Reigning football world champions France have set up a 2022 World Cup final showdown on Sunday with Lionel Messi’s Argentina after beating Morocco 2-0 in their semifinal clash on Wednesday.
Theo Hernandez scored France’s first goal inside five minutes at Al Bayt Stadium and substitute Randal Kolo Muani sealed victory for Les Bleus with a late second.
Morocco, the first African and Arab team ever to reach the last four at a World Cup, fought hard despite losing key players to injury.
Centre-back Nayef Aguerd withdrew at the last minute, fellow defender and captain Romain Saiss left the field after just 21 minutes and the Atlas Lions also lost Bayern Munich left-back Noussair Mazraoui at halftime.
For France, two of their starters in the quarterfinal win over England, Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano, were missing due to illness.
The Sunday showdown with Argentina at Lusail Stadium will be France’s fourth World Cup final in seven editions.
France will be hoping to become the first team since Brazil 60 years ago to retain the trophy.
Morocco will now face Croatia in Saturday’s third-place play-off.

Pindula News

2022 World Cup: France Defeat Morocco To Set Up Argentina Final

Argentina’s vice-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner narrowly avoided assassination on Thursday night in Buenos Aires after a gunman’s weapon jammed as he aimed at her at close range.
The former president was returning home from court and was surrounded by a mob of supporters when she found herself face-to-face with the loaded weapon.
Video circulating on social media shows the gunman emerging from the crowd as Kirchner approaches and comes within inches of her with a gun pointed into her face.
She initially appears confused by what is going on, ducking down to retrieve an object dropped on the floor.
The gunman, who local media identified as a 35-year-old Brazilian man, has been arrested.
Police are attempting to establish a motive for the attack on de Kirchner, who was Argentina’s president from 2007 to 2015, and its first lady for four years before that.
She is facing allegations of corruption. She denies the charges.
Her supporters have been gathering outside her home for the last few nights in a show of support as she fights charges of corruption.
Kirchner is accused of defrauding the state and being involved in a scheme to divert public funds while she was president.
Addressing the nation late on Thursday night, President Alberto Fernández revealed the gun was loaded with five bullets but failed to fire when triggered. He said:
<blockquote>
Cristina remains alive because, for a reason not yet technically confirmed, the gun, which contained five bullets, did not fire.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62762421">BBC News</a>

Gun Jams During Attempt To Kill Argentina Vice-president

The 2022 World Cup qualifier match was called off after Brazilian officials stormed into the pitch arguing that some Argentina players had misinformed them about their travel history in the last 14 days. 
The match was stopped inside 7 mins by Brazilian Federal Police walking on field to detain 4 Argentinian Premier League players who failed to disclose they are based in Britain, breaking COVID protocols upon entering Brazil. Chaos ensued. 
It’s not clear what will happen to the match. Watch the video below for more details.
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<video controls="controls" height="362" preload="metadata" width="640"><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/brazil-vs-argentina-match-called-off.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/brazil-vs-argentina-match-called-off.mp4</a></video></div>
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw">Pindula News</a>

WATCH: The Moment Argentina, Brazil World Cup Match Was Called Off

Zimbabwean experts have successfully cleared landmines on the British overseas territory, the Falkland Islands.
It has taken a decade for the Zimbabwean contractors to clear thousands of landmines that were planted by soldiers from Argentina when they invaded the territory thirty-seven years ago.
The Argentinians occupied the territory for 74 days before they were driven out by the British army, but not before they had planted about 25 000 mines.
The British government contracted SafeLane Global, a de-mining company to clear the mines planted during the 1982 war.
In 1999, a company called Bactec, which was one of several to later merge into SafeLane Global, was contracted to clear two million mines along the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The company recruited and trained local Zimbabweans who have since become world-renowned for their expertise.
The Zimbabwean experts have been deployed all over the world – including to Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Eritrea, Croatia and Lebanon — to clear mines following wars.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18126876.zimbabwean-expertise-brings-deadly-landmine-legacy-falklands-end/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Herald Scotland</a></h4>

Zimbabwean Experts Clear British Territory Of Thousands Of Landmines

Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has said that club forward and captain, Lionel Messi is free to leave the club at the end of the season.
Bartomeu told reporters that the club would not bar Messi from leaving the club before his contract expires in 2021 as that had happened before. He said:
<blockquote>Leo Messi has a contract through to the 2020-21 season, but the player is able to leave Barca before the final season.
It’s the same case as with the final contracts that Xavi, (Carles) Puyol and (Andres) Iniesta had. They are players who deserve that liberty, and we shouldn’t worry, as they are very committed to Barca.
We want Messi to play for Barca through to 2021 and beyond. We are very calm.</blockquote>
The 32-year-old Argentine captain who joined Barcelona in 2001 signed a four-year deal in 2017 and will enter into his final year in June 2020. He is currently the Blaugrana’s record goalscorer.
More: <a href="https://www.soccer24.co.zw/2019/09/07/messi-can-leave-at-end-of-season-barca-president/">Soccer24</a>

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