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Route du Rhum: la flotte de 138 marins est partie à l’assaut de l’Atlantique

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Martinique FranceAntilles

Après un report inédit en raison de la météo, les 138 marins engagés sur la Route du Rhum se sont lancés mercredi au large de Saint-Malo à l’assaut de l’Atlantique, pour une traversée en solitaire que les plus rapides devraient effectuer en un temps record de six jours.

Au coup de canon à 14h15, les skippers -131 hommes et sept femmes- ont mis le cap toutes voiles dehors sur la Guadeloupe, sous un soleil radieux.

Une heure après le départ, Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild), favori, a franchi le premier la bouée du Cap Fréhel (Côtes d’Armor), où des milliers de personnes étaient massées sur les rochers de grès rose pour acclamer les voiliers.

Mais il a passé la ligne de départ trop tôt, a-t-on appris auprès de la direction de course, et devrait en conséquence recevoir une pénalité de 4 heures à décider sous 48 heures, selon le règlement.

Sur l’eau, Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) et François Gabart (SVR Lazartigue) étaient à sa poursuite. Tous trois sont à la barre de voiliers de la classe Ultim, des trimarans de 32 m de long capables de voler sur l’eau grâce à des appendices latéraux (foils).

Record en vue

Ces F1 des mers peuvent prétendre établir un nouveau record de traversée, détenu depuis 2018 par le vétéran Francis Joyon (7 jours 14 heures 21 minutes), également au départ cette année avec son trimaran Idec Sport.

En 2018, baptême du feu de ces voiliers volants, la classe avait connu beaucoup de casse. Mais, depuis, “on a beaucoup travaillé sur la sécurité, la fiabilité (…). On a tous progressé et on va plus vite”, a promis Le Cléac’h, qui avait chaviré après deux jours de course il y a quatre ans et avait été secouru par un bateau de pêche.

Cette année, “cela va être rapide pour aller jusqu’en Guadeloupe, le sprint sur l’Atlantique annoncé devrait être au rendez-vous”, a prédit Le Cléac’h.

Les prévisions météorologiques annoncent de bonnes conditions jusqu’à jeudi soir, où la flotte devrait affronter une première dépression marquée par des rafales de vent à plus de 90 km/h.

François Gabart, 39 ans, revient à la course en solitaire à bord d’un Ultim controversé mis à l’eau l’année dernière, qu’il a conçu entièrement. 

“J’ai envie de gagner, je me sens capable de gagner (…). Mais naviguer à bord de ce bateau n’est pas une pression supplémentaire, c’est une source de motivation. J’en suis un peu amoureux de mon bateau et j’ai très envie qu’il vive une belle Route du Rhum”, a expliqué le deuxième de la précédente édition, à sept petites minutes de Francis Joyon.

Départ décalé

Sur l’eau, la flotte, mélange de professionnels et d’amateurs, est composée de six catégories de bateaux: des petits monocoques ayant participé à la première édition, aux multicoques volant de dernière génération.

Comme Caudrelier, 16 autres navires de différentes catégories ont franchi la ligne de départ avant le coup de canon. Le navigateur britannique Sam Goodchild (Leyton), à la barre d’un trimaran Ocean Fifty, a lui été blessé et “transféré sur un bateau” de la SNSM, a annoncé son équipe dans un communiqué.

Derrière les Ultim, 38 voiliers de la flotte d’Imoca, les monocoques (18 m) du Vendée Globe, le célèbre tour du monde en solitaire, affichent de belles ambitions. Charlie Dalin (Apivia) et Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), à bord des bateaux les plus éprouvés, peuvent espérer traverser l’Atlantique en 10 ou 11 jours.

Grande première dans l’histoire de la célèbre course quadriennale, le départ, prévu initialement dimanche, avait été reporté à cause des très mauvaises conditions météorologiques.

fd/gk

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Tobago wins silver for Most Desirable Island

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

News

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, second from right, collects the Wanderlust Travel Magazine’s silver award for Most Desirable Island from Wanderlust Travel editor-in-chief and CEO George Kipouros, second from left, at the conclusion of World Travel Market in London, England, Wednesday. Also present were Tourism Secretary Tashia Burris, right, and Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd chairman Alicia Edwards. – THA

TOBAGO has been awarded a silver award for Most Desirable Island from Wanderlust Travel Magazine, at World Travel Market 2022 in London, England.

Wanderlust Travel magazine’s editor-in-chief and CEO George Kipourus presented THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine with the award on Wednesday at the close of WTM.

