Category Uncategorized

Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen missed out as Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi won the African Player of the Year award. The Moroccan full-back collected the honour on Wednesday evening, sealing a triumphant year in which he won the treble, including the Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League trophy. The only blemish was PSG’s defeat in the Club World Cup final to Chelsea in New York, where he was forced to settle for a silver medal.

• Hakimi emerges as the best in Africa

  A visibly moved Hakimi thanked the people who had shaped his journey, including his family, PSG teammates and Morocco manager Walid Regragui. 

  "It's really an honour for me to be here today and I'm proud to win such a prestigious trophy," Hakimi said.

  His celebrations, however, are tempered by a painful reality as he is currently recovering from a severe ankle sprain. Morocco are hopeful he will recover in time to lead the host nation at the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on December 21. If fit, he will spearhead their attempt to win the tournament for the first time since 1976.

  The ceremony turned into a showcase of Moroccan football’s growing influence. Ghizlane Chebbak won the women's African Player of the Year prize, edging teammate Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade. Chebbak had finished as top scorer in this year’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, even though Morocco ultimately fell short against Nigeria in the final.

  Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, hero of Morocco’s remarkable World Cup run and now a key figure in Saudi Arabia, claimed the men’s Best Goalkeeper award. Meanwhile, Morocco’s under-20 World Cup-winning side was voted the continent’s top national men’s team, further underlining the nation’s talent pipeline. The accolades continued with Watford’s 20-year-old midfielder Othmane Maamma named Africa’s Best Young Male Player, while Doha El Madani retained her crown as the best young women’s player.

  Cape Verde manager Bubista was honoured as Men’s Coach of the Year after guiding the island nation, home to just over half a million people, to an extraordinary qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie completed her own hat-trick by picking up a third consecutive Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Salah’s form under scrutiny as Liverpool struggle

  The awards setback for Salah comes at a time when his club form has slipped noticeably. His influence at Liverpool has waned, and the team’s attacking struggles have been laid bare. His output has dropped significantly as he is taking fewer shots and venturing into the penalty area far less than he used to. The Egyptian is far from the only forward under pressure. Florian Wirtz, signed as a creative centrepiece, has yet to tally a goal or assist in the Premier League. By all accounts, he is still adjusting to the speed and physicality of English football. Alexander Isak, who was acquired from Newcastle for a club-record fee, has also endured a frustrating start. Injury setbacks have restricted his involvement, limiting any chance for rhythm or consistency. Hugo Ekitike, who began brightly, has delivered flashes of quality but has been unable to pull together a sustained run of top-level performances. The collective downturn has placed Liverpool in a precarious spot, as they currently sit in the eighth spot with 18 points.

• Should Salah step aside?

  Former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison believes the time may be approaching for a bold reshaping of the attack, one that might involve phasing Salah out of the starting XI.

  Hutchison said: "The uncomfortable conversation will be around the likes of Mo Salah because there’s a way to get Ekitike, Isak and Wirtz into the same team, but it means there’s no place for Salah. You can have [Milos] Kerkez on the left and [Conor] Bradley on the right as wing-backs. Then you have [Dominik] Szoboszlai and [Ryan] Gravenberch in midfield. If you want to put a positive spin on it, every team in the Premier League would love Wirtz, Isak and Salah. Now Slot’s job is trying to come up with a formula to get all those three into the same 11, with Ekitike, because you can’t spend all that money on Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike and tell them to fight for their place in the side."

  He added: "They have to be starters now. I would be very tempted to play all three from now to the end of the season and play their way into form, into goals, into chemistry, into improving the league position. I know it’s a big jump from now to the end of season, but that will be Liverpool’s team and individuals going forward. That’s what I would look at. So the uncomfortable conversation is around why and how you don’t get Mo Salah into that team anymore. Perhaps the Africa Cup of Nations would be the time to try it!"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Pressure mounts on Slot to fix Liverpool’s fragile core

  Before resolving the selection dilemma in the forward line, Slot faces equally urgent issues in defence and midfield. Liverpool have become worryingly easy to play through, conceding goals in ways that would have been unthinkable under Jurgen Klopp at his peak. The balance in midfield continues to feel unsettled, with new signings still struggling to integrate. Salah’s looming departure for the Africa Cup of Nations next month may provide clarity, or further complicate matters, depending on how the team performs without him.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os times União e Esperança se enfrentam neste domingo (26), em um jogo solidário em prol das vítimas das chuvas no Rio Grande do Sul. O Maracanã será o palco da ação que vai juntar diversas personalidades do futebol e celebridades para arrecadar e incentivar doações aos gaúchos. A bola vai rolar a partir das 16h (de Brasília), com transmissão da TV Globo.

