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Sports

France stunned by Ivory Coast in World Cup warm-up defeat

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Guela Doué haunted his brother’s national team as he scored once and set up the winner to fire Ivory Coast to a shock 2-1 comeback victory over France in a World Cup warm-up match in Nantes on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Strasbourg defender, older brother of France and Paris St Germain forward Désiré Doué, cancelled out Rayan Cherki’s sublime opener shortly after halftime before delivering the cross that Amad Diallo converted for the winner, earning the Elephants a first-ever victory over Les Bleus.

France appeared comfortably in control after an encouraging first-half display and led through Cherki’s moment of brilliance, but Didier Deschamps‘s side unravelled after the break as Ivory Coast punished a series of defensive lapses.

Les Bleus, who were on a nine-match unbeaten streak, next face Northern Ireland in a final warm-up game in Lille on Monday.

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Deschamps made 10 substitutions in the second half as France appeared bothered by the speed of Ivory Coast, who begin their World Cup campaign against Ecuador on June 15.

The positive point for France was Cherki’s display as the Manchester City player made his case for a place in the starting lineup for the team’s World Cup opening game against Senegal on June 16.

Captain Kylian Mbappé started and showed intent throughout the opening period, creating several dangerous situations against a disciplined Ivory Coast side before being replaced at halftime.

France threatened early when Michael Olise slipped Mbappé through in the seventh minute, but goalkeeper Yahia Fofana reacted well to parry the striker’s effort.

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Cherki should have put France ahead in the 31st minute when Marcus Thuram picked him out in front of goal, but the 22-year-old hesitated and was denied by a last-ditch challenge.

He remained influential, however, and nearly turned provider nine minutes later when Aurélien Tchouameni’s header from his delivery was tipped over by Fofana.

Cherki finally got his reward on the stroke of halftime. He gathered a loose ball on the right side of the area, dragged it past a defender with a clever drag-back and fired a right-footed shot across the goalkeeper into the far corner.

France, however, were caught off guard early in the second half.

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Doué was played through by Nicolas Pepe and slipped the ball past Mike Maignan to level in the 53rd minute.

His cross was then met by Diallo, who tapped in to boost Ivory Coast’s morale before they fly to the U.S.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

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Blue Jays respond to significant challenge vs. Braves after eventful week

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ATLANTA – All things considered, this has been quite a week for the Toronto Blue Jays.

They’ve played seven games since they left Toronto last week, winning three and losing four. On the surface that sounds pretty normal. In reality, however, that’s not the case.

There have been many firsts, like the first career home run for Charles McAdoo, the first career save for Braydon Fisher, the first career start for Adam Macko and the first career appearance for Chad Dallas.

The trip has also included low points, like a painful blown save by Jeff Hoffman in Baltimore, a fan throwing a baseball off Jesus Sanchez’s hand and struggles from the likes of Austin Voth and Hayden Juenger, both jettisoned from the roster before they could get lockers at Rogers Centre.

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But while the trip included its share of emotional lows, there were some encouraging moments and few if any were bigger than the win over Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park Thursday to take the series finale 7-2 and head back home 30-33.

Clearly, there’s more work ahead – and the upcoming homestand against the Orioles, Phillies and Yankees will provide immediate tests for a team still rolling with a three-man rotation and two bullpen games.

But give the Blue Jays credit on two fronts Thursday. Not only did they find ways to get to Sale for three runs on ten hits, they limited the NL’s best team to only two runs on a bullpen day built around Dallas making his MLB debut.

Offensively, McAdoo drove in the first run of the game with a single up the middle against Sale, the future Hall of Famer who entered play with a 2.01 ERA. Soon afterwards, Myles Straw drove in two with another single to centre and the Blue Jays had a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

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As for Dallas, he impressed in a bulk role following opener Mason Fluharty, covering 3.2 innings while allowing one run on two hits and recording the first two strikeouts of his career. It’s been an unusual week for the 25-year-old right-hander, but he responded well to the challenge.

After Dallas left the game, the Blue Jays turned to their leverage relievers and Tyler Rogers, Hoffman, Fisher and Louis Varland combined to allow just one run – a Mauricio Dubon solo shot off Fisher – in four innings.

As for the Blue Jays’ rotation, reinforcements are on the way, starting with Simeon Woods Richardson, the former Blue Jays prospect who was acquired from the Twins Wednesday. While Woods Richardson was a credible back-end starter from 2024-25, he has a 7.74 ERA this season and opposing hitters are batting at least .315 on each of his three most-used pitches.

The Blue Jays may look to nudge Woods Richardson away from his splitter – the worst pitch in MLB this season, according to Baseball Savant’s pitch run values – but it’s possible he’s more than one adjustment away.

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Thankfully, Dylan Cease continues pushing closer to the majors with Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber not far behind him. Pitching in a rehab outing at triple-A Thursday, Cease threw 75 pitches while allowing five runs on six hits and striking out six.

Still three games under .500 the Blue Jays are not yet where they need to be, but they return home knowing they responded well to a significant challenge Thursday.

