Five England players are walking a disciplinary tightrope as they prepare for Friday’s World Cup quarter final against Norway – a tie that suddenly looks far more favourable after news emerged that the Scandinavian side has been hit by a sickness bug.
According to Norwegian outlet Dagbladet, fatigue and illness have disrupted the squad’s preparations, a consequence of their jet setting across North America during the tournament. The team, who powered into the last eight after a confident win over Brazil in which Erling Haaland struck twice, are now battling to recover in time for the clash.
“Norway hit by illness before England quarter final as five England players risk ban if booked.”
England’s own preparations are complicated by the fact that yellow cards are wiped only after the quarter final stage, meaning any player who has already been booked will miss the semi final if they receive another caution. The identity of the five stars at risk has not been disclosed, but the threat adds an extra layer of tension to an already high-stakes encounter.
The quarter final fixture comes amid a dramatic few days at the World Cup. Egypt star Mostafa Ziko sensationally claimed that Argentina’s stunning 3-2 comeback win over his side was “a rigged game”. The reigning world champions were 2-0 down with little more than 10 minutes remaining in Atlanta, Georgia, before scoring three times to keep their title defence alive. Egypt were incensed after a goal was ruled out by VAR for an apparent foul on Nicolas Tagliafico, and were further outraged by the decision not to award a penalty moments before Argentina’s winner.
Ziko, who scored Egypt’s second goal, did not hold back. “It was a rigged game,” he said. “It wasn’t our fault. That referee… it seems like this match was rigged. We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us. Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup, it seems.”
The quarter finals begin tomorrow when France take on Morocco at Boston Stadium, with Kylian Mbappe seeking to leapfrog Lionel Messi in the race for the golden boot. England and Norway will follow, with both sides hoping to avoid the kind of controversy that has overshadowed Argentina’s progress.
