Severe weather disrupts US’s 250th celebrations
Trump says he will still speak in Washington, DC, after a thunderstorm delayed celebrations in the US capital. Severe weather has disrupted celebrations of the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, including in Washington, DC, where a thunderstorm delayed a speech from President Donald Trump. Thousands of people gathered in the US capital for the July 4th celebration on Saturday, but were then evacuated from the National Mall as the storm closed in. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list But the group organising the event, Freedom 250, said they would be readmitted, and Trump would speak at 11pm local time (03:00 GMT), one hour later than previously scheduled. “I will be there no matter what,” Trump posted on social media. “It’s Saturday night, LETS HAVE SOME FUN, even if we are out late tonight.” In New York City, authorities put on a large fireworks display to mark July 4th celebrations, bringing the 30-minute show forward because of the threat of storms. The rain and lightning stayed away, allowing thousands of people to enjoy the spectacle. Elsewhere, severe weather prompted the cancellation of celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut, along with Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Spectators at Boston’s fireworks and concert were told to briefly seek shelter before events later resumed. An evacuation was also ordered in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh moved forward with fireworks but shifted the time to accommodate the shifting weather. Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks explode as the US celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day, in New York City, US, July 4, 2026 [Carlos Barria/Reuters] In Washington, DC, crowds were building at the National Mall several hours before the evacuation. Visitors contended with stepped-up security and temperatures that reached 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) to get into the event. Advertisement The record-breaking heat wave forced the cancellation of several parades and other events in the area. “It’s just part of the deal I signed up for,” said Glen Solander, 60, a software engineer visiting from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as he waited at a security checkpoint on Saturday afternoon. Other visitors included the white nationalist organisation Patriot Front. The group posted on social media that it had arrived in the capital, and hundreds of people wearing the group’s outfits travelled to the city on Metro trains serving the District of Columbia region. Local police said they had not received any reports of violence. Past presidents have generally avoided in-person appearances at July 4 celebrations, but Trump has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics. The Trump administration’s Freedom 250 group has largely sidelined a nonpartisan body set up in 2016 to handle the 250th anniversary and has fenced off much of the 2.4-kilometre (1.5-mile) National Mall for a “Great American State Fair” featuring attractions such as a Ferris wheel alongside displays by conservative groups and defence contractors. Freedom 250 says the fair aims to showcase the people and innovations that make the US “the greatest nation on Earth”. Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many performers scheduled to appear dropped out, citing concerns about partisanship. Trump opened the event with a rally on June 24. Other activities with Freedom 250 branding include a faith rally featuring mostly conservative Christian speakers, and multiple sports events, including a card of mixed martial arts bouts on the White House grounds for Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14. An IndyCar race in Washington is scheduled for August. The Freedom 250 organisation also sponsored “Freedom Trucks” that critics say paint an overly religious version of American history and gloss over issues such as slavery and racial injustice. Trump has sought to remake wide swaths of the capital city ahead of the 250th celebration, with mixed results. Many fountains and statues have been renovated, but problems have beset a much-touted $15m renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool. Security cameras and soldiers now stand watch over its peeling paint and algae-fouled waters. Adblock test (Why?)
