Category: Football

LONDON: Germany Women’s Football team have booked their spot in the quarter-final round of Euro 2022 and topped Group B after they defeated Spain 2-0, here at Brentford Community Stadium on Tuesday.

Klara Buhl and Alexandra Popp scored in the first half to put the German side in a dominating position as Spain failed to rebound in the game after the initial blows.

Buhl scored the opening goal just three minutes into the game after she gained possession of the ball following a poor clearance from Spain goalkeeper Sandra Panos.

Popp doubled the lead for her side in the 36th minute after she expertly nodded the ball into the nets.

Spain will now be facing Denmark on Saturday in order to secure a spot in the quarter-finals as the winner of the game will be playing England in Brighton on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Germany will play Finland on Saturday in their final group stage game before facing the runner-ups of Group A in the quarter-final on Thursday.

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MONTERREY: Jamaica secured a berth at the 2023 Women’s World Cup on Monday, while reigning world champion United States and Olympic champion Canada stayed unbeaten in the CONCACAF W tournament.

Jamaica’s Trudi Carter scored in the 26th minute, captain Khadija Shaw followed in the 59th and 70th and Drew Spence struck in the 79th as the “Reggae Girlz” defeated Haiti 4-0 to claim the last available semi-final berth at the tournament, and a spot in next year’s global football showdown in Australia and New Zealand.

US reserve Kristie Mewis scored in the 90th minute to give the Americans a 1-0 victory over 10-woman Mexico, who lost Jacqueline Ovalle to a red card for fouling Rose Lavelle in the 73rd minute. The win gave the United States the Group A crown.

Canada’s Jessie Fleming scored in the fifth minute and Sophie Schmidt followed in the 70th to produce a 2-0 victory over Costa Rica and gave their team the Group B title.

Two-time defending Women’s World Cup champion United States, Canada and Costa Rica had already qualified for next year’s World Cup by clinching spots in Thursday’s semi-finals, where the Americans will face Costa Rica and Canada will play Jamaica.

Panama and Haiti each finished third in group play to book berths in a February global qualifying event for three final Women’s World Cup berths.

Marta Cox scored in the 43rd minute to give Panama a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.

The North American regional tournament is a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics as well.

The winner of next Monday’s CONCACAF final will secure a 2024 Paris Olympic berth. The runner-up and third-place teams will meet in a playoff next year to determine another Summer Games qualifier.

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MILAN: Angel Di Maria has completed his move to Juventus after being released by Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season, the Serie A club announced on Friday.

“Angel Di Maria is a Juventus player,” Juve said in a short statement on social media.

The Argentina winger has signed a one-year deal with Juve which will earn him a reported salary of seven million euros ($7.14 million).

The 34-year-old joins Juve ahead of the winter World Cup in Qatar into which his national team head as Copa America champions.

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MANCHESTER: Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the club’s pre-season tour of Thailand for a friendly fixture against Liverpool.

According to details, the Portuguese star will not accompany the team on Friday’s flight to Bangkok as he has been granted a prolonged break owing to family reasons after missing out on pre-season training at Carrington this week.

It has been reported recently that the 37 year-old-star wants to leave the club this summer if the right opportunity comes across.

Meanwhile, United remains unsure about his presence in the Australia leg of the pre-season tour and his absence will further fuel doubts over his future with the club.

Manchester United will encounter Liverpool on Tuesday in Bangkok before flying to Australia for three friendly fixtures against Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa on July 15, 19, and 23 respectively.

READ: Pandya stuns England as India bounce back in first white-ball encounter

CHELSEA: Chelsea are closing on the first major signing of the Todd Boehly era at Stamford Bridge after reportedly agreeing on personal terms with Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling.

Sky Sports reported that Sterling’s move to London is “imminent” although a fee is yet to be agreed upon between the clubs.

Sterling, 27, is into the final year of his contract at the Etihad, but City are expected to hold out for a fee in the region of £45 million ($54 million).

The England international has won four Premier League titles among nine major trophies since joining City from Liverpool in 2015.

A key player in the early years of Pep Guardiola’s reign at City, Sterling has scored 131 goals in 337 appearances for the English champions.

However, his regular place in the starting line-up at City has come increasingly under threat from the signing of Jack Grealish for a Premier League record £100 million last year, plus the emergence of Phil Foden from the club’s academy.

The City have also bolstered their attacking options for the new season with the arrival of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

Chelsea are in the market for goalscorers after letting record signing Romelu Lukaku return to Inter Milan on loan just a year after splashing £97 million on the Belgian striker.

New chairman Boehly has thrust himself to the fore of transfer negotiations with the American also acting as interim sporting director after the regime change radically altered the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

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FREETOWN: The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has decided to investigate the astonishing results of two second-tier games held on Sunday and annulled both the outcomes due to possible match manipulation.

The two games witnessed Kenema-based Kahunla Rangers and Gulf FC of Kono defeating their opponents with inconceivable margins in Premier League qualifiers on Sunday.

Kahunla crushed Lumbebu United 95-0, meanwhile, Gulf FC thrashed Koquima Lebanon 91-1, recording the biggest victories in the West African country’s football history. Surprisingly, the half-time scores were just 2-0 and 7-1, respectively.

