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Diaz Double Fires Colombia over Brazil after Kidnap Drama

Colombia's Luis Diaz is mobbed by teammates after scoring twice in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Brazil. Juan BARRETO / AFP
Colombia's Luis Diaz is mobbed by teammates after scoring twice in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Brazil. Juan BARRETO / AFP
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Diaz Double Fires Colombia over Brazil after Kidnap Drama

Colombia's Luis Diaz is mobbed by teammates after scoring twice in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Brazil. Juan BARRETO / AFP
Colombia's Luis Diaz is mobbed by teammates after scoring twice in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Brazil. Juan BARRETO / AFP

Luis Diaz scored a fairytale second-half double to fire Colombia to a 2-1 upset over Brazil on Thursday, capping a roller coaster month that saw his father kidnapped by guerrillas for 12 days.
Amid incredible scenes at Barranquilla's Estadio Metropolitano, Liverpool forward Diaz headed home in the 75th and 79th minutes as Colombia claimed a vital win in their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, said AFP.
Diaz's goals canceled out Brazil's opener from Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli. A bad night for Brazil was compounded by an injury to Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr, who exited with a thigh injury after 27 minutes.
Diaz's match-winning brace left his father Luis Manuel Diaz -- watching in the stands wearing a Colombia shirt -- overcome with emotion.
Diaz had only been reunited with his father on Tuesday after his parent was freed last week after being held by Colombia's ELN guerrilla group for 12 days.
Diaz said after Thursday's win he had experienced "hard moments" after learning of his father's kidnapping.
"But life makes you strong and brave and I think that's football, and not just football but life," said Diaz, dedicating his performance to Colombian compatriots.
"I'm grateful to my team-mates, to the coaching staff who were always there for me at every moment. And I dedicate the victory to the people, who deserved it."
The Premier League star's father and his wife Cilenis Marulanda had been abducted by armed men on motorcycles on October 28.
Marulanda was rescued several hours after the abduction as a massive search operation by ground and air was launched for her husband.
Diaz Sr was eventually released by the rebels last week after being handed over to humanitarian workers.
The 56-year-old was instrumental in helping his son forge a successful football career at club and international level.
He was the founder and amateur coach of the only football academy in Barrancas, where his son showed promise from a very young age.
Diaz Sr is credited with aiding the meteoric rise of his son, who has played for his country 43 times and is the first Indigenous Colombian to make it to world football's top echelons.

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Egypt Forward Omar Marmoush Lighting up the Bundesliga

Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Egypt Forward Omar Marmoush Lighting up the Bundesliga

Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)

Egypt forward Omar Marmoush is the man of the moment in the Bundesliga after a blistering start to the season for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Marmoush denied Bayern Munich a win in a thrilling game Sunday with a stoppage-time equalizer that made it 3-3. It was his second goal of the game. He also set up the other for Hugo Ekitiké, when he ran clear of Dayot Upamecano on a counterattack.

"Marmoush is a player who’s only going to get better with time," Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. "What he did for Ekitiké’s goal is not normal. To push past Upa with strength, no one did that before for the whole season.

"And then to make the right decision at the end, the quality in his strike, and the speed. Sometimes he looks quite relaxed, then when he gets going, he’s really fast."

Marmoush has been stealing the attention from Bayern star Harry Kane, who failed to score Sunday and has five goals from six Bundesliga games this season.

Marmoush, who has now scored in five games straight, has eight, while he has also set up another six for his Frankfurt teammates.

"We’re like a family," he said. "You see that on the field, when we’re celebrating, the ones who didn’t play (join), we celebrate as a team."

Marmoush appears to have made a jump in performance since last season, when he scored 12 goals and set up nine in his 29 Bundesliga appearances.

Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller said he had made a "little deal" before the season with Marmoush, but wouldn’t reveal what it is.

"I told him that a second year with us would do him good because he’s on the way up and hasn’t reached the end," Toppmöller said. "And you can see that in this fantastic season."

The 25-year-old Marmoush is the latest in a long line of forwards who have excelled at Frankfurt, after Randal Kolo Muani, Sébastien Haller, Luka Jović and Jay-Jay Okocha.

Marmoush has had to be patient, working his way through at Wolfsburg, St. Pauli and Stuttgart after joining the former from Cairo-based Wadi Degla SC in 2017.

It’s only since he joined Frankfurt in 2023 that the tireless attacker has added goals to his repertoire.

On Sunday, he combined well with Ekitiké, while Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe headed the ball into his path for Marmoush's second goal.

"When I came last season, we took time to play together and to know what he likes on the pitch, what I like also, and I think in time we just created a connection," Ekitiké said. "Today he had two goals, one assist, So, yeah, he helped the team a lot."

Marmoush’s transformation into a goal-getter is good news for Egypt, which struggled for them without the injured Mohamed Salah at the African Cup of Nations in January.

Marmoush only scored one as the seven-time champion lost on penalties to Congo in the round of 16.

Next up for Frankfurt is a visit to defending champion Bayer Leverkusen after the international break.