حصد فريق كرة اليد بالنادي الأهلي “سيدات” برونزية بطولة كأس الكؤوس الإفريقية التي تقام في الجزائر خلال الفترة الحالية بعد الفوز على نظيره أوتوهو الكونغولي.
وتواجه الأهلي مع أوتوهو الكونغولي، اليوم السبت، في مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث بالبطولة التى تستضيفها مدينة وهران الجزائرية.
واستطاع فريق يد الأهلي الفوز على أوتوهو الكونغولي، بنتيجة 23-20 ليتويج برونزية بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد.
طالع | الترجي يهزم الأهلي ويقصيه من بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد
وكان الفريق الأول لسيدات كرة اليد بالنادي قد خسر نصف نهائي بطولة كأس الكؤوس الإفريقية أمام بترو أتلتيكو الأنجولي بنتيجة 24-19.
وضم فريق سيدات اليد، كلًا من: “منة الله السيد – فرح الشاذلي – أمينة هشام – فرح حازم – رنا راضي – تقى كامل – ألينا مولكوفا – ناتاليا ڤاسيلڤسكايا -دونجو كمارا – رحمة محمد – ملك أحمد – روان سعيد – – أمينة عاطف – نصرة عيد – ليلى حماد – شهد الشواربي- آية الله الحسيني- كنزي حاتم – آلاء صابر”.
Mohammad Amir’s five-for and an unbeaten half-century from Ryan ten Doeschate helped Essex take charge at North Marine Road
David Hopps at North Marine Road06-Aug-20171:14
County Championship round-up: Yorkshire crumble against Essex
Roll up, roll up, for the greatest Seaside Extravaganza in the Land. The start of the 131st Scarborough Festival saw Yorkshire fall quicker at Scarborough than the 10p pieces in the Penny Falls machines that after all these years occasionally tempt holidaymakers into the amusement arcades. Eighteen in the day and, at the end of it all, Essex holding the advantage.If you shove a round of Championship cricket into an otherwise non-stop programme of T20 cricket, don’t be surprised at the outcome.As Yorkshire tumbled to 74 for 9 before lunch, Adam Lyth was the coin that would not drop. He was last out for 68, scoring 63.5% of Yorkshire’s runs off the bat as they scrambled a pitiful 113 in 35.2 overs against the swinging ball. The only other batsman to look secure was Ryan Sidebottom, who helped add 39 for the last wicket in little bother, the most meaningful 8 not out of the season. You can signify a lot with a silent defensive push.Considering their disastrous first session against Mohammad Amir and Jamie Porter, Yorkshire would be relatively content with the position at the close of the first day. Essex’s lead with two wickets remaining was 75, still within range, and even that owed a lot to Ryan ten Doeschate’s unbeaten 61 from 83 balls.Yorkshire lack three England batsmen in Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance (lest his detractors forget, not yet dropped by England but injured, although the difference might be nit-picking) and have no overseas batsman on hand. Essex are without two batting rocks in Alastair Cook and Tom Westley. The bowlers could remain on top until the end.Lyth narrowly failed to carry his bat, although the distinction does not particularly interest him. Not like Geoffrey Boycott or the Great Stonewaller of days of yore, Louis Hall. He has managed it a couple of times and at the time didn’t really see what the fuss was about. “I always have to carry it,” he said. But he played late and within himself and drove judiciously. His cover drive against Mohammad Amir to reach 50 was as good as it got for Yorkshire.Twice, he might have fallen. On 28, a T20-style uppercut against Paul Walter was tipped over the bar by Varun Chopa at slip. Walter also surprised him with a languid bouncer on 63 but it fell safely at leg slip.When the ninth Yorkshire wicket fell, a spectator stood in front of the Tea Room, so identified by whitewashed capitals on its tiled roof so large they could be seen from the moon, observed the sun shining on the North York Moors and uttered: “Summat’s up.” Summat was up indeed. This match was billed as Yorkshire’s chance to launch a Championship challenge, but they have lost two of their last three matches and should they lose here, and Somerset start winning, they will start looking at the other end of the table.Mohammad Amir claimed his first five-wicket haul for Essex•Getty Images
It possible to discover a couple of contented Yorkshiremen in a 6000-plus crowd at North Marine Road, but as they were Chris Silverwood and Anthony McGrath, coaches of an Essex side standing proudly at the top of Division One, that did not noticeably lift the holiday mood.Yorkshire’s chief tormenter was Amir, a mid-season replacement for Neil Wagner and playing only his second Championship match of the season. The last three wickets rewarded 11 graceful overs with 5 for 18. As the last of them, Lyth, succumbed at first slip eight balls into the afternoon, Amir’s strangled cry of celebration cut through an air of stony silence.Amir struck twice in his new-ball spell. Alex Lees departed to the pavilion with an aggrieved look after an 11-ball duck, but as he could conceivably have been given out lbw or caught at fourth slip off an inside edge, the details didn’t really matter. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was bowled, undone by inswing.But the incursions with the new ball were not just about Amir. Jamie Porter made excellent use of helpful conditions as Yorkshire fell to 25 for 5 by the time bags had been unpacked and requisite layers of clothing decided. Harry Brook, released by England U-19s, pushed hard at one, Jack Leaning edged one that bounced and left him just enough and Tim Bresnan fell lbw second ball.As wickets continued to fall, though, there was something to engage the crowd. With Yorkshire nine down, lunch was delayed for half an hour, as per regulations, in a search for the last wicket. But when the umpires trooped off at 1.30pm, they were curtly instructed on their headsets by the Yorkshire scorer, John Potter, that they were one short of the statutory eight overs and should remain where they were.By the time they retraced their steps, in an atmosphere of confusion, the groundstaff had already pushed their wheelbarrows onto the wicket, and impromptu games of cricket were well under way on the outfield, so much so that one young lad had already scored more than every Yorkshire batsman but Lyth. They were ushered off, at which point a further over of utter inconsequence took place.Silverwood went to chat in the crowd as Essex batted, but as relaxed as he looked, the loss of three wickets before tea underlined Essex would not find things easy. Ravi Bopara pulled the second ball of the evening from Jack Brooks for six, just out of Sidebottom’s reach at long leg, but then pulled a long hop to square leg.Yorkshire hit back again midway through the evening session with three wickets in eight balls. Ben Coad, the most insistent of Yorkshire’s attack, is one fast bowler who will have welcomed the mid-season switch to T20 after an arduous debut season. He ended Adam Wheater’s useful resistance and had James Foster caught at second slip in the 42nd over before Sidebottom removed Paul Walter in the next over.As so often, Essex looked to ten Doeschate. Playing with selective aggression, he did not disappoint.
ScorecardFly from London to Bogota. Watch 14 episodes of House of Cards. Listen to all of the Beatles albums. These are many ways to occupy 756 minutes of time. Or, if you are Rory Burns, you can just bat at The Oval.”You’ve gotta stay out there Rory,” bellowed a spectator in the crowd as Burns walked off 25 minutes before lunch on the final day. Burns had just made the small matter of 219 undefeated runs, an unbroken thread throughout Surrey’s first innings. And yet, because his teammates had all been dismissed with Surrey still 16 shy of averting the follow on, Burns was still compelled to return to the field ten minutes later, to make sure the match was saved.It was, even more than a cricketing challenge, a test of endurance. At the time, Burns had been on the field – either as captain or batsman – for every moment of four sweltering, stuffy days at The Oval. Burns needed every ounce of fitness to manage his physical fatigue. Yet, perhaps even greater was the risk of mental fatigue: the need to sustain his same processes, the same impeccable judgement of each individual delivery, and maintain the same equanimity after every ball.”I’m pretty tired. Four days on your feet would take it out of anyone,” he said. “But when you’re fighting to save a game it’s far more a mental task than a physical task. It was more what was going on between my ears, and trying to replicate and be consistent in the process of how I was going about my batting.”On and on, he did just that. From the second evening, when he had the burden of opening Surrey’s response to the fifth largest total in Hampshire’s history, through copious menacing spells from Kyle Abbott, with both new ball and a reverse-swinging old one, a wild third day burst from Fidel Edwards, a marathon bowl for Mason Crane and then Abbott’s final, futile spell at the start of Surrey’s second innings: Burns withstood them all.Far from seeming depleted in the second innings, Burns actually produced his most fluent batting of the match, driving exquisitely and flicking the ball sumptuously through midwicket. And then, suddenly and incongruously, it was all over. After 1375 minutes unbroken on the field in the match, Burns received a looping offspinner well outside leg stump. It ricocheted off his pad, and unknowingly deflected off the wicketkeeper’s pads onto his stumps. A dream died: that Burns would manage the staggering feat of being undefeated throughout this game, and being on the pitch throughout.Still, the umpires and opposition players were united in applause as Burns, laughing in bemusement at the absurdity of his dismissal, finally left the field, just 29 minutes shy of being a continuous presence in this County Championship game. All recognised an extraordinary feat. Burns had batted for 535 balls in the match, making 287 runs for once out. Most importantly, Surrey’s stand-in captain had, through sheer force of will, saved this match. In a month and a day their Championship summer recommences; Burns’ extraordinary feat will survive much longer.Rory Burns was indefatigable•PA Photos
