Wolves tracking "tremendous" £12m ace who’s "a cut above" his current level

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now tracking a “tremendous” defender who’s “a cut above” the level he’s currently playing at, according to Carlton Palmer.

Wolves remain in relegation dogfight

It can be tricky for clubs to plan for the summer when it is unclear what division they will be in next season, and Wolves find themselves in that situation at the moment, with their Premier League status in doubt.

Despite the 2-1 loss at Liverpool last time out, the Old Gold remain two points clear of the bottom three as things stand, with Ipswich Town picking up a point against Aston Villa on Saturday.

A shaky defence is one of the main reasons Vitor Pereira’s side find themselves in a precarious position, having shipped 54 goals in 25 games, so there may be a need to bring in some new options this summer, regardless of what league they are in.

Wolves now at threat of losing "important" star alongside Cunha this summer

A concern for Pereira…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 14, 2025

Earlier this week, it was revealed Wolves are leading the race for Genoa’s Koni De Winter, and there has now been another update on a centre-back they could target this summer.

In an interview with Football League World, Carlton Palmer has stated the Wanderers are interested in signing Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga, who the former England international believes is too good for the Championship.

Palmer said: “Wolves and West Ham are two of the clubs who are tracking Japhet Tanganga, who continues to impress at Millwall.

“He is a cut above this level, we all know that, he’s just struggled with injuries, but the 25-year-old has managed to stay fit and has played a big role in the Lions getting out of a relegation battle under Neil Harris last season, while he’s continued to improve in this campaign.

During the January transfer window, Millwall were holding out for a fee of £12m, although their asking price could feasibly rise if Tanganga continues to perform well ahead of the summer, having already received very high praise from the media.

"Tremendous" Tanganga could improve Wolves' backline

Palmer hailed the 25-year-old for his “tremendous recovery pace”, while also claiming he is capable of playing in the Premier League, so he could be a solid signing for Wolves regardless of whether they stay in the top flight.

That said, it may be difficult to win the race for the Millwall star if the unthinkable happens and Pereira’s side drop down to the Championship, given the interest from West Ham.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man is among the Lions’ most consistent players in the Championship this season, and he has previously proven he has what it takes to succeed in the top flight, putting in a top performance in a 1-0 win against Manchester City.

Fatigued Sri Lanka look to dig deep against well-drilled New Zealand

A fit-again Daryl Mitchell is likely to return, in place of Mark Chapman, for New Zealand

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Oct-20221:29

Tim Southee: On the day everyone poses different threats

Big picture
Fatigue-wise, New Zealand have had a kind start to the tournament. They thrashed Australia in Sydney, then took the short flight to Melbourne, where their match against Afghanistan was rained out without a ball being bowled. They’d have preferred to play that match, of course, but they’ve not had to contend with crazy schedules or serious changes in timezone.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have been whipped around, and they arrive in Sydney in some disarray. They’d started their campaign in Geelong, in the qualifiers, and have since lost no fewer than three fast bowlers to injury. Then three days after the qualifiers ended, they were playing a match in Hobart. Two days after that they played Australia in Perth. Now they’ve been shot back across the breadth of the continent to Sydney. Within the side, there seems to be a little consternation about their schedule, by the way. Their next match, on Tuesday, is in Brisbane. Then they come back to Sydney.Related

The future is uncertain, so savour Boult and Southee while you can

'Adaptable' Mitchell looking forward to 'cool challenge' of batting at No. 5

Sri Lanka replace injured Binura with Asitha

Sri Lanka tend to find grievance in high-profile assignments, however, but perhaps more importantly, they have a history of weaponising that grievance, to blast their way to good results. Test tours of South Africa in 2019, England in 2014, the T20 World Cup in 2014, and of course the big one – the 1996 World Cup – are some examples. But here they are up against a side that seems much-better drilled, and way more settled than they are.Out of 13 completed matches this year, New Zealand have lost only three. They have a nuclear top order, good firepower through the middle, and a top-class seam attack for Australian conditions. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are getting by on top-order runs without the middle order really contributing, and their attack looks more vulnerable following Tuesday’s loss to Australia.Sri Lanka have to dig deep and find a new gear to overcome their cricketing, and fatigue-related circumstances. New Zealand merely have to build on what they’ve already been doing.Form guide
New Zealand WLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWWWLIn the spotlight
That the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson are good at turning it on is known, but don’t sleep on Mitchell Santner, who has put up some impressive stats this year. Against Australia, he took 3 for 31 bowling inside the powerplay, and then through the middle overs. In T20Is this year, he has 17 wickets from 12 games, with an economy rate of 6.69.Wanindu Hasaranga went for 0 for 53 against Australia•ICC via Getty Images

