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PARIS, May 14 : France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged his side are among the favourites for the World Cup but urged his players to concentrate on their opening opponents before thinking about advancing deeper into the tournament.
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 14 : Carlo Ancelotti arrived in Brazil with five Champions League titles as a manager, league trophies from Europe's big five competitions and a reputation for making elite dressing rooms breathe a little easier.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11, which means we will soon know which 26 players will be representing each country in this summer's big event.
RABAT: Morocco have confirmed they will play three warm-up matches before next month’s World Cup, giving their new coach more game time with his squad. Morocco, who were surprise semifinalists at the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, appointed Mohamed Ouahbi as coach in March after the resignation of Walid Regragui. Ouahbi has had only two matches in charge since taking over, a draw with Ecuador and a victory over Paraguay just weeks into the job. Morocco’s football federation said the team would play Burundi on May 26 behind closed doors at their training center in Sale before a game against Madagascar on June 2 in Rabat, where supporters will be able to send the team off. Once they arrive in the United States, where their base camp will be in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the Moroccans will conclude their preparations with a clash against Norway on June 7 in New York. Morocco are expected to begin preparations on May 22 but only plan to name their squad a week later, reports said. Drawn in Group C at the World Cup, Morocco face Brazil on June 13 in New York, Scotland on June 19 in Boston, and Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
JOHANNESBURG: Financially-embattled Egyptian club Zamalek will pocket a record four-million-dollar CAF Confederation Cup prize if they beat Algerian outfit USM Alger in the two-leg final. USM host the first match on Saturday in front of a 50,000 crowd and the return game is set for Cairo on May 16 in a showdown between former winners of the competition. Zamalek lifted the trophy, the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League, in 2019 and 2024. USM won in 2023. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently announced 100 percent increases in the prizes for the winners and runners-up to four and two million dollars respectively. The decision was a timely boost for Zamalek, the second most successful club in CAF competitions with 13 titles, but battling with reported debts of $6.5 million. Egyptian media say the team, popularly known as the White Knights, owe clubs in Africa and Europe for players they brought to Cairo. Ukrainian club Oleksandriya say they sold Brazilian striker Juan Bezerra to Zamalek, but some transfer fee instalments are overdue. Former coaches, including Swiss Christian Gross and Portuguese Jose Gomes, are also owed money.
SAO PAULO: Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to be handed a four-year contract extension taking him through to the 2030 World Cup, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said Thursday. Italian legend Ancelotti took over as Brazil coach last year and oversaw the five-time world champions’ successful qualification for next month’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The 66-year-old former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Chelsea coach has been in negotiations with the CBF for months concerning a possible extension to his existing deal. CBF President Samir Xaud said Thursday he is “certain” Ancelotti’s extension will be officially confirmed “before the World Cup.” Xaud, speaking at the FutPro Expo conference in Fortaleza, said the CBF and Ancelotti’s legal advisers were working through aspects of the Italian’s new contract. Ancelotti has repeatedly expressed his willingness to continue in his current role after this year’s World Cup. He is due to announce his final squad for the tournament on May 18 in Rio de Janeiro before Brazil gather for a World Cup send-off against Panama at the Maracana Stadium on May 31. The Brazilians will be based in New Jersey during the World Cup, and face Morocco, Scotland and Haiti in Group C.
ALGIERS: Algeria face a goalkeeping crisis for the World Cup that they are hoping to alleviate with the return of a player from retirement. Oussama Benbot, retired from the national team after being an unused substitute at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco at the end of the year, could prove the solution to a dilemma that has befallen the side after injuries left Melvin Mastil and Luca Zidane doubtful and Anthony Mandrea ruled out. The 31-year-old Benbot’s form played a large part in his club USM Alger reaching the African Confederation Cup final, where they host Egypt’s Zamalek in the first leg on Saturday. Algerian media reports said he had provoked the ire of Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic with outbursts over his lack of playing time with the Algerian side. However, the need for a goalkeeper for the World Cup has seen him return to contention for a place in the squad that will be named later this month. Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, was Algeria’s first-choice goalkeeper at the Cup of Nations but turned in several undistinguished performances and then last month suffered fractures to his jaw and chin in a Spanish second-tier match with his club Granada. Mastil, who plays in Switzerland and won a first cap in March, has since undergone hernia surgery, while Mandrea dislocated his shoulder in training with his French club Caen and will miss the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the US Mandrea had been Algeria’s first choice over the past five years but when Caen were relegated to the French third tier last year, Petkovic said he would not consider selecting a player from as low a league level. The 27-year-old Zidane, who, like his three brothers, won caps for France at
May 6 : New Zealand will face Haiti in a friendly in Florida in early June four days before they take on England to conclude their preparations for the World Cup, NZ Football said on Wednesday.