continua após a publicidade

As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance!Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre o time União e o time Esperança (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
UNIÃO X ESPERANÇA
FUTEBOL SOLIDÁRIO
🗓️ Data e horário: Domingo, 26 de maio de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Maracanã (RJ)
📺 Onde assistir: TV Globo
🟨 Árbitro: Raphael Claus e Anderson Daronco

continua após a publicidade

A boa do Lance!Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

TIME UNIÃO (Técnico: Mano Menezes)
Carlos Germano, Ludmila, Fred Bruno, Juan, Tamires, Belo, Djalminha, Diego Ribas, Petkovic, Ronaldinho e José Loreto.

TIME ESPERANÇA (Técnico: Dorival Jr)
Fernando Prass, Cafu, Alline Calandrini, Lucy Ramos, Junior, Vampeta, Thiaguinho, D’Alessandro, Roger Flores, Nenê e Wesley Safadão.

continua após a publicidade

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalMaracanãOnde assistir

Bangladesh beat Ireland 2-1 to win their fifth T20I series this year

Mohammad Isam02-Dec-2025Bangladesh captain Litton Das has said the current crop of players were “almost ready” for the 2026 T20 World Cup after an improved fielding performance in the 2-1 series win against Ireland.Bangladesh have played 30 T20Is in 2025, the most for them in a year. The victory against Ireland was their fifth in T20I series this year after consecutive wins against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands and Afghanistan. They had lost to Pakistan and UAE before that streak, and West Indies after.Against Ireland, Bangladesh bounced back from 0-1 down to win the second and third T20Is. On Tuesday, they won by eight wickets and 38 balls to spare after an emphatic all-round display.Related

• Tanzid, Rishad, Mustafizur lead Bangladesh to series win

“I wanted the team to win from pressure situations,” Litton said after the third T20I. “We couldn’t overcome the pressure in the first game but we fought back to win the series. There are many positive sides. We are not a good fielding unit, but we took some brilliant catches in this series. At least in the fielding department, we have shown improvement. After playing the most number of T20Is in a year, I think our players have become more mature.”The credit goes to all the players and coaching staff. Our team was ready since the Asia Cup. We have only used a certain number of players since then. I think we want these players to play their best cricket in the BPL, which we then expect them to replicate for the national team. I am not concerned about anyone’s performance, but about injuries. We will all pray that we remain safe in the next two months.”Litton said Bangladesh had experimented this year, to find their best combination for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February. For instance, Bangladesh used all their opener options in the top four in the third T20I against Ireland, while also mixing up their spinners and fast bowlers.”We have conducted a lot of experiments. We made certain changes that were risky – like Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman] didn’t bowl the last over today,” Litton said. “[Mohammad] Saifuddin bowled the last over. I wanted to see what a player will do after not playing two matches. I think we tried almost everything in every aspect of the team. This bunch of players are almost ready for the next World Cup.”Bangladesh, however, do not have a settled middle order, with at least one position still up for grabs. They tried Jaker Ali, Nurul Hasan and Shamim Hossain in each of the three matches, though Shamim didn’t get to bat in the third game.”I am not too concerned about it [the No. 6 position],” Litton said. “Not everyone will get runs in every series. You saw [Towhid] Hridoy doing well in this series. I want them to score runs in the BPL, and then bring that to the World Cup.”Litton also said he had to rotate between three spinners in the XI, which means one of his “match-winners” ends up on the bench.”Mahedi [Hasan], Rishad [Hossain] and Nasum [Ahmed] are my match-winners, so I have to take a tough call when I have to pick [only] two spinners in the XI,” he said. “Sometimes, my performer has to sit out. They have accepted my decisions. They are good team-mates. It will keep happening in the future, but of course we explain to them [why we didn’t pick any of them].”

Tottenham Hotspur have been a club known to produce elite talent over recent years, with many of them making the jump into the professional game and having a huge impact in the first-team.

Harry Kane is arguably the biggest example in recent years, as the Englishman rose through the academy setup before cementing his place as the Lilywhites’ starting centre forward.