A photograph of Kipourus presenting the prestigious award to Augustine was posted on the Office of the Chief Secretary’s Facebook page. The award ceremony took place at the Tower of London, one of England’s most prominent historical sites.

Wanderlust is one of the UK’s leading independent travel magazines. Each issue highlights exciting destinations and experiences off the beaten path.

Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) executive chairman Alicia Edwards, who is among Tobago’s contingent at the WTM, said the award provides “excellent validation” that the agency is making the right decisions in terms of its marketing strategy and the niche markets in which the island continues to operate.

Edwards said the award is an indication that the island’s ongoing strategy to revive interest in destination Tobago among the UK travel market was bearing fruit.

She said, “This award is like icing on the cake for us, coming unexpectedly at the end of WTM…It’s really wonderful to have this win after a difficult couple of years, and we will be building on this as we go forward.”

Edwards said Tobago’s incredible natural beauty and unique, authentic experiences set it apart from regional competitors, including Cuba and St Lucia, which placed fourth and seventh, respectively, as well as reputable island destinations such as Bali Bali.

She said the Most Desirable Island, won by Palawan, an island in the Philippines, was a reader-voted award, where 50,000 of real Wanderlust readers – some of the best travelled in the world – nominated and voted for their destinations of choice.

Edwards said Lyn Hughes, Wanderlust founding editor, visited Tobago’s stand at WTM on Wednesday to personally congratulate the Tobago delegation on winning the award.

She said Hughes was thrilled to see Toabgo take the silver award.

Hughes was quoted as saying: “One thing that really helped our readers become aware of Tobago is that we did a webinar, working very closely with the tourism board. I know that within the Wanderlust team, it was one of our favourite webinars over the last year. We absolutely loved it and we found the people involved in it such a pleasure to work with.”

Hughes added, “I think that webinar, along with some of the other things done over the years to highlight Tobago, really paid off and struck a chord with our readers as a spot that they may not have considered before, but since they found out about it, they knew that it was the destination for them.”

Commenting on the silver award, Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association vice-president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James said it could be used to further market the island as the ideal tourism destination.

“It is always wonderful news when we win awards because we can use the awards to continue to market our island of Tobago,” she told Newsday.

“I am sure it would have been an award off the beaten track because we are an unspoilt destination and we hope to keep it like that. It is always good news and I congratulate the people and the governance of Tobago for receiving an award like that.”

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WHO Urges Changes To Global Vaccine Market To Save Lives – St. Lucia Times News

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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WHO’s Global Vaccine Market Report 2022, published today, shows that inequitable distribution is not unique to COVID-19 vaccines, with poorer countries consistently struggling to access vaccines that are in-demand by wealthier countries.

Limited vaccine supply and unequal distribution drive global disparities.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer has only been introduced in 41% of low-income countries, even though they represent much of the disease burden, compared to 83% of high-income countries.

Affordability is also an obstacle to vaccine access. While prices tend to be tiered by income, price disparities see middle-income countries paying as much – or even more – than wealthier ones for several vaccine products.

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“The right to health includes the right to vaccines,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“And yet this new report shows that free-market dynamics are depriving some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people of that right. WHO is calling for much-needed changes to the global vaccine market to save lives, prevent disease and prepare for future crises.”

Approximately 16 billion vaccine doses, worth US$ 141 billion, were supplied in 2021, almost three times the 2019 market volume (5.8 billion) and nearly three-and-a-half times the 2019 market value (US$ 38 billion).

The increase was primarily driven by COVID-19 vaccines, showing the incredible potential of how vaccine manufacturing can be scaled up in response to health needs.

Although manufacturing capacity worldwide has increased, it remains highly concentrated. Ten manufacturers alone provide 70% of vaccine doses (excluding COVID-19).

Several of the top 20 most widely used vaccines (such as PCV, HPV, measles and rubella containing vaccines) each currently rely mainly on two suppliers.

This concentrated manufacturing base leads to risk of shortages as well as regional supply insecurity. In 2021, the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions were dependent on manufacturers headquartered elsewhere for 90% of their procured vaccines.

Entrenched intellectual property monopolies and limited technology transfer further limit the ability of building and using local manufacturing capacity.

The health of markets is also concerning for several of the vaccines commonly needed for emergencies, such as against cholera, typhoid, smallpox/monkeypox, Ebola, meningococcal disease, where demand surges with outbreaks and is hence less predictable.

The continued limited investment in these vaccines could be devastating for people’s lives.

