2023-11-13 11:40:14
Megan Rapinoe injured and defeated in her last match, Kylian Mbappé scores a hat-trick without satisfying Luis Enrique, Novak Djokovic breaks yet another tennis record… A look back at the weekend’s sports news.
The sporting events that should not be missed, the summary of the five major football championships and the image of the weekend… Here is the France 24 sports recap.
Sundowns win the inaugural African Football League : South African club Mamelodi Sundowns won the first edition of the African Football League (AFL) on Sunday, beating Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in the second leg final in Pretoria. The Sundowns, who lost 2-1 a week earlier in Morocco, caught up thanks to goals from Peter Shalulile (45th + 3) and Aubrey Modiba (53rd). The Pretoria team, already winner of the CAF Super Cup six years ago, thus won the first trophy of this competition launched this fall and richly endowed, the winner having to cash a check for four million dollars (3 .7 million euros). The African Confederation plans to extend it to 24 clubs for the 2024-2025 season.
Le Cléac’h and Joss winners of the Jacques-Vabre : Armel Le Cléac’h and Sébastien Josse won the Transat Jacques-Vabre on Sunday in Martinique, after years of setbacks in multihulls. Having left Le Havre, they arrived in Fort-de-France after 14 days, 10 hours, 14 minutes and 50 seconds of racing.
Djokovic, eight years at the top : Serbian Novak Djokovic is sure to end the year in first place in the world after his success against Dane Holger Rune 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3 on the first day of the ATP Masters, Sunday in Turin (Italy). Djokovic, 36, will end the season in first place in the ATP rankings for the eighth time in his career, a new record. He had already finished the 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021 seasons with the status of the best player on the planet.
Even before the entry into the running of world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Monday, “Djoko” can no longer be caught by his Spanish rival. Thanks to this success, he is also assured of becoming the first player in history to reach the symbolic figure of 400 weeks spent at the top of the ATP rankings.
Failed retirement for Rapinoe: The American Megan Rapinoe, a figure in women’s football, quickly emerged injured from the last match of her career, the final of the United States championship, lost by her team OL Reign against NJ/NY Gotham (2-1 ), Saturday in San Diego. Sitting on the pitch, her head in her jersey and tears in her eyes from the start of the match, Megan Rapinoe had certainly not imagined the final match of her career, which she could have ended by lifting her first cup. as a United States champion in California, the state where she grew up. But on a slip that seemed harmless, the 38-year-old striker was injured, before limping out in the 6th minute to a standing ovation from the public and embraced by NY/NJ Gotham FC captain Ali Krieger, another football figure US which played its last meeting on Saturday.
Read alsoPortrait: the rebel Megan Rapinoe
Benoît Saint-Denis continues his rise in MMA : Frenchman Benoît Saint-Denis, a former special forces soldier converted to MMA, crushed the American Matt Frevola in the first round on Saturday in New York for his sixth UFC fight. With this success, Saint-Denis (27 years old, 5 wins, 1 loss) continues to climb the hierarchy and opens the doors to the top 15 lightweights of the UFC, barely four years after his debut in the sport .
A hat-trick from Mbappé is not enough for his coach, Lyon wakes up
Kylian Mbappé “can still progress” in the game despite his hat-trick scored in Reims during the 12th day of Ligue 1, criticized his coach at Paris SG, Luis Enrique, on Saturday, who declared “not to be very happy with Kylian today hui.”
“We know his value, but he can do better, I ask him for even more. He is a top player in the world but he still has room for improvement, I ask him not to rest on his laurels,” said declared the Spanish coach at a press conference, in reference to poorly adjusted passes or throw-ins during the match which still ended with a score of 3 to 0 and allowed PSG to regain the lead in the championship.
At the other end of the championship, Lyon won its first victory of the season at Rennes (1-0) but still remains last in Ligue 1.
In a crazy match, Chelsea draw against Manchester City
Chelsea held on to the leader Manchester City (4-4) after an incredible summit on Sunday at home, thanks to young Cole Palmer, a 21-year-old former Citizen, scorer of the equalizing goal from the penalty spot in the additional time.
The international Espoirs, who arrived this summer from Manchester, took a deep breath, gained momentum and capsized a Stamford Bridge stadium drunk with happiness (90th + 5), punctuating a contested match full of suspense and dramatic twists. in a crazy atmosphere.
The point brought back from London still allows Manchester City (28 points) to take sole control of the Premier League after twelve days, with a small point ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal who complete the podium with 27 points each.
Crisis in Naples
Naples is in crisis: after the defeat at home against poorly ranked Empoli (1-0) on Sunday, the leaders of the reigning champion could quickly seal the fate of their coach, Rudi Garcia. Italian sports media are already announcing it.
Before being beaten by Empoli, 19th and penultimate in Serie A before this 12th day, Napoli had already conceded three defeats this season, four including their setback in the Champions League (3-2) against Real Madrid, all in its Diego-Armando-Maradona stadium.
The reigning champion is left behind in the race for his own succession, since he is 4th and is eight points behind Juventus, leader pending Inter’s match against Frosinone which, if successful, would push back Naples ten points.
Griezmann still carries Atlético
Author of a new goal and an assist, Antoine Griezmann allowed Atlético Madrid to win painfully (3-1) against Villarreal on Sunday at the Metropolitano at the end of the 13th day of La Liga.
The French international appeared at the far post on a cross from Llorente to give his team the advantage (80th, 2-1) and become the second top scorer in Atlético history, equaling Adrian Escudero with 169 goals under the rojiblanco jersey. The Colchoneros conceded Moreno’s first goal (20th, 1-0) before equalizing just before half-time through Alex Witsel, served by Griezmann (46th, 1-1).
Beaten by Las Palmas last weekend (2-1), Atlético Madrid (4th, 28 points) has a 15th consecutive victory at home in the league and remains two lengths behind FC Barcelona with a late match to play.
Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern won, not without fear, 4 to 2, against Heidenheim, Saturday afternoon at home, with a new demonstration from its center forward Harry Kane, author of a double during the 11th day of the championship Germany, temporarily taking the lead in the German championship.
But Bayer Leverkusen’s big 4-0 victory against Union Berlin on Sunday gave Xabi Alonso’s men back the lead in the championship. With 31 points, Leverkusen is two points ahead of Bayern Munich (29), the only two clubs still undefeated a third of the way through the Bundesliga season. The record of Lukas Hradecky’s teammates is impressive: in 17 matches in all competitions, they have won 16 times, with just one draw.
The governing body of French cricket, France Cricket, reacted on the specialized site Cricbuzz to the France 24 investigation denouncing the existence of ghost matches and opaque management of subsidies from the International Cricket Council (ICC). This association describes these revelations as “false and unfounded”. The ICC is looking into the fraud denounced in the investigation.
Players, club managers and recent members of the French Cricket Association accuse the organization of simulating the existence of matches © FMM Graphic Studio
Read alsoGhost matches: France Cricket denounces “false” revelations from France 24
Megan Rapinoe came out limping in the 6th minute to a standing ovation from the San Diego (California) public and embraced by NY/NJ Gotham FC captain Ali Krieger, another figure in US football who played her last match on Saturday. © Robyn Beck, AFP
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