Canada qualified for the World Cup finals for just the second time on Sunday, beating Jamaica 4-0 to book their ticket to Qatar and end 36 years of failure and heartache.

While Canada celebrated, Mexico and the United States will have to wait to learn their fate despite picking up wins along with Costa Rica, who also kept their Qatar hopes alive.

The United States got a hat-trick from Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic as they romped to a 5-1 home win over Panama while Mexico needed a 70th minute goal from Edson Alvarez to win 1-0 and avoid a humiliating draw with winless Honduras.

The victory for Canada puts the leaders on 28 points in the CONCACAF qualifying group, three points ahead of the United States and Mexico, with Costa Rica, who beat El Salvador 2-1, a further three points back.

The top three teams earn automatic places in November’s World Cup with the fourth-place finisher facing an Oceania team in an intercontinental playoff for another berth.

Mexico will host El Salvador on Wednesday, the United States travel to San Jose to take on Costa Rica and Canada wrap up their campaign against Panama. Both Mexico and the United States require only a draw to seal an automatic berth.

After failing to clinch a finals spot with a 1-0 away loss to Costa Rica on Thursday, Canada returned home with renewed purpose and a chance to complete the job in front of a frenzied, red-clad, flag-waving, sold-out crowd of nearly 30,000 at BMO Field.

“I’m just so pleased we didn’t win in Costa Rica,” said Canada coach John Herdman. “This is how it was meant to be, I know why the football gods wouldn’t let us score, it was for tonight.

“We just qualified for the World Cup, this is a legit football country.”

There would be no blown second opportunity as Cyle Larin and Tajon Buchanan netted in the first half and Junior Hoilett added another after the break with Adrian Mariappa’s own goal rounding off the scoring.

Canada will play at the World Cup for the first time since 1986 in Mexico, where they lost all three games and failed to score a goal.

“I think this country never believed in us because we’ve given them nothing to believe in,” said Herdman. “They believe now.

“This is the time for everyone to get behind football and unite because we can be a powerhouse.”

It was a warm welcome home on a biting cold afternoon, making it the classic Canadian stage to take on a Jamaican side anchored near the bottom of the eight-team group in seventh, with one win and no hope of getting to Qatar.

There was a time during their 36-year quest to return to a World Cup finals that playing at home was no different than away for Canada, with as many fans supporting the visitors as the home side.

But there were no split allegiances on Sunday in a lopsided contest Canada dominated from start to finish.

Source: REUTERS

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker told a London court he felt “shocked” and “embarrassed” after being declared bankrupt just days before the 2017 tournament at the All England Club.

The six-time Grand Slam winner said the negative publicity had damaged “brand Becker” and left him struggling to make enough money to pay off his debts.

Becker was declared bankrupt in June 2017 and is currently on trial accused of failing to hand over assets including nine trophies and medals from his glittering tennis career.

The 54-year-old German said he had been seeking to pay off a more than £3 million ($3.9 million) loan from private bank Arbuthnot Latham, including through the sale of his estate in Spain.

The court heard the bankruptcy decision came days before Wimbledon, where Becker was working for the BBC as well as Australian and Japanese television stations.

“As you can imagine, I was very shocked at the fact. Because it was all over world news, and I walked through the gate of Wimbledon and everyone knew. I was embarrassed because I was bankrupt,” Becker said.

He told jurors the bankruptcy was also in the midst of a “stressful time” with his then wife Sharlely “Lilly” Becker, while they were living in “separate quarters” at his rented house in Wimbledon.

Describing an incident while he was commentating on the men’s quarter final involving Roger Federer, he said: “My son called me saying my wife was breaking down the house – the furniture, the windows. The police came… while I was on site.”

Becker, who arrived at court with his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, sat at the witness box on Monday to give evidence.

He said he faced damaging publicity “all around the world” but especially in Germany and the UK, which has affected his ability to earn.

“It is very difficult when you are bankrupt and in the headlines every week for it. It is very difficult to make a lot of money with my name,” he said.

The former world number one, who was occasionally helped to give evidence by a German translator, denies 24 charges under the Insolvency Act.

They include nine counts of failing to hand over trophies and other awards, seven of concealing property, five of failing to disclose estate, two of removal of property and one of concealing debt.

He is accused of failing to hand over nine trophies, including two of his three Wimbledon men’s singles titles, an Olympic gold medal, his 1991 and 1996 Australian Open trophies and his Davis Cup trophy and gold coin.

Source: AFP

Chinese rights holders have told the Premier League they will not broadcast English top-flight matches this weekend because of the league’s planned shows of support for Ukraine, the BBC has learnt.

China is a close political ally of Russia, which has invaded Ukraine.

The Premier League has said it “wholeheartedly rejects Russia’s actions” and is set to show solidarity with Ukraine.

“We call for peace and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted,” it added, when announcing its plans earlier this week.