The report highlights the opportunities for more alignment of vaccine development, production and distribution with a public health agenda, towards achieving the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) goals and informing pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response efforts.

COVID-19 proved that vaccines can be developed and distributed rapidly, with a process lasting an average of ten years but never less than four years, compressed to 11 months.

The pandemic also exposed the long-standing need to recognise vaccines as a fundamental and cost-effective public good rather than a commodity.

To drive ambitious action to deliver equitable access to vaccines, the report calls on governments to act on: clear immunization plans and more aggressive investment and stronger oversight of vaccine development, production and distribution; regional research and manufacturing hubs; and pre-agreeing rules for government collaboration in times of scarcity on issues such as vaccine distribution, intellectual property and the circulation of inputs and goods.

Recommended actions for industry include: focusing research efforts on WHO priority pathogens, ensuring transparency, facilitating technology transfer, and committing to specific equity-driven allocation measures.

International organizations and partners should prioritize Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, support country-driven initiatives and push for the application of resolutions on market transparency.

SOURCE: Pan American Health Organization/SLT

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Cap sur la Guadeloupe

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Guadeloupe FranceAntilles

Par Chloé COMBET
c.combet@agmedias.fr

Top départ rendez-vous dans quelques jours en Guadeloupe. • CRÉDIT PHOTO – VINCENT OLIVAUD

La 12e édition de la Route du Rhum a démarré hier. Dès 14h15 (9h15 heure locale) les 138 skippers ont pris la direction la Guadeloupe. On relève 17 skippers déjà pénalisés, un blessé, quelques retours au port.

Avec un soleil au zénith les 138 skippers de la
Route du Rhum : destination Guadeloupe ont démarré cette 12e
édition hier après-midi. Comme prévu la météo était favorable pour
ces derniers qui n’attendaient qu’une chose prendre le large. Ils
étaient tous très heureux de s’élancer vers la ligne de départ
accompagnés de leur famille et de leur équipe technique avant
l’ultime signal.

Quelques retours

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La grande épopée de la Route du Rhum

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Guadeloupe FranceAntilles

Victor Jean Noel et Michel Desjoyeaux. • @ ALFRED JOCKSAN

Dans cet ouvrage La route du Rhum une aventure humaine de Saint-Malo à Pointe-à-Pitre, le journaliste, Éric Cintas et le navigateur Michel Desjoyeaux, nous font revivre la grande aventure de cette course au large et en solitaire. Un beau livre avec des images magnifiques, préfacé par le dernier vainqueur Francis Joyon et paru aux éditions Marabout. 

La Route du Rhum, un éternel défi ! Alors que les
marins et leurs montures se lancent pour écrire une nouvelle page
de la riche histoire de cette traversée emblématique et légendaire,
les deux passionnés du grand bleu, le journaliste lyonnais de
France télévisions Éric Cintas et le marin Michel Desjoyeaux
s’unissent pour faire revivre l’aventure extraordinaire d’une
histoire qui nait, en 1975, lors d’un déjeuner entre deux copains,
Bernard Hass et Florent de Kersauson. C’est le 10 février 1977
que la Route du Rhum voit le jour à travers la société
organisatrice Promovoile et par la volonté d’hommes visionnaires et
prévoyants, Michel Etevenon, Louis Claverie, Amédée
Huyghues-Despointes, Gérard Nouy, et Léopold Reimonenq, de deux
côtés de l’océan atlantique, pour valoriser la filière rhum des
Antilles. Et l’a

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Tempête Fiona : un fonds de secours mis en place par le ministère de l’Intérieur et des Outre-Mer pour les entreprises

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Guadeloupe FranceAntilles

Rédaction web

Tempête Fiona musée du café ravagé Vieux-Habitants • DR

La préfecture de Guadeloupe a communiqué aux entreprises artisanales et familiales impactées par la tempête Fiona qu’un fonds de secours est mis en place par le ministère de l’Intérieur et des Outre-Mer pour accompagner leur reprise d’activité.

Ce fonds de secours se traduit par le versement d’une aide après instruction et contrôle de dossier.

