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- Man Utd and Arsenal to battle for Como playmaker?
Manchester United and Arsenal could compete for the signature of Como playmaker Nico Paz at the end of the campaign.
- Arsenal keeping tabs on Real Madrid forward
Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Real Madrid forward Endrick amid his struggles under manager Jose Mourinho this campaign.
- Bruno Fernandes makes Man Utd contract decision
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has snubbed the Red Devils' latest contract proposal, according to The Athletic.
- Man Utd stance on signing Malo Gusto revealed
Manchester United have a clear-cut stance on Chelsea defender Malo Gusto amid the reported interest this month.
Category: Football
Brevis blitz powers South Africa to series-levelling win in Darwin
Dewald Brevis smashed an unbeaten 125 off 56 balls to power South Africa to a comprehensive 53-run victory over Australia in the second T20I at Darwin’s Marrara Cricket Ground. The explosive knock, laced with 12 fours and 8 sixes, not only levelled the three-match series 1-1 but also ended Australia’s nine-match winning streak in T20Is. After South Africa were put in to bat, they found themselves in familiar trouble at 57/3 in the seventh over losing Ryan Rickelton (14), Aiden Markram (18), and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (10) in the space of twenty balls. However, what followed was a masterclass in T20 batting from the 21-year-old Brevis, who turned the match on its head with a breathtaking innings. Brevis found an able ally in Tristan Stubbs (31 off 22 balls), and the pair added 126 runs for the fourth wicket in just 9.3 overs. The partnership was the bedrock of South Africa’s recovery, with Brevis showcasing his full repertoire of strokes. His strike rate of 223.21 reflected the carnage he inflicted on the Australian bowling attack. The young right-hander was particularly severe on Glenn Maxwell whom he launched for 6, 6, 4, 6 en route to a half-century, becoming the third youngest South African to achieve this feat. His innings never lost momentum thereafter. In just 16 balls, he raced from 50 to 100 recording the secondfastest T20I ton for South Africa and the faster that anyone has against Australia. Even after Stubbs fell to Adam Zampa in the 17th over, Brevis continued his assault and yet managed to remain unbeaten till the end. South Africa’s total of 218/7 was their highest T20I score against Australia, built on the foundation of Brevis’s record-breaking knock. Chasing a daunting target, Australia’s reply was riddled with hiccups. The hosts lost Travis Head (5) in the second over, bowled by Aiden Markram, before Cameron Green (9) was spectacularly caught by Nqabayomzi Peter off Kwena Maphaka at midwicket. Even though there was fumble as he was getting up, the third umpire deemed that he was in control of the catch. Mitchell Marsh and Tim David started the recovery job with a counter-assault in a 48-run stand before the former was caught off Corbin Bosch. David, however, kept the chase on with a 23-ball fifty hitting four sixes and as many fours. But he fell soon after reaching the milestone, hitting a cutter from Kagiso Rabada to cover and thereby applying the brakes on the chase. At 104/4 inside the tenth over, Australia’s chase started to derail with a few starts from the lower-order coming to a swift end with Bosch and Mphaka picking three apiece. With this emphatic victory, South Africa bounced back in style after their 17-run defeat in the series opener. The series now moves to Cairns for the decisive third T20I on August 14. Brief Scores: South Africa 218/7 (Dewald Brevis 125) beat Australia 165 all out (Tim David 50; Corbin Bosch 3-20) by 53 runs
Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket
Legendary India batter Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. The former India captain finishes with 9230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, which includes 30 centuries. Kohli also bows out as India’s most successful Test captain and a passionate flagbearer for the longest format during an era of unprecedented change, as cricket adapted to three formats and a booming franchise ecosystem. In an Instagram post on Monday (May 12), Kohli wrote, “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life. “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever. “As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. “I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude – for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. “I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off.” Kohli’s decision to step away from Test cricket comes close on the heels of the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, signalling a full-scale transition that Indian cricket hasn’t witnessed since the exits of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman in 2012, and later Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Cricbuzz had earlier reported on Kohli’s intention to quit the longest format and how the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had expressed a desire for him to continue a while longer. An influential figure in Indian cricket was also believed to be in talks with Kohli, but it appears the final call has been his to make. Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies at Sabina Park in 2011, months after he was part of an ODI World Cup-winning team. After a challenging initiation to the longest format in his first year, he found his footing in 2012 with a masterful 116 against Australia in Adelaide, a venue that would become special to him. On India’s next tour in 2014, he returned to the South Australian capital to score twin hundreds in a narrow defeat, a performance that also saw him lead the side as stand-in captain. That leadership role soon became permanent after MS Dhoni’s retirement in Melbourne a few weeks later, with Kohli officially taking over in Sydney. Among his many memorable knocks were a gritty 119 and 96 against a peak South African attack featuring Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis in 2014. Later that year, on the Australia tour, he scored 169 at the MCG and followed it up with 147 at the SCG to go with his twin hundreds in Adelaide. His dominant run continued with a 167 in Visakhapatnam and a career-best 235 in Mumbai against England in 2016 and a fighting 104* on a seaming deck in Kolkata against Sri Lanka in 2017. Perhaps his most redeeming centuries came on the 2018 tour of England, where he arrived under immense pressure after averaging just 13.40 on the 2014 tour. This time, Kohli silenced his critics with a masterful 149 in Birmingham and a composed 103 in Nottingham, his battle with James Anderson being the highlight. One of his finest knocks also came later that year on a green, seaming pitch at the new Optus Stadium in Perth, against an attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. Under Kohli’s captaincy, India went on to win that series, breaking a 71-year drought Down Under. Kohli didn’t notch up a double century until July 2016, when he reached the milestone against the West Indies in North Sound, but once the monkey was off his back, he added six more in the next three years, finishing with the most double hundreds for India and the joint-fourth most overall. Toward the end of his career, however, runs began to dry up. After a century against Bangladesh in the historic pink-ball Test at Eden Gardens in 2019, he endured a long drought before finally breaking it on a flat track in Ahmedabad against Australia in 2023. Kohli’s final appearance in India’s whites came at the SCG in January 2025, a country and a venue that’s witnessed some of his greatest triumphs as a player and captain.
PCB announces PSL postponement hours after Dubai shift plan
Amid escalating border tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the postponement of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). PCB’s decision came just hours after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a week, and also a few hours after the Pakistan board disclosed plans to move the remainder of the PSL 2025 matches to Dubai. “The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif,” the PCB said in a statement. ECB nudged to reject PSL matches? Meanwhile, it can be confirmed that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has turned down the PCB’s request to host the remaining PSL matches. Whether this decision was influenced by an Indian nudge remains speculative, but the ECB categorically refused to offer the Dubai International Stadium as a venue. Reportedly, there were also disagreements over hosting fees and Abu Dhabi was out of question, which ultimately compelled the PCB to postpone the eight remaining PSL games.
Can Titans stop MI’s juggernaut?
The first leg clash between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans had ended in the demolition of the former at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. But that appears like one in a distant past (on March 29) – more than a month ago. The landscape of the IPL has changed both diametrically and dramatically, and MI have traversed from the bottom of the table at one stage to the top of the table, again, at one stage. Ahead of the return leg, Mumbai Indians appear to be on a roll. Well more appropriately, they have been more than just being on a roll. They are on rampant fire. Six in six – a rarity in the IPL if not entirely unprecedented – is not mere hitting a purple patch. It is utter domination – a commanding display of hegemony over the opposition. The MI juggernaut looks unstoppable. Batters Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult and all-rounder Hardik Pandya – the side’s lead players all – are well backed by support cast of Deepak Chahar, Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Will Jacks and Naman Dhir. They are firing on a myriad of cylinders at the opposition. Spin may not be their strongest suit, but Karn Sharma and even Jacks are stepping up to make up for the shortcoming. “Things are falling into place. Overall, not just the batting and bowling, I think fielding as well. I think our fielding has been really, really good. And we’ve converted a lot of opportunities. And that’s something that we’ve emphasized a lot with the group that we have. As long as we’re competing at that level and fighting for each and every opportunity, that’s all we can control and have that focus,” MI coach Mahela Jayawardene said about the team’s preparation