together,” he added.
The rulers of the two countries – the Emir of Qatar and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia – have appeared together at two matches.
BBC Sport has contacted Fifa and the Saudi Media Ministry for comment, while BeIN declined to comment.
Argentina’svast support gathered in their thousands at Qatar’s Energy City adjacent to the vast Lusail Stadium with only one man on their minds as they faced World Cup jeopardy.
Lionel Messi has carried the hopes of this football-mad nation for most of his career but there was an added layer of tension as Argentina confronted old rivals Mexico in an ear-splitting atmosphere on the stage that will host the final.
Argentina knew defeat would effectively end their World Cup after two games following the embarrassment of the loss to Saudi Arabia in the opener. Messi knew this would mean the major honour that has eluded his grasp in a glittering career would be forever out of reach.
Messi was, once again, shouldering the burden of Argentina’s expectations – and once again he delivered by pulling out a piece of trademark magic when they needed it most to change the course of an attritional game, and perhaps even change the course of his team’s World Cup in the process.
The clock showed 64 minutes. Each passing second turned up the pressure valve on Argentina and, in turn, on Messi. He knows any Argentina failure on this stage, justified or not, can be painted as Messi’s failure.
He had been on the margins but took centre stage to devastating effect as Mexico fell victim to the magical left foot that has broken the hearts of so many opponents.
One touch delicately killed the pass from Angel di Maria. The second touch arrowed a low finish into the bottom corner past the outstretched left arm of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Amid an explosion of noise from Argentina’s fans, Messi ran towards them with arms outstretched in that familiar celebratory pose. He looked highly emotional with the relief and release, engulfed by team-mates who knew the man they rely on most had delivered again.
When the crowd of players dispersed, Messi stood in front of the light blue and white-clad supporters pumping his arms in exultation. He knew what it meant to them. They knew what it meant to him. Mutual ecstasy.
The greatest players deliver when it matters so it should be no surprise Messi produced again.
Until that moment, it had not been an easy night for Messi against Mexico, who clearly relished the idea of putting the skids under an Argentina side heavily tipped to lift the World Cup in this same Lusail Stadium on 18 December.
Messi had been marginalised by Mexico. He could not exert any influence in a first-half morass of stoppages and infringements, the 35-year-old often at walking pace looking for a patch of space where he could escape close Mexican attentions.
It was when a football match eventually broke out in the second half that Messi flourished with the characteristic darting runs, the quick passes and, of course, the stroke of genius that broke the deadlock.
Argentina relaxed thanks to Messi, this team’s security blanket, and Enzo Fernandez added a glorious second with a curling right-foot shot after 87 minutes.
It sent their fans in the 88,966 attendance, the highest at the World Cup since the 1994 final in Pasadena, home happy – well at least those who did go home because many stayed on in one stand for almost an hour after the final whistle paying homage to their heroes, and one hero in particular.
Messi had brought life to Argentina’s World Cup. They still need victory against Poland, with their own national icon in striker Robert Lewandowski, to be certain of going through but real belief has surged through their ranks thanks to one stroke of Messi’s left foot.
He knew just what was riding on this game.
“We can’t give up now,” said Messi. “We have all the finals to play – we can’t make mistakes. We knew we had to win, that another World Cup was starting for us, and we knew how to do it.”
Messi certainly knew how to do it.
He knows this will be his last World Cup, the one elite stage on which he has yet to collect the prize. Messi suffered the heartbreak of defeat by Germany in Rio’s Maracana in the 2014 final. This was the closest he has come to laying hands on the World Cup.
Messi’s career has brought four Champions Leagues, the Ballon d’Or seven times and 10 La Liga titles at Barcelona. His time at Paris St-Germain is still regarded as something of a footnote but even there he has won a Ligue 1 crown.
The World Cup is the missing link and this is Messi’s last chance to claim it.
Argentina did not entirely convince, have yet to show the form that has them ranked number three in the world, and the prospect of a painful exit still remains when they face dangerous opponents in Poland.
For now, however, Argentina’s World Cup show is back on the road because where there is Lionel Messi, there is hope.
Head coach Hansi Flick says Germany’s WorldCup clash with Spain is a “first final” as they try to avoid another early exit at a major tournament.
A group-stage elimination in 2018 was Germany’s earliest for 80 years and they reached the last 16 at Euro 2020.
After shock 2-1 defeat to Japan in their opening game, another loss to Spain could end Germany’s hopes of progressing in Qatar.
“The last two tournaments were not [good],” Flick said.
He added: “We want to avoid a repeat of this. The focus is on concentration. This is the first final for us at the World Cup and that’s what it’s about – to avoid a repeat of that.”
Spain come into the match aiming to book a place in the knockout stage after a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica in their opener.
Head coach Luis Enrique, however, expects a tough game against the under-pressure Germans.
“Without a doubt, they are the team that is most similar to Spain in terms of dominating the play and controlling it,” he said.
“That is a beautiful challenge for us. I think it will be an open game.”
TEAM NEWS
Luis Enrique has hinted at making changes despite Spain’s 7-0 win against Costa Rica.
Germany will monitor winger Leroy Sane, who has been sidelined with a knee problem.
Niklas Sule, normally a central defender, struggled at right-back against Japan and could be replaced by Thilo Kehrer or Lukas Klostermann.
Flick could also shift Joshua Kimmich to right-back and change his midfield.
If Japan avoid defeat against Costa Rica in Sunday’s first game, then Germany would be out with another loss. Spain will go through if they win and Costa Rica are beaten.
SUTTON’S PREDICTION
This is a hard one to call. Germany are inconsistent but you can see the way Hansi Flick wants to play.
They will try to take the game to Spain but that is very dangerous.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague was another to appear on our 5 live World Cup preview show and he said Spain might struggle to score goals, but they have not made a bad start with seven in their first match.
I can see this ending a draw, which would not knock Germany out but leave them on the brink of a group-stage exit for the second successive World Cup.
