Hosts will fight for survival on the final day after yet another batting collapse

Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2021Sajid Khan’s maiden six-wicket haul left Bangladesh in danger of being made to follow-on with one day of the Dhaka Test to go. It remains to be seen if the weather will halt Pakistan’s push for full WTC points, though.On Tuesday, play was called off at 4.30pm, an hour before scheduled close. Conditions continued to remain murky all day. Yet, it was better than on the three previous days where heavy rain allowed just 63.2 overs to be bowled in the Test.Pakistan got busy as soon as play commenced at 10:50am. They first declaring on 300 for four, with half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam. Then, despite being hamstrung by the umpires’ diktat that play wouldn’t continue if they operate with fast bowlers, Pakistan made inroads with spin.Debutant Mahmudul Hasan Joy tried to charge off spinner Sajid, only managing to edge to slip. Then, Hasan Ali made his presence felt at point, first with a simple catch to dismiss Shadman Islam before running out Mominul Haque with a direct hit.Mushfiqur Rahim was the next to go, one ball after surviving a close lbw call, as he tried to swing Sajid across the line with Fawad taking the catch at short midwicket. Then, Liton Das, sent ahead of Shakib Al Hasan, tried to attack Sajid but only hit one back to the bowler as Bangladesh slipped to 46 for 5.Sajid then completed his five-for when he trapped Najmul Hossain Shanto for 30. Shanto couldn’t capitalise on his reprieves, first being dropped on 13 and later when he was caught behind off a Nauman Ali no-ball.Shakib tried to bristle his way for runs, but Bangladesh kept losing wickets. Mehidy Hasan Miraz became Sajid’s sixth victim. Shakib and Taijul Islam then survived 5.2 overs before play was called off.Pakistan had earlier declared their first innings on 300 immediately after Fawad reached his second Test half-century. Rizwan made an unbeaten 53 off 94 balls, with the pair’s unbroken fifth-wicket stand worth 103.Rizwan endured slices of luck; he was dropped on 30 apart from surviving two lbw calls from the on-field umpires, both reversed through DRS.Bangladesh had started well with pacers Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed bowling well in tandem, with the wickets of Azhar Ali and Babar Azam respectively. It was Khaled’s first Test wicket, having bowled 69.4 overs over three Tests since his debut in November 2018.

Tottenham Hotspur have already “made a bid” to sign an attacking gem who’s “flying” right now, with chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy attempting to build upon their long-term project with Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou endures mixed start to the season with Spurs

The Lilywhites appeared to have turned a corner before their dramatic 3-2 slump away at Brighton just before the international break, winning five games on the trot in all competitions, but their Amex defeat exposed the chinks remaining in Tottenham’s armour.

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Postecolgou’s side were 2-0 up and cruising at half-time, and it looked at one point like they were set to extend their imperious winning run to six. Brennan Johnson continued his own exceptional run of scoring form with the opener against Brighton, with James Maddison doubling their lead just before the 40-minute mark, but a capitulation soon followed.

Tottenham vs West Ham

October 19

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

October 27

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

November 3

Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

November 10

Man City vs Tottenham

November 23

After the restart, and in the space of just 20 minutes, goals from Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck handed the home side a surprise 3-2 lead and brought attention to Tottenham’s very questionable defending.

The defeat is Postecoglou’s third of the season already, and they next take on arch rivals West Ham in a fierce London derby clash this weekend. Tottenham will need to respond in convincing fashion, or questions will continue to be asked about their hopes of winning silverware this season.

The January window could represent a chance to strengthen in key areas and boost Postecoglou’s hopes of making good on his promise to end Spurs’ 16-year wait for a trophy. It is believed Tottenham are eyeing an alternative playmaker to Maddison, with Skakhtar Donetsk star Georgiy Sudakov a target for them.

Meanwhile, there are claims Spurs could move for a new forward in January, leading to their interest in Espanyol star Javi Puado as they ponder a future without star man Son Heung-min.