It’s not often that Wanindu Hasaranga gets taken apart, but he clearly was in the last match, going for 0 for 53 from his three overs, as he kept trying to toss the ball up and get Australia’s batters caught in Perth’s big outfield, but failed repeatedly. Perth’s bouncier pitch didn’t quite suit his bowling but Sydney, where Sri Lanka’s spinners have done well in the past, may suit him nicely. It’s rare that he has two bad games in a row.Pitch and conditions
Thankfully, after two rained-out games on Friday, the forecast looks good in Sydney. This match will be played on a fresh pitch, and the short boundary will be the opposite direction to New Zealand’s first game here. The SCG has generally been the best batting surface so far in the tournament.Team news
Pramod Madushan will likely slot in for Binura Fernando, who was the third Sri Lanka quick to be ruled out of the tournament.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Pramod Madushan, 11 Lahiru KumaraNew Zealand are set to bring in Daryl Mitchell for Mark Chapman.New Zealand (possible): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultStats and trivia
Pathum Nissanka is the fourth-highest run-scorer in T20Is this year, with 636 from 21 innings. But those runs have come at a strike rate of only 111. Sri Lanka have been one of Santner’s favourite opponents in the past. He has taken seven wickets against them in five matches at a strike rate of 6.26. New Zealand have won 10 and lost seven T20Is against Sri Lanka. In T20 World Cups, however, the tally is 4-1 in Sri Lanka’s favour, though they haven’t met at this tournament since 2014.Quotes
“If it’s a good batting wicket and a fast outfield, the runs are there for taking. We need to go with a different game plan on a pitch like this..”
Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz on needing to adjust to Sydney, having played in three other venues in the past 12 days.“Feels like it’s been a while since we’ve played, but we’ve had a couple of good trainings in between.”
New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee on the entirely different kind of challenge that his team faces.

Bangladesh fight back after Pujara, Iyer prop up India

Both batters hit fifties in a 149-run stand to put India in a strong position before a couple of late strikes kept the hosts in the contest

Hemant Brar14-Dec-20222:35

Jaffer: A typical Pujara innings where he soaks up all the pressure

India 278 for 6 (Pujara 90, Iyer 82*, Taijul 3-84, Mehidy 2-71) vs BangladeshHalf-centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer gave India the advantage on the opening day of the first Test in Chattogram, but two late wickets meant the door is still open for Bangladesh to script a comeback.At one point, India were struggling at 48 for 3 but first Pujara and Rishabh Pant, and then Pujara and Iyer stitched together crucial partnerships to help them reach 278 for 6 at stumps. Pujara fell ten short of what would have been his first Test hundred since January 2019, while Iyer finished the day unbeaten on 82.Related

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Both Pujara and Iyer benefitted from the dropped catches as well. Pujara was on 12 when Nurul Hasan put him down off the bowling of Ebadot Hossain. That was on the second ball after lunch, when Pujara drove a full delivery only to edge it low to the right of the wicketkeeper. Nurul, though, couldn’t hold on to the chance.Iyer got two reprieves. On 30, Nurul grassed a chance off Shakib Al Hasan. Then on 67, Ebadot put down a straightforward catch at deep midwicket, Mehidy Hasan Miraz being the unlucky bowler this time.Iyer had another stroke of luck on 77. Ebadot’s inducker beat his inside edge and brushed the off stump but the bails didn’t dislodge.In the morning, when India opted to bat, Bangladesh captain Shakib hoped the grass cover would help his seamers pick up early wickets. But the pitch offered little assistance to the fast bowlers, forcing Shakib to bring himself on as early as the sixth over.The Bangladesh seamers, Ebadot and Khaled Ahmed, didn’t help their cause either by hardly bowling anything full. Some of the balls did keep low but they were all well outside off. Shakib tried playing around with the field, deploying a leg slip, a catching short midwicket, and a catching cover at various times but to no avail.It was Taijul Islam who eventually broke through. At the stroke of the first hour, Shubman Gill tried to lap-sweep him but the ball just dropped on him, inducing a top edge. Yasir Ali, anticipating the shot, ran around to his left from first slip and gobbled it up.KL Rahul fell soon after, chopping Khaled onto his stumps. In the next over, Virat Kohli played back to a length ball from Taijul that spun past his outside edge and trapped him lbw as he looked to work the ball into the leg side. That meant India, who had looked in full control at 41 for no loss, were all of sudden in a spot of bother.Pujara and Pant, batting in their contrasting styles, bailed them out. They added 64 off just 72 balls for the fourth wicket before Mehidy broke their stand. Having hit the previous ball for a six, his 50th in Test cricket, Pant went back in an attempt to steer Mehidy behind point. The ball, though, kept coming in with the arm to cramp him. The result was a bottom edge that bounced off the pitch to dislodge the off bail, and Pant walked back for a 45-ball 46.Shreyas Iyer was a positive presence at the crease•AFP/Getty Images

