حرص المهندس هاني أبوريدة رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، وأعضاء المجلس حمادة الشربيني ومصطفى أبو زهرة ومحمد أبو حسين وطارق أبو العنين على مساندة ودعم منتخب مصر تحت 17 عاما قبل المشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم في قطر.
ويشارك منتخب مصر، بقيادة المدير الفني أحمد الكأس، في منافسات بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 سنة، المقرر إقامته في قطر، خلال الفترة من 3 نوفمبر إلى 27 نوفمبر 2025.
وتحدث أبو ريدة مع اللاعبين عن ضرورة بذل أقصى ما لديهم في المرحلة المقبلة من أجل تشريف الكرة المصرية.
طالع | نتائج قرعة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا.. منتخب مصر مع إنجلترا
وأشار أبو ريدة في اجتماعه مع اللاعبين، إلى أنه كان حريصا على توفير كافة طلبات الجهاز الفني بقيادة أحمد الكاس من أجل الوصول إلى أبعد نقطة في كأس العالم.
كما تواجد الجهاز الفني للمنتخب الأول بقيادة حسام حسن وإبراهيم حسن مدير المنتخب وطارق سليمان المدرب العام، من أجل حث اللاعبين على ضرورة بذل أقصى ما لديهم في البطولة.
وأكد حسام حسن في كلمته، أن جميع اللاعبين تحت أنظار جهاز المنتخب وأن فرصة تواجدهم في المنتخب الأول قائمة حال تألقهم مع المنتخب وأنديتهم.
وأسفرت القرعة، عن وقوع منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا في المجموعة الخامسة مع منتخبات إنجلترا وفنزويلا وهايتي.
After a long summer full of twists and turns, we’ve made it to deadline day, and Chelsea look set to complete some last-minute business.
The Blues have already backed Enzo Maresca and his squad in a big way this window with eye-catching additions like Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.
Yet, with the club set to compete in the Champions League for the first time in years this season, there is a sense that the West Londoners could do with a little more quality in the side.
Fortunately, if reports are to be believed, Chelsea are eyeing a late move for an international gem who has been compared to Lamine Yamal and Bukayo Saka.
Chelsea eye late swoop for Yamal & Saka hybrid
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are still very interested in Fermin Lopez.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Interestingly, there are several other sides also keen on landing the Barcelona gem, but the West Londoners appear to have the most concrete interest at this point.
The report has revealed that the Catalan giants would be willing to part ways with the 22-year-old for a fee of up to €90m, which is approximately £78m.
While that is a substantial amount, it might well be worth it for a player compared to those of Yamal and Saka.
How Lopez compares to Saka & Yamal
Now, there are several surface-level similarities you can point to between Saka, Yamal, and Lopez, such as all three being young attackers who play for one of the biggest teams in their league – alongside one another in the Spaniards’ case.
However, thanks to FBref, we know that there are also some undeniable statistical similarities between them, as according to them, the Englishman has been the seventh most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Barça gem over the last 365 days, and his teammate was the fourth most similar in La Liga last season.
You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which Lopez ranked closely to the two international monsters.
Lopez & Saka
Statistics per 90
Lopez
Saka
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.69
0.71
Non-Penalty G+As
0.79
0.78
Tackles
1.37
1.51
Successful Take-On %
45.5%
45.6%
Carries into the Final Third
1.58
1.67
Aerial Duels Won
0.65
0.52
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign
Interestingly, when it comes to the Gunners’ mercurial number seven, the El Campillo-born dynamo ranks closely in things like expected and actual non-penalty goals, tackles, aerial duels won, carries into the final third and more, all per 90.
Yet, when it comes to his club teammate and compatriot, the “spectacular” midfielder, as dubbed by former manager Xavi, ranks similarly in metrics such as key passes, crosses, progressive passes, and other key creative statistics, all per 90.