“I think that is the best I’ve ever played,” he said. “I just simplified it. I just tried to stay in my box and watch the ball. It sounds stupid, but that’s basically what I was thinking because how the game was set up was that we had to bat seven sessions to try and get ourselves to safety.”I somehow managed to keep going. I managed to narrow my focus down and was thinking about balls rather than the context of the game.” In so doing he had secured the maiden double century of his career, brought up when he glided Crane through midwicket just after noon – a shot, like so many he played, of wonderful timing and precise placement.The extent of Burns’ achievement was unbecoming of a farcical end, with Surrey briefly using the opportunity for some T20 practice ahead of the start of the Blast against an exhausted Hampshire. Both knew that, if Surrey went into the lead, it would mean they could declare – and the match could end 10 minutes earlier. And so, at ten to five, the players shook hands and finally relief came from this dour, spirit-sapping pitch, enough to send everyone – well, all except Burns – comatose.
The BCCI’s Committee of Administrators s likely to be reduced to a two-member panel after Vikram Limaye was cleared as the managing director and chief executive of National Stock Exchange by the Securities and Exchange Board of India
Arun Venugopal10-Jun-2017The BCCI’s Committee of Administrators (CoA) is likely to be reduced to a two-member panel after Vikram Limaye was cleared as the managing director and chief executive of the National Stock Exchange by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulator for securities markets in India. The approval is subject to Limaye being relieved from the CoA by the Supreme Court.The court, which is in summer recess currently, will take up the issue in July when it reopens. It is understood that Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, has been informed of both the SEBI approval and the condition, and is supportive of Limaye’s release from his CoA responsibilities.Limaye’s imminent exit means the CoA will be down to two members – Rai and Diana Edulji – after Ramachandra Guha tendered his resignation on June 1. Guha put in his papers citing frustration at what he saw as the CoA’s inaction on matters of conflict of interest and superstar culture among other issues.To fill up the vacant positions, the CoA is expected to recommend a few names to the Supreme Court. “The names will have to be worked out with the amicus curiae [Gopal Subramanium] and then we would have to see,” a BCCI official said.The CoA will meet next on June 12 in Delhi to discuss a raft of issues, including a broad framework to address conflict-of-interest situations, the status of the appointment of India’s coach. The CoA is also set to meet with the state associations on June 25 to discuss the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations ahead of the BCCI’s SGM on June 26.
G Vivekanand has been elected president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, taking over from former offspinner Arshad Ayub; the results of the election were declared on Friday night
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2017G Vivekanand has been elected president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), taking over from former offspinner Arshad Ayub; the results of the election were declared on Friday night. The HCA is the one of the first state associations to conduct its elections as per the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.*HCA’s newly-elected office bearers
President: G Vivekanand, secretary: T Seshnarayan, vice-president: Anil Kumar, joint-secretary: Ajmal Asad, treasurer: P Mahender, apex-council member: Hanumanth Reddy
Vivekanand, an industrialist and a former member of parliament, secured 136 votes to defeat his opponent Vidyut Jaisimha, who managed 69. T Seshnarayan was elected secretary unanimously.The elections were held on January 17, but the results were withheld following petitions that challenged the polls. According to the , the Hyderabad High Court dismissed the petitions and upheld the order of a civil court that had directed that the elections be held.The HCA has been under the scanner for a number of irregularities during the organisation of the one-off Test between India and Bangladesh in Hyderabad in February. The absence of transparent tender processes and issues with vendor contracts were among the problems highlighted by the BCCI observer Ratnakar Shetty. The state body was also rapped by the Deloitte audit report on Project Transformation, instituted by former BCCI president Shashank Manohar, for serious financial discrepancies.*13.45GMT, April 1: The article had erroneously stated that the HCA was the first state association to conduct elections as per the Lodha recommendations. This has been changed.