Iyer started tentatively, edging his first ball, against Mehidy, just past the slip fielder. Then Ebadot beat both his edges in the same over. But as the innings progressed, he started looking more and more comfortable and wasn’t afraid to take the aerial route against spinners.Pujara, meanwhile, used his feet against the spinners to skip down the track regularly, even if he didn’t look in complete control all the time. He brought up his half-century with a four off Taijul and celebrated the occasion with another boundary off the next ball. Iyer followed him to the landmark, also with a boundary.With both batters looking set for their hundreds, Bangladesh took the new ball as soon as it became available. And with that came the breakthrough. Taijul, who had beaten the outside edge of both Pujara and Iyer multiple times, finally got his reward when he got yet another one to spin past Pujara’s outside edge. This time the ball pinged the off stump to end the 149-run stand.Axar Patel survived a bat-pad appeal when Bangladesh didn’t opt for the review but the replay showed a clear inside edge. That didn’t hurt Bangladesh though, with Mehidy trapping him lbw on the last ball of the day to keep his side in the contest.

Quatro meses de negociação e fracasso: a saga do Botafogo até o 'não' de Zahavi

MatériaMais Notícias

A novela, finalmente, acabou. O capítulo final não foi feliz para o Botafogo: Eran Zahavi recusou a proposta do Glorioso e as negociações entre as partes estão encerradas. O atacante, que era o “Plano A” do clube na busca por um reforço de peso na janela, deve retornar para Israel.

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Foram mais de quatro meses de negociações. O Botafogo iniciou as conversas em fevereiro, ainda quando Zahavi estava no meio dos compromissos com o PSV-HOL. À época, o clube também tinha conversas com Edinson Cavani, considerado como o “grande sonho” de John Textor.

Havia, na época, uma conversa até para uma liberação imediata de Zahavi. Até então, o israelense não era titular absoluto do PSV e já sabia que não teria o contrato renovado. O Botafogo, porém, priorizou a situação de Cavani, deixando as conversas com o israelense em segundo plano.

+Yuri Alberto, James Rodríguez… Listamos 20 astros viáveis que seu time poderia tentar

O resultado já é conhecido: o uruguaio recusou as propostas do Botafogo, que então colocou Zahavi como prioridade. A questão é que nesse intervalo o atacante desandou a marcar gols no PSV, que avançou na Conference League e ainda tinha chances de título no Campeonato Holandês. Dessa forma, a liberação imediata não aconteceu.

Apesar da negativa, John Textor aceitou e manteve conversas com os representantes de Zahavi, visando um negócio para a segunda janela. Além do estafe do israelense, o empresário que ajudou a viabilizar as conversas foi Marcos Leite, também envolvido nas contratações de Keisuke Honda e Salomon Kalou no passado.

EXIGÊNCIAS
Apesar da série de pedidos feitos por Zahavi, as negociações estavam avançando aos poucos. O atacante chegou a aceitar os números de salário oferecidos pelo Botafogo no começo de maio. Contando luvas, o atacante iria ganhar cerca de R$ 1,2 milhão por mês – de longe o maior salário do elenco do Glorioso.

+ Erison diz que torcedor ‘pode ficar tranquilo’ sobre renovação: ‘Botafogo é minha casa’; veja o vídeo!

