20/06/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 20, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

Ecuador under pressure, Curacao eye upset ECUADOR face Curacao in Kansas City tomorrow (8am Malaysian time) knowing that even at this early stage of the World Cup, the stakes are already rising sharply for both sides after opening-day defeats. Drawn alongside Germany and the Ivory Coast in Group E, Ecuador arrived at the tournament as one of South America’s more quietly fancied teams, built on defensive discipline. But their campaign began with frus three points leaving them facing an uphill battle heading into their final group game against Germany. “When you don’t start the way you wanted, the anxiety appears,” Beccacece said. “But now we need more conviction than ever, more belief than ever, more confidence than ever.” Ecuador’s identity remains clear. The team conceded five goals in 18 qualifying matches and are anchored by rests on veteran striker Enner Valencia, who continues to serve as the focal point and captain, even as a younger gen eration pushes through. The challenge for Ecuador lies in strik ing the balance between their well drilled structure and the attacking ambi tion required to turn control into goals. For Curacao, this match represents another step in what is already a remarkable World Cup journey.

pions Germany, however, was a harsh introduction, ending in a 7-1 thrashing despite a moment of history when they scored their first World Cup goal. Coach Dick Advocaat, one of the most experienced figures in international foot ball, is expected to lean on the same pragmatic approach that carried Curacao this far. Captain Leandro Bacuna provides leadership and composure in midfield, while players such as Juninho Bacuna and Jurgen Locadia offer experience across the pitch in a squad largely shaped by Dutch-based and Dutch-born talent. This will be the first meeting between the two nations. – Reuters

The Caribbean nation, with a popula tion of around 156,000, is the smallest country ever to reach the tournament and arrived at the finals unbeaten in a remarkable qualifying run. Their debut against four-times cham

a defensive core featuring Paris St Germain’s Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapie of Arsenal, with Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo providing energy and control in midfield. Up front, much of the responsibility still

tration, a 1-0 defeat by the Ivory Coast in which they created chances but lacked the cutting edge to convert them. Now, Sebastian Beccacece’s men must respond, with anything less than

The Diomande threat After cruising past Curacao, Germany now confront a far more dangerous opponent led by one of football’s fastest-rising stars

O NE name on every rise in the Bundesliga has seen him emerge as the biggest threat to the four-time world champions when they face the African nation in the World Cup tomorrow (4am Malaysian time). The Group E match in Toronto will be the first real test for Germany, who crushed minnows Curacao 7-1 in their opener on Sunday and are now on a 10-game winning run, but they are well aware of what is up next. Their defence will have to stop the powerful 19-year-old Diomande if they are to make it two wins in a row and advance to the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time since 2014. The teenager scored his first pro fessional goal just 13 months ago when he was playing for Leganes in Spain and got his breakthrough with a move to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga in July 2025. He racked up 12 Bundesliga goals and eight assists in his first season with the German club and has become a major transfer target for top European sides. “He has had a brutal develop ment. A year ago hardly anyone knew him,” Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said. “He just had an outstanding Germany player’s mind is Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, whose meteoric

Antonio Rudiger. “But also Nicolas Pepe and Amad Diallo. These are like express trains that you see coming. They love one on-one situations and the quick transitions. We have to be pre pared.”

While Germany easily won their opener, the Ivorians needed a late winner to edge past Ecuador 1-0 and join the Germans on three points, second only on goal differ ence. “We’ll have to keep a very close eye on

exceptional with this start-stop drib bling, with extreme acceleration. Amazing speed. “A very good player,” Kimmich added. Diomande’s pace, creativity and goal-scoring abilities helped Leipzig to a third-placed finish and a Champions League spot. Germany, who won their last World Cup title 12 years ago in Brazil, suffered shock first-round exits both in the 2018 and the 2022 editions, their worst record in the competition’s history. They are desperate this time to seal