Lopez & Yamal
Statistics per 90
Lopez
Saka
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.69
0.75
Progressive Passes
5.68
5.05
Key Passes
2.09
2.02
Live Passes
44.9
47.2
Crosses
3.38
3.41
Tackles
1.37
1.32
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign
In other words, it looks like the La Masia product could be as much of a goal threat as the North Londoners’ talisman, while being as creative and intuitive as the Catalan’s Ballon d’Or winner in waiting.
While he still has plenty of developing to do, that sounds like a pretty sensational combination, and when you factor in that he scored eight goals and provided ten assists in 46 appearances, totalling just 2,039 minutes, last season, it becomes clear why Chelsea are so keen to sign him.
Therefore, while it won’t be cheap, the Blues should do all they can to bring Lopez to Stamford Bridge before the window slams shut at 7pm this evening.
Their own Gyokeres: Chelsea make late move to sign "aggressive" £69m star
Chelsea could snap up their very own Viktor Gyokeres with this late £69m swoop.
Shaun Pollock, the media representative of the ICC’s cricket committee, has said that the body is “working on something” to give bowlers “bit more leeway on wides”, particularly with batters often moving around the crease in limited-overs formats.”If a batter jumps across [at the] last minute, it doesn’t really work out for me,” Pollock told PTI on the sidelines of the SA20. “I think a bowler, at the start of his run-up, needs to know where he can bowl it.”The current rule tends to suggest that if he [the batter] moves and it’s that point of delivery where the batter is, and that’s according to where the wide will be called, I want a little bit of a change. I want them to know exactly when they’re running up why or how – how can a bowler be expected to change his game plan at the last second when he’s bowling? He needs to have a clear idea where he can go.”So it’s in the pipeline, we’re all discussing. We need to give a little bit back to the bowlers.”As things stand, though, the ICC’s playing conditions specify that a ball should be called a wide if it “passes wide of where the striker is standing and which also would have passed wide of the striker standing in a normal batting position”, and also, it is not a wide “if the striker, by moving, either causes the ball to pass wide of him, or brings the ball sufficiently within reach to be able to hit it by means of a normal cricket stroke”.That aside, at the IPL and the WPL in India since 2023, players – bowlers and batters – have been empowered to review wide calls by umpires using DRS.Simon Taufel, though, has not been in favour of it.”I’m really conscious around trying to turn the art of officiating into a science and seek perfection, whatever that looks like, with decision making,” Taufel had told ESPNcricinfo. “So with wides for example, and here we’re going to, potentially according to you, or according to the player or the debate, take a wide call and throw that back to the third umpire for them to judge on something that might be marginal and is still a judgement call.”
Pollock hopes SA’s ‘IPL stars’ make a difference at Champions Trophy
Pollock said South Africa should look to leverage their players’ experience in subcontinent conditions during the upcoming Champions Trophy, which will be played in Pakistan (with the exception of matches featuring India, which will be played in Dubai).”You’ve got basically the similar players that were at that [2023 ODI] World Cup, where we got to the semi-final and lost to Australia,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of IPL stars who play for South Africa. In those situations, everything looks good. The amount of IPL players, people like [Heinrich] Klaasen, [David] Miller, even [Quinton] de Kock, all those guys who spend so much time over there, getting an understanding for conditions, that can only help South Africa.”They [have] got the ICC Test Championship [final] now as well, so it’s been some good stuff and, hopefully, some younger individuals come up. We’ve seen it starting to develop in the Test arena.”
‘South African cricket needed SA20 injection’
The SA20, South Africa’s pre-eminent franchise-based T20 competition, is now in its third season, and Pollock said it had “gone from strength to strength” in its short existence.”Some of the activities at the ground as well, the Catch 2 Million competition this year has been added,” he said. “I know the young kids are taught ‘you’ve got to get to the ground’, because we need some money these days with the economy the way it is. But it’s definitely gone from strength to strength.”South African cricket needed this injection – there’s no doubt about it. They needed something to create a bit of unbelievable interest in the game.”