Mas não parou aí. O jogador também pediu residência em bairro nobre do Rio de Janeiro, segurança durante 24 horas e até veículo. Durante as conversas, o empresário de Zahavi – sem ser Marcos Leite – chegou a tentar ‘incluir’ o atacante Omer Atzili, do Maccabi Haifa-ISR, nas negociações, com a justificativa de que ajudaria Eran na adaptação no Brasil.

O departamento de futebol do Botafogo prontamente recusou. Além de não querer adicionar um salário a mais, a equipe considerou que Atzili não tinha o nível adequado para melhorar a equipe. A questão foi deixada para trás.

Neste intervalo, Zahavi também aproveitou para tirar férias, o que por vezes dificultava a comunicação com o jogador. Aposentado da seleção israelense, o atacante não teve compromissos de meio de ano pela Nations League, o que lhe deu uma folga maior.

RETA FINAL E INVASÃO AO CT
A parte mais complicada, que envolvia as questões financeiras, já havia sido superada, faltando apenas esses itens “fora de campo”. Havia confiança no Botafogo, e John Textor chegava a considerar Zahavi como reforço da equipe no começo do mês.

Um fator que sempre arrastou a negociação para baixo foi Shay, a mulher do atleta. A esposa de Zahavi nunca foi uma grande fã da ideia de Eran morar no Brasil e, apesar da vontade do atacante em um primeiro momento de atuar na Cidade Maravilhosa, sempre trazia à tona a ideia dele reconsiderar a ideia.

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A invasão ao CT por parte de alguns torcedores no dia 15 foi a gota d’água. Se Shay já não queria vir para o Brasil, a ideia também começou a afetar Eran. O jogador avisou aos representantes do Botafogo que ficou impactado com o que aconteceu e pediu garantias de que o episódio não se repetiria caso ele fosse ao clube.

John Textor, Marcos Leite e diretoria tentaram reverter a situação desde então, afirmando que era um caso isolado e que a segurança seria reforçada, também passando boas ideias sobre o Rio de Janeiro e reafirmando as belezas da Cidade Maravilhosa.

Foi aí que Zahavi afirmou o compromisso com o Botafogo. O atacante disse “sim” ao clube no começo da semana, se comprometendo com o projeto. O Alvinegro enviou o contrato, o atacante retornou com alguns últimos ajustes, o clube aceitou e retornou e… nunca recebeu o documento de volta.

Neste intervalo, John Textor, em entrevista ao LANCE!, afirmou que ainda estava conversando com o jogador. Em semblante não muito animado, o norte-americano afirmou que as questões de segurança foram o principal impacto. Com outra proposta em mãos, Zahavi optou pela decisão que não desagradaria a maior parte da família, apesar de ter se comprometido com o Alvinegro.

No fim, o Glorioso saiu de mãos atadas. Prevendo um possível risco disso acontecer, a diretoria do Botafogo passou a mapear novos nomes para o setor e chegou a ter reuniões importantes nos últimos dias, mas ainda não há nada tão avançado com outro nome. Zahavi, agora, é passado.

Arsenal eye double-striker deal with "top priority" named alongside Watkins

Arsenal are plotting an ambitious double-striker move this summer, as Mikel Arteta’s side now aim to bring in two new centre-forwards to bolster their Premier League title hopes for next season.

Arsenal face Nottingham Forest after crushing West Ham defeat

Their 1-0 loss to West Ham last weekend all but ended their hopes of pipping Liverpool to the title this season, with Arteta now attempting to garner any sort of Gunners momentum in preparation for a Champions League challenge.

Club tell "incredible" £70m forward wanted by Arsenal that he's free to go

The Gunners are looking to next season for upgrades.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 25, 2025

Arsenal take on Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Nottingham Forest side on Wednesday, knowing of the near-impossible task of catching Liverpool in the title race, but Arteta is keen for his side to finish 2024/2025 on a high domestically.

“It’s been incredibly satisfying to work every day with the players, the coaches and the staff to try to overcome certain situations,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s obstacles this season.

“If somebody tells you at the start of the season that by this time you will have played five times with a red card, over half an hour in each of them, and you have lost this amount of players, what’s the bet you are in the middle of the table at least, and you are out of the Champions League?

