France Must Be Even More Efficient in Attack Against Morocco, Says Deschamps

Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - France Press Conference - Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US - July 8, 2026 France coach Didier Deschamps during the press conference. (Reuters)

17:35-8 July 2026 AD ـ 23 Muharram 1448 AH

Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - France Press Conference - Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US - July 8, 2026 France coach Didier Deschamps during the press conference. (Reuters)

France have scored a ‌tournament-leading 14 goals in the World Cup so far but coach Didier Deschamps urged his players on Wednesday to achieve even greater attacking efficiency when they take on Morocco in Thursday's quarter-final.

The meeting is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, when France ended Morocco's historic run in Qatar, but this time the North Africans are no longer the surprise outsiders but a confident side aiming for the title.

"We have to be efficient, offensively speaking," Deschamps told a press conference. "In all the areas both teams have strong assets."

"We are efficient but ‌we could ‌have done better on this front. Sometimes you ‌have ⁠six chances and ⁠score two goals and sometimes you have two chances and score twice. It is more important to be efficient."

France edged past Paraguay in the round of 16 with a scrappy 1-0 win courtesy of a Kylian Mbappe penalty. The France captain has seven goals in the tournament, second behind Argentina's Lionel Messi, who has eight.

Mbappe, Ousmane ⁠Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola have given France ‌one of the most dangerous forward ‌lines at the World Cup.

Morocco eased through their group stage, before knocking ‌out Netherlands and co-hosts Canada, and confirming their status as serious ‌title contenders.

"Morocco's profile is not the one of Paraguay. We met them four years ago in the semi-finals," Deschamps said. "They played the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) final. They have top individuals. They are not here to play. ‌They are here to win. We have to be ready and perform and deliver against this great ⁠team."

Deschamps will ⁠need to wait and see whether midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has been nursing a muscle injury, will be fit in time for the game.

"He feels better but I left early from the hotel this morning. I cannot say more. He might take part in training today. All other players they are available," Deschamps said.

As for France's appeal to have Michael Olise's yellow card in the game against Paraguay rescinded, Deschamps said FIFA had informed them the caution stood.

The ruling comes days after the furor caused by FIFA's decision to suspend a match ban after a red card was given to US player Folarin Balogun and following an intervention by President Donald Trump.

Egypt Teenager Abdelkarim Pushing for Barca Place After Prolific Pre-Season

31 July 2026, United Kingdom, Birmingham: Barcelona's Hamza Abdelkarim celebrates scoring his side's second goal during a pre-season friendly soccer match between Birmingham City and Barcelona at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. (dpa)

17:52-22 August 2026 AD ـ 09 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

Egypt Teenager Abdelkarim Pushing for Barca Place After Prolific Pre-Season

Egypt striker Hamza ‌Abdelkarim could barely get a game for Al Ahly's first team before joining Barcelona but the 18-year-old is now the Catalans' leading pre-season scorer and pushing for a place in Hansi Flick’s side ahead of their LaLiga campaign.

Abdelkarim scored four goals in five warm-up appearances, starting four matches and netting in three, after cutting short his post-World Cup holiday to join Barca’s preparations.

He initially arrived from Al Ahly during the winter transfer window and scored six goals in 11 appearances for Barcelona’s under-19 side. The Spanish club exercised their purchase option in ‌June, signing ‌him permanently until 2029.

With Barca yet to recruit ‌an ⁠out-and-out striker following ⁠the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Abdelkarim could get first-team chances sooner than expected.

A product of Ahly’s youth academy, most of his few senior appearances came in Egypt’s equivalent of the English League Cup. Some Egyptian commentators questioned whether he could succeed at the highest level.

Yet Abdelkarim has appeared comfortable leading Barcelona’s attack. A classic ⁠center-forward, he has shown a poacher’s instinct, strength in ‌the air and an ability to ‌link up effectively with wingers.

He announced himself with a brace in a ‌pre-season draw in Birmingham. After going scoreless in a triangular tournament ‌in Udine, he struck within four minutes of coming on in Basel before opening the scoring against his former club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Abdelkarim had already caught the eye at the 2025 Under-17 World ‌Cup in Qatar, scoring twice and setting up another goal in four appearances for Egypt.

Despite his lack ⁠of senior ⁠club experience, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan included him in his squad for this year’s World Cup. He did not score in four substitute appearances but won praise for his physicality and willingness to tussle with experienced defenders.

Egyptian fans now hope he can follow the path carved out by Mohamed Salah, whose guidance Abdelkarim is eager to absorb.

“Salah always speaks to me,” he told ONSport. “I have to make the most of his advice. We all know that what Salah has achieved is no coincidence. He is an idol to all Egyptians.”

Abdelkarim’s remarkable rise could take another leap on Sunday, with the teenager in contention to lead Barca's attack in their LaLiga opener at Elche.

Sports

Serena Williams Will Play Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in Her Return to the US Open

Serena Williams of the United States plays Marta Kostyuk of Czechia and Peyton Stearns of the United States with Venus Williams of the United States during day seven of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)

16:26-22 August 2026 AD ـ 09 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

Serena Williams Will Play Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in Her Return to the US Open

Serena Williams will team up with Carlos Alcaraz to create a powerhouse mixed doubles pair in her return to the US Open.

The US Tennis Association announced Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz had been given a wild card into the tournament. The mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday, with the winning team sharing $1 million.

