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Tunisia’s Miserable Run Continues After Botswana Draw in AFCON Qualifiers

Tunisia's Montassar Talibi (R) fights for the ball with player of Botswana's Thero Setsile (L) during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying Group H match between Tunisia and Botswana in Tunis, Tunisia, 28 September 2026. (EPA)
Tunisia's Montassar Talibi (R) fights for the ball with player of Botswana's Thero Setsile (L) during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying Group H match between Tunisia and Botswana in Tunis, Tunisia, 28 September 2026. (EPA)
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Tunisia’s Miserable Run Continues After Botswana Draw in AFCON Qualifiers

Tunisia's Montassar Talibi (R) fights for the ball with player of Botswana's Thero Setsile (L) during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying Group H match between Tunisia and Botswana in Tunis, Tunisia, 28 September 2026. (EPA)
Tunisia's Montassar Talibi (R) fights for the ball with player of Botswana's Thero Setsile (L) during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying Group H match between Tunisia and Botswana in Tunis, Tunisia, 28 September 2026. (EPA)

Tunisia’s poor ‌form continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Botswana in their Africa Cup of Nations Group H qualifier in Rades on Monday, extending their winless run to eight games.

It is a second successive draw for the North African side at the start of the continental qualifiers having been held to a 1-1 home draw by Uganda on Thursday.

Botswana lead the pool with two points from as many matches, the same as Tunisia, while Libya and Uganda have a point ‌each. They ‌meet in Hoima on Tuesday.

Thatayaone Kgamanyane put ‌Botswana ⁠ahead on 37 ⁠minutes but two goals from Hazem Mastouri either side of halftime turned the fixture in the favor of the hosts.

But Tunisia were denied victory when Lebogang Ditsele equalized for Botswana on the hour mark and the sparse home crowd left disappointed once again.

Yoane Wissa was on target as the Democratic Republic of ⁠Congo claimed a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe ‌in Harare to move top of ‌Group E with a full haul of six points.

Wissa opened the ‌scoring before turning provider for Samuel Moutoussamy to net a ‌second on the stroke of halftime. Marshall Munetsi scored his third goal in two games late on for the hosts, but the Congolese hung on for the win.

Equatorial Guinea defeated Sierra Leone 1-0 ‌in the other match in the group thanks to a strike from Spanish-born forward Loren Zuniga ⁠inside the ⁠first minute in neutral Yaounde.

DR Congo head Group E with six points from their two games, followed by Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea with three each, while Sierra Leone are yet to get off the mark.

Burkina Faso moved to the top of Group F as they defeated Central African Republic 1-0 in neutral Casablanca.

RB Salzburg teenager Aboubacar Camara scored the only goal of the game on the hour-mark in his second appearance for the senior national team.

The top two nations in each pool qualify for the 24-team continental finals that will be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17 next year.

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Olise Wonder Strike Gives Zidane’s France Win in Belgium

France's midfielder #11 Michael Olise celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League Group A1 football match between Belgium and France at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on September 28, 2026. (AFP)
France's midfielder #11 Michael Olise celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League Group A1 football match between Belgium and France at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on September 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Olise Wonder Strike Gives Zidane’s France Win in Belgium

France's midfielder #11 Michael Olise celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League Group A1 football match between Belgium and France at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on September 28, 2026. (AFP)
France's midfielder #11 Michael Olise celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League Group A1 football match between Belgium and France at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on September 28, 2026. (AFP)

Michael Olise's magnificent late strike gave France a 1-0 victory in Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Monday as Zinedine Zidane made it two wins out of two since being named coach.

Bayern Munich star Olise, who was one of the outstanding players at the World Cup in which France reached the semi-finals, came off the bench late on with the game in Brussels goalless, and set off from inside his own half to score the winner in the 88th minute.

"He is a pure talent and he loves to just play. You can see it. He feels the game. I am pleased to be at his side," Zidane, who sprinted down the touchline and booted a ball to celebrate the goal, told broadcaster TF1.

The win follows a 1-0 success away to Turkey last Friday in Zidane's first game at the helm after succeeding Didier Deschamps as coach following the World Cup.

France are therefore top of Nations League Group A1 with six points, three points ahead of Belgium and Italy, who won 4-1 in Türkiye on Monday.

Les Bleus play host to Italy next at the Stade de France on Friday on what will be Zidane's homecoming. France will then entertain Belgium next Monday.

"We need a rest now. We have done a lot of travelling and not much training or resting," said Zidane.

"We were really good in every department. Against a really good Belgium side who made us suffer we held out, we played really well, and we were brave.

"We had some difficulties in the second half at times but that was to be expected with all the changes we made. I think we dominated the game. Overall we deserved to win and we got the goal towards the end."

- Mbappe missing, Jacquet debut -

Zidane was without captain Kylian Mbappe here with the Real Madrid striker having returned to his club for treatment after injuring his left knee while scoring the winner against Türkiye.

The French line-up at the King Baudouin Stadium showed nine changes, with goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Chelsea defender Maxence Lacroix the only players to keep their places.

There were notably debuts in defense for Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet, in midfield for Lucas Da Cunha of Como in Italy, and in attack for Esteban Lepaul of Rennes, the top scorer in France's Ligue 1 last season.

Belgium, in contrast, made only two changes to the team that started last Friday's 2-0 win in Italy for what was new coach Mark van Bommel's home bow.

France had the better of the chances with Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue cracking a shot off the bar in the first half and Da Cunha striking the post early in the second half.

But the contest was heading to an unremarkable goalless conclusion until Olise intervened, having been sent on in the 77th minute in place of Liverpool winger Bradley Barcola.

