Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Saturday, 15 August 2026
Thursday, 13 August 2026
Saturday, 8 August 2026
Friday, 7 August 2026
Thursday, 18 June 2026
IVORY COAST'S ELYE WAHI DENIED CANADA VISA FOR WORLD CUP MATCH AMID FIXING ALLEGATIONS
Striker, who started against Ecuador, will miss Saturday’s Germany game in Toronto
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| Elye Wahi of Ivory Coast in action in the World Cup against Ecuador. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA |
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi will not travel to Canada for this weekend’s World Cup clash with Germany, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) said on Thursday, a day after the player was linked to an investigation into suspected sports corruption in a Ligue 1 match.
The FIF said they had full confidence in Wahi and he was not travelling for Saturday’s match in Toronto because authorisations for his travel to Canada had not been obtained. French authorities said unusual betting patterns were detected around a yellow card Wahi received in a Ligue 1 match while playing for Nice last month.
“To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any legal or administrative proceedings concerning him,” the FIF said in a statement.
“During this particularly difficult period, the FIF offers its full support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him. Elye Wahi remains an important member of the Ivory Coast national team.
“The player will not be able to join the delegation’s trip to Canada. This is because the administrative authorisations required for him to enter Canadian territory have not yet been obtained. Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States until the team returns.” Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in their first Group E match, where Wahi started for Côte d’Ivoire. He will remain in the United States pending the team’s return, the FIF said.
- The Irish Times
Thursday, 30 April 2026
IRANIAN OFFICIALS TO MISS FIFA CONGRESS OVER ALLEGED MISTREATMENT IN CANADA
Iran’s Mehdi Taj-led delegation turns back at Toronto airport due to ‘unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials’.
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| President of the Iranian Football Federation Mehdi Taj was leading the Iranian football delegation that travelled to Canada for the FIFA Congress [File: Atta Kenare/AFP] |
An Iranian football federation delegation says it turned back at Toronto’s main airport this week, citing their treatment by Canadian immigration, and is set to miss a pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on Wednesday that the delegation members, including federation President Mehdi Taj, Secretary-General Hedayat Mombeni and his deputy, Hamed Momeni, turned back upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson airport despite holding valid visas, citing what was described as the “unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials”.
The Iranian delegation was en route to Vancouver for Thursday’s FIFA Congress, which is meant to bring together representatives of all 211 member associations before the World Cup being cohosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
“While Mehdi Taj, president, Hedayat Mombeni, secretary-general, and Hamed Momeni, deputy secretary-general of the federation, had travelled to Toronto with official visas to attend the FIFA Congress, they returned to Turkey on the first available flight due to the unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian nation’s armed forces,” the Iran football federation said in a statement.
In 2024, Canada listed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, and statements from the Canadian government indicated that Taj was denied entry due to his alleged ties with the IRGC.
“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” the Canadian government said in a statement.
"We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC to account and will continue to do so, while protecting the safety of Canadians and upholding the integrity of our immigration system.”
However, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said it was her “understanding” that Iranian football officials were denied entry into the country but added that the denial was “unintentional”.
“It’s not my personal lead, but my understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate,” Anand said, apparently referring to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.
Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said he could not speak about specific cases due to privacy legislation, but IRGC members were not welcome in Canada.
The incident that occurred on Tuesday underscores the practical and political obstacles surrounding Iran’s participation in the World Cup, the most politically sensitive item on FIFA’s agenda since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran in February.
Iran’s qualification has not removed hurdles tied to travel, visas and security in a tournament staged in three countries.
While FIFA has insisted fixtures will proceed as scheduled, the delegation’s withdrawal deepens doubts over whether Iranian players, officials and supporters will be able to move freely across borders during the tournament.
FIFA has since contacted the Iranian delegation to express regret over the incident and indicated that President Gianni Infantino would arrange a meeting with them at the organisation’s headquarters, the Tasnim report added.
