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Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
After loss to New Zealand, Ivory Coast has a point to prove against Canada
TORONTO - Still smarting from its 1-0 loss to No. 86 New Zealand on Saturday at the Canadian Shield Tournament, Ivory Coast has a point to prove Tuesday against Canada. 'We expect to win,' said Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae. 'A big team can lose one game but a big team doesn't lose two games in a row. We have to show people that we are able to beat countries of another region than Africa. 'It will be a game for us to show that we are able to win.' Canada, ranked 30th in the world, is coming off a 4-2 victory over No. 25 Ukraine in its tournament opener at BMO Field. Canada coach Jesse Marsch has said he will likely field an entirely different lineup against the 41st-ranked Africans, with veteran forward Cyle Larin leading the team out. 'We've been really clear internally that against Ukraine there were some good thing and some things to work on,' Marsch said before Canada's training session Monday. 'But that's behind us. And now the focus is entirely on this match.' Marsch said Ivory Coast comes with a lot of talent and could well be the top team in Africa. While Ivory Coast is currently ranked fifth in Africa by FIFA — behind No. 12 Morocco, No. 19 Senegal, No 32 Egypt and No. 36 Algeria — the Elephants are the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions and have been ranked as high as No.12 in the world. Against New Zealand, Ivory Coast paid for a turnover later in the first half that led to the game's lone goal. The African side attacked throughout the second half but could not breach the All Whites defence. 'I was a little but disappointed, a little bit frustrated, because we had opportunities to score, to score first. But we didn't,' said Fae. 'We had some opportunities to come back in the game in the second half … If we played the same game 10 times, I think we're going to win nine and probably lose one,' he added. Fae's team was cheered on by a vocal pocket of orange-clad Ivory Coast fans in the stands. 'A defeat on the pitch, certainly, but a resounding victory in the stands, ' wrote the Ivorian newspaper Fraternite Matin. Canada has never faced Ivory Coast before. The last time it faced an African side was at the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 when it lost 2-1 to Morocco in its final group-stage game. With regular captain Alphonso Davies out injured, vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio led the team out Saturday against Ukraine. Forward Jonathan David, who scored twice Saturday, will captain the side at the CONCACAF Gold Cup later this month while Eustaquio is with his club Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup. But with both having played Saturday, Larin wears the armband for the first time. 'It's an honour to (serve as) captain and with the captains we have now, it's an honour to share it with them,' said Larin, who plays his club football in Spain for Mallorca. 'Because we have a great team.' The 30-year-old from Brampton, Ont., has 30 goals in 81 appearances for Canada. Only Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, with 84 caps, has more Canadian experience on the current roster. Marsch paid tribute to Larin's savvy and insight into the Canadian team as well as his willingness to help younger players. 'Cyle is sometimes thought of as a quiet person and quiet leader, but he's like a rock in the team,' Marsch said. 'And a guy that is intelligent on the pitch, has quality, can score, does a lot of things that a lot of people don't see and is an example to all of the attacking players we have — for the work rate, the intelligence and the commitment to what we have.' Fae lost one of his star players before the Toronto tournament when Manchester United forward Amad Diallo withdrew. His squad draws on players from clubs in Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Midfielder Franck Kessié, formerly of AC Milan and Barcelona, plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro league while defender Odilon Kossounou is currently with Atalanta, on loan from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, and forward Nicolas Pépé, formerly with England's Arsenal, plays for Spain's Villarreal. Ivory Coast currently leads Group F in African World Cup qualifying with a 5-0-1 record, one points ahead of Gabon in the six-country group that also includes Burundi, Kenya, Gambia and the Seychelles. Qualifying play resumes in September with the eventual group winner securing a berth in the World Cup. The four best runners-up from the nine African groups will participate in playoffs to determine a 10th qualifying team from the region. Ivory Coast appeared at the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014, failing to advance to the knockout round after finishing third in its group each time. It missed out on the 2018 tournament in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Ivory Coast's Elephants look forward to facing Canada, New Zealand in Toronto
