عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Iraq Conclude World Cup Preparations with a Defeat to Venezuela

Iraq's forward #11 Ahmed Qasim runs with the ball past Venezuela's midfielder #05 Ted Quintero during the international friendly football match between Iraq and Venezuela at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois on June 9, 2026. (AFP)
Iraq's forward #11 Ahmed Qasim runs with the ball past Venezuela's midfielder #05 Ted Quintero during the international friendly football match between Iraq and Venezuela at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois on June 9, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Iraq Conclude World Cup Preparations with a Defeat to Venezuela

Iraq's forward #11 Ahmed Qasim runs with the ball past Venezuela's midfielder #05 Ted Quintero during the international friendly football match between Iraq and Venezuela at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois on June 9, 2026. (AFP)
Iraq's forward #11 Ahmed Qasim runs with the ball past Venezuela's midfielder #05 Ted Quintero during the international friendly football match between Iraq and Venezuela at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois on June 9, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq lost 2-0 to Venezuela on Wednesday in their final warm-up friendly before the World Cup.

Midfielder Cristian Casseres opened the scoring for the South Americans in Bridgeville, Illinois in the 17th minute with a close-range ‌finish.

Venezuela doubled ‌their lead immediately after ‌interval ⁠when Casseres won ⁠the ball before passing to striker Jesus Ramirez, who dribbled past a defender and fired in a powerful shot.

Iraq finished the ⁠match with 10 men ‌after forward ‌Ali Youssef was shown a ‌straight red card in the ‌72nd minute.

Iraq return to the World Cup finals for the first time since their only ‌appearance 40 years ago, and will begin their ⁠Group ⁠I campaign against Norway on June 17 before facing France and Senegal.

Venezuela is not a participant in this year's tournament in North America, and remains the only South American nation to never qualify for the World Cup finals.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

African Players in Europe: Wissa Flick Seals Newcastle Victory

Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 29, 2026 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 29, 2026 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
TT
TT

African Players in Europe: Wissa Flick Seals Newcastle Victory

Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 29, 2026 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 29, 2026 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Democratic Republic of Congo striker Yoane Wissa scored with a clever over-the-shoulder flick to seal a 2-0 Premier League win for Newcastle United over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

YOANE WISSA (Newcastle Utd)

Wissa endured a difficult first season with the Magpies, but has made a better start to the new campaign. He impressed in Newcastle's 2-2 draw with Liverpool in their season opener, then bagged the decisive goal in north London.

BRYAN MBEUMO (Manchester Utd)

The Cameroon forward rounded off a resounding 5-2 victory for Michael Carrick's side over promoted Ipswich Town. Mbeumo struck in the 82nd minute at Old Trafford, taking a pass from hat-trick hero Bruno Fernandes and lobbed into the net via the underside of the crossbar. The 27-year-old's first goal this season was the finishing touch on United's maiden win this term after a humiliating loss at Hull.

SPAIN

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (Atletico Madrid)

Nigeria winger Lookman scored his first goal of the season to help beat Sevilla 3-1. Lookman, who impressed in his first few months at Atletico after joining in the winter transfer window, drilled home at the near post for his side's second goal midway through the first half.

ITALY

HASSANE KAMARA (Udinese)

Kamara struck a long-range shot into the net off the hands of Senegalese goalkeeper Demba Thiam for the second Udinese goal in a 3-2 Serie A victory at Monza. The France-born Ivory Coast midfielder also scored in the opening round last weekend.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy got his and Dortmund's season off to an excellent start, opening the scoring nine minutes into his side's 2-0 home win over Hamburg. The Guinea international played a clever one-two with new arrival Konstantinos Karetsas before scoring with a low shot across the face of the goal.

CHRISTIAN KOFANE (Bayer Leverkusen)

Kofane scored late as Leverkusen were stunned 3-2 by Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg. With the debutants leading 3-1 in added time, the Cameroon striker knocked in a rebound off the woodwork.

FRANCE

GESSIME YASSINE (Strasbourg)

The 20-year-old Moroccan international scored his first two goals for Strasbourg as they came from behind to beat Lens 2-1 in Ligue 1. Yassine levelled early in the second half through a deflected shot and won the match with a 85th-minute volley.

Sports

Kenin Beats Venus Williams in Late-Night US Open Encounter

Sofia Kenin of the United States returns a shot against Venus Williams of the United States during her Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Sofia Kenin of the United States returns a shot against Venus Williams of the United States during her Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
TT
TT

Kenin Beats Venus Williams in Late-Night US Open Encounter

Sofia Kenin of the United States returns a shot against Venus Williams of the United States during her Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Sofia Kenin of the United States returns a shot against Venus Williams of the United States during her Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

American Sofia Kenin beat 46-year-old compatriot Venus Williams 6-2 7-6(6) in a US Open first-round match that began at 12:13 a.m. on Monday, the latest start in women's tournament history.

The match at Arthur Ashe Stadium got underway after Novak Djokovic's five-set defeat by Mariano Navone, with a sizable contingent of fans staying on well past midnight for one more look at Williams, who ‌was playing ‌as a wild card in her ‌96th ⁠career Grand Slam ⁠main draw appearance.

Kenin broke serve in the opening game and never trailed in the first set, racing to a 3-0 lead as both players struggled to find their rhythm, combining for nine double faults.

Williams, cheered on by chants of "Let's go ⁠Venus", broke back to love to ‌trim the deficit to ‌3-1 but dropped serve again as Kenin pulled away ‌to close out the set.

Kenin reeled off three ‌straight games to lead 3-1 in the second set and while Williams showed flashes of the form that earned her seven Grand Slam titles she struggled ‌to string points together, with her second serve proving especially costly.

Kenin saved four ⁠break ⁠points to level at 5-5, leaving Williams screaming in frustration at handing her opponent another game with unforced errors. However, Williams still found a way to hold for 6-5 before Kenin forced a tiebreak.

Williams appeared to have the upper hand in the tiebreak but could not convert any of her seven set points, as Kenin dug in to close out the win.

Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, will next face top-ranked American Jessica Pegula.

Sports

Djokovic Falls in US Open First Round, Earliest Grand Slam Exit in 20 Years

Serbia's Novak Djokovic acknowledges the crowd after losing his first round match against Argentina's Mariano Navone at the US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, August 30, 2026. (Reuters)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic acknowledges the crowd after losing his first round match against Argentina's Mariano Navone at the US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, August 30, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Djokovic Falls in US Open First Round, Earliest Grand Slam Exit in 20 Years

Serbia's Novak Djokovic acknowledges the crowd after losing his first round match against Argentina's Mariano Navone at the US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, August 30, 2026. (Reuters)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic acknowledges the crowd after losing his first round match against Argentina's Mariano Navone at the US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, August 30, 2026. (Reuters)

Ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years on Sunday, falling in five brutal sets to Mariano Navone in the first round of the US Open.

The 48th-ranked Argentine's 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory ended Djokovic's latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

It also ended his run of 78 Grand Slam first-round victories, a streak stretching all the way back to Djokovic's 2006 loss to Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.

Djokovic was seen vomiting on court and struggled with late-match cramps but appeared to have finally taken control when he broke Navone for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set with a vintage backhand winner down the line.

But Navone won the next five games, raising his arms in celebration after fighting off two break points for a 5-2 lead and breaking Djokovic again to force the fifth set.

Djokovic took a medical timeout before the final set, receiving massage on his spine and another delivery of medication.

But Navone jumped to a 3-0 lead in the decisive set and there was no road back for the Serb as his opponent dropped just one point on his own serve as he sprinted to the finish line.