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PSG vs Nantes: Messi stole the spotlight scoring maiden league goal for Paris Saint-Germain
10-man Paris Saint-Germain defeated Nantes on Saturday (November 20) in a Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes, extending their lead in the standings. PSG now have a 12-point advantage over Rennes in the league table. This was also a landmark match for Lionel Messi, who scored his first goal in Ligue 1 for the Parisians. In fact, Messi was directly involved in two goals and had a key role in the game's outcome. The match report of PSG vs Nantes is discussed in this article.
Match Report: PSG vs Nantes
Lionel Messi has been criticized for not putting up his typical masterful performance for PSG. He had a couple of good outings prior to this match, and Paris fans had seen his brilliance in those matches. Besides that, Messi has been quiet for his new team this season. Thankfully, he delivered against Nantes on Saturday, boosting his confidence for future matches.
Read: Independence Cup football likely to begin Nov 27
PSG did not have to wait long to score their opening goal of the game. A long-range effort from Kylian Mbappe was deflected into the net by a Nantes defender. Within two minutes, the host had taken the lead in the contest. PSG failed to score a second goal in the first half and had to be content with a 1-0 lead despite increasing their attacks on the opposition defense.
The Parisians were more aggressive towards the opposing half from the start of the second half. Every time the magical trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe went forward, they frightened the Nantes defenders. Instead of scoring a second goal, PSG were down to ten men as goalkeeper Keylor Navas was sent off for a reckless tackle on Ludovic Blas right outside the D-box area.
Read Pran-DRU Football Tournament begins Sunday
Nantes took advantage of the situation and discarded the lead courtesy of a goal by Kolo Muani in the 76th minute. There were a few worrisome moments in the PSG dugout, but it only took five minutes to extend the lead. When Nantes defender Dennis Appiah tried to intercept Messi's through pass, it went straight into the net.
Six minutes later, Lionel Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal for PSG. His left-footed strike from outside the D-box went into the bottom left corner of the net, assisted by Kylian Mbappe. Paris Saint-Germain now have 37 points from 14 games with a 3-1 victory against Nantes.
Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: The national teams who have qualified so far
Independence Cup football likely to begin Nov 27
The next football season begins with the Independence Cup Football, marking the 50th year of the country’s Independence and the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, that is likely to begin on November 27 at the Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur.
Fifteen teams -twelve premier division clubs and three services teams—Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force—will play in this year’s curtain raiser soccer meet, arranged in place of traditional Federation Cup Football.
Read: Pakistan wrap up series beating Bangladesh by eight wickets
Independence Cup Football will be followed by Federation Cup Football and Premier League Football.
Twelve participating premier league clubs are: Bashundhara Kings, Sheikh Jamal DC, Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Mohammedan SC, Sheikh Russel KC, Saif Sportsing Club, Chattogram Abahani Ltd, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, Bangladesh Police SC, Uttar Baridhara Club, Rahmatganj MFS, Swadinata KC.
Pran-DRU Football Tournament begins Sunday
Pran-Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Football Tournament’ 2021 begins on Sunday at Shaheed (Captain) M Mansur Ali Handball National Stadium in the capital.
A total of 50 media houses, split into eight groups, are initially taking part on knock out base meet, organized by Dhaka Reporters Unity. Later, eight group champion teams will play in the quarterfinals.
Read: Pakistan wrap up series beating Bangladesh by eight wickets
DRU Sports Secretary Maksuda Lisa disclosed the details of the meet at a press conference at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium of DRU on Saturday.
DRU President Morsalin Nomani, general secretary Moshiur Rahman Khan and Head of the Corporate Brand of the meet’s sponsor Pran-RFL Group Nurul Absar also spoke on the occasion.
Read: Jatiya Press Club sports festival begins
Eight matches will be held on the opening day (Sunday) from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
FIFA World Cup 2022: The national teams who have qualified so far
The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be held in the months of November and December of the next year. This tournament will include a total of 32 teams from six confederations. The main event will feature 13 national teams from Europe, followed by 5 from Africa, 4/5 from Asia and South America, 3/4 from CONCACAF, and 0.5/1 from Oceania. Thirteen nations have already qualified for the World Cup, with the remaining teams to be confirmed within March. Let's take a look at who has qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
Qualified Teams for FIFA World Cup 2022
The Qatar World Cup 2022 will kick off in one year, with 13 teams out of 32 securing their spots in the main tournament. The majority of them are from Europe, with two from South America and the host Qatar. No teams from Africa, Asia, Concacaf, or Oceania have qualified yet.
