Barcelona star Neymar failed to provide the expected flying start to Brazil’s quest for a maiden football Olympic gold medal as the hosts were held 0-0 by 10-man South Africa in their Rio 2016 opener on Thursday (Aug 4).

Neymar is by far the biggest name taking part in the football competition and has been tasked with restoring pride to Brazilian football after a catastrophic 7-1 defeat to Germany on home soil at the 2014 World Cup.

However, he endured a frustrating afternoon on a sandy and slow surface in Brasilia as South Africa held out despite Mothobi Mvala’s red card half an hour from time.

Group A is now in a four-way tie on one point after Iraq and Denmark also played out a scoreless draw earlier on Thursday.

In contrast to the vast swaths of empty stands across the six cities being used to host the men’s and women’s football tournaments on the opening two days, the hosts commanded a near-capacity 70,000 crowd.

However, the home fans weren’t treated to the victory procession many expected from a Brazilian side not only boasting Neymar, but also Manchester City’s new £27 million (US$35.4 million) signing Gabriel Jesus and Marquinhos of Paris Saint-Germain.

Indeed, South Africa’s Lebo Mothiba had a host of chances to cause an almighty upset, but failed to make a ragged Brazilian defence pay for early tournament nerves.

Neymar was proudly sporting the captain’s armband, but his desire to get involved by dropping deep often left him too far from the South African goal to make a telling impact.

The Barcelona star did have Brazil’s best two efforts of the first-half with strikes from outside the box that forced South African ‘keeper Itumeleng Khune into two stunning saves.

South Africa dominated the early stages of the second-half with Mothiba and captain Keagen Dolly coming close, but their chances appeared to have gone when defender Mvala was sent-off for two quickfire yellow cards.

Brazil ramped up the pressure as Jesus somehow turned the ball only onto the post with the goal gaping, whilst a dipping drive from Neymar landed on the roof of the net.

However, South Africa resisted to add problems on the field for the hosts to a Games build-up already marred by doping scandals and fears surrounding the Zika virus.

World champions Germany begin their campaign in against 2012 gold medallists Mexico in Salvador with Fiji and South Korea also in action in Group C later.

Gold medallists in 2008 and 2012 Argentina face Portugal in the other standout game of the day in Rio with both sides looking for fresh talent to for the post Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era.

Honduras beat Algeria 3-2 in the other game in Group D.

Nigeria arrived in the Amazonian city of Manaus just hours before their match against Japan as the initial plane intended to take the team from their training base in Atlanta on Wednesday was deemed “too small” for the squad and staff.

Sweden and Colombia are also in action in Manaus, nearly 3000km from Rio, in Group B.

Source AFP

Radamel Falcao scored before coming off injured as Monaco beat Fenerbahce in the Champions League third qualifying round on Wednesday (Aug 3), while Celtic also advanced to the play-offs in dramatic fashion against Astana.

Monaco’s forward Radamel Falcao (2L) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal on Aug 3, 2016, at the Louis II stadium in Monaco. (AFP/Jean-Christophe Magnenet)

Monaco played host to the Turkish giants at the Stade Louis II looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg and they wasted little time in opening the scoring before going to win 3-1 on the night and progress to the play-offs.

Falcao, wearing the captain’s armband, played in strike partner Valere Germain and his shot beat goalkeeper Ertugrul Taskiran low at his near post to give Monaco a third-minute lead.

The hosts then won a penalty when Nabil Dirar was brought down by Hasan Ali Kaldirim and Falcao – who had scored in the first leg – sent the ‘keeper the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-0 in the 18th minute.

However, the Colombian then came off with a hamstring injury just before the interval and Fenerbahce fought back after the break.

Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike, scorer of a brace in the first leg, hit the bar before squaring the tie on aggregate in the 53rd minute when he turned in Martin Skrtel’s low cross from six yards with the home defence appealing for offside.

Nevertheless Monaco were not to be denied and Dirar set up Germain to lash in and take Leonardo Jardim’s men through 4-3 on aggregate.

In Glasgow, Scottish champions Celtic were grateful to young French striker Moussa Dembele as he came off the bench to score a last-minute penalty that gave them a 2-1 victory on the night and took them through 3-2 on aggregate.