Leeds United defender Robin Koch is now wanted by Serie A champions Napoli this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.
Which players are leaving Leeds?
The Whites' relegation from the Premier League last month was a bitter pill to swallow for anyone associated with the club, following three years back in the top flight of English football.
It will create problem for so many reasons, not least the fact that Leeds are going to find it extremely difficult to keep hold of key players beyond the summer. Playing in the Championship will not appeal to many of their top young talents, especially if they have the opportunity to return straight to the top level at another club.
A host of current Whites heroes are being linked with summer moves away from Elland Road, with the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Jack Harrison among those in the mix to depart.
Koch is another who has been tipped to move on, however, as he looks for a new challenge.
Leeds United's Robin Koch
Is Koch potentially joining Napoli?
According to Sky Italia journalist Franceso Modugno (via Gianluca Di Marzio and Sport Witness), Napoli are eyeing up a summer move for the £38,000-a-week defender, as they look to bring in a tailor-made replacement for centre-back Kim Min-jae, who looks set to join Bayern Munich.
The report claims that the Serie A giants see Koch as a strong target because he "stands out for his physicality and ability in aerial play", with a bid now possibly in the offing.
In truth, these are the sort of departures that Leeds simply have to accept in the summer transfer window, with someone of Koch's standing no doubt intrigued by the idea of joining a Napoli side that excelled so much last season.
While it would be nice to see the 26-year-old stay put with the Whites and help them make a speedy return to the Premier League, it is difficult to be too critical of him moving on if a club of such stature comes in for him.
Granted, Koch hasn't always covered himself in glory for Leeds, starting 36 of his side's 38 league games en route to relegation in 2022/23, but he has been hailed as a "machine" by teammate Max Wober and he would be a loss, certainly boasting the physicality to thrive in the second tier.
The fact that the German's current Whites deal expires next year does make this a realistic time to sell him and receive good money, though, which is the one positive to take from his likely exit.
Manchester United have earmarked Napoli defender Kim Min-jae as a top target this summer, but fear they could miss out on the South Korea international to Bayern Munich.
Reports of the Red Devils' interest in Kim have flooded in of late, with Erik ten Hag's outfit believed to have been leading the race over the past few weeks.
The player's €60m (£51m) release clause activates on July 1 and with United in the market for a new centre-back, the 26-year-old has been deemed the optimum choice to bridge the gap on the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, who fought a fierce Premier League title battle this summer.
However, recent reports confirmed by Fabrizio Romano state that the Bavaria giants are getting closer to completing a deal, the German Bundesliga champions hijacking a move that seemed all but wrapped up for the Old Trafford side.
Romano does write that United are yet to present a fresh offer, and if they do look to reignite their pursuit, they could unearth their next Nemanja Vidic, at least, that's according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Speaking to Football FanCast, the journalist said: "United have always cried out for people to come in like Vidic, and if Kim [Min-jae] can be that character, then he'd be welcomed with open arms."
Could Kim Min-jae be the next Vidic?
Signing for Manchester United for £7m from Spartak Moscow in 2005, with the tough-tackling Serbian defender forging an incredible career on English shores, making 300 appearances, notably winning the Champions League and five Premier League titles – hailed as the most "consistent, influential player in the league" by teammate Gary Neville.
A truly fearless, unflinching centre-back, Vidic was the bedrock of Sir Alex Ferguson's success and epitomised the 'no-nonsense' tag, as he was described by the Guardian's David Pleat, often dealing with danger by meeting fire with fire.