Prediction: 1-1
MATCH FACTS
The Germans have won just one of their last seven matches against the Spaniards, including a 6-0 defeat in the Nations League when the sides last met on 17 November 2020. That was Germany’s heaviest defeat since 1931.
Spain are bidding to win consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since recording six successive victories on the way to lifting the trophy in 2010.
Luis Enrique’s side scored as many goals in the 7-0 win versus Costa Rica as they did in four matches (comprising 390 minutes) at the 2018 World Cup.
Germany won each of their first eight matches under Hansi Flick, but have claimed just two victories in nine games since (D5, L2).
Cristiano Ronaldo has been called a “total genius” by Fifafor the way in which he won a penalty for Portugal in their World Cup victory over Ghana.
The 37-year-old converted from the spot to become the first man to score at five different Fifa World Cups.
Portugal won 3-2, but the awarding of the spot-kick outraged Ghana boss Otto Addo, who said it was “not a penalty”.
At a briefing in Doha, Fifa technical study group (TSG) member Sunday Oliseh said strikers are “getting smarter”.
The TSG, which is led by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, looks at each match and provides analysis including performance data and trends.
After 20 games in this tournament, nine penalties have been awarded, which is on track to reach the previous record of 24 that were given in the group stages in Russia four years ago.
Poland’s Robert Lewandowski and Canada’s Alphonso Davies have seen their efforts saved, while the remaining seven have been scored.
This includes Ronaldo, who went down under a challenge from Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu. Former England defender Matt Upson, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, called it a “dive”.
Ghana boss Addo was left fuming after the defeat and told BeIN Sports: “The referee gave a penalty which was not a penalty – everyone saw that. Why? Because it’s Ronaldo or something?
“The referee was not in our favour.”
But former Nigeria international Oliseh, who played at the 1998 World Cup, feels Ronaldo was clever in his movement to win the penalty that allowed him to score his 118th international goal.
“Maybe the strikers are getting smarter?” said Oliseh.
“The Ronaldo penalty, people can say what they want about him, but the smartness to wait for that second, to touch the ball, continue his leg and then get the contact. That is total genius.
“Let’s give strikers the compliment for getting smarter. VAR is also a major reason why this (more penalties being awarded) is happening. Referees can look at it three or four times.”
‘Teams will become braver’
There were four goalless games in the opening 16 matches, which set a new record of 25% in the first round of group games.
A fifth followed on Friday as England and the United States played out a stalemate in their second game of the tournament in Qatar.
The record number of 0-0 draws at the World Cup stands at seven, which happened at four different editions of the tournament, but Qatar 2022 is already close to that tally with only 20 of the 64 scheduled games completed before Saturday’s matches.
At the last World Cup in Russia, there was one goalless draw, between Denmark and France in a group game.
“Teams have not wanted to take too much of a risk,” said Oliseh.
“Clearly many teams are relying on a cautious approach,” added colleague Alberto Zaccheroni, who won Serie A with AC Milan and the Asian Cup when he was the coach of Japan.
“But as the tournament progresses we will see teams become a bit braver.”
Players ‘feeling comfortable’ with matchball
A total of 49 goals have been scored in the 20 matches played by the end of Friday, 25 November.
The first round of 16 games did not see a single goal scored from outside the box. Two have been scored from distance in the four games so far played in the second round of matches, which is significantly fewer than at this stage in the past two tournaments.
Iran’s Roozbeh Cheshmi broke the trend on Friday with a rasping strike against Wales, while later in the day, the Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo scored in a 1-1 draw with Ecuador.
The ‘Al Rihla’ match ball developed for the World Cup is described by Fifa as “travelling faster than any ball” in the tournament’s history.
Global football’s governing also said the ball “provides the highest levels of accuracy and reliability on the field of play”.
TSG member Faryd Mondragon, who played in goal for Colombia at the 1998 World Cup, told BBC Sport: “Technology has improved the game, it is helping the ball, boots, gloves, data. Everything is for the improvement of the game.
“When you have good shooters, any kind of ball will be fast and dangerous. I have spoken with friends from all over the world, this is a ball they are all feeling comfortable with.
“Us goalkeepers are always talking about the fast-moving ball but everything is for the good of the game.”
In the initial 2022 World Cup Group H match, the Black Stars lost to Portugal 3-2.
With his second-half penalty giving Portugal the lead, Cristiano Ronaldo made history by becoming the first player to ever score five goals at a World Cup.
The West African powerhouse opponent, Uruguay, and South Korea shared the spoils, playing a pulsating 0-0 draw.
Assessing Group H after day one games, the BBC has tipped South Korea, Uruguay, and Portugal to compete for a spot in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
“In Group H, Korea, Uruguay, and Portugal will compete in the round of 16.” said the BBC.
In the 2016 European Champions, Portugal currently sits top of Group H with three points.
Meanwhile, the defeat means Ghana are bottom of Group H after Uruguay and South Korea played out a goalless draw earlier on Thursday.
Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo made his World Cup bow for Ghana against Portugal on Thursday, four-and-a-half years on from scoring a hat-trick in a Somerset Cup quarter-final.
In four short years Antoine Semenyo has gone from playing for sixth-tier Bath City in the Somerset Cup to representing Ghana at the most prestigious tournament in all of sport … how’s that for career development?
The London-born 22-year-old, who can play both up front and off the flank, only made his debut for the Black Stars in June but squeezed into Otto Addo’s 26-man squad for the World Cup after making a flying start to the season at Championship side Bristol City.
He was brought on as a second half substitute during Ghana’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal on Thursday as his side went in search of a late equaliser – and got a front row seat for Inaki Williams’ agonising slip in the dying moments.
Semenyo signed for Bristol City as a 17-year-old in 2017 but after finding first-team minutes hard to come by he was farmed out on loan to National League South side Bath.
There he got some much-needed game-time under his belt, and with his confidence flowing the goals started doing the same. He scored six in 16 games for the Romans, including a memorable hat-trick in an 8-1 Somerset Cup quarter-final tie against (the mighty) Welton Rovers.