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England retro football shirts heavily reduced with special discount code ahead of 2026 World Cup

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The deal can be accessed using the discount code RETRO20, though it expires on June 11

England supporters are rushing to take advantage of a 20% discount on retro shirts ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sport retailer Kitbag has launched an exclusive offer ahead of the tournament’s kick-off on June 11, slashing 20% off its entire England retro range.

The deal can be accessed using the discount code RETRO20, though it expires on June 11. Those who act before the deadline can unlock savings across the Score Draw England Retro collection, which features more than 15 iconic shirts dating back to 1966.

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Among the highlights is the England 1990 World Cup Finals Third Shirt (£32) — the legendary blue jersey worn during Italia ’90 that was immortalised by New Order’s World Cup anthem, World in Motion.

Also available is the England 1996 European Championship Shirt (£32), which made its debut the year England hosted the tournament for the first time. Worn by icons such as Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne, it will stir memories of Gazza’s iconic goal against Scotland and the infamous dentist chair celebration.

Get 20% off England retro shirts at Kitbag

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Kitbag is knocking 20% off its entire England retro shirt collection when fans use the code RETRO20 by June 11.

For those wishing to look even further back, the England 1982 World Cup Finals Shirt (£32), donned by the likes of Kevin Keegan and Bryan Robson at that year’s tournament in Spain, is also included in the offer. The England 1982 World Cup Finals Away Shirt (£32) is equally part of the deal.

Fans who grew up watching the ‘Golden Generation’ could go for the England 2004 European Championship Shirt (£32). This jersey was worn by a then 18-year-old Wayne Rooney when he made his unforgettable first appearance on the international stage in Portugal.

Other standout options include the vintage England 1966 World Cup Final Away No6 Shirt (£32), England 1996 European Championship Away Shirt (£32) and England 1998 World Cup Finals Shirt (£32). The Kitbag sale comes as England touched down in the USA on Monday (June 1) ahead of their two pre-World Cup friendlies in Florida.

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Thomas Tuchel’s squad will take on New Zealand on Saturday (June 6) and Costa Rica on Wednesday (June 10). They will subsequently travel to their World Cup headquarters in Kansas before their tournament begins against Croatia on June 17.

Ahead of the tournament, retailers including the England Official Store and Sports Direct are offering the full range of England’s 2026 World Cup kits. Prices start at £64.99 for kids and £89.99 for adults, for the new Nike home, away and goalkeeper jerseys.

For those browsing Kitbag’s retro sale, the retailer has garnered thousands of favourable reviews from customers on Trustpilot, with one commenting: “I ordered an England kit for my son, I found the website easy to navigate around and helpful when it came to sizing. I was kept up to date via email and received my package within a week of ordering and everything was in an excellent condition.” One review reads: “Seven-year-old very happy with his new England gear. Great communication around shipping information, product arrived within promised timeframe and exceeded our expectations. Would purchase from Kitbag again.”

A four-star review noted the sizing was ‘smaller than needed’, with the buyer commenting: “Was exactly as expected, slightly smaller possibly than needed, I should have checked size before ordering.” Elsewhere, another five-star review states: “Good quality England kit for toddlers. Retro as well, he looks so cool in it thank you.”

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Fans split over NBA’s decision to issue lifetime bans following the Game 1 incident 

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The NBA announced the punishment they issued to the fan who ran through the court in Game 1 of the Finals. The incident happened with 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, with the New York Knicks leading 92-86 against the San Antonio Spurs.

One fan ran into the court holding a phone and tried to get a selfie with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. The play had to be stopped as security got hold of him and dragged him out of the Frost Bank Center.

According to the league, the fan who ran onto the court was handed a lifetime ban from all arenas. Additionally, a second fan who had involvement with the incident will also receive a lifetime ban, according to an NBA spokesperson.

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After it was confirmed that the league would ban two fans, most people were split about the decision. Here are some of what the other fans said about the punishment.

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“Stupid kid, no other way to put it,” a fan said.

“Wonder how much he bet on Kalshi beforehand that somebody would rush the court in Game 1,” another fan commented.

“the way one impulsive decision can create a lifetime consequence will never stop being wild to me,” one fan said.

Others believed that since he did not actually inflict any harm, the sentence was excessive.

“This is ridiculous at least he didnt hurt nobody why needed to be banned for good? Smh,” someone commented.

“I get the protocols and standards but it ain’t like he brought a 🔫 or something 🤧🤧,” a comment read.

“The NBA banning a dude for life over a blurry selfie is soft as hell. Fans built this league, not suits scared of a tall French guy. Free him,” one fan commented.

Victor Wembanyama Addressed the Fan Incident at the NBA Finals

One of the goals of the fan who ran onto the court was to get Victor Wembanyama’s attention and a selfie. When it happened, the replay on the broadcast showed Wembanyama’s delighted reaction to the fan.

The NBA star was asked about his thoughts after the game.

“I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act. It really surprised me, almost as much as that time (when) a bat crossed the court.”

Wembanyama referred to an incident that happened in 2009, during a Halloween game between the Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. A bat flew inside the arena, and the game had to be stopped. Hall of Fame star Manu Ginobili swatted the bat with his hand before the game could carry on.

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Ginobili also had to receive vaccination shots for potential rabies.