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Guela Doue scored a goal and set up the winning strike as Ivory Coast surprised France - and Doue's brother in the French dugout - with a 2-1 victory in a World Cup warmup match. Amad Diallo fired home Doue's low cross from the right six minutes from time at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes Thursday. Rayan Cherki had put France ahead in the final minute of the first half when he left two defenders behind and beat goalkeeper Yahia Fofana with a low shot. Fofana was frequently in action, saving the chances of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and again Cherki. But Doue - whose brother Desire Doue plays for France - received a through ball from Nicolas Pepe to equalize eight minutes into the second half. Many fans waved posters with a photo of Didier Deschamps to thank the coach for a successful reign that began in 2012 and saw France win the 2018 World Cup and reach the 2022 final and will come to an end after this edition. Deschamps had all six players involved in the Champions League f
Iran is heading to the World Cup while the country is at war with the primary host nation, a situation that is unique in the tournament's history. In exclusive interviews with The Associated Press during a team camp in Turkey, two members of Iran's squad described how the conflict is affecting its World Cup preparations. "Well, to be honest, it's not easy," said Saeid Ezatolahi, a 29-year-old midfielder who also played for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. "That's going to be my third World Cup. So for me and some of the other players, it might be easier to manage these kind of things," he said in English on the sidelines of a training session on Wednesday. "But at the end ... it is going to be difficult for us because at the same time, we are following the news in our country and the political things, of course, can affect the mind of the players and the people." The Iran team has spent more than two weeks in Turkey, mostly practicing at the coastal resort Antalya, and some we
Switzerland forward Breel Embolo applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on Wednesday, one day after he was denied boarding the team's flight to the World Cup because of a criminal conviction. The Swiss soccer federation at the team's training camp in San Diego confirmed why Embolo's travel approval to the U.S. had been put under review Tuesday. He has a conviction that became binding this year. Embolo was charged after an altercation in Basel city center in 2018 and his guilty verdict was upheld at appeal last September. The verdict was finalized in April, just weeks before Embolo was due to travel to the U.S. for the third World Cup of his career. "The embassy's inquiries focused specifically on whether any physical violence had been involved. This was not the case," the Swiss soccer body said. "Breel and the team are now awaiting approval so that he can travel to San Diego and join the squad as soon as possible." Switzerland starts its World Cup campaign
Congo was still hoping to play its World Cup warmup against Chile after the mayor of the Spanish city of La Linea de la Concepcion denied authorization for the match because of health concerns related to the Ebola crisis. Congo's soccer federation said it was in discussions with the Spanish soccer federation and relevant international bodies to find solutions. Government authorities in the southern city of La Linea de la Concepcion announced the decision to not authorize next Tuesday's friendly citing possible health risks linked to the Ebola crisis. Congo was playing a warmup against Denmark in Liege, Belgium, on Wednesday. An outbreak of a rare type of Ebola virus has plagued Congo and Uganda. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern. Congo had already canceled a three-day World Cup preparation training camp and a planned farewell to fans in the capital Kinshasa because of the outbreak the eastern part of the country. All