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Nottingham Forest (away)

February 26th

Man Utd (away)

March 9th

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

“But that’s not the situation, so that tells you the resilience, the resources and the ambition the team and that every individual has, and that time has probably been one of my proudest moments to work, in that sense. The problem is when you are there you want more and more. I’m not going to stop – over my dead body that we stop thinking that way and putting everything we possibly can to increase that probability of us winning, being better than the opponent and hitting that performance, those standards constantly, regardless of what happens.”

In the background, Arsenal are targeting new centre-forwards ahead of next season, coming as their serious shortage of attacking options right now exposes their lack of depth up front.

This was prevalent in their last match when they failed to break down a resolute West Ham side, minus both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, who are out with long-term injuries.

Arsenal plan double-striker signing with Sesko and Watkins targeted

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are planning to sign two strikers this summer, with RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko named as their “top priority” as they prepare a bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins.

Sesko, who’s scored 16 goals in all competitions this season, has a gentlemen’s agreement to leave Leipzig either this summer or next year (Fabrizio Romano) – with the Slovenian’s contract also including a £65 million release clause – according to some reports.

Meanwhile, Villa are prepared to negotiate an exit for Watkins at around £60 million, as per David Ornstein, so Arsenal know the conditions of any potential deal for the aforementioned forward stars.

مرتضى منصور يُطلق تصريحات نارية ويتوعد ممدوح عباس وإدارة الزمالك: سأفضح جريمة إهداء زيزو لـ الأهلي

أثار مرتضى منصور، رئيس نادي الزمالك السابق، جدلًا واسعًا بتصريحات نارية تتعلق بإدارة القلعة البيضاء الحالية، معلنًا عن كشف تفاصيل مثيرة خلال الأيام المقبلة، وأشار إلى قضايا تتعلق بصفقات مشبوهة وإهدار المال العام، مع وعود بمؤتمرات صحفية لفضح ما وصفه بالممارسات غير القانونية.

وكتب المستشار مرتضى منصور عبر منشور على صفحته الرسمية بموقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “المستشار مرتضى منصور، آخر رئيس نادٍ شرعي منتخب للقلعة البيضاء، قبل أن يحتلها عباس وباقي الدلاديل، بقرار ضابط معالي وزير الداخلية المحترم عاقب بالطرد”.

وأضاف: “يعلن يوم الأحد القادم 15 يونيو إن شاء الله الحقيقة الغائبة في جريمة الإهداء المتعمد من لجنة الدلاديل للاعب أحمد سيد زيزو إلى النادي الأهلي مجانًا، وإهدار ما يقرب من نصف مليار جنيه حتى يظل النادي تحت رحمة عباس يتحكم فيه بملاليمه، بالفعل لا تندهشوا، هي دي الحقيقة، ملاليم”.

طالع أيضًا | ممدوح عباس يعلن انتهاء مساهماته المالية في الزمالك

وتابع مرتضى منصور: “ويكشف سر الصمت الرهيب لمعالي وزير الدولة للشباب على إهدار هذه العصابة مليارات الجنيهات من المال العام مع تدمير النادي رياضيًا وماليًا وإنشائيًا وأخلاقيًا، والإجابة على سكوت الوزير المحترم وغيره من السادة المسؤولين على إهانة عباس لهم يوميًا على صفحته”.

وأردف: “نصيحة لبعض المرتشين من اللجان الذين يحاولون قلب الحقائق من 2018 وحتى خروجنا من النادي، تقدم ضدي من عباس واثنين من الوزراء عدة بلاغات لمعالي النائب العام، كلها تم حفظها دون سؤالي، سمعتم، كلها، واسألوا مكتب معالي النائب العام، والوزيران ما زالا على قيد الحياة، فاهمين يا مرتشين؟ تم حفظهم جميعًا، لأن الذي يتبرع لناديه بـ200 مليون جنيه، هل يأخذ عمولة 500 ألف جنيه هو أو أولاده؟”.

واستكمل: “بلاش أنا في موضوع الذمة المالية، علشان حذاؤنا أنظف من اللي مأجرينكم! نصيحة أخرى، بدلًا من الهوهوة، ياريت تردوا على المستندات والوقائع بما يكذبها، أما مهزلة … ولا بلاش، المفاجآت يوم الأحد لكشف عميل المخابرات الأمريكية اللي بعض المهووسين المغيبين فرحانين بيه”.

