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Finale Argentine – Espagne : Les supporters argentins donnent des ailes à l’Albiceleste, estime Scaloni
À deux jours de la finale de la Coupe du monde contre l’Espagne, Lionel Scaloni s’est présenté serein en conférence de presse. Le sélectionneur de l’Argentine a assuré que son équipe abordait ce rendez-vous avec la même détermination qu’en 2022, portée par le soutien indéfectible de tout un peuple.
Interrogé sur la motivation de l’Albiceleste, déjà championne du monde en titre, le technicien argentin a expliqué que l’enthousiasme des supporters constituait une source d’inspiration permanente pour son groupe. cricket-ipl.in
« Quand on voit la manière dont les gens célèbrent nos victoires et le bonheur que cela leur procure, on ne peut qu’être touché. Il est impossible de rester insensible », a confié Scaloni.
Une équipe toujours animée par la même envie
Avant le début du tournoi, certains observateurs estimaient que le statut de tenant du titre pourrait diminuer la faim de victoire de l’Argentine. Un scénario que l’Albiceleste a rapidement démenti sur le terrain.
Tout au long de la compétition, les champions du monde ont affiché un état d’esprit irréprochable, réussissant à plusieurs reprises à renverser des situations mal engagées grâce à leur caractère et au soutien de leurs nombreux supporters.
Pour Lionel Scaloni, cette responsabilité envers tout un pays reste une motivation essentielle.
« Les joueurs jouent pour leur pays, pour leurs familles et pour tous ceux qui nous soutiennent », a rappelé le sélectionneur.
Une préparation écourtée mais un groupe en forme
L’Argentine dispose d’un temps de récupération plus court que son adversaire. Après sa demi-finale disputée mercredi à Atlanta face à l’Angleterre, la sélection sud-américaine n’est arrivée à New York que tard dans la soirée.
Scaloni a reconnu que son équipe avait peu de temps pour préparer cette finale, tout en se montrant rassurant sur l’état physique de son effectif.
« Nous avons peu de séances pour préparer ce match. Nous sommes arrivés tard hier soir et la journée de demain sera bien remplie. Je vais échanger avec les joueurs, mais, en principe, tout le monde se porte bien », a-t-il expliqué.
Lionel Messi au cœur de toutes les attentions
La finale opposera deux des équipes les plus séduisantes du tournoi : l’Argentine de Lionel Messi à l’Espagne de Lamine Yamal, championne d’Europe en titre.
Pour Scaloni, voir son capitaine atteindre une nouvelle finale mondiale à 39 ans est déjà un exploit remarquable.
« Disputer une finale de Coupe du monde à 39 ans est quelque chose d’extraordinaire. Il faut mesurer ce qu’il est en train d’accomplir. Il y a encore quelques années, cela semblait inimaginable. J’espère évidemment que nous gagnerons, mais quel que soit le résultat, Lionel Messi restera un exemple pour tous », a conclu le sélectionneur argentin.
The post Finale Argentine – Espagne : Les supporters argentins donnent des ailes à l’Albiceleste, estime Scaloni appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.
Dricus v Usman: It’s an early fight time on Sunday
The battle lines have been drawn, the weights have been made and the time for talking is over. South Africa’s former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis begins his road back to regaining his title when he takes on Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Fight Night Oklahoma City in the early hours of Sunday morning (SA time).
It has been just under a year since DDP relinquished his title to Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August last year.
Both fighters this week made the middleweight weight limit of 186 pounds, with Du Plessis tipping the scales at 185.5 pounds and the Nigerian coming in at 186 pounds.
“I’m facing a great opponent in Kamaru Usman, but nothing he has ever been able to do in his career can prepare him for what is about to happen,” said the South African at the Ceremonial Weigh-in on Saturday morning.
Usman is a former UFC welterweight champion who defended that title multiple times, but a string of poor results in that division have forced him to take the step to middleweight.
“Usman has done all he can do at that welterweight division, and although he was a great champion, the only thing he could do to cement his legacy was to go up a weight class in the hopes of becoming a double (division) champion,” DDP told the UFC’s Megan Olivi after the weigh-in.
Du Plessis took almost a year off from the Octagon after Chimaev exposed some massive holes in his wrestling game.
“For me, I have the opportunity to beat one of the best wrestlers the UFC has ever seen,” added Du Plessis.
“This fight is important to me. I could have pushed for a fight with a striker, but I have beaten all the strikers. This fight will prove I have fixed the mistakes from my last fight.”
Predicting the start time of this fight is always a bit of a lottery with four three-minute fights preceding the main event.