When Manchester United officially confirmed that Ruben Amorim would be their new head coach to replace Erik ten Hag last year, there was plenty of optimism.
The Portuguese head coach had just won the league title with Sporting and arrived at Old Trafford as an exciting young manager with a new system for fans to get used to.
His arrival also prompted supporters to wonder whether or not he would look to reunite with prolific centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres to bolster the club’s options at the top end of the pitch.
Manchester United did, reportedly, make contact with Sporting over a potential deal to sign the Swedish forward earlier this summer, only for him to end up at Arsenal.
Whilst the Red Devils were unable to reunite Amorim with Gyokeres this summer, the Portuguese head coach has already had the chance to work with one of his former Sporting stars in Manuel Ugarte.
United signed the Uruguay international from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial fee of £42m last summer, before Amorim arrived, and he has yet to prove his worth.
Why Man United may need to replace Manuel Ugarte
The Red Devils may need to find a replacement for Ugarte before the end of the summer transfer window because he has not proven himself to be a reliable option in the middle of the park.
He is billed as a midfield destroyer who sweeps up in front of the defence. However, he only won 53% of his duels in the Premier League and was dribbled past 1.3 times per game in the division; only Bruno Fernandes (1.4) was dribbled past more per match on average.
This shows that Ugarte did not provide a very effective screen in front of the defence in the top-flight last season, as opposition players found too much joy in running past him, exposing the backline.
On top of that, the 24-year-old defensive midfielder does not offer quality in possession to make up for when his defensive skills are not enough in the middle of the park, as he does not carry an offensive or progressive threat on the ball.
24/25 PL
Ugarte
Rank vs midfielders
Non-penalty goals
0.05
Bottom 41%
xAG
0.06
Bottom 30%
Shot-creating actions
1.56
Bottom 16%
Progressive passes
3.08
Bottom 18%
Progressive carries
0.81
Bottom 23%
Passes into the final third
2.96
Bottom 36%
Passes into the penalty area
0.45
Bottom 20%
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, Ugarte was among the worst performers in the Premier League in midfield when it came to progressing play through passes and carries, or creating and scoring goals.
These statistics suggest that the former Sporting star is not a reliable operator for Amorim because he is suspect defensively and in possession.
United could find a big upgrade on Ugarte, though, as they are reportedly interested in signing another central midfielder from one of their Premier League rivals.
Man Utd in talks with midfield star's agents
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are in ongoing talks with the agents of Brighton & Hove Albion defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba.
However, he adds that a deal is complicated and that there is no progress being made at the moment, which does not suggest that a transfer is likely to happen any time soon.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the reporter said: “Man United still maintain contacts with the agents of Carlos Baleba, contacts are still ongoing, but at the moment, they still believe that the deal is really complicated, is really difficult, so at the moment there is no concrete progress.
“Man United at the moment make their steps, started this week by making an approach to people close to the player, to try to understand the situation, maintain the contacts with the agents of the player, so don’t leave the conversation immediately.”
GIVEMESPORT adds that Brighton will be looking for a fee in the region of the £115m that they raked in from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in order to let go of Baleba.
This suggests that Manchester United may need to splash out a fee in excess of £100m, breaking their transfer record, to snap the Cameroon international up this summer.
Why Man Utd should sign Carlos Baleba
The Red Devils should be pushing to get a deal over the line for Baleba, if they can avoid the huge fee that it may take, because he would arrive as a big upgrade on Ugarte.
He is already a proven Premier League performer, thanks to his time with Brighton, and would offer more to the team in the middle of the park, as both a defender and a progressive operator in possession.
Baleba won 55% of his duels and was only dribbled past 0.9 times per game in the top-flight last season, which immediately suggests that the left-footed enforcer would be more reliable off the ball in comparison to Ugarte as opposition players find it harder to get the better of him.
The clip above also shows that the Brighton star has more in his arsenal than just defensive qualities. He scored three goals and created three ‘big chances’ in the top-flight, whilst also providing progressive play in build-up.
