25/03/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAR 25, 2025

29

‘Mission accomplished’ Jimenez at the double as Mexico down Panama to win Concacaf final R AUL JIMENEZ scored twice as Mexico snatched a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Panama to win the Concacaf Nations League for the spot-kick in the second minute of stoppage time after Panama defender Jose Cordoba needlessly flung an arm out at a cross to concede a handball. “We changed our mindset; the same desire that both we and Vasco have to represent Mexico at home is what drives us. We share the same motivation.

SHORTS

Blatter, Platini to learn fate in corruption case

FORMER Fifa president Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini will appear before a Swiss court today to hear whether the case that finished their careers in football will end with their acquittals or convictions for corruption. The pair, once among the most powerful figures in global football, will appear at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court 2 ½ years after they were acquitted of fraud. Swiss federal prosecutors rejected the decision at a lower court from 2022, leading to the new hearing in the town of Muttenz, near Basel. Both men deny the charge. The case relates to a 2 million Swiss franc (RM10m) payment Blatter authorised for Platini, a former captain and manager of the French national team, which was made in 2011. Platini and Blatter said the payment was a consultancy fee paid to Platini for work between 1998 and 2002, which the Frenchman said had been partly deferred because Fifa lacked the funds to pay him in full immediately. Blatter and Platini were suspended from football in 2015 for ethics breaches, originally for eight years. Although their exclusions were later reduced, the ban ended their careers as senior football administrators. Juventus sack Motta, appoint Tudor JUVENTUS have sacked manager Thiago Motta and appointed their former player Igor Tudor, the Serie A club said yesterday, following two consecutive heavy defeats in a disappointing season, with the club fifth in the league standings. Motta was appointed in June on a three-year contract after impressing last season when he led Bologna to Champions League qualification, but his arrival in Turin failed to spark the expected revival at Juventus. Juventus were beaten 3-0 at Fiorentina the previous weekend, on the back of an embarrassing 4-0 loss at home to Atalanta, and Motta’s side dropped to fifth in the standings, having been overtaken by Bologna, and 12 points behind leaders Inter Milan. Tudor’s contract is until the end of this season, a source told Reuters, with an obligation to renew for another year if Juve qualify for the Champions League, but the club has the option to withdraw from that obligation until July 30. Tudor, now 46, spent most of his playing career at Juventus, arriving in 1998. In 2020 the Croatian was Andrea Pirlo’s assistant at Juventus for one season. His first managerial role came in 2013 at Hajduk Split, the club where he began and ended his playing career, and in Italy Tudor has managed Udinese, Hellas Verona and Lazio. BRIEFS Tiger confirms Trump romance TIGER WOODS took the unusual step of confirming his romance with Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law yesterday in a brief post on social media. Golf superstar Woods – renowned for jealously guarding his private life over the years – confirmed in a post on X that he is dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. “Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side,” Woods wrote in a caption above two photos of himself relaxing with Vanessa Trump. “At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”The post comes after weeks of tabloid rumors about the couple. Vanessa Trump, who divorced Donald Trump Jr in 2018 after a 13-year marriage, also posted a picture of her and Woods together on her Instagram account in what appeared to be a co-ordinated announcement. Norris ‘nervous, excited’ about Piastri fight LANDO NORRIS is relishing the prospect of battling teammate Oscar Piastri for the Formula One drivers’ title and says McLaren are ready for any tension that arises. Pole sitter Piastri led Norris in a McLaren one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, a week after Norris finished top in the season-opener in Australia. Norris said his car did not have the pace to catch Piastri in Shanghai, and he ended up glad to finish second ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell with fading brakes in the closing laps. But the Briton expects closer battles with his Australian teammate as the season progresses. “I think we’re both excited – probably nervous and excited at the same time – as I’m sure the team will be,” said Norris. “But we’re ready. We know that as much as we work together and we have a good time and enjoy ourselves, we both know we want to try and beat each other and show who’s best.”

first time yesterday. Fulham striker Jimenez – who had also bagged a brace in a semifinal win over Canada – slotted a stoppage time penalty to settle a pulsating final battle at SoFi Stadium. Mexico’s win was tinged with controversy though, with the final halted by match officials in the closing minutes due to homophobic chanting from Mexican fans. It was the third Concacaf Nations League final in a row to be stopped due to the offensive chants which have persisted amongst Mexico’s fans for years despite repeated Concacaf attempts to crack down on them. Jimenez, 33, converted the winning

Jimenez paid tribute to the impact of Mexico coach Javier Aguirre following the victory. Aguirre, 66, began his third stint as Mexico coach in 2024 after previously leading the side in 2001-2002, and 2009 2010. “This is what we wanted from day one, since ‘Vasco’ (Aguirre) arrived,” Jimenez said, referring to the Mexico coach by his popular nickname. “Mission accomplished,” he added. “These matches are tough, but we played the way we needed to after they tied the game, and we’re happy with the victory. “The team’s work was solid – when we had to defend, we did, and when we had to attack, we did.

