Sports News Roundup: Neymar and Danilo to miss rest of group stage with ankle injuries; Iran deliver sucker punch to Wales with stoppage-time winners and more

The hosts, and current Asian champions, are on the brink of early elimination from their own World Cup, which will be confirmed later on Friday if the Netherlands defeat Ecuador in their Group A match, or that game ends in a draw. Soccer-Neymar and Danilo to miss rest of group stage with ankle injuries Brazil duo Neymar and Danilo will miss their country's remaining two World Cup group games and face a fight to be fit for the knockout stage after sustaining injuries in Thursday's 2-0 win over Serbia, a source close to the team told Reuters on Friday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Kenya scrambles to stave off athletics ban for mounting doping cases

Kenya's government is urging World Athletics not to ban the country from the sport, promising to step up its fight against the use of banned substances after a series of its athletes were suspended for doping. The East African country is world renowned for its middle and long-distance runners, who have won numerous gold medals at Olympics and World Championships and clocked up record times. Kenya ranked third in the athletics medal haul at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Soccer-Germany replace supermarket logo with OneLove in press centre

Germany replaced the logo of a supermarket chain that pulled its sponsorship over the 'OneLove' diversity armband controversy with that of the armband itself at their World Cup press centre on Friday. The background wall of the German press conference room that displays all the team's sponsors at their training base in north Qatar on Friday included the 'OneLove' logo and rainbow in place of the REWE supermarket chain that pulled out.

Soccer-'Amazing' Iran win mental battle to rescue World Cup campaign

Iran's coach and players put their stunning World Cup turnaround on Friday down to winning their own mental battles, amid growing public pressure on them to make a stand over a deadly crackdown on protests against their country's clerical rulers. Iran were headed for a goalless draw against Wales in Al Rayyan on Friday but scored twice deep in stoppage time to seal a last-gasp victory and keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup second round for the first time ever.

Argentina honors Maradona anniversary, hopes memory can spur World Cup revival

Argentines honored soccer icon Diego Maradona on Friday, the second anniversary of his death, including with a huge new painting of the striker in the center of Buenos Aires, hoping to spur the national team ahead of a must-win World Cup game. The South American country, which idolizes Maradona almost as a demigod, plays Mexico on Saturday in a make-or-break match after the team led by star player Lionel Messi fell to a shock 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

Soccer-Hosts Qatar on verge of exiting World Cup after Senegal loss

The World Cup hopes of Qatar were left hanging by a thread after a 3-1 loss to Senegal that leaves them bottom of Group A and facing elimination just five days after they opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Ecuador. If Ecuador fail to beat Netherlands later on Friday the Qataris will be the first side mathematically eliminated from a finals they have spent a reported $200 billion to host.

Analysis-Soccer-Qatar's lack of attacking intent puts them on World Cup precipice

As the home fans streamed out of the ground in the final few minutes of Qatar's 3-1 loss to Senegal on Friday it was symbolic of the lack of fighting spirit shown by their side at the Al Thumama Stadium and a resignation that defeat was looming. The hosts, and current Asian champions, are on the brink of early elimination from their own World Cup, which will be confirmed later on Friday if the Netherlands defeat Ecuador in their Group A match, or that game ends in a draw.

Soccer-Neymar and Danilo to miss rest of group stage with ankle injuries

Brazil duo Neymar and Danilo will miss their country's remaining two World Cup group games and face a fight to be fit for the knockout stage after sustaining injuries in Thursday's 2-0 win over Serbia, a source close to the team told Reuters on Friday. Brazil top Group G and next face Switzerland and Cameroon. The team's doctor said that talisman Neymar and ever-reliable full back Danilo would only miss the Swiss game.

Ice hockey-IIHF reprimands Russian Ice Hockey Federation over pro-war 'propaganda'

The International ice hockey federation (IIHF) has reprimanded the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) after Russian clubs promoted messages in support of the Ukraine war, the IIHF said on Friday. Russia invaded Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls a "special military operation". Kyiv calls it an unprovoked war of aggression, reflecting what it sees as malice towards Ukrainians dating back to Soviet and imperial days.

Hockey great Salming succumbed unusually quick to ALS, doctor says

Toronto Maple Leafs great Borje Salming, who passed away on Thursday from nervous disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), succumbed unusually quickly to the disease less than four months after diagnosis, his doctor told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

Salming died at the age of 71 and became the first Swedish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He announced in August that he had been diagnosed with ALS.

Soccer-Iran deliver sucker punch to Wales with stoppage-time winners

Iran scored twice after the eighth minute of stoppage time to snatch a stunning 2-0 win over Wales on Friday that breathed new life into their World Cup campaign and left the Welsh flat on their backs and facing a make-or-break decider against England. After Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 87th minute, Iran produced a remarkable finale, with Roozbeh Cheshmi driving home to give them the lead before Ramin Rezaeian added another in the 11th minute of stoppage time.