full throttle

The match between Cameroon and Serbia, Monday, November 28, was spectacular and full of twists and turns. But if we had to remember just one gesture, it would be without any hesitation that of Vincent Aboubakar at the 64^e minute.

Substitute at kick-off, the former player of Valenciennes and Lorient had entered the lawn ten minutes earlier. The Indomitable Lions are then led 1-3. Launched at the limit of offside, the striker first eliminated his defender before deceiving Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, the Serbian goalkeeper, with a perfectly felt ladle. Shortly after, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting allowed the Cameroonians to come back into the game. Final score: 3-3.

hot in front

Wales-England and Iran-USA

Tuesday, November 29, the four teams of group B can validate their ticket for the rest of the World Cup. At least, mathematically. Buoyed by their inaugural victory against Iran (6-2), the English Three Lions are alone in the lead (4 points) and benefit from a very favorable goal difference. The task will be more complicated for the Welsh Dragons, who must not only win against their neighbors and rivals, but also dream of a draw in the other meeting… Except to beat England with more than four goals difference . Not easy.

The duel between Iran and the United States, although decisive for qualification in the eighth, will above all have a symbolic dimension, the two countries having no longer had diplomatic relations since 1980. Two days before the match, the tension has gone up a notch: the Iranian Football Federation has strongly criticized its American counterpart for having erased the symbol of Allah from its flag in posts on social networks. A gesture in “solidarity with women” in the Islamic Republic, justified the latter. Iran has been in the grip of a historic protest movement since mid-September and the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old student arrested by the morality police.

The first confrontation between the two teams, during the 1998 World Cup in France, ended in a victory for Tim-e Melli (2-1) and scenes of brotherhood between the players had marked the spirits. What will it be this time around?

Quicksands

“Mr. Canelo is not looking for excuses or problems, surely you don’t know football and what happens in a locker room. »

Lionel Messi can always count on the support of his former teammate Sergio Agüero. La Pulga were the target of a series of angry tweets from boxer Canelo Alvarez after Argentina’s meeting with Mexico on Saturday ended in a 2-0 victory for the Albiceleste. The native of Guadalajara accused the Argentine of having “cleaned the floor” with the shirt of the Mexican formation.

Sergio Agüero then stepped up to defend his compatriot: “ The shirts are still on the floor after games from sweat, and then, if you look closely, he makes a move to take his shoe off and unwittingly touches it. »

Señor canelo no busques excuses o problems, seguramente no sabes de fútbol y que pasa en un vestuario. Las camis… https://t.co/YlGH0HoZbD

— aguerosergiokun (@Sergio Kun Aguero)

water in the gas

André Onana, really indomitable?

There’s trouble with the Indomitable Lions. André Onana, Cameroon goalkeeper, was removed from the group shortly before the match against Serbia (3-3) on Monday. A decision made for his “indiscipline”, explained his coach, Rigobert Song. Without further details.

If Rigobert Song remained just as evasive about the possibility of seeing the doorman of Inter Milan replay during this World Cup, several media report that the interested party would have already packed his bags. Cameroon will play their last group game against Brazil on December 2 with a slim chance of qualifying for the round of 16.

A patch of blue sky

Benzema and the impossible return?

If it was a Z-movie, we’d call it Karim or the Return of Vengeance. Why ? According to several Spanish media, including TeleMadrid and brandKarim Benzema is due to resume training with Real Madrid this Thursday, less than two weeks after his nightly departure from the Blues base camp following his thigh injury.

According to Mario Cortegana, journalist at brand, the Golden Ball injury would be less important than what the medical staff of the France team could have said at the time. Information to be taken with a grain of salt (as often with the Spanish sports daily), but which could in theory allow Benzema to return… before the end of this World Cup.

Indeed, as the Real Madrid player has not been replaced, FIFA regulations allow Didier Deschamps to recall him, as RMC Sport remarks. From there to the coach asking his striker to get into the first Madrid-Doha…

La normativa FIFA allows that Benzema will view the World Cup, para lo que tendría que ser llamado teniendo el alta. El… https://t.co/yYGMGwcSTG

— MarioCortegana (@MarioCortegana)

qatar postal

An overflow of adrenaline… and a red!

The Portuguese Paul Bento will not be on the bench of South Korea for the last group match of his formation against… Portugal (of which he was the coach in the past), on December 3. The reason. An overflow of adrenaline unloaded on the referee who did not let play a last corner for the Taeguk Warriors, beaten by Ghana (2-3). The second red card of this edition, after that of Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, on November 25.

Doha in the eye

The formula of the small hands of the Mondial

“Metro, this way! » Anyone who has been to Doha since the start of the World Cup knows the formula by heart. It is sung in chorus by all the small hands of the Mondial, which sometimes have large ones, in foam, in the handcuffs, to accompany their words with many gestures. Qatar having made it a point of honor that no one gets lost in “his” competition, the visitor is accompanied at all times, and directed if he seems lost. Each has its formula, ranging from “Bus, subway, please continue straight” (“bus, metro, please continue straight”), which, declaimed in rhythm with the surrounding music, gives a small impression of a future electro hit, in the classic “Metro, this way” (“over here for the metro”). And everyone knows it now, so much so that all the Brazilian supporters sang it while waiting for the metro to take them to the stadium on Monday. While dancing, and to a samba tune, of course.