🇸🇳SenegalWest Africa
Brazilian President Lula da Silva jokes Neymar is 'teleworking' at World Cup due to injury
via SeneNews1 min read
Brazilian President Lula da Silva commented on Neymar's absence from the World Cup matches, stating that the footballer is "teleworking" as he recovers from a calf injury. Lula da Silva made these remarks during a ceremony at a hospital in Belo Horizonte. Neymar, 34, has not yet played in the tournament and was ruled out of Friday's match against Haiti in Philadelphia, remaining at the Brazilian team's base in New Jersey. He was not on the squad list for Brazil's opening match against Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw, but watched from the bench. Neymar, the Seleção's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, trained with his teammates for the first time on Wednesday after sustaining a muscle injury in his right calf a month prior while playing for his club, Santos. He has not played for Brazil since October 2023, following a severe knee injury. Lula da Silva had also previously joked about recruiting Argentine star Lionel Messi to improve Brazil's offensive performance.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Former minister and journalist Souleymane Jules Diop has publicly criticized national coach Pape Thiaw, questioning his technical skills and leadership of the Lions of Teranga. Diop believes Thiaw lacks the necessary experience to elevate the national team to the highest level, citing a debatable decision from a previous continental competition as evidence of his team management. He also suggests that while Senegalese players possess high-level technical qualities, their effective use on the field depends on the technical staff's ability to utilize them during matches. Diop further challenges the coach's authority over the locker room, claiming Thiaw struggles to assert himself with key players such as Nicolas Jackson, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy. This critique emerges amid intense scrutiny of the national team's performance and ongoing discussions about technical management and staff decisions within the country.
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