AFCON UPDATE: MOROCCO'S QUALIFICATION STALLED. WILL THEY TOP GROUP A AFTER THE ZAMBIA FINALE?
Mohamed Salah’s penalty sends 10-man Egypt to the AFCON last 16, while hosts Morocco suffer a 1-1 draw against a resilient Mali.
Morocco blew their chance to lock in a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage, tying 1-1 with Mali on Friday. But Mohamed Salah's penalty shot gave Egypt a 1-0 victory over South Africa, pushing them into the final 16.
The game between Morocco and Mali in Rabat was all about penalty kicks. Brahim Diaz scored one for Morocco way late in the first half, but Lassine Sinayoko evened the score around the 64th minute.
The match, watched by nearly 64,000 fans, including France's captain Kylian Mbappe, stopped Morocco's winning streak at 19 games.
So, Morocco hasn't officially made it to the last 16 yet, but they're still leading their group with four points from two games.
Mali is next with two points, tied with Zambia, who earlier had a 0-0 draw with Comoros in Casablanca.
Morocco plays Zambia on Monday, and if they win, they'll finish as the group's top team.
We were great in the first half and had scoring chances. But we kind of fell apart in the second half. We stopped playing well and struggled. Still, this game will help us get better, said Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi.
We need to grab all three points in the next game and finish first in the group.
Achraf Hakimi, Morocco's captain, didn't play again to rest his recovering ankle.
Morocco got their penalty when Mali's Nathan Gassama touched the ball with his hand while trying to defend against Diaz. After watching the video replay, the referee pointed to the spot.
Diaz shot past the goalie for his second goal of the tourney. Then Mali got their own penalty about an hour in.
Sinayoko was fouled by Jawad El Yamiq. Again, after a video review, a penalty was awarded.
Sinayoko, who plays for Auxerre, scored, and Mali held on for a draw through 10 minutes of extra time. The home fans booed at the end.
- Salah Helps Egypt Beat South Africa -
In Agadir, Liverpool's Salah scored a penalty right before halftime, making Egypt the first team to reach the knockout rounds.
South Africa felt robbed, though, when they weren't given a penalty near the end of the game after Yasser Ibrahim seemed to touch the ball with his hand inside the box.
Egypt's penalty happened after a South African player, Khuliso Mudau, hit Salah in the eye with his left arm. The ref checked the video and made the call.
Salah nailed the penalty while the goalie guessed wrong.
More drama happened when Mohamed Hany stomped on Teboho Mokoena, earning him a second yellow card and an ejection.
Even with the extra player, South Africa couldn't score, and then the ref didn't give them a penalty. Egypt hung on for the win.
After two rounds in Group B, Egypt has six points and is guaranteed to finish in the top two.
South Africa has three points, while Angola and Zimbabwe each have one after a 1-1 tie in Marrakesh.
I'm thrilled with the result, of course. It was a tough match; they controlled most of it. "They can hold the ball for a long time, so I think our strategy worked well," said Salah.
We got the three points, which is what matters most. The crowd was amazing. Hopefully, we can keep this up.
South Africa's coach, Hugo Broos, said, The penalty for Egypt was a joke, a real joke.
And near the end, when their guy's arm was way out, and the ball hit it, that should have been a penalty for us.
THE HIDDEN MATH BEHIND FIFA’S $33,000 WORLD CUP FINAL TICKET PRICE SURGE
Gianni Infantino defends $32,970 ticket prices at the Milken Institute, citing the US market as the world's most developed.
FIFA just tripled the price of its top tickets for the World Cup final, now charging $32,970 for the best seats at the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On Thursday, those front-row “category 1” seats popped up for sale, right as members of Congress started pushing FIFA for answers about high prices and demanding more transparency on how tickets are being priced.
Before, the highest category 1 ticket for the final topped out at $10,990. Now, the only way to snag that price is if you need a wheelchair or special-access seat; otherwise, you’re looking at the new, much steeper cost.
Prices don’t stop there. For the July 14 semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Texas, seats are $11,130, $4,330, $3,710, and $2,705. The next day’s semifinal in Atlanta? $10,635, $3,545, and $2,725. U.S. group stage matches aren’t cheap either; opening night in California runs $2,735, $1,940, or $1,120 a seat. The June 19 clash against Australia in Seattle sits at $2,715. And for the finale against Türkiye back in LA, tickets range from $2,970 down to $840.
Representatives Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr, both Democrats from New Jersey, fired off a letter to FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino, calling FIFA’s use of “dynamic pricing” too secretive and criticising practices that make it tough for regular fans to get seats. Their letter didn’t mince words: “We’re deeply concerned about FIFA’s opaque pricing and shifting rules. Fans are getting frustrated and feel misled. We want to know how FIFA ensures everyone can actually afford to attend and what’s being done to address these concerns.”
