France advances to semifinals at World Cup, tops England 2-1
Al Khor (Qatar) (AP): Kylian Mbappe and France made it back to the semifinals of the World Cup on Saturday by beating England 2-1.
Olivier Giroud scored in the 78th minute at Al Bayt Stadium to keep France on course to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Giroud raced away in delight when his header deflected off England defender Harry Maguire and sailed past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
England striker Harry Kane had a chance to even the score late in the match but he sent a penalty attempt over the bar.
It was his second spot kick of the match. He earlier scored to make it 1-1 after Aurelien Tchouameni had given France the lead in the 17th minute with a powerful drive from 20 meters (yards).
France will next face Morocco in the semifinals on Wednesday. The Moroccans became the first African team to reach the semifinals at the World Cup by beating Portugal 1-0.
England had been looking like the team more likely to score when the match was at 1-1. But instead it was Giroud who connected with Antoine Griezmann's cross to extend his record as France's all-time leading scorer to 53 goals.
The celebrations didn't last long, however, as referee Wilton Sampaio reviewed a challenge from Theo Hernandez on substitute Mason Mount in the box. The Brazilian official awarded the penalty.
Kane sent Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris the wrong way with his earlier penalty kick after Tchoumani brought down Bukayo Saka, but he lifted his next effort high over the bar.
England, which lost to Italy on penalties in the final of last year's European Championship, reached the semifinals at the 2018 World Cup.
After scoring 12 goals on the way to the quarterfinals in Qatar, England trailed in the match for the first time at the World Cup. It was also the first time the English team had conceded a goal since the opening 6-2 rout of Iran.
Kane's goal was his 53rd for England, moving him into a tie with Wayne Rooney for the most goals scored for the national team.
Mbappe didn't have have a goal of his own to celebrate, but cheered passionately after Kane's penalty miss. Mbappe is the leading scorer at the World Cup with five goals, one more that Giroud and Lionel Messi.
England coach Gareth Southgate has often been criticised for being too cautious in the biggest games, but he opted for a back four against France and loaded his team with attacking threats.
Maguire kicked the ball out of play at the very beginning of the match even though there was no pressure from a France opponent. Air was leaking out of the ball and Maguire informed the referee that a new one was needed.
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Muslim woman doctor decides not to join Bihar govt job after Nitish Kumar hijab incident
Patna: AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen has decided not to join Bihar government service after a controversial incident involving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, despite recently receiving her appointment letter.
Parveen was among several hijab-wearing women attending a government Samvad programme in Patna when a video surfaced showing the Chief Minister allegedly pulling down her hijab in public. The incident sparked widespread criticism and political outrage across the country.
Although Parveen is scheduled to join service on December 20, she has chosen to stay away from the job due to the distress caused by the episode. Her family members are reportedly trying to convince her to reconsider the decision.
According to The Wire, Parveen’s brother, who teaches at a government law university in Kolkata, as saying that the family is of the opinion that she should not be held back for the fault of someone else, though they are well aware of her distress over the incident. Her husband works as a clinical psychologist at a college.
ALSO READ: Bihar CM removes hijab from newly appointed doctor's face at govt event, stokes controversy
The incident gained national attention after the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) shared a video clip of the Chief Minister’s interaction with Parveen on its official X account. As per the report, the video quickly went viral, drawing strong reactions from social media users, especially women, who described the act as inappropriate and humiliating.
The RJD criticised Nitish Kumar’s conduct and questioned his mental fitness in a strongly worded post. The Congress also entered the debate by condemning the Chief Minister’s behaviour and demanding his resignation, while linking the episode to concerns over women’s safety in Bihar and arguing that such conduct from the state’s highest constitutional authority sent a disturbing message to society at large.
Despite the growing outrage and sustained political pressure, there has been no official clarification or response from Nitish Kumar, his party, or the Bihar government more than a day after the video went viral.