Tottenham have "made a bid" to sign Mason Melia

Levy and technical director Johan Lange are also always on the lookout for rising stars, with Republic of Ireland talent and St. Patrick’s Athletic striker Mason Melia firmly on their agenda.

The 17-year-old striker is in demand right now, courted by “5/6” Premier League sides, and Spurs are among them. That is according to Irish journalist Conor McEvoy, who wrote via his “Rep of Ireland player tracker” feed on X that Tottenham have “made a bid” for Melia.

“Spurs have made a bid for Mason Melia with the asking price for Melia a million euro,” wrote McEvoy.

“There are 5/6 Premier League clubs in the race for Melia’s signature and I expect something to formalise in the next few months with the race heating up. Mason can’t leave until he turns 18 next September so we have still a lot more time to witness his magic at home.”

The teenager is earning rave reviews for his performances back home, and St. Pat’s teammate Aidan Keena shared just how impressed he is with the attacking sensation.

“We have a good run of form going,” said Keena.

“There’s good competition for places in the squad. Mason started and showed that against Waterford, he’s flying, we can all see the player he can be, if everything falls right for him,” said Keena, astonished at how quickly Wicklow native Melia has bedded in.

“When I was 16 I was in the St Pat’s U-19s. So it’s brilliant to see him in the first team at 16. He knows how good he is and how good he can be, he has a good head on his shoulders. He’s playing men’s football, and it’s not just his goals, his overall game is getting better and better. I am there to give him any advice he needs but he doesn’t need much, it will be me asking him for advice now.”

Everton’s transfer history in recent years has been… chequered, to say the least. Though the Goodison Park side stand proud as one of six clubs to have never been relegated from the modern Premier League (since its inception in 1992), that record has teetered on the precipice in recent years.

Football is fickle, of course, and now that Everton have strung together a five-match unbeaten run in the top flight, the hostility on the blue half of Merseyside has somewhat evaporated, but the fact remains that the Friedkin Group and their takeover from Farhad Moshiri better bear fruits after a rotten period.

If the Toffees are to get themselves unstuck, a refined and repurposed assault on the transfer market must be constructed, for there are a wealth of talented teams in the lower echelons of the division and only the most pinpoint purchasers of quality will succeed in rising.

Sean Dyche does manage an industrious bunch and has perhaps aided his fight by moving away from the big-money, high-profile signings that Everton used to complete.

Prominence doesn’t necessarily translate to prosperity, with the Barcelona buys across the past several years evidence of that.

Everton's Barcelona buys

Everton have completed a host of acquisitions from Barcelona across the past decade, starting with the sharp £4m signing of Gerard Deulofeu in June 2015, with the winger having previously spent the 2013/14 campaign on loan with the Blues.

By December 2015, the Spanish maverick had notched seven assists in the Premier League, with six of those placed at the feet of the hulking Romelu Lukaku. Deulofeu’s comparative success was fleeting, however, and he left on loan to AC Milan in January 2017 after fizzling out at Goodison.

Deulofeu had given Everton a taste of the talent available on Camp Nou’s fringes, and thus it was a triple signing was enforced in the summer of 2018.

Over a week into August, talented midfielder Andre Gomes joined defensive titan Yerry Mina in joining the Goodison cause, for a combined fee of £51m (once Gomes’ £2m loan move was made permanent the following year).

Yerry Mina: Premier League Stats by Season

Season

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

Clean sheets

2022/23

7 (7)

2

0

1

2021/22

13 (11)

0

0

2

2020/21

24 (23)

2

0

5

2019/20

29 (25)

2

1

4

2018/19

13 (10)

1

0

3

Stats via WhoScored

Both players flattered to deceive despite showing flashes of La Blaugrana brilliance, largely due to injury woes that precluded their chances of making their mark.

Of course, that double swoop was enforced after Lucas Digne was signed a week earlier, setting the tone.

Lucas Digne's Everton career

Digne joined Everton on a five-year deal, attached to a fee rising to £20m. Regular match action was the swaying point in negotiations, with the France international stuck playing second fiddle behind Jordi Alba at Barcelona.