If those fights all go the distance then the Du Plessis fight will most likely start close to 5am SA time. So to not miss a second of the action, tune into SuperSport from about 4am just to be safe.
Éthiopie: l'ONU ouvre un centre d’aide à Addis-Abeba pour aider les réfugiés dans leurs démarches
Plus de 80 000 réfugiés et demandeurs d’asile vivent à Addis-Abeba, en Éthiopie. À leur arrivée, beaucoup se retrouvent isolés et perdus dans les limbes administratifs d’un pays qu’ils ne connaissent pas, une situation qui peut perdurer plusieurs années pour nombre d’entre eux qui choisissent alors de partir pour un autre pays, via des routes migratoires dangereuses. Pour les aider dans leurs démarches, le Haut-Commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (HCR), en partenariat avec le gouvernement éthiopien, a créé un centre d’aide dans la capitale éthiopienne.
All Blacks very good as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour hots up
The All Blacks were very good in dismantling Ireland in Auckland to set the scene for next month’s Greatest Rivalry Tour to South Africa.
The All Blacks play seven matches in South Africa, including Tests on three successive weekends. They complete the Test series with the fourth Test in four Saturday’s in Baltimore, USA.
Ireland, in their final Nations Championship match of the season, were always going to be the biggest challenge in new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie’s first month in charge. However, the visitors were never allowed to settle by an All Blacks team that played direct, mixed up their attack with ball in hand and from the boot, were physical, balanced and looked like the very good All Blacks teams of days past.
There is mongrel to these All Blacks, something that was absent in the 18-month Scott Robertson tenure.
There is something building under Rennie. He is the right fit for the group of All Blacks he selected for the Nations Championship three home Tests.
Ireland continue to look like a team being forced into a rebuild, for which is there not a like for like replacement for certain positions.
The All Blacks won 40-21 after leading 28-7 at halfime. They were always two-plus scores ahead of Ireland in scoring six tries to three.
It was the physicality in the collisions that was most impressive. They took the direct route, which is when they are the most dangerous. We seldom saw that with Robertson’s All Blacks.
This performance reminded me of Rennie’s Chiefs when they won back-to-back Super Rugby titles.
The attacking mindset came via natural skill, quick hands, but also through a kick and chase game.
Defensively, they showed as much appetite as they did in wanting to score tries.
Will Jordan’s chase back, tackle and turn-over penalty was a statement moment that there is something different about these All Blacks when compared with the squad that lost successive Test matches in South Africa in the Rugby Championship in 2024.
There is no comparison to the All Blacks who raised the white flag against the Springboks in Wellington in the 43-10 defeat in 2025.
Damian McKenzie, at fullback was named Player of the Match. McKenize played No 10 for the final 20 minutes after Ruben Love was substituted on the hour. Love, who kicked five from five conversions, looked comfortable before being injured in an aerial collision.
Jordan extended his All Blacks Test try-scoring record to 51 tries in 57 Tests.
Replacement hooker Asafo Aumua, on for the injured Codie Taylor just 30 minutes into the Test, was explosive and strong in the carry, while lock Patrick Tuipulotu was physically imposing in his first start of 2025. Lock/flank Tupou Vaa’i, who played the first 46 minutes as a blindside flanker, gave the All Blacks additional lineout options and greater physical presence.
All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett was excellent and Quinn Tupaea, at No 13, made a statement that he could be the No 13 puzzle piece to the All Blacks.
Hurricanes winger/fullback Josh Moorby, in his first Test start, was outstanding.
Rennie applauded the win, given the quality of the opposition.
“Really rapt,” he said. “They’re such a good side, Ireland, and we asked a lot of questions of them.
“I thought the balance of our game was really good tonight. Our big men carried, we were a little bit more direct and there was smarter kicking.”
The All Blacks are unbeaten in 53 Test matches at Auckland’s Eden Park, dating back to the 18-all draw against the Springboks in 1994.
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series needed a powerful All Blacks team, unbeaten in 2026, to arrive in South Africa.
ALL BLACKS: Tries: Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea, Will Jordan, Asafo Aumua, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown. Conversions: Ruben Love (5).
IRELAND: Tries: Jack Conan, Joe McCarthy, Hugo Keenan. Conversions: Sam Prendergast (3).
Wallabies crack 50 against Azzurri
The Wallabies sent coach Joe Schmidt off with a big win over Italy in Perth on Saturday.
After two defeats to start the Nations Championship and six consecutive losses, Australia ran riot against Italy, scoring nine tries in a 57-10 win as Les Kiss prepares to take the Wallabies’ reins.
More to follow …
MORE: Rennie ‘really rapt’ ahead of SA tour
Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images
The post Wallabies crack 50 against Azzurri appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.