and the situation in the league. MI have the momentum on their side and, more vitally, they are an inexhaustible force at home. Four of the five home games have been won this season and their form looks ominous. Third in the points table, MI are up against a side that is coming off a win but how strong is the Gujarat Titans resurgence will be tested on Tuesday (May 6) at the Wankhede. The Titans batting revolves around Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler and that Top 3 is supported well by a few others – Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, who have made substantial contributions, even if sporadically. Their bowling, spearheaded by Prasidh Krishna, strongly augments the batting. The side looks like a tight-knit unit. Despite the first leg reversal, there is little doubt that MI will start favourites in the face-off between two in-form sides, and more crucially a match-up between two Top-4 outfits. A win will be a giant leap forward for either team towards the play-off qualification but more crucially it will go a long way in their bid for a Top 2 finish. When: Tuesday, May 6 at 7:30 PM IST Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai What to expect: With top batters from either side in fine nick, it should be a high-scoring contest with Mumbai Indians having a slight edge. With the weather getting hotter by the day, there may be some dew in the night requiring the team winning the toss to field first. Head-to-Head: Since the return of home-away format in 2023, MI have the best win % at home (63.1%), closely followed by GT (60.0%), with CSK as the only other side with over 50% (52.3%). MI, alongside GT, has the best record at home this season winning four out of the first five games. Overall in six matches, it’s MI 2 and GT 4. Team Watch Mumbai Indians Injuries/ Unavailability: No news of injury in the camp. Mitchell Santner, who has been out of the last few games, is available for selection, said Mahela Jayawardene. Tactics & Match-ups: Mumbai Indians are mindful of the fact that not only 75 percent of GT runs are scored by their Top 3 – Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler – but also the fact that they face bulk of the deliveries (nearly 75 percent). Unmistakably, MI will unleash their best – Bumrah, Boult and Deepak – to target them early so that they can expose the GT middle order which is short on gametime. Probable XII: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah and Karn Sharma Gujarat Titans Injuries/Unavailability: There is no injury situation in the GT camp. All players are available for selection, including Kagiso Rabada. Tactics & Match-ups: Rabada enjoys a favourable match-up against key MI batters – Rohit, Surya, Hardik, and Jacks – having dismissed the first two four times each, Hardik thrice, and Jacks twice. Probable XII: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee/Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Ishant Sharma Did you know? – MI seam attack is at the top of wickets (57), avg (22.40), SR (15.1) and is the only team which concedes at under nine/over. – In his last five games this season, Gill scored four fifties. His only failure came via a run out. – Gill and Sudharsan have scored 200+ runs more than the next best opening pair and they also became the first GT pair to aggregate 600+ runs in an IPL season. The last five opening stands for GT read: 120, 14, 114, 93, & 87 (last). What they said “With (Punjab) Kings having that odd number because of the rained-off game, all that we as a franchise can control or I as a coach can control is to focus on the game tomorrow and then after that the next game. We have three good games against us, which is good for us. So, we just want to do what we’ve been doing, play some good cricket. Boys are focused
Neymar scores his first goal since returning to Santos in Brazil
Neymar scored his first goal for Santos since returning to Brazil when he converted a penalty Sunday (February 17, 2025) in a 3-1 win over Sao Paulo-based Água Santa. Finding the net from the spot in the 14th minute of the Sao Paulo state championship match will provide the 33-year-old star some relief after a tough restart. Thaciano in the 26th and Guilherme, with an assist by Neymar, in the 70th rounded out the scoring for Santos. So far, Neymar has not managed to play all 90 minutes in a match for Santos. His performances were below par in the first three games for the club, but he showed some improvement on Sunday (February 17, 2025) as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. Neymar officially returned to soccer in October after an entire year out. He confirmed last month that his contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal had been terminated by mutual consent. He had an injury-marred spell at Al-Hilal, where he played only seven matches and scored once. Neymar has signed a six-month contract with Santos, which he said could be extended later. In his first professional spell at Santos from 2009 to 2013, he scored 138 goals in 225 official matches. The Brazilian became the most expensive player in soccer history when he transferred from Barcelona to PSG for 222 million euros (then $262 million) in 2017. He went to Al-Hilal in 2023 for 90 million euros ($94 million).