واختتم: “أما المؤتمرات الصحفية، إن شاء الله سيتم استكمالها بعد العيد لفضح هؤلاء المرتزقة ولجانهم حتى يتم تطهير نادينا العظيم منهم، ولقد أكدت مرارًا ليس لدي أي رغبة في العودة إلى رئاسة نادينا العريق، وأنا سأظل واحدًا من الملايين من جماهيره الغفيرة”.

Kane Williamson 200* and NZ spinners put Pakistan under pressure

The hosts go into the final day two down and still trailing by 97 runs

Hemant Brar29-Dec-2022

Kane Williamson finished with an unbeaten double-century•Associated Press

Kane Williamson’s fifth double-hundred in Test cricket helped New Zealand pile up a mammoth 612 for 9 before Tim Southee declared the innings with his side 174 ahead in the first Test in Karachi. By stumps, the visitors had struck twice, leaving Pakistan 77 for 2, still 97 behind.Having relinquished the red-ball captaincy, Williamson came into this game with questions over his form. His away record in the last few years too didn’t paint a great picture; since the start of 2019, he had just 233 runs in eight away Tests, at an average of 15.53 with a best of 48.But on Thursday, he showed tremendous patience, great control, and exemplary footwork against spin to almost double that tally. He scored an unbeaten 200 off 395 balls; according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, he was in control 93% of the time. On multiple occasions he skipped down the track to Abrar Ahmed and Nauman Ali, but instead of looking to hit the ball for a six, he focused on chipping it over the bower’s head for four. In all, he struck 21 fours and a six.Related

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Williamson and Latham, the two constants of New Zealand cricket

Along with Ish Sodhi, who scored a career-best 65, Williamson added 159 for the seventh wicket. The two overnight batters kept Pakistan wicketless in the first session, which seemed to have borrowed the laziness from a winter morning. In 32 overs in that session, New Zealand added just 79 runs, with Sodhi’s contribution being more than Williamson’s.But post-lunch, both batters, especially Williamson, increased the scoring rate. Sodhi brought up his half-century with a four off Abrar. In the next over, Williamson steered Mir Hamza to the deep-third boundary to get to his 150. Shortly afterwards, Williamson first whipped Nauman to the fine-leg boundary and then used his feet to loft him over mid-on for another four. The change in the approach meant the first ten overs after lunch fetched New Zealand 47 runs.To stem the flow of runs, and to break through, Mohammad Wasim bowled a barrage of short balls to Sodhi, starting around the wicket and then switching to over. He even hit Sodhi on the helmet. But the batter pulled the very next ball, another short one, to the square-leg boundary.From the other end, Nauman switched to over the wicket and started bowling outside leg stump. Williamson countered that with the reverse sweep, picking up back-to-back boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving.Sodhi went past his previous best of 63 but fell soon after, miscuing Abrar to mid-off. Southee didn’t last long either and was also taken at mid-off, off Nauman. In the next over, Abrar dismissed Neil Wagner to complete his five-for as New Zealand lost three wickets in two runs.Williamson was on 186 at that point, and with No. 11 Ajaz Patel for company, farmed the strike as much as possible. On 195, he skipped down the track to Abrar and chipped him wide of long-off for four. A single on the next ball, took him to the double-hundred. New Zealand declared once he reached the milestone.Kane Williamson and Ish Sodhi added 159 for the seventh wicket•Associated Press