24/25 Premier League (per 90)
Carlos Baleba
Manuel Ugarte
Non-penalty goals
0.10
0.05
Shot-creating actions
2.23
1.56
Progressive passes
3.99
3.08
Progressive carries
1.45
0.81
Key passes
0.71
0.50
Passes into the final third
3.69
2.97
Passes into the penalty area
0.78
0.45
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, the Manchester United target outperformed Ugarte in a host of attacking and possession-based metrics in the middle of the park in the Premier League.
These statistics suggest that Baleba, who was hailed as “exceptional” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, would come in as a big upgrade on the United flop because of his ability to influence the game in possession, as well as out of out.
Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba
That is alongside also having the potential to be an upgrade on him from a defensive perspective, given that attacking players find it harder to dribble past him or win duels against the 21-year-old titan.
Therefore, signing Baleba would improve Manchester United’s team because he would offer more to the side, as a proven Premier League performer, in all phases of the game than Ugarte currently does.
Man Utd reach agreement to post near £70m loss to get rid of "very good" player
While there is still some work to be done, Chelsea have been incredibly effective in the transfer market this summer.
Enzo Maresca and Co. clearly wanted the majority of their first-team additions to be before the start of pre-season, and they’ve largely succeeded.
One team that has been quite the opposite is Manchester United, who got their hands on Matheus Cunha early but then proceeded to take well over a month to agree a fee for Bryan Mbeumo.
The Europa League runners-up look to have finally got their man for a price that could reach £70m with add-ons, and now it looks like Chelsea want to sign someone who’s been compared to the Cameroonian international.
Chelsea target their own Mbeumo
Chelsea should enter next season full of confidence, as, in addition to the team that secured them fourth place last year, they’ve added some serious talent.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro will undoubtedly make Maresca’s side far more potent upfront, and the tremendously exciting Jamie Gittens should add more quality to the left-wing position.
Moreover, the West Londoners have shipped off Noni Madueke to Arsenal for a profit and could be set to earn a sizable payday on some of their other unwanted players.
Noni Madueke for Chelsea
The Conference League champions are not done there, though, as they now look determined to bring in a young attacker who could be their answer to Mbeumo.
At least, that’s according to a recent report in Friday’s print edition of Spanish publication Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, which claims Chelsea are seriously interested in Xavi Simons.
The report reveals that, alongside United, the Blues have held talks over a move for the Dutch international, although the reported price tag of around €70m is proving to be a problem.
It could end up being a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Simons has proven he’d be worth spending big on, especially as he could be Maresca’s own Mbeumo.
How Simons compares to Mbeumo
One of the most significant comparisons between Simons and Mbeumo stems from FBref, which analysed players in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League across the last 365 days.
It then concluded that the Brentford star was the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the RB Leipzig star.
The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely.
Non-Penalty G+As
0.48
0.42
Progressive Carries
3.56
3.43
Shots
2.09
2.08
Shots on Target
0.96
0.90
Expected Assists
0.25
0.25
Goal-Creating Actions
0.50
0.53
Tackles Won
0.88
0.82
Successful Take-Ons
1.38
1.37
These include things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, tackles won, shots and more, all per 90.
These numbers help show that, although he’s three years his junior, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” is just as adept at creating and scoring chances.
Moreover, both players are positionally versatile, with the soon-to-be United star thriving on the right, as a second striker, or up top, while the Amsterdam-born dynamo can play off either wing or in the ten.
Finally, both players were effective outlets for their respective teams last season, with the Cameroon international scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists in 42 games, as the Blues target scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 games.
Ultimately, it won’t be cheap, but Chelsea should do what they can to sign Simons this summer as he would add some serious quality to their squad and be the perfect answer to Mbeumo.
He'll take Pedro to the next level: Chelsea make offer to sign £86m star
The incredible forward would be a game-changer for Chelsea and Joao Pedro.
Will Celtic claim a fifth successive Scottish Premiership title this forthcoming season?