He racked up a total of 280 goals during his decade in the first team in North London, with such a record still remaining as the best tally of any player in their club’s history.

However, it wasn’t enough to catapult the side to any Premier League glory, with Thomas Frank the latest boss try and achieve such a feat in the near future.

His chances of potential success in the role could well be boosted in the years ahead, especially if one player is able to make a jump similar to Kane during the Dane’s tenure.

Why Williams-Barnett could be the future of Spurs

Spurs fans have been given yet another youngster to be excited about in the past couple of months after the emergence of academy star Luca Williams-Barnett.

The 17-year-old attacking midfielder joined the youth setup at U10 level, subsequently spending seven years in the ranks, with the last few months seeing the teenager enjoy a breakthrough.

He’s already made his first-team debut, coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup against Doncaster Rovers this campaign, but it’s his numbers in the youth ranks which has caught the eye.

In his 14 appearances across all competitions, Williams-Barnett has already racked up an incredible tally of 22 goal contributions – broken down into 15 goals and seven assists.

The youngster played in the UEFA Youth League clash against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night, with the attacker registering five goals in their 9-1 triumph over the Czech outfit.

After such a showing, Frank named the teenager on the substitutes bench for the first-team for the Champions League clash last night, but he was unable to get onto the pitch.

However, at just 17, there’s no denying the future is bright for the youngster, with Williams-Barnett undoubtedly a player who could be a key asset in North London for many years to come.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Williams-Barnett

Despite the academy producing numerous top-level talents in years gone by, the hierarchy have also invested money in the transfer market to try and land players for the future.

Lucas Bergvall joined the Lilywhites last summer for a reported £8m from homeland club Djurgarden, with many expecting the teenager to originally link up with the youth team.

However, the massive injury crisis in North London during 2024/25 handed the Swede the chance to stake his claim, subsequently making 45 appearances across all competitions.

Even after Frank’s appointment, he’s remained as a key member of the squad, as seen by his tally of 19 outings – even netting his first Premier League goal against West Ham United.

Bergvall isn’t the only top young talent who could have a huge impact in the near future, with centre-back Luka Vuskovic another player who could be a first-team regular in the years ahead.

The Croatian joined in a £12m deal from Hajduk Split despite being just 16, with his move to join the Lilywhites only being confirmed during the recent summer window.

The defender, who’s now 18, has already racked up 74 senior appearances despite his tender age, with all of which to date coming away from North London.

Such numbers undoubtedly make him a bigger talent than Williams-Barnett, especially considering he’s already starring in one of Europe’s top-five leagues in 2025/26.

Vuskovic is currently spending the season on loan at Bundesliga side Hamburg, which has resulted in the teenager producing some remarkable figures at both ends of the pitch.

The youngster, who’s been labelled a “freak of nature” by one analyst, has already netted twice this season – including an incredible scorpion kick effort in the recent clash with Werder Bremen.

However, his underlying stats in the defensive third are just as impressive, which highlights why he’s already a bigger talent than Lilywhites star Williams-Barnett.

Vuskovic has been a sensational option in possession this campaign, as seen by his tallies of 86% passes completed and 100% dribbles completed to date.

Luka Vuskovic – stats in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	11
Goals scored	2
Pass accuracy	86%
Dribbles completed	100%
Duels won	7.5
Duel success rate	67%
Aerials won	5.3
Aerial success	81%
Recoveries made	4.1
Stats via FotMob

Such numbers could make him the perfect ball-playing option in Frank’s system, whilst also having the potential to improve in the future given his tender age.

However, out of possession, the Croatian star has also dominated, as seen by his tally of 7.5 duels won per 90 and his 81% aerial success rate in Germany’s top-flight.

The club’s £12m investment in his signature two years ago is no doubt already appearing to be a bargain, with Vuskovic undoubtedly their long-term solution at the heart of the defence.

His immediate impact on the professional game is nothing short of phenomenal, with his recent showings for Hamburg already handing the fanbase reasons to be excited for the future.

Fewer touches than Vicario & only 9 passes: Spurs flop must now be dropped

Thomas Frank must now drop one Tottenham Hotspur player after the Slavia Prague victory.

By
Ethan Lamb

2 days ago

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl should be relatively pleased with his start to life in the dugout at Ibrox, with four wins out of four in the Scottish Premiership so far.