The FIFA Congress is usually a routine gathering, but carries greater weight this year with the World Cup less than two months away and several questions, including cost and Iran’s participation, still hanging over the first 48-team edition of the tournament.
The Iranian officials were also unable to attend Tuesday’s Asian Football Confederation congress, which was held in Vancouver.
- Reuters and The Associated Press
Thursday, 9 October 2025
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Friday, 8 August 2025
Thursday, 7 August 2025
Wednesday, 6 August 2025
Monday, 4 August 2025
Saturday, 2 August 2025
Thursday, 31 July 2025
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
ZVEREV MAKES WINNING TORONTO RETURN AFTER A MONTH OFF COURT
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| Top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates a victory over Australian Adam Walton to reach the third round of the ATP Canadian Open (MATTHEW STOCKMAN) |
Alexander Zverev made a storming return after a month away from tennis on Tuesday, with the top seed pounding out a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 win over Adam Walton to reach the third round of the ATP Toronto Masters.
The German top seed, who lost in the Wimbledon first round, has spent the last weeks dealing with mental burnout and also made a trip to Rafael Nadal's Mallorca academy for consultations and perhaps some career advice during his time away.
The ATP world number three came from 4-1 down in the opening set tiebreaker and did not face a break point until he found himself down 0-40 as he tried to serve out victory leading a set and 5-3.
Though he lost that game, the German immediately broke back, with his Australian opponent double-faulting on a Zverev match point.
His victory included a massive 52-shot rally, with the triumph putting Zverev on 499 wins for his career.
"Sometimes it's just about winning," Zverev said. "It was not the prettiest match, though."
The 2017 champion in Canada will now play Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated qualifier Tristan Schoolkate 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti and number five Holger Rune both eased into action with comfortable straight set wins. The pair began after byes and wasted little time in advancing into the third round, with Musetti hammering Australian qualifier James Duckworth 7-5, 6-1.
Rune dispatched big hitter Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.
Number eight Casper Ruud put out Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-3 for another seeded win.
The event is missing the absolute cream of the player field, with both number one Jannik Sinner and second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz out with injury and fatigue issues.
Musetti, a former semi-finalist at both Wimbledon and Roland Garros, was ruthless with Duckworth, advancing in 82 minutes.
He broke for a set and 5-1 on his opponent's double-fault and finished up a game later with an ace.
The Italian is coming back into form after losing his only grass match of the summer (Wimbledon) and then going down last week in his Washington opening match. His last victory came in early June in the Roland Garros quarters.
Musetti had 17 winners while Duckworth was undone by more than 30 unforced errors.
The Italian next faces American Alex Michelsen, a 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 winner over Chilean qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera.
Rune, who was back in action a month after a first-round Wimbledon defeat, handed French Mpetshi Perricard a fourth career loss against top 10 players.
Denmark's four-time finalist at the Masters level produced his first hardcourt win since last March at Indian Wells.
"It was a very tricky first match for me, he's a big server and (there was) not a lot of rhythm in the match," Rune said after his 75-minute win.
"I had to really take care of my own serve, and then just look for the opportunities.
"It was about finding a way to win at the end of the (first set) tiebreak.
"In the second set I was pretty good when it mattered. I think I was serving very well today."
World number nine Rune limited his unforced errors to just 10 -- less than half of those struck by his opponent.
Elsewhere, 11th seed Karen Khachanov beat Juan Pablo Ficovich of Argentina 6-4, 6-2.
Last year's winner in Canada, Alexei Popyrin, defeated local wild card Nicolas Arseneault 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.
Canadian Denis Shapovalov continued his unlucky home streak taking a 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 loss to Learner Tien and extending a losing run dating to 2019 at home.
Tenth-seeded former champion Daniil Medvedev got through his opening match and will next face Popyrin after a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 win against Czech lucky loser Dalibor Svrcina, ended with more than 40 unforced errors.
- AFP
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