That will include captains wearing special armbands in Ukrainian colours, while stadium screens will display ‘Football Stands Together’ in front of the country’s blue and yellow flag.

Fans have also been encouraged to join “a moment of reflection and solidarity before kick-off at each game”.

When asked about the Chinese refusal to show matches, the Premier League declined to comment.

Source: BBC

FIFA on Monday ordered Brazil and Argentina to replay a World Cup qualifying match halted in Sao Paulo in September over alleged Covid-19 quarantine breaches by the visitors.

Brazilian health officials stormed the pitch seven minutes into the clash on September 5 between the South American giants at Sao Paulo’s Neo Quimica Arena, stopping the match and triggering a melee involving team officials and players.

“After a thorough investigation of the various factual elements and in light of the applicable regulations, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided that the match should be replayed on a date and at a location to be decided by FIFA,” said a statement from world soccer’s governing body on Monday.

The two nations are undefeated in South American qualifying and are sure to finish in the top two places in the 10-team group, although both have three games to play, including the rematch. The top four teams qualify automatically for the World Cup in Qatar.

Hours before the on-pitch drama in September, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) said four Argentine players based at English clubs at the time should be placed in “immediate quarantine” for breaching Covid-19 protocols.

According to ANVISA, the Premier League players — Cristian Romero and then club-mate Giovani Lo Celso of Tottenham, and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia — provided “false information” upon entering Brazil.

On Monday, FIFA said that “the abandonment of the match stemmed from several deficiencies of the parties involved towards their respective responsibilities”.

FIFA banned the four Argentine players for two matches each for “not complying with the FIFA Return to Football International Match Protocol.”

It also handed a series of fines to the two national football federations.

The Brazilian Football Association must pay 500,000 Swiss Francs (540,000 dollars, 477,000 euros) for “infringements related to order and security”.

The Argentinian Football Association was fined 200,000 Swiss Francs for “its failure to comply with its obligations in relation to order and security, the preparation of and its participation in the match.”

Both federations were also fined 50,000 Swiss Francs for the abandonment of the match.

Source: AFP

A Winter Olympics overshadowed by human rights concerns and taking place inside a strict Covid-secure bubble kicked off in Beijing on Friday with a glittering opening ceremony at the “Bird’s Nest” stadium.

The distinctive lattice-shaped arena took centre stage, just as it did at the 2008 Games – seen as China’s coming-out party to the world – as Beijing becomes the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics.

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the Games open, triggering a burst of fireworks and wrapping up a ceremony filled with imagery of ice and snow. Xi’s declaration was followed by red-suited “skaters” sliding across virtual ice.

Held on the first day of Spring by the Chinese calendar,the ceremony began with a performance by dancers waving glowing green stalks to convey the vitality of the season, followed by an explosion of white and green fireworks that spelled the word “Spring”.

On a three-dimensional cube resembling a block of ice, lasers carved figures from each of the previous 23 Winter Games. The block was then “broken” by ice hockey players, enabling the Olympic rings to emerge, all in white.

That was followed by the traditional “parade of nations”, with each of the 91 delegations preceded by a women carrying a placard in the shape of a snowflake resembling a Chinese knot.

In keeping with Olympic tradition, the parade was led into the stadium by Greece with the rest ordered by stroke number in the first character of their Chinese name, which meant Turkey was second, followed by Malta, with host China going last and drawing roars from the stadium crowd.

The entrances for “Hong Kong, China”, as well as for Russia, also generated applause.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, the highest profile foreign leader present for the Games, could be seen in the stadium without a mask. However, the athletes from his country were unable to carry its flag due to doping violations, marching instead under the standard of the Russian Olympic Committee.

Source: Reuters

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has suggested the media in France are very fickle when it comes to his representation of the European country.

At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, two former teammates at Paris’ MMA Factory gym collided. On one side of the Octagon was a Cameroon native who built his life and career in France. Opposite him was a La Roche-sur-Yon native, born and bred in the west side of the nation.

In the main event, it was Ngannou who emerged victoriously and left the cage as the undisputed heavyweight king. He did so despite carrying a torn MCL into the contest and following a difficult opening two rounds.

After struggling on the feet against “Bon Gamin” for the first 10 minutes, “The Predator” adjusted his strategy and won the remaining three frames thanks to top control and an impressive display of wrestling.

With the victory, Ngannou closed the book on his feud with former coach Fernand Lopez, defied the odds, and established a strong position for future negotiations with the UFC. A defeat may well have seen him depart the promotion.

Given the two names involved in the headline clash, it’s unsurprising that French interest was at an all-time high ahead of UFC 270. But with Ngannou’s history and frequent praise of the opportunities he was given in France, it was perhaps surprising to see the attitude of some of the country’s media towards him.

At the UFC 270 press conference during fight week, Ngannou had a heated exchange with a French reporter who asked him if he’d “brainwashed” his time at Paris’ MMA Factory gym out of his memory. The champ later took issue with another journalist who seemed to suggest Ngannou had described Gane as an easy opponent.

