France overwhelm Australia 42-26 in Nations Championship

France came back from a nine-point half-time deficit to beat Australia 42-26 in a pulsating Nations Championship clash in Brisbane on Saturday. milkshakeslot.com

After losing by two points against New Zealand last week, the French scored four second-half tries to notch their first win over Australia in Brisbane since 1972.

It was a familiar story for the Wallabies, who led Ireland last Saturday only to lose by two points.

They matched France in the first 40 minutes but faded badly in the second as the speed of the French attack proved overwhelming.

Played in front of a sellout crowd of 52,000 in perfect conditions, both sides looked to throw the ball around and attack with pace.

The French opened the scoring in just the third minute when lock Emmanuel Meafou barged over after some sustained pressure.

Down 7-0, the Wallabies hit back when hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa crossed after a clever move at the front of the line-out.

Ryan Lonergan converted from the sideline to make it 7-7 after 10 minutes.

Taking advantage of the conditions

The French were taking full advantage of the conditions, moving the ball wide at every opportunity and stretching the Australian defence.

They were rewarded in the 18th minute when fly-half Romain Ntamack put a clever kick through for winger Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, who flew past Declan Meredith to score in the corner.

Brisbane-born Meafou was having an eventful match on his return to his hometown, scoring the first try but then being shown a yellow card after a high tackle on Rob Valetini.

The Wallabies took full advantage of his absence, outstanding flanker Fraser McReight burrowing over and Lonergan converting to make it 14-12 to the home side.

McReight got his second when he crashed over on the back of a rolling maul to put the Wallabies up 21-12 five minutes before the break.

After holding out a marauding French forward pack right on half-time, the Wallabies would have gone into the break full of confidence with a nine-point lead.

Maxime Lucu narrowed the gap to six points with a 46-metre penalty five minutes after the restart.

They closed to within a point five minutes later when Grandidier-Nkanang crossed out wide for his second, then went ahead when Ntamack scored in the corner with Wallaby fullback Tom Wright off the field with a yellow card for a professional foul.

Lucu converted from the sideline to make it 27-21, which became 34-21 minutes later when lock Florian Verhaeghe crashed over under the posts.

Lucu put the score out beyond two converted tries with a penalty from in front, then France sealed it with a try to right wing Theo Attissogbe.

A consolation try by lock Jeremy Williams ensured Australia got a four-try bonus point.

South African football has been plunged into mourning following the sudden death of Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder Jayden Adams at the age of 25.

Sundowns have yet to make a statement and the cause of Adams’ death has not yet been made public.

A World Cup with Bafana

His untimely passing comes just weeks after representing Bafana Bafana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where South Africa reached the Round of 32 before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Canada.

The former Stellenbosch FC midfielder featured in all three of Bafana’s group stage matches at the tournament but was an unused substitute in the knockout clash against Canada.

Adams, along with seven other Sundowns players who represented South Africa at the World Cup, had been granted an additional two weeks’ leave before returning for pre-season. He had been expected to rejoin Miguel Cardoso’s squad next week during their training camp in Austria.

The talented midfielder joined Sundowns in January last year after completing a move from Stellenbosch, where he had established himself as one of the Premier Soccer League’s best midfielders.

A product of the Stellenbosch academy, Adams signed his first professional contract in 2020 before becoming a key figure in the first team.

He made 139 appearances for the Cape Winelands club, the second most in their history, before securing a move to the Brazilians.

A Stellies star

During his time with Stellies, Adams helped the club win the 2023 Carling Knockout. He continued his success at Sundowns, winning the Betway Premiership and CAF Champions League titles in less than two years.

On the international stage, Adams was part of the Bafana squad that claimed a bronze medal at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.

His death has sent shockwaves through South African football, with tributes expected to pour in from across the local and international game.

L'Espagne s'est imposée à la toute fin du temps réglementaire face aux Diables rouges (2-1), sauvée par un but de Mikel Merino, à la toute fin du temps réglementaire. La Roja a encaissé son premier but sur ce tournoi et affrontera l'Equipe de France mardi 14 juillet en demi-finale de la Coupe du monde.Qui de l'Argentine, la Suisse, l'Angleterre ou la Norvège se qualifiera pour l'autre demie ?Réponse ce samedi soir après Angleterre-Norvège et Argentine-Suisse.

In addition to Thabo Cele’s dramatic exclusion from the Kaizer Chiefs trip to Spain, Lilepo has emerged as the second name.

The decision to exclude Lilepo from the travelling squad has further strengthened reports that his future lies away from Naturena. AS FAR Rabat and Al Ahly Benghazi are among the clubs pushing to secure his signature.

The 28-year-old remains under contract until 2027. Reports suggest Kaizer Chiefs are willing to listen to offers after receiving bids from clubs in North Africa.

According to FARPost journalist Mthokozisi Dube, the offers are higher than the R9.6 million Amakhosi paid Valenciennes to sign the winger in January 2025.

Lilepo enjoyed an encouraging start to life in Soweto, establishing himself as one of the club’s most dangerous attacking players. He helped Amakhosi finish third in the Betway Premiership while ranking among the league’s leading players for shots on goal.

NORTH AFRICAN INTEREST GROWS

Interest in the DR Congo international has continued to grow during the transfer window.

Reports claim AS FAR Rabat and Zamalek have monitored the winger, while Lilepo has reportedly rejected a new contract offer from Kaizer Chiefs. He has also removed the club-related content from his social media accounts, adding to speculation over his future.

KAIZER CHIEFS FACE BIG DECISION

Although Kaizer Chiefs still hold Lilepo’s contract until 2027, they must now decide whether to keep the winger or accept one of the offers on the table.

With clubs prepared to pay more than the fee Amakhosi spent to sign him, the club could choose to cash in before the transfer window closes.

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Le FC Cologne annonce la signature du ghanéen Gideon Mensah, après la fin de son aventure à l’AJ Auxerre. Le latéral gauche de 27 ans s’est engagé jusqu’au 30 juin 2028, avec l’ambition de s’imposer rapidement en Bundesliga.

Après quatre saisons passées sous les couleurs d’Auxerre, Mensah tourne une nouvelle page de sa carrière. D’abord prêté en 2021, il avait été définitivement transféré l’année suivante et s’était progressivement imposé comme un titulaire incontournable. Grâce à sa solidité défensive, sa régularité et son expérience, il a largement contribué au maintien du club bourguignon en Ligue 1.

Un Mondial convaincant avec les Black Stars

Ce transfert intervient dans la foulée d’une Coupe du Monde 2026 réussie sur le plan individuel. Avec le Ghana, Gideon Mensah a disputé l’intégralité des quatre rencontres des Black Stars en Amérique du Nord.

Solide dans son couloir gauche, il a participé au parcours de sa sélection jusqu’en seizièmes de finale, où le Ghana s’est finalement incliné 1-0 face à la Colombie. Cette campagne internationale a confirmé sa capacité à évoluer au plus haut niveau et a renforcé son attractivité sur le marché des transferts.

Un renfort d’expérience pour Cologne

Lors de la saison 2025-2026 de Ligue 1, Mensah a disputé 30 matchs et délivré deux passes décisives, confirmant son importance dans le dispositif auxerrois. Passé également par Salzbourg, le défenseur ghanéen apportera son vécu européen et international au FC Cologne.

Le club allemand mise sur son expérience, sa fiabilité défensive et sa qualité de relance pour renforcer son secteur défensif avant le coup d’envoi de la nouvelle saison de Bundesliga.

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