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Tottenham are already making some progress on their transfer plans heading into 2026, with ‘very advanced’ discussions being held on the player side.

Tottenham make plans to sign new attacker

Spurs are believed to be ramping up their pursuit of attacking reinforcements ahead of the January transfer window, with Thomas Frank desperate to address the creative issues plaguing his side right now.

The Lilywhites were once again unconvincing against Newcastle on Tuesday, despite nicking a 2-2 draw courtesy of captain Cristian Romero’s brace.

Romero’s diving header and overhead kick in added time were Spurs’ only shots on target the entire game, so it remains clear that the north Londoners could do with that extra injection of quality going forward.

FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa has reportedly emerged as one of the club’s primary targets, with Spurs ‘intent’ on signing the 21-year-old, according to some reports.

The Spain international has impressed again this season with six goals and one assist in 11 league games for Porto, while his overall record stands at 37 goals in 62 appearances since joining the Portuguese giants from Atlético Madrid last year.

Dominic Solanke has been plagued by ankle problems since the start of 2025/2026, undergoing surgery in early October and remaining sidelined, with Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani arguably failing to set the world alight.

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Kolo Muani’s also suffered injury issues which have limited his availability, but the Frenchman did put in a stunning shift against parent club PSG in the Champions League last week.

He bagged a brace and an assist during the 5-3 defeat as Spurs’ shining light, though he needs more support with Richarlison proving inconsistent and Mathys Tel still pretty raw.

That being said, with Solanke nearing a return, Tottenham are reportedly more likely to sign a wide forward than a central striker in January.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye are both rumoured targets to bolster Tottenham’s attack, with the former’s contract containing a £65 million release clause which will be active in early January.

However, Man City are just as keen on Semenyo as Spurs, meaning Frank’s side could face an uphill battle against the Premier League title contenders.

A potential alternative to Semenyo, according to Sky Sports Switzerland’s Sacha Tavolieri, comes in the form of RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande.

Tottenham in 'very advanced' discussions with Diomande's camp

As per the reporter, Tottenham are in ‘very advanced’ discussions with Diomande’s representatives — positioning themselves alongside Liverpool as frontrunners in the race for his signature.

Spurs have monitored the Ivorian for months, and Tavolieri says that both the north Londoners and Arne Slot’s side are pressing in negotiations with the 19-year-old’s camp, though no club has yet made formal contact with Leipzig.

Diomande joined Leipzig for £17.5 million from Spanish side Leganes last summer and has quickly impressed, with the Bundesliga side now slapping a reported £88 million price tag on his head to ward off suitors.

The left-winger has scored four goals and racked up four assists in 14 appearances across all competitions this season, establishing himself as a star regular in Ole Werner’s attacking setup.

The promising talent only made his first senior club appearance in March and has enjoyed a meteoric rise since then, with Leipzig now poised to demand a fee which could eclipse their record sale of Josko Gvardiol to City for £79 million.

Barcelona have also expressed rumoured interest but haven’t opened negotiations with his agents, putting Liverpool and Tottenham in the driving seat.

Both Premier League clubs are even considering a January move, according to some reports (Foot Africa), though Leipzig are fully aware of the growing interest and haven’t yet held talks with any club.

For Frank, the signing of Diomande could be a risky one, as he’s only burst on the scene very recently and may cost serious money.

Southampton return to action in the Championship this weekend as they prepare to travel to Charlton on Saturday, and they appear no closer to appointing a permanent successor to Will Still.

TalkSPORT recently claimed that Sport Republic are ‘seriously considering’ appointing current interim manager Tonda Eckert on a permanent basis, after his first two matches in the dugout.

The 32-year-old head coach is set to lead the team out for a third game against Charlton this weekend, and another win would do his chances of landing the role no harm.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

Eckert deserves credit for providing the team with an instant boost after Still’s departure, as he masterminded a 2-1 win over QPR and a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, it may not be the right time to appoint him as the permanent head coach because of his lack of experience in first-team management in his career so far.