“I’m excited about what the national team is doing. Fortunately, we got rid of that thorn by finally winning this championship,” Jimenez said. “I had played in the preliminary rounds but had never played in the Final Four, and what better way to do it than by winning it on my first try. “This is just the beginning – I still have a lot to give to the national team, and I will give my best effort. If things go well, great. Thank you all for the support.” The defeat was heartbreaking for Panama, who had stunned the United States 1-0 in the semifinals and were hoping to win their first international tournament since 1951. – AFP/Reuters/Agencies MAURICIO POCHETTINO called for patience yesterday after the United States slumped to a 2 1 defeat against Canada, insisting there was still time to turn things around ahead of next year’s World Cup. After an abject Concacaf Nations League semifinal loss to Panama last week, Pochettino had called on his team to show greater urgency and take more risks in yesterday’s third place game against Canada. But those pleas appeared to have fallen on deaf ears judging by another lackluster display from Pochettino’s side, who failed to take a single shot – on or off target – in the opening half-hour at SoFi Stadium. It marked another dispiriting performance from the 2026 World Cup co-hosts, who will return to the same venue on June 12 next year for their opening game of the tournament. Pochettino, who was appointed last year after the ill-fated second reign of Gregg Berhalter, is confident that by then his side will be in much better shape. “There’s a lot of examples in different years of teams that were building to play in a World Cup that were not good until they arrived at the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “So I want to send a message to the fans‘Don’t be pessimistic, don’t get bad feelings’. It can happen. But the main objective is the World Cup,” the Argentine added. “It’s always painful when you lose, but we need to accept it. But I don’t want people to feel pessimistic. “We are all disappointed that we didn’t win but I’m not going to allow us to feel pessimistic because I think we have good players. “We are going to find a way to perform and for sure we are going to compete and we are going to get different results from those that we got from last Thursday and today.” Pochettino acknowledged though that failure to improve over the next year of building towards the World Cup would be a cause for concern. “If we are in this situation, in one year’s time, for sure, I will tell you, ‘Houston, we have a problem. S.O.S.,” Pochettino said. “But you will see in one year if we are talking about that, we will have a big problem. Because it will mean that we were not capable of discovering and designing a better strategy to provide the team with the capacity to play in a different way. “I think we have time. I prefer that what happened today, happened today and not in one year’s time.” – AFP Pochettino backing US to come good

Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (left) plays against Kenya’s Anthony Akumu during their match yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Aubameyang brace boosts Gabon and sinks Kenya

FORMER Arsenal and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to give Gabon a crucial 2-1 win over Kenya in an African 2026 World Cup qualifier yesterday. The 35-year-old, who now plays in the Saudi Pro League, struck after 16 and 52 minutes in front of a sell-out 15,000 crowd in Nairobi before Michael Olunga reduced arrears on 62 minutes. Securing maximum points took Gabon to 15 in Group F. Reigning African champions Ivory Coast have 13, Burundi seven, Kenya six, Gambia four and Seychelles none. Ivory Coast host Gambia overnight and Burundi have home advantage over Seychelles tomorrow in other matchday six fixtures. Barring a dramatic collapse by either team, Gabon and Ivory Coast, who meet in September, look set to battle for first place. The nine group winners automatically qualify for the expanded 48-nation World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. There could be a 10th African qualifier as the four best-ranked runners-up enter a mini-tournament. The winners advance to inter continental playoffs offering two finals slots. Trailing Gabon by nine points with just four matches to play, Kenya are all but out of contention for a first

appearance at the global showpiece. New coach Benni McCarthy, the former Manchester United assistant coach and star South Africa forward, can now concentrate on the African Nations Championship, which Kenya co-hosts in August. A couple of veterans combined to put Gabon ahead with Serbia-based 34 year-old Guelor Kanga crossing for unmarked Aubameyang to fire across goalkeeper Ian Otieno and into the net. Kenya captain Olunga was a constant threat and hit the post and headed another attempt wide before half-time in the first international hosted by Kenya since 2021. When Eric Ouma handled an Aubameyang shot, Gabon were awarded a penalty that the 2015 African Footballer of the Year calmly converted. Olunga scored his fourth goal of the World Cup campaign to bring Kenya back into contention. The Qatar-based forward tapped a low cross past goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba from close range. Both teams had chances in a lively finish, but there were no further goals and Gabon completed a double over Kenya, having won 2-1 in the first round. Elsewhere, Eswatini and Mauritius drew 3-3 in a clash of the lowest placed teams in Group D, which Cape Verde tops followed by Cameroon, Libya and Angola. – AFP