*Evening News Round-up: Wednesday 11 June 2025* *Headlines* *BREAKING: Former Minister Walter Mzembi Back In Zimbabwe, Meets Mnangagwa* *Police Urged To Use Breathalysers On Zimbabwean Roads* *NBSZ Launches Staunch Defence Of Blood Prices After Outcry* *Edgar Lungu Funeral Row Causes Chaos For Mourners Of Zambia's Ex-president* *'Uthini Wena Temu Ndlozi?': McKenzie Clashes With EFF's Sihle Lonzi Over Illegal Foreigners* *South African Budget Law Passes After Months Of Delay* *MultiChoice Swings To Loss As Subscribers Dwindle, Currency Depreciation Hits* *UK Crime Agency Freezes Assets Of Disgraced Sheikh Hasina Ally* *LA Police Enforce Curfew As Trump Vows To 'Liberate' City* *Musk Says Some Of His Posts About Trump 'Went Too Far'* *Brazil Book World Cup 2026 Spot After Vinicius Jr Gives Carlo Ancelotti First Win As Manager* *Senegal Stun England As Tuchel’s Men Crumble In City Ground Shocker* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *BREAKING: Former Minister Walter Mzembi Back In Zimbabwe, Meets Mnangagwa* HARARE – Previously exiled former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi is back in Zimbabwe and had a meeting with President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House on Wednesday, Nehanda Radio can exclusively reveal. According to sources who spoke to Nehanda Radio, Mzembi came into the country from Zambia where he had been in exile, after stints in Swaziland where he was granted asylum and South Africa. Mzembi and several other ministers perceived as loyal to the late President Robert Mugabe fled into exile after the November 2017 military coup that toppled the longtime ruler and brought President Emmerson Mnangagwa into power. Still in exile are former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere who served Mugabe in several Ministries including Youth Empowerment and Local Government. Based on posts by Moyo on X (formerly Twitter) many political commentators predict its just a matter of time before the controversial spin doctor is also back in Zimbabwe. Kasukuwere meanwhile attempted to contest the August 2023 elections as an independent presidential candidate and was blocked by Mnangagwa using controversial election laws. Whether he too could be brought back into Zanu PF under Mnangagwa is up for debate given his intense criticism of the government. *Police Urged To Use Breathalysers On Zimbabwean Roads* As road traffic accidents continue to claim lives across the country, a legislator has urged the government to prioritise the acquisition of breathalysers for use by law enforcement agents to curb drink driving. Masvingo Member of the National Assembly Naledi Maunganidze made the call on Tuesday, stressing that stricter enforcement measures, including breathalyser testing, are needed to reduce preventable road accidents. "Breathalyser testing not only acts as a preventative measure but also empowers our police force to uphold the law effectively. In addition, there should be an automatic withdrawal of the driver's licence if the offence is repeated by the offender. Furthermore, there should be automated speed limit systems," she said. The legislator urged the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the Zimbabwe Republic Police to prioritise the use of breathalysers by procuring the gadgets and providing training for law enforcement officers. "Tragically, innocent children are dying as a result of accidents. By enforcing stiffer laws and implementing preventive measures, we can protect our citizens and create a safer environment," she said. Her remarks come as the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe recently opened tenders for the supply of breathalysers to be used on the country's roads as part ongoing effort to reduce accidents. Last year, a total of 2 015 people lost their lives in road traffic accidents, with causes including drink driving, negligence, and other human factors. *New Ziana* *NBSZ Launches Staunch Defence Of Blood Prices After Outcry* The National Blood Services of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has launched a strident defence against public criticism over the high cost of blood. Ahead of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, Zimbabweans on social media have been debating the cost of a pint of blood which at some private institutions can go up to US$1,000. NBSZ says it makes just US$5 in profit for every pint of blood sold, whose current price is capped at US$250. The country’s blood bank insists that it provides public hospitals with blood for free as the government picks up the tab. “We operate on a cost recovery basis, meaning that we recover exactly what it costs us to collect, process and distribute the blood. That entire chain is made up of activities whose cumulative cost is currently US$245, thus we charge US$250 to cater for normal process losses,” NBSZ said in response to questions from ZimLive. Social activist Freeman Chari argues that a pint of blood should not cost more than $100. He wrote on X: “As a person with a bit of knowledge on how blood banks work, the most expensive thing is the pack, which averages about $40-$50 if bought in bulk. “The screening and separation process doesn’t cost more than $20. If you add labour, collection and storage costs of $20 per pint maximum cost would be $90. “The total cost of processing blood if done efficiently is below $100. In fact Lucy Marowa, the current CEO of NBSZ said in 2019 it was $120. Why would they add a 100 percent markup for a national service? Zimbabwe needs only 100,000 