Eckert had only ever been an assistant manager before his move to join the U21s as their head coach this summer, and he managed nine Premier League 2 matches before his two senior games as the current interim, per Transfermarkt.

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This means that Southampton have no evidence available to judge what an Eckert team will look like in 15, 20, or 30 games, or if he has the first-team coaching ability to lead a promotion push.

Earlier this month, Michael Carrick was named as a reported contender for the job, and hiring the former Middlesbrough boss could end the Eckert experiment at St. Mary’s.

Why Southampton should hire Michael Carrick

Unlike the German interim, Carrick would arrive on the south coast with bundles of Championship experience as a manager, which may be what the Saints need right now.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been out of work since moving on from Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

Carrick also has the specific experience of taking over a team in a similar position to the one that Southampton are in now and leading them to a play-off finish, as that is what he did with Boro in the 2022/23 campaign.

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

As you can see in the table above, the 4-2-3-1 tactician took over with Middlesbrough after they had a dismal start to the season, in 18th place, and led them to fourth and the play-offs.

Southampton are currently 17th after 15 matches, with 18 points on the board, which means that Carrick would arrive in an incredibly similar situation at St. Mary’s. This could make him the ideal candidate for the job, as he has very specific experience for the job that is required.

Some supporters may see that he finished 10th and eighth in his last two seasons with Boro, but the underlying numbers behind those two campaigns suggest that he was let down by his squad.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Boro ranked inside the top six for xPTS in both of those seasons, suggesting that their performances were of a play-off calibre, but the players did not make the most of those performances to pick up the results needed.

This is why Southampton should not be put off by Carrick’s ‘failure’ to get Boro in the play-offs in the last two seasons, and is further evidence that he could be a major upgrade on the inexperienced Eckert.

Southampton can land Still upgrade by hiring manager who's won 13 trophies

Southampton could land an upgrade on Will Still by hiring this 4-3-3 manager.

ByDan Emery Nov 12, 2025

Therefore, the out-of-work English manager could be the perfect hire for Southampton for the position that they currently find themselves in, as he has the coaching ability and experience to drive the team back up the table to fight for the play-offs.

Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton in the Premier League on Monday night highlights the job Ruben Amorim still has on his hands at Old Trafford.

Kiernan Drewsbury-Hall’s effort in the first half was enough to secure all three points for David Moyes’ men, which will no doubt leave the Red Devils boss scratching his head.

His men spent 77 minutes with a one-man advantage, but none of his first-team squad could pop up with the goods to extend their unbeaten run in England’s top-flight.

Despite spending £200m on a new attacking trio over the summer, the Red Devils looked largely toothless in front of goal, as seen by their tally of 100% big chances missed.

However, the manager will desperately want added reinforcements in the upcoming January window to aid him in his quest for success during his time at Old Trafford.

United’s hunt for added attacking signings in January

Over the last couple of weeks, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been identified as just one player whom United are targeting for the January transfer window.

The Ghanaian international has been in remarkable form during the early stages of 2025/26, with the winger already netting six goals and three assists in just 11 appearances for the Cherries.

However, Amorim’s men aren’t alone in the pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Arsenal and Liverpool just two other top-flight clubs seeking a £65m move for his signature.

He’s not the only player on the Red Devils’ shortlist, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior a player who INEOS are potentially considering a move for in the coming months.

According to The Mirror, the Brazilian international could leave the LaLiga giants in the coming months, with the forward having just 19 months left on his current deal – leading to keen interest from the Red Devils.

It also states his recent bust-up with senior members at the Bernabeu could see them cash in on his services to avoid losing him for nothing in the near future.

How Vinicius Junior compares to Bryan Mbeumo

As part of their £200m spending spree in the summer, United forked out a reported £71m on the services of forward Bryan Mbeumo from fellow Premier League side Brentford.

The Cameroonian generated huge excitement within the Red Devils fanbase after netting 20 times in the league last season, with the 26-year-old already making an excellent start to life at Old Trafford.