He then started climbing the ladder, getting loaned to League Two outfit Newport County the following season, and the year after that to League One side Sunderland, before returning to Ashton Gate for the 2020/21 season
FIFA reported that the stadiums hosting the Qatar World Cup were 94% full for the opening round of matches, despite the fact that vacant seats were evident in practically every game.
The finals’ venues have caused significant uncertainty because original reports of their capacities were later found to be unreliable.
The final will be held in Lusail Stadium, which was formerly estimated to hold 80,000 spectators while Al Bayt Stadium could accommodate 60,000. The capacity of each of the remaining six stadiums was listed as no more than 40,000.
The official stadium capacities have been clarified by FIFA, and each stadium is now far larger than previously thought.
The Saudi government would “certainly support” private Saudi bids for Manchester United and Liverpool, according to the country’s minister of sports.
Both Premier League clubs’ owners are looking into possible sales.
Following a takeover supported by the Saudi Public Investment Fund that was completed in October 2021, Newcastle United already has Saudi Arabian owners.
There is a lot of “interest and appetite,” according to Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, for United and Liverpool.
He said to BBC Sport: “I can’t speak for the private sector, but there is a great deal of curiosity, enthusiasm, and passion about football.
“It’s the most-watched league in Saudi and the region and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League.
“We will definitely support it if any [Saudi] private sector comes in, because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom.
“But if there’s an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?”
Little more than 12 months since their takeover, Newcastle are third in the Premier League table and unbeaten in all competitions since 31 August.
The Magpies have spent more than £200m on players since the takeover, breaking their transfer record to sign Swedish striker Alexander Isak in the summer.
“They’ve done an excellent job,” added Prince Abdulaziz.
“They still have a long way to go – they’ve brought the right people on board.
“I’m sure they have targets to win the league and the Champions League and so on because they strive for the best and always bring the best on board, so I think it’s going to be a bright future for Newcastle.”
Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia?
Prince Abdulaziz also said he would “love” to see Cristiano Ronaldo join a Saudi club following his departure from Manchester United.
The Portugal forward left the Old Trafford club with immediate effect on Tuesday following a controversial interview in which the 37-year-old criticised United and said he had “no respect” for manager Erik ten Hag.
In the interview with TalkTV, Ronaldo also said he turned down a £305m deal to join a Saudi Arabian club in the summer – a move that would have seen him become the highest-paid footballer in the world.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Al-Hilal had offered him a two-year deal.
“Anything is possible, I would love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league,” said Prince Abdulaziz.
“It would benefit the league, the sports eco-system in Saudi and it will inspire the youth for the future. He’s a role model to a lot of kids and has a big fanbase in Saudi.”
Ronaldo is currently playing at what is likely to be his last World Cup, a tournament Prince Abdulaziz would be keen to bring to Saudi Arabia.
The state is in the running to host the women’s and men’s Asian Cup in 2026 and 2027 respectively and, if the bids are successful, he believes it will “for sure” increase the chance of Saudi bidding for the World Cup.
“Why not? Who wouldn’t want to host the World Cup?” he added. “We host a lot of events in the region.
“Any country in the world would love to host the World Cup. It’s an amazing tournament and it’s good for every country to host such an event.
“We need to uplift some of our venues. We have a lot of stadiums that meet the requirement that we need, but hosting such an event is not just about the stadiums, it’s about the infrastructure, the people, about preparing everyone to such an event
“And making sure that when you’re ready to host this competition the whole nation is behind that.”
‘We will always be criticised’
Through its hosting of major sporting events, including Formula 1 races, world title boxing fights and golf tournaments, Saudi Arabia has been accused of sportswashing – the act of using sport to improve its reputation and project a positive image of a country.
Like current World Cup hosts Qatar, campaigners say sport is being used as a soft power by the Saudi government to hide long-standing issues, including women’s rights abuses, the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and the restriction of free speech.
“We were criticised in Saudi before we hosted such events, that we don’t host these events, and now that we are now, we’re criticised for hosting them,” said Prince Abdulaziz.
“We look at the facts – the numbers don’t lie – when you look at participation in boxing, from six gyms in 2018 to 57 gyms today. A 300% participation increase, 60% are women, which was a shock for us.
“When you see appetite from the youth, men and women, they learned from it. So, at the end of the day if it’s making the country better and fixing a lot of the social issues we have in terms of participation then that’s a benefit for us and that’s what we look at.
“I think we will always be criticised but we have to look at what’s best for our country and our people, and what is actually developing our youth towards the future.”
Speaking in Doha following Saudi Arabia’s “unbelievable” shock win over Argentina, the prince defended the late decision by World Cup organisers to ban alcohol at stadia.
He also said Qatar had done an “amazing” job in organising the event. The two countries restored diplomatic ties last year after a three-year-long dispute, and he said he hoped the tournament can “showcase that people are willing to work together.”
Despite missing his penalty against Mexico, Robert Lewandowski continues to be Poland’s “number one” penalty taker, according to head coach Czeslaw Michniewicz.
The Barcelona forward is still searching for his first World Cup goal after Guillermo Ochoa denied him from 12 yards out in the Eagles’ Group C opening on Tuesday. He went scoreless in Russia four years ago.
Lewandowski, however, will continue to be Poland’s first option if they are given another penalty in their second group game against Saudi Arabia, Michniewicz stated.
“When it comes to the penalties, Robert is still number one,” the head coach said. “As a striker, of course, he will make a decision whether he will shoot or pass it on to someone else. He feels ready to score for Poland.”
Jan Bednarek believes while Lewandowski will be desperate to break his finals duck, the captain’s main focus is on the team’s performance in Qatar.
“Robert Lewandowski is our captain, he’s a striker, he wants to score as many goals as he can,” the on-loan Aston Villa defender said. “But for him, the good of the team is most important. He wants us to win.
“He hides his pride in his pocket, and he really focuses on working as hard as he can. It’s not important to him if he scores or not, he wants us to win the match.
“He’s got his individual objective, but I am convinced he places the team’s success at the top. This is the best striker in the world. I hope he leads us to win. I don’t know if he will score or not, but the most important thing is for us to win.”
