Injured Mane in Senegal World Cup squad, racing to be ready

Sadio Mane was included in Senegal's World Cup squad on Friday despite injury as coach Aliou Cisse gambled on one of the world's best forwards being fit and ready in time. (AFP/File)
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Updated 11 November 2022
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Injured Mane in Senegal World Cup squad, racing to be ready

  • “Losing Sadio Mane is not something small for Senegal and African football,” Cisse said
  • The initial diagnosis was that Mane would be out for around a week

DAKAR, Senegal: Sadio Mane was included in Senegal’s World Cup squad on Friday as coach Aliou Cissé gambled on one of the world’s best forward being fit and ready in time after injuring his lower right leg this week playing for Bayern Munich.
Cisse said Senegal’s medical team hoped that Mane would need about a week to recover from the injury he sustained on Tuesday in a league game in Germany and therefore be ready for Senegal’s opening game at the World Cup against the Netherlands on Nov. 21 — on paper the strongest team Senegal will face in Group A in Qatar.
But Cisse also raised the possibility that Mane may not be fit in time for the tournament, which would dash the hopes of a nation that has come to rely on Mane delivering at big moments.
“Sadio Mane is a key player in our group. We will do all we can to have Sadio Mane (available),” Cisse said at the Senegal squad announcement in Dakar that was dominated by whether Mane would be in or out.
“Losing Sadio Mane is not something small for Senegal and African football. We have to anticipate in case he is absent, but we still have time to see if he will be fit or not,” Cisse said. “I cannot speak of his absence even if in my head I have to take this into account.”
Cisse said Senegal had sent its team doctor to Munich to examine Mane’s injury and the “good news” was that he did not require surgery. The initial diagnosis was that Mane would be out for around a week, Cisse said.
Bayern have already said that Mane will miss this weekend’s game against Schalke in the Bundesliga because of the injury but gave no definitive time frame on his recovery.
Mane is the focus of a Senegal team which won their first African Cup of Nations title this year and are rated by many as the best African side to ever go to a World Cup. They have realistic hopes of making the quarterfinals and may be Africa’s best chance yet of having a team reach the last four at a World Cup for the first time.
The 30-year-old Mane has been vital for Senegal, scoring the penalty that won the African Cup title in a shootout against Egypt in February. A month later, he also netted the winning penalty in another shootout that clinched Senegal a place at the World Cup in Qatar in a playoff, again beating Egypt. He recently became his country’s all-time leading scorer and finished second in this year’s Ballon d’Or behind Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.
The rest of the squad were as expected, with Cisse keeping faith with the heart of the team that won the African Cup in Cameroon for Senegal’s first major title.
That includes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and central defender Kalidou Koulibaly, midfielders Idrissa Gueye, Nampalys Mendy and Cheikhou Kouyate, and forward Ismaila Sarr and Famara Diedhiou.
There’s also AC Milan defender Fode Ballo-Toure and Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who are new contenders for starting spots.
News of Mane’s injury put his West African home nation on tenterhooks. Even Senegal President Macky Sall sent out a tweet hoping for Mane’s “speedy recovery” in time for the World Cup.
Senegal will play host Qatar, the Netherlands and Ecuador in Group A and Cisse said his squad would continue to prepare as they had planned, despite the situation with Mane.
“For the moment, there is no question of changing anything,” Cisse said.
World Cup rules allow teams to replace an injured player up to a day before the team’s opening game, meaning Senegal still have the option of bringing in another player later on if Mane doesn’t recover in time. That would still be a major blow for Senegalese hopes and the World Cup itself.
At 30, Mane is probably at his peak right now and may not get another chance at the World Cup.

Senegal:
Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
Defenders: Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Abdou Diallo (Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis), Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham)
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor)


“A Beautiful Gift“: Swiss women pioneers celebrate the game’s transformation

Updated 2 sec ago
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“A Beautiful Gift“: Swiss women pioneers celebrate the game’s transformation

The mascot of the tournament, a Saint Bernard puppy, bears her name, Maddli, in recognition of her role in advancing women’s football in Switzerland
There are now 40,000 registered women players and 134 female referees in Switzerland, according to the Swiss FA

SION, Switzerland: On the terrace of a restaurant in the Swiss city of Sion sits a group of pioneers of women’s football in Switzerland who have seen the beautiful game change beyond recognition.

