7/09/2025

theSun on Sunday SEPT 7, 2025

SPORTS 13

Financial rules ‘killed’ Villa’s transfer window: Konsa

SHORTS

SOCCEROOS KEEP UNBEATEN STREAK INTACT MAX BALARD scored on debut with three minutes left as Australia ground past fellow World Cup qualifiers New Zealand 1-0 Friday to stretch their unbeaten streak under Tony Popovic to nine games. New Zealand was the better side in a lacklustre encounter in cold Canberra, dominating the first 75 minutes. But a series of late substitutions swung the game in Australia’s favour with Balard’s strike inside the box banking the win. “It’s electric. Very special moment for me and my family,” said Balard, who plays for Dutch club NAC Breda. “Very happy to score on my debut. Means the world to me.” The two sides are playing for the so-called Soccer Ashes, which will be determined by aggregate score across two fixtures with the second leg in Auckland next week. While only friendlies, the results of the games will influence both teams’ positions in the next Fifa rankings, which will decide the pots they go into for the World Cup draw in December. JAMAICA thrashed Bermuda 4-0 to make a strong start to the final round of 2026 World Cup qualifying for North and Central America and the Caribbean yesterday. Damion Lowe got the visitors off to a quick start with a goal in the sixth minute, before Renaldo Cephas made it 2-0 and Kasey Palmer and Shamar Nicholson added second-half goals to complete the Group B win in Devonshire. Thr Reggae Boyz are in the final round of qualifying for the sixth time and seeking a second World Cup finals appearance after making their debut in France in 1998. Bermuda are in the final round of qualifying for the first time. Trinidad and Tobago played to a scoreless draw with Curacao in Group B in Port of Spain. In Group C, Nicaragua and Costa Rica drew 1-1 in Managua. Haiti and Honduras drew 0-0 in Curacao. JAMAICA START STRONG IN WC QUALIFIERS MOROCCO trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points – eight more than Tanzania – and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare. In Group A, Egypt beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo. Egypt can join Morocco at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if they win away to second-placed Burkina Faso on Wednesday. MOROCCO CRUSH 10-MAN NIGER

too good. “I know it’s really killed us this transfer window. “We’re going to have to deal with what we’ve got now.” Villa did manage to add two more recruits before on the deadline, bringing in Harvey Elliott from Liverpool on a loan with an agreed fee of £35 million (RM200m), and Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United, to bolster Unai Emery’s attacking options. “We’ve a great squad, I believe in our squad,” said Konsa. “I believe in our manager. “Hopefully the boys who have come in can really help us and push us on.” – The Independent

Guessand for £23.5 million (RM134m) but he was their only major transfer before deadline day. Villa also have to comply with the Premier League’s PSR. The club missed out on qualification for the Champions League on the final day of last season after a controversial decision to disallow a crucial Morgan Rogers goal at Old Trafford. The consequence was a drop-off in expected revenues this season, while the richest clubs in the Premier League bring in significantly more income and are allowed to spend more in the transfer market. “It is crazy,” Konsa said on the impact of financial rules. “I don’t understand it myself but from the outside looking in, it doesn’t look

EZRI KONSA admits he does not really understand football’s profit and sustainability rules, but he says they have hit Aston Villa hard this summer. The club have been operating under restrictions by Uefa, which fined the club £9.5 million (RM54m) on 4 July for breaching its squad cost ratio (SCR) rules. In a settlement agreement, Uefa ordered Villa to ensure a positive transfer balance by the end of the transfer window amid the threat of a further fine of £12.5 million (RM71m). The club sold academy product Jacob Ramsey for £39 million (RM222m) to Newcastle in order to book profit in the accounts, and were largely passive in the market as they complied with Uefa’s demands. Villa signed Nice striker Evann

Olise, Mbappe shine

… as France tame Ukraine in qualifying debut

FRANCE struck early through Michael Olise and sealed the points with a late Kylian Mbappe breakaway to beat Ukraine 2-0 yesterday and open their World Cup qualifying campaign in style. Mbappe’s 82nd-minute strike, set up by his Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of a rapid counter attack, lifted the forward to 51 international goals, drawing him level with Thierry Henry in second place on France’s all-time scoring list behind Olivier Giroud (57). quality. We had much to lose, so it’s good to start this campaign with a win,” said coach Didier Deschamps. Mbappe echoed his manager’s comments. “We could have scored more, I, myself, missed a few, so there is room for improvement. But it’s a good, solid start,” Mbappe said. Second half substitute Ousmane Dembele, who had already missed training this week with a thigh issue, aggravated the same injury after replacing Desire Doue at the interval. Doue had sustained a knock on his right calf before halftime and could not continue. Dembele’s “We mastered the first half and could have scored one more, then we struggled briefly but we have so much attacking

evening also ended early as he came off in the 81st minute, making way for Hugo Ekitike to earn his first cap. Les Bleus had dominated the opening half in a slick 4-2-3-1 formation, their pace and movement repeatedly pulling Ukraine apart. Olise gave them the lead after 10 minutes, sliding in a Bradley Barcola pass, and only goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s sharp reflexes prevented further damage as he denied Olise a second and later blocked Dembele after a delicate Tchouameni chip over the defence. Ukraine, who had threatened early with dangerous crosses into the box, came alive after the hour. Ibrahima Konate cleared off the line from Ivan Kalyuzhnyi before Illia Zabarnyi struck Mike Maignan’s post, briefly putting France’s backline under real pressure. But once Mbappe sprinted clear to deliver the killer blow with a low drive, Deschamps’s side were able to see out the closing minutes with comfort. The result gives the 2018 world champions an early edge in Group D against the toughest opposition. The group also includes Iceland and Azerbaijan. France host Iceland, who destroyed Azerbaijan 5-0, in Paris on Wednesday, while Ukraine travel to Baku. – Reuters

Ukraine’s Yehor Yarmoliuk (left) and France’s Kylian Mbappe vie for the ball in their match during the WC

qualifiers. – AFPPIC

Suarez banned six matches for Leagues Cup spitting furore INTER MIAMI star Luis Suarez has been handed a six-match suspension for his actions following last weekend’s stormy Leagues Cup final defeat to the Seattle Sounders, tournament disciplinary chiefs said yesterday. The 38-year-old former Uruguay, Liverpool and Barcelona star was sanctioned for spitting at a Sounders official after becoming embroiled in a melee following Miami’s 3-0 loss. Busquets has also been given a two-match ban. Another Inter player, Tomas Aviles, has been barred from three games. Seattle coaching staff member Steven Lenhart has been suspended for five games. The range of punishments followed chaotic scenes at the end of Miami’s defeat in Sunday’s final at Seattle in the joint competition for teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga-MX.

Seattle security staff member as he walked away from Vargas. Suarez – who has previously been hit with suspensions for biting and racially abusing opponents in separate incidents earlier in his career – issued an apology for his behaviour in a statement on Friday. “It was a moment of great tension and frustration, where right after the match things happened that shouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t justify the reaction I had,” Suarez wrote on Instagram . “I was wrong and I sincerely regret it … I feel bad about what happened, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge it and apologize to everyone who felt hurt by what I did,” Suarez added. – AFP

Immediately after the final whistle, Suarez rushed at 20-year-old Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas and put him in a headlock, sparking a melee involving multiple players and staff from both sides. Officials scrambled to restore order, but cameras later caught Suarez spitting at a

A statement from the Leagues Cup Disciplinary Committee said Suarez’s suspension would only apply to next year’s edition of the tournament, although Major League Soccer “reserves the right” to impose additional punishment. Suarez’s Inter Miami teammate Sergio