This immigrant served in the US military. Now he faces deportation
On Thursday morning, a small group of advocates gathered outside the United States federal courthouse in San Diego, California. One of them pointed to a poster of a young man in a US Navy uniform, three golden medals pinned to his chest. “This is my brother, Benito Miranda Hernandez, US Navy veteran,” said James Smith, the founder of Black Deported Veterans of America. Smith and the other advocates had organised the demonstration on behalf of Hernandez, who was miles away at that moment, stuck in an immigration detention facility. Brought from Mexico to the US as a baby, Hernandez had completed three tours of duty with the US military during the Iraq war. His military service was meant to be his path to citizenship. But now, Hernandez is among the immigrant veterans fighting deportation under US President Donald Trump. “These men and women were promised that they were going to get their citizenship if they served,” Smith said. “Help this brother come home.” Trump has pledged to prioritise immigrants with criminal records in his push for mass deportation. But advocates for US military members argue that veterans are particularly vulnerable, given their over-representation in prisons and jails. The majority have reported suffering from mental health problems after their service. Hernandez, for instance, said he struggled to reintegrate into civilian life after leaving the military. But on June 14, he had finally completed his years-long sentence for a drug conviction. As he waited for his mother, Maria Miranda, to pick him up, agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him. Only afterwards did Miranda and her other son arrive. They spent hours that day looking for him, not knowing where he had gone. “He was doing things right,” Miranda told Al Jazeera in Spanish. “He had so many hopes, so many dreams.” Benito Miranda Hernandez stands outside the reentry programme where he recently worked, before he was detained by immigration officials in June [Anna Oakes/Al Jazeera] Hernandez has since been transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. He faces deportation, despite having received his green card for permanent residency earlier this year. He previously spoke to Al Jazeera about his experiences for an article published in April. Hernandez’s detention is part of a trend under the Trump administration. While the exact number of deported veterans is impossible to pin down – ICE has long failed to collect the veteran status of the people it detains, as is required – several advocates told Al Jazeera that they have been witnessing a rise in the deportations of US veterans during Trump’s second term. The New York Times reported in March that at least 34 veterans have been placed in deportation proceedings in the last year. Some cases have received media attention. But advocates say other immigrant veterans have avoided the spotlight, fearing it may have a negative impact on their immigration cases. “As the ICE raids continue and revamp across the country, there’s going to be people that are veterans that have not become US citizens that unfortunately will end up falling through the cracks,” said Robert Vivar, cofounder of the Tijuana-based Unified US Deported Veterans Resource Center. Veterans, like other immigrants across the country, have been detained while pursuing the mandatory steps in their immigration process, according to Danitza James, the president of Repatriate our Patriots, an advocacy group. They are often flagged for having outstanding warrants or criminal convictions that have not been vacated. James said she is in contact with about six veterans who had been detained by ICE in 2026 alone. “Our government, they don’t place any value in the service that our immigrants have,” James, who is herself a veteran and naturalised citizen, told Al Jazeera. “They honestly see us as disposable.” Danitza James, a former US military member, has led a push to repatriate deported veterans [Alejandro Cossio/Al Jazeera] For decades, the US military has recruited immigrants to enlist in its wars abroad to help address staffing shortages. Recruiters often tell immigrant enlisters that military service offers a shortcut to naturalised citizenship. In theory, it should. But while deployed, many immigrant soldiers, like Hernandez, have reported delays in the naturalisation process. By the time Hernandez was called for his citizenship interview in 2006, two years had passed since he finished his last deployment. He had a criminal conviction by that point – and his citizenship case was denied. The failure to protect immigrant veterans is representative of the government’s larger failures to reckon with its military policies, according to advocates like Smith. “The United States government is failing to take accountability for what they’ve created,” Smith told Al Jazeera. “You bring us in and strip us of part of our humanity so that we can kill without repercussions.” “Then, when you get out, there is no process that gets you ready to be in the civilian world.” Several bills to protect immigrant veterans are currently under consideration in Congress. But recruiters continue to target immigrant communities with the promise of expedited citizenship. The next steps for Hernandez are not yet clear. At Thursday’s rally, a lawyer with a local immigration nonprofit told Smith and other advocates that the group may be interested in helping with Hernandez’s case. In the meantime, Hernandez’s mother has been trying to keep his spirits up. Miranda takes his calls from the ICE detention centre and sees him during the facility’s visiting hours on Saturdays. But the two-hour drive from Anaheim to San Diego is difficult for her health. “On Saturday, when I saw him, he was very, very depressed,” Miranda told Al Jazeera. “He said, ‘I don’t want to cause you any more problems. I don’t want to upset you any more, Mom. I’m doing things right. I’m praying for myself,’” Miranda recalled, in tears. “They clipped the wings of a bird, and all the hopes he had. They threw them in the trash.” Adblock test (Why?)