Following his outstanding performance against Australia, Hugo Lloris is certain Adrien Rabiot will be essential to France’s World Cup defense, while Didier Deschamps expects even more from Ousmane Dembele.
Rabiot took on a central role for Les Bleus in their 4-1 victory over the Socceroos in Qataras a result of the injuries to Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
Before halftime, the Juventus midfielder took control of the situation by equalizing Craig Goodwin’s earlier goal and helping set up the first of Olivier Giroud’s two goals.
Rabiot then became the first French player since Christophe Dugarry against South Africa in 1998 to both score and assist a goal in his World Cup debut.
Lloris said: “A lot has been said about the absences of Kante and Pogba, who have been vital engines for us for some years now.
“But you can forget that there are players who can step up and have the maturity and experience to take a leading role – Adrien has that.
“We know his qualities, there is an opportunity for him at this World Cup.
“The opportunity is coming at the right time and he has shown that against Australia.
“He stepped up and scored that goal and gave an assist to Olivier, it shows the impact he can have on the team.
“We know how talented he is, but he also is a very hard worker, he is very technically gifted, a very elegant player. I’m sure he’ll help us go as far as possible.”
Although Dembele contributed to Australia’s triumph, Deschamps thinks he still has to work on his game.
The Barcelona forward started France’s opening two games at the 2018 tournament, but he only made two more substitute appearances in Russia. His superb cross set up Kylian Mbappe.
After that, he did not play in the final victory.
But Deschamps insists Dembele has not arrived in Qatar with a point to prove, saying: “I don’t think he wants to make up for it or forget it; he was in 2018 squad, and it was successful.
“Four years ago, he was going through a difficult time with major injuries. Now, he is more mature, but he is still full of youthful exuberance. He is in a club that is very demanding, and maybe he is better at that club.
“He is always capable of creating problems for the opponent as he is so quick and skilful, but he needs to rule out any wastefulness and be as effective as he possibly can.
“He was pleased to be in first XI [against Australia], and he put in a good performance.”
After falling to a late 2-0 loss to Iran, Gareth Bale acknowledged that Wales is in danger of being eliminated from the World Cup.
The Iranian team’s late goals from Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian caused the 10-man Dragons to lose heartbreakingly in Qatar.
Rob Page’s team just has one point after two games after that defeat, therefore in order to maintain their chances of moving on, the Welsh must defeat England on Tuesday night.
The 33-year-old captain Bale spoke after the final horn: “It is painful. There is no other way to describe how devastated we are.
Rouzbeh Cheshmi struck in the eighth minute of stoppage time for Iran
Iran put in a commanding performance, but the Dragons’ chances of winning were dashed in the 86th minute when Wayne Hennessey was sent off for charging out of his goal and colliding with Mehdi Taremi.
Bale thought it marked a turning point in the previously acrimonious situation.
The 48-year-old said: “Our performance before the red card was not acceptable.
“We hoped it would all come together, but we were nowhere near the levels we’ve set and the standards we’ve set in recent games.
“One or two you can carry, but when there are so many off days there is only one outcome.
“I always take responsibility, that’s my team. The sending off didn’t help of course but at that point we had five forwards on the pitch so couldn’t get a defensive shape.
“But yes I’ll always take responsibility for performances.
“It’s a difficult changing room at the minute but we will be ready [against England]. It’s a local derby and a great game to finish on and we’ll be prepared to go.”
Rob Page admitted his Wales side underperformed against Iran
After being second best for much of the contest at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, former Wales striker Iwan Roberts was critical of Page’s men.
He said: “I’m extremely disappointed in how Wales performed. If we’re being honest, we haven’t been good enough in the two games.
“The thing for Wales is our fitness levels. Not enough of our players are playing 90 minutes regularly. Not enough energy, nobody looked fresh. You can get a couple of players through like that, but not five or six.
“We were lucky against the USA. We lost to the better team, no doubt about it. They were fitter, more confident, more sharp. We can’t complain about that result at all.”
Ashley Williams, who led Wales to the 2016 Euro semifinals, has a better attitude.
The ex-Swansea defender, 38, said: “I think Wales gave it their all as they always do, they worked as hard as they could in this second half. Iran probably shaded Wales a bit.
“We didn’t get ourselves into good enough areas in the second half and didn’t have enough chances on the Iranian goal. So I’m gutted for all the boys.”
Wayne Hennessey saw red late on for Wales
After suffering a 6-2 defeat to England in their opening game, Iran are now well in the race for the knockout stages ahead of their final group clash with USA on Tuesday.
Manager Carlos Queiroz said: “This is just the beginning, but we need to finish the job. [It is] a wonderful day for us.
“All respect to my players, who showed they love to play football. Our players deserve to be supported. We want to play for the fans.”
The Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA) has advised users of electrical gadgets to be extra careful with their use as they immerse themselves into the World Cup games.
Awal Sakib Mohammed, the President of GECA in an interview with 3FM Sunrise Morning Show observed that many people during the excitement of the world cup thrills may easily leave their irons and other electrical appliances on, which may lead to fire outbreaks or wastage of electricity.
Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA) has further warned that the incessant increase in the prices of electrical cables is promoting the usage of inferior cables in the wiring of buildings which could lead to an increase in fire incidences.
He explained that the cost of borrowing and cedi depreciation are seriously affecting the cost of cables and thus contributing highly to the use of inferior cables and shoddy electrical works in Ghana.
“Estimates are made for electrical works in advance but as the construction progresses, the price instability affects the budget allocation and in order for the contractor not to incur greater losses, he or she would resort to lesser expensive and inferior alternative materials” Awal Sakib mentioned.
The electrical contractors have stressed the need for electrical jobs to be awarded separately to specialized electrical companies who can do proper professional estimation and costing, whereas the civil and building works are given to a civil engineering firm so that we can have very good electrical installations in Ghana.
