Marsch: Canada's 'heroes' inspire nation's World Cup dream

DOHA: Canada head coach Jesse Marsch paid tribute to his players after they secured a place in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, describing the team as “Canadian heroes” following a dramatic 1-0 victory over South Africa.

Moments after the final whistle, Marsch gathered his squad in a circle on the pitch before delivering an emotional message that reflected the significance of Canada’s achievement. xsportfeed.life

“You guys are Canadian heroes today! Canadian heroes for the future children of this country who play this sport. The sport has a big future because of you guys. You should be so proud of who you are.”

The Canadian coach later singled out captain Stephen Eustaquio, whose stunning strike in second-half stoppage time secured Canada’s first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory.

“I couldn’t think of a more deserving human being in a group of incredible human beings. Maybe Steph is the most deserving to have a moment like that. So I’m really happy for him.”

الأخبارمحطة إعداد لها بالأولمبياد.. العداءة الأمريكية أليسون تختار أسبايرتستعد العداءة الأمريكية وأسطورة ألعاب القوى أليسون فيليكس للمنافسة في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية 2028، التي تستضيفها مدينة لوس أنجلوس مسقط رأسها، انطلاقا من أكاديمية أسباير في الدوح...فتح →

Canada had been forced to remain patient throughout a tense contest as South Africa defended with discipline and determination. Despite dominating possession and creating several opportunities, the breakthrough refused to come until the 92nd minute, when Eustaquio unleashed a superb volley from outside the penalty area that found the bottom corner beyond goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

The goal sparked emotional celebrations among the Canadian players and supporters, keeping alive the co-host nation’s hopes of a memorable World Cup run.

For South Africa, the defeat brought an end to a campaign that had already rewritten the nation’s World Cup history. Head coach Hugo Broos admitted that Canada had been the stronger side physically while expressing pride in everything his players had achieved during the tournament.

“I think we have to be honest that today we lost the game because there was a lack of power and speed in our team.”

Broos also highlighted where Canada gained the upper hand throughout the contest.

“When I compare us with our opponent, we lost a lot of duels. The speed of execution was also not the same.”

Although the result ended South Africa’s World Cup journey, Broos refused to let one late goal define the tournament. The veteran Belgian coach, who confirmed this would be his final FIFA World Cup, praised his largely domestic-based squad for exceeding expectations by reaching the knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.

“It’s not clever to take decisions when you are disappointed. I will see in the next days what I will do for the future. For sure, this is my last World Cup.”

Broos’ departure marks the end of an important chapter for South African football. Since taking charge in 2021, he transformed a side that had failed to qualify for the previous three FIFA World Cups into one capable of competing on the sport’s biggest stage.

Under his leadership, BafanaBafana recovered from an opening defeat to progress beyond the group stage before eventually falling to Canada in heartbreaking fashion.

تحوّل الحماس المتوتر والهتافات الصاخبة إلى آهات ألم ودموع، بعدما تبدد أمل الأرجنتينيين في تحقيق عودة ملحمية جديدة بقيادة ميسي في المونديال.
ففي أنحاء المدينة انطلقت الألعاب النارية، وتوجه المشجعون إلى المسلة الشهيرة للاحتفالات الكروية.وبعد أن بدت عليهم خيبة الأمل في البداية، سرعان ما عادوا للاحتفال بفريقهم، وقال كثيرون إنهم، رغم الهزيمة، سينزلون إلى الشوارع لاستقبال المنتخب.وكتب الرئيس خافيير ميلي على منصة «إكس»: «شكرا جزيلا لكم أيها اللاعبون!!! قاتلتم حتى اللحظة الأخيرة. الأرجنتين ستبقى دائما شامخة».

Paris, France: The fight between WBC super middleweight world champion Christian Mbilli and superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez originally scheduled for September has been postponed until late October Ring magazine said Sunday.

The bout between the Frenchman and the Mexican was initially set as the main event of the September 12 card in Riyadh, but the lineup was adjusted to allow the clash between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn to take top billing.

The media outlet's report was also reposted by Mbilli's promoter on social media.

Former undisputed super-middleweight champion Alvarez lost his belts in a defeat by US veteran Terence Crawford last September.

Crawford subsequently retired and the WBC promoted Mbilli from its interim champion to its full champion.

Alvarez, 35, has held numerous world titles at different weights from light-middleweight to light-heavyweight during a 20-year career that began as a 15-year-old.

He has a record of 63 victories, with 39 of those inside the distance, three defeats and two draws.

Mbilli is unbeaten with 29 wins and one draw from his 30 bouts, although he has never faced anyone of Alvarez's level.

Doha: Qatar’s Shahin Eidimohammad Badaghimofrad produced an outstanding display to claim the silver medal in the 82kg Greco-Roman category at the United World Wrestling (UWW) Ranking Series Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

The Asian champion booked his place in the final with a 4-1 victory over Georgia’s Tornike Mikeladze in the semi-final. Badaghimofrad d scored a go-behind after Mikeladze slipped early in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Georgia challenged the move, claiming a leg foul, but the challenge was unsuccessful, awarding Badaghimofrad an additional point to make it 3-1. The Qatari wrestler then capitalized from the par terre position to seal a 4-1 victory.

Badaghimofrad went on to finish runner-up in the final, securing the silver medal and earning Qatar a place on the podium at one of the sport’s premier international ranking events.

Qatar's Arif Mohammadi (right) celebrates on the podium after winning bronze in the 62kg weight category

Qatar celebrated another podium finish through Arif Mohammadi, who claimed the bronze medal in the 62kg Greco-Roman category, adding to the nation’s successful campaign in the Hungarian capital.

The medals earned by Badaghimofrad and Mohammadi provide valuable ranking points ahead of upcoming major international competitions and further underline Qatar’s growing presence in international Greco-Roman wrestling.

The Budapest Ranking Series is the fourth and final United World Wrestling Ranking Series event of the 2026 season, bringing together many of the world’s top wrestlers to compete for crucial ranking points and international honours.