27 Sports Sunday, July 7, 2019 Morocco crash out to Benin on penalties in Nations Cup last 16 Mane scores and misses penalty as Senegal end Uganda’s run CAIRO: Hakim Ziyech’s missed stoppage-time spot-kick who kept his place in the Benin goal after replacing Fabien proved extremely costly as 10-man Benin stunned Africa Farnolle for the final group game. Cup of Nations title contenders Morocco in a penalty shootout Friday to reach the quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw Adilehou strikes first in Cairo. Moise Adilehou forced home at a corner early in Younes Belhanda skewed wide for Morocco shortly the second half to put Benin on course for a shock win but after the restart but it was Benin who grabbed a surprise Youssef En-Nesyri equalised for Morocco before Ajax lead when Adilehou broke clear of his marker to turn in a star Ziyech blew the chance to snatch victory by striking corner on 54 minutes, the Squirrels’ first goal since their the post from the spot in the 96th minute. opening game in Egypt. Substitute Boufal nearly levelled Benin were forced to play most of extra time a man with his first touch after coming off the bench on the hour, down after Khaled Adenon received a second yellow meeting Nordin Amrabat’s cross with a downward header card for dissent, but they prevailed 4-1 in the shootout that skipped off the grass and flashed just over the top. A following misses by Sofiane Boufal and En-Nesyri to set mistake from Jordan Adeoti presented Morocco with the up a clash with Senegal on July 10 for a spot in the semi- equaliser on 75 minutes, as he was caught in possession on finals. “It’s not the right time to talk about anything,” said the edge of his area by Mbark Boussoufa who squared for Morocco boss Herve Renard, after possibly his final En-Nesyri to stroke beyond Allagbe. game in charge. “The only thing I would like to say is Ziyech stung the palms of Allagbe with a free-kick thank you very much to all the fans who came to Egypt while Boussoufa, who scored a last-gasp winner in the 1-0 to support us. victory over South Africa, also saw his set-piece superbly “I’m a bit ashamed in front of them, and especially clawed away by the Benin ‘keeper. After a quiet start to the about all the people who were supporting us since more tournament Ziyech looked destined to finally deliver when than three years. “You know in life of course, some people Benin captain Stephane Sessegnon upended Achraf Hakimi are against you, but this is life. You just have to look for- deep into stoppage time, but the winger smacked his spot- ward and only remember the positive things.” Morocco kick against the base of the post. suffered a troubled build-up to the tie at Al Salam Stadium Adenon’s bizarre dismissal, ostensibly for brushing the with captain and key defender Medhi Benatia lost to injury referee away as he attempted to tend to a cramping team- while Benin were without forward Steve Mounie due to mate, gave Morocco the numerical advantage but Ziyech CAIRO: Morocco’s forward Youssef En-Nesyri misses a penalty during the penalty shoot-out of the 2019 Africa suspension. again squandered an opportunity to send his side through Cup of Nations (CAN) Round of 16 football match between Morocco and Benin at the Al-Salam Stadium on The Atlas Lions had been clinical, determined and effi- as he blazed over a cutback from Boussoufa. Morocco July 5, 2019. — AFP cient so far in Egypt, mirroring the beliefs of Renard, the were left to count the cost of those misses as Boufal only coach to win the Cup of Nations with two countries. blazed over Morocco’s second attempt in the shootout hit-and-miss tournament when he scored his third goal of However, he squandered the chance to give Senegal Benin, winless in 12 previous matches in the competition, before Allagbe tipped En-Nesyri’s effort onto the bar, the Africa Cup of Nations but also missed a penalty for the some breathing space when his spot kick was saved by only scraped through to the knockout rounds on the back leaving Mama Seibou to fire Benin into the last eight. second game running as his side beat Uganda 1-0 to reach goalkeeper Denis Onyango in the 61st minute of a game of three draws after holding both Ghana and reigning the quarter-finals on Friday. Mane broke the deadlock in which featured 45 fouls. Outsiders Uganda, whose players champions Cameroon. En-Nesyri and Ziyech both pro- Senegal end Uganda’s run the 15th minute of a physical game after Senegal pounced were involved in a pay dispute with their federation in the duced saves in a dreary first