The Light Blues beat Livingston 2-1 at Ibrox in a controversial clash in their first game back after the international break, as no penalty was awarded for handball against Emmanuel Fernandez, who also scored the opening goal in the match.

Rangers got the job done, though, and claimed all three points thanks to a second-half strike from Mohamed Diomande, who tapped into an empty net at the back post.

The Ivorian central midfielder had an open goal in front of him because Bojan Miovski made a brilliant run over the top and poked the ball to Diomande as the goalkeeper came out to meet him.

It was a moment of real quality from the Macedonia international to help clinch all three points for the Scottish giants on Saturday, after what has been a difficult start to the campaign.

The Light Blues bolstered their attacking ranks with the £8m signing of Youssef Chermiti and the £4.2m signing of Miovski in the summer, and supporters may need to be patient with both of them.

Why Rangers fans need to be patient with Miovski and Chermiti

Rangers splashed the cash to bring those two centre-forwards to Ibrox, particularly Chermiti, and you can understand why some supporters may not be happy with what they have produced so far this season.

Both strikers have only scored one goal so far in the Scottish Premiership under Russell Martin, Stevie Smith, and Danny Rohl combined, which shows that they have rarely provided much in the way of quality in the final third.

Appearances

9

7

Goals

1

1

Minutes per goal

551

231

Big chances created

1

0

Assists

1

1

Duel success rate

33%

39%

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti and Miovski have both failed to offer value for money in the league since their respective big-money moves from Everton and Girona in the summer.

Rangers and their supporters should still have some patience, though, because Miovski is a proven Premiership goalscorer who can offer quality if he hits his stride.

The left-footed attacker, as shown in the graphic below, was a prolific scorer during his time with Aberdeen, before his move to Spain last year, and this suggests that there is still hope that he can turn his Ibrox career around.

Chermiti does not have the same history of goalscoring, having failed to score a single first-team goal in two seasons with Everton, that Miovski behind him has to suggest that he will come good, but the Portuguese striker is only 21.

The former Toffees flop has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and signed a long-term contract at Ibrox, which is why there may need to be patience with him to allow him to flourish as a player. It is not his fault that former sporting director Kevin Thelwell spent £8m on him, and he should be given a chance to prove his worth in the years to come.

Whilst patience is needed with Miovski and Chermiti, who were both permanent additions signed to long contracts, there are some other summer signings who should not be awarded the same patience.

Chalkboard

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

Nasser Djiga was brought in on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster Russell Martin’s defence, but he has been an even bigger waste of time than the two strikers.

Why Djiga has been a worse Rangers signing than Miovski and Chermiti

The Burkina Faso international is only on loan from the Premier League side until the end of the season and the club do not have an option to make the deal permanent next summer.

That means, as it stands, the central defender should only be judged on his performances in the short-term because he is not a player who the Light Blues will benefit from if he develops and improves by the end of the campaign, as he will be off down south to England again.

Therefore, on current performance levels, Djiga looks to be an even bigger waste of time than Miovski and Chermiti, because he is not delivering quality on the pitch for Rangers in the present.

Livingston

90

Dundee

8

Roma

90

Celtic

102

Hibernian

90

Kilmarnock

0

Brann

76

Dundee United

0

Falkirk

90

Sturm Graz

0

The Wolves loanee, as shown by the table above, has been in and out of the side in recent weeks and months, which has been because of his inconsistent performances.

Injuries to John Souttar and Derek Cornelius provided him with a chance to impress against Livingston, but his error for Tete Yengi’s equaliser was described as “appalling” defending by reporter Tom English, as the centre-back allowed the forward to run off the back of him to score from a long pass.

That mistake against Livingston on Saturday is far from the first one that he has made in a Rangers shirt. Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he

“genuinely looks lost” during the 3-1 defeat to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier this month.

Djiga also got off to a poor start to life at Ibrox in August. He was sent off in a 1-1 draw with Dundee at Ibrox before making a ‘disastrous’ error at the start of the club’s Champions League play-off qualifier against Club Brugge.

These examples show that the central defender has been an unreliable performer for the Light Blues throughout the season, for both Martin and Rohl, which is why he has been a dismal signing on current evidence.

That is also why he has been an even bigger waste of time than Miovski and Chermiti, because the two strikers were permanent signings on multi-year deals and have time to turn things around, whilst Djiga was a season-long loan signing who should be making an instant impact.

