Sports
FWWC: Morocco in a Miraculous 1-0 win over Columbia qualifies for R16 Stage.
The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco on Thursday stunned book makers defeating Columbia by a lone goal at the Group H match played at the Perth Rectangular Stadium and qualifying for the Round of 16.

Morocco celebrates
Morocco joins Nigeria and South Africa, all from Africa to move to the last 16 team of the world with the Copper Queens of Zambia the only team to go home from the group stage.
Ref Maria Caputi of Italy who officiated the Japan versus Costa Rica in Group C was meticulous to ensure fair play and standard game but the blacks at the stadium stood by Morocco to win.
The winning goal of the match was spectacular Ghizlane Chebbak had missed a penalty shot saved by Perez but the rebound came to Ouzraoul who quickly found Anissa Lahman who scored at 45+4th minute.
In the first round, Germany defeated Morocco 6-0 and Columbia banged Korea 2-0; in the second round, African representatives tamed the Tigresses of Asian, Korea by a lone goal while Germany was shocked with a 1-2 defeat by Columbia.
With the shocking 1-1 draw between Korrea and Germany, Columbia emerged winners in group H chalking 6 points, winning two games and losing one scoring 4 goals and conceding 2; Morocco who everyone thought was the whipped team of the group came second to move to the round of 16 with 6 points scoring 2 goals and conceding 6; almighty Germany ranked 2 in the world had a nightmare of a tournament being kicked out with four points winning a match, drawing one and losing the third scoring 8 goals (highest in the group) and conceding 3 while giant killers Korea went home placing 4th but with heads high as the 17th ranked team in the world could only make a point from a draw and scored only a goal that wrecked Germany but conceded 4.
Morocco as runners-up in this group will meet France on Tuesday 8th August at 0900 hours while group winners Columbia will meet the Reggae Girlz of Jamaica at 12 noon same Tuesday.
This is the first time Columbia is facing any African side and the first time Morocco will face any South African side.
Columbia could become just the second South American side to win 100% of their group games in a single edition of the world cup with Brazil the only previous side to have done it in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Cameroon is the only African side to have won their group third game 2-1 over Switzerland in2015.
The Round of 16 matches will start with Switzerland taking on Spain at the Eden Park Stadium on Saturday at 0600 hours while the second match of the round is also on Saturday at 0900 hours (both times Nigerian time) between Japan and Norway at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
By Eniola Olatunji
Sports
Iraola: My Fight With Isak Has Never Been About Goals
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola says Alexander Isak is a “massive” player for him – but adds he “fights” with the player about needing to do more for the “collective”.
Isak scored twice in the opening nine minutes in the 2-0 win over Ipswich to take his tally to three for the season – but Iraola hinted the player needs to do more off the ball for the team.
“He’s a massive player for us,” he told Sky Sports. “My demands will not be about the goals: he’s fit, in a good shape and he will produce the numbers.
“But my fights with him are more about other stuff, how to help the team in other situations. But it’s good he has played two full games and today a good amount of minutes, scoring the goals.”
Iraola did not reveal which specific areas Isak needs to improve, but it could be interpreted that Iraola wants his striker to do more in the pressing.
“I will demand other things so we can play well,” he said in his post-match press conference about those demands to Isak. “And if we play well, we are in good positions, the goals will come.
“He has to contribute to the collective and when everyone helps, after the goals and results will come.”
Iraola also said to Sky: “Today we were much, much better in our press. We were recovering very high and then we can contact him in good positions.
“If we recover the ball lower, it will be more difficult to find him to have less spaces. So we need more quality effort to put our No 9 in situations like he had today.”
Sports
‘It’s So Strong’ – Sabalenka Halts Play Over Cannabis Smell
Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of a strong smell of cannabis before cruising into the fourth round in New York.
Top seed Sabalenka raised the issue after going 3-0 up in the first set against Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova, telling umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that “someone is smoking weed”.
The Belarusian asked the umpire to intervene “because it’s so strong”.
Asderaki-Moore spoke to an official on her radio and made a smoking gesture to someone behind her, before play continued.
Two-time defending champion Sabalenka went on to secure a confident 6-3 6-4 victory on Louis Armstrong Stadium as she chases a fifth Grand Slam singles title.
Sabalenka said afterwards she was not sure where the smell of cannabis was coming from but asked fans to be more mindful.
Smoking is not permitted on site at Flushing Meadows but the smell of cannabis sometimes wafts on to court from the nearby Corona Park.
It is legal to smoke it in New York for adults aged 21 and over.
“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” Sabalenka said.
“I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium.
“I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”
Sabalenka is not the first player at this year’s US Open to complain about the smell of cannabis at Flushing Meadows.
Britain’s Katie Boulter previously said it was distracting, while Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones also noticed the smell.
In past years players including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have also complained.
Sports
Onana Gets Twins As Salah Welcomes First Son Weeks After Joining Turkish Team
Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has welcomed his third child and first son, named Lail, Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan said after the Turkish club’s third-round league match against Amedspor.
Doğan said Salah and his Cameroonian teammate André Onana travelled outside Turkey following the match as their wives were due to give birth.
“After the Amed match, we travelled abroad with Onana and Salah. Onana welcomed twins, while Salah welcomed a baby boy. I congratulate their families and wives,” Doğan was quoted as telling Turkish media.
Salah’s sister, Rabab Salah, later revealed the baby’s name on Instagram, posting a photograph of a baby hat and congratulating her brother on the birth of Lail.
The child is Salah’s first son. The Egyptian star and his wife, Magi, already have two daughters, Makka and Kayan.
Doğan’s comments came after a photograph of Salah and Onana aboard a private jet circulated online, prompting questions among Trabzonspor supporters and local media about the reason for their trip.
The club president said both players had travelled for family reasons following the match.
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