Les entreprises éligibles au dispositif 

Il s’agit donc des entreprise nourrissant quatre conditions:

– Très petites entreprises (TPE) à caractère familial ou artisanal (très peu voire pas du tout de personnel – essentiellement artisans et commerces de proximité)

– TPE non assurées pour les dégâts matériels (exclusion des entreprises couvertes peu importe l’étendue de la garantie offerte par l’organisme d’assurance)

– Les TPE régulièrement déclarées

– Les TPE dans une situation économique délicate du fait du sinistre

Les biens matériels concernés et exclus

Les biens pouvant donner lieu au versement d’une indemnisation dans le cadre du fonds de secours sont uniquement constitués des biens meubles nécessaires à la reprise d’activité de l’entreprise familiale ou artisanale.

À titre exceptionnel, les biens immobiliers peuvent rentrer dans le périmètre du fonds de secours sous réserve que le demandeur soit propriétaire des locaux et que les travaux soient jugés indispensables pour la reprise d’activité.

Les biens exclus du dispositif sont:

– Les stocks de M1 et de marchandises détruits

– Les pertes d’exploitation du fait de l’impossibilité d’exercer l’activité

– Les dommages sur des terrains, murs, clôtures

– Les véhicules, sauf exceptions limitatives, et sous réserve d’une assurance au tiers à jour

– Les opérations de déblaiement et nettoyage

Le dossier de demande d’aide sera mis en ligne sur le site de la DEETS dès accord du Ministère de l’Intérieur des et Outre-Mer.

Les demandes seront instruites dans un délai maximum de 6 mois à compter de l’envoi du formulaire par l’entreprise.

Modalités d’estimation du coût des dommages

Les entreprises concernées par ce dispositif d’indemnisation devront se faire connaître avant le 18 novembre 2022 auprès des services de la Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie (CCI) ou la Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat (CMA) en fonction du statut du l’entreprise.

Il convient de transmettre les informations sur la nature des dommages et le montant de rachat ou de réparation :

– Identification des équipements endommagés ou détruits éligibles au fonds de secours (matériel, mobilier, outils de production…)

– Estimation du coût de réparation ou de rachat du bien endommagé ou perdu en euros

– Date d’achat du bien endommagé ou détruit

Les entreprises concernées devront adresser leurs courriers à

La Cci de Guadeloupe : entreprise-sinistre@guadeloupe.cci.fr

La Cma de Guadeloupe : entreprises@cmguadeloupe.org

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Red Force go top in Super50 Zone A

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Sports

TT Red Force captain Nicholas Pooran made an unbeaten 56 against the Guyana Harpy Eagles, on Wednesday, during a CG United Super50 Cup match, at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair. Photo courtesy CWI Media

TT RED Force got their CG United Super50 campaign back on track with a six-wicket win over Guyana Harpy Eagles at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair on Wednesday, but Red Force captain Nicholas Pooran wants a more clinical performance from his players.

Red Force are now first in Zone A on 14 points with three wins, one loss and one no result.

Batting first, Harpy Eagles were limping on 77/7 in the 26th over. Leg spinner Yannic Cariah did most of the damage removing three of the Harpy Eagles’ batsmen.

Only opener Kemol Savory (32) and Tevin Imlach (34) offered resistance as the other batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie came to the middle and helped rescue the innings.

Pooran, who commended the effort of his bowlers, wants Red Force to bowl out teams more quickly.

“That is something we definitely working on, it’s a trend now (for teams to prolong their innings against us)…the last couple wickets keep forging partnerships. We are trying our best, (but) I think in the middle overs the ball gets a bit bigger.”

Red Force got half a chance to dismiss Shepherd early in his innings as he skied a ball to the mid-wicket fence, but Kjorn Ottley running back from mid-wicket and Terrance Hinds running to his left on the boundary could not get their hands on the ball. Ottley dived in an attempt to complete the catch, but his effort proved futile.

The Red Force players were frustrated as they felt Hinds had a better chance to complete the catch.

A 20-run partnership between Shepherd and Veerasammy Permaul took Guyana to 97 in the 32nd over, before the latter was the eighth wicket to fall.

Shepherd and Motie then put on 79 runs for the ninth wicket.

Pooran made a number of bowling changes, but it did not lead to immediate success for the home team.

Motie hit a six over long on off spinner Sunil Narine and Shepherd slammed medium pacer Hinds for a six over mid-wicket to reach his 50. His 50 came off 48 balls and included four fours and two sixes.

Red Force got the breakthrough when Shepherd was dismissed.

Shepherd tried to steer a wide, full-pitched delivery from Hinds down to third man but could only find Jason Mohammed at short third man. Shepherd hit four fours and three sixes in his knock of 56 off 50 balls.

Part-time off spinner Jyd Goolie got the last wicket, bowling Clinton Pestano for two as Guyana were all out for 182.