The following countries have qualified for next year's event
Teams
Confederation
Serbia
(Group A winner, UEFA)
Spain
(Group B winner, UEFA)
Switzerland
(Group C winner, UEFA)
France
(Group D winner, UEFA)
Belgium
(Group E winner, UEFA)
Denmark
(Group F winner, UEFA)
The Netherlands
(Group G winner, UEFA)
Croatia
(Group H winner, UEFA)
England
(Group I winner, UEFA)
Germany
(Group J winner, UEFA)
Brazil
(One of the top four teams in the CONMEBOL)
Argentina
(One of the top four teams in the CONMEBOL)
Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers
Scenarios of qualification in all confederations for the 2022 Qatar World Cup
There are still 19 spots available for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Let's look at the overall World Cup 2022 qualification scenarios.
Also Read: European soccer leagues oppose FIFA biennial World Cup plan
Africa
The third round of African World Cup qualifiers will feature Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Five of the 10 teams in this round will advance to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Asia
Iran and South Korea are in a solid position in Group A of the third round. Iran lead the standings with 16 points, followed by South Korea with 14 points. They are the favorites to qualify for the World Cup 2022. Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia are battling it out in Group B for a spot in the World Cup. Saudi Arabia are now in first place with 16 points, followed by Japan (12 points), and Australia (11 points). A play-off will be held between the two third-place teams.
Europe
With ten national teams having already qualified, only three slots remain in the UEFA zone. Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine, Wales, Scotland, Turkey, Russia, Poland, and North Macedonia are the ten runner-up teams in each group, with two teams via the Nations League Austria and the Czech Republic will compete in a playoff round for a spot in the main event.
Read: Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
CONMEBOL
Ecuador (23 points), Colombia (17 points), and Peru (17 points) are all in great shape to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Chile (16 points), Uruguay (16 points), Bolivia (15 points), and Paraguay (13 points) are still in contention, but with only four games remaining, securing a top-four finish will be extremely difficult. The fifth-place team will play an inter-confederation play-off.
Concacaf
The real contenders for a spot in next year's World Cup are Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Panama. The top three teams in the points standings will advance to the main event, while the fourth-place team will compete in a play-off.
Oceania
The Oceania region will compete in a qualifying competition, with the winner advancing to an inter-confederation play-off for a World Cup place.
Read: Who can replace coach Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona?
Bottom Line
Some of the most anticipated teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022. However, few top teams have struggled in the qualifying round. From Europe, Italy and Portugal will have to compete in the qualifying round, and they are at risk of missing out on a place in the main tournament. Uruguay and Chile are in a perilous position in South America. These two teams may not be able to compete in the Qatar World Cup in 2022. There will be a lot of twists and turns before the end of the World Cup qualifiers.
Argentina vs. Brazil: Superclasico ends in goalless draw
The Superclasico match between Argentina and Brazil finished in a goalless draw at Argentina's Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario stadium. Argentina are now only one point away from securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Albiceleste has five more qualifier matches left, and they can seal a spot in the main event when they face Chile in January. On the other hand, Brazil have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup. Let's take a look at the Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup 2022 qualifier match report.
Match Report: Argentina vs. Brazil
Argentina's unbeaten streak has been extended after a scoreless (0-0) draw with Brazil. With this result, Lionel Scaloni's team has now gone 27 games without losing, which is an extraordinary feat.
Argentina had dominated the contest for the majority of it since Brazil's strategy was to save the match rather than lose it.
Read: Lionel Messi’s Charity Work: Exemplary philanthropy of legendary Argentine Footballer
The visiting team, Brazil went for the attack and had a few chances in the first half but were unable to capitalize on them. The selecao had their best chance of the game in the 60th minute (second-half). Fred's long-range shot only hit the bar outside the box. A few minutes later, Lucas Paqueta and Mathews Cunha attempted two shots in the opponent half, but both were unsuccessful. The new phenomenon, Vinicius Junior had his chance in the 72nd minute when he took a shot but failed to strike the back of the net.