During an episode of Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour in the week following the PPV event, Ngannou was asked why members of the French media pushed a negative narrative about him leading up to the contest.

“It’s (attitude of the French media) because I was fighting a French guy,” Ngannou said. “That’s how it happens in France. In France, when you lost, you are Cameroonian; when you win, you’re French-Cameroonian or French. And this time I was fighting a real French guy, so they built up the story of the villain and the good guy. I mean, it’s just media. After the fight, a lot of them, they just changed their mind. Some people just wrote back the article, like, ‘A French-Cameroonian retained his title,’ all that kind of stuff. It’s the media, you can’t control that stuff.

“But regardless of that, I know that I have a huge fanbase in France,” added Ngannou. “I have people in France who love me and that’s all that matters. That’s the people who I represent. In France, my fans, my friends, those who even became my family, you know, that’s why I’m happy about France.”

Despite moving permanently to the United States to train at the Xtreme Couture gym, Ngannou has previously returned to France and certainly appears to appreciate the support he still receives from his fanbase across the Atlantic.

It’ll be interesting to see how the French media approaches Ngannou’s next fight, and whether, like Ngannou says, they’ll follow a different narrative if he’s not up against a French national.

Source: ufcbettingsite.com

The President of the Confederation Africaine de Football (“CAF”) (www.CAFonline.com) Dr Patrice Motsepe received cellphone calls yesterday from numerous football Presidents of African nations supporting the speech that FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered at the Council of Europe on Wednesday 26 January 2022; as the speech was in line with previous CAF resolutions.

Several commentators unfortunately seem to have misunderstood and misinterpreted President Infantino’s speech. He stated that football is one of the tools that should contribute to the economic and social development and upliftment of many Africans and also to building a better future and dignity amongst many people on the African Continent. President Infantino did not say that the FIFA World Cup every 2 years will stop Africans from crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

The leadership of the 54 African football nations that are members of CAF have at previous meetings expressed their unanimous support for the FIFA World Cup taking place every 2 years due to the developmental and upliftment benefits to Africa and the developing world.

CAF and the African football community are aware that if African governments, domestic and global businesses and investors and other development and social partners do not significantly contribute, to the provision of quality education, jobs, health services and other infrastructure facilities and create an inclusive and better future for the poor, and particularly Africa’s approximately 300 million youth between the ages of 15 and 25; Africa will experience periods of consistent and sustained political and social instability and uprisings as well as migrations of millions of people within and outside the African Continent, seeking a better and brighter future.

It is in this context that football is seen in Africa as an important tool and partner for governments, investors, philanthropists and the domestic and global football community in contributing to improving the living conditions of the poor and building an inclusive and bright future for the people of Africa and particularly the youth.

CAF appreciates the partnership and commitment of FIFA and President Infantino to the development and growth of football in Africa and the world.

Source: APO Group on behalf of Confederation of African Football

Cameroonian fighter Francis Ngannou, known as ‘The Predator’, scored a decision victory over Frenchman ‘Bon Gamin’ Ciryl Gane to hold on to his heavyweight UFC 270 title on Saturday night.

In a surprising turn of events, Ngannou, the UFC’s king of the fast knockout, saved his heavyweight championship with his grappling game after dropping the first two rounds.

The Las Vegas-based fighter used takedowns and top control over the final three rounds to eke out a unanimous decision at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and retain his belt.

The judges’ scores were 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 to mark the first decision victory of Ngannou’s career.

Saturday’s fixture offered an intriguing match-up, the two fighters having previously trained together in Paris – Ngannou was once a homeless immigrant in the French capital – before pursuing their careers in the US.

Gane, a kickboxer, used body kicks over the first two rounds to keep Ngannou from getting untracked. In the third, he used a huge slam to alter the fight, and followed it with a judo throw later in the round.

In the fourth round, Ngannou used another takedown to stymie Gane. In the fifth, Gane scored a takedown, but Ngannou switched position and used top control over the rest of the round to seal the fight.

Trilogy fight

The evening’s co-feature bout was the rare case where a trilogy fight was not the concluding matchup between a pair of fighters.

In a sensational bout, Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil won a razor-thin affair with Tijuana’s Brandon Moreno to regain the UFC flyweight title. The judges’ scores were 48-47 across the board for a unanimous decision.

The bout was a 25-minute whirlwind, Moreno (19-6-2) landed more often, but Figueiredo (21-2-1) landed harder shots and scored more knockdowns, including one in a frantic and close final round that very well may have spelled the difference on the scorecards.

With the victory, the duo are now tied at 1-1-1. Their first bout at UFC 256 ended with Figueiredo retaining the championship via majority draw. Moreno took the title via third-round submission at UFC 263.

With the win in the third fight, Figueiredo became the first two-time UFC flyweight champion with the win. He indicated after the fight he was willing to give Moreno a fourth-right rematch to settle things.

Source: Reuters