The full-back’s passing game was borne from his days at Paris Saint-Germain, nurtured in Catalonia, and he impressed in his first year, helping Everton toward their third successive top-eight finish in the Premier League, this time under the leadership of Marco Silva.

Indeed, Digne posted four goals and four assists apiece across 34 matches in the league that year, averaging 2.1 key passes and 2.1 tackles per game, winning 59% of his duels and keeping 13 clean sheets, as per Sofascore. It’s no surprise that correspondent Paddy Boyland hailed the defender as “operating at the very top level”.

But Everton’s good fortunes were not sustained across the spread of Digne’s time at the club. The left-back would eventually be sold to Premier League rivals Aston Villa at the end of Rafa Benitez’s dismal spell, and though he had a rift with the grizzled tactician, the issues ran deeper: financial struggles and Digne’s £90k-per-week salary called for his departure.

Across his four seasons at the outfit, the 31-year-old completed 127 appearances, scored six goals and supplied 20 assists. Benitez’s pragmatic tactics and Everton’s consequent nosedive pulled him away from his productivity, though, with just one goal scored and not a single assist placed across 15 matches.

The time had come, it was time to sell.

Lucas Digne's market value in 2024/25

Aston Villa signed Digne for a £25m fee in January 2022, mere days before Benitez would be given the boot. As referenced above, though, the Frenchman’s sale was a necessary evil regardless of the Spaniard’s fate.

He’s since played a key part in Villa’s rise, plying his trade in the Champions League this season after finishing fourth in the Premier League last year. Digne has been hailed as a “machine” by journalist Ty Bracey.

Even so, Digne’s getting on a bit and is starting to lose some of his defensive solidity and creative flair, winning just 49% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season while averaging only 0.9 key passes per game.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

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As such, Everton’s sales team will probably be happy to note that, as per Football Transfers, the Les Bleus star is now worth around £6m, suggesting that his departure on Merseyside was bang on the mark, especially with Vitalii Mykolenko purchased to replace him at the same time, in a deal worth £17m.

Though he’s an integral part of Unai Emery’s booming Villa project, Everton collected a pretty penny for his sale and his market depreciation – a drop of £19m in just two years – does point toward business conducted at just the right time.

Digne would likely argue that he is the finest former Barcelona star to have plied their trade in Everton colours over the past decade, and he’d make a compelling case for it.

The 31-year-old might have found loftier heights at Villa Park, but he did a job for the Toffees and was swiftly replaced by an adequate heir in Mykolenko – turning a profit at that.

It feels like Everton cashed in for a lucrative amount at the perfect time.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Oct 28, 2024