The London-born player collected possession inside his own half and advanced all the way to the edge of the Belgian box before curling a shot beyond the reach of Senne Lammens into the bottom-left corner of the net.

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Isak and Gakpo Injured on Int’l Duty in Blow to Liverpool

Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands during the UEFA Nations League match between the Netherlands and Germany at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 24 September 2026. EPA/OLAF KRAAK
Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands during the UEFA Nations League match between the Netherlands and Germany at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 24 September 2026. EPA/OLAF KRAAK
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Isak and Gakpo Injured on Int’l Duty in Blow to Liverpool

Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands during the UEFA Nations League match between the Netherlands and Germany at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 24 September 2026. EPA/OLAF KRAAK
Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands during the UEFA Nations League match between the Netherlands and Germany at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 24 September 2026. EPA/OLAF KRAAK

The international break is not being kind to Liverpool, with key attackers Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both sustaining injuries while on duty with their countries.

Isak has left the Sweden squad and returned to Liverpool because of what the club has described as a “minor injury.” The striker played the full match as Sweden beat Romania 2-1 on Friday but will not be involved in the country's next three Nations League matches.

Gakpo came off in the 17th minute of the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Serbia on Sunday with an apparent ankle injury suffered a few minutes earlier. The forward tried to continue playing before leaving.

Liverpool's first game back after the international break is against Manchester City at Anfield on Oct. 11.

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Messi and Alcaraz Love it, Now Padel Takes Step Closer to Olympics

Technical equipment is seen as Hong Kong's Mohammed Khan and Sean Lo Escoto (top) play against Kazakhstan's Zhakas Kozbak and Rodion Pak during the men's pairs padel first round match at the Nagoya City Highashi Sports Center in Nagoya on September 28, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
Technical equipment is seen as Hong Kong's Mohammed Khan and Sean Lo Escoto (top) play against Kazakhstan's Zhakas Kozbak and Rodion Pak during the men's pairs padel first round match at the Nagoya City Highashi Sports Center in Nagoya on September 28, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
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Messi and Alcaraz Love it, Now Padel Takes Step Closer to Olympics

Technical equipment is seen as Hong Kong's Mohammed Khan and Sean Lo Escoto (top) play against Kazakhstan's Zhakas Kozbak and Rodion Pak during the men's pairs padel first round match at the Nagoya City Highashi Sports Center in Nagoya on September 28, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
Technical equipment is seen as Hong Kong's Mohammed Khan and Sean Lo Escoto (top) play against Kazakhstan's Zhakas Kozbak and Rodion Pak during the men's pairs padel first round match at the Nagoya City Highashi Sports Center in Nagoya on September 28, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Carlos Alcaraz are all obsessed with it, and on Monday the fast-growing racquet sport of padel made its Asian Games debut with officials hoping a place at the Olympics is getting closer.

Padel, a cross between tennis and squash on courts surrounded by glass walls, is played by an estimated 38 million people and has ambitions to become a major global sport.

It took another step towards that goal at the Asian Games in Nagoya after being added to the continent's biggest sporting spectacular as a medal event.

After winning her opening match with doubles partner Danna Abad, Philippines player Joshea Malazarte told AFP: "Padel in Europe is really big and it has just started here, so we're just glad that they added padel."

Padel originated in Latin America and has exploded in popularity in the last decade, notably in Europe.

Officials say the sport is played in 170 countries and territories, with 85,000 courts around the globe.

It is still relatively unknown in Games host Japan, and there was curiosity among some of the crowd at the modest Higashi Sports Center.

Tickets for the event were free, and one spectator told AFP that she and her friend had dropped in to take a look before heading off for lunch.

Another, 60-year-old Yuko Hiraiwa, said she enjoyed the action but thought the crowd was "a bit quiet".

"I play padel but this was the first time I've seen it live," she said.

"It was really dynamic and exciting."

The sedate atmosphere in Nagoya was a far cry from padel's popularity in other parts of the world.

The sport has a professional tour circuit and an event held at the Roland Garros tennis stadium in Paris this month attracted over 80,000 people.

A galaxy of padel-playing sports stars including football icons Ronaldo and Messi and Formula One driver Max Verstappen have also given it a boost.

Padel has already appeared at the European Games, and International Padel Federation (IPF) official Donatella Del Gaudio said the next goal is the Olympics.

"We are working hard to make it happen soon," she said.

"We just need to be patient, diligent and respect the Olympic timeline."

Padel is usually played as a doubles game and uses solid rather than stringed racquets.

The courts are much smaller than in tennis and enclosed by glass walls, which can be used to hit balls off similar to squash.

Philippines player Malazarte said padel was "more like a chess match" than tennis.

"You have to open up the angle in order to win, you don't rush the points," she said.

"Whereas in tennis if you have a really good forehand, really good backhand, you can win a point."

Padel officials say the sport is enjoyed by people of all ages, and that 50 percent of the worldwide playing population are women.

But not all sports that enjoy high playing numbers translate into successful spectator events.

Despite millions of players around the world squash failed with four bids to become an Olympic sport until it was finally added to the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

So is padel as much fun to watch as it is to play?

"When I watch tournaments live, from the first rounds, every year is getting more and more full," said Kuwaiti player Mariam Al-Sarraj.

"Now it's almost fully booked, so I feel like people like to watch it."

The sport certainly won some new converts in Nagoya, with the crowd gasping in appreciation at some of the shots and rallies.

Interest was raised by the involvement of Japan's Teruaki Ando and Shinnosuke Nakamura, who won a tense thriller against a pair from Lebanon.

IPF official Del Gaudio said padel's Asian Games debut was "a source of pride" for everyone in the sport.

"It's confirmation of padel's growth worldwide," she said.

"It represents a closer step to the Olympics."