Fireworks light up New York City to mark 250 years of US independence
NewsFeed Fireworks lit up the New York City skyline as America marked its 250th anniversary, with an expanded Macy’s 4th of July display dazzling crowds in a vibrant celebration of the nation’s milestone birthday. Published On 5 Jul 20265 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Russian attacks leave trail of destruction across Ukraine
NewsFeed Russian attacks struck multiple Ukrainian regions killing four people, including a five-year-old child and her mother, in Sumy. Guided bombs also ignited a massive fire at a poultry farm in Kherson where firefighters battled the flames while under the threat of further strikes. Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Canada vs Morocco LIVE: FIFA World Cup 2026 last 16
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Live coverage and text updates as cohosts Canada play Morocco in the round of 16 knockout stage.
Iran promotes message of continuity and revenge at Khamenei commemoration
Tehran, Iran – Large-scale public commemorations for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have commenced in the capital, with authorities promoting a message of continuity for the Islamic Republic and vengeance for his killing. Khamenei, 86, was targeted in an airstrike at the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28, after ruling Iran with absolute power for nearly 37 years. Red flags, commonly associated with martyrdom but also viewed as a symbol of revenge in Shia Islam, were seen throughout the Grand Mosalla commemoration site in Tehran and other mass gatherings. “We must rise,” was the official slogan used for the ceremonies, accompanied by an image of Khamenei’s clenched fist on a red and black background. Thousands gathered inside the huge religious complex used for the funeral from the early hours of Saturday morning to pay their respects to the assassinated supreme leader. Khamenei’s coffin, carried to the funeral site by a lorry, was displayed at the centre of the stage and draped in flags. Positioned on an elevated platform in the central court, surrounded by glass and guarded by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel, authorities were ready to deal with crowds attempting to reach his coffin. Visiting men and women were separated by a large barrier to observe Islamic values. Religious chanting and slogans blasted from loudspeakers around the complex. Videos circulated by state media showed crowds chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” at a number of metro stations. Advertisement “We are all here to seek blood vengeance for our leader,” Fatemeh, a 55-year-old woman travelling in a group of women clad in black chadors, told Al Jazeera while waiting to enter through a northern gate of the complex. “We will all listen to his son. He will guide the revolution forward,” she said, in reference to Mojtaba Khamenei, who was quickly selected as supreme leader by a clerical body in March following his father’s killing. The commemoration has attracted thousands of people from across Tehran to mourn Khamenei [Maziar Motamedi/Al Jazeera] Tight security A heavy security presence continues in the capital, with armoured vehicles, heavy machine guns and snipers visible throughout the areas surrounding the farewell ceremonies. Men were body searched as they entered the Mosalla, while electronic devices – such as power banks, earphones and lighters – were confiscated from the mourners by security. Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since he took office, will not attend the funeral due to security concerns. State-affiliated newspapers and television reported that the supreme leader’s killing had rallied supporters of the Islamic Republic government, which has been in power since the 1979 revolution overthrew Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Authorities are expecting similar huge numbers as attended the 1989 funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. At least eight mourners died in the crowds, forcing the military to evacuate his body by helicopter. Thousands of “mokebs”, or temporary religious service stations, were set up across Tehran, blasting out Islamic Shia chants and rhythmic eulogies to Khamenei. Government messages and images of Khamenei were plastered across Tehran during the commemoration [Maziar Motamedi/Al Jazeera] Some volunteers handed out flags, banners and images to the crowd. As temperatures rose to 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit), other mokebs were equipped with giant cooling fans and volunteers distributed free drinks to the thousands of mourners. Emergency services were stationed across the area to assist with any health problems due to the crowds or the heat, but so far authorities have reported no security incidents or medical emergencies. Large parts of Tehran have been cordoned off with barriers and non-official vehicles are barred from entering or exiting. The whole of Iran has been effectively shut down until the end of