Sports News Roundup: Soccer-Proud Morocco want to build African legacy after World Cup run, says Regragui; Soccer-England manager Southgate intends to stay on until 2024 - reports and more

Morocco were beaten 2-1 by Croatia on Saturday in the third-place playoff, but Regragui lauded his young players saying they did everything he asked of them in the tournament, having beaten elite teams including Belgium, Portugal and Spain on their way to the semi-finals. NBA roundup: Devin Booker erupts for 58 in Suns' comeback win Devin Booker scored a season-high 58 points and Chris Paul canned a crucial 3-pointer late as the Phoenix Suns rallied from 24 points down in the third quarter to outlast the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 118-114 on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Proud Morocco want to build African legacy after World Cup run, says Regragui

Morocco will leave Qatar proud and happy after becoming the first African or Arabic team to reach the last four at a World Cup but they should strive for more in the future, coach Walid Regragui said on Saturday. Morocco were beaten 2-1 by Croatia on Saturday in the third-place playoff, but Regragui lauded his young players saying they did everything he asked of them in the tournament, having beaten elite teams including Belgium, Portugal and Spain on their way to the semi-finals.

Soccer-England manager Southgate intends to stay on until 2024 - reports

England coach Gareth Southgate intends to continue in his job until the conclusion of the European Championship in 2024, multiple British media outlets including Sky Sports reported on Saturday. The 52-year-old Southgate will inform the English Football Association (FA) of his decision before Christmas, according to Sky Sports.

NBA roundup: Devin Booker erupts for 58 in Suns' comeback win

Devin Booker scored a season-high 58 points and Chris Paul canned a crucial 3-pointer late as the Phoenix Suns rallied from 24 points down in the third quarter to outlast the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 118-114 on Saturday. The Pelicans led by 17 points at the break but only by five after the third quarter when Booker and Paul engineered a 15-0 run midway through the period. Phoenix retook the lead for the first time since late in the opening quarter on Paul's 3-pointer with 5:24 to play.

Soccer-Croatia's Modric wants to play Nations League, unsure about Euro 2024

Croatia midfielder Luka Modric said he intends to play for the Balkan nation until the Nations League finals in June next year but has yet to decide about his participation at the Euro 2024 tournament. Modric helped Croatia win the bronze medal at the World Cup in Qatar after they defeated Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoff on Saturday, having finished as runners-up at the 2018 edition in Russia.

Soccer-Croatia proud of World Cup third place, expect bright future

Croatia ended their World Cup campaign with the pride of claiming third place in a 2-1 win against Morocco, which marked the end of a journey but also promised a bright future, coach Zlatko Dalic said on Saturday. Croatia, runners-up in 2018, prevailed with goals by Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic to end their World Cup on a high as Luka Modric possibly bid farewell to the soccer extravaganza.

Soccer-Croatia edge Morocco 2-1 to clinch third spot at World Cup

Croatia beat injury-hit Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday to leave Qatar on a high after again surpassing expectations following their run to the final in 2018. Despite defeat, Morocco also leave with heads aloft after becoming the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Soccer-Whatever the ending, Qatar World Cup duly delivered

A World Cup that has defied all expectations reaches its climax on Sunday when Lionel Messi could join Diego Maradona in Argentine immortality by taking the south Americans to the title or France could become the first nation to retain it since 1962.

Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country.

NFL roundup: Vikings pull off biggest NFL comeback, clinch division

Greg Joseph kicked a 40-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Minnesota Vikings to an improbable 39-36 home win over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. Minnesota trailed 33-0 at halftime before orchestrating the largest comeback victory in NFL history. The rally came with a fitting prize as the Vikings (11-3) also clinched the NFC North title.

Brittney Griner says she will advocate for Americans detained abroad, resume career

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, who on Friday left an Army medical center where she had been recuperating following her release from a Russian penal colony as part of a prisoner swap, said she would work to help bring other detained Americans home and planned to resume her WNBA career. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star, left the Brooke Army Medical Center a week after she arrived at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, CNN reported.

Tennis-Raducanu hires Sachs as coach on trial until end of year

Emma Raducanu says her new coach Sebastian Sachs has been appointed on a trial basis until the end of the year. Last year's U.S. Open champion Raducanu was watched by Sachs, her fifth coach in 18 months, on Friday as she lost to world number two Ons Jabeur on her injury return in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi.