Big Blow For France As Benzema Misses World Cup With Thigh Injury

By

 


Defending champion France have suffered a major blow ahead of the World Cup after its star striker Karim Benzema was ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Saturday.

Benzema teared a muscle in his left thigh during training on Saturday.

An MRI scan later confirmed a rectus femoris tendon injury, which means the 34-year-old faces a three-week recovery period.

Benzema confirmed his withdrawal in an Instagram post.

“I’ve never given up in my life but tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done,” he said. “So reason tells me to give my place to someone who can help our squad have a great World Cup. Thanks for all your messages of support.”

This will be the first time since 1978, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner will not feature in the World Cup with the injury also coming three days to France’s World Cup opener against Australia.

France head coach Didier Deschamps said: “I am extremely sad for Karim who made this World Cup a major goal. Despite this new blow for the French team, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything to meet the huge challenge that awaits us.”

The World Cup holders are already without Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté as they begin their title defence against Australia on Tuesday.

Deschamps has until Monday to call up a replacement for Benzema, with the Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder one option.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SEX TAPES: Equatorial Guinea Government Installs CCTV In Offices, Suspends Officials

By
Image
  The  government in Equatorial Guinea has commenced a probe into hundreds of leaked pornographic videos allegedly involving high-ranking civil servant, Baltasar Engonga, having sex with various women, including wives of prominent officials in his office. The government has further ordered the installation of surveillance cameras in courts and ministries to combat “indecent and illicit acts.” It also announced that it was suspending officials involved in the scandal, according to a statement issued by the Equatorial Guinea Press and Information Office, published on the government’s website on Tuesday. Vice-President Teodoro Mangue on Tuesday said any official found engaging in sex acts at work would be sanctioned as this was a “flagrant violation of the code of conduct.” The  government said the recent decisions had been taken in the wake of the widely circulated videos which had “denigrated the image of the country.” “Among the decisions taken are the suspension of employment of the o
Read more

SEX SCANDAL: Equatorial Guinea Government Dismisses Baltasar Ebang Engonga As ANIF Boss

By
Image
  The government of Equatorial Guinea has dismissed Baltasar Ebang Engonga as Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) after a series of over 400 sex tapes involving him and multiple women surfaced online. It wrote, ”According to Real Equatorial Guinea, the dismissal of Mr. Engonga, the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo (current president of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, CEMAC), was formalized in Decree No. 118/2024, dated November 4. The decree cited Mr. Engonga’s alleged misconduct in office and his family-related and social behavior as incompatible with public office.” In response to the scandal, the First Lady of Equatorial Guinea, Mrs. Obiang, took to Facebook on Wednesday to call for immediate government action to protect the dignity of Equatoguinean women in the digital age. Her office emphasised that while progress has been made in gender equality, proactive measures are necessary not only to address such incidents but to preven
Read more

Trump Issues Stern Warning To Russian Leader, Putin In First Phone Call As US President-Elect

By
Image
  President-elect Donald Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he issued a stern warning not to escalate the war in Ukraine. This call, made from Trump's resort in Florida, marked their first conversation since Trump won the presidency. Trump reminded Putin of Washington's significant military presence in Europe, according to sources familiar with the matter who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic. Trump's relationship with Putin has been under scrutiny, particularly given the ongoing investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign. Trump has previously praised Putin, calling him "pretty smart" for invading Ukraine, and has also commended Russia's military record in historical conflicts. Trump and Vladimir Putin recently discussed achieving peace in Europe, with Trump expressing interest in follow-up conversations to resolve the Ukraine conflict soon. This aligns with Trump
Read more

Lifeless Body Of Young Woman Found Dumped By Roadside In Delta After Visit To Man She Met On A Dating Site

By
Image
  A  young Nigerian woman who has been identified as Precious Yusuf has been found dead in Asaba, in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. The body of the deceased was found by the roadside opposite Falcon Club, Asaba. Her waist region was covered with a black and white cloth, suggestive of alleged mutilation of her private part for ritual purposes. She had reportedly gone to visit a guy she met on a dating site, iHappy Dating, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at Koka Junction, Asaba, the state capital and never returned. According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the deceased informed a friend of her movement. The statement read:  “Delta State Police Command condole with the family of Miss Precious Yusuf, 23, whose corpse was found along DLA Road opposite Falcon Club Asaba. “On the 24th of October 2024 at about 0840 hours, the DPO of A division Asaba received a distress call that the corpse of a young lady was found at DLA Road opposi
Read more

Pastor Publishes Own Obituary To Escape N3 Million Debt Repayment In Ondo State

By
Image
  Ondo State Magistrate Court has remanded a 43-year-old clergyman, Paul Oyewole, for allegedly publishing his obituary on social media to evade the N3 million debt payment he owed one of his church members. Oyewole reportedly obtained the sum of N3m from Emmanuel Boyede, alleging that he would pay back the money within seven days. Police Prosecutor, Moremi Akao, told the court that the accused falsely published and posted his obituary on WhatsApp after sending a fake bank alert to his creditor. And alleged to have threatened the creditor on the phone.’ “He committed the offence between the 25th of November, 2021, and the 7th of May, 2022, in the Valentino area of Ondo town, punishable under Sections 419, 86, and 125A(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006,” Akao said. The cleric pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. The defendant’s counsel, Arokoyo Queen, applied for the cleric bail in the most liberal terms, promising he would n
Read more

Elon Musk’s Transgender Daughter Announces Plan To Leave US After Trump’s Victory

By
Image
  20-year-old estranged transgender daughter of Elon Musk, Vivian Wilson has announced plans to leave the United States following Donald Trump’s election victory. Wilson shared her decision on Threads, expressing her discomfort with the political landscape under Trump’s return to office. “ I don’t see my future in the United States. “I’ve thought this for a while, but yesterday confirmed it for me. Even if he’s only in office for four years, even if anti-trans regulations don’t materialise, the people who voted for this aren’t going anywhere anytime soon,” she wrote. Vivian, who was born Xavier Musk in 2004, filed to legally change her name and gender in April 2022, requesting to sever ties with her father by adopting her mother’s maiden name, Wilson. In the court filings, she was quoted as saying, “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape, or form.” Musk, who openly supported Trump and fathered 12 children across three relationships, has be
Read more

Man Drowns While Proposing To Girlfriend Underwater In Tanzania

By
Image
A woman has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her boyfriend, who drowned while proposing marriage to her in Tanzania.  Kenesha Antoine posted a video on Facebook of her boyfriend, Steven Weber, swimming up to the window of their underwater room at the Manta Resort on Pemba Island, off Tanzania. “I can’t hold my breath long enough to tell you everything I love about you. But everything I love about you I love more every day!” the note reads. In the video, the Louisiana man flips the page to show the message “Will you marry me?” before pulling out an engagement ring box.  Antoine posted on Facebook that Weber “never emerged from those depths”. “You never got to hear my answer, ‘Yes! Yes! A million times, yes’. We never got to embrace and celebrate the beginning of the rest of our lives together, as the best day of our lives turned into the worst, in the cruelest (sic) twist of fate imaginable. “I will try to take solace in the fact that we enjoyed the most amazing bucket
Read more