The 36-cap Serbia star remains a coveted figure at the Theatre of Dreams and would undoubtedly steal the show if he, in his prime, was deployed into the current crop, and given that Kim has been heralded as an "iron barrel" by Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, he could adopt such a mantle.
Napoli's Kim Min-jae
The South Korean has been imperious for I Partenopei since arriving for just £16m last year, playing a central role in the club's Scudetto-winning campaign, making 35 Serie A appearances and earning an average Sofascore rating of 7.22, demonstrating his tenacity and 'no-nonsense' approach by making 1.6 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game, succeeding with 62% of his total duels.
Much like his now-retired peer Vidic, Kim could well be the "best centre-back in the world" – according to Luciano Spalletti, who recently left his managerial post in Naples – and would represent a return to defensive glory with a move to Old Trafford; an insurmountable wall to quell any threat opposition dare muster against Manchester United.
An update has emerged on Celtic and their efforts to replace Ange Postecoglou ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest on Daniel Farke to Celtic?
Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed that the Hoops are in talks with former Borussia Monchengladbach head coach Daniel Farke.
The journalist Tweeted: "Excl. Farke: Talks with Celtic FC! Celtic very interested in signing him as a replacement for Postecoglou. First talks took place. Celtic FC Next option: @leeds confirmed. But not advanced yet. Could change next week. Farke, ready to take over a new club now!"
Gladbach parted ways with the German boss earlier this month and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is now eyeing a swoop to bring him back into management with the Scottish giants.
Would Daniel Farke be a success at Celtic?
The 46-year-old head coach, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, would be an exceptional replacement for Postecoglou as he has a proven track record of being able to lead a title-winning team.
Prior to finishing tenth in the Bundesliga with Gladbach, the tactician enjoyed an excellent spell with Norwich City in England and won the Championship title in two of his three seasons in the second tier.
His Canaries side racked up 94 and 97 points in 2018/19 and 2020/21 respectively and did so while playing exciting free-flowing football.
The Yellows plundered 93 league goals in 18/19 and 75 in 20/21 and this shows that the coach knows how to organise a team that can consistently win matches, under the pressure of fighting for a title, and demolish opposition outfits by being lethal in the final third.
Farke was hailed as an "exceptional" coach by the legendary Pep Guardiola, who in 2021 revealed that he spent some of his spare time tuning into the German boss' matches, saying: “I have a good relation with the Norwich manager, so if they play I like to watch them."
These comments from the Manchester City boss, who was beaten 3-2 by the ex-Canaries manager in 2019, suggest that he would be able to deploy a style of play that would excite the Celtic supporters. If it was enjoyable enough to entice Guardiola, then it's surely good for those at Parkhead.
Postecoglou's Hoops scored 114 goals in the Scottish Premiership this season as they won the title and Farke could come in and carry on that fine work by replicating his success with Norwich in Scotland and building a team that can win whilst playing entertaining football and scoring plenty of goals.
Mohammad Nabi coolly helped Chittagong Vikings ace a chase of 184, slamming an unbeaten 46 off 24 balls and finishing the match against Comilla Victorians with a four and a six in the last over
Mohammad Isam21-Nov-2016 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Mohammad Nabi scored another six-filled innings•BCBChittagong Vikings, helped along by knocks from Mohammad Nabi and Shoaib Malik, executed a brilliant chase of 184 to upend Comilla Victorians in front of a packed home crowd. The win put the team in the top four, while Comilla were left at the bottom of the points table after their sixth defeat of the tournament.Two important partnerships – first between Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque, and then between Malik and Nabi – got them close to the target before Nabi coolly blasted sixes off Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Saifuddin to finish the chase with four balls to spare.With 17 required off two overs, Tanvir removed Shoaib Malik for a 25-ball 38 and ended the 64-run fourth-wicket stand, off the first ball of the penultimate over.Pressure rose through dot balls but Nabi’s high six over square-leg and single off the last ball kept Chittagong ahead with eight needed off the last over. Mashrafe Mortaza gave the ball to Saifuddin, who had conceded 30 runs in his previous three overs, and Nabi edged him for a four off the first ball. The next ball was slammed for a six over long-on, Nabi’s