The Hoops’ title defence will commence for Brendan Rodgers’ men on Sunday 3rd August, before the first Old Firm of the season at Ibrox will be staring them in the face just four games in.
Throw a season-defining Champions League play-off into the August mix, and there is plenty for Celtic supporters to be excited about in the early period of the year.
Celtic's search for a new striker
Rodgers and his team have seemingly been very busy already in this transfer window.
Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan have already put pen to paper at Parkhead, while Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren are set to arrive imminently too.
Nevertheless, after Kyōgo Furuhashi was sold to Stade Rennais for a reported £10m in January, a new centre-forward remains high up their priority list.
With top target Mathias Kvistgaarden of Brøndby seemingly heading elsewhere, a report by The Daily Record suggests that Celtic could make a move to sign Bojan Miovski.
They state that the Hoops have ‘shown firm interest’ in the North Macedonian striker in the past, intimating he is certainly on their list of potential targets.
Why Bojan Miovski could replicate Kyōgo Furuhashi's Celtic success
Miovski joined Aberdeen from MTK Budapest in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of £600k and his career really took off in the Granite City, scoring 44 goals in 98 appearances for the Dons, thereby earning a £6.8m move to Girona last summer.
However, after scoring only four times for Blanquivermells, the Catalan club might be looking to sell, hence why he is purportedly available.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
So, would he be a good signing? Well, finding a striker as good as Kyōgo will be difficult, to put it mildly.
The Japanese forward netted 85 times in 165 appearances for the Bhoys, with Graeme Macpherson of the Scotsman asserting that he is the club’s best striker since Henrik Larsson, which is the highest of high praise.
So, does Miovski have the talent to make a similar impression, should he move to Glasgow this summer?
Well, one should not read too much into his season at Girona. Signed to replace Pichichi winner Artem Dovbyk, this was always going to be a tough act to follow.
Meanwhile, Girona themselves, having upset the odds to finish fourth in La Liga, thereby qualifying for the Champions League, really struggled to balance the two competitions, finishing 16th this season, avoiding relegation by a solitary point.
Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski.
Miovski, for his part, failed to nail down a regular starting spot, included in a La Liga lineup on just 12 occasions, limited to only 1,241 minutes across all competitions, both of his league goals coming during a 4-1 win over Espanyol at Montilivi in November.
So, it’s fairer to assess his statistics from his time in Scotland.
Miovski’s SPFL statistics
Statistics
22/23
SPFL rank
23/24
SPFL rank
Goals
16
4th
16
5th
Shots on target
35
7th
43
3rd
*Shots on target %
50.7%
3rd
41.3%
12th
Big chances missed
15
3rd
16
3rd
Average SofaScore rating
6.86
64th
9.64
67th
*minimum 30 shots taken.
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore
As the table outlines, scoring 16 goals in back-to-back Premiership seasons for an Aberdeen team that finished 3rd and then seventh is an impressive achievement, on top of his four goals in Europe, four in the Scottish Cup and four in the League Cup; some nice symmetry there.
Journalist Bence Bocsák described his performances for the Dons as “quality”, hence why he was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year, sighting Miovski’s international exploits too, scoring eight times for North Macedonia to date, five of which have come since September last year, most recently on target during a World Cup qualifier against Wales in Skopje.
Meantime, Scott Bradley of Breaking the Lines labels him a ‘clinical finisher’, praising his ‘excellent movement’, while Nick Devlin has previously asserted that Miovski was “the best player in the league in his position” during his time in red.
Thus, if Celtic are able to secure his services, at 26-years-old, he is ready to make an impact from day one, and would unquestionably score a bucket load of goals for the hoops.
Dream Kyogo replacement: Celtic confident of signing "phenomenal" striker
Celtic are reportedly keen on a deal to sign a striker who would be a dream replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi.
