Algeria Beat Nigeria and Extend Unbeaten Run to 19 Matches

Algeria Beat Nigeria and Extend Unbeaten Run to 19 Matches
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Algeria Beat Nigeria and Extend Unbeaten Run to 19 Matches

Algeria Beat Nigeria and Extend Unbeaten Run to 19 Matches

Algeria extended an unbeaten run to 19 matches with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria Friday in an international friendly between two of the top five ranked African countries.

In another high-profile warm-up match behind closed doors ahead of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying next month, Morocco triumphed 3-1 over a depleted Senegal.

Burkina Faso, Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania and Tunisia also won while 2021 Cup of Nations hosts Cameroon drew 0-0 against Japan.

Cup of Nations title-holders Algeria needed less than six minutes to score the goal in the Austrian town of Sankt Veit an der Glan that sank Nigeria in a rematch of the 2019 semi-final at the flagship African competition.

Center-back Ramy Bensebaini ventured forward for a corner and after heading the ball downward, poked it into the net.

Nigeria gave a debut to Frankfurt-born Kevin Akpoguma who, like Bensebaini, plays in the Bundesliga, and represented Germany at under-age level before switching his allegiance.

The defender is the latest of many Europe-born footballers to represent the African country where parents or grandparents come from.

Algeria last lost in October 2018 away to Benin and now move to the Netherlands for a friendly against Mexico on Tuesday.

Senegal, the top ranked African national team ahead of Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, suffered a series of major withdrawals from the squad.

Liverpool forward and 2019 African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane tested positive for Covid-19 and injuries ruled out goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

So a challenging task in Rabat for the Senegalese became that much harder and they trailed by three goals before Ismaila Sarr converted an 88th-minute penalty.

Selim Amallah put the Moroccans ahead after 10 minutes and Youssef en Nesyri and Youssef el Arabi added to the scoresheet in the second half.

On Tuesday, Morocco host a Democratic Republic of Congo team that will be smarting from a 3-0 drubbing by Burkina Faso in Moroccan city El Jadida while Senegal entertain Mauritania.

The Mauritanians will travel south to neighboring Senegal boosted by a 2-1 win over Sierra Leone in Nouakchott, where Hemeya Tanjy fired in the 79th-minute winner.

Mali shrugged off losing a number of players to injuries and positive coronavirus tests to wallop Ghana 3-0 in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.

Hamari Traore put the Malians ahead inside three minutes and El Bilal Toure and Amadou Haidara netted early and late in the second half.

Tunisia were another nation to triumph 3-0 with all the goals against Sudan in Rades near Tunis coming during the first half.

France-based captain Wahbi Khazri was involved in all the goals, scored by Seifedine Khaoui, Ali Maaloul and Anis Ben Slimane.

In other friendlies, the Gambia edged Congo 1-0 in Portugal through an Assan Ceesay goal and a brilliant run and fierce shot from Cliff Nyakeya helped Kenya beat Zambia 2-1 in Nairobi.

The coronavirus sidelined African national teams from last November until late September when Sudan won two friendlies against Chad.



Haaland Primed for ‘Big Impact’ at World Cup, Says Norway Coach

Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Norway Training - New England Revolution Training Center, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US - June 15, 2026 Norway's Erling Haaland during training. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Norway Training - New England Revolution Training Center, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US - June 15, 2026 Norway's Erling Haaland during training. (Reuters)
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Haaland Primed for ‘Big Impact’ at World Cup, Says Norway Coach

Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Norway Training - New England Revolution Training Center, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US - June 15, 2026 Norway's Erling Haaland during training. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Norway Training - New England Revolution Training Center, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US - June 15, 2026 Norway's Erling Haaland during training. (Reuters)

Norway coach Stale Solbakken says star striker Erling Haaland is poised to make a "very big impact" as his country returns to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

Haaland scored 16 times as Norway powered through qualifying with a perfect record, twice beating Italy, to secure a first World Cup appearance since 1998.

They will kick off their tournament campaign against Iraq in Boston on Tuesday in a challenging Group I that includes two-time champions France and Senegal.

However, they can call on one of the game's most fearsome attackers in Haaland, who shot to prominence with nine goals in an Under-20 World Cup match in 2019 and now steps onto the sport's biggest stage.

"Hopefully he'll have a very big impact," said the 58-year-old Solbakken, who was in the squad as a midfielder the last time Norway went to the World Cup.

Haaland is coming off a third Premier League Golden Boot in four seasons at Manchester City and boasts a remarkable record of 55 goals in 50 caps for Norway.