Monday, in an apparent effort to encourage public participation, with 10 million Iranians expected to take part in the proceedings across the country. Advertisement Funeral procession Khamenei’s remains are expected to be moved through Tehran during the funeral procession on Monday. It is then expected to pass through some of Shia’s holiest sites, including Qom, Najaf and Karbala, before burial in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran on Thursday. Some Iranians have used the public holiday to escape the crowds and the heat of Tehran for the cooler northern provinces by the Caspian Sea, as they regularly do on multi-day public events in the capital. Long lines of traffic were seen on the Tehran-Shomal Freeway leading to the provinces, with travellers stuck for hours in jams. IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi, who made his first appearance since the start of the war, told state TV during an event on Friday to grieve Khamenei so that “enemies will take their wish for our surrender to the grave”. “The enemies must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam was another turning point in the victories of dear Islam against the global infidel front,” he said. Red flags, associated with martyrdom in Shia Islam and carrying religious messages, were carried by mourners [Maziar Motamedi/Al Jazeera] IRGC aerospace chief Majid Mousavi, responsible for launching ballistic missiles and drones across the region during the war, also made a public appearance. The central headquarters of armed forces issued a statement to warn against any military action during the ceremonies, after Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said Mojtaba Khamenei was “marked for death”. Representatives from dozens of countries were in Tehran on Friday to pay their respects to Khamenei and speak with Iranian officials during televised state ceremonies. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate talks between Iran and the US, was among the most senior officials present. Other countries sent lower-level dignitaries, while European countries were reportedly not invited. Among the most prominent attendees on Friday were members of the IRGC-backed “Axis of Resistance”, including members of Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Hezbollah delegation included members of Hassan Nasrallah’s family, the long-time head of the
‘El Obeid crisis could be worse than El Fasher,’ warns ex-UN official
NewsFeed Dr. Mukesh Kapila, former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, warns the current crisis in El Obeid, Sudan could be even worse than what unfolded in El Fasher in 2024-2025. However, he says sustained international attention and Al Jazeera’s continued coverage could help deter the RSF. Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Arias sends Colombia into World Cup last-16 with 1-0 win over Ghana
The World Cup Round of 32 ends with Colombia beating Ghana 1-0, as Jhon Arias sends the South Americans through. By Reuters Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026 Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 on Friday to reach the World Cup Round of 16, as Jhon Arias scored the only goal and set up a clash with Switzerland. Arias struck in the 14th minute from close range after a cross from Luis Suarez, who had just come on as a substitute for the injured Jhon Cordoba. Luis Diaz thought he had doubled Colombia’s advantage in the 56th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Colombia dominated much of the match, with Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi making three notable saves. The South Americans will face Switzerland in the last-16 on Tuesday in Vancouver. More to follow… Adblock test (Why?)
Ahead of Morocco vs Canada at the World Cup, comparisons arise with the 2022 team
Morocco’s historic run at the Qatar World Cup 2022 is remembered by some poignant, powerful and indelible images from their quarterfinal win over Portugal: a towering header – the match-winning goal by Youssef En-Nesyri – against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, Hakim Ziyech’s mazy dribbles that put the 2016 European champions in a spin, and Soufiane Boufal’s dance with his mother on the pitch in the heartwarming post-match celebrations. Four years on, none of those players have made the trip to the World Cup in North America. In fact, the only holdovers from that memorable tournament are Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El-Khanouss and the goalkeepers. The then-celebrated manager, Walid Regragui, has been cast aside, too. Despite the radical changes, Morocco are yet to lose a match and have advanced to the Round of 16 after dispatching the Netherlands in a nervy penalty shootout on Monday. Comparisons between the classes of 2022 and 2026 were inevitable. They began at the end of the group stage, when it was pointed out that the Moroccan team of four years ago topped their group while this one failed to beat Haiti and Scotland by big enough margins to leapfrog Brazil in Group C. In