He’s already netted five goals in his first 12 league outings for the club, with such a tally currently making him the top goalscorer within Amorim’s squad.

However, his showing against Everton yesterday was one to forget, with the attacker struggling to provide the goods amid the absence of Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

Mbeumo was only able to register a single effort on target whilst also failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles – further highlighting his lack of impact in the final third.

There’s no doubt he’s been a shrewd addition to date, but ultimately, he hasn’t been able to get near the levels produced by Vinicius during his opening matches in LaLiga.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats this campaign, the Brazilian has massively outperformed Mbeumo – showcasing why he’d be a better addition for the Red Devils.

Vinicius, who’s been dubbed the “best in the world” by Thierry Henry, has racked up more combined goals and assists this season – subsequently handing Amorim a more threatening option in front of goal.

He’s also registered more key passes and more passes into the final third per 90, with such numbers allowing those around him to be on the end of more chances in attacking areas.

How Vinicius & Mbeumo compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Vinicius

Mbeumo

Games played

13

12

Goals & assists

9

6

Progressive carries

8.9

2.8

Progressive passes

4.8

2.7

Pass accuracy

80%

73%

Key passes

2.9

1.7

Passes into final third

1.9

1.5

Take-on success

38%

33%

Carries into final third

2.9

1.9

Stats via FBref

The Brazilian’s all-round dominance over Mbeumo is further highlighted in his higher take-on success and greater tally of carries into the final third per 90, which showcases his ability to go alone when needed.

A player of Vini Jr’s quality would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with such a move likely to break the club’s current transfer record of £89m paid for Paul Pogba.

However, it would be a deal worth every penny, with the winger having all of the tools to take the United frontline to the next level for many years to come under Amorim’s guidance.

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For the first time in quite a while, there are reasons for West Ham United fans to be optimistic.

Nuno Espírito Santo appears to have found a system that not only gets the best out of his players but has already delivered two Premier League wins in a row.

Moreover, some of the stars who were looking a little lacklustre earlier in the season are now starting to pick up some form.

One of those is Lucas Paqueta, although there is a former West Ham player sold by former Sporting Director Tim Steidten who is still outperforming the Brazilian.

The latest on Lucas Paqueta

It would be fair to say that last season was not Paqueta’s finest for West Ham.

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After all, in 36 appearances across all competitions, the former Lyon star was only able to chalk up a rather underwhelming tally of five goals and no assists.

It looked like it would be much of the same for a period at the start of this season, as aside from a thunderous effort against Chelsea and a penalty against Nottingham Forest, the 28-year-old looked like he was simply coasting through games.

Then, just to make the situation worse, stories emerged of him wanting to leave the club as soon as the winter window.

However, the Paqueta-born dynamo quickly responded by posting a picture of himself and his family at the London Stadium, which, given the timing, certainly felt like a statement.

With all that said, this could still be his last season, with transfers expert Fabrizio Romano making it clear that a departure in the summer is still very much on the cards.

If this really is to be his last season in Claret and Blue, at least the mercurial midfielder is starting to show his best again, scoring a goal against Newcastle United and playing well against Burnley last week.

Yet, even with this uptick, Paqueta is being outperformed by another midfielder sold by West Ham last year.

The former West Ham star outperforming Paqueta

There has been plenty of player churn at West Ham in recent years, but one of the most talented to leave was undoubtedly Pablo Fornals.

The 29-year-old joined the Hammers from Villarreal in the summer of 2019, and over the following four and a half years made 203 appearances, in which he scored 23 goals, provided 19 assists and won the Conference League.

However, by the 23/24 season, he was more of a bit-part player, and so when Real Betis came knocking in the January window, the Hammers were happy to let him leave for around £6.8m.

Since then, the Spaniard has already made 69 appearances for the Seville outfit and even started in the Conference League Final against Chelsea last year.

However, this season has been his best in a very long time, to the extent that he’s been called up to the Spanish national team for the first time in four years.

It’s a thoroughly deserved call-up, as in 16 appearances, totalling 1131 minutes this season, he has scored twice and provided four assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.66 games, or every 188.5 minutes.

For comparison’s sake, Paqueta’s tally of four goals in 12 appearances, totalling 1051 minutes, comes out to a worse average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 262.75 minutes.

The comparison is even more weighted in the Spaniard’s favour when examining their underlying numbers.

For example, the “unbelievable” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Karl Matchett, comes out on top in most crucial metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, key passes and shot-creating actions.

Fornals vs Paqueta

Statistics

Fornals

Paqueta

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.26

0.20

Progressive Passes

8.45

6.70

Progressive Carries

1.64

0.57

Passing Accuracy

84.3%

75.1%

Key Passes

1.91

1.32

Passes into the Final Third

7.27

4.25

Live Passes

60.5

48.0

Shot-Creating Actions

4.71

2.35

Goal-Creating Actions

0.63

0.09

All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 League Season

Overall, while he might not be as good a player as Paqueta, Fornals is certainly outperforming him this season, and is someone Nuno would surely love to have in his squad.

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San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was off to a hot start in Sunday's Game 2 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Tatis started off by crushing a 387-foot home run in the first inning to put the Padres on the board early. In the third inning, he hit a double. He was later brought in for a run in the sixth inning.

The right fielder was shining defensively, too. He caught what appeared to be an uncatchable ball from Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning. As he stood in the outfield after pulling down the deep line drive, Dodgers fans began booing Tatis. Instead of letting their jeers bother him, Tatis fully embraced the boos, and he even egged them on to get louder and keep going.

He wanted the Dodgers fans to know the noise didn't bother him.

Tatis was one of the players Dodgers fans were most worried about facing. Before Sunday's game, Tatis was averaging .600/.692/1.000 through the first three Padres postseason games.

Kyle Mayers had helped Seattle Orcas put up 200 before their sloppy fielding and MINY’s powerful batting in the death overs finished the game

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2025

Monank Patel picked things up after a slow start•Sportzpics for MLC

MI New York 203 for 3 (Monank 93, Bracewell 50, Raza 2-37) beat Seattle Orcas 200 for 5 (Mayers 88, Jahangir 43)MI New York finally got a ‘W’ against their name in MLC 2025 by the time all teams have played three of their ten league games. MI New York did it in style, although after a slow start in their chase of 201 against Seattle Orcas that gave them some tense moments in the last game played in Oakland this season. They managed just 38 for 1 in the powerplay and before his opening partner Monank Patel took off to end with 93 off 50 balls before allrounders Michael Bracewell and Kieron Pollard saw them home with an over to spare.Orcas opted to bat in search of their first win of the season and changed the batting order and the XI to change their fortunes. Kyle Mayers dropped down to No. 4 after bagging a duck in their last game and the move worked as he walked out when Orcas were 30 for 2 towards the end of the powerplay once captain David Warner and Aaron Jones fell cheaply. Mayers and Shayan Jahangir then struck a six every over for five overs in a row while Mayers also got a life when Tajinder Singh dropped a sitter on the off side. More sixes followed before Jahangir holed out for 43 off 34 that ended the third-wicket stand of 77 off 49 balls that took them past 100 in the 14th over.Mayers then lifted the run rate over eight an over with two sixes and a four off Naveen-ul-Haq in the 15th over that went for 18 and saw his half-century come off 31 balls. Mayers smoked a lot of his boundaries on the leg side and relied heavily on his back-foot strokes to muscle the ball away. He launched four more sixes in Naveen’s next over – three of them over long-on – before Trent Boult removed Mayers in the 19th over that went for just eight runs. But there was no respite for Naveen; he got the last over which saw Shimron Hetmyer smack two fours and two sixes before holing out on the last ball. Captain Heinrich Klaasen also chipped in with three sixes in his 27 off 11 as Orcas pummeled 120 runs in the last eight overs.MINY were also hardly looking great in the powerplay with edges and appeals before Quinton de Kock flicked a six in the third over off Obed McCoy. He was, however, trapped lbw as soon as Sikandar Raza came on, while Monank smashed his USA team-mate Jasdeep Singh for a six and four next over. Monank continued to pepper the boundaries while Bracewell moved along at run a ball to play second fiddle. MINY promoted Bracewell over Pooran as they expected the second half the innings to be better for batting, and even though the plan didn’t work exactly that way, runs did flow more easily as the chase progressed. With 90 required off 48, three fours came off Raza’s zippy offbreaks in the 13th over not long before Klaasen put down Bracewell. But Cameron Gannon held on to one to send Monank back for 93 when they needed 57 off the last five. Pooran scored just one run off his first four balls before launching a six which was followed by him losing his stumps against Raza, who celebrated wildly. The stage was set for Pollard with 49 needed off 22 and he started with two fours in his first three balls to stamp his arrival.Bracewell collected two fours and a six off Mayers next over that went for 19 and with 21 to get off 12, Pollard and Bracewell finished things off in the 19th over off McCoy. As many as four Orcas bowlers went for over 10 runs an over while Bracewell remained unbeaten on 50 off 35 and Pollard on 26 off 10.