In response, Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique started solidly against a new, turning-from-the-rough ball. Throughout the 31 overs New Zealand bowled in the evening, they had spin at least from one end, mostly from both. Ajaz shared the new ball with Southee, who bowled only three overs in his first spell before throwing ball to Michael Bracewell.It was Bracewell who eventually broke the 47-run opening stand when Shafique skipped down the track and hit one straight to mid-on. Sodhi dealt a late blow, trapping Shan Masood lbw for 10. At stumps, Imam was batting on 45, nightwatcher Nauman keeping him company on 4.In the morning, Sodhi was mainly focused on protecting his wicket. He tried to score only when the bowlers really erred in their lines and lengths. Wasim pitched one short and wide, and Sodhi cut it through point for four. When spinners dropped it short and strayed down the leg side, he went for the pull but on a sluggish pitch, the timing eluded him.Wasim played around with his field. At one point, he had a leg gully, a catching backward square leg, and two catching short midwickets for Sodhi. He went slightly round-arm, searching for the reverse-swinging yorker, but couldn’t get his length right, and Sodhi faced little trouble blocking those. One such delivery found Sodhi’s inside edge and thudded into his pads. Aleem Dar ignored the stifled appeal for lbw, but Babar Azam, more in hope than anything else, ended up burning Pakistan’s final review over that.Abrar, meanwhile, mixed his legbreaks with googlies. He varied his pace as well, tossing it up as slow as 70kph to darting in as fast as 90. But nothing bothered Williamson and Sodhi. After almost procrastinating for the first 11 overs of the day when he scored just six runs off 29 balls, Williamson skipped down the ground to Abrar and punched him over his head for four.With little happening for the bowlers, Pakistan took the third new ball as soon as it became available. Hamza got produced a chance immediately, inducing an outside edge of Sodhi’s bat but it flew for four through the vacant second-slip region. The one that carried into Sarfaraz Ahmed’s gloves shortly afterwards, off the same bowler, no one seemed to notice. That was the second life for Sodhi; Sarfaraz had earlier dropped him down the leg side off Nauman.

ياسر إبراهيم: الأهلي لا يعرف الاستسلام.. وأحاول ترك بصمة في الهجوم

تحدث ياسر إبراهيم، مدافع فريق النادي الأهلي، عن مشاركة القلعة الحمراء في كأس العالم للأندية، في أمريكا الأسبوع المقبل.

وشارك ياسر إبراهيم في خسارة الأهلي أمام باتشوكا بركلات الترجيح 3-5 في لقاء ودي أقيم في أمريكا، استعدادا لكأس العالم للأندية.

طالع| أحمد حسن: 3 عوامل تساعد زيزو على التألق السريع مع الأهلي

وقال ياسر إبراهيم، في فيديو نشره الحساب الرسمي للأهلي،: “كلنا مركزين في كأس العالم بالشكل الجديد، والأجواء جميلة وهدفنا نعمل شيء يليق بنا والجيل الحالي للأهلي وأنا أحاول ترك بصمة في خط الهجوم وتسجيل هدف في كل لقاء”.

الأهلي يستعد لخوض مباراة إنتر ميامي في افتتاح كأس العالم للأندية، في الثالثة فجر يوم 15 يونيو الجاري، ويلعب في مجموعة تضم أيضا بورتو وبالميراس.

وتابع: “نحاول تطبيق خطة المدير الفني الجديد ريبيرو، وإن شاء الله يكون إضافة للفريق، وأتمنى التوفيق للصفقات الجديدة”.

وأكمل ياسر: “الأهلي لا يعرف الاستسلام ولا يقع وهدفنا الوصول لأبعد نقطة في البطولة، كما أتمنى اللعب أمام ميسي والفوز على إنتر ميامي وننتظر جماهير الأهلي السند في كل مكان”.

Fred manda mensagem e deseja saúde ao ídolo do Vasco Roberto Dinamite: 'Você é o maior de todos'

MatériaMais Notícias

O sábado reserva uma noite de emoção no Maracanã com a despedida de Fred, atacante do Fluminense, dos gramados. Ele irá pendurar as chuteiras no duelo contra o Ceará, às 19h. nesta data especial, o atacante enviou uma mensagem de apoio e desejou saúde ao ídolo do Vasco: Roberto Dinamite, que luta contra o câncer.

+História de amor entre Fluminense e Fred tem retomada da identidade, episódios marcantes e respeito

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– Roberto (Dinamite), meu ídolo. Estou gravando esse vídeo para mandar um beijo para você e toda sua família. Desejando para Deus interceder pela sua vida e tenho certeza que você vai ficar cada vez mais forte. É mais um adversário que você está vencendo. Tenho certeza que você vai passar por cima. Um beijo no seu coração – publicou o atacante, e emendou:

– Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

– Sempre foi um prazer muito grande para mim ficar em segundo, pois sem dúvidas você é o maior de todos. Sempre vai ser, não só no coração dos vascaínos, onde você é ídolo maior, como no coração de todo amante do futebol. Eu sou atacante e te amo. Meu pai, meus irmãos sempre falaram da lenda viva que o senhor é. Um beijo Roberto. Força meu irmão e beijo no coração – completou.

Cabe salientar que Roberto Dinamite é o maior artilheiro da história do Campeonato Brasileiro com 190 gols. Fred vem logo em segundo com 158 gols, três a mais que Romário.