"He's our goalscorer. I think he's the world's best goalscorer. He's physically fit, he was given a little bit of a break towards the end of the season," Solbakken told reporters on Monday.

"I think gradually he has played better and better in training here. I think he's where he wants to be and hopefully the team can also give him the service he needs to score goals.

"If you give Erling chances, he has a tendency to score, so hopefully that continues."

Solbakken made no attempt to downplay the significance of their opening game against outsiders Iraq, who return to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.

"We are in a very competitive group, maybe the hardest of all. If you can start with three points then maybe you are on your way. You can't hide that it's a very important game."

Solbakken, who also appeared at Euro 2000 in Norway's last major tournament outing, said it be would be a proud moment on Tuesday.

"For every citizen, to lead out his country in a game like this, especially after 28 years of hurt, that is perhaps the top thing, the number one thing on the list," he said.


Iraq Have Everything to Gain, Will Try to Shock the World Says Coach Arnold

 Iraq head coach Graham Arnold talks to the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP)
Iraq head coach Graham Arnold talks to the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP)
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Iraq Have Everything to Gain, Will Try to Shock the World Says Coach Arnold

 Iraq head coach Graham Arnold talks to the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP)
Iraq head coach Graham Arnold talks to the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP)

Iraq ‌have qualified for their first World Cup in 40 years, but coach Graham Arnold wants far more than that, with his team battle-hardened by the 21 qualifying matches it took to reach the finals and ready to shock the world, he said on Monday.

The Iraqis take on Norway in their Group I opener on Tuesday in Boston after 2022 World Cup finalists France play Senegal and Arnold told a ‌press conference his ‌players had nothing to lose.

"We are ‌in ⁠a very difficult ⁠group but at the same time the boys are very excited," Arnold said. "Every day is a countdown. The World Cup started four days ago.

"The boys have been through a lot of playoffs, a lot of pressure games. They had to play 21 World ⁠Cup qualifiers. It is a good ‌learning curve for them," he ‌said.

Iraq grabbed the last available World Cup place by ‌beating Bolivia 2-1 in their inter-confederation playoff in ‌March.

Arnold said his players had watched all the matches so far, including strong results by smaller teams, such as Cape Verde's shock 1-1 draw against European champions Spain and ‌Qatar's draw with the Swiss, that gave his players confidence.

"We have to believe ⁠in ourselves ⁠and be ready to play. Qualification is not enough. I want more," Arnold said.

Iraq have never won a World Cup match, losing all three of their group games at their only previous appearance in 1986.

"It has been a tough 12 months," Arnold said. "Just getting here is not enough. They had a good celebration ... it was congrats but now we have to go to the World Cup and perform our best and try to shock the world.

"We have everything to gain and nothing to lose."


Tunisia Replace Coach Lamouchi with Renard after World Cup Rout by Sweden

Tunisia's French head coach Sabri Lamouchi during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Sweden and Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on June 14, 2026.  (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)
Tunisia's French head coach Sabri Lamouchi during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Sweden and Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on June 14, 2026. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)
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Tunisia Replace Coach Lamouchi with Renard after World Cup Rout by Sweden

Tunisia's French head coach Sabri Lamouchi during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Sweden and Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on June 14, 2026.  (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)
Tunisia's French head coach Sabri Lamouchi during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Sweden and Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on June 14, 2026. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)

Tunisia have sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi and replaced him with fellow Frenchman Herve Renard in the wake of the 5-1 defeat by Sweden in their World Cup opener in Monterrey on Sunday, the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) said.

Lamouchi, the first coaching casualty of the tournament, was appointed in January on a contract until 2028. He leaves the post with matches to come against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on June 25.

Tunisia won just one of their ⁠five games under ⁠Lamouchi, beating Haiti 1-0 in March, while losing 1-0 to Austria and being thrashed 5-0 by Belgium in a pair of World Cup warm-up matches this month.

In a statement on social media on Tuesday, the TFT said Renard would take charge until ⁠the end of Tunisia's World Cup campaign.

"The agreement also stipulates that negotiations will be opened after the World Cup campaign to consider a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives," it added.

According to Reuters, the country's state-owned broadcaster Television Tunisienne reported that Renard would arrive in Monterrey later on Tuesday to link up with the squad.

Renard, twice an Africa Cup of Nations winner, coached Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup ⁠in Qatar ⁠and led them to a famous victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage.

He left to coach the French women's team at the World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympics, before returning to Saudi Arabia and helping the men's side qualify for a third successive World Cup.

He was then replaced by Georgios Donis in the build-up to the tournament.