For ⁠72-year-old Madeleine Boll, seeing the city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland hosting three games in the Women’s European Championship, which is being staged across the country, is a proud moment.

The mascot of the tournament, a Saint Bernard puppy, bears her name, Maddli, in recognition of her role in advancing women’s football in Switzerland.

At 12 years old in 1965, Boll became the first woman in Switzerland to obtain a license to play football, with FC Sion’s boys’ youth team. But just months later it was taken away from her after the club said it had made an error.

“I was the happiest little girl. But the day they took away my license, I was the unhappiest because I didn’t understand why I was forbidden to play,” Boll told Reuters.

However, it marked the first in a series of landmark moments that enabled women’s inclusion in Swiss football.

By 1970 the first Swiss Women’s Football League was created, with Boll’s father, Jean Boll, its president. Madeleine later played for FC Sion, one of the earliest women’s football clubs in Switzerland.

“It’s a beautiful gift because it’s here that the beginnings of Swiss women’s football took root,” she said.

KEY MOMENT
A lot has changed since Boll and her generation played. There are now 40,000 registered women players and 134 female referees in Switzerland, according to the Swiss FA.

“It was different. We didn’t have jerseys, we didn’t have means to travel ... We had to make people understand that we are capable of playing,” said 72-year-old Rosemarie Siggen, from Sion who started playing football toward the end of the 1960s.

For Siggen and Boll, who were joined by four other footballing pioneers in the women’s game in Sion, this year’s tournament is a key moment to make strides in supporting women’s football.

“The Euros will be a catalyst,” Boll told Reuters, pointing to it as an opportunity for greater investment in the women’s game.

The Swiss hosts are hoping the legacy of the tournament — being played across eight cities over the next month — will bolster female football in the country as Euro 2022 did for champions England. It is aiming to double the number of female players by 2027, according to the Swiss FA.

“It’s a bit difficult for these young girls. They need help. I think there should be stronger support, a real investment ... we want to see them progress because they can bring many beautiful things,” said Siggen.

Boll hopes that the Switzerland side, who lost their first match of the tournament 2-1 to Norway, can continue to make strides with more financial support.

“If we want to have a good Swiss team ... it will be important that girls become professional because it is difficult ... to achieve results while having a job or being a student,” Boll said.

UEFA, the governing body for European soccer, announced a record 600,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament. Basel will host the final on July 27 at St. Jakob-Park, the largest football stadium in Switzerland.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ‘truly lost for words’ after Diogo Jota death

Updated 04 July 2025
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Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ‘truly lost for words’ after Diogo Jota death

  • ‘Teammates come and go but not like this,’ Salah wrote on X
  • Jota and brother Andre Silva died when Lamborghini they were in veered off a road and burst into flames

BEIRUT: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah paid tribute to his teammate Diogo Jota on Friday, after the Portuguese international died in a car crash on Thursday in northern Spain.
“I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break,” Salah said on social media platform X.
Jota perished alongside his brother, Andre Silva, when the Lamborghini they were in veered off a road and burst into flames, Spanish police said Thursday.
Having been teammates since Jota joined the Premier League champions in 2020, Salah wrote on X: “Teammates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.


“My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was “heartbroken” to learn about Jota’s death.
Klopp, who is Red Bull’s head of global soccer, had persuaded the Liverpool board to pay $62 million for Jota after he impressed at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre. Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father!” Klopp posted on Instagram.
The Spanish Guardia Civil said 28-year-old Jota and 25-year-old Silva were found dead near the northwestern city of Zamora. Jota’s death comes just weeks after he married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, while on vacation from a long season where he helped Liverpool win the Premier League title.
Upon getting married, Cardoso wrote in a social media post, “Yes to forever.” He leaves behind three children, the youngest born last year.


Russian foreign minister praises Al-Hilal’s ‘well-deserved’ win over Man City

Updated 04 July 2025
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Russian foreign minister praises Al-Hilal’s ‘well-deserved’ win over Man City

  • Sergey Lavrov hails victory in meeting with Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan
  • SPL team will play Fluminense in quarterfinal of Club World Cup on Friday

BEIRUT: Russia’s foreign minister on Friday congratulated Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal following the team’s defeat of Manchester City in their FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 match earlier in the week.

“It was a remarkable and dramatic match and well-deserved victory,” Sergey Lavrov said during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Moscow.

