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.



Salah Steers Egypt into Africa Cup Knockout Stages After VAR Denies South Africa Late Penalty

 Egypt's forward #10 Mohamed Salah shoots from the penalty spot to score the team's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group B football match between Egypt and South Africa at Adrar Stadium in Agadir on December 26, 2025. (AFP)
Egypt's forward #10 Mohamed Salah shoots from the penalty spot to score the team's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group B football match between Egypt and South Africa at Adrar Stadium in Agadir on December 26, 2025. (AFP)
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Salah Steers Egypt into Africa Cup Knockout Stages After VAR Denies South Africa Late Penalty

 Egypt's forward #10 Mohamed Salah shoots from the penalty spot to score the team's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group B football match between Egypt and South Africa at Adrar Stadium in Agadir on December 26, 2025. (AFP)
Egypt's forward #10 Mohamed Salah shoots from the penalty spot to score the team's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group B football match between Egypt and South Africa at Adrar Stadium in Agadir on December 26, 2025. (AFP)

Mohamed Salah scored again on Friday as Egypt's 10 men held on to beat South Africa 1-0 to reach the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah, who secured the Pharaohs’ opening win with a stoppage-time strike against Zimbabwe on Monday, did it again in Agadir and his penalty before the break secured progression from Group B.

But South Africa should arguably have been given a penalty in stoppage time when Yasser Ibrahim blocked a shot with his arm. After a long delay, the referee decided against awarding the spot kick after consulting video replays and Ibrahim sank to the ground in relief.

“We didn’t have much luck. We also had several refereeing decisions go against us,” South Africa coach Hugo Broos said.

Salah converted his penalty after he was struck in the face by the hand of the retreating South Africa forward Lyle Foster. Salah showed no ill effects from the blow and sent his shot straight down the middle while goalkeeper Ronwen Williams dived to his right.

There was still time before the break for Egypt defender Mohamed Hany to get sent off, after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Teboho Mokoena.

Goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy was Egypt’s key player in the second half.

“We gave our all in this match right until the end, and we also hope for the best for what comes next,” the 37-year-old El Shenawy said.

Earlier, Angola and Zimbabwe drew 1-1 in the other group game, a result that suited neither side after opening losses.

Egypt leads with 6 points from two games followed by South Africa on 3. Angola and Zimbabwe have a point each. The top two progress from each group, along with the best third-place finishers.

Zambia drew 1-1 with Comoros in the early Group A fixture after both lost their opening games, meaning the winner of the late match could be sure of progressing.


Draper to Miss Australian Open Due to Injury

 Jack Draper, of Great Britain, reacts after defeating Federico Agustin Gomez, of Argentina, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Aug. 25, 2025, in New York. (AP)
Jack Draper, of Great Britain, reacts after defeating Federico Agustin Gomez, of Argentina, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Aug. 25, 2025, in New York. (AP)
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Draper to Miss Australian Open Due to Injury

 Jack Draper, of Great Britain, reacts after defeating Federico Agustin Gomez, of Argentina, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Aug. 25, 2025, in New York. (AP)
Jack Draper, of Great Britain, reacts after defeating Federico Agustin Gomez, of Argentina, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Aug. 25, 2025, in New York. (AP)

Briton Jack Draper said on Friday he will not compete in next month's Australian Open, citing ongoing recovery from an injury.

Draper, 10th in the world rankings, was forced to withdraw from the second round of ‌the US Open ‌in August ‌due ⁠to bone ‌bruising in his left arm.

"Unfortunately, me and my team have decided not to head out to Australia this year. It's a really, ⁠really tough decision," the British ‌number one said in ‍a video ‍posted on X.

The 24-year-old ‍is targeting a February return alongside preparation for the defense of his Indian Wells title in March.

"This injury has been the most difficult ⁠and complex of my career," Draper added. "It's weird, it always seems to make me more resilient. I'm looking forward to getting back out there in 2026 and competing."

The Australian Open begins on January 18 in ‌Melbourne.


Morocco Forced to Wait for AFCON Knockout Place After Mali Draw

Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Group A - Morocco v Mali - Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco - December 26, 2025 Morocco's Ismael Saibari reacts after Mali's Lassine Sinayoko scored their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Group A - Morocco v Mali - Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco - December 26, 2025 Morocco's Ismael Saibari reacts after Mali's Lassine Sinayoko scored their first goal. (Reuters)
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Morocco Forced to Wait for AFCON Knockout Place After Mali Draw

Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Group A - Morocco v Mali - Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco - December 26, 2025 Morocco's Ismael Saibari reacts after Mali's Lassine Sinayoko scored their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Group A - Morocco v Mali - Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco - December 26, 2025 Morocco's Ismael Saibari reacts after Mali's Lassine Sinayoko scored their first goal. (Reuters)

Morocco missed the chance to guarantee their spot in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after Lassine Sinayoko's second-half penalty earned Mali a 1-1 draw with the hosts on Friday.

The match was a tale of two spot-kicks, with Brahim Diaz giving Morocco the lead from a penalty deep in first-half injury time and Sinayoko replying on 64 minutes.

The stalemate at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat ended Morocco's world record winning run which had been taken to 19 matches with their 2-0 victory over Comoros in the tournament's opening game.

It also means Morocco have not yet confirmed their place in the knockout phase, although they are on top of Group A with four points from two games.

Mali come next on two points alongside Zambia, who drew 0-0 with minnows Comoros earlier in Casablanca.

Morocco next face Zambia on Monday and a victory in that match against the 2012 champions will ensure that the hosts go through as group winners.

"We'll look back at the second half and see what the problem was but we didn't play the way we did in the first half. We didn't impose our game and had to drop off. The penalty changed the game a bit," Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi told broadcaster beIN Sports.

"We go into the third game with the same approach, to win the game and finish top of the group."

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, the African player of the year, was again an unused substitute as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury suffered playing for Paris Saint-Germain at the start of November.

- Mbappe watches on -

His former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, the current Real Madrid superstar and France skipper, was among the spectators in the crowd of 63,844 and appeared to be wearing a Morocco shirt with Hakimi's number two on it.

With Hakimi on the sidelines, Mbappe's Real Madrid teammate Diaz was the main attraction on the pitch -- the little number 10 forced a good save from Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra on 17 minutes and then played a key part in the penalty which led to the opening goal just before the interval.

Mali defender Nathan Gassama brushed the ball with his hand as he tried to stop Diaz dribbling past him inside the box, and the referee eventually awarded a spot-kick following a lengthy look at the pitchside VAR monitor.

Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi had a spot-kick saved against Comoros but this time Diaz sent the goalkeeper the wrong way for his second goal of the tournament.

However, Walid Regragui's side, the best team in Africa according to the FIFA rankings, could not build on that as Mali won a penalty of their own just after the hour mark.

Sinayoko went down under a clumsy challenge by Jawad El Yamiq and 29-year-old Cameroonian referee Abdoul Abdel Mefire awarded the penalty after eventually being called over to check his screen.

Auxerre striker Sinayoko, having been booked apparently for something he said to the referee, kept his cool to stroke in the reward and restore parity.

Morocco substitute Youssef En-Nesyri was denied by a good Diarra save and Mali then held on through 10 minutes of stoppage time for a point, as the final whistle was greeted with jeers from the home fans.