units per year. Which is just $10 million. A government for the people can subsidise that. That’s what governments do.” Vicky Maponga, a spokesperson for NBSZ, maintains that they only make a small profit from blood sales to keep the service running. She explained: “While blood is generously donated by individuals, it’s important to note that once blood is donated it does not go directly and immediately for transfusion. Ensuring its safety and availability for transfusion requires significant resources. “When we receive blood from donors we can only quantify it after all the necessary tests to make it safe for transfusion. Blood undergoes rigorous testing, component separation, storage and then distribution. All these processes are supposed to adhere to international standards. “The value chain involved in getting it from vein to vein is what costs money. Since 2018, the government committed to providing free blood to all patients in public hospitals, so blood products are free in all public health institutions because the government meets the full cost by paying NBSZ directly for each unit utilised. “For private patients, the cost remains the same ($250), but the cost is borne by the individual.” NBSZ CEO Lucy Marowa said they were collecting record levels of blood donations. She said NBSZ is expecting to collect 97,500 units of blood this year owing to increased awareness and successful campaigns. “Just to give you a snippet of how successful the blood donation programme has been, this year we are targeting to collect 97,500 units of blood. So far, just for the first half of this year, we have actually achieved about 73 percent of the target, so we are well on track,” she told a news conference in Harare on Monday. Last year, NBSZ collected 82 percent of the targeted volume of blood. “The 2025 target is actually a scale up from last year’s target where we wanted to collect 88,450 units. From that target of last year, we managed to collect 82 percent, which was 77,020 units,” Marowa said. The World Blood Donor Day commemorations slated for Kadoma are an opportunity to increase awareness on blood donations, she said. “We are hoping that this will inspire both the school-going donors and the adults from that community to become regular blood donors. We are still calling upon Zimbabweans to come in and continue to give blood because it comes in and it goes out on a daily basis,” she added. *ZimLive* *Edgar Lungu Funeral Row Causes Chaos For Mourners Of Zambia's Ex-president* After losing the presidency, Edgar Lungu remained influential in Zambian politics Arranging a funeral can be testing at the best of times - let alone for a former head of state. Amid that intense, initial stage of grief, loved ones must juggle cost, the wishes of the deceased and numerous other factors in order to throw a fitting send-off. Add the clashing desires of a national government and its political opponents into the mix, and things become doubly complicated. Edgar Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died last Thursday. His death at the age of 68 has shocked Zambians - and there is genuine sense of grief with all radio stations playing gospel music for the man who had remained influential in Zambian politics despite being barred from contesting next year's election. Zambia is officially a Christian country - and most people take their religion and periods of mourning seriously. But a standoff between his family, the government and Lungu's political party, the Patriotic Front (PF), has left mourners confused about how exactly the former president should be honoured. The government announced there would be a state funeral and declared that the official venue for mourning would be a lodge it owns in the capital, Lusaka, but the PF dismissed this plan, directing mourners to its headquarters instead. As for Lungu's family, they have said they are not opposed to a state funeral, but have insisted on choosing who will preside over it, family lawyer Makebi Zulu has told the BBC. Then there is the official book of condolence, in which mourners can pay tributes to Lungu. The government has set up an official book - at the lodge - but the PF has urged people to sign theirs instead - at their headquarters. The government wanted to repatriate his body from South Africa last week - Lungu died there after receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. However, the PF and Lungu's family intervened, wanting to organise the safe passage of the ex-leader themselves. "The state was saying, 'We are giving him full military honours, therefore we're taking over from here' - as if to say that 'you have no say over what happens,'" Mr Zulu said. Plans for returning Lungu's remains are still unclear, though the family are now engaging with the government on this issue. There has also been confusion over the "official" mourning period when all forms of entertainment like big football matches and concerts are stopped. The government declared a seven-day national mourning period starting last Saturday, even though the PF announced one days earlier. This chaos is, in short, a continuation of the tumultuous relationship between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema. The pair are long-time rivals - in 2017, when Lungu was president, he had Hichilema locked up for over 100 days on treason charges after Hichilema's motorcade allegedly refused to give way for him. It took the intervention of the Commonwealth for Hichilema to be released. Four years later, and after five attempts at the