International Football
Poland end England’s perfect record in World Cup qualifier
England’s 100 per cent record in World Cup qualifying was ended in dramatic fashion by Damian Szymanski’s stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Poland in Warsaw on Wednesday (Sept 8).
A game short on goalmouth action looked to be meandering towards a stalemate until Harry Kane’s long-range strike 18 minutes from time deceived Wojciech Szczesny.
But Szymanski rescued a point that could be vital to the Poles’ chances of sealing second place in Group I of European qualifying by crashing home a header from Robert Lewandowski’s cross.
England are now four points clear of second-placed Albania and five ahead of Poland.
But with clashes against Andorra and San Marino still to come in their remaining four games, qualification for Qatar should remain little more than a formality for Gareth Southgate’s men.
The Euro 2020 finalists bounced back impressively from the disappointment of losing their first major tournament final for 55 years to Italy with comprehensive 4-0 thrashings of Hungary and Andorra earlier in the week.
But the visitors were made to work far harder against a side expected to be their closest challengers in the group.
Kane was uncharacteristically wasteful with England’s one big chance in the first half as his tame header from Raheem Sterling’s cross was easily blocked.
Poland were without their own talisman Lewandowski when losing 2-1 at Wembley when the sides last met in March.
Jordan Pickford had to be quick off his line to deny the Bayern Munich striker as half-time approached and then comfortably smothered a long-range effort from Lewandowski after the break.
That was what Szczesny failed to do moments later as Kane took aim from 30 yards and scored his 41st international goal as the swerve beat the Juventus ‘keeper.
An even more calamitous goalkeeping mistake nearly cost England 10 minutes from as Pickford’s clearance was charged down by Karol Swiderski, but the Everton stopper was grateful to a kind bounce which allowed him to collect the ball before it crossed the line.
Pickford was helpless in the 92nd minute, though, as Jakub Moder turned Kyle Walker to open up the England defence and the ball eventually broke for Lewandowski to pick out Szymanski at the far post for a bullet header.
-AFP
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
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Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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