TORONTO - Ask Ivory Coast soccer coach Emerse Fae about Canada and he is quick to praise — and reel off names. 'I like this team because the Canada team has very good players — good players like Jonathan David, like (Cyle) Larin, a good striker. Alphonso Davies, (Derek) Cornelius, (Moise) Bombito from Nice. (Ismael) Kone from Rennes,' Fae said from France. 'So it will be a good team with good organization, a good attacking team. A good challenge for Ivory Coast to play and to see how the team is one year before the World Cup.' Fae is bringing firepower of his own to the inaugural Canadian Shield Tournament, where the 41st-ranked Ivorians face No. 86 New Zealand on Saturday after No. 30 Canada plays No. 25 Ukraine in the early game at Toronto's BMO Field. Ivory Coast and Canada, which will be without the injured Davies, then meet June 10 after New Zealand plays Ukraine. Canada has never faced Ivory Coast before and has played Ukraine just once, a 2-2 draw in Kyiv in an October 2010 friendly. The Ivory Coast roster draws on players from clubs in Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Fae's squad includes winger Amad Diallo, who joined Manchester United in January 2021 at the age of 18 in a package worth 37.2 million pounds ($69 million) from Italy's Atalanta. Midfielder Franck Kessié, formerly of AC Milan and Barcelona, plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro league while defender Odilon Kossounou is currently with Atalanta, on loan from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, and forward Nicolas Pépé, formerly with England's Arsenal, plays for Spain's Villarreal. Diallo made headlines recently after a photo showing him apparently making an obscene gesture to fans during a Manchester United tour to Asia. He later said he was reacting to 'insulting words directed at my mother.' At 5-0-1, the Ivorians lead their 2026 World Cup qualifying group by one point over Gabon (5-1-0). Group F also includes Burundi, Kenya, Gambia and the Seychelles. The group winner qualifies for the World Cup with the runner-up moving to the second round of qualifying. 'I'm happy with the way that we are winning,' said Fae. 'Even if I expect more quality from the team. Because we have many good players who play in the best clubs in Europe … Even when we didn't play well, we won. It's a good thing to be able to win the game, but we have to improve the way we play.' After Toronto, Ivory Coast plays its four remaining World Cup qualifiers — against No. 140 Burundi, No. 79 Gabon, the 203rd-ranked Seychelles and No. 111 Kenya — in September-October. The team then shifts its focus to defending its African Cup of Nations title in December in Morocco, where Ivory Coast has been drawn with No. 50 Cameroon, Gabon and No. 96 Mozambique in Group F. The Ivorians posted a pair of 1-0 wins in March, defeating No. 126 Gambia and Burundi in World Cup qualifying play. Ivory Coast appeared at the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014, failing to advance to the knockout round after finishing third in its group each time. It missed out on the 2018 tournament in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. Fae expects Ivory Coast to build on it 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title by qualifying for the World Cup while also pointing to the expanded 48-team FIFA field. Nine African teams take part in the 2026 soccer showcase, with a shot at a 10th side via the FIFA Playoff Tournament. 'It would be a shame for our country not to be qualifying for the next World Cup,' said Fae. Football is huge back home, so there is pressure to succeed. Fae also knows that winning will help more Ivory Coast players earn contracts to further their development abroad. Ivory Coast is ranked fifth in Africa, behind No. 12 Morocco, No. 19 Senegal, No. 32 Egypt and No. 36 Algeria — after jumping five places in the latest FIFA numbers. It reached No. 12 in early 2013. Born in Nantes, Fae was a French youth international and won the Under-17 World Championship in 2001 — beating Nigeria in the final. He played for his hometown club before switching his international allegiance to Ivory Coast, the land of his parents, in 2005. He went on to play for Reading, then in England's Premier League, and Nice before he retiring in 2012. Fae coached Nice's youth teams and the reserve side of French Ligue 1 club Clermont before being appointed as Jean-Louis Gasset's assistant with Ivory Coast in May 2022. Gasset was fired midway through the 2023 Africa Cup, after a record 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea, with Fae named interim head coach. The Ivorians advanced as the last of the four best third-placed teams and Fae rallied the team to wins over defending champion Senegal, Mali, DR Congo and Nigeria, in the final. That earned Fae Confederation of African Football (CAF) Coach of the Year honours in 2024. Fae was given the permanent coaching job in February 2024. The trip to World Cup co-host Canada marks his first visit to the country. —- Ivory Coast Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Angers (France); Mohamed Koné, Charleroi (Belgium); Badra Ali Sangaré, Sekhukhune United (South Africa). Defenders: Clément Akpa, Auxerre (France); Jean-Phillipe Gbamin, Zurich (Switzerland); Cédric Kipré, Rems (France); Ghislain Konan, Burgos CF (Spain); Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta, Italy, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Christopher Opéri, Başakşehir (Turkey); Wilfried Singo, Monaco (France); Luck Zogbé (Brest), France. Midfielders: Lazare Amani, Standard Liège (on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium); Mohamed Diomande, Rangers (Scotland); Maho Dorgeles, FC Nordsjælland (Denmark); Franck Kessié, Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia); Parfait Guiagon; Charleroi (Belgium); Ibrahim Sangaré, Nottingham Forest (England). Forwards: Simon Adingra, Brighton & Hove Albion (England); Jérémie Boga, Nice (France); Amad Diallo, Manchester United (England); Evann Guessand, Nice (France); Sébastien Haller, Utrecht (the Netherlands); Nicolas Pépé, Villarreal (Spain). —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ivory Coast's Elephants look forward to facing Canada, New Zealand in Toronto