presidency, Hichilema defeated Lungu. Now, the PF and the Lungu family's lawyer are accusing Hichilema's government of being partly responsible for the former president's death. Lungu returned to frontline politics in 2023, frequently accusing Hichilema's government of victimising him and other PF members. Now, after Lungu's death, his party allege that Lungu was banned from leaving the country for years and that if he had been allowed to travel to seek medical treatment sooner, he might still be alive. The government has vehemently denied any responsibility for Lungu's death, with spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa insisting that the ex-president was never prohibited from travelling. Mr Mweetwa told the BBC that the PF was trying to use Lungu's death as a "springboard" for a "political comeback". It is not the first time conflict has broken out following a Zambian leader's death. In 2021, the family of Kenneth Kaunda, the country's first post-independence president, said he wanted to be laid to rest next to his wife and not at the site designated by the government. Despite this, the government went ahead and buried Kaunda at Embassy Memorial Park in Lusaka. "The High Court ruled that national interest takes precedence over individual or family preferences because there is a designated burial place for former presidents, and there is a designated set of protocol to handle those proceedings that are conducted by the state, not a political party," Mr Mweetwa said. This argument - about the state's rights to a dead president's body - has played out numerous times across Africa. In 2019, Robert Mugabe died almost two years after being unseated as Zimbabwe's president by his former right-hand man, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mugabe's family refused to allow him to be buried at the national Heroes' Acre, arguing that he had been betrayed by his former colleagues. *BBC* *'Uthini Wena Temu Ndlozi?': McKenzie Clashes With EFF's Sihle Lonzi Over Illegal Foreigners* PA leader and sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has responded to EFF student command leader Sihle Lonzi's accusations that he has abandoned his cause to fight against illegal immigrants. Lonzi claimed McKenzie has not proposed any legislation on the subject, despite his party's stance on the issue. “The PA does not care about illegal foreigners,” Lonzi said. “Never let them lie to you. Its leader McKenzie is now a minister. He has never proposed legislation on the subject, not even a private member’s bill as an MP. He is just enjoying blue lights.” McKenzie swiftly responded to Lonzi's accusations, asking, “Uthini wena Temu Ndlozi? (What are you saying Ndlozi from Temu?). Start by telling us, do you even care?” Lonzi, however, was unfazed and accused McKenzie of avoiding parliamentary committee meetings. “You must stop running away from parliament committee meetings. I will take you to the cleaners.” The debate stems from social media users' concerns about McKenzie's perceived change of attitude towards illegal foreigners. However, McKenzie has always reaffirmed his stance against illegal immigration, saying his party's mission remains unchanged. “I speak up for Abahambe [they must leave] in closed government meetings and PA rallies. I have and will never change my stance regarding the mass deportation of all illegal foreigners but to expect me to only speak about immigration when there is a home affairs minister is wrong. Abahambe is our mission as the PA. We have and will never change. We have taken a decision to fight from within the GNU.” *timeslive* *South African Budget Law Passes After Months Of Delay* South Africa's parliament passed the budget's fiscal framework and revenue proposals on Wednesday, removing a key pillar of uncertainty for investors in Africa's biggest economy. The budget has been caught up in political wrangling for months and had to be reworked twice because of disagreements in the coalition government over plans to raise value-added tax (VAT). A majority of 268 lawmakers in the lower house, including from the two biggest political parties, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), voted in favour of the budget's overall spending limits and revenue-generating measures. Eighty-eight lawmakers voted against and two abstained. South Africa had not experienced contested budget votes in the post-apartheid era until this year, as the ANC always had a parliamentary majority which made the votes a formality. It lost that majority in an election last year, entering a coalition with the DA and other smaller parties. The ANC and the DA had been at loggerheads over this budget until the finance minister backtracked on the proposed VAT hike. The two parties have more than half of the lawmakers in the 400-member National Assembly. Before Wednesday's vote, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana told members of parliament that the tax increases that remained in his third budget version were aimed at funding social services like health and education. The DA said it supported the fiscal framework partly because it focused on infrastructure and contained spending reforms. Godongwana has tried to strike a balance between maintaining spending on frontline services and stabilising public debt levels, a worry for credit rating agencies. Parliament still has to approve two other pieces of legislation, the division of revenue bill and the appropriation bill, for the budget to be entirely passed. *Reuters* *MultiChoice Swings To Loss As