On the other hand, Argentina attempted to build attacks from the back and they were strong in the midfield. The Albiceleste had the maximum ball possession and excellent passing accuracy, but they couldn't find the back of the net. Argentina's best chances in the first half came from Lionel Messi (24th minute), Lautaro Martinez (31st minute), and Rodrigo de Paul (41st minute).
Messi and his teammates tried to find a way through, but Brazil's defense remained solid. Argentina appeared desperate in the closing 15 minutes of the second half. Lionel Messi attempted two more shots, but both were saved.
Read: Neymar to miss Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier
Elsewhere, Bolivia defeated Uruguay 3-0, Peru defeated Venezuela 2-1 away from home, Ecuador defeated Chile 2-0, and Colombia and Paraguay played to a goalless draw in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
Match Stats: Brazil vs. Argentina
According to the match statistics, Argentina had 56 percent ball possession and Brazil had 44 percent. The home side completed 495 passes, while the visitors completed 399.
Argentina had an 85 percent passing accuracy, whereas Brazil had an 81 percent passing accuracy. Argentina attempted nine shots, three of which were successful. On the other hand, Brazil made nine attempts and had two shots on target.
Read: Brazil Qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as the first South American team
Both Argentina and Brazil were charged 21 fouls each. Argentina were shown four yellow cards, while Brazil were shown three.
South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers Scenario
Brazil lead the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers with 35 points. Their arch-rival Argentina are in second place with 29 points. Argentina lead Ecuador (23 points) by six points in the standings. Based on the current point standings, these three teams will certainly participate in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Colombia (17), Peru (17), Chile (16), Uruguay (16), Bolivia (15), and Paraguay (13) will compete for the fourth and fifth spots in the CONMEBOL zone. The fourth-place finisher will automatically qualify for the next year's World Cup, while the fifth-place finisher will have to play in an inter-confederation play-off. Therefore, the remaining FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers in the CONMEBOL zone will surely be enthralling.
Read Four Nations Football: Double strike by Waseem guides Sri Lanka to final at cost of Bangladesh
Bottom Line
Neymar was absent in this Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup qualifier match because of a thigh injury. But that didn't reduce the excitement of this match. Argentina controlled for the most part of this match, but Brazil's tactics were just as effective. Based on their current form, both teams will unquestionably be among the favorites for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The number of matches they will play prior to the main event will help with the development of their team's strategy.
Four Nations Football: Double strike by Waseem guides Sri Lanka to final at cost of Bangladesh
A double strike by Waseem Razeek guided hosts Sri Lanka to the final of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Four Nations International Football Tournament shocking Bangladesh by 2-1 goals in the last league match at the Racecourse ground in Colombo on Tuesday.
They will now play the final on Friday (Nov 19) against African nation the Seychelles, which booked its final berth after playing out a goalless draw with the Maldives at the same venue Tuesday afternoon.
Striker Ahmed Waseem Razzek, who scored a hattrick scoring fours goals against the Maldives in the tournament's opener, scored both the goals for hosts Sri Lanka, one in each half.
He put Sri Lanka ahead in the 25th minute of the match by a rebounder from top of the small box when a long distance shot of his team-mate came his way slipped from grip of Bangladesh custodian Anisur Rahman Zico (1-0).
READ: Neymar to miss Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier
Bangladesh which needed a draw against Sri Lanka to reach the final, played a defensive football from very beginning and that backfired to concede an early goal.
But in the 2nd half, Bangladesh dominated the match all through when the Lankan were found to busy Bangladesh attack one after another and it's fruit in the 70th minute.
Substitute striker Jewel Rana levelled margin for Bangladesh by an accurate placing ground shot from goalmouth melee denying opponent defender and custodian (1-1).
When the was almost heading for 1-1 draw to assure the final berth for Bangladesh, then referee given a controversial penalty in favour of home team and striker Waseem Razeek did no mistake to convert a spot kick in the 90th minute guiding Sri Lanka to the final.
With the day's feat, Waseem Razeek emerged as leading scorer in the meet scoring six individual goals.
