Tunisia goalkeeper Moez Hassen has been ruled out of the World Cup after dislocating his left shoulder in the team’s 2-1 loss to England on Monday night.
The team posted the injury update on Twitter, saying Hassen was the “victim of a dislocation” and the injury was “very bad news for Tunisia.”
Hassen collided with England’s Jesse Lingard in the fifth minute in the match at Volgograd. But he remained on the field and even pulled off a fine save — clawing away John Stones’ header from Ashley Young’s corner — before Harry Kane scored the opening goal for England.
Hassen was forced off in the 15th and replaced by Ben Mustapha.
The news is a further blow to coach Nabil Maaloul, who is already without Youssef Msakni and Yassine Khenissi. Mskani, who got a hat-trick in the qualifying win over Guinea, was ruled out pre-tournament with a knee injury, while Khenissi, who was the leading goalscorer in last year’s CAF Champions League, was ruled out with a thigh injury.
Tunisia squad has returned to its World Cup training base in Moscow to prepare for Saturday’s Group G game against Belgium.
Tunisia suffer another injury blow as No. 1 keeper is ruled out of World Cup
Tunisia suffer another injury blow as No. 1 keeper is ruled out of World Cup
- Moez Hassen will play no further part in the tournament
- Coach Nabil Maaloul has now lost three of his key players to injury
Dubai Basketball edge Milan to secure EuroLeague victory
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball strengthened their home-court reputation with a 99-92 win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 18 of the EuroLeague at Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday, cheered on by more than 5,000 fans.
The hosts made a fast start and immediately imposed themselves at both ends of the floor. Canadian center Mfiondu Kabengele and Serbian big man Filip Petrusev controlled the paint early, creating close-range scoring opportunities and forcing Milan into defensive adjustments. With McKinley Wright IV and Dwayne Bacon adding pace and penetration, Dubai surged into a double-digit lead and dictated the tempo of the opening quarter.
Milan struggled to settle and spent much of the first period on the back foot, as Dubai’s advantage stretched to 15 points. Although the visitors steadied themselves as the quarter progressed, the early deficit proved costly.
Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac praised the impact of the home crowd after the game, saying: “Congratulations to the fans. We were missing them for sure in the last home game, and they helped us a lot. In the first quarter, we played one of our best quarters this season. The next game is at home in three days, so there is no time to rest too much. We need to prepare for that game first. We are not thinking three games ahead — we prepare for every game and try to win every game.”
Milan showed improved rhythm in the second quarter, but Dubai responded before the break. Bacon punished defensive lapses from beyond the arc, while Kabengele finished strongly inside to help the hosts take a seven-point lead into halftime.
The final period was defined by composure rather than flair. Milan threatened to draw level on several occasions, but missed free throws and execution errors halted their momentum. Bacon sealed the outcome from the free-throw line in the final two minutes, pushing Dubai back into a double-digit advantage and closing out the contest.
Bacon led all scorers with 25 points, while Wright recorded 19 points and nine assists. Kabengele added 17 points, and Petrusev contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. For Milan, Guduric topped the scoring with 11 points, alongside seven rebounds and seven assists.
Dubai Basketball now turn their attention to the ABA League, where they remain unbeaten. The team return to Coca-Cola Arena to face Slovenia’s KRKA in Round 12 of the competition.