The treble winners have been dismantled. A new era has begun at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.

Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and, of course, Jack Grealish. All now yesterday’s news.

They were all crucial in the greatest season in City’s history, but time waits for no one. Following a turbulent 2024/25 campaign, Guardiola has overseen substantial change this summer, ushering in a wave of exciting, bold additions. Old with the old, in with the new.

Success for most managers operates on a boom or bust cycle. Take Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte, for example, serial winners across multiple different stints, albeit with both men having the tendency to implode.

The very best, like Sir Alex Ferguson – and now Guardiola – have that ability to build, grow, evolve; ride it out even when things begin to get tougher.

Having already phased out one great side containing the likes of Vincent Kompany, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is doing so again.

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Man City's new-look side is starting to come together

Heading into the recent international break, there were perhaps questions being asked of just where this City side is at, having slipped to defeats against both Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, after thrashing Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening weekend.

Following a much-needed reset, the Citizens have returned with a bang over the last week or so, having surged to a deserved 3-0 win in the Manchester derby, spearheaded by the brilliance of Erling Haaland at the top of the pitch, with debutant Gianluigi Donnarumma in sparkling form at the opposite end.

A key figure in that convincing win was also the lively Jeremy Doku, with the fleet-footed Belgian beginning to translate his devastating attacking threat into a consistent end product.

Minutes

77

Touches

48

Assists

2

Key passes

4

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribbles completed

2/6

Total duels won

7/14

Possession lost

17

Fouls won

4

The former Rennes speedster notably skipped past Luke Shaw as if the Englishman wasn’t even there before teeing up Phil Foden for the opener, having also provided the assist for Haaland’s first of the game after expertly fending off Leny Yoro.

Unplayable at his best, the marauding winger got in on the act himself in the midweek win over De Bruyne’s Napoli, skipping his way into the area before firing home from the angle.

Alongside the likes of Haaland and Foden, Doku could be the face of this youthful, fresh outfit. So too can Tijjani Reijnders, with the £46.3m Dutchman notably netting at Molineux on his Premier League debut.

Trickier tests have followed since, although the ex-AC Milan midfielder was back to his best last time out, providing the assist for Doku’s clincher, while also boasting a 93% pass accuracy, as per Sofascore.

While injury has largely kept new men Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki out of action, Reijnders is front and centre.

Guardiola now has a fresh spine to build around, while there is further reason for optimism all across the pitch.

How Doku and Reijnders' market value compares

New signings, of course, are crucial to this Etihad rebuild, although Guardiola can also look in-house in order to find the tools to assemble his next title-winning outfit in Manchester.

While currently ousted from his right-back berth by Abdukodir Khusanov, young Rico Lewis is among those who will likely play a part for the long haul at the club, having only recently committed his future to City.

