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Kane an Inspiration for Spurs’ Squad, Says Mason

Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane reacts at the end of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 6, 2023. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane reacts at the end of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 6, 2023. (AFP)
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Kane an Inspiration for Spurs’ Squad, Says Mason

Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane reacts at the end of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 6, 2023. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane reacts at the end of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 6, 2023. (AFP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane is setting an example for others at the club to follow with his "elite mindset", interim manager Ryan Mason said after the striker scored the winner in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace.

Kane headed home in first-half injury time to score his 209th Premier League goal, one more than Wayne Rooney but still some way behind record-holder Alan Shearer's tally of 260.

"Naturally we'll all talk about Harry's goals and Harry when he plays games of football he will continue to score goals. We know that," Mason told reporters after Spurs' victory snapped a four-game winless run on Saturday.

"But also that elite mindset, that example that he sets every day in and around the place, it's great to be around. Because when you have people like that they inspire you to be better and we appreciate Harry, we value him so much at this football club.

"... you have to have 11 players that are fighting for each other and working hard as a collective to get results. When you've got your captain, your leader, your goalscorer, probably one of our best players setting that example, that's what I want."

Tottenham's victory lifted them to sixth in the table with 57 points from 35 games. They next travel to Aston Villa on Saturday.

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Scaloni Says he Did his Best to Convince Messi to Return for Argentina Farewell

Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni speaks with the press after a training session at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on September 24, 2026, ahead of the friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni speaks with the press after a training session at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on September 24, 2026, ahead of the friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
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Scaloni Says he Did his Best to Convince Messi to Return for Argentina Farewell

Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni speaks with the press after a training session at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on September 24, 2026, ahead of the friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni speaks with the press after a training session at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on September 24, 2026, ahead of the friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he "pushed hard" to ensure Lionel Messi would return to the national team for a farewell match soon after announcing his retirement because he was not sure he would be in charge to orchestrate it later.

Messi announced his retirement from international football in August, just over a month after Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the World Cup final.

However, the former Barcelona and Paris St Germain forward was called up weeks later by Scaloni to make a final appearance in a home ⁠friendly against Benin ⁠at Buenos Aires' Monumental Stadium on October 6.

"I believe that a player like him deserves this. Personally, I did my part because I wanted to be at his farewell," Scaloni told reporters on Thursday.

"Since I don't know if I would be here later, we ⁠pushed hard so that he could be in this match.

We knew everything he was going through and even so, he put in the desire and effort to want to come and be able to say goodbye with his people, with the people who love him so much.

"If we have to pay tribute, we have to do it at this moment. With him, it will never stop, but later, the magic might not be ⁠the same."

Scaloni, ⁠who guided Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and two Copa America triumphs, will be out of his contract in December.

Asked if he had received an update on his future, Scaloni said he would meet with Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia in the coming days.

"It is a dream come true, but that doesn't mean I have to cling to the job forever," AFP quoted the 48-year-old as saying.

"There are certain conditions we need to discuss with the president and we'll see if we can reach an agreement."

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Harimoto Hails New Era as Japan Dethrone Table Tennis Kings China

Asian Games - Aichi-Nagoya 2026 - Table Tennis - Men's Team Final - Sky Hall Toyota, Toyota, Japan - September 24, 2026 Gold medallists Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, Sora Matsushima, Shunsuke Togami, Yukiya Uda and Hiroto Shinozuka celebrate on the podium after winning the Men's Team Final with silver medallists China's Youzheng Huang, Shidong Lin, Chuqin Wang, Ruibo Wen and Peng Xiang REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
Asian Games - Aichi-Nagoya 2026 - Table Tennis - Men's Team Final - Sky Hall Toyota, Toyota, Japan - September 24, 2026 Gold medallists Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, Sora Matsushima, Shunsuke Togami, Yukiya Uda and Hiroto Shinozuka celebrate on the podium after winning the Men's Team Final with silver medallists China's Youzheng Huang, Shidong Lin, Chuqin Wang, Ruibo Wen and Peng Xiang REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
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Harimoto Hails New Era as Japan Dethrone Table Tennis Kings China