It will be Williams' first time playing at the US Open since 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to tennis this summer.

“Let’s gooooo!” Alcaraz posted on X, with a fire emoji and tagging Williams.

Williams is not planning to play singles in New York. The USTA had been holding one women's wild card, presumably in case Williams wanted it. However, the tournament announced Saturday that it had been given to American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.

Williams played singles at Wimbledon but sustained a knee injury in her first-round loss. She played doubles with older sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open, and they could still opt to play together at the US Open.

Alcaraz announced this week he would return to defend his US Open singles title after being sidelined since April with a right wrist injury.

Serena Williams won a mixed doubles title at the US Open even before winning any of her six singles titles there. She teamed for the 1998 championship with Max Mirnyi, who now works with top-ranked woman Aryna Sabalenka.

The mixed doubles tournament is far different now, as the USTA revamped it last year to make it a two-day, 16-team event it hoped would draw top singles players.

Few are bigger than Williams and Alcaraz, the two-time US Open men's champion who is ranked No. 2.

The USTA also announced a number of updates to the field after some players withdrew from the competition.

Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up, after their previous partners, Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina, pulled out with injuries. The teams of Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, along with Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, were given the remaining two wild cards into the main draw.

Also, Diana Shnaider remains in the field and will be given a chance to find a new partner after Daniil Medvedev withdrew.

The current field:

Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Pegula and Fritz, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien, two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, Williams and Alcaraz, Muchova and Mensik, and Navarro and Paul.

The remaining two spots will be determined through an eight-team qualifying tournament Monday. The USTA gave wild cards to the teams of Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison, to be part of that field. It is otherwise largely made up of the traditional doubles specialists who lost out on the chance to play in the US Open last year, with direct entry based on the players' combined singles ranking.

Sports

United’s Carrick Gets Early Reality Check at Hull

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick reacts after losing the English Premier League match Hull City against Manchester United, in Hull, Britain, 22 August 2026. (EPA)

16:22-22 August 2026 AD ـ 09 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

United’s Carrick Gets Early Reality Check at Hull

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick reacts after losing the English Premier League match Hull City against Manchester United, in Hull, Britain, 22 August 2026. (EPA)

Manchester United arrived in Hull on Saturday riding a wave of optimism that had not washed over Old Trafford for years. They departed the east coast after a shock Premier League defeat that left manager Michael Carrick with uncomfortable questions to answer.

The 2-0 defeat by promoted Hull City was only one game, but it felt like a sudden cold shower after eight months of sunshine.

Since replacing Ruben Amorim in January, Carrick had overseen a revival, dragging a confidence-starved team from mid-table obscurity to a third-place finish.

United collected 39 points from 17 league games under their new manager, more than any other side in that span.

Carrick brought clarity, confidence and attacking intent, while signings including Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos -- with Brighton's Carlos Baleba on the way -- ‌strengthened the feeling ‌that United might finally be ready to rejoin the league's elite after ‌13 ⁠years without a ⁠title.

Hull shredded those dreams for an afternoon.

"Obviously, bits to improve on," Carrick told TNT Sports. "It was never going to be perfect today, but going behind and giving ourselves a lot to do makes it more difficult.

"Probably a typical one of those games with a newly promoted team at home. We can't give them much, they've got a lot to hold on to, and then after (their two goals), we had moments, we had opportunities.

"We just didn't have that spark to then put the chances away or create any more. So yeah, listen, we're ⁠bitterly disappointed with the result today, but it won't it won't knock us."

ORANGE ‌SMOKE

Plumes of orange smoke exploded above the MKM Stadium before ‌kickoff and black-and-orange scarves twirled in celebration of the Tigers' return to the top flight after nine years away.

By halftime, ‌the party was in full swing. Hull were quicker, stronger and more dangerous than their visitors, ‌racing into a two-goal lead through Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy as United twice crumbled at set-pieces.

United finished with 72% possession, but it felt like possession without purpose. Center-back Harry Maguire was among their most threatening attacking outlets.

Bryan Mbeumo forced one of the few meaningful saves from Konstantinos Tzolakis, but Hull's goalkeeper was otherwise little more than a ‌spectator.

Even Marcus Rashford's long-awaited return could not spark a comeback. Making his first United appearance since December 2024 after his exile under Amorim and loan ⁠spells at Aston Villa and ⁠Barcelona, Rashford showed flashes of sharpness but received precious little service.

"I'm not going into areas now (that need improvement)," Carrick said. "It's for us to know. He'll keep improving through the week and through the games, and when we keep getting stronger as a group, that will come. Today is a game we can't ignore. We have a lot to learn from it. But we will."

As Hull fans taunted the away support with chants of "You're getting mauled by the Tigers", the humiliation was complete.

When the stadium announcer informed United's travelling fans that two trains back to Manchester had been cancelled, home fans quickly found a punchline. "You're going home in a taxi."

For Hull, it was a first league victory over United in 52 years. For Carrick, it was a reminder that momentum is fragile.

"It is one game. First game of the season. It is disappointing enough, it hurts, of course it does," he said. "But it doesn't change the whole course of direction the team is going in or the football club. We will stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week."

France Must Be Even More Efficient in Attack Against Morocco, Says Deschamps

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Egypt Teenager Abdelkarim Pushing for Barca Place After Prolific Pre-Season

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