Neymar Scores Brace, Mbappe on Target in PSG Victory

Neymar. (AFP)
Neymar. (AFP)
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Neymar Scores Brace, Mbappe on Target in PSG Victory

Neymar. (AFP)
Neymar. (AFP)

Neymar continued his outstanding start to the season with a brace while Kylian Mbappe marked his return to the team with a goal but also had a penalty saved as Paris Saint-Germain trounced Montpellier 5-2 in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Neymar rolled in a spot-kick to put PSG 2-0 up at the break on a hot night at the Parc des Princes after Falaye Sacko's own goal had put them ahead, AFP said.

The Brazilian then headed in his second and PSG's third shortly after the interval, taking his tally for the season to five goals already after just three games.

Wahbi Khazri pulled one back for Montpellier before Mbappe made it 4-1 and new signing Renato Sanches came off the bench to get the fifth late on.

Enzo Tchato notched another consolation for the visitors at the death but PSG have now recorded three wins out of three this season under new coach Christophe Galtier, scoring 14 goals in the process.

Neymar has picked up where he left off last season, when he scored nine in PSG's final nine Ligue 1 matches.

So often plagued by fitness issues since arriving in Paris in 2017, he finally looks in rude health.

In contrast, Mbappe was playing his first competitive game since announcing on the final night of last season that he had agreed a new three-year deal to stay at PSG, turning down a move to Real Madrid in the process.

- Mbappe 'needs time' -
The France superstar missed his club's first two games of the new campaign –- a 4-0 defeat of Nantes in the season-opening Champions Trophy, and then the 5-0 win at Clermont -- due first to suspension and then injury.

"Physically, we knew his lack of game time in pre-season would cost him," Galtier told broadcaster Canal Plus when asked about Mbappe's performance and attitude, with the 23-year-old appearing frustrated at times on the night.

"He is a competitor, he wants to be good, and he wants to be good quickly."

Mbappe, whose last match was against Gamba Osaka in Japan almost three weeks ago, had a penalty saved midway through the first half by Montpellier goalkeeper Jonas Omlin after the VAR spotted a handball in the area.

However, it was his shot that was diverted in by Sacko for an own goal to break the deadlock, and Mbappe later got his goal following a Neymar corner in the second half, but Galtier admitted the striker was not yet on peak form.

"A top-level footballer can't just switch himself on or off. He needs time to be back to 100 percent of his athletic ability and when he gets there he will make even more of a difference," Galtier admitted.

"He likes to get forward and score goals and it is really quite normal that he should be, not disappointed, but a bit short of full fitness compared to his teammates."

Meanwhile Neymar thought he had a hat-trick late on when he finished from a Lionel Messi pass, only for the celebrations to be cut short when the VAR spotted an offside in the build-up.

Soon after that Sanches scored moments after coming on for his debut following a move from Lille for a reported 15 million euros ($15.4m).

PSG are expected to make more signings before the transfer window closes and have been strongly linked with Napoli's Spanish international midfielder Fabian Ruiz.

Earlier in Ligue 1, Monaco bounced back from their midweek Champions League elimination to draw 1-1 with Rennes.

Knocked out in the third qualifying round of Europe's elite club competition by PSV Eindhoven, Monaco had Youssouf Fofana sent off inside 15 minutes at the Stade Louis II.

Axel Disasi then had a penalty saved for the hosts, and Gaetan Laborde put Rennes ahead before the hour mark.

However, Swiss forward Breel Embolo pounced on an error by Rennes substitute goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar to ensure a share of the spoils.

Sunday's scheduled match between Lorient and Lyon was called off because of damage caused to the Brittany side's pitch by the scorching, dry summer weather in France combined with a festival held on the surface last week.



Wawrinka ‘at Peace’ with Retirement but No Plans to Go Quietly

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka serves to Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their men's singles match on day 2 of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on May 26, 2025. (AFP)
Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka serves to Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their men's singles match on day 2 of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on May 26, 2025. (AFP)
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Wawrinka ‘at Peace’ with Retirement but No Plans to Go Quietly

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka serves to Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their men's singles match on day 2 of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on May 26, 2025. (AFP)
Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka serves to Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their men's singles match on day 2 of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on May 26, 2025. (AFP)

Three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka said Monday he was "at peace" with his decision to make 2026 his last year on tour but insisted there were still goals to meet.

The 40-year-old announced this month that he plans to call it quits, with the United Cup in Perth starting Friday the beginning of the end for the popular Swiss star.

"Of course, I'm still passionate about the game, about the sport I love," he said.

"What I received from it, the emotion playing in a different country, coming back here with a lot of fans, a lot of support, so I'm going to miss that part, that's for sure," he said.

"The last few months, I've had time to decide whether it will be my last year or not, and for me, it's quite clear. I'm happy with the decision, I'm at peace with that."

Wawrinka won the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open a year later and the US Open in 2016, at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were dominating men's tennis.

A former world number three, he is now ranked 157 after struggling with injuries but said he would work as hard as ever this season.

"I still want to play some good tennis, I still have goals. Hopefully I can come back in the top 100, finish on a good ranking," he said.

"I want to play the full year, the big tournaments, the main ones, and let's see my ranking in the next few months."

Wawrinka has 16 career ATP titles although the last came in Geneva in 2017.

He won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing in 2008 and helped deliver a first Davis Cup triumph for Switzerland in 2014.

Wawrinka leads a Swiss team also boasting world number 11 Belinda Bencic at the mixed-teams United Cup where they are grouped with France and Italy.


Sudan Beat Equatorial Guinea for Rare AFCON Win

A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
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Sudan Beat Equatorial Guinea for Rare AFCON Win

A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

Sudan boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after a Saul Coco own goal gave them a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.

Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute in Casablanca when his teammate Luis Asue attempted to clear a Sudan free-kick, AFP reported.

Sudan won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 but this is just their second victory in 18 matches across six appearances at the tournament since then.

They lie 117th in the FIFA world rankings, compared to Equatorial Guinea in 97th.

The win leaves Kwesi Appiah's team on three points from two games in Group E, while Equatorial Guinea have lost both matches so far.

Sudan are competing at this AFCON in Morocco despite the country having been devastated since war broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.

They will play Burkina Faso in their last group game on Wednesday and will be aiming to reach the knockout stages of the Cup of Nations for just the second time since that 1970 triumph -- they got to the quarter-finals in 2012 before losing to eventual winners Zambia.


Hakimi Could Finally Make 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Bow against Zambia

Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS
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Hakimi Could Finally Make 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Bow against Zambia

Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS

Morocco coach Walid Regragui has confirmed captain Achraf Hakimi is fit to face Zambia in their final ​Group A clash at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday after two false starts in the competition so far.

Hakimi was crowned Africa’s best player at the Confederation of African Football awards last month but appeared ‌at the ‌ceremony in Rabat ‌on ⁠crutches, ​sparking doubt ‌over whether he would recover in time for the finals, according to Reuters.

The Paris St Germain right-back said he felt ready to play on the eve of the tournament, but has not been used in ⁠host Morocco’s opening two games, a 2-0 victory ‌over Comoros and a ‍1-1 draw against ‍Mali.

However, Regragui said on Sunday that ‍the player is now available and thanked PSG for aiding the player’s recovery and releasing him early to link up with ​the national team and work with their medical staff.

“I want to thank ⁠Paris St Germain. If Hakimi is back with us today, it's thanks to them,” Regragui said.

"There's not a single club in the world that would release a player 15 days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco need victory over Zambia to ensure they win Group B having ‌last lifted the Cup of Nations trophy in 1976.