there in two years time for the next Euro. In the last days I have dealt with the fact that these are the last games for Germany. “But I want to look forward to all the games and not to any goodbye shirts.” Neuer got the nod ahead of Oliver Baumann, who had been named as first choice for the tourna ment before his Germany team mate’s return, and he played his first match for his country in two years in their 7-1 opening World Cup Group E victory over Curacao. “We work together with Oliver. We support each other and train for the team. “After coming together we dis cussed things and talked about how it came about (with my return),” Neuer said. Neuer will be in goal tomorrow. “This is our goal. We have everything in our own hands. We don’t want to look back at past World Cups,” Neuer said. “The team does not deal with that. We look at the next step and the next step is Ivory Coast. To qualify after the second game would be spe cial and would allow us to look a bit further ahead.” A World Cup win would make Neuer the only Germany player to win the trophy twice but the keeper said he was just happy to experience another tournament at his age. “It is an absolute present to be here again. It would be very special to do it a second time but if I did not see the chance that we could do it, I would not be sitting here,” he said. – AFP/Reuters

Meanwhile, Germany’s vet eran keeper Manuel Neuer will go back into interna tional retirement after the end of the World Cup, hav ing returned to the team just for the tournament, he said yesterday. years old and playing his fifth consecutive World Cup as Germany’s start ing keeper, had retired after their Euro 2024 quarterfinal exit on home soil. He was a sur prise selection in coach Julian Nagelsmann’s squad after a strong sec ond half to the season with club Bayern Munich. “I stepped back in 2024 with a good reason after a good home Euro. For me it was the right decision. It felt right,” Neuer told a press con ference. “It would have been too much of a sporting burden for me (to have kept playing for the national Neuer, a 2014 World Cup winner who is 40

Diomande. Diomande stands out,” said

Germany defender

their knock out spot as quickly as possi ble.

Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande reacts during the World Cup Group E match against Equador at Philadelphia Stadium in Pennsylvania on Monday – REUTERSPIC

season even though Leipzig had some problems. He was consistent and very spec tacular. His dribbling is

team) for the last two years. “For me it is clear that this is my last tournament. I do not plan to be

Wahi granted Canadian visa for Ivory Coast match after delay IVORY COAST forward Elye Wahi has been authorised to enter Canada for his cutors over suspicions of spot-fixing in a Ligue 1 match while he was playing for Nice. arrested on May 29, 2026 in relation to an ongoing investigation”.

Born in France, Wahi switched alle giance to Ivory Coast in March and started in their opening 1-0 World Cup Group E victory over Ecuador on Monday. He spent the second half of last sea son on loan at Nice from German club Eintracht Frankfurt. The Elephants’ final group-stage match is against Curacao in the United States on June 26. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed their last-gasp 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto on Thursday after his country failed with an appeal against his Canadian visa rejection. Partey is facing seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault in Britain. He denies the allegations. – AFP

That investigation related to “organ ised fraud, organised sporting corrup tion, receiving stolen goods and money laundering”. The public prosecutor said that the player had been released but that their investigations were ongoing. The FIF pledged its support for Wahi, describing him as “an important element for the Ivory Coast national team”. Wahi’s lawyer, Marie Dose, said ear lier the player had been questioned “for a few hours” last month but was subse quently released. “Elye Wahi is therefore not facing charges at this stage and is not subject to any judicial restrictions,” she added.

country’s second World Cup match against Germany, after initially being denied a visa over reported spot-fixing allegations, a source close to the player said yesterday. The Ivorian football federation (FIF) had earlier announced Wahi would miss tomorow’s game in Toronto. The FIF gave no reason for his initial visa refusal. But late yesterday a source told AFP that Canada had delayed Wahi’s visa authorisation after requesting further information regarding his legal situation, before rubber-stamping his entry. Several media reported that Wahi had been questioned by French prose

The case revolves around a yellow card which Wahi picked up in a 0-0 draw with Metz on the final day of the season in mid-May, after betting authori ties had noticed an unusual volume of bets being placed on the 23-year-old receiving a yellow card. The French football league (LFP) announced on Thursday that it had lodged a complaint to police for “facts which could constitute sporting fraud and organised corruption”. The public prosecutor’s office in Marseille confirmed to AFP that “a 23 year-old professional footballer, playing in the Ligue 1 championship, was