“I would like to conclude with congratulations to your football team Al-Hilal on a 4-3 win against Manchester City at the Club World Cup,” he said.

The meeting was part of the prince’s official visit aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries.

Lavrov’s comments caused a buzz on social media. One Russian user said on X: “Saudi Al-Hilal shines even in the corridors of power in Moscow!”

Several major news outlets also reported on Lavrov’s comments.

Sports editor Essa Aljokm wrote on X: “Al-Hilal on the political table … A team that translated the support of the leadership and the state, may God protect them, into the giant Saudi sports project. This time, it’s Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister.”

Al-Hilal made history on Monday night when they beat the English Premier League giants in Orlando. The Saudi Pro League team will now play Fluminense in the quarterfinal of the Club World Cup on Friday.

The Brazilian side beat Inter Milan 2-0 earlier on Monday.


Wimbledon pays tribute to Jota after Liverpool star’s death

Updated 04 July 2025
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Wimbledon pays tribute to Jota after Liverpool star’s death

  • Cabral was allowed to put the ribbon on his shirt sleeve for the second-round tie
  • “I know what he’s been through, what he conquered through his career and through his life,” he said

LONDON: Wimbledon paid tribute to Diogo Jota after the Liverpool star’s death as Portugal’s Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon during his doubles match on Friday.

Cabral was allowed to put the ribbon on his shirt sleeve for the second-round tie after the All England Club relaxed its strict all-white dress code to allow tributes to the Portugal forward.

Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in northern Spain while traveling to catch a ferry to England ahead of the start of pre-season training.

The accident came just days after Jota’s wedding to Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

Cabral said he was driving to Wimbledon when he heard the news and praised Jota as “an idol, such an icon, such a good person.”

“I know what he’s been through, what he conquered through his career and through his life. So he’s just very inspiring for me,” he said after losing with Austrian partner Lucas Miedler against Czech duo Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl.

“I just wish all the best for his family. I know they have good people around them so I hope they can get through it.”

British doubles player Neal Skupski, a passionate Liverpool fan, had also brought a black armband for his match on Thursday but opted not to wear it.

He suggested he may wear one later in the tournament, saying: “Maybe in the next couple of days.”


Al-Hilal stars hitting new heights at FIFA Club World Cup

Updated 04 July 2025
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Al-Hilal stars hitting new heights at FIFA Club World Cup

  • In three of the Riyadh club’s four matches in the US, different Al-Hilal players have received the Man of the Match award

DUBAI: Whenever called upon, collectively and individually, Al-Hilal’s players have stepped up at just the right moments at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Not many teams concede three goals against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and live to tell the tale. But that is exactly what Al-Hilal did on June 30 with their incredible 4-3 win in the Round of 16.

In just a few short weeks, new coach Simone Inzaghi looks to have transformed the team tactically and mentally after a disappointing season that saw them relinquish the much-craved Saudi Pro League title.

Fans and analysts have praised the intricate passing style that Inzaghi’s team has displayed in their four matches, which have delivered two draws — including one against Real Madrid in Miami — and a win in the group stages, before the famous victory over the former Premier League champions.

What has been striking as well is the standout performance of several individuals, with different Al-Hilal players being awarded the Man of the Match in three of the four encounters.

Even in the one match they did not receive the award, the 1-1 draw against Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid on June 18, it could be argued that the outstanding player of the match was Salem Al-Dawsari, who gave debutant Trent Alexander-Arnold a difficult first half from the left wing. Instead, the vote went to Gonzalo Garcia.

The 0-0 draw with Red Bull Salzburg at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on June 22 saw Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou follow up his penalty-saving heroics in the opener with another outstanding performance, ensuring the Saudi team secured a point and went into the last matchday with all to play for.

 

 

Against Pachuca CF of Mexico on June 26 in Nashville, it was the turn of inspirational captain Al-Dawsari to be acclaimed with the Man of the Match award after scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win that saw Al-Hilal progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.

 

 

Meanwhile, the epic win over Manchester City in Orlando was marked by a two-goal performance from Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo, who accepted the Man of the Match award in emotional circumstances.

Al-Hilal will now face Fluminense of Brazil on Friday evening in Orlando for a place in the semifinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against either Palmeiras or Chelsea.

Who will be the next star to step up for the Blues?