The new Ryan Kent: Rangers can unearth "electrifying" Gassama upgrade

Rangers have a possible upgrade on Djedi Gassama who could be their next Ryan Kent, but he has not played any minutes this season.

ByDan Emery Nov 23, 2025

Unless the Wolves loanee can drastically turn his form around and prove himself to be a reliable figure at the back for Rohl, he may go down as one of the worst signings of the Thelwell era, which lasted one summer.

Thomas Tuchel dished out another warning to an England defender over his conduct on the pitch. Tuchel has been very particular with the on and off-field behaviour of the players who represent the Three Lions and the former Chelsea manager is in no mood to compromise when it comes to discipline. Tuchel recently oversaw England's historic World Cup qualifying campaign, where they won all eight of their matches.

• Djed Spence ignored Thomas Frank after Spurs loss to Chelsea

  Following a terrible performance against Chelsea earlier this month, which produced just one shot on target, the home supporters made their feelings clear as boos rang around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the conclusion of the match. Despite the jeering, as is customary, Spurs boss Frank went onto the pitch as he and the rest of the players planned to show their appreciation for their fans' support during the game. 

  However, later in a video which was widely shared across social media, Spurs duo Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence opted to leave the pitch instead of greeting supporters, to the anger of head coach Frank. 

  The Spurs, though, later downplayed the incident as he told reporters: "All the players are, of course, frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform. I understand that. I think it’s difficult to be consistent in good times and bad times, that’s why I went around to the fans as I did, it’s more fun when we win, I can tell you that. I understand why you ask the question. But I think that’s one of, how you can say, small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence doing everything they can. They’ve performed very well so far this season. Everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, I don’t think it’s a big problem."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Spence warned by Tuchel

  Following the misconduct on the pitch for his club, England boss Tuchel has now spoken to the defender and warned against repeating such behaviour. The German coach later told reporters, "I didn’t like it. Because the players know they are not only national players when they are ten days in camp. They are always national players, and the standard of behaviour is always important."

• Tuchel slammed Bellingham earlier

  During England's World Cup qualifier against Albania on Sunday, Jude Bellingham finally got a chance to shine as he displayed an impressive performance. However, he was disappointed at being substituted in the 84th minute and was later accused of not "embracing the collective"

  On Bellingham's behaviour, Tuchel later said: "That is a bad impression. It should be about the collective. What we did in camp is all about the collective. I have to then review it – I was happy about the goal. I had a quick talk with Morgan Rogers and I was sure that everyone celebrated together. I will have a look at it. That is not the image we want to transport. We feel everyone is committed and that everyone accepts tough decisions, be it before the match or in the match.

  "He [Bellingham] has to accept it, he has to accept it. We should not make more out of it than it is. Rogers was not happy when he couldn't start today because he deserves to play, and he wants to play all the time. We gave him a bit of a rest because he came with a lot of minutes playing at club [level] and played for us against Serbia. I also don't want to make more out of it. I stick to my words – behaviour is key. Decisions are made, and you have to accept it as a player."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  England's historic World Cup qualifying journey

  England scripted history as they became the first team to win all of their eight World Cup qualifying matches without conceding a single goal, as they scored 22 times in this period. In their latest win over Albania, courtesy of a brace from Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich star took his international goals tally to 78 as he surpassed Brazil icon Pele in the list of all-time highest goalscorers in the international arena.

Five teams, including Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka, are still in contention for a spot in the WTC final

S Rajesh26-Oct-2024India
Two shocking defeats against New Zealand means that India have left themselves with plenty to do to make a third consecutive WTC final, although they are still hanging on to the top spot currently with a slender lead over Australia. To be certain of a place in the top two in this cycle, India need to win the last Test of the ongoing series against New Zealand – in Mumbai – and then beat Australia 3-2. That will take them to 64.04% points (assuming they don’t lose any points due to slow over rates).Even if Australia win 2-0 in Sri Lanka, they can still only get to 60.53% with two wins against India, while New Zealand will end up at 57.14% if they lose in Mumbai and then beat England 3-0 at home. In that case, South Africa will be the only team which can top India. A 2-2 series result in Australia will leave India on 60.53% in comparison to Australia’s 62.28% (assuming India win in Mumbai, and Australia beat Sri Lanka 2-0).Related

