Zinedine Zidane will begin his career as a head coach of a national team for the first time. The French football legend Zinedine Zidane will become the new manager of the French national team after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup. This was reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano.
At the World Cup, the French national team will conclude the tournament under the guidance of Didier Deschamps. The specialist had previously announced his intention to leave the post after the World Cup. The French team lost to Spain 0-2 in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. Currently, they are preparing for the third-place match against the team that lost in the semi-final between Argentina and England.
Didier Deschamps managed the French national team since 2012, and it was under his leadership that the team won the 2018 World Cup title.
Prior to this, Zidane worked exclusively in club football. He managed the Madrid club Real during the period from 2016 to 2018 and from 2019 to 2021. During his time at Real, he won the UEFA Champions League three times, La Liga twice, as well as a number of other international trophies. Now, Zidane will start working as a national team head coach for the first time.
Khalil Ben Youssef, former coach of Kaizer Chiefs and representative of Isithombe, has been appointed as the head coach of Durban City. He is preparing to debut in the CAF tournament, where he faces a challenging task—a match against the current league champions, Orlando Pirates, in the MTN8 next month.
Ben Youssef begins the season with Durban after the team finished eighth in its first season in the Betway Premiership. This debut season started under the guidance of experienced coach Gavin Hunt, with Pitso Dladla as his assistant.
Despite securing a spot in the top eight bringing the team the heavy burden of facing the titled Orlando Pirates in the cup opener, Ben Youssef and Durban City hope that the Buccaneers do not possess the sharpness that characterized their previous campaign, given current transfer rumors.
Previously, while working as an assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs, the Tunisian tactician faced Pirates in the Soweto Derby, which ended in a frustrating draw after a previous match where a painful 3-0 victory was secured.
Now Ben Youssef leads the new, motivated Durban City team, which carries significant pressure. They previously met at Orlando Stadium late last season when Dladla was in charge. Thanks to luck and strong defensive discipline, Durban managed to draw 0-0 with Pirates, thus delaying the Buccaneers' championship celebration.
Although Dladla led the club to historic glory in the Nedbank Cup, he lacks experience in the top league and the necessary CAF coaching qualifications. The latter are strict requirements for managing the team in the upcoming CAF Confederation Cup.
Club chairman Farook Kadodia previously stated that they would 'cross this bridge when we get there,' in response to Independent Media's questions regarding Dladla's CAF A license. Consequently, Dladla will return to the role of assistant coach, playing an important role in integrating Ben Youssef into the head coach position.
The visitors (Durban City) frustrated the highly motivated home team for all 90 minutes, defending numerically and preventing clear chances. It was a masterclass in rigid organization, which became a hallmark of their debut season in the top division.
This tenacious display by the KwaZulu-Natal side was not well received by the 'Ghost,' who watched his team still win the Premiership trophy a few days later. Pirates now enter this MTN8 match with the determination to start a new season with the first step towards defending their title. In Soweto, where expectations are very high, the Buccaneers know that any result other than a convincing victory will be regarded as an extremely disappointing start.
On the other hand, Durban City has its own high aspirations. Already having experience of success in the Nedbank Cup playoffs, the KZN side firmly believes that another tactical surprise in Orlando could pave the way to winning even more trophies.
The Iranian National Olympic Committee has officially announced the selection of national flag bearers for the 2026 Asian Games. The athletes appointed are Atousa Golshadzadeh, the current world karate champion, and Fazel Atrachali, captain of the national kabaddi team.
This decision was approved at a meeting of the 66th Executive Council of the National Olympic Committee, which took place on Tuesday. Golshadzadeh and Atrachali will lead the Iranian delegation during the opening ceremony, which will be held in Nagoya.
This selection marks a historical milestone, as athletes from karate and kabaddi disciplines will carry the Iranian flag at the Asian Games for the first time. Previously, this honor was usually bestowed upon athletes from sports such as wrestling, weightlifting, football, shooting, basketball, and taekwondo.
The XX Asian Games will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 3, 2026. Iran plans to participate in the competitions with a delegation of 308 athletes in various disciplines.
Arab football has reached a new milestone at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a record number of eight teams qualifying for the expanded 48-team tournament. Although several teams failed to advance past the group stage, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria once again demonstrated the ability of Arab nations to compete with the world's best teams.
The participants included teams such as Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. This number exceeded the previous record of four Arab representatives at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, indicating continuous progress in Arab football over the last decade.
Among the eight qualified teams, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria showed the strongest results. Morocco confirmed that their impressive run to the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago was not an isolated incident. The 'Atlas Lions' once again impressed with their organization, discipline, and quality, proving they are among the leading global teams. Considering the country's preparation for co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, the future of Moroccan football looks promising.
Egypt also made a positive impression. The 'Pharaohs' came close to the quarter-finals, and it seems unfair to them that they could not advance further. A slight lack of composure at critical moments might have changed their fate, but their campaign highlighted Egypt's ability to perform at the highest level.
Algeria also had reasons to be satisfied after reaching the Round of 32. After a difficult opening loss to defending champions Argentina, the 'Desert Foxes' responded well by securing a place in the playoffs, although their journey ended against Switzerland. This marked Algeria's best performance in the World Cup since 2014.
Saudi Arabia, however, could not replicate the excitement of the 2022 World Cup. Their famous victory over future champions Argentina in Qatar remains one of the greatest surprises in the tournament's history. This time, the 'Green Eagles' managed draws with Uruguay and Cabo Verde but suffered a heavy defeat to Spain, failing to reach the knockout stages.
Tunisia had an unforgettable tournament. The 'Guardians of Carthage' lost all three group matches, failing to score any points and conceding 12 goals. For one of Africa's traditional football powers, this was a disappointing performance that will almost certainly trigger a period of reflection.
For Iraq, Qatar, and Jordan, simply qualifying for the World Cup was an achievement in itself. Iraq returned to the world stage for the first time since 1986 but faced an overly difficult task against France, Norway, and Senegal. Although the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' lost all three games, their qualification was an important step forward for Iraqi football.
Qatar failed to build on its experience hosting the 2022 World Cup. A draw with Switzerland raised hopes for a successful campaign, but defeats to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada led to an early end to their tournament.
Jordan, making its debut at the World Cup, fought bravely in every match despite losses to Austria, Algeria, and Argentina. Although the results were not favorable, the experience gained on the biggest football stage could prove invaluable for the country's future development.
The results were mixed, but Arab football has every reason for optimism. The record number of participants, along with the impressive performances of Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria, indicates that the gap between Arab teams and traditional powerhouses continues to narrow. If these nations continue to invest in youth development and coaching staff, even stronger results can be expected in future World Cups.