Earlier, Susanto Tripura and Topu Barman of Bangladesh spoiled two easy chances.
Earlier, Bangladesh started their campaign in the Sri Lankan four nations football with frustrating note after playing 1-1 draw with African side Seychelles despite dominating the match by 1-0 goal till 87th minute last Wednesday.
READ: Four Nations Football: Hosts Sri Lanka stand between Bangladesh and final
Bangladesh smartly bounced back in the final race beating stronger Maldives after 18 years by 2-1 goals in their 2nd match last Saturday at the same venue.
Earlier in tournament opener last Tuesday, coming from behind, hosts Sri Lanka played to a 4-4 draw with their neighbor the Maldives while Seychelles beat hosts Sri Lanka by 1-0 goal in another match on Saturday.
Bangladesh team (Starting Eleven) Anisur Rahman Zico Topu Barman, Rahmat Mia, Susanto Tripura, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Mohammad Redoy, Jamal Bhuiyan, Rakib Hossain, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Mohammad Ibrahim and Sumon Reza.
Neymar to miss Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier
Brazil forward Neymar will miss his team's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Argentina because of a leg muscle injury, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Monday.
The 29-year-old was ruled out of Tuesday's clash in the central-western Argentine city of San Juan after feeling pain in the adductor area of his left thigh.
Read: CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record
"Neymar Jr said he felt insecure about the situation and, as there is not enough time to carry out complementary exams, the technical commission decided to rest the player who will not travel with the team," a CBF statement read.
Meanwhile, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni confirmed that Lionel Messi would play, playing down concerns about the 34-year-old's fitness.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward made a 14-minute cameo appearance off the bench in Argentina's 1-0 win over Uruguay on Friday, having missed Paris Saint-Germain's last two games because of knee and hamstring problems.
"He was physically fit the other day and in the end we decided that the best thing was for him to play a few minutes so that he could get a feel for it and he is confirmed to play tomorrow," Scaloni told reporters.
Read: Neymar Jr. Philanthropy: Famous Brazilian Footballer's Inspiring Charitable Work
Brazil head the 10-team South American zone standings with 34 points from 12 matches, six points ahead of second-placed Argentina.
The Selecao secured their place at next year's World Cup in Qatar with a 1-0 win over Colombia in Sao Paulo on Thursday.
The top four teams in the group will automatically qualify for football's showpiece tournament while the fifth-ranked side while advance to an inter-continental playoff.
Four Nations Football: Hosts Sri Lanka stand between Bangladesh and final
Bangladesh footballers will play hosts Sri Lanka in their 3nd and final group phase match of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Four Nations International Football Tournament on Tuesday with hopes of securing a place in the final.
The match will kick-off at 9:30 pm (Bangladesh time) at Racecourse ground in Colombo.
Read:Four Nations Football: Bangladesh earn long-awaited win upsetting Maldives 2-1
Bangladesh are currently top of the table with an unbeaten record securing four points from two matches with a +1 goal difference, and need just a draw against Sri Lanka to book their final berth.
African nation Seychelles are second behind Bangladesh securing same points, and also need just a draw against the Maldives Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 pm to confim their final berth.
The Maldives and hosts Sri Lanka are in “must win” situation to keep their final hopes alive.
After the league basis three-match first round, top two teams of the four-nation meet will play final on November 19.
Earlier, Bangladesh started their campaign with a frustrating note after playing out a 1-1 draw with the Seychelles despite dominating the match and leading till the 87th minute last Wednesday.
Bangladesh smartly bounced back beating the strong Maldives side after 18 years by 2-1 goals in their 2nd match last Saturday at the same venue.
Earlier in the tournament opener last Tuesday, coming from behind, hosts Sri Lanka played to a 4-4 draw with their neighbor the Maldives while Seychelles beat hosts Sri Lanka by 1-0 goal in another match on Saturday.
Read:Four Nations Football: Bangladesh play 1-1 draw with Seychelles
In their last pre-match press conference on Monday at the team hotel, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan and head coach Mario Lemos sounded a confident note on doing the needful to reach the final.