• Nothing's changed, India say, but the evidence suggests otherwise

• India need Kohli and Rohit to regain their old aura

• De Zorzi and Stubbs hit maiden tons to make it South Africa's day

• Bittersweet moment for India, as one of cricket's great winning streaks ends

• McDonald feels Konstas' lack of experience won't hamper Test selection

If India lose in Mumbai, New Zealand can finish on 64.29%, but only with a 3-0 result against England. Then India will need four wins and a draw in Australia to make sure of a place in the final, regardless of other results.However, India can still finish in the top two with fewer wins if the other teams in contention don’t maximise their points. For example, if New Zealand lose in Mumbai and beat England 2-0, they will only get to 52.38%; if South Africa lose one of their five remaining Tests, they will finish on 61.11%; and if Australia beat India 3-2 but draw 1-1 in Sri Lanka, they will finish on 60.53%.New Zealand
At the start of the series in India, it seemed highly improbable that New Zealand would still be in contention for a place in the final. But their stunning wins after two out of the three Tests have given them a chance to dream. If they win each of their four remaining Tests, they will finish on 64.29%. It won’t ensure qualification, but it will certainly keep them in the mix. If they lose one of those Tests, though, their percentage will drop to 57.14%.South Africa
If South Africa win each of their five remaining Tests, they will finish with 69.44%, which will surely be enough for qualification, as only one out of India or Australia can go past that number. Four wins and a draw will leave South Africa with 63.89%, while four wins and a defeat will lower the percentage marginally to 61.11%, which could still give them a chance if other results go their way. They have a favourable schedule, though, with home Tests to come against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, after the second Test of their ongoing series against Bangladesh.If South Africa win their five remaining Tests, it will be enough for a place in the WTC final•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia
India’s defeats against New Zealand have improved Australia’s chances of making it to the final. A 3-2 series win against India and a 1-0 victory in Sri Lanka will take them to 62.28%, ensuring they finish ahead of India. New Zealand can still surpass that, but only if they win each of their remaining games. If New Zealand slip up, then South Africa is the only team which can go past Australia. To ensure qualification without depending on other results, Australia need five wins from their seven remaining matches.Sri Lanka
With a full 24 points gained from their last two Tests, Sri Lanka have made a strong push towards a top-two finish in this WTC cycle. Their four remaining Tests are against two opponents who are also contenders for the final. If they win each of those matches and take home 48 more points, they will finish on 69.23% and assure themselves of a place in the final regardless of other results. If they lose one and win three, they will end up at 61.54%, which will still leave them with a chance of qualifying, depending on other results.England
The two defeats in Pakistan means that England can finish with a maximum of 48.86% even if they beat New Zealand 3-0 in their last series of the current cycle. That won’t be enough for a place in the final.Even if Pakistan win their last four Tests, it will be too late to make a difference in this WTC•Getty ImagesPakistan
Pakistan’s home form has shown some revival, but it is too late to make a difference in this cycle. Even if they win each of their last four Tests, they can only finish on 52.38%, with no chance of making it to the final.Bangladesh
The three defeats in their last three Tests against India and South Africa have hurt Bangladesh badly – from having 45.83% points at one stage, they have dropped to 30.56% now. Even if they win each of their three remaining Tests, they will only improve to 47.92%, which won’t be enough for a place in the top two.West Indies
West Indies have already played four series and have only scored 20 points out of a possible 108. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%, and are hence out of the race for a spot in the WTC final.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras treinou nesta manhã de sexta-feira (23), na Academia de Futebol e finalizou a sua preparação para encarar o Mirassol, neste sábado (24), na Arena Barueri, em jogo válido pela 10ª rodada do Paulistão 2024.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasApós início de ano goleador, Raphael Veiga se prepara para voltar ao PalmeirasPalmeiras23/02/2024PalmeirasNas graças da torcida, Aníbal Moreno celebra início no Palmeiras: ‘Me sentindo bem!’Palmeiras22/02/2024DicasPalmeiras x Mirassol: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo pelo PaulistãoDicas23/02/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Provável titular de Abel Ferreira após a contusão de Gustavo Gómez, o zagueiro Luan foi o grande personagem do dia alviverde, ao receber das mãos do vice-presidente Paulo Buosi, a camisa comemorativa do seu jovo de número 250 pelo clube, marca alcançada diante do Corinthians.