You may expect the usual David and Goliath angle for a preview about a series between South Africa and Netherlands but this won’t exactly be it. You only have to go back a little over four months for the last time a so-called David beat South Africa’s Goliath, when Ireland registered their first ODI win over them and took what could-yet be 10 crucial points off them in the World Cup Super League.The series was shared and South Africa were shaken, even if circumstances at the time suggest that Ireland’s victory was an anomaly. It came at the height of South Africa’s third wave of coronavirus and players on tour had family and friends who were ill at home. It also came during an incident since described as an insurrection in South Africa, characterised by riots and looting in the provinces of Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal, where a significant number of the national squad are based. It’s fair to say that South Africa’s minds were elsewhere. They went to lose an ODI series in Sri Lanka, but since that defeat they have won all but one of their matches, the T20 World Cup opener against Australia, so the wheel appears to be turning. But how far? This summer might tell.This week marked the start of the fourth wave of the pandemic in South Africa, with a three-fold increase in the seven-day rolling averages of positive cases, the bulk of them in the Gauteng province where this series is being played. One of those cases was Lungi Ngidi, who has been withdrawn from the squad thereby depriving South Africa of their senior-most seamer for the ODIs against the Dutch. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are being rested and with Ngidi now out, it will be up to a three-time ODI capped Daryn Dupavillon, twice-capped Junior Dala and uncapped Sisanda Magala to lead the attack. Happily, for South Africa, they also have three seam-bowling allrounders in their ranks. Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo and Wayne Parnell will all add experience to a green pace pack.Though the civil unrest was short lived, South Africa remains far from stable with rolling blackouts at their worst in 2021 and the economy in freefall, and cricket has not escaped the crunch. Money is still tight at Cricket South Africa and that’s not the only shadow hanging over the administration.The Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) project will reach its conclusion as the season starts with the transformation ombudsman, Dumisa Ntsebeza, set to release his report on November 30, the day before the final ODI against the Dutch. It is expected to contain recommendations that could directly impact the national team. Head coach Mark Boucher was among those who was implicated in testimony detailing racism, and responded with an affidavit admitting to naivety and apologising for his past conduct. His assistant, Enoch Nkwe, resigned in the midst of these events, citing problems with the team culture without going into any further details. Nkwe may yet be courted by Netherlands, where he was previously assistant coach, and where he has family.But out of all that, South Africa have emerged, finally, with clarity on their anti-racism gesture. Less than 48 hours before the first international delivery of the summer is bowled, CSA released a statement confirming that the team will take a knee throughout the season. “The Proteas should continue to take the knee as a contribution towards the global sports endeavour to demonstrate its commitment to eradicating racism and all forms of discrimination,” CSA said.Considering that South Africa previously had a three-pronged approach to showing anti-racism (take a knee, raise a fist or stand to attention) and that several players only took a knee when it was mandated by the board (and one, Quinton de Kock only after sitting out a game for refusing to accept the instruction at first), there will still be questions about whether South African cricket is inclusive enough or representative enough. Addressing these questions remains an ongoing process, but there will be plenty of on-field tests as well in a busy summer ahead.Lined up are ODI series against Netherlands, India and Bangladesh – which will collectively go a long way to determining their chances of automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup – and Tests against India, New Zealand and Bangladesh. The T20 format takes a backseat, with only four fixtures against India but, all in all, it’s a full schedule that could prove crucial for Boucher’s longevity as head coach and several players’ careers.Netherlands can only dream of a sentence like that being written about them. As the only Associate in the World Cup Super League, they are relishing their opportunity to play against the big teams but it will be shortlived. The scrapping of the league and return to a one-off qualifier event for the 2027 World Cup has created uncertainty among Associates, who fear their chances to test themselves against the best will be severely reduced. In the long-term, Dutch coach Ryan Campbell believes it could shrink the game; in the short-term, it gives a team like Netherlands even more incentive to make statements where they can, especially against a side like South Africa, where many of their players started their careers.Related

• 'Fully committed' – Wayne Parnell on his international return

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• Ngidi tests positive for Covid-19, to miss Netherlands ODIs

The Netherlands squad includes a former South African international, Roelof van der Merwe, three former provincial players, Colin Ackermann, Stephan Myburgh and Brandon Glover, and an uncapped South Africa-born player, Clayton Floyd. Their mentor – and greatest player to date – Ryan ten Doeschate is also South African, so the connection between the two countries from a cricketing perspective is strong.And then there’s the added niggle. Expats have historically been fan favourites for some actual banter (not the kind that has been talked about in the English circuit over the last few weeks) and for the first time since the pandemic began, there will be a cricket crowd in a South African stadium. Current government regulations allow for a maximum of 2,000 fully vaccinated spectators at sports events but Cricket South Africa has petitioned for this to increase to 10% of stadium capacity. ESPNcricinfo understands that this request will be granted but that it needs to be published in the national gazette and that may only happen in time for the Test series against India. So it may be a small crowd for this series, but certainly a vocal one, albeit sans minors. Children under 12, to whom the Covid-19 vaccine is not yet available in South Africa, will not be allowed to attend matches and there’s another hard sell: no alcohol is allowed to be sold at sporting venues.The absence of a party atmosphere will not take away from this series, marking the start of the festive season in some way. Pandemic-weary South Africans are looking forward to a more “normal” December-January after last year’s holiday lockdown, and having international cricket will be one way of enjoying summer. Despite six regulars – big names like captain Temba Bavuma, de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje – being given a break from the biobubble for these matches, there are enough eye-catchers to keep people interested. Janneman Malan, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj have all put in standout performances over the past year and more will be expected this summer. And if the start of it, a three-match ODI series against Netherlands, doesn’t seem like an enticing match-up for you, just think back to July and that match against Ireland.