Champions League: Liverpool beats Lille to reach Round of 16; Barcelona wins 9-goal thriller over Benfica
Liverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday (January 21, 2025), while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller. Harvey Elliott’s bouncing, deflected shot gave Liverpool its seventh win from seven games, just after 10-man Lille had equalized following Mohamed Salah’s opening goal. Liverpool needed a point at Anfield to be sure of reaching the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams in the league stage, skipping the playoff round for teams ranked ninth to 24th. Salah raced through in the 34th minute to sweep Liverpool ahead with his 22nd goal in all competitions this season. And when Lille’s Aissa Mandi was sent off just before the hour mark, Liverpool looked certain to extend its 100% record in the league phase. But Anfield was stunned when Canada striker Jonathan David converted from close range to level the score in the 62nd. It didn’t take long for Liverpool to regain the lead through Elliott’s deflected effort five minutes later. “All my life I’ve dreamt of playing Champions League football, not only for my boyhood club but to play here at Anfield in front of our fans and especially to score, it’s kind of a pinch-me moment,” Elliott said. Barcelona’s comeback win It was a night of high drama in the Champions League with 33 goals scored across nine games. Nine of them came in Barcelona’s battle with Benfica. Raphinha scored in stoppage time to complete a rousing comeback as Barcelona won in Lisbon despite having been 4-2 down with less than a quarter of an hour remaining. Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis scored the third-fastest hat trick at the start of a Champions League game, with two of his goals coming after errors by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Barcelona stays second with 18 points from seven games, and is now unbeaten in six games in all competitions since the new year. “We came with the mindset that we could turn the game,” Raphinha said. “We never gave up and managed to grab a win.” Robert Lewandowski scored two penalties for Barcelona to stay the Champions League’s top scorer on nine goals, one ahead of Raphinha, who also scored twice. Another Spanish club staged a comeback as Julian Alvarez scored a 90th-minute winner to lift Atletico Madrid past Bayer Leverkusen 2-1. Atletico lost Pablo Barrios to a 23rd-minute red card and went into half time 1-0 down to a Piero Hincapie header for Leverkusen. Alvarez scored in the 52nd and had the momentum when Hincapie was sent off for a second yellow card, before Alvarez struck again to take the win and lift Atletico to third. Villa slides out of the top eight With Prince William watching on, Aston Villa’s hopes of automatic qualification for the round of 16 took a blow after a 1-0 loss to Monaco. Villa led the standings early in the league phase of the competition after winning its first three games. But defeat to Monaco left the Premier League club eighth. Wilfried Singo’s goal at a corner in the eighth minute was enough to secure the win for ninth-place Monaco. Dortmund slump continues Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 loss at Bologna increased the pressure on coach Nuri Sahin in Dortmund’s fourth consecutive loss at the start of the new year in all competitions. Serhou Guirassy gave Dortmund, last season’s runner-up, the lead with a chipped penalty and ran to celebrate with Sahin. It looked like the Champions League could provide a much-needed boost for a team floundering in the Bundesliga, but two goals in two minutes from Thijs Dallinga and Samuel Iling-Junior changed the game for previously winless Bologna. Results elsewhere meant Bologna will be heading out of the competition despite its win, since the Italian club can’t finish in the top 24. Sturm Graz and Red Star Belgrade are also out after losing Tuesday. Atalanta beat Graz 5-0, strengthening the Italian club’s push to qualify directly for the round of 16. Atalanta finished the evening fourth. PSV Eindhoven hung on for a 3-2 win at Red Star despite losing defender Flamingo to a red card just after halftime while leading 3-0. Stuttgart eased to a 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, which was already eliminated and has lost all seven of its games. Club Brugge and Juventus drew 0-0. Europa League In the only Europa League game of the night, Galatasaray missed a chance to go third in the table, giving up a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with last-place Dynamo Kyiv.
