Paul Pogba debuts for Monaco in first game in over two years
Paris (AP): Former Manchester United and Juventus star Paul Pogba made his Monaco debut on Saturday, playing his first minutes in over two years.
The 32-year-old Pogba came on in the 85th minute of a 4-1 loss at Rennes in the French league.
Once a standout world champion for France, the midfielder saw his career derailed by injuries, off-field problems and a doping ban.
He wept when he signed his contract with Monaco during the offseason on a two-year deal in a bid to relaunch his career. He recently overcame a minor ankle injury and resumed training with Monaco during the international break.
A total of 811 days had passed since his last game, when he made his last appearance for Juventus on Sept. 3, 2023.
At his peak, Pogba helped his country win the 2018 World Cup, scoring in the final when France beat Croatia 4-2. He spent most of his career between United and Juventus, finally leaving the Italian club in November 2024.
In 2016, Pogba became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($116 million).
The biggest blow to his career came in February 2024 when he was initially banned for four years by Italy's anti-doping court after he tested positive for testosterone while at still at Juventus. In October 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his ban to 18 months.
PSG back topParis Saint-Germain beat Le Havre 3-0 at home to move back to the top of the standings ahead of next week's Champions League game against Tottenham.
Lee Kang-in, João Neves and Bradley Barcola all scored for Luis Enrique's side as it move two points ahead of Marseille and Lens.
Lens beat Strasbourg 1-0 to pull level with Marseille in second place.
Defender Ismaelo Ganiou scored his first league goal in the 69th of a game that both teams ended with 10 men. Strasbourg was down a man when Valentin Barco saw a red card in the 77th. Lens lost Morgan Guilavogui red card in extra time.
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Rain washes out Super Eights match between New Zealand and Pakistan
Pallekele (Sri Lanka) (PTI): New Zealand and Pakistan shared a point after incessant rain forced the abandonment of the opening T20 World Cup Group 2 Super Eights match here on Saturday.
Amid a slight drizzle, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first.
But the steady droplets soon transformed into relentless pouring, forcing the officials to call off the match without a ball being bowled.
Before the skies opened up, Pakistan made one change to their eleven, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay.
New Zealand made three changes with skipper Mitchell Santner back after missing the last match against Canada due to a stomach issue and Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi also found a place in the XI.
But all those calculations and combinations will have to wait for another day, as Pakistan will now face England here on February 24.
New Zealand will make a light travel to Colombo to face home side Sri Lanka on February 25.
The washout has also placed both the Kiwis and Pakistan in a relatively tighter place ahead of their remaining two Super Eights matches.
A similar result in any of the following matches, a possibility considering Sri Lanka’s weather pattern, or a defeat can put their semifinal ambitions in serious jeopardy.
