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A16 SPORTS
Wednesday 9 august 2023
Messi’s exit leaves a big hole at PSG as the club frets over

Mbappe and Neymar

By Jerome Pugmire summer. PSG did not com-
Associated Press ment.
PARIS (AP) — There's a big Losing Mbappe and Ney-
hole in the Paris Saint-Ger- mar would be a massive
main locker room where blow to the prestige of
Lionel Messi used to sit. The the French league, which
way things are going at opens with Nice hosting
under-pressure PSG, Kylian Lille on Friday night, but
Mbappe may also soon be would also be the wake-
vacating his spot — and up call PSG needs after yet
maybe even Neymar too. another season of compla-
Soccer fans around the cency and over-reliance
world took a greater inter- on Mbappe and other star
est in watching the French performers.
league last season when For while PSG won a re-
PSG boasted superstars cord 11th French title last
Messi, Mbappe and Ney- season, the second half of
mar in attack. the campaign was dismal.
Those PSG fans who Unbeaten before the World
thought it wise to jeer the Cup started in November,
record seven-time Ballon PSG lost 10 matches overall
d'Or winner Messi last sea- PSG's Kylian Mbappe, right, celebrates with PSG's Neymar after scoring a disallowed goal during in 2023 in all competitions.
son may be regretting it the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and PSG lost three home games
Bayern Munich, at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.
now. Even more so if the (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File) in the league at Parc des
club sells Mbappe to stop Princes, which was once
him leaving next summer PSG has received a world sive contract to sign a new France. a fortress, including back-
for free as he intends. record $332 million bid from contract in May last year “It’s a decision that goes to-back defeats to Rennes
With Messi gone to In- Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal reportedly worth 6 mil- beyond the players. It’s a and Lyon without scoring a
ter Miami, it should fall to for Mbappe, who is widely lion euros ($6.6 million) per question for the directors,” goal.
Mbappe and Neymar to thought to want to join Real month. PSG captain Marquinhos Even Lorient, which finished
lead the attack. But with Madrid next season on a Messi's move to Miami said. "You always want in 10th, won 3-1 in Paris,
Mbappe mired in a transfer free transfer, complete with came after Argentina's great players next to you, I while a 3-1 defeat in Mo-
standoff and Neymar still a massive signing-on fee. World Cup winner didn’t hope there will be a good naco saw Marquinhos and
feeling his way back from Mbappe has been training sign the contract extension solution so that he can Neymar arguing with sport-
his latest injury, there's a alone and was left off the that Qatar-backed PSG of- come back and help us this ing director Luis Campos,
possibility neither will start recent tour to Japan and fered him. If Mbappe goes season.” who is now at odds with the
the home game against South Korea. as well, it would further de- France's leading sports dai- club's hierarchy.
modest Lorient on Satur- PSG president Nasser Al- prive the French league of ly L'Equipe said on Monday Christophe Galtier was fired
day. Khelaifi is reportedly hugely some star quality, dampen- evening that Neymar, who and the former Barcelona
Mbappe could be left out disappointed at Mbappe, ing early interest in the sea- is under contract until 2025, coach Enrique was hired to
as PSG tries to sell him. having offered him a mas- son particularly outside of also wants to leave this replace him. q

France ends Morocco's run and advances to

the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup

minutes took the game advance to the round of And France was 3-0 up
away from Morocco, with 16 at the expense of No. when Diani blocked the at-
Kadidiatou Diani, Kenza 2-ranked Germany. tempted clearance of Nes-
Dali and Le Sommer all But overcoming France, ryne El Chad into the path
scoring to give France a one of the tournament fa- of Le Sommer to convert.
3-0 lead after 23 minutes at vorites, was a step too far Le Sommer got a second
Adelaide's Hindmarsh Sta- for Reynald Pedros’ team. goal when heading in
dium. Diani opened the scoring in at the far post from Vicki
Le Sommer headed in a the 15th minute when left Becho’s looping cross with
France's Kenza Dali is congratulated by teammate Kadidiatou fourth in the 70th to com- unmarked in front of goal 20 minutes left in regulation.
Diani, right, after scoring her team's second goal during the plete the win and end Mo- to head in Sakina Karcha- France lost a friendly to
Women's World Cup round of 16 soccer match between France rocco’s campaign. oui’s cross from the left. Australia leading into the
and Morocco in Adelaide, Australia, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. The Moroccans became It was Diani’s fourth goal tournament.
(AP Photo/James Elsby) the first Arab nation to ad- of the tournament after The teams will meet again
Associated Press ment. vance to the knockout her hat trick in France’s 6-3 after the Matildas ad-
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — France's all-time leading stage. win over Panama in its final vanced to the quarterfinals
Eugenie Le Sommer scored scorer, Le Sommer struck The Atlas Lions were the Group F match. with a 2-0 win over Den-
twice as France advanced once in each half as her first Arab team to register Dali scored five minutes lat- mark. Star striker Sam Kerr
to the Women's World Cup country moved into a show- a win in the competition er after Diani cut back from returned from calf injury to
quarterfinals with a 4-0 win down with co-host Australia by beating South Korea in the right. Dali struck a first- make her first appearance
on Tuesday that ended in Brisbane on Saturday for the group stage. They fol- time shot low into the cor- at this World Cup as a sec-
Morocco's historic debut a place in the semifinals. lowed that by upsetting ner to beat Morocco goal- ond-half substitute against
run at the global tourna- A three-goal burst in nine group winner Colombia to keeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. the Danes.q