Both Kahunla and Gulf FC were competing for the final spot available for Eastern Region in the national Super 10 League, which acts as the Premier League’s final qualifying round.

The dramatic turn in the second half was forced when it became evident that the club with the higher goal difference would advance into the qualifying round.

SLFA president Thomas Daddy Brima announced to conduct an immediate investigation and hold all those accountable responsible for the travesty.

“All those found guilty will be dealt with in accordance with the SLFA laws, and will also be handed over to the country’s anti-corruption commission,” he said as reported by BBC Sports.

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LAUSANNE: FIFA confirmed on Friday that a semi-automated offside system will be used at this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The optical tracking system was trialed at the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and had also been tested at the Arab Cup in Qatar last December.

“Semi-automated offside technology is an evolution of the VAR systems that have been implemented across the world,” the global body’s president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“This technology is the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing to provide the very best for the teams, players, and fans who will be heading to Qatar later this year, and FIFA is proud of this work, as we look forward to the world seeing the benefits of semi-automated offside technology at the World Cup 2022,” he added.

The data-driven, limb-tracking technology uses both dedicated and broadcast cameras around the stadium to give the exact position of players on the pitch, offering referees precise information within seconds.

The term “semi-automated” is used because FIFA insists match officials will still make the final call, with a dedicated VAR assistant in place to monitor offsides.

“The new technology uses 12 dedicated tracking cameras mounted underneath the roof of the stadium to track the ball and up to 29 data points of each individual player, 50 times per second, calculating their exact position on the pitch,” FIFA said.

“The 29 collected data points include all limbs and extremities that are relevant for making offside calls,” it added.

The competition begins on November 21 when Senegal plays the Netherlands in Doha with the final on December 18 in Lusail.

READ: FIFA lifts ban on Pakistan, restores international status

ZURICH: The Fédération Internationale de Football (FIFA) has restored the international membership of Pakistan and has lifted all the bans on the football nation.

In the most recent development, the FIFA-designated Normalization Committee was able to successfully meet all the requirements, leading to an agreement by the football governing body to lift the ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).

The lifting of the ban has made the Pakistan Football Team eligible to compete in international competitions, and national-level football activities will also resume.

In an official statement released by FIFA, the governing body confirmed the uplifting of the ban, which was imposed over undue third-party influence.

“The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided on 29 June 2022 to lift the suspension that was imposed on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) in April 2021 due to undue third-party interference,” the statement read.

“The decision was taken after FIFA received confirmation that the normalisation committee of the PFF had regained full control of the PFF’s premises and was in a position to manage its finances,” the statement added.

FIFA’s nominated Normalization Committee will now begin the progress of holding the elections within the PFF, which was previously under illegal control by the Ashfaq Group.

In a video statement, Chairman NC Haroon Malik congratulated the nation for the uplifting of the ban and credited the tireless effort of the committee and the prayers of the football family.

“I would like to congratulate the nation as FIFA has uplifted the ban on Pakistan Football. I think it has become possible due to the tireless efforts of the Normalization Committee and the prayers of the Football family,” Haroon stated.

“FIFA has also extended the mandate of the NC by one year. Restoration of football, holding of PFF elections and return of assets will be the top priority,” he concluded.

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GORI: The Republic of Ireland’s forward Katie McCabe fired a hat-trick and powered her side to thrash the hosts Georgia 9-0 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup UEFA Qualifiers, here on Monday.

In the qualification Group A fixture between Ireland and Georgia, the touring side displayed a dominant performance throughout the match as they strengthened their bid for the qualification into the biggest event.

The striker McCabe started the proceedings for Ireland as she netted the opening goal just six minutes into the game. The early lead then motivated Niamh Fahey to score her maiden goal in more than a hundred appearances for the national side.

Megan Connolly then soon made it three as she bundled home a corner in the 18th minute. Despite a flying start the touring side, however, got a bit sloppy in the field before McCabe struck again moments before the first half with an audacious dink.

The touring side did not seem to have eased out in the second half as they continued their domination over the home side as Louise Quinn bagged herself a couple before McCabe earned herself a hat-trick in the 75th minute.

With the platform set, the Irish debutant Abbie Larkin pounced on the opportunity as she also made it to the list of strikers by netting her first goal on her competitive debut. Denise O’Sullivan, on the other hand, made it just in time with an excellent spin.

Following this resounding victory, Ireland acquired the second spot in the Group A of the FIFA Women’s World Cup UEFA Qualifiers, while Georgia remained at the bottom.

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LONDON: Senegal forward Sadio Mane has signed a three-year-long contract with the German Champions Bayern Munich after a £27.5m deal.

Mane departs the Liverpool having made 269 appearances and scored 120 goals in all competitions since signing from Southampton in 2016.

Bayern will pay Liverpool an initial £27.5 million after the trade, with an additional £5 million depending on appearances and an additional £2.5 million based on individual and team accomplishments.

Looks good on you, Sadio! 🔴⚪

📰 https://t.co/vaC4kmp2VB#ServusMané #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/UGr56XqqEt

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) June 22, 2022

 

Mane left Liverpool after the club-record acquisition of Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica. He, however, had one year left on his contract at Anfield.

During his six-year tenure at the Liverpool, the Senegalese forward won the Premier League, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

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