Sport
France battle to stop spread of virus on eve of World Cup Final
Didier Deschamps said Saturday that France was taking “as many precautions as possible” to stop the spread of a virus threatening preparations for their World Cup final showdown with Argentina, AFP reported.
Central defensive pair Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate missed training on Friday due to illness, along with winger Kingsley Coman.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot and defender Dayot Upamecano did not play in Wednesday’s semi-final win over Morocco.
“We are trying to take as many precautions as possible, to adapt as necessary and get on with it,” France coach Deschamps said at a press conference in Doha on the eve of Sunday’s match.
“It would be better if this wasn’t happening but we are handling it as well as possible with our medical staff.”
Deschamps and his captain Hugo Lloris both insisted they could not offer any health updates, with the team set to train again later in the day.
Players, staff and other sources close to the squad have spoken of a range of symptoms affecting the team in recent days, including fever, stomach pain and headaches.
Measures have been taken at the team’s hotel, including isolating certain players, but Covid-19 testing is no longer imposed by the world governing body FIFA.
France is aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup, AFP reported.
They are facing an Argentina side determined to win the trophy in what is likely to be Lionel Messi’s last-ever match at the tournament.
Sunday’s Final
Fans around the country can tune in to Ariana Television on Sunday and watch what will be an exhilarating final live.
The live broadcast starts at 6pm Kabul time. The match is aired in Afghanistan exclusively by Ariana Television.
Afghanistan ended the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at 159 for six after 48 overs, trailing by 180 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Zimbabwe, who resumed day two with a strong position after reaching 250 for five on the opening day, were bowled out for 339 in 114.5 overs in their first innings.
Afghanistan faced a challenging task in reply but managed to score 159 runs while losing six wickets by the close of play.
With a deficit of 180 runs and four wickets remaining, Afghanistan will look to build a stronger batting performance on day three and reduce the gap.
The second Test remains finely poised, with Zimbabwe holding the advantage heading into the third day.
Sport
Debutant Naseer Khan strikes four as Afghanistan fight back against Zimbabwe in second Test
Zimbabwe were well placed at 201 for one after nearly 58 overs, but Naseer triggered a middle-order collapse, taking three wickets in eight overs. Zimbabwe lost 3 for 12 during that period, and slipped from 201 for 1 to 250 for 5 at stumps.
Afghanistan fought back against Zimbabwe on the opening day of the second Test in Sharjah, with debutant left-arm spinner Naseer Khan Maroofkhil claiming four wickets to halt Zimbabwe’s strong start.
Zimbabwe were well placed at 201 for one after nearly 58 overs, but Naseer triggered a middle-order collapse, taking three wickets in eight overs. Zimbabwe lost 3 for 12 during that period, and slipped from 201 for 1 to 250 for 5 at stumps.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Zimbabwe made a solid start through Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran, who put together a 98-run opening partnership. Naseer broke the stand with his first delivery after lunch, trapping Curran lbw for 44.
Kaia then combined with Brendan Taylor for another strong partnership, adding 102 runs for the second wicket. Both batters reached half-centuries before Naseer turned the game around.
Kaia, batting on 96, was trapped lbw while attempting a slog sweep. In his next over, Naseer dismissed Zimbabwe captain Brian Bennett for a duck before Ziaur Rahman took a tumbling catch to remove Wessly Madhevere, who was caught at long-off after attempting to loft a delivery that stayed low.
Zimbabwe lost further momentum as Taylor and Antum Naqvi adopted a cautious approach following the three quick wickets. The pair added just 21 runs in nine overs before Naqvi struck a six off Naseer.
Taylor moved into the 90s with a boundary off Naseer, but Ziaur Rahman ended Naqvi’s 44-ball stay on eight runs, having him caught at first slip.
Taylor remained unbeaten on 96 at stumps, while Tafadzwa Tsiga was not out as Zimbabwe closed the day at 250 for five, leaving the second Test finely poised.
Argentina claimed their first-ever men’s futsal gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Portugal in the final.
The closely contested match at Dakar Arena saw both teams enter the final with perfect records, having won all three of their group-stage matches. However, Argentina emerged victorious, with captain Lorenzo Sampedro scoring the decisive goal six minutes before the end of regular time.
Argentina’s triumph adds another chapter to the country’s Olympic football success, following the gold medals won by its men’s football team at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Argentina head coach Mariano Alberto Gomez praised his players for their performance, saying they had represented their country with pride after a lengthy preparation and participation in several tournaments.
Portugal’s Joao Carvalho expressed disappointment at missing out on gold but praised his team’s journey, saying the final was decided by small mistakes.
Earlier, Morocco secured the bronze medal after defeating Afghanistan 2-1 in the third-place playoff.
Afghanistan came close to forcing a late comeback, scoring with just 13 seconds remaining, but Morocco held on to secure third place.
Morocco coach Zakaria Kairi said winning an Olympic medal was a significant achievement for his young players, despite the team falling short of its original target of reaching the final and winning gold.
The results confirmed Argentina as futsal champions, Portugal as runners-up and Morocco in third place at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
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