Tag: Foot ball

Slovakia coach Kozak quits after Czech defeat

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AFP) — Slovakia coach Jan Kozak resigned on Sunday following a 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic in the Nations League, the country’s football federation said. “We reached an agreement today with the coach Jan Kozak to end our cooperation at his request,” the federation said in a statement. Saturday’s loss at home to the Czechs left Slovakia bottom of their group and without a point after two matches. The 64-year-old Kozak, a […]

France gives World Cup winners a heroes’ welcome home

    by Eve Szeftel  and Joseph Schmid Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes’ welcome on Monday, parading down the Champs-Elysees as hundreds of thousands of cheering fans gave a raucous welcome to the country’s newest idols. After overcoming a determined Croatia to win 4-2 in Sunday’s final in Russia, the team came back to euphoric crowds in Paris hoping to catch a glimpse of the […]

Messi’s Argentina save World Cup hopes with last-gasp goal

  by Thomas Allnutt © Agence France-Presse SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) — Argentina rescued their World Cup hopes in dramatic fashion on Tuesday as defender Marcos Rojo scored a stunning volley to snatch a late 2-1 win over Nigeria and set up a last-16 match against France. Lionel Messi set the two-time winners on their way with his first goal in Russia but Victor Moses equalised from the penalty spot and as time ticked away the […]

Israeli minister slams Argentina team over football cancellation

  JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday slammed the Argentina national football team over the cancellation of a planned friendly against Israel in Jerusalem, calling it a surrender to hate. “It’s a shame that Argentina’s footballing nobility did not withstand the pressure from Israeli-hating inciters,” he wrote on Twitter in the first response from an Israeli cabinet minister. The Israeli embassy in Argentina earlier announced the “suspension” of Saturday’s sold-out game because […]

Once taboo, Russian women’s football eyes World Cup boost

  by Dmitry Zaks © Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The sniggering kids kept pointing and staring at Margarita Chernomyrdina when she was small because she played football with the boys. She was the first girl brave enough to try and make the junior league. Now rapt crowds watch the 22-year-old lead the women’s national team in its quest to win acceptance and respect in Vladimir Putin’s socially conservative Russia. The technically-gifted midfielder with the […]