second in an innings of 46 off 24 balls which also included five fours.Dwayne Smith had given Chittagong a rapid start by hitting five boundaries within the first eleven deliveries of the chase. Mashrafe Mortaza trapped him leg-before in the third over but Comilla missed a chance to take more control in the game when Imrul Kayes failed to hold on a catch at deep square-leg, offered by Tamim on 5.Tamim went on to add 62 runs for the second wicket with Anamul Haque, and both batsmen kept pace with the required run rate. Tamim, who made 30 off 27 balls, fell to Ryan ten Doeschate in the 10th over, and in the bowler’s next over, Anamul was dismissed for 40 off 30 balls, leaving Chittagong with a target of 81 runs in 8.2 overs.Malik and Nabi took time to settle before taking 25 runs off the 15th and 16th overs. Comilla also fielded poorly, letting straight balls go through for fours on the off side on two occasions.Earlier, Comilla put up their highest score in the tournament, 183 for 3, thanks to two 50-plus partnerships. Khalid Latif was the common factor: he shared a 68-run second-wicket stand with Imrul Kayes, who made 36 off 26 balls, before adding 70 for the third wicket with Ahmed Shehzad.Latif found his groove in the stand with Imrul, hitting his first six over midwicket, while Imrul struck three fours and a six before being run out by Tamim off a direct hit from mid-off. Latif then clattered Nabi for three sixes over square-leg and long-on in the 14th over. Shehzad, meanwhile, helped Comilla’s final flourish with five boundaries in his unbeaten 40. Latif was run-out in the last over for 76 off 53 balls, which included six fours and five sixes.
Newcastle United could look to the summer transfer window to add quality ahead of their return to Champions League football next season and now a reliable source has given an update on a potential target.
What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Kouadio Kone?
According to journalist Jacque Talbot, Newcastle hold strong interest in signing Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Kouadio 'Manu' Kone this summer.
Talbot revealed to Empire of the Kop (via Caught Offside): "Liverpool and Newcastle are at the table. I think Newcastle’s interest in Kone is quite heavy.
"Kone is certainly one of seven targets I’d say [for Liverpool] and the sounds are about Thuram being further ahead.
"Newcastle are in for him as well, but for some reason the club’s recruitment is pushing for Premier League players."
Would Kone be a good signing for Newcastle?
There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the amount of expectations that have been exceeded by his talented squad at St James' Park this season.
Nobody could have predicted the consistency and resilience the Magpies have shown over their Premier League campaign and rightfully earned their Champions League spot after conceding the joint-fewest defeats (five) in the entire top flight over 38 fixtures.
Whilst Howe will want to keep the skeleton of his successful squad very much involved in the next chapter for the North East club, it will be important to add in some much-needed quality to bolster key positions on the pitch and strengthen their on-field presence when they compete both domestically and on the European stage next season.
As a result, the signing of Kone could be the perfect opportunity to bring in a player who can comfortably operate in the deepest role in the centre of the pitch, in order to fully unlock Bruno Guimaraes' full potential by giving the Brazilian the freedom to be more creative and present in attacking play.
Since the departure of Jonjo Shelvey in the January transfer window, Guimaraes has been forced to adopt a much deeper and disciplined position as opposed to the more attacking role he thrived in during his explosive initial six months on Tyneside, but if Kone joins that could be about to change.
The 22-year-old ace – dubbed "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting – is renowned for his ability to win and retain possession of the ball whilst comfortably and accurately distributing to build progressive play from his deep-lying role.
As per FBref, Kone ranks in the top 25% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for successful take-ons, progressive carries, pass completion, tackles and blocks, with these dominating attributes leading to football talent scout Jacek Kulig branding him a "one-man army".
Not only that, the Frenchman – who has a reported price tag of €40m (£34m) – has averaged 65.7 touches, 39.5 accurate passes, 1.1 interceptions and won a whopping 7.4 duels per game over his 30 Bundesliga outings this season, further demonstrating that he is consistently a massive presence on the pitch.
With that being said, Kone is a midfielder who possesses the profile that is much-needed in the Newcastle set-up, to not only allow Guimaraes the peace of mind to comfortably push forward in attacking opportunities but add some discipline into midfield to avoid counter-attacking chances taken by opponents.