“In Ghana, our system is not well regulated. Both public and some private jobs are lumped up and given to one person who is a building contractor who wants to maximize his profit as a businessman. However some of them are not able to price well for the electrical works and in order to make up for the underpricing, they force the electrical person to go with any amount. The electrical person too would have to compromise on quality in order to be able to do the job” the GECA President bemoaned
GECA encourages property owners and facilities managers to conduct regular auditing and maintenance of their electrical installations in order to prevent damages and unwanted incidents.
President Akufo-Addohas congratulated the Black Stars of Ghana, following the team’s World Cup opener against Portugal.
In a Facebook post after the match, he described the team’s efforts as a ‘gutsy performance’ worthy of commendation.
According to him, even though the team could not secure the necessary points, they still proved their mettle and displayed their ability to withstand every other opposition.
On that note, he urged Ghanaians to throw their weight behind the Black Stars; stressing that he believes Ghana can progress to the next stage of the competition.
“Gutsy performance by the Black Stars in today’s match against Portugal. Very proud of the entire team. They live to fight another day, and have shown they have what it takes to mix it up against any team in the tournament”, Akufo-Addo remarked.
“Looking forward to the next game against South Korea, and I urge all Ghanaians to rally strongly behind the team. I am confident we can qualify from this group. #GoBlackStarsGo”, he added.
On Thursday, the Black Stars put up what many have described as a ‘spirited performance’, in their opening Group H game against Portugal.
however after the end of 90 minutes, the Portuguese managed to carry the day by a slender lead of three goals to two.
According to some football fans and pundits, the victory of the Europeans was aided by the bias of US referee, Ismail Elfath, who has since been heavily criticised for his ‘poor officiating’.
Manager of the side, coach Otto Addo also believes that the referee did his team a lot of damage with some questionable decisions.
In a post match press conference, he described the penalty which gave the Portuguese the opening goal, as a ‘gift from the referee’.
He therefore berated the referee for his officiating on the day.
The Black Stars currently sit at the bottom of Group H with no points to their name.
Meanwhile, the team will play South Korea on Monday, in their second Group H encounter, as they seek to grab some points to enhance their chances of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
The match against the Taegeuk Warriors of South Korea will be played at 1:00pm on Monday 28th November 2022, at the Education City Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Retired English referee, Mike Dean, has questioned the officiating in Ghana’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal in the 2022 World Cup on Thursday.
American referee, Ismail Elfath, penalized Mohammed Salisu for the least contact with Cristiano Ronaldo to award the two-time World Cupsemi-finalists a penalty.
Mike Dean believes Elfath should have been invited to review the incident at the pitch side Video Assistant Referee (VAR) monitor, but that was not done.
He said the decision to give Portugal the penalty was something he cannot defend, though he usually tends to back referees.
“The VAR, in my opinion, should have gotten involved, should’ve invited the referee over to have a look at it,” Mike Dean told beIN Sports after the game.
He continued, “I like to back referees all the time, but you can’t support stuff like that. You can’t defend the undefendable.
“For me, it should’ve been overturned, he should’ve gone to the screen…100% it was wrong.”
Ghana head coach Otto Addo also described the penalty as a gift from Ismail Elfath while expressing his disappointment at the performance of the referee.
Joy Sports understands the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has petitioned FIFA over the key decisions of the referee that affected the outcome of the game.
Ghana will shift focus to Monday’s encounter against South Korea in their second Group H game.
Tite is confident Neymarwill continue playing at the World Cup for Brazil despite the ankle injury he sustained in a bruising opening contest with Serbia.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward limped off in the latter stages of the Selecao’s 2-0 victory, which was sealed by Richarlison’s second-half brace, having been repeatedly fouled at Lusail Stadium.
Neymar looked close to tears as he received treatment on the bench, before being pictured with a swollen ankle as he made his way to the dressing room.
Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed the 30-year-old will undergo further assessment in the next 24 to 48 hours but Tite, who revealed Neymar continued playing a further 11 minutes after sustaining the injury, is adamant he will return.
“[Neymar] felt this pain throughout the game, but he decided to stay on the pitch to help his team,” the head coach said.
“So it’s remarkable that he could bear this pain while his team was playing. He stayed 11 minutes on the pitch after his injury, until the moment he could no longer continue, and he was substituted.
“We are confident that Neymar will continue playing; he will continue playing in the World Cup.
“I didn’t see Neymar was injured – the capacity he had to overcome it tricked me, I only saw it now in the video. When he actually dribbled, it caused that injury, and in that second goal you see when he controlled the ball that he felt it.”
In Ghana, all eyes were set on the Black Stars world Cup Opener on Thursday November, 24.
Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia and other public figures watched the group H opening thriller in Accra.
Despite a solid fight, André Ayew’s teammates lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad 2-3.
Ghanaian fans were still proud in defeat.
“Our players have really done well. Just that some few lapses that made us lose the game but I hope that Insha Allah, the next match, we are going to make it,” Alhaji Said Mutaka said.
“There’s no need for us to be angry or mad at them, not at all”, Black Stars fan Jessica Selikplim insisted.
“They did well, it wasn’t easy. The game was actually tough but they did well, scoring two, they have done well, like Kudos. They’ve done well, like.”
At the Stadium 974 in Doha, All the goals came in a wild final half-hour. Ronaldo scored on a contested penalty, Ayew then equalized for Ghana.
Joao Felix regained the lead for Portugal, and Rafael Leao added a third. Osman Bukari reduced Ghana’s deficit in the 89th.
Ghana will play South Korea on Monday and will count on its fans.
Coach Otto Addo said the Black stars proved Thursday they could “compete with the opponent”.
For now, they sit at the bottom of group H. The group comprises of Ghana, Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Tears streamed down the face of Richarlison. He was inconsolable. He had shed blood, sweat and tears to force his way into the Brazil squad.
Then the XI. Yet, just three weeks before Tite named his squad for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, he was on crutches.
Blubbering, he struggled to speak. Eventually, the words trickled out. “I’m devastated,” he said. “I was so close to the realisation of my dream. The last time I had this injury I was out for two months.” Furthermore, Tite had already said, reiterated and – irritated – eventually stressed that he would not gamble on players whose fitness was in doubt. It turns out that declaration had a disclaimer.