Over the last two seasons Arsenal have been nothing short of exceptional in pursuit of the Premier League title.

They have gone toe to toe with Manchester City and thrived. In 2022/23, it was five points separating the two, last term it was just two points separating them. However, in 2024/25, it’s looking like the margin could be even bigger.

The Gunners have certainly not had things all their own way this season. Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard and William Saliba have seen red while Martin Odegaard has missed a lengthy period through injury. The same magic, the same sparkle that has been there over the last 24 months is not apparent now.

That has never been more apparent than during their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday. St James’ Park is never an easy place to go but Arsenal have ridden out tough circumstances in 2024. This was a worrying performance, therefore.

It lacked character, it lacked fight, it lacked passion, it lacked creativity. In all, it was an insipid display from a team allegedly challenging for the title. Sadly for those in the away end on Sunday, their title dream may be as good as done already. That certainly wasn’t in the script, was it?

What went wrong at Newcastle for Arsenal

Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and admit when a team has scored a good goal against you. That’s what happened on Saturday lunchtime. Anthony Gordon raced down the right and swung in an inch-perfect cross that Arsenal-linked Alexandre Isak headed home.

That was arguably the finest chance either side had in the match and it was one that decided things.

The biggest frustration for supporters will no doubt be the tactics, or lack thereof, that Mikel Arteta employed in the north east this weekend.

On paper, it was a team that was good enough to win the game but tactically it was a horrible performance. Trossard and Kai Havertz crisscrossed between playing as the central striker and the attacking midfielder but that didn’t work.

Havertz needed to be on the shoulder of the Toon defence but had one of his worst games in an Arsenal shirt, winning just two of his ten duels and giving away three fouls.

There was also a lack of impetus on the left-hand side. Gabriel Martinelli got very little change from Newcastle right-back Tino Livramento who won all four of his ground duels and two of his three aerial duels.

In truth, the game was crying out for Ethan Nwaneri but even when he was introduced, it was too little too late. Without Odegaard, Arsenal lack so much creativity and that was evidenced in Trossard’s shoddy display at St James’.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Trossard's performance in numbers

Last season the little Belgian was excellent in Arsenal colours. Only Bukayo Saka scored more goals than the former Brighton man but he has struggled to replicate a similar level of performance this time around.

Some degree of context must be applied. He’s not been playing on his favoured left-hand side and has been trying to make up for Odegaard’s absence. Sadly, it just hasn’t happened for him.

Trossard has only scored twice in 12 outings this term and it did not get much better for him on Saturday afternoon.

Minutes played

71

Touches

37

Accurate passes

17/22 (77%)

Shots

2

Dribble success

0/2

Crosses

0

Key passes

0

Ground duels won

2/9

Aerial duels won

0/1

Fouls

1

Possession lost

12x

Clearances

1

Interceptions

0

Tackles

0

Dribbled past

3x

Hauled off with 20 minutes to go, the 29-year-old left the pitch having done very little to get his side back into the encounter, registering fewer passes (17) than even goalkeeper David Raya (18), managed.

He was notably poor in the first half, squandering possession with ease on all too many occasions. One moment came towards the end of the opening 45 minutes where he attempted to play a ball into Saka who had acres of space on the edge of the area but it was awfully overhit.

That was one of 12 times that Trossard gave away the ball in what was a desperately poor performance. To make matters worse, he failed to produce a single key pass and had two shots, one of which was dragged wide in the opening minutes of the match.

As GOAL reporter Gill Clark put it, he ‘gave the ball away far too many times in a sloppy showing’, thus warranting a 4/10 match rating for his efforts.

So, when Arsenal face Inter Milan in the Champions League in midweek, the Belgium international must be reduced to a place on the bench. Now is the time to give Nwaneri a go instead.