Standings after two matches (Tabulating under match played, win, draw, loss, goal for, goal against, goal difference and pointss)
Teams M W D L GF GA GD pts
Bangladesh 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 4
Seychelles 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
Maldives 2 0 1 1 5 6 -1 1
Sri Lanka 2 0 1 1 4 5 -1 1
Four Nations Football: Bangladesh earn long-awaited win upsetting Maldives 2-1
Bangladesh stayed in the final race of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha Trophy Four Nations International Football Tournament upsetting upper ranked Maldives by 2-1 goal in their 2nd match at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
It was not only a sweet revenge of Bangladesh in their 0-2 goal defeat against the Maldives in the SAFF Championship in Male five weeks before, but also their dream win against the island nation after about 18 years.
Bangladesh played the Maldives on five occasions since 2003, and lost four matches featuring an embracing 0-5 goal defeat. The rest match between them ended in draw.
Bangladesh miserably played to a 1-1 with lowly African side Seychelles in their first match despite leading by 1-0 goal till 87th minute at the same venue last Wednesday.
Read: Four Nations Football: Bangladesh play 1-1 draw with Seychelles
Earlier in the tournament opener on last Tuesday, hosts Sri Lanka, coming from behind, drew 4-4 with the Maldives at the same venue.
In the day’s match, captain cum medio Jamal Bhuiyan put Bangladesh ahead in the 12th minute utilizing a long throw of Rahmat Miah (1-0).
Mohamed Umair restored the parity for the Maldives in the 32nd minute capitalizing on a corner kick, taken by Ali Ashraf to tie the 1-1 in the first half.
Defender Topu Barman scored the long awaited match-winner for Bangladesh in the 88th minute from a penalty (2-1).
Bangladesh got the spot kick when onrushing Jewel Rana of Bangladesh, was illegally tackled by Maldives custodian in the danger zone.
Read: Four Nations Football: Host Sri Lanka plays out 4-4 draw with Maldives
Brazil Qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as the first South American team
Brazil became the first South American side to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 after defeating Colombia 1-0 in their own backyard on Friday (November 12). The Selecao won the match thanks to a goal by attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the 72nd minute. Brazil now lead the point standings with 34 points, six more than arch-rival Argentina. Brazil still have six matches left in the qualifiers, and with their current form, they may easily finish with 50 points. Let's take a look at the current CONMEBOL 2022 World Cup qualifying standings.
Match Report: Brazil vs. Colombia
Lucas Paqueta of Olympique Lyon scored his sixth goal for the Brazilian national team against Colombia on Friday (November 12), ensuring the Selecao becomes the first South American team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Read Four Nations Football: Bangladesh play 1-1 draw with Seychelles
Brazil's coach Tite fielded his strongest starting XI against Colombia in front of home spectators with the aim of gaining a spot in the mega event. As predicted, Brazil controlled most of the ball possession in the first half but were unable to score. Colombia had a strong defense.
It was a crucial match for Colombia in their quest for a World Cup spot. So they were aiming for a draw, but their resistance was broken in the 72nd minute of the game.
Paqueta's attempt in the D-box was deflected by goalkeeper David Ospina, who was unable to save the ball. Brazil scored in the final quarter of the game, and the contest ended with this scoreline.
Read: Four Nations Football: Bangladesh to play the Maldives on Saturday
Match Stats: Colombia vs. Brazil
According to the match statistics, Brazil had 64 percent ball possession while Colombia had 36 percent. The home team completed 602 passes compared to 346 for the visiting team. Brazil received four yellow cards for fouling. On the other hand, Colombia received three yellow cards. Brazil will meet Argentina in their next FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier On Wednesday (November 17).
Current Standings of South American FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers
Argentina also won their qualifier match 1-0 against Uruguay, putting them in second place with 28 points. Ecuador are now in a strong position in the standings after defeating Venezuela 1-0 at home. Ecuador are ranked third in the points table, with a total of 20 points. Chile defeated Paraguay in a crucial match, while Peru thrashed Bolivia 3-0. It should be noted that four teams from the South American zone will qualify straight for the World Cup next year, while the fifth-place team will be allowed to compete in an inter-confederation play-off.
Read Four Nations Football: Host Sri Lanka plays out 4-4 draw with Maldives