Subscribers Dwindle, Currency Depreciation Hits* South African pay television company MultiChoice swung to a full-year headline loss as it contended with cash-strapped consumers, and foreign currency and other macro headwinds, it said on Wednesday. MultiChoice, which is a takeover target of France's Canal+ , reported an adjusted core headline loss of 800 million rand ($45.13 million) in the year ended March 31, from headline earnings of 1.3 billion rand a year earlier. Its trading profit almost halved to 4 billion rand, as trading losses from video streaming platform Showmax increased by 2.3 billion rand, and it booked 5.2 billion rand in foreign currency revenue losses. "The past two financial years have been a period of significant financial disruption for economies, corporates and consumers across sub-Saharan Africa due to challenging macro-economic factors," the company said in a statement. "Combined with the impact of structural industry changes in video entertainment such as the rise of piracy, streaming services and social media, this has materially affected the overall performance of the MultiChoice Group." The group lost 1.2 million broadcast subscribers over the year, to 14.5 million, and had to absorb a 10.2 billion rand negative impact on its top line due to local currency depreciation against the U.S. dollar. "The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has meant that households are struggling to make ends meet and many had no choice but to give up their DStv subscription for the time being," the company said. Revenue declined 9% to 50.8 billion rand as income from subscriptions fell 11% despite price increases, and also after it sold a 60% stake in its insurance business. Analysts had expected revenue of 52.9 billion rand. After relaunching Showmax just over a year ago, active paying subscribers grew 44% to gain regional market share, it said. Showmax competes with global streaming giants such as Netflix To drive uptake of Showmax, it ramped up investment in local content by releasing 82 originals. It also offered exclusive content from Comcast's NBCUniversal and third-party productions from international studios. *Reuters* *UK Crime Agency Freezes Assets Of Disgraced Sheikh Hasina Ally* The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen properties in the United Kingdom owned by Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s former Minister of Land, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) can reveal. The move follows legal requests from Bangladesh authorities to take action against assets owned by Chowdhury, a political ally of deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the now-banned Awami League party. Chowdhury is under investigation by Bangladesh authorities for money laundering. Last night, in a statement to the I-Unit, an NCA spokesperson confirmed the freezing order: “We can confirm that the NCA has secured freezing orders against a number of properties as part of an on-going civil investigation.” The property freeze means, in effect, that the assets cannot be sold by Chowdhury. The action by the police agency, often dubbed “Britain’s FBI”, coincided with this week’s visit to London by Bangladesh’s interim leader, Professor Muhammad Yunus. Last year, Al Jazeera revealed Chowdhury, 56, owns more than 350 properties in the UK. While the full extent of the NCA’s action is not yet understood, the I-Unit can disclose that Chowdhury’s luxury home in St John’s Wood, London, is part of the asset freeze. The home, bought for 11 million pounds ($14.8m), was the scene of secret filming by undercover reporters from Al Jazeera’s I-Unit. Reporters met Chowdhury during a long-running investigation into wealth that he had accumulated while he was still a government minister. During the meeting, Chowdhury talked expansively to reporters about his global property portfolio and revealed his taste for expensive suits and designer “baby croc” leather shoes. He described his close ties to the now deposed Sheikh Hasina, telling Al Jazeera’s journalists, “I am like her son, actually.” “She knows I have a business here,” he also told them. The I-Unit revealed that Chowdhury, from a powerful family in the port city of Chittagong, amassed a property empire despite a $12,000 annual limit as part of the nation’s currency laws on the amount a citizen can take out of Bangladesh. The investigation uncovered that Chowdhury spent more than $500m on real estate in London, Dubai, and New York but did not declare his overseas assets on his Bangladesh tax returns. The undercover meeting was part of the Al Jazeera documentary The Minister’s Millions, broadcast last October. Chowdhury had been a close ally of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August 2024 after hundreds were killed as security forces cracked down on student protests. After Hasina’s departure, Bangladesh authorities launched an investigation into allegations of widespread corruption in her government. Following the uprising and street violence in Bangladesh, the I-Unit tracked down Chowdhury to his London home, where he could be observed taking leisurely walks around his exclusive neighbourhood, which includes Lord’s Cricket Ground. In earlier statements to Al Jazeera, Chowdhury said the funds used to buy his overseas properties came from legitimate businesses outside Bangladesh, which he had owned for years. The former minister claimed he was the subject of a politically motivated “witch-hunt” against him. *Al Jazeera* *LA Police Enforce Curfew As Trump Vows To 