half from Saturnin Allagbe, Meanwhile, Senegal forward Sadio Mane continued his on a mistake by Uganda, who were in the knockout stages run-up to the game, gave Senegal a stern test at a near- for the first time in 41 years. deserted Cairo International stadium. —Agencies Infantino eyes further WCup expansion Atletico accuses after ‘best ever’ Barcelona, tournament Griezmann of LYON: FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Friday he is ‘disrespect’ determined to push ahead with plans to expand the women’s World Cup to 32 teams in time for the next tour- BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid have accused nament after hailing France 2019 as “the best ever”. Barcelona and Antoine Griezmann of a “lack of Speaking at a press conference in Lyon, where the World respect” after the Catalan giants’ president Josep Cup concludes today as holders the United States and the Maria Bartomeu revealed on Friday that the two Netherlands contest the final, Infantino claimed the tour- clubs had held talks about the signing of the France nament had been “phenomenal” as he promised huge international. In a statement, the La Liga club con- increases in investment in the women’s game and to the firmed Bartomeu’s earlier announcement that there prize fund for future competitions. had been a meeting, at Barca’s behest, on Thursday “There was a before and there will be an after the World to discuss a deal to sign World Cup winner Cup but it is up to us to seize the opportunity and do Griezmann, who has a release clause of 120 million something about it,” added Infantino, who last month was euros ($134.6 million) in his contract. Atletico also re-elected for a second four-year term in charge of world said they refused a proposal from Barca that they ZURICH: Argentinian President Mauricio Macri (center), FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) and the presi- football’s governing body. Rolling out a series of proposals sign the 28-year-old but delay the payment of the dent of the South American football’s governing body Conmebol, Paraguayan Alejandro Dominguez pose with for the development of the women’s game, Infantino said he buy-out clause. a ball in Zurich. — AFP would try to expand the competition from 24 teams to 32 in “Obviously our response was negative, under- time for the next tournament in four years. standing that both Barcelona and the player have “I think we should increase the number of participants,” process and allow everyone to have a chance to organise she said after her team’s 13-0 demolition of Thailand. disrespected Atletico Madrid and all its fans,” the said Infantino, who has succeeded in expanding the men’s or maybe co-host” but claimed that “nothing is impossi- Infantino also promised to double the prize fund for the club said. The statement also claims that tournament from 32 teams to 48 in time for the 2026 finals. ble”. A decision on who hosts the 2023 finals will be made next tournament having initially raised overall contribu- Griezmann had told the club that he had struck a “The tricky thing is that we have a World Cup coming in next year, with Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, tions from $15 million to $50 million in time for this year’s deal with Barcelona in March, just days before the 2023 for which we started just a couple of months ago a Colombia, Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand among competition. second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie bidding process based on 24 teams, so there we will need the contenders, while the possibility of South Korea co- When that increase was announced by FIFA late last with Juventus, which saw them dumped out by a to act more quickly if we want to have more teams already hosting with North Korea has also been raised. year, it was criticised by players union FIFPro, who said it Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick after winning the first in 2023.” Earlier in the tournament, USA star Alex Morgan stated actually marked a “regressive trend” compared to the leg 2-0 in Madrid. This is only the second women’s World Cup since it was her wish to see the competition expanded to give develop- men’s tournament. The prize money for the 2018 men’s It added: “Atletico Madrid wants to express is expanded from 16 teams to 24 in Canada four years ago. ing countries more reason to invest in the women’s game. World Cup in Russia was $400 million, a $48 million strongest condemnation of the behaviour of both The competition started out with 12 teams in 1991.