Deschamps Confident Mbappe Will Be Back Among the Goals 

Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates following the UEFA Nations League group B soccer match between France and Belgium in Lyon, France, 09 September 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates following the UEFA Nations League group B soccer match between France and Belgium in Lyon, France, 09 September 2024. (EPA)
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Deschamps Confident Mbappe Will Be Back Among the Goals 

Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates following the UEFA Nations League group B soccer match between France and Belgium in Lyon, France, 09 September 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates following the UEFA Nations League group B soccer match between France and Belgium in Lyon, France, 09 September 2024. (EPA)

France coach Didier Deschamps said he has no concerns about the form of Kylian Mbappe and expects Real Madrid's new forward to rediscover his scoring touch when he reaches full fitness.

After France opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-1 defeat by Italy in Paris, Deschamps fielded a much-changed team against Belgium on Monday, with Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann starting on the bench in their 2-0 win.

Mbappe struggled at Euro 2024 after breaking his nose against Austria and took four games before scoring his first league goals for Madrid after his move from Paris St Germain.

"The French team will always be stronger with him and I’m convinced that in a month he will be better," Deschamps said.

"There are very high demands in his club. I have no worries with Kylian."

Mbappe was brought on in the 67th against Belgium and looked bright as he tried to add his name to the scoresheet, missing narrowly from a tight angle 10 minutes from time and having an effort saved in the 86th minute.

Michael Olise and Manu Kone were handed their first caps against Italy while Lucas Digne played his first game for France in more than two years against Belgium, with Matteo Guendouzi also returning.

Deschamps says he is using the Nations League as a platform to widen the pool of talent at his disposal and plans to continue down that path regardless of the results.

"I'm sticking to my course, to put as many players as possible in situations where we can test them," he said.

"It is the time to do that even if you lose games. You don't replace players with 50 caps by snapping your fingers.

"I'm well aware that I am not putting the team in the best conditions," he said of the numerous changes to the line-up.

"But we have to go through it. It gives us answers."



Morocco’s El Idrissi Smashes Women’s Marathon World Record on Last day of Paralympic Games

Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi wins the women's marathon T12 at the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi wins the women's marathon T12 at the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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Morocco’s El Idrissi Smashes Women’s Marathon World Record on Last day of Paralympic Games

Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi wins the women's marathon T12 at the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi wins the women's marathon T12 at the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Morocco’s Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi has smashed the world record in the women’s marathon for runners with visual impairments on the last day of the Paralympic Games, The AP reported.

The 29-year-old El Idrissi finished in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 36 seconds on Sunday, beating the previous record from Japan’s Misato Michishita in Hofu City in December 2020 by nearly 6 minutes.

Compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi was just over 9 minutes behind, followed by Elena Congost of Spain, with Michishita fourth, almost 15 minutes behind the winner.

Tunisia’s Wajdi Boukhili won the men’s T12 marathon.

The 25-year-old Boukhili finished in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 5 seconds, ahead of Spain’s Alberto Suarez Laso and Paralympic record holder El Amin Chentouf of Morocco. All three ran season-best times.

Swiss wheelchair racers Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug won the women’s and men’s marathons for the T53/54 catagories.

Debrunner, the world record holder, finished in 1:41:50, more than four minutes ahead of Australia’s Madison de Rozario and the United States’ Susannah Scaroni, who took silver and bronze, respectively.

Tatyana McFadden, the most decorated American wheelchair racer, was seventh, just over 12 minutes behind Debrunner. The 35-year-old leaves Paris with a silver medal from the 100 and bronze from the 4x100 universal relay.

Hug won the men’s race in 1:27:39, ahead of China’s Jin Hua and Tomoki Suzuki of Japan.

More medals were to be awarded later Sunday before what artistic director Thomas Jolly said would be a huge dance party at Stade de France for the closing ceremony.

The United States women’s wheelchair basketball team was to play defending champion Netherlands for gold, and there were finals in para powerlifting, as well as five races in para canoe.