'Liberate' City* Los Angeles police say they have made "mass arrests" after a fifth day of protests over US President Donald Trump's immigration raids. Mayor Karen Bass declared an overnight curfew within a relatively small area of the city's downtown district, saying businesses were being vandalised and looted. Elsewhere, the immigration raids that triggered protests last Friday have continued, with deployed National Guard troops now protecting border control agents on enforcement operations. Trump's row with state officials ramped up after he deployed troops to LA. The president has now vowed to "liberate" the city, but has been accused by California Governor Gavin Newsom of an "assault" on democracy. Trump defended his decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines, saying it was to prevent the city being "conquered by a foreign enemy". These troops lack the authority to make arrests, and have instead been tasked only with protecting federal property and personnel. Newsom hit back at the president: "He again chose escalation; he chose more force." The California governor, who is seen as a potential presidential contender for the Democratic Party, warned that "other states are next". After the LA curfew came into force at 20:00 local time on Tuesday (03:00 GMT on Wednesday), police moved through downtown areas, firing rubber bullets to try to disperse crowds. Explaining the curfew, Bass said she wanted "to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting". She added: "We reached a tipping point." The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) later said "multiple groups" were still congregating in the district. Before the curfew came into effect, LA police chief Jim McDonnell said 197 people had been arrested on Tuesday. The majority of arrests since the protests began have been for failing to disperse. The curfew order affects an area of about one square mile in the second-largest city in the US. McDonnell said the order was not impacting other parts of the city. "Some of the imagery of the protests and the violence gives the appearance as though this is a city-wide crisis, and it is not." Bass also said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had provoked the unrest by conducting raids on Latino areas in the city in recent days. "If [the raids are] going to go on for 30 days, and that's what the rumour is, and, if we want to see our city peaceful again, I will call upon the administration one more time to end the raids," she said. National Guard troops, who were previously guarding federal buildings, began assisting ICE agents with their "daily enforcement operations" on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the border agency told the BBC. Marines were also guarding federal officials and property, Marines Corps General Eric Smith said. They do not have the authority to arrest. The military deployment to the LA area will cost $134m (£99m), the Pentagon said. Trump described the protests as a "full-blown assault on peace and public order" while addressing troops at the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina. The Republican president said he plans to use "every asset at our disposal to quell the violence". Meanwhile, Trump's political row with state officials has intensified. The president has described the protesters as "animals" and vowed that "this anarchy will not stand". He urged troops to boo the names of Newsom and Joe Biden, his presidential predecessor, during his Fort Bragg speech. In televised remarks of his own on Tuesday night, Newsom again criticised the president's rare deployment of the US military without a request from state officials. He accused Trump of a "brazen abuse of power". "California may be first – but it clearly won't end here," he said. "Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault right before our eyes." *BBC* *Musk Says Some Of His Posts About Trump 'Went Too Far'* Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said on Wednesday he regretted some of the posts he made last week about Donald Trump as they had gone "too far", a gesture the U.S. president described as "very nice", in the latest sign of a tentative reconciliation between the two men. Trump said on Saturday his relationship with Musk was over after they exchanged insults on social media, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO describing the president's sweeping tax and spending bill as a "disgusting abomination." Musk has since deleted some posts critical of Trump, including one signaling support for impeaching the president. Sources close to the world's richest man say his anger has started to subside and that he may want to repair the relationship. Company and market analysts suggested Musk's tone could reflect a desire to protect his businesses. "I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far," Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X on Wednesday, without saying which specific posts he was talking about. After Musk's comments, Trump told the New York Post: "I thought it was very nice that he did that." Tesla shares rose 1.7%. "The conciliatory tone from Musk recently might indicate his desire to protect his businesses in the light of the position he has found himself in," said Mamta Valechha, consumer discretionary analyst at Tesla investor Quilter Cheviot. Tesla shareholder Matthew Britzman, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said both Musk and Trump appeared to have de-escalated the situation. "It still feels unlikely that we’ll see these