order to truly impress the critics, the current generation may need to match or improve the semifinal run of 2022. Morocco of 2022: Experience and defensive tactics In 2022, the tactical plan was simple yet effective. Head coach Regragui was an emergency appointment following Bosnian manager Vahid Halilhodzic falling out with several players. Advertisement Regragui had less than three months before the start of the World Cup to select his players and implement a tactical plan. Realising that time was not on his side, he kept things simple. “Regragui’s team was more defensive,” Mohammad Alrfae, an analyst for Jordanian Premier League side Al Ahli SC, told Al Jazeera. “He had older, more experienced players from big European sides at his disposal.” In spite of their technical ability, the team showed no interest in dominating possession under Regragui during Qatar 2022. In fact, their highest possession percentage came in the only match they lost – against France in the semifinal. Morocco, under Regragui, were not as negative as some other sides employing the same tactics. They set their backline midway between their goal and midfield, as opposed to clustering deep in what is referred to as a low block but ceded possession in order to lure the opposition into their traps. En-Nesyri, the striker of the 2022 team won plaudits for his relentless work rate in preventing the opposition centre-backs from making easy passes to the midfield and forcing opposing teams into wide areas. Wider areas of the pitch were packed with standout players. The full-backs, who are still part of the 2026 team, Noussair Mazraoui and Hakimi teamed up with wingers and aimed to win the ball and launch dangerous counter-attacks. So effective were Morocco in blocking service to the middle areas of the pitch that opponents – particularly Portugal in the 1-0 quarterfinal loss – dropped deep to receive the ball, inhibiting their ability to attack. But what happened when Morocco faced lower-ranked teams? At two successive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, Morocco failed to lift the trophy, with an exit in the Round of 16 (2023) and a 1-0 loss in the 2025 edition, which they hosted. The final was a particularly testy affair, with Senegal seeing a goal ruled out in the dying moments of the match before Morocco were awarded a penalty. Incensed, the Senegalese marched off the pitch. Although Morocco missed the penalty and lost the match 1-0, they were declared AFCON champions after the on-field result was declared void and Morocco were handed a 3-0 forfeit by CAF. The result was later reversed and Morocco were declared champions under contentious circumstances. To make matters worse, Morocco faced a tournament-long allegation that the referees favoured Morocco. The hosts did not help their cause by requesting and receiving a change of referee before their quarterfinal encounter against Cameroon. Morocco of 2026: Faith in youth and offence Despite the controversial AFCON win, pressure kept mounting on Regragui with fans comparing the senior team with younger, more successful Moroccan sides. Advertisement Under the junior team manager Tarek Sektioui, Morocco bagged a bronze-medal finish at the Paris Olympics 2024, as well as lifting the winners’ trophies at the African Nations Championship 2024 and the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 with completely different squads. Similarly, Mohammed Ouhabi enjoyed success with the youth team by winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2025. In a moment of deja vu, a last-minute coaching change was made in the lead-up to the World Cup. Regragui was out and Ouhabi was in with the aim of playing an expansive, rather than defensive, brand of football. According to Alrfae, squad selection has been the biggest indicator of change. “Ouhabi has picked a lot of young players,” adding: “Partially because he knows them but also because they fit his tactical approach.” Ouhabi relies on mobile players, all with lower profiles, who constantly switch positions and rotate around the pitch. The younger squad, with their nimble movements, made an instant impact in the World Cup, recording an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil in their opening game. Experts believe it’s all part of a long-term plan. “I think Morocco made this change with an eye on the World Cup they will be hosting in 2030,” North African football journalist Maher Mezahi told Al Jazeera. Indeed, the average age of Morocco’s starting XI has hovered just below 26 years of age. None of the outfield starters are over 30 and half of them are 25 or younger. In their Round of 32 match, Morocco forced the Dutch to abandon their style of play and field five defenders to neutralise Morocco’s fluid movements. The change, according to Mezahi, was “an implicit admission” that Morocco were the stronger team. “The result proves that the 2022 World Cup was not a fluke
‘They gave their best’: Congolese reflect on historic World Cup run
Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo – DR Congo’s remarkable World Cup journey may have ended with defeat to England in the last 16, but for many Congolese, the Leopards have rewritten the country’s World Cup story. More than five decades after their only previous World Cup appearance, the Leopards united a country scarred by conflict, disease outbreaks and political uncertainty, mounting a fearless campaign that gave millions of Congolese a rare sense of unity. “It’s rare that I feel proud to be Congolese. During this World Cup, our national team made us proud, as if nothing were wrong. I believe I am witnessing the greatest generation in the history of the DRC,” Héritier Muyisa, a 28-year-old student in Bunia, told Al Jazeera. From Zaire in 1974 The contrast with 1974 could hardly have been sharper. Then playing as Zaire, the Leopards lost all three matches without scoring, suffering heavy defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil. “We were a great nation back then. Losing by such heavy score lines without scoring a single goal felt like a curse,” Lukambila Jacques, 65, who watched the Leopards’ first World Cup campaign, told Al Jazeera. No player embodied the Leopards’ revival more than Yoane Wissa. His three goals made him DR Congo’s first World Cup scorer and the country’s leading scorer in the tournament’s history. His towering header against Portugal ended a 52-year wait for a World Cup goal and convinced many supporters that the Leopards belonged on football’s biggest stage. Advertisement “I didn’t expect young people like them – like us – to make more than 100 million people proud,” Dorcas Mudimo, a 26-year-old resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera after the defeat to England. “It’s a source of pride for the whole of Central Africa.” Making history The Leopards’ run was built on a series of milestones that steadily transformed hope into belief. The breakthrough against Portugal earned DR Congo a draw and sparked celebrations from Kinshasa and Goma to Bunia. In Bunia, since the start of the World Cup, many fans had been celebrating after every DR Congo match, but the game against England brought many streets to a standstill [Prosper Heri/Al Jazeera] “I thought we’d be content just to qualify for the World Cup. But our players showed we could compete with Portugal, Spain and other major nations,” Manassé Limbaya told Al Jazeera, describing the campaign as “stellar” from the qualifiers onwards. “We beat Cameroon and Nigeria before overcoming Jamaica in the intercontinental playoffs. That’s when we knew this team was capable of something special.” The Leopards drew with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan, and narrowly lost to Colombia before their dream ended against England in the round of 16. “My heart was racing throughout the match against England. They have world-class stars, but I knew we would give them a hard time,” Cephas Agbwabe, a resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera. Final whistle Every DR Congo match drew packed crowds to Bunia’s viewing centres, where celebrations often spilled into the streets long after the final whistle. Against England, however, the mood shifted. As the match slipped away, the cheers faded. When the final whistle blew, many supporters stood silently, while others quietly walked home in their Leopards shirts, trying to absorb the end of a campaign that had exceeded almost every expectation. Despite ending the Leopards’ dream, England captain Harry Kane acknowledged the challenge posed by the Congolese side. “We spoke before about pounding the rock. That was our motto before the game. We knew there was going to be a tough rock to break down, and they proved it,” Kane said afterwards. DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre focused less on the result and more on what his players had achieved. Every DR Congo match drew packed crowds to Bunia’s viewing centres, where celebrations often spilled into the streets long after the final whistle [Prosper Heri/Al Jazeera] “It’s true that we’re disappointed, because we believed we could do it,” the Frenchman told reporters. Advertisement “I think we played a good match. In the end, we conceded a few chances. One of the best players in the world scored two goals against us.” Desabre said the defeat reflected fine margins rather than a gulf in quality. “It’s time to give the players credit for what they’ve shown. We were perhaps beaten by a little bit of experience in the closing stages. That’s the nature of football. We learn, and we keep improving.” Pride endures For supporters in Bunia, elimination did little to diminish what the Leopards had achieved. Fifty-two years after leaving their only previous World Cup without a point or a goal, they returned to football’s biggest stage and showed they could compete with some of the world’s most established teams. “It was the first time I’d heard my country’s national anthem at a World Cup finals,” Agbwabe told Al Jazeera. “I hope, one day, I’ll tell my children I witnessed these glorious moments.” Adblock test (Why?)