– Feliz e honrado. É motivo de muito orgulho representar este clube, que é o maior do Brasil. Atingir essa marca de 250 jogos é um privilégio muito grande, algo que consegui alcançar junto aos meus companheiros, que também têm marcas expressivas aqui dentro. Fico feliz porque realmente somos uma família, vivemos o clube intensamente. Acima de tudo, gostamos e somos apaixonados pelo que vivemos aqui. Como o Abel fala, vamos sentir saudades, então procuro desfrutar e viver intensamente todos os momentos aqui com meus amigos. Sem dúvida, daqui um tempo, quando eu parar de jogar, sentirei falta do que vivo aqui – disse o camisa 13.

continua após a publicidade

Desde 2017 no clube e com 10 títulos conquistados, Luan pregou respeito ao bom time do Mirassol e elogiou o potencial do zagueiro Naves, que pode receber chance diante do time do Interior:

– O Mirassol é uma boa equipe, assisti a alguns jogos, tem o artilheiro do campeonato… O Mozart é um bom treinador, trabalha muito bem. O time deles é consistente, acredito que será um grande jogo. Temos um plano de jogo e vamos seguir para conseguir a vitória. “Muito feliz pelo Naves, vendo ele crescer. O desenvolvimento dele está sendo muito rápido, surpreendente. Ele tem muito potencial. Sou suspeito para falar porque eu vejo o estilo de jogo dele e lembro um pouco de mim quando era mais novo. Para mim, ele tem mais potencial do que eu tinha na idade dele e acredito que ele pode ter uma grande carreira – finalizou Luan Garcia.

continua após a publicidade

O provável Palmeiras para encarar o Mirassol neste sábado é: Weverton, Rocha, Luan, Murilo e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Richard Rios, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga; Endrick e Flaco López.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Mirassol neste sábado (24), a partir das 18h e o jogo terá transmissão apenas do Paulistão Play e da Cazé TV.

It was recently reported that Tonda Eckert is in pole position to be named the permanent Southampton manager after an impressive performance as the interim head coach.

The German tactician has won four of his five Championship games in the dugout, notably beating Charlton 5-1 away from home, but did lose 3-2 to Millwall last weekend.

It would be understandable if Sport Republic feel that Eckert has done enough in his interim spell in charge to earn the job on a permanent basis, but there is cause for concern with the former U21s boss.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

The Saints are in a position, having just come down from the Premier League, where this may be their best chance to return to the top-flight before they have to cash in on more of their top talents with parachute payments dwindling.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

This means that it would be a big risk to appoint a permanent manager based on five games as a first-team manager in England, as he had never managed a game at any level in any country before this run of matches, per Transfermarkt.

It is hard, therefore, to judge whether the first four wins were a byproduct of a ‘manager bounce’ or if they were down to his coaching, as he does not have a managerial history to back up his credentials.

Southampton need to find their next Nigel Adkins, who joined from Scunthorpe United to lead Saints to promotion from League One and the Championship and left the club in 15th place in the Premier League in his only season in the top-flight.

Instead of appointing Eckert, Sport Republic could hire their own version of Adkins by making a move for reported target and free agent manager Michael Carrick.

Why Carrick could be Southampton's next Adkins

Like Adkins, Carrick would arrive at St. Mary’s with a wealth of experience in English football already under his belt, thanks to his time with Middlesbrough.

The former Saints boss had managed Scunthorpe for four seasons, including two in the Championship, and won promotion from League One on two occasions, before taking Southampton from League One to the Premier League.

Carrick, of course, will not have to get the club out of the third tier, thankfully, but he is an English manager who has the potential to be a brilliant appointment.

Middlesbrough – 22/23	Pre-Carrick	Under Carrick
Matches	16	30
Wins	4	18
Draws	5	4
Losses	7	8
Points	17	58
Points per game	1.06	1.93
League position	18th	4th
Stats via Transfermarkt

One of the reasons why he could be a great hire for the Saints is that he has achieved success in the position that they currently find themselves in, as he took Boro from 18th to 4th in his first season with the club.

The former Manchester United midfielder then led Middlesbrough to 8th and 10th place finishes in the second tier, but they ranked 5th and 6th for Expected Points in those two seasons, per FotMob, which suggests that his coaching deserved higher league finishes than it got.

Carrick, who Tom Cleverley once claimed “oozes class” as a manager, is a proven Championship head coach who has shown, over three seasons, that he can coach a team to deliver play-off quality performances, which Eckert, through no fault of his own, does not have in his corner.

