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Morocco’s shocking World Cup success is sparking debates across Africa

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People walk past a sports apparel shop in Morocco’s capital Rabat on December 13, 2022 a day ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final football match between Morocco and France.FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images

The narrative for Wednesday’s semi-final between Morocco and France is shaping up as one of the most potent in World Cup history: the first African and Arab country ever to reach the semi-finals will confront its former European colonizer in a classic underdog-against-champion showdown with a sharp geopolitical edge.

For many African soccer fans, the narrative became even more dramatic after the Atlas Lions managed to defeat three of Europe’s traditional colonial powers – Belgium, Spain and Portugal – in their astonishing journey to the final four.

But while Morocco’s historic achievement has sparked a wave of excitement and support across Africa, it is also generating some conflicted feelings. Many Africans have mixed emotions about the North African team – largely because of Morocco’s own history.

“I refuse to celebrate,” said Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, a prominent MP in a South African opposition party, in a tweet after Morocco’s shocking upset of Portugal in the quarter-finals.

“Africa must reject Morocco until they end their occupation of Western Sahara,” he said, adding a #FreeWesternSahara hashtag for emphasis.

Ndlozi was referring to one of the bitterest issues in Africa: the long-standing Moroccan occupation of the disputed territory known as Western Sahara, whose fight for independence is supported by the African Union and many African governments. Many Africans consider the territory to be the last colony on the continent.

The dispute over Western Sahara – known to its supporters as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic – has weakened Morocco’s political and diplomatic links to the African continent for decades. In 1984, the Moroccan government quit the first postindependence pan-African union, the Organisation of African Unity, because of the Western Sahara issue. For the next 33 years, it refused to join the OAU or its successor organization, the African Union, until finally relenting in 2017.

Less than two months ago, in an example of African support for Western Saharan independence, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the territory’s president, Brahim Ghali, on a state visit to Pretoria. South Africa also hosted a “solidarity conference” for the territory in 2019, and the Ramaphosa government has touted its “strong historical ties dating back to the years of the struggle against colonialism and apartheid.”

Despite the long-standing territorial dispute, Morocco’s soccer team has been anxious to claim an African identity. “We are here to represent Africa,” head coach Walid Regragui said in a television interview earlier in the tournament. “We want to fly Africa’s flag high, just like Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon.”

The team’s Arab identity has also been vividly on display, with its players often waving a Palestinian flag after victories. This, too, has endeared them to the many Africans who support Palestinian rights, one of the continent’s most popular political causes.

Unsurprisingly, there were widespread celebrations in many African countries on the weekend when Morocco stunned the heavily favoured Portugal team in a 1-0 victory.

On social media, however, the divisions were more evident, with fierce debate about the meaning of Morocco’s victory.

Some Africans expressed joy at seeing the Atlas Lions advancing to the semi-finals. “This is a testimony that Africa is rising and we are a force to be reckoned with,” former Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed tweeted.

“For me it’s a celebration because Morocco eliminated colonizers,” one South African soccer fan said on Twitter.

But others were less happy. Western Saharan activists tweeted that they found it difficult to rejoice for the Moroccan victory when their territory remained occupied. Others voiced their concern about Morocco’s attitude toward the rest of Africa.

Borges Nhamirre, a Mozambican journalist and researcher at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, reacted to the World Cup events by posting a 2019 article from an Arab online media platform with the headline: “Why do Moroccans deny being African?”

The article described “anti-African sentiment” in Morocco, especially on migrant issues. It reported that a bus company had posted a notice requiring any “Africans” travelling to Morocco’s border cities to be subjected to special checks of their identity documents.

Some Moroccans “have forgotten or deliberately decided to forget that they geographically belong to the African continent,” the article said.

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Jays reliever Green and Canadian slugger O’Neill nominated for comeback player award

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NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.

The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.

Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.

The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.

O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.

After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Panthers’ Reinhart named NHL first star after posting nine points over four games

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NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.

Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.

Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.

Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s season ended by ruptured Achilles tendon, team said he’ll have surgery

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.

He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.

Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.

The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”

Watson was injured on a noncontact play in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals and carted off the field in tears.

It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.

The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.

He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.

As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.

Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.

The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.

“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.

“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”

Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.

“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.

“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”

The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.

Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.

With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.

The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.

But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.

Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.

Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.

Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.

Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.

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