Chief selector Upul Tharanga said Angelo Mathews was not being considered for selection in T20Is any longer
Madushka Balasuriya24-Jul-2024Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of Sri Lanka’s home series against India with bronchitis and a respiratory infection. Asitha Fernando is his replacement in the ODI and T20I squads.Chameera played for Kandy Falcons in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) earlier this month, though he wasn’t picked in the side towards the end of the tournament.”Only yesterday did we get back the reports, and it can be confirmed that he will miss the T20Is and ODIs against India,” Sri Lanka’s chief selector Upul Tharanga said at a briefing, alongside newly appointed interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya on Wednesday, where he outlined the road ahead for Sri Lanka in T20 internationals.Related
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What next for Angelo Mathews?Mathews had received an unexpected recall to the T20I side at the start of the year, ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. However, despite scoring 261 runs at a strike rate of 151.74 in the LPL, he was not in the squad to face India.While Mathews is yet to retire from T20Is, Tharanga seemed to confirm the 37 year-old was no longer being considered as Sri Lanka build towards the next T20 World Cup in 2026.Chief selector Upul Tharanga said Angelo Mathews is not part of Sri Lanka’s T20I plans•Bangladesh Cricket Board”When we came in [as selectors] we spoke to Angie about playing in this past World Cup, that was the plan,” Tharanga said. “But after the tournament we spoke again, and this time we told him he wasn’t in our plans for the next World Cup.”But during the brief time he was in the side after we brought him in, he played well. And in the LPL as well he did will as a finisher. But we need to look to the future. There’s a big gap to fill when it comes to an allrounder in the side – we have about two-three new players in mind to slot into that role. We’ll give them an opportunity and get them ready for the next World Cup.”How do Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Perera fit in?Chandimal and Perera had excellent performances in LPL 2024, scoring 287 and 296 runs respectively at exemplary strike rates while opening the innings.But competition is tough at the top of Sri Lanka’s batting order, with Tharanga confirming Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis as first-choice openers. It’s also likely that Kamindu Mendis will slot in at no.4, with Avishka Fernando – who also had an impressive LPL – the back-up.Dinesh Chandimal is back in Sri Lanka’s T20I side after an impressive LPL season•SLCCaptain Charith Asalanka will remain at no. 5, which leaves one spot – at no.3 – for either Chandimal or Perera.What will Sri Lanka’s attack look like against India?With all three T20Is being played in Pallekele, a venue that has offered more pace and bounce than anywhere else in the country, Tharanga said Sri Lanka’s could play three fast bowlers.Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana could be the first-choice combination, with each offering something different in the powerplay and death. Dasun Shanaka is another seam option at no. 6, with the uncapped allrounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe serving as a back-up.On the spin front, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana will play, with Dunith Wellalage an option if Sri Lanka want an extra spinner.What can we expect from Jayasuriya, the coach?Jayasuriya’s international career spanned 22 years. After retiring in 2011, he remained in the game in different capacities: most recently he was cricket consultant for SLC, overseeing players and coaches at the high-performance centre. The home series against India will be his first as a head coach of the national side.Sanath Jayasuriya was Sri Lanka’s cricket consultant during the T20 World Cup 2024•ICC/Getty Images”I was here as a consultant, I’ve played for Sri Lanka for 22 years, and I’ve worked under a lot of great coaches. I think whatever I can do, I will do with the side,” Jayasuriya said when asked about his new role. “Yes, I don’t have experience as a head coach, but I will try and do my best with this challenge. That said, I’m only in the role on an interim basis, so we will have a permanent coach coming in soon.”How have Sri Lanka prepared for India?Every member of the squad played in the recently concluded LPL. They will be familiar with the conditions in Pallekele, having played one of the legs of the tournament there.The team is currently having a training camp in Kandy ahead of the series and is working with Rajasthan Royals high-performance director, Zubin Bharucha, on a short-term basis. The move was facilitated by former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who is the director of cricket at RR.”It was great training with Zubin, as we did a lot of things that we had not done before,” Jayasuriya said. “There was a lot of work done with him, we learnt a lot from him, and I hope the players have learned about more optimal practicing and techniques. So I think preparations have been really good – and we have another two more days in Kandy.”
It is helping them “build character” within the team, the experienced spinner said
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2024
Keshav Maharaj finished with 2 for 25 against England•ICC/Getty Images
What have South Africa done differently at the T20 World Cup 2024 to remain unbeaten so far? Experienced left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj believes his side have won the “small moments” in crunch games, which they’d not done well in previous World Cups, which is helping them “build character”.”If you look at previous World Cups, the small moments, we haven’t really won,” he said. “It’s good to see that all the games have come really close and we’ve found a way, so it’s building the character within the team. And it prepares us for certain opportunities that we could get and cross over the line in those small moments, [these] are things that we’ve never done before. So, it’s good to see us getting into that.”Four out of six games South Africa have played so far at the T20 World Cup have been close finishes. A last-ball win against Nepal in Kingstown ensured they made a clean sweep of the group stage. While they won comfortably against USA in the first Super Eight game, the match on Friday against England came down to the final over. Maharaj took two wickets in the game, dismissing Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler, to take his wicket tally to eight in the tournament.Related
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Maharaj added that South Africa have tried their best to put the “hurt” from the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, where they were knocked out by Australia in the semi-finals, behind.”This team believes that we can be really great as a unit,” he said. “Obviously, with the last World Cup, bowing out in the semi-finals, it’s both the character and there’s a lot of hurt. So, we just take it one game at a time and focus on trying to get the results to go our way and not looking at the negatives, just trying to highlight the positives as much as possible.”South Africa will next face West Indies on Sunday evening in North Sound, Antigua. The match will also see a battle of the sides’ left-arm spinners: Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi for South Africa versus West Indies’ Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie. Hosein and Motie have been West Indies’ best bowlers at the tournament so far, the former having picked nine wickets and the latter eight in six matches.”It’s always a battle of the spinners,” Maharaj said. “I’m just going about my business. They’ve bowled exceptionally well in the tournament. I’ve watched quite a few spells of them, so obviously they’re quite a dominant force as well. They [West Indies] have got a very strong batting line-up, but [I will] just try to stick true to my processes and my principles.”It’s more a case of focusing on each and every game, not getting too ahead of ourselves. We’ve been very focused on our processes and trying to win each and every game and letting the rest take care of itself.”
With three matches left to play in the Premier League this season – on top of an FA Cup final in the middle of May – Manchester City still have a chance to cling onto some crumbs of pride from a sobering campaign.
Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men are now only three points off being on the same points total as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in second, whilst a FA Cup final victory at Wembley versus Crystal Palace would be an impressive hat-trick of successes for the Spaniard in the esteemed competition.
Manchester City manager PepGuardiolaapplauds fans after the match
Restoring some pride now could also set City up for a Premier League title chase when the ball gets rolling for the eventual 2025/26 season, with the upcoming transfer window further giving the Citizens apt time to rebuild before going again.
Manchester City's midfield rebuild
Guardiola has already started to add new flavours to his regimented City side, seen in seven-goal hero Omar Marmoush immediately making an impression on the English game after a statement January move.
With Kevin De Bruyne exiting the building this summer, the midfield is in slight need of a revamp too, leading to City now being linked with players like Morgan Gibbs-White and now Barcelona ace Frenkie De Jong to bolster centrally.
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As per reports from Spain, the Dutchman is an in-demand figure from a whole host of Premier League outfits, with Liverpool, Man CIty and Arsenal interested in signing the 27-year-old.
It’s further stated that a £34m bid could be made by Arne Slot’s title-winning Reds to try and tempt De Jong to Anfield, but City and the Gunners are still closely monitoring the Barca star’s situation to see if they can steal his services.
Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona
If De Jong can recapture the heights of his Ajax best at the Etihad, picking up such a talent for £34m will go down as a sterling bargain, with the 27-year-old also a potential upgrade on an ageing Gundogan if everything goes swimmingly.
