Lukaku returns in style with 90th goal for Belgium

Romelu Lukaku marked his return to the Belgium side with a record-extending 90th international goal as they beat Croatia 2-0 away in their World Cup warm-up friendly on ‌Tuesday.

Captain Youri Tielemans took advantage of a defensive slip to score the opening goal while Belgium's all-time top scorer Lukaku struck with the last effort of the match in his first game for the national side in 12 months.

The 33-year-old Lukaku broke away and ⁠slammed home a powerful strike to set about expunging a dismal campaign at club level with Napoli where he failed to start a single match all season and struggled with a hamstring injury.

Tielemans swept home the ball from close range in the 38th minute after the Croatia defence failed to clear a square pass following Jeremy Doku’s marauding run.

The clash provided both teams' coaches with an opportunity to field a large number ‌of ⁠their World Cup-bound squads, as Croatia used 10 substitutes and Belgium brought on Lukaku for a cameo appearance in the last 18 minutes.

Hans Vanaken, another of the eight subs that Belgium used, headed Tielemans’ 74th-minute corner against the ⁠crossbar.

Croatia’s Ante Budimir also struck the crossbar in the second half, while Luka Modric was denied before halftime by Thibaut Courtois’ sharp save.

Croatia will have another warm-up ⁠game against neighbours Slovenia in Varazdin on Sunday, while Belgium host Tunisia in Brussels on Saturday.

At the World Cup, Belgium begin their Group ⁠G campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 15, while Croatia’s first match in Group L is against England in Dallas on June 17.

Comments

Nigeria backs ANOCA rotation policy as Uganda lands 2031 African Games hosting rights

By Maxwell Kumoye Uganda's emergence as host of the 2031 African Games has been linked to the rotational hosting policy of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), a framework designed to ensure equitable distribution of the continent's biggest multi-sport event among Africa's regions. Investigations have revealed that the East African nation benefited significantly from the policy, which seeks to spread hosting opportunities across the continent rather than concentrating them in a few countries. The decision is also understood to have been aided by Nigeria's withdrawal from the race, leaving Uganda as the sole candidate for the prestigious event. For Nigeria, supporting the rotational arrangement aligns with the country's longstanding contribution to the growth of the African Games movement. The nation has already hosted the continental showpiece twice, first in Lagos in 1973 and again in Abuja in 2003, making it one of only a handful of c...

Glazer family members studying Manchester United stake sale, Bloomberg News reports

Some Glazer family members have been debating whether ‌to sell their stake in Manchester United FC (MANU.N), opens new tab after more than two decades ⁠of ownership, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Several stakeholders in the Glazer family have been studying ‌the ⁠possibility of divesting part or all of their holdings in the English ⁠Premier League football club, according to the report. — Reuters

Protests and last-minute construction work disrupt Mexico City ahead of World Cup

Eight days before Mexico City kicks off the World Cup, mass protests by teachers and retired judges, road closures and last-minute construction work caused chaos in the capital on Wednesday for millions of residents who face long delays and complex rerouting of their daily commutes. On June 11, Mexico City will host the inaugural World Cup match between ‌Mexico and South Africa at Azteca stadium in the capital. With Mexico in the global spotlight, teachers and other groups have staged marches and blocked major avenues. They have said their protests, which are unrelated to the tournament, could intensify unless President Claudia Sheinbaum's government addresses their demands. The CNTE, a dissident wing of the national teachers' union, has threatened mass demonstrations at the opening of the World Cup in official statements shared on social media. The union is demanding the government fulfill a campaign pledge to repeal a 2007 law that overhauled the pension and ⁠social securit...

Iran to play World Cup warm-up behind closed doors, head to Mexico on Saturday

Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up behind closed doors in Turkey on Thursday before departing for their tournament base in Mexico on Saturday, the Iranian FA (FFIRI) said on Wednesday. Although it was one of the first teams to ‌qualify, Iran's participation in the World Cup has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February. The squad have played three friendlies in two training camps in Antalya since the start of the war - losing to Nigeria and beating Costa Rica and Gambia - and on Thursday will face Mali ⁠in the Turkish sea resort. "Considering the importance of the Iranian national football team's friendly match against Mali, and in line with the tactical objectives of Iran's head coach, tomorrow's match against Mali will be held behind closed doors and without media attendance," FFIRI said in a statement. The FFIRI persuaded FIFA to allow the team to swap its tournament base from Tucson, A...

Z-PRO MEDIA

Search This Blog