Gianni Infantino hasn’t backed down. On Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, he defended his price tags. “We have to look at the market,” Infantino said. “This is the most developed entertainment market anywhere, so we charge market rates. Tickets here can legally be resold, so if you price them low, people just flip them for more. In fact, even with what some call high prices, tickets end up reselling for twice as much or more.”
He also pointed out, “You can’t go to a college game in the U.S., never mind a pro one, without spending at least $300 for a decent ticket.”
Sure, tickets for huge events like the Super Bowl or the College Football Championship can hit these levels, but scores of seats at U.S. college and pro sporting events, even the NBA playoffs, still go for under $300.
When it comes to resale, FIFA doesn’t set those prices. On its official ticket exchange, final match seats were listed Thursday from $8,970 all the way up to a wild $11,499,998.85, the latter for a spot four rows from the top in the upper deck. FIFA takes 15% of each sale from both buyer and seller. Last month, somebody listed a final ticket for $2,299,998.85.
Infantino joked about those prices: “If people list final tickets for $2 million, number one, that’s not the actual price. Number two, who’s paying that? If someone does, I’ll personally deliver them a hot dog and a Coke.”
Ticket prices aren’t the only pain point for fans. Getting to the game, especially at MetLife Stadium, has its own sticker shock. NJ Transit originally set a $150 round-trip fare from anywhere to the stadium, way up from the normal $13-ish round trip from Manhattan’s Penn Station. After plenty of backlash, they cut it down to $105, but that’s still steep.
Governor Mikie Sherrill, via her spokesperson Steve Sigmund, said she’s pushing for more corporate contributions to lower fares for fans. “The governor is grateful for the companies helping reduce costs and will keep working to make the World Cup a win for both fans and New Jersey.”
FIFA, for its part, warned that these high transit prices could dampen turnout in New Jersey, while other host cities, LA, Dallas, and Houston, aren’t hiking fares for the games.
MetLife Stadium, usually home to the Giants and Jets, will host eight World Cup matches, including the final. Group stage games for powerhouse teams like Brazil, France, Germany, and England all kick off starting June 13.
FIFA EXTENDS PRESTIANNI BAN WORLDWIDE; WINGER SET TO MISS WORLD CUP OPENERS
Gianluca Prestianni will miss games against Algeria and Austria if selected by Scaloni. Get the full disciplinary breakdown.
FIFA has extended Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension for homophobic conduct to apply globally, which could sideline him for Argentina’s first two matches at the 2026 World Cup. The winger from Benfica, initially punished after a well-publicised incident with Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, will now have his ban affect not just club matches but international competitive games as well.
The disciplinary move by FIFA follows a request from UEFA, and the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has confirmed the six-match ban will take effect worldwide. According to a FIFA spokesperson, the committee agreed to broaden the suspension’s scope, impacting all levels of competitive play.
This decision carries serious implications for both Benfica and Argentina. What was once a suspension limited to UEFA competitions now bars the 20-year-old from participating in any FIFA competitive events, including the upcoming World Cup in North America.
If Prestianni makes Lionel Scaloni’s final Argentina roster for 2026, he will be forced to sit out the opening group stage games against Algeria and Austria. Despite this setback, he remains eligible for friendlies; he was actually called up earlier this year for matches against Mauritania and Zambia following his November 2025 senior debut.
While the ban totals six matches, half of those come with a two-year probationary clause. After missing a Champions League match against Real Madrid under a provisional suspension, Prestianni still has two active games left to serve. Notably, domestic games with Benfica this season are unaffected, since the worldwide ban targets only competitive international fixtures.
The incident that triggered this whole saga happened on February 17 during a Champions League knockout match at Estadio da Luz. Vinicius Junior accused Prestianni of racial abuse, prompting referee Francois Letexier to pause the game for eight minutes and activate FIFA’s anti-discrimination protocol.
Prestianni has denied these accusations and issued a statement saying he never directed racist insults at Vinicius Junior, suggesting the player misunderstood what was said. He also condemned the threats he received from Real Madrid players in the aftermath.
Despite his denials, UEFA’s investigation concluded that Prestianni engaged in discriminatory, specifically homophobic, conduct, leading to his suspension.
Questions remain about the length of the ban, as UEFA’s rules generally mandate a minimum 10-match suspension for offences against human dignity based on factors like race or sexual orientation. UEFA has not explained why the disciplinary body settled on a shorter six-match penalty.
Looking ahead, Prestianni faces a challenging path to regain standing under scrutiny. Should he violate conduct rules again within the probationary period, the remaining three matches of his ban could be enforced immediately, potentially harming his prospects with both Benfica and the Argentina national team.