+Vasco faz homenagem e entrega placa a Fred, do Fluminense

Ao longo das últimas semanas, Fred recebeu diversas homenagens não só da torcida tricolor, como de diversos segmentos do futebol brasileiro. Na última partida, contra o Corinthians, o ídolo entrou no fim e ainda teve tempo para estufar a rede e correr para o abraço. A emoção tomou conta do Maracanã, e promete ser ainda mais intensa neste sábado.

Not just Khusanov: Man City must axe star who could be embarrassed by Salah

Manchester City’s last outing was a hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat in the Champions League against Real Madrid. It saw the Citizens crash out of the premium European club competition in a frustrating manner, losing 6-3 on aggregate.

A phenomenal Kylian Mbappe hattrick was enough to sink Pep Guardiola’s side, with the French forward scoring three superb goals, including a lob over goalkeeper Ederson and a lovely strike from range with his weaker left foot to seal the treble.

City lost John Stones just minutes into the game, with the England international succumbing to injury. It was a bit of a makeshift defence for City, which included new signing Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back.

Khusanov’s performance vs. Real Madrid

So far, the Uzbekistan international has played a bit-part role in a Man City shirt. The January signing from French outfit Lens has featured four times, with his start against Madrid the first time he has played in the Champions League for City.

Abdukodir Khusanov in action for Man City

However, it was a tough night at the office for Khusanov against Los Blancos. Defending against Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, a quartet often quite fluid in their rotations, you could not have really asked for a tougher assignment.

In fact, the youngster received a 3/10 for his performance against the Spanish giants, courtesy of Goal. Richard Martin said Khusanov ‘was tortured from start to finish’ by the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius.

Chalkboard

When the Frenchman received the ball for his second goal, it came to him after City’s number 45 had the ball poked through his legs by Rodrygo.

It was certainly a baptism of fire in the Champions League for the first time donning that famous Blue shirt. It will be interesting to see if Guardiola keeps him in the side for the heavyweight clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

The same thing could be said for another City defender, who also struggled against Madrid.

The City player who could be dropped against Liverpool

When you’re defending against the likes of Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo, it is never going to be easy. Khusanov found that out first-hand, but perhaps no one can relate more than Josko Gvardiol.

If Khusanov had a tough night, then Gvardiol certainly did. He was, in many ways, embarrassed by Madrid’s hattrick hero, who sat him down for his second goal, moments after the Uzbek defender was nutmegged by Rodrygo.

With Gvardiol sliding in for a challenge on Mbappe, the Madrid number nine simply shifted the ball from his left foot to his right, and watched as the Croatian defender slid past him and ended up on his back. Gvardiol could only watch as Mbappe slotted home,

It was a poor performance from City’s left-back at the Santiago Bernabeu. He received a 4/10 from Martin, which was justified when looking at his stats on Sofascore.

He won just five out of 14 ground duels and was dribbled past twice, including for Mbappe’s second goal.

Gvardiol stats vs. Real Madrid

Stat

Number

Touches

69

Pass accuracy

90%

Ground duels won

4/12

Aerial duels won

1/2

Tackles won

2/4

Number of times balls lost

8

Fouls committed

3

Stats from Sofascore

Sadly for Gvardiol, there will be no respite this weekend against the Premier League leaders, Liverpool. Should he get the nod at left-back again, he will have to face one of the most in-form players in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah.

The Reds’ number 11 has 29 goals and 20 assists in just 37 games in all competitions this season, playing as a right-winger. That means Gvardiol will come up directly against the Egyptian international.

Liverpool's MohamedSalahreacts

Perhaps Guardiola will decide not to risk his number 24. After being embarrassed by Mbappe, there is no reason to say why the same will not happen against another world-class attacker.

This is a crucial game for City in their fight for a top-four spot, and perhaps the City boss will want a more watertight defence.

It would not be hard to argue against dropping Gvardiol for the clash at the Etihad Stadium. The left-back has not been playing to the high levels he can hit, and City might need someone else in better form to help keep someone like Salah quiet.

Man City already sold their answer to Mbappé who Pep dubbed "incredible"

Following Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick to dump Manchester City out of the Champions League, did the sky blues sell their own superstar attacker?

ByBen Gray Feb 21, 2025