two giant personalities so closely intertwined again, but it’s in neither’s best interest to let the drama continue," he said. Shawn Campbell, adviser and investor at Camelthorn Investments, said the relationship between Musk and Trump could be restored but also said it was unlikely it would return to where it once was. "The stakes between the richest man in the world and leader of the most powerful nation in the world are just so big, with billions of dollars of government contracts at stake, not to mention the power to investigate and regulate and tax," said Campbell, who personally holds Tesla shares. *BIG DONOR* Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, spending nearly $300 million in last year's U.S. elections and taking credit for Republicans retaining a majority of seats in the House and retaking a majority in the Senate. Trump then named him to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. Musk left the role late last month after criticizing Trump's marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work at the Department of Government Efficiency. Declaring their relationship over on Saturday, Trump said there would be "serious consequences" if Musk decided to fund U.S. Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the tax and spending bill. Trump also said he had no intention of repairing ties with Musk. On Monday, Trump said he would not have a problem if Musk called and that he had no plans to discontinue the Starlink satellite internet provided to the White House by Musk's SpaceX but might move his Tesla off-site. "We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well," Trump said. Musk responded with a heart emoji to a video on X showing Trump's remarks. Tesla shares have recouped all the losses they suffered during the public feuding between Trump and Musk last Thursday, when more than $150 billion was wiped off the company's market value. *Reuters* *Brazil Book World Cup 2026 Spot After Vinicius Jr Gives Carlo Ancelotti First Win As Manager* Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha. The victory, Ancelotti's first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil have now qualified for every edition of the World Cup. "We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup," said Vinicius Jr. "Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn't one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win. "Now it's time to celebrate qualifying." Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires. Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Argentina were reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a high-boot challenge on Colombia's Kevin Castano. But Lionel Messi's side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon's Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela. Ecuador, Argentina's nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru. *BBC* *Senegal Stun England As Tuchel’s Men Crumble In City Ground Shocker* Dean Henderson, in for regular keeper Jordan Pickford, was kept busy as the hosts struggled away from their usual Wembley base, and Senegal drew level five minutes before the break when Kyle Walker switched off to allow Sarr to steal in at the far post. It was the first goal England had conceded under Tuchel in four games, and Senegal probed England's defensive vulnerability throughout. The visitors got the lead their dominance merited when Diarra exploited space behind England's defence to beat Henderson, firing through his legs at the near post just after the hour. England went in search of an equaliser, with Mendy making amends for his earlier error by producing fine saves from substitute Morgan Gibbs-White and Bukayo Saka. Tuchel's side also had a late strike from Jude Bellingham ruled out for handball against Levi Colwill after a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention. But Senegal wrapped up the win in the dying seconds of stoppage time when substitute Curtis Jones lost possession, allowing Sabaly to finish England off with a cool finish, sparking an angry reaction from the home supporters who remained inside the City Ground. England had 15 wins and six draws from their previous 21 matches against African opponents, but here they were well beaten in the end. Furious England fans make feelings clear The storm of booing that greeted Tuchel and his England players at the final whistle summed up a miserable night for the German boss. England had the perfect start with Kane's goal, and while this game came at the end of a gruelling season, it was still a chastening experience to see Tuchel's team so comprehensively outplayed. Keeper Henderson had kept Senegal at bay in the first half, saving from Everton's Idrissa Gueye and Crystal Palace team-mate Sarr, who took advantage of Walker's defensive lapse for the visitors' leveller. After that, England subsided and Senegal could have won by an even more convincing margin. The away side delighted their followers with the victory, celebrating exuberantly once the third goal went in. This defeat completed an undistinguished few days for England who scraped a 1-0 win against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday. The new coach may have three wins from his first four games, but the opposition - until now - had not been testing and this has been a somewhat sticky start by Gareth Southgate's successor. Tuchel duly felt the full force of the City Ground crowd as England's supporters wait to see any sign of improvement or a new identity, with the World Cup just a year away.