Motie ended on 39 not out off 47 deliveries with three fours and one six. Cariah grabbed 3/30 in ten overs, fast bowler Shannon Gabriel took 2/25 in seven overs and Hosein picked up 2/52 in ten overs.

Kjorn Ottley, who has played confidently throughout the competition, continued to demonstrate his stroke-making ability in the Red Force response.

His opening partner Amir Jangoo, playing in his first match of the tournament, gave his wicket away for two when he played a delivery from fast bowler Pestano to mid-on fielder Savory.

Ottley and Darren Bravo added 28 runs for the second wicket, before the former was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Motie for 27 off 34 balls.

Bravo, like Jangoo, presented a gift to the Harpy Eagles as he played a short ball straight to Pestano at cover to give Motie another scalp. Bravo only contributed five as Red Force were now 60/3 in the 17th over.

Red Force kept throwing away their wickets as attempting a quick single Jason Mohammed was run out. Mohammed played a shot and took off, but was sent back by Pooran. Mohammed did not return to his crease in time and had to return to the pavilion.

Goolie looked solid when he came out and matched Pooran with his strokes, before rain interrupted play with Red Force 127/4 in the 26th over.

After a 35-minute rain delay play resumed.

Pooran took little time to settle down again hitting Motie for six over square leg.

The pair of Goolie and Pooran combined aggression and patience in a partnership which took the match away from the Jaguars.

After Goolie struck spinner Kevin Sinclair for a six over long off it was a race between the two batsmen to get to 50. Goolie was now on 45 and Pooran on 47.

Pooran won the race when he struck left-arm spinner Permaul for a six over long off.

Goolie got to the landmark minutes later with a single on the leg side. Red Force were now in sight of victory with only ten runs required.

The scores were level when Goolie struck Permaul for six over long on. A single off the next ball by Goolie ended the match as Red Force closed on 183/4 after 34.3 overs.

Goolie closed on 58 not out off 58 deliveries with two fours and five sixes and Pooran belted one four and five sixes in his unbeaten 56 off 47 balls. Motie was the best bowler for the Harpy Eagles ending with 2/44 in eight overs.

Pooran was happy with the win, saying, “Definitely satisfied. We obviously lost a game against Guyana as well and we wanted to win really bad in this game. Obviously, the other night here the two points against CCC (Combined Campuses and Colleges) obviously hurt us. We felt like we should have won that game.”

Red Force were less than 20 runs from victory against CCC on Monday when bad light ended the match. Red Force play Windward Islands Volcanoes on Saturday at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba at 2 pm. A win will seal a semi-final spot for Red Force.

SUMMARISED SCORES

GUYANA HARPY EAGLES 182 (45.2 overs) – Romario Shepherd 56, Gudakesh Motie 39 not out; Yannic Cariah 3/30, Akeal Hosein 2/52, Shannon Gabriel 2/25 vs TT RED FORCE 183/4 (34.3 overs) – Jyd Goolie 58 not out, Nicholas Pooran 56 not out; G Motie 2/44. Red Force won by six wickets

STANDINGS ZONE A

Team*GP*W*L*NR*Pts

Red Force*5*3*1*1*14

Harpy Eagles*5*3*2*0*12

Volcanoes*4*2*2*0*8

CCC*4*0*3*1*2

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Zefanio Breinburg gaat ervaring delen met Livo

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online

door John Zaalman PARAMARIBO — “Het is inderdaad zo dat ik de overstap heb gemaakt vanuit Yellow Birds naar Livo.

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Avec Giroud et les blessés, les paris assumés de Deschamps

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Martinique FranceAntilles

FOOTBALL. Mondial-2022 – LA liste des bleus

La liste des 25 Bleus sélectionnés par Didier Deschamps. • AFP

En convoquant des Bleus convalescents comme Raphaël Varane, Didier Deschamps s’est éloigné mercredi de certains principes pour le Mondial-2022, assumant le choix d’une liste élargie et la cohabitation entre Olivier Giroud et Karim Benzema, longtemps évitée.

Le sélectionneur de l’équipe de France a mis fin
au suspense en appelant 25 joueurs, dont 11 champions du monde en
titre, animés de la même ambition : décrocher la troisième étoile
du football français au Qatar (20 novembre-18 décembre) après 1998
et 2018.

Sur le plateau de TF1, la grand-messe télévisuelle
n’a pas réservé de surprise majeure car Deschamps a
refusé, à ce stade, de se priver du moindre cadre, à l’exception du
gardien N.2 Mike Maignan, touché à un mollet et écarté au profit de
Steve Mandanda, 37 ans, et Alphonse Areola.

Autour du capitaine Hugo Lloris et du redoutable
trident offensif formé par Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé et
Karim Benzema, tous les autres joueurs convalescents sont ainsi
intégrés à l’effectif, du vice-capitaine Varane (c

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South America aims to break Europe’s World Cup grip Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

Kylian Mbapp? riled up South Americans back in May when he said both Argentina and Brazil don’t play matches “at a high level” in qualifying to reach the World Cup.

Interviewed by Brazilian television, the France striker said South America lags behind Europe in terms of the strength of competition. He noted that the most recent World Cup champions — including his own country in 2018 — have been teams from Europe.

The responses ranged from aggravation to bemusement.

Lionel Messi, Mbapp?’s teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, said Europeans have no clue about the challenges of playing World Cups qualifiers at high altitude in Bolivia or the heat and humidity of the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Brazil coach Tite said the qualifiers in South America have a higher degree of difficulty than the European competition.

“With all due respect, we don’t have Azerbaijan to play,” Tite said. “No ones gives you a break.”

Sebasti?n Abreu, the retired striker whose “Panenka” penalty in 2010 sealed the shootout victory that put Uruguay into the semifinals of the World Cup for the first time in four decades, advised Mbapp? “to try and read more in Wikipedia”.

There is a lot of swagger in South America these days, particularly in Brazil, with Neymar and a plethora of young wingers, and in Argentina, which has gone 35 games without a loss and has Messi playing better than ever with his national team.

Uruguay believes it can go far with Luis Su?rez and Edinson Cavani in their fourth and likely last World Cup, alongside youngsters such as Federico Valverde and Darwin N??ez. Ecuador is back and at least wants to advance from a group in which they are playing the Netherlands, Senegal and host Qatar.

They all want to break Europe’s grip on the trophy. But they also are aware of an ominous trend: It has been 20 years since a team from South American won the World Cup.

Since Brazil won its fifth title in Japan and South Korea in 2002, the Selacao has been eliminated as soon they faced a European team in the knockout round, including a humiliating 7-1 loss at home to eventual champion Germany in 2014.

Argentina has managed to beat a European team in those stages, but still eventually fell short, including to France in the round of 16 in Russia four years ago.

One factor they point to for their long World Cup drought is that Europe has lots of money to invest in the development of their young players. And lately, the pandemic and the new Nations League conceived by UEFA has reduced significantly the number of matches between the top teams from Europe and South America.

“The Europeans are clearly playing at a different speed than us. They are at dimension that is far ahead of the South American player,” said Iv?n Zamorano, a former Chile striker who played for Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Zamorano envies the capacity that European soccer has to find talented players who can “leave a mark for the future”.

“There’s still that individual skill, the street quality, that makes the South American player unique,” Zamorano told The Associated Press. “But we are lacking the resources, the infrastructure, their work methods. So the chances of discovering and developing that kid with unique skills is tougher. That’s expensive and so many times in South America gets lost in the way.”

But Zamorano also says that this is the first time in at least three World Cups that he has seen Argentina and Brazil in such good shape right before the tournament.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, the coach of the Brazil team that won in 2002 with its “Three ‘R’s” attack combination of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, believes the current European domination is a just phase.

He said Brazil could win it in Qatar, though he thinks the country is more likely to challenge for the title in 2026, pointing at the potential of a new crop of players. That includes Endrick, a 16-year-old striker that last month became the youngest scorer for Palmeiras in the Brazilian league.

“These kids playing now might give the result we expect,” Scolari said. “But you can’t pressure them to give everything. Maybe in four years we can pressure them to give everything, because then they will hit the pinnacle at age 26, 27.”

South American soccer leaders are seeking to keep their teams competitive. Alejandro Dom?nguez, the president of continental soccer body CONMEBOL, is hoping to reach an agreement with UEFA that will allow teams from South America to compete in the Nations League.

“It’s not easy to cut a 30-year-old gap. It’s just not titles but the expertise that has strengthened in Europe and what we’re trying to establish in South America,” Dom?nguez told a small group reporters in Buenos Aires. “Sadly our young players depart way too early. … We’re trying to generate more revenues so the clubs are not desperate to sell them.”___

By ERIC N??EZAssociated Press writers Mauricio Savarese in Rio de Janeiro and D?bora Rey in Buenos Aires contributed to this report.

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