Asian Games - Aichi-Nagoya 2026 - Table Tennis - Men's Team Final - Sky Hall Toyota, Toyota, Japan - September 24, 2026 Gold medallists Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, Sora Matsushima, Shunsuke Togami, Yukiya Uda and Hiroto Shinozuka celebrate on the podium after winning the Men's Team Final with silver medallists China's Youzheng Huang, Shidong Lin, Chuqin Wang, Ruibo Wen and Peng Xiang REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
Asian Games - Aichi-Nagoya 2026 - Table Tennis - Men's Team Final - Sky Hall Toyota, Toyota, Japan - September 24, 2026 Gold medallists Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, Sora Matsushima, Shunsuke Togami, Yukiya Uda and Hiroto Shinozuka celebrate on the podium after winning the Men's Team Final with silver medallists China's Youzheng Huang, Shidong Lin, Chuqin Wang, Ruibo Wen and Peng Xiang REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge

Tomokazu Harimoto said Japan had overcome their inferiority complex after ending table tennis powerhouse China's 32-year run as Asian Games men's team champions in a nail-biting final.

China had won gold in the event at every Games since 1994 but they were dethroned by Japan after Sora Matsushima beat Wen Ruibo in the decisive match to win 3-2.

The Japan team also featured Harimoto, whose parents were both born in China and whose mother once represented the country at the world championships.

"That we beat them was proof that we had lacked confidence before," said Harimoto, whose sister Miwa plays for Japan's women's team.

"I'm happy, but looking at the actual contest, there was nothing unusual about the way we played or the outcome.

"We just managed to attain the one thing we'd been missing -- confidence."

China's team featured world number one Wang Chuqin but his team-mates Lin Shidong and Wen are respectively ranked eighth and 15th in the world.

Japan had two top-five players in number three Matsushima and number four Harimoto.

"China used to have six or seven strong players, that's why their era lasted 10 or 20 years," AFP quoted Harimoto as saying.

"Now with two of us in the world top five, Matsushima and I can win like this."

Harimoto could not bring himself to watch the final match from the team bench after beating Wang to level it at 2-2.

"I thought it was better not to go back, a bit like a superstition," said Harimoto.

"If I was on the bench, Matsushima would see me. He probably wouldn't mind, but I minded."

Wang won the opening match against Matsushima but lost 3-0 against Harimoto.

The Chinese player said: "Psychologically, I ran into problems.”

"Perhaps we panicked a little in trying to be better, and rushed some shots," he said.

China got their own back in the women's team final, beating Japan 3-0.

But the men's defeat left a bitter taste in the mouths of Chinese fans, who vented their anger on social media.

"The men's team, despite enjoying the best resources and treatment, suffers from lack of continuity and a talent gap," one user wrote on Weibo.

"There is no one coming through," wrote another.

Sports

Israel’s Abu Farchi Sent off After Gun Gesture Celebration

Israel's forward #22 Saied Abu Farchi celebrates scoring his team's first goal while holding a pitch flag pole during the UEFA Nations League Group B3 football match between Austria and Israel in Linz, Austria on September 24, 2026. (AFP)
Israel's forward #22 Saied Abu Farchi celebrates scoring his team's first goal while holding a pitch flag pole during the UEFA Nations League Group B3 football match between Austria and Israel in Linz, Austria on September 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Israel’s Abu Farchi Sent off After Gun Gesture Celebration

Israel's forward #22 Saied Abu Farchi celebrates scoring his team's first goal while holding a pitch flag pole during the UEFA Nations League Group B3 football match between Austria and Israel in Linz, Austria on September 24, 2026. (AFP)
Israel's forward #22 Saied Abu Farchi celebrates scoring his team's first goal while holding a pitch flag pole during the UEFA Nations League Group B3 football match between Austria and Israel in Linz, Austria on September 24, 2026. (AFP)

‌Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi was sent off for celebrating his goal against Austria in their 3-1 UEFA Nations League defeat on Thursday by using the corner flag to simulate a gun.

Abu Farchi headed ‌home in the ‌55th minute to ‌bring ⁠Israel level after ⁠Austria had taken the lead through a Romano Schmid penalty before halftime at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz.

The 20-year-old ran ⁠to the corner flag, ‌grabbed ‌it and made a gun-firing gesture ‌during his celebration.

The referee ‌had booked Abu Farchi four minutes earlier and showed him a second yellow card for ‌the celebration, followed by a red, leaving Israel ⁠with ⁠10 players.

Austria regained the lead in the 90th minute through Phillipp Mwene, who netted following a cross from Paul Wanner. Sasa Kalajdzic added a third in stoppage time with a close-range finish.