Ronaldo penalty and Mane double propel Al-Nassr to 3-1 victory
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 11th goal of the season to help Al-Nassr defeat Al-Okhdood 3-1 on Thursday (January 10, 2025) as the Saudi Pro League restarted after a month’s break. After Saviour Godwin gave Okhdood an early lead, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane leveled after 29 minutes. Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr two years ago, put the Riyadh club ahead from the penalty spot three minutes before the break. The 39-year-old Portugal star was top scorer last season and is now one goal behind Aleksandar Mitrovic of Al-Hilal in the current rankings. Mane added his second in the 88th minute as Al-Nassr moved into third in the standings, six points behind Al-Hilal and eight behind leader Al-Ittihad.
World Cup-winning France coach Deschamps to quit national team after 2026 World Cup
Didier Deschamps, France’s longest-serving national team coach, will not seek to renew his contract which expires in 2026, the French football federation (FFF) told Reuters on Tuesday (January 7, 2025). Deschamps’ deal runs until after the next World Cup, for which Les Bleus have yet to qualify. The 56-year-old took over from fellow 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc in 2012 and led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 2018, two years after reaching the European Championship final on home soil. The former France captain, one of only three people to win football’s most prestigious prize as a player and a coach, guided the national team to the World Cup final again in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties after one of the best matches in the tournament’s history. Earlier on Tuesday, French sports daily L’Equipe reported that Deschamps would make his announcement on Wednesday. FFF president Philippe Diallo told Reuters Deschamps would not look to extend his stay after the World Cup, adding: “He will go until the end of his contract, i.e. 2026.” Stellar career Deschamps, who had won trophies with every club he managed before becoming France coach, also claimed the 2021 Nations League title with Les Bleus. As a player, he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, both as captain. A defensive midfielder nicknamed ‘the water carrier’ by Eric Cantona, Deschamps was a winning machine and under his guidance as coach, France were at times boringly efficient and at others brilliant, beating Argentina 4-3 in the 2018 World Cup round of 16 and Croatia 4-2 in the final. While Deschamps’ side has boasted the thrilling attacking talent of Kylian Mbappe, his teams have also shown grit and unmatched defensive ability when it mattered most. It is uncertain who will succeed him but Zinedine Zidane is the heavy favourite for the job.
No one expected Chelsea to be where they are now, says Enzo Maresca
Ipswich Town put a dent in Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes with a 2-0 win at Portman Road on Monday (December 30, 2024), but the west London side’s head coach Enzo Maresca said no one expected his young team to be in their current position this season. Chelsea was stunned by the promoted side after Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson scored either side of the break, which dropped Maresca’s side down to fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand. Having finished sixth in the last campaign and 12th in the 2022-23 season, Chelsea hired Maresca in June after he guided Leicester City to the English Championship title in his first season in charge. “Not one of us in this room expected us to be where we are now,” Maresca told reporters. “This means and shows that we are in the right direction, as I’ve said many times, but also shows that we are far from competing (with) consistency and to be there with the best teams in England. “I think we (have) to be satisfied with where we are, but at the same time we need to know we (can) do things better.” Maresca has consistently played down his expensively assembled squad’s title chances, despite some impressive victories this season. Chelsea have now collected just one point from their last three league outings. But the Italian said recent results were unavoidable. “We expected this kind of moment during the season because we know that this kind of moment belongs to football. It is almost impossible to have a season where you do not have a moment like now for us,” he said.
INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE | Hyderabad fights back to rescue a point against East Bengal
Former champion Hyderabad FC and East Bengal FC were locked in a one-all draw in the ISL league match at the GMC Balayogi Stadium here on Saturday. The home side kept the pressure up from the beginning, compelling Hijazi Maher to concede a corner in the 11th minute. As a consequence of that set-piece, Manoj Mohammad pulled off an aerial effort from the centre of the 18-yard box that missed the target on the right side. It took a fantastic free-kick from Cleiton Silva of East Bengal in the 64th minute to create the move that broke the deadlock in this match. Dimitrios Diamantakos won a foul and Silva stepped up on the ball and discharged an impressive delivery that smashed the crossbar, only to find Jeakson Singh who pounced on the rebound and bundled it in to get the visitors ahead, arguably against the run of play. Substitute Murgaonkar of HFC made an instant impact through an outside-of-the-box shot that was set up for him by Abdul Rabeeh. It didn’t land on target, but showed that the home side was getting on the offensive.