“Richarlison, Tottenham,” Tite said as he read out his 26-man list for the flight every Brazilian craved to Doha. Richarlison did not even hear the second word. Tite probably heard the London-based attacker’s wild celebrations all the way from Granja Comary, Rio de Janerio. “I was really, really nervous,” Richarlison admitted, explaining his excitement.
“The World Cup is the dream of dreams. I was so scared.” Pombo (Pigeon, his nickname) is an absolute teacher’s pet. The coach handed the attacker his debut in 2018 and has made him an ever-present in the frighteningly competitive Seleção squad. So despite Richarlison having only played 100 minutes since his injury, he was named up front for the curtain-rasier. Richarlison, quintessential Richarlison, careered over the Lusail Stadium turf in the first half, harrying defenders and forcing turnovers of possession.
If the first 45 showcased his desire and indefatigability, the second spotlighted his opportunism and excellence. It was 0-0, just after the hour, when Richarlison reacted to a rebound to fire Brazil ahead from close range. Eleven minutes later he executed a spectacular bicycle-kick to seal the deal. The moment Richarlison had dreamed about so much for so long – the one he thought had evaporated – was even better than he could have concocted.
“I’m so happy for him,” Antony told FIFA+. “He’s a great guy. He deserves it. That’s Richarlison. You give him a chance, he scores. You should see him in training. He shoots from anywhere and everywhere, all sorts of angles. He’s an incredible player.” “His performance was outstanding,” added Fred. I want to congratulate him. It’s not easy on your World Cup debut, but he scored two goals. The most important thing is that we got the victory. It was a great performance.”
When Antonee Robinson detected a feeling of contentment in some English quarters following the draw for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the USA left-back was immediately “fired up”.
It was an instinctive response to a perceived slight that shone a bright light on the character of a persevering, undaunted and resilient competitor.
The 25-year-old, a first pick for Gregg Berhalter after comprehensively winning over the formerly sceptical American coach, is modest, thoughtful and proud.
Robinson was fresh from a loan with Bolton Wanderers in the English Championship when he made a senior USA debut shortly before the 2018 Russia World Cup, the first tournament without American involvement since 1986.
Prevailing opinion at Robinson’s parent club Everton was that the player, who joined aged 11, didn’t possess the attributes to reach the height of his sport. His progress at Goodison Park was checked by fitness issues – Robinson broke his left knee patella in 2014 and the following year needed microfracture surgery on his right knee – and the presence of first-rate left-back Leighton Baines.
The eve of a World Cup meeting with England, the country of Robinson’s birth, partway through a personally exceptional Premier League campaign, then, feels an appropriate point to reflect on the Fulham player’s steeply-climbing career trajectory.
“To come from where I have, and shattered the expectations people did or didn’t have of me, to play in this World Cup, means everything to me,” says Robinson. “My family expected me to do big things, though, and to achieve everything they thought I would and still have so much room to grow and so much ahead of me, makes them immensely proud.
“To turn around my situation to play regularly in the Premier League and know I genuinely had a big part in helping us qualify for this World Cup, and wasn’t just making up the numbers, means even more. That is why we play the game. To win and to be competitive and to make our family and friends proud of us. It is a genuinely proud moment for me and stepping on the pitch at a World Cup was one of the best days of my life.”
High intensity
Robinson started and finished USA’s first World Cup game since the last-16 defeat by Belgium in 2014 when Berhalter’s team drew 1-1 with Wales on Monday. He was typically quick and energetic – Robinson registered 81 sprints, recorded a comparatively extraordinary high-intensity distance of 1,618m and clocked a top speed of 35.4km/h, surpassing anything attained at World Cup 2018 – and prominent in a fast, aggressive and purposeful first-half performance when USA threatened to blow away their opponents.
As it was, the US had only one goal to show for their superiority and Wales recovered for an ultimately deserved draw. Don’t expect Gareth Bale’s late penalty to clip the wings of Berhalter’s intrepid team, however.
USA didn’t have it all their own way in CONCACAF qualifying. They had to wait until their third match for a victory, when Robinson’s equaliser after coming on at half-time in Honduras paved the way for a 4-1 win.
They eventually took the final automatic qualification spot, pipping Costa Rica on goal difference. Berhalter’s squad boasts only one player with World Cup experience in 2014 veteran DeAndre Yedlin and its average age of 25 years and two months makes it the second youngest at the tournament behind Ghana. Robinson, however, insists the USA’s objective in Qatar is to surpass the achievements of the team of 2002, which reached the quarter-finals.
“If we follow our gameplan and give everything we have, there is no limit to what we can do,” he says. “On our day, we can beat any team in front of us. We are coming here to try to win the World Cup.
“It was the first qualifying cycle for a lot of players. Going through that and learning in the deep end brought the group together and taught us what it takes.
The World Cup is new territory, but we have already entered new territory together. I know you hear this a lot from players, but I have never felt the togetherness and belief we share in our group. I am very excited going into battle with this team.”
Robinson qualifies for USA through father Marlon, who gained citizenship after moving from England to White Plains, New York, as a teenager. The player represented his adopted country at U-18 and U-23 levels before his first senior call-up under interim coach Dave Sarachan in May 2018, providing an assist in a debut win over Bolivia.
However, he initially regressed under Berhalter, who was appointed in December 2018. He is unflinching when reliving his first game for the coach, who selected Robinson at wing-back for a friendly against Jamaica. “Even in training leading up to the game, I wasn’t really at a level,” says Robinson, who was playing for Wigan Athletic at the time. “Gregg is quite a technical coach and it wasn’t something I’d known at that point of my career. Playing for Bolton and Wigan, I was largely dependent on my athleticism to get me through games.
“When I received my next call-up [in November 2020, after 17 months out of the picture], I still wasn’t playing my game or full of confidence. But when we got to the World Cup qualifiers, I let loose and understood everything he was asking from me, offensively and defensively. I was confident and knew what to do in games and chipped in with goals and assists.”