Brendan Rodgers’ side, who suffered an embarrassing defeat to Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar in the previous round before going through on aggregate, had the edge in the tie after a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan last week.

Leigh Griffiths scored Celtic’s goal in the first leg and he put them ahead at Parkhead with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Astana, who appeared in the group stage last season, levelled the tie courtesy of Agim Ibraimi just after the hour and extra time was on the cards until Igor Shitov was sent off for conceding a last-gasp penalty that Dembele converted for the winner.

SHAKHTAR, OLYMPIAKOS OUT

Celtic will now be seeded for the play-off round and could come up against Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria, FC Copenhagen, Hapoel Beer-Sheva of Israel or Irish surprise package Dundalk.

Possible opponents for Monaco in the play-offs are Manchester City, Porto, Villarreal, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Ajax.

The Dutch former European champions came from behind to beat PAOK 2-1 in Greece and go through 3-2 on aggregate.

Stefanos Athanasiadis gave PAOK an early lead but captain Davy Klaassen levelled from the spot in first-half stoppage time before firing home an 88th-minute winner.

In other games, Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk lost on penalties to Young Boys in Switzerland after the hosts won 2-0 on the night with a Yuya Kubo brace to level the tie on aggregate.

Greek champions Olympiakos are also out, losing 1-0 to Hapoel Beer-Sheva in Israel after a goalless first leg, Shir Tzedek scoring the decisive goal.

FC Copenhagen, Steaua Bucharest, Salzburg and Legia Warsaw progressed, as did Rostov, the Russians winning 2-0 away to Anderlecht to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Monaco played host to the Turkish giants at the Stade Louis II looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg and they wasted little time in opening the scoring before going to win 3-1 on the night and progress to the play-offs.

Falcao, wearing the captain’s armband, played in strike partner Valere Germain and his shot beat goalkeeper Ertugrul Taskiran low at his near post to give Monaco a third-minute lead.

The hosts then won a penalty when Nabil Dirar was brought down by Hasan Ali Kaldirim and Falcao – who had scored in the first leg – sent the ‘keeper the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-0 in the 18th minute.

However, the Colombian then came off with a hamstring injury just before the interval and Fenerbahce fought back after the break.

Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike, scorer of a brace in the first leg, hit the bar before squaring the tie on aggregate in the 53rd minute when he turned in Martin Skrtel’s low cross from six yards with the home defence appealing for offside.

Nevertheless Monaco were not to be denied and Dirar set up Germain to lash in and take Leonardo Jardim’s men through 4-3 on aggregate.

In Glasgow, Scottish champions Celtic were grateful to young French striker Moussa Dembele as he came off the bench to score a last-minute penalty that gave them a 2-1 victory on the night and took them through 3-2 on aggregate.

Brendan Rodgers’ side, who suffered an embarrassing defeat to Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar in the previous round before going through on aggregate, had the edge in the tie after a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan last week.

Leigh Griffiths scored Celtic’s goal in the first leg and he put them ahead at Parkhead with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Astana, who appeared in the group stage last season, levelled the tie courtesy of Agim Ibraimi just after the hour and extra time was on the cards until Igor Shitov was sent off for conceding a last-gasp penalty that Dembele converted for the winner.

SHAKHTAR, OLYMPIAKOS OUT

Celtic will now be seeded for the play-off round and could come up against Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria, FC Copenhagen, Hapoel Beer-Sheva of Israel or Irish surprise package Dundalk.

Possible opponents for Monaco in the play-offs are Manchester City, Porto, Villarreal, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Ajax.

The Dutch former European champions came from behind to beat PAOK 2-1 in Greece and go through 3-2 on aggregate.

Stefanos Athanasiadis gave PAOK an early lead but captain Davy Klaassen levelled from the spot in first-half stoppage time before firing home an 88th-minute winner.

In other games, Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk lost on penalties to Young Boys in Switzerland after the hosts won 2-0 on the night with a Yuya Kubo brace to level the tie on aggregate.

Greek champions Olympiakos are also out, losing 1-0 to Hapoel Beer-Sheva in Israel after a goalless first leg, Shir Tzedek scoring the decisive goal.

FC Copenhagen, Steaua Bucharest, Salzburg and Legia Warsaw progressed, as did Rostov, the Russians winning 2-0 away to Anderlecht to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Source AFP