Why De Jong could be a Gundogan upgrade
Before delving deeper into why the Dutchman might well be an inspired pick-up, it’s only right to look back at Gundogan when he was at his unbelievable peak in England.
After all, the German veteran hasn’t just fluked his sensational tally of 62 goals and 43 assists from 351 first-team appearances, but his numbers have been on an unfortunate slide this campaign.
Only five goal contributions have come his way in the Premier League this season, with De Jong amazingly only one off his ex-Borussia Dortmund’s counterpart’s total for the campaign back in La Liga.
This is a surprise considering the Barca number 21 has had many an injury setback to endure in the Camp Nou dressing room of late, but an impressive two goals and two assists have still managed to come his way, even as a mere seven league starts have been handed to him.
De Jong vs Gundogan since 2022/23
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
De Jong
Gundogan
Games played
75
98
Games scored
6
13
Assists
6
18
Pass accuracy *
91.6%
87.3%
Progressive carries
3.37
2.20
Progressive passes
9.56
6.19
Passes into final 3rd
9.73
5.21
Tackles won
1.08
0.64
Aerials won
1.10
0.47
Stats via FBref.
However, it’s over the last few seasons where we can really see the difference between the two players. Described by former Barca boss Xavi as “one of the best midfielders in the world”, he’s notably a more progressive passer and dribbler, with that no doubt a key attribute as Guardiola aims to refresh and rebuild his midfield.
Gundogan has, of course, displayed his class in the past for his current employers, but it does feel as if he’s reaching the end of his playing days now.
Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong
Whereas, De Jong – who has amassed 42 goal contributions and counting in Spain – has plenty of room to grow and impress, especially if he’s soon supplying the likes of Marmoush and Haaland with chances galore up top.
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Eyeing one of the moves of the summer, Everton are now reportedly poised to join Liverpool in the race to sign an in-form forward who would instantly replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Calvert-Lewin closing in on Everton departure
As things stand, Calvert-Lewin is set to bow out of Merseyside as a free agent when his current Everton contract comes to an end this summer. The forward – once destined for great things – has seen his recent seasons controlled by injuries and looks destined to leave with a whimper rather than the goalscoring roar that Goodison Park hasn’t heard enough in the last few years.
2024/25
3
2023/24
8
2022/23
2
2021/22
5
2020/21
21
It remains up for date whether the Toffees will miss Calvert-Lewin like they would have done in the past, especially given how Beto has stepped up since David Moyes’ return to the dugout.
The Everton boss hasn’t hesitated to hand the forward some tough love either, telling reporters earlier this season: “I have seen a difference in him. There’s just a wee bit more eye of the tiger.
“He was rightly praised for his performance at the weekend. I was still saying he should have probably scored a couple more, we talked about that as well. Maybe we need a wee bit of tough love with him. He needs to be told, but also given the confidence and shown what he can do, he’s got all the capabilities.
“If I’m a centre forward, I wouldn’t be complaining about the opportunities the team have made him in the last couple of games. He’s been given three or four really big chances. He’s taken one, we’d like him to take more.”
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Whether they’re better off or not this summer though, Everton must replace Calvert-Lewin if he departs and that has reportedly seen them join a hectic race to sign an impressive forward.
Everton join Liverpool in Liam Delap race
According to TeamTalk, Everton are now poised to battle Liverpool in the race to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer. The former Manchester City youngster reportedly has a relegation release clause worth £40m, which looks almost certain to become available in the coming weeks given that Kieran McKenna’s side sit 12 points adrift of safety in the Premier League.
Whilst Ipswich will likely go down, Delap has done more than enough to earn a permanent place in the top flight and one that Everton can provide this summer. Unlike Liverpool, one advantage that the Toffees could have is the offer of guaranteed game time for Delap, who may not be ready to make such a major step into the top six.
Praised for a “superb” season by talent scout Jacek Kulig after scoring as many as 12 goals in all competitions – nine more than Calvert-Lewin – Delap is undoubtedly one to watch.