Universally known as Jedi, the nickname that’s accompanied him since the age of five, Robinson marked his strike against Honduras with a 360-degree backflip. Does he have anything planned if scores in Qatar? “Scoring at a World Cup is no easy feat and I have in my head what I would do,” comes the reply. “I hope it becomes a reality, then everyone will know.”
Inspiration from the past
It betrays an innate flamboyance that Robinson cites South Africa’s joyful goal celebrations at their home tournament in 2010 among favourite World Cup memories. He is passing time in the players’ lounge at the US hotel – beside the “messing around and playing pool” – watching other fixtures because, “we are still those kids who grew up watching the World Cup”. “If we were at home,” continues Robinson, “we’d be trying to watch the games. It is the biggest event in the world.”
Robinson, who transferred from Wigan to Fulham in August 2020, is conscious of USA’s record of winning one and drawing one of two World Cup fixtures with England.
The 1-0 defeat for England in Belo Horizonte in 1950 has been widely revisited this week following the exploits of Saudi Arabia and Japan. When the countries met in Rustenburg 12 years ago, it was a man of Fulham, Clint Dempsey, who scored for the States in a 1-1 draw. The Fulham-USA connection gave birth to the term Fulhamerica and Robinson is grateful for the two-pronged support harvested by compatriots Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller, Eddie Johnson and Dempsey.
Robinson nonetheless recalls England, in his view, expecting to brush aside USA in 2010. And he noted a similar outlook among sections of the media when the nations were drawn together in Qatar. “It was a similar story back then [2010], England would look down on the USA,” says Robinson. “When the draw came out a lot of papers were saying England had the easiest group. I think it is the hardest group.
That fired me up even more to diminish the claim they would stroll through the group. “I like being an underdog and upsetting people and if I can play that role, it would be great. Previous US teams have got through on determination and grit and workrate. They have never been easy to play against. If we can emulate that and add our quality, we will be fine.”
Pele, Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose have all netted at four World Cups but Ronaldo is now out in front in that regard after scoring at a fifth finals.
Here, Stats Perform looks at each of Ronaldo’s previous seven goals on the biggest stage of them all, three of which came in one game.
Portugal 2-0 Iran (Frankfurt, 2006)
Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot for the first of his World Cup goals against Iran in 2006, making him Portugal’s youngest ever scorer in the competition at 21 years and 132 days, a record that stands to this day. Despite Portugal finishing third that year, a teenage Ronaldo did not add to his goals tally.
The Selecao put seven goals past North Korea, with Ronaldo scoring the sixth of those to end a two-year wait for an international goal. Portugal failed to find the net in any of their other three matches in South Africa and were eliminated by Spain in the last 16.
Portugal 2-1 Ghana (Brasilia, 2014)
Ronaldo scored a late winner in Portugal’s final group match against Ghana — a simple finish following some poor defending — but it was not enough to prevent his side from exiting Brazil 2014 in the first round behind the United States and tournament winners Germany.
Entering the tournament as the world’s best player, Ronaldo lived up to his billing by scoring a hat-trick in what will go down as one of the all-time great individual World Cup performances.
After opening the scoring from the penalty spot, the superstar forward beat David de Gea with a shot from outside the box and then scored a late free-kick to rescue a point in a topsy-turvy thriller.
Portugal 1-0 Morocco (Moscow, 2018)
Ronaldo was not finished there, either, as he made it four goals for the tournament with an unstoppable header inside four minutes against Morocco, with that proving to be the winner.
However, his goalscoring touch eluded him in the knockout rounds as he fired a blank in the 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the last 16.
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has admitted his side are under pressure to qualify from Group H after losing 3-2 to Portugal in their 2022 World Cup opener on Thursday.
Black Stars began their campaign on a wrong note, losing narrowly to Fernando Santos’ side.
After the goalless first half, CristianoRonaldo opened the scoring for Portugal via the penalty spot but Ghana equalised through skipper Andre Ayew from close range.
Portugal responded with two goals in two minutes to seal the points, Joao Felix converting a delightfully clipped finish and substitute Rafael Leao coolly stroking in just seconds after coming on.
Osman Bukari headed in a late consolation for Ghana and there could have been real drama in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
“First of all, surely, we have a chance especially because they played a draw so if we win against South Korea and Portugal win hopefully against Uruguay then we will be second so the chance is still big,” coach Addo said after the game.
“And surely it will be very, very tough to beat South Korea because they are good. But now we have to win. We are under pressure but they too.”
The defeat means Black Stars are bottom of Group H after Uruguay and South Korea played out a goalless draw earlier on Thursday.
The Black Stars will now switch their attention to their attention to the match against South Korea on Monday before taking on Uruguay on December 2 at the Education City stadium.
Portugal edged Ghana for a 3-2 win at Stadium 974 on Thursday evening in the Black Stars’ 2022 World Cup opener as VAR was missing in action.
Cristiano Ronaldo converted a controversial penalty to give the Portuguese the lead just after the hour mark before Andre Ayew levelled for Ghana.
There was late drama as the European nation scored two-in-two minutes for a 3-1 lead. Substitute Osman Bukari headed in brilliantly late on to end the game 3-2.
The Black Stars became the first African team to score a goal at this year’s tournament.
Portugal leads Group H with three points after the win, with Ghana bottom. Uruguay and South Korea have a point each after drawing goalless earlier.
The Black Stars will next play South Korea on November 28 while Portugal faces Uruguay on the same day.
Cristiano Ronaldo got the first sight at goal but Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi was very proactive to run out of his line and put the ball to safety in 10 minutes.
The A Selecao restricted the Black Stars to their own half in the first 20 minutes, playing 76% of the ball while Ghana has only 24% of possession.
At the half hour mark, Ronaldo drilled the ball into Ghana’s net but he fouled Alexander Djiku in the process.
The Black Stars’ plan to catch Portugal on the counter wasn’t working as the midfield could not spot Inaki Williams, with the Euro 2016 champions getting 5 attempts, one on target against Ghana’s zero.
