Olympic Champions Brazil Shocked 1-0 by Paraguay in 2024 Qualifier 

Football - South America Olympic Games Qualifiers - Brazil v Paraguay - Estadio Brigido Iriarte, Caracas - February 5, 2024 Paraguay's Leonardo Rivas celebrates after Fabrizio Peralta scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - South America Olympic Games Qualifiers - Brazil v Paraguay - Estadio Brigido Iriarte, Caracas - February 5, 2024 Paraguay's Leonardo Rivas celebrates after Fabrizio Peralta scores their first goal. (Reuters)
TT

Olympic Champions Brazil Shocked 1-0 by Paraguay in 2024 Qualifier 

Football - South America Olympic Games Qualifiers - Brazil v Paraguay - Estadio Brigido Iriarte, Caracas - February 5, 2024 Paraguay's Leonardo Rivas celebrates after Fabrizio Peralta scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - South America Olympic Games Qualifiers - Brazil v Paraguay - Estadio Brigido Iriarte, Caracas - February 5, 2024 Paraguay's Leonardo Rivas celebrates after Fabrizio Peralta scores their first goal. (Reuters)

Olympic champions Brazil suffered a setback in their bid to secure a place at this year's Paris Games after their under-23 team slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat by Paraguay on Monday in the final four South American qualifying tournament.

Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Venezuela are competing in a round robin final qualifying stage for the 2024 Games, with only the top two securing berths in Paris.

Fabrizio Peralta's header in the final seconds of the first half was enough to give Paraguay, who last competed at the Olympics in 2004, an unexpected victory.

Brazil's teenage prodigy Endrick, who will join Real Madrid later this year, squandered a chance to put the 2020 Tokyo Games gold medalists ahead when he missed a penalty after 29 minutes.

In a later qualifying game, a last-gasp penalty from substitute Kevin Kelsy snatched a 2-2 draw for Venezuela against Argentina.

Javier Mascherano's side finished the game with nine men after Valentin Barco and Gonzalo Lujan were sent off, while Venezuela's Bryant Ortega also received a red card.

Brazil will next face Venezuela, who beat them 3-1 in the preliminary stage earlier this month, on Thursday. Paraguay's next fixture will be against Argentina.

The qualifiers, being held in Caracas, wrap up on Feb. 11.



Benzema Stars in Return from Injury in Saudi League

Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring. Photo: Essa Doubisi
Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring. Photo: Essa Doubisi
TT

Benzema Stars in Return from Injury in Saudi League

Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring. Photo: Essa Doubisi
Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring. Photo: Essa Doubisi

Karim Benzema starred on his return from injury with a goal and two assists as Saudi Pro League leader Al-Ittihad won at Ettifaq 4-0 on Saturday.
The former Real Madrid striker missed the previous four games with a muscle problem but back in action he was too much to handle for struggling Ettifaq, coached by former Liverpool and England star Steven Gerrard, The Associated Press reported.
Benzema, in Jeddah since June 2023, netted after 27 minutes following a fine pass from N’Golo Kante but was adjudged by VAR to have been offside. He returned the favor eight minutes later, passing for Kante to open the scoring from just inside the area.
Early in the second half, Benzema extended Ittihad’s lead, pouncing on a loose ball at close range to score his ninth league goal of the season, level with Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr and three behind Aleksandar Mitrovic of Al-Hilal.
Houssem Aouar made it 3-0 after 66 minutes and, soon after, Benzema’s perfect through pass released Steven Bergwin to add a fourth.
Ettifaq has not won its last nine games and was just three points above the relegation zone, increasing the pressure on Gerrard, who was appointed in July 2023, AP said.
Last month, the club released Dean Holden, Gerrard's assistant coach, admitting in a statement that results had been unsatisfactory.
“This conference is not the place to talk about dismissing the assistant coach,” Gerrard said on Saturday. “These decisions are the decisions of the board of directors.”
While Ettifaq was in 13th place, Ittihad stayed on top, two points clear of Al-Hilal, which came back from a goal down to beat Al-Shabab 2-1.
Abderrazak Hamdallah put Shabab ahead after six minutes of the Riyadh derby. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic leveled for Hilal eight minutes later but the champion's former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off just before the break.
Nader Al-Sharari was booked twice early in the second half as Al-Shabab was also reduced to 10 men. After 62 minutes, Milinkovic-Savic curled a free kick into the top corner for the clincher.