TORONTO – Ask Ivory Coast soccer coach Emerse Fae about Canada and he is quick to praise — and reel off names. 'I like this team because the Canada team has very good players — good players like Jonathan David, like (Cyle) Larin, a good striker. Alphonso Davies, (Derek) Cornelius, (Moise) Bombito from Nice. (Ismael) Kone from Rennes,' Fae said from France. 'So it will be a good team with good organization, a good attacking team. A good challenge for Ivory Coast to play and to see how the team is one year before the World Cup.' Fae is bringing firepower of his own to the inaugural Canadian Shield Tournament, where the 41st-ranked Ivorians face No. 86 New Zealand on Saturday after No. 30 Canada plays No. 25 Ukraine in the early game at Toronto's BMO Field. Ivory Coast and Canada, which will be without the injured Davies, then meet June 10 after New Zealand plays Ukraine. Canada has never faced Ivory Coast before and has played Ukraine just once, a 2-2 draw in Kyiv in an October 2010 friendly. The Ivory Coast roster draws on players from clubs in Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Fae's squad includes winger Amad Diallo, who joined Manchester United in January 2021 at the age of 18 in a package worth 37.2 million pounds ($69 million) from Italy's Atalanta. Midfielder Franck Kessié, formerly of AC Milan and Barcelona, plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro league while defender Odilon Kossounou is currently with Atalanta, on loan from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, and forward Nicolas Pépé, formerly with England's Arsenal, plays for Spain's Villarreal. Diallo made headlines recently after a photo showing him apparently making an obscene gesture to fans during a Manchester United tour to Asia. He later said he was reacting to 'insulting words directed at my mother.' At 5-0-1, the Ivorians lead their 2026 World Cup qualifying group by one point over Gabon (5-1-0). Group F also includes Burundi, Kenya, Gambia and the Seychelles. The group winner qualifies for the World Cup with the runner-up moving to the second round of qualifying. 'I'm happy with the way that we are winning,' said Fae. 'Even if I expect more quality from the team. Because we have many good players who play in the best clubs in Europe … Even when we didn't play well, we won. It's a good thing to be able to win the game, but we have to improve the way we play.' After Toronto, Ivory Coast plays its four remaining World Cup qualifiers — against No. 140 Burundi, No. 79 Gabon, the 203rd-ranked Seychelles and No. 111 Kenya — in September-October. The team then shifts its focus to defending its African Cup of Nations title in December in Morocco, where Ivory Coast has been drawn with No. 50 Cameroon, Gabon and No. 96 Mozambique in Group F. The Ivorians posted a pair of 1-0 wins in March, defeating No. 126 Gambia and Burundi in World Cup qualifying play. Ivory Coast appeared at the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014, failing to advance to the knockout round after finishing third in its group each time. It missed out on the 2018 tournament in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. Fae expects Ivory Coast to build on it 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title by qualifying for the World Cup while also pointing to the expanded 48-team FIFA field. Nine African teams take part in the 2026 soccer showcase, with a shot at a 10th side via the FIFA Playoff Tournament. 'It would be a shame for our country not to be qualifying for the next World Cup,' said Fae. Football is huge back home, so there is pressure to succeed. Fae also knows that winning will help more Ivory Coast players earn contracts to further their development abroad. Ivory Coast is ranked fifth in Africa, behind No. 12 Morocco, No. 19 Senegal, No. 32 Egypt and No. 36 Algeria — after jumping five places in the latest FIFA numbers. It reached No. 12 in early 2013. Born in Nantes, Fae was a French youth international and won the Under-17 World Championship in 2001 — beating Nigeria in the final. He played for his hometown club before switching his international allegiance to Ivory Coast, the land of his parents, in 2005. He went on to play for Reading, then in England's Premier League, and Nice before he retiring in 2012. Fae coached Nice's youth teams and the reserve side of French Ligue 1 club Clermont before being appointed as Jean-Louis Gasset's assistant with Ivory Coast in May 2022. Gasset was fired midway through the 2023 Africa Cup, after a record 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea, with Fae named interim head coach. The Ivorians advanced as the last of the four best third-placed teams and Fae rallied the team to wins over defending champion Senegal, Mali, DR Congo and Nigeria, in the final. That earned Fae Confederation of African Football (CAF) Coach of the Year honours in 2024. Fae was given the permanent coaching job in February 2024. The trip to World Cup co-host Canada marks his first visit to the country. — Ivory Coast Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Angers (France); Mohamed Koné, Charleroi (Belgium); Badra Ali Sangaré, Sekhukhune United (South Africa). Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Defenders: Clément Akpa, Auxerre (France); Jean-Phillipe Gbamin, Zurich (Switzerland); Cédric Kipré, Rems (France); Ghislain Konan, Burgos CF (Spain); Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta, Italy, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Christopher Opéri, Başakşehir (Turkey); Wilfried Singo, Monaco (France); Luck Zogbé (Brest), France. Midfielders: Lazare Amani, Standard Liège (on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium); Mohamed Diomande, Rangers (Scotland); Maho Dorgeles, FC Nordsjælland (Denmark); Franck Kessié, Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia); Parfait Guiagon; Charleroi (Belgium); Ibrahim Sangaré, Nottingham Forest (England). Forwards: Simon Adingra, Brighton & Hove Albion (England); Jérémie Boga, Nice (France); Amad Diallo, Manchester United (England); Evann Guessand, Nice (France); Sébastien Haller, Utrecht (the Netherlands); Nicolas Pépé, Villarreal (Spain). — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
The Guardian
17-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trans activists accuse UK equalities chief of ‘overreach' for suggesting bans
Trans rights campaigners have accused the head of the UK's equalities regulator of 'overreach' after she said trans women could be banned from women's toilets, sports and hospital wards. Kishwer Falkner, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said the ruling on Wednesday by the UK supreme court that under the Equality Act 'woman' only referred to biological women was 'enormously consequential'. Lady Falkner told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday morning the commission was working on a fresh code of practice on women's spaces, which would have legal force, to confirm what the new rules would be. 'We are going to have a new statutory code of practice, statutory meaning it will be the law of the land, it will be interpreted by courts as the law of the land. We're hoping we're going to have that by the summer,' she said. She said the court's judgment meant only biological women could use single-sex changing rooms and women's toilets, or participate in women-only sporting events and teams, or be placed in women's wards in hospitals. Jane Fae, the director of the campaign group TransActual, said Falkner was 'overreaching' in her remarks because in the case of toilet provision, as one example, the tradition in the UK was more complicated than every facility being single sex. 'Loos don't have genetics, they don't have biology', she said. Under the legislation, an organisation's approach to providing shared or single-sex services still has to be 'fair and proportional'. Fae said the supreme court ruling had caused significant damage to trans inclusion. 'It also stripped away [our] protections to the bare minimum' by reducing the legal protections only to cases involving harassment, discrimination or equal pay, she said. She said trans advocates and campaigners would need to find specific legal cases to test whether the EHRC's interpretation of the court's judgment was correct, to reassert their rights. Some could go to the supreme court or to the European court of human rights. Fae and Vic Valentine, from Scottish Trans, another campaign group, said they feared many trans men and women would 'go underground' by stopping using public services or by making themselves less visible to avoid conflicts. Valentine said they were 'pretty worried' about Falkner's interpretation of the court ruling. 'The ramifications of that, in terms of trans people's ability to use services, spaces, participate in public life, are enormous. 'You just need to think about the enormous range of facilities where the only options available to you are single sex.' For visible trans people, this ruling could 'amplify' hostility towards them – a situation Falkner said the commission 'will not tolerate'. Valentine said: 'I certainly think it will be possible to run trans-inclusive services. Perhaps how you describe your service or talk about the people you provide your service to will have to look a bit different in the future.' Susan Smith, a co-founder of For Women Scotland, the group that won the supreme court case on Wednesday, said Falkner's approach was correct. Smith said the overreach had come from trans groups and public services that wrongly interpreted the law, including in the previous statutory guidance issued by the commission. 'This only became an issue because they began to push very, very hard on women's spaces. It really wasn't quibbling about toilets [it was] for women in need of single-sex spaces for often devastating reasons, where they were vulnerable or required intimate care,' she said. Those included rape crisis centres or gynaecological examinations. At the same time, she said, some trans activists became more aggressive and provocative in women's spaces. 'If people could have been a little bit more sensible, this wouldn't have happened.'