A half completed dominated by the two-time semifinalists ended in a goalless draw.
Ghana finally came out of their own half to play as Mohammed Kudus made a marvellous solo run to hit a great shot that missed the target narrowly 10 minutes into the second half.
Portugal was awarded a soft penalty that was not checked by the VAR after a least touch from Mohammed Salisu. The protestations of the Ghanaian players were ignored by the USA referee Elfath.
Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot as he converted brilliantly to break the deadlock in the 64th minute to make World Cup history. He became the first player to score in five consecutive tournaments.
Ghana pulled the equalizer through Andre Ayew, who latched onto a Kudus cutback in the 73rd minute.
Portugal caught Ghana’s backline sleeping on the break as Joao Felix picked a Baba Rahman missed ball to convert from the right side of the box in the 78th minute.
The same situation repeated itself two minutes later. This time on the right side, with substitute Raphael Leao converting from the left post.
With a minute to the end of the 90, Osman Bukari cut Portugal’s lead to one after heading in a Baba Rahman cross from the left.
Portugal held on to for the victory to ward off Ghana’s late pressure for an equalizer.
Lucas Hernandez has successfully undergone surgery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in France’s 4-1 World Cup opening win against Australia on Tuesday.
Hernandez’s club Bayern Munich confirmed he had the operation in Innsbruck on Thursday, with his rehabilitation to commence in Munich in the coming days.
The defender was ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup due to the injury that saw him replaced after only 13 minutes.
Bayern did not provide a timeframe on Hernandez’s recovery but it is expected he will miss the rest of the 2022-23 season.
Hernandez is the latest injury blow for the world champions, who saw Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku all ruled out before the tournament started.
France head coach Didier Deschamps said after Tuesday’s game: “Like the whole group, players and staff, I am extremely sorry for Lucas.
“We are losing an important element. Lucas is a warrior and I have no doubt that he will do everything possible to return to the game.
“I know him well. Courage, he will have it, that’s for sure. On behalf of the group, I wish him the best possible recovery.”
Hernandez has made 11 appearances, including 10 starts, for Bayern this season, having missed six weeks with an adductor injury sustained in September.
Ghana coach Otto Addo fumed at the decision to award Portugal a penaltyin their thrilling win over the Black Stars on Thursday, declaring: “I don’t know if the VAR wasn’t paying attention”.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to net at five editions of the World Cup when he opened the scoring from the spot at Stadium 974, as Portugal eventually ran out 3-2 winners.
Ghana, however, were incensed by referee Ismail Elfath’s decision to award the spot-kick, believing Mohammed Salisu won the ball with his challenge on the five-time Ballon d’Or-winner.
Asked whether Ronaldo benefitted from a favourable decision, Addo said: “I think you’d have to ask the referee. I have no proof of that, but we were playing the ball, then there was a contact.
5 – Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player to score five in different editions of the World Cup (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022). Limitless. pic.twitter.com/w6noDKxoVR
“If I look at that moment, it’s incredible. If you look at a replay, we played the ball. It was actually a foul against us.
“The game was hectic, we made a few mistakes to allow the second and third goals, opening the lines for them to pass it. It was a little bit unlucky.
“With a bit of luck, we could have got one point. The referee was not in our favour. In my view, our yellow cards were deserved, but for me, holding jerseys is also a yellow card. I don’t know what was wrong, but he was really not in our favour.
“I asked some people from FIFA if I could talk briefly to the referee in a calm and quiet way, but they said he is in a meeting and it’s not possible.
“I think they have match analysis, so it’s the truth, but surely you can have some minutes for the coach.”
Ghana full-back Tariq Lamptey was also asked about the decision, responding: “I think you saw it. You can give your opinion.”
The African nation have now lost their opening match on three of their four participations at the World Cup (W1), but Lamptey believes there were plenty of positives to take.
“Obviously, I would have liked to get the win,” Lamptey said. “They have a lot of world-class players in their team, but we felt like we could have got the result we deserved, and we were so close to getting that.
“We know we played well, but it’s a difficult one as we know we could have got something. We’ll put that energy into our next game and give it our best.”
4 – Portugal 3-2 Ghana was just the fourth #FIFAWorldCup match to see as many as five goals having been 0-0 at half-time, after:
Poland 5-1 Peru (1982)
Netherlands 2-3 Brazil (1994)
Belgium 3-2 Japan (2018)
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has praised the national team’s “gutsy performance” in their World Cup opener against Portugal which ended in a 2-3 loss.
The Black Stars became the first African team to score a goal at this year’s tournament, but lie at the bottom of Group H. They will next play South Korea on November 28.
Gutsy performance by the @GhanaBlackstars in today’s match against Portugal. Very proud of the entire team. They live to fight another day, & have shown they have what it takes to mix it up against any team in the tournament. Looking forward to the next game against South Korea. pic.twitter.com/FiDWm5fO4b
To be honest Ronaldo hasn’t been actually that bad. He just just need to work on his passing, shooting, movement, ball retention, dribbling, crossing, decision-making, set pieces, man-marking, ball control, tackling, shooting & few others things.
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have lost their first match against Switzerland in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Karl Toko Ekambi and his team mates fell short to a lone goal in their Group G opener interestingly from a Cameroonian born Swiss player Breel Embolo.
The 25 year old Swiss international, born in Yaoundé scored the only goal of the game in the second half. Embolo would not celebrate the goal even as excited team mates gathered around him. He instead raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Swiss fans and then to Cameroonian fans at the opposite corner of Al Janoub stadium.
Cameroon with an impressive display in the first, would feel hard done by the result. The central African side were the better side in the first half having dominated possesion but the attacking line of Mbeumo Choupo Toko had to face an outstanding Swiss keeper.
This result does not make the business of the Indomitable Lions easier as they will still have to face two tough opponents : Serbia in the next game and the eternal favorites Braziland its 5 stars.
For Switzerland, their win against Cameroon was a hard fought victory extending once again their record of not losing a World Cup opening game in their past five appearances on football’s biggest stage.
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