The ex-Boro boss also picked up seven points in two games as interim manager at Manchester United in the Premier League before his spell in the Championship, and played 481 games in the division as a player, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he could also be an appointment with the Premier League in mind, because of his experience at that level, whilst Eckert has never played, managed, or coached in that league.

Therefore, Carrick appears more likely to be Southampton’s next Adkins than Eckert is, because of both his proven quality in the Championship as a manager and his potential to be a successful Premier League boss.

Southampton can hire big Eckert upgrade with move for "world-class" manager

Southampton can hire an even better manager than Tonda Eckert by making a move for this free agent boss.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 2, 2025

This is why Sport Republic should consider pushing to appoint the English tactician as their next permanent manager, rather than giving the interim German boss the job on a permanent basis.

Sunderland ended a run of three matches without a win by turning around a 2-0 deficit to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the Premier League.

Summer signing Bertrand Traore grabbed his first goal for the club to make it 2-2, before substitute Brian Brobbey scored for the second time in three matches off the bench to secure all three points.

The work done by Kristjaan Speakman and his team in the summer transfer window can only be described as miraculous at this moment in time, given that the Black Cats are fighting for European football, rather than battling against relegation.

Ranking Sunderland's top five summer signings

Sunderland, including permanent deals, free agents, and loans, made a whopping 15 additions to the team that earned promotion from the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign.

It is hard to look past Robin Roefs and Granit Xhaka as being the two best signings made by the club, as they are both undroppable stars within Regis Le Bris’ side.

The Black Cats number one has prevented 3.28 xG more than expected in 13 Premier League games, per Sofascore, whilst Xhaka has showcased his vast experience, starting all 13 matches and providing one goal and four assists from the middle of the park.

1

Robin Roefs

2

Granit Xhaka

3

Nordi Mukiele

4

Noah Sadiki

5

Omar Alderete

As you can see in the table above, we have put experienced signings Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, as they have played a role in Sunderland only conceding 13 goals in 13 games so far.

Noah Sadiki also has to be up there because of his brilliant work rate in the middle of the park, averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 13 starts, per Sofascore, after his £15m summer move from USG.

Of course, not every single signing goes to plan, and Sunderland are no exception. For example, Simon Adingra is currently on track to become the new Jeremain Lens on Wearside.

Why Simon Adingra may be the new Jeremain Lens

The Black Cats splashed £8m to sign Lens from Dynamo Kiev in 2015 to bolster their wide options, but he only went on to play 24 matches for the club, per Transfermarkt, with four goals and three assists to show for his efforts.

Lens found game time hard to come by after Dick Advocaat was replaced by Sam Allardyce. The winger went as far as to call it “annoying” and stated “I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench”.

He then went out on loan to Fenerbahce and Bestikas before signing for the latter permanently in 2018, ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light as a flop.

Unfortunately, Adingra may already be on the same path as the Dutchman after the club paid £21m to sign him from Brighton in the summer, making him the second-most expensive signing in the team’s history, behind the £27m deal for Habib Diarra.

Sporting director Speakman noted in the Ivorian star’s unveiling that he was “excited” to see the 23-year-old in action for the Black Cats, after the youngster had scored 12 goals in 73 games for Brighton, per Transfermarkt.

However, Adingra has not hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light, playing in eight of the 13 Premier League games this season, and is yet to register a goal or an assist, per Sofascore.

The right-footed flanker has struggled badly for game time in the top-flight his season, with one minute played in the last two matches, which will not be what the Black Cats were expecting when they decided to splash £21m on his services.

Bournemouth

0

Fulham

1

Arsenal

26

Everton

0

Wolves

0

Man Utd

37

Nottingham Forest

12

Aston Villa

0

Crystal Palace

69

Brentford

25

Burnley

63

West Ham

76

Adingra has been a bit-part player for Le Bris, with the likes of Traore and Chemsdine Talbi ahead of him in the pecking order, and it remains to be seen whether or not he can turn things around to become a key player for Sunderland.

If it gets to January, or next summer, and he is still struggling for minutes and rarely getting off the bench, the former Brighton man may end up in the position that Lens found himself in, where a loan will be needed for him to go out and play regular football again.

Not Ballard: Sunderland have signed their new O'Shea in £100k-per-week star

Regis Le Bris now has his very own John O’Shea at Sunderland in this £100k-per-week warrior.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 29, 2025