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Arteta might want to ditch Martinelli and sign £70m forward at Arsenal.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 21, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly agreed to sign a new contract extension at Al-Nassr, just days after turning 40.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ronaldo agrees to extend Al-Nassr stayWill stay in the Saudi league until June 2026Portuguese star turned 40 last weekFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo, who joined the Saudi giants in January 2023 on a two-and-a-half-year deal, would have seen his contract run out at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. However, an Al-Nassr official has reportedly told the that the Portuguese star has agreed to extend his stay for another year and the new deal will run until June 2026.

AdvertisementWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking , the official said: "The sides have agreed on the renewable extension of Ronaldo's contract, but it has not been signed yet. An announcement will be made over the coming days."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The news of Ronaldo's extension comes less than a week after he turned 40. The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star marked his milestone birthday with a goal against Al Feiha in a crucial Saudi Pro League clash on February 6 as Al-Nassr won the clash 3-0.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?

Al-Nassr will be back in action on Thursday as they take on Al-Ahli in a league clash away from home.

New Zealand captain trying to find a balance to manage the problem better

Deivarayan Muthu09-Nov-2021

Gary Stead and Kane Williamson have a chat•ICC via Getty

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has found it challenging to refrain himself from over-hitting at the nets and instead keep himself fresh for the matches. Williamson’s elbow injury flared up during the warm-ups in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup and the team management has managed him carefully since then.Williamson had sat out New Zealand’s first warm-up, against Netherlands, with a niggly hamstring. He then returned to action against Australia, top-scoring for his side with 37 off 30 balls, but aggravated his elbow.The elbow complaint has been a long-standing one for Williamson, forcing him to miss the ODI series at home against Bangladesh, the start of the first leg of IPL 2021 in India in April, the Edgbaston Test against England and the inaugural Hundred. The elbow was more recently put to test, again, when New Zealand played three Super-12 fixtures in five days across three venues in UAE.”Yeah that has been a bit of a challenge for me personally – the balance between the loading of the elbow and things like that,” Williamson said on the eve of the semi-finals against England in Abu Dhabi.”So, trying to stay as fresh as possible for the game. So, it’s been a bit of a delicate balance to get my head around and I certainly look forward to the day it’s gone (laughs) and I don’t have to worry too much about it.”But, as it stands, it’s a topic of discussion and [I’m] just trying to work closely with the physio to make sure I’m as fresh as possible for the game. It has had an impact on loading, which therefore means training has been a lot less to be fair.”Head coach Gary Stead also said that Williamson’s stints at the nets have been limited although he prefers to hit a lot of balls at training.”Kane’s good at the moment,” Stead said. “He hasn’t probably trained as much as he would have liked. But that’s just making sure that the time when he’s batting, hopefully, that’s in the middle for us and winning games of cricket that he’s not overdoing the elbow and probably training for him is the chance of making it worse. We’ve managed that well and I think that’s the mental challenge for Kane – to work that out as well.”Three days after the T20 World Cup final in Dubai, New Zealand are set to kick off their India tour with a three-match T20I series. New Zealand will then begin their World Test Championship defence in the two-match Test series in Kanpur and Mumbai.The same T20I squad that was picked for the World Cup will also tour India. This means Williamson’s niggly elbow is set for a heavier workout in the subcontinent.

أعلن نادي بايرن ميونخ متصدر جدول ترتيب الدوري الألماني بإصابة أحد أهم لاعبي الفريق الأول وغيابه لنهاية الموسم الحالي 2024/2025.

جاءت الصدمة خلال مباراة كندا مع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والتي انتهت بنتيجة 2-1 لصالح الأول في بطولة دوري الأمم بقارة أمريكا الشمالية “كونكاكاف”.

حيث تعرض الظهير الأيسر، ألفونسو ديفيز، لإصابة مبكرة أجبرته على خروج في الدقيقة 12 من زمن المباراة وسط تخوفات بشأن الإصابة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ريبيري يكشف كيف تم خطف الكرة الذهبية 2013 من بين يديه

وبالتالي، ديفيز موسمه قد انتهى مع بايرن ميونخ بسبب إصابته بقطع في الرباط الصليبي لأنه سيغيب عن الملاعب لمدة 6 أشهر وفقًا للبيان الرسمي من النادي الألماني.

بهذا لن يتواجد الكندي الدولي في أي مباراة متبقية بالموسم الحالي ولن يشارك ببطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025 والتي ستقام ما بين شهري يونيو ويوليو.

وكان ديفيز قد جدد عقده قبل أسابيع قليلة مع بايرن ميونخ لمدة 6 سنوات أخرى لينتهي العقد الجديد في يونيو 2030، ولكن سوء الحظ صادفه مع منتخب بلده كندا.

Virat Kohli was full of praise for Mohammed Shami, calling him one of “the best three seamers in the world” after India beat South Africa by 113 runs in the first Test in Centurion.Shami’s five-for was instrumental in India bowling out South Africa for 197 in the first innings, especially when they didn’t have the services of Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah was off the field for close to two hours after twisting his ankle. Then he had to spend the same amount of time on the field before he was allowed to bowl again.In the second dig too Shami chipped in with 3 for 63, which included Aiden Markram’s wicket in the second over of the innings.”Very, very happy for him to get 200 wickets and have an impactful performance,” Kohli said of Shami at the post-match presentation. “He is absolutely world-class talent. For me, he’s in the best three seamers in the world at the moment. His strong wrist, his seam position and his ability to hit a length consistently…”Talking about the overall pace attack, Kohli said: “Just the way these guys bowl together, it’s just a hallmark of our team getting a result from that position, not just in this game but also in the last two-three years.”India get together after Mohammed Shami snags Wiaan Mulder•AFP/Getty Images

In a rain-affected Test, India’s performance with the bat on the first day proved to be decisive in the end. Kohli credit his openers for that.”The discipline that the batters showed… Winning the toss, batting first overseas is a tough challenge,” he said. “Credit to Mayank and KL for the way they set it up.”We knew we were in pole position with anything over 300-320. We have a lot of belief in our bowling unit and knew the bowlers will get the job done.”This is India’s first Test win in Centurion. Now, they will be eyeing their first Test series win in South Africa. The next match will be played in Johannesburg, where India had won on their last tour.”It’s a top start for us, Kohli said. “We have to understand one day was washed out. That shows how well we played. It’s always a difficult place to play against South Africa. We got so much confidence out of Johannesburg last time. It’s a ground we love playing at.”

Lamine Yamal has explained why he’ll continue to ignore Lionel Messi comparisons, with every “left-footed winger” being likened to the Barcelona icon.

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Teenager stepped out of La Masia academyBecoming a record-breaking star in his own rightEager to avoid comparisons to Argentine GOATFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

It is easy to see why teen sensation Yamal forms part of that discussion in 2025. At just 17 years of age, he is already a European Championship winner with Spain and the proud holder of prestigious Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards.

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Records have continued to tumble around the youngster since he made his senior debut at 15. He stepped out of the same La Masia academy system that helped to put Messi – an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and the most decorated player of all-time – on the road to greatness.

WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

Yamal is, however, reluctant to be placed in the same talent pool as Argentine idol Messi. He has told : “Luckily, I’m not the first to have this happen to me. That means that it’s something that people have inside them every time they see a left-footed winger, or sometimes just when one is left-footed.

“I try to be myself. I always say that Messi is the best player in history and being compared to him means that you’re doing things right, but I try to be myself. I try to make my way and give everything for this shirt.”

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While being eager to avoid comparisons to Messi, Yamal claims that being a superstar of any kind is not part of his long-term thinking. He went on to say: “I feel comfortable, which is the most important thing. Talking about stars or not stars, in the end it is about playing, and showing what you are.

“You don’t have to feel like a star, superior or inferior. It’s not necessary. The important thing is to be comfortable, to play for the team and for your team-mates to help you. That’s enough.”