Argentine players miss training
MOSCOW: Argentina defenders Nicolas Otamendi and Gabriel Mercado and midfielder Lucas Biglia were absent from their national team's group training on Saturday due to injuries and did recovery work in the fitness centre. Otamendi and Mercado, who started in Thursday's 0-3 defeat to Croatia, suffered blows to their right ankle. Biglia, who was a substitute against Croatia, was suffering from knee discomfort in Friday training, according to Argentina's medical staff. The three players worked out in the gym, as coach Jorge Sampaoli began preparations for Tuesday's game against Nigeria.
Honda embraces 'final' World Cup
KAZAN: Japan icon Keisuke Honda's dream of winning the World Cup began when, as a six-year-old, his father showed him footage of Brazilian legend Pele on an old VCR. And although restricted to a substitute appearance so far in what is his third, and almost certainly final campaign, the former AC Milan star has not given up on that unlikely dream becoming reality. "I'm feeling that this World Cup is my final one," Honda said at the team's training base in Kazan on Friday. "I'm 32 years old and four years is pretty long. Right now I can't decide about (what will happen) four years later, so I'm spending all my energy on this World Cup. "That's why I really want to succeed at this World Cup, with these teammates." Honda, who came on for the last 20 minutes of Japan's 2-1 win over 10-man Colombia — the first for an Asian team over South American opponents — will be hoping for more when the Blue Samurai host Senegal in Yekaterinburg on Sunday.
Salah gets honorary citizenship
VOLGOGRAD: Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov has granted honorary citizenship to striker Mohamed Salah at a banquet held to say goodbye to Egypt's World Cup squad. The Pharaohs, as the Egyptian squad is known, adopted the Russian region's capital, Grozny, as their base for the tournament, a choice that has raised eyebrows given Kadyrov's poor human rights record and the long distances involved in the team's travels to group matches elsewhere in Russia. The banquet Friday night was held at Kadyrov's presidential palace in Grozny, and the Chechen leader posed with Salah for pictures while pinning a medal on his chest. "It is a deserved honour," Kadyrov wrote on Russian social media, adding that Salah's presence had driven "unprecedented interest in football." He said he now wants Egypt to return to Chechnya after the World Cup for a friendly against local club Akhmat Grozny, which is named after Kadyrov's father, who was assassinated in 2004.
England seek clarity on var
Moscow: The England team has asked for clarity from FIFA over the application of video replays at the World Cup after concerns about penalty decisions in its victory over Tunisia. England relied on Harry Kane's stoppage time goal to beat Tunisia 2-1 in its opening game. With the score locked at 1-1 after Tunisia equalized from a penalty, Kane was twice wrestled to the ground but was not awarded a spot kick. It was unclear how the Video Assistant Referee system, being used for the first time at a World Cup, was used to assess whether fouls were committed. English Football Association technical director Dan Ashworth exchanged emails with FIFA head of refereeing Massimo Busacca on the issue. England coach Gareth Southgate says "we are very comfortable with the responses we have had." Southgate says "there's always this element of which bits are going to be referred and which bits aren't which seems to be open to interpretation, but it really isn't something we can control."
Panama remebber murdered player
Moscow: Amid Panama's joy at playing at their first World Cup, the team also carries with it desperate pain and sorrow over the death of teammate Amilcar Henriquez. Henriquez, who played for Panama in qualifying, was killed last year in a drive-by shooting in his home town of Colon. Panama coach Hernan Gomez says the players still talk about their slain teammate, who was "a leader within our team." He says talking about Henriquez and remembering him "helps to bring us together." Gomez compared Henriquez's story with that of Colombia defender Andres Escobar, who was shot to death days after his team was eliminated from the 1994 World Cup. Henriquez, who was 33, was killed by unknown assailants while playing a game of dominoes with friends. One other person was killed in the shooting. The crime has not been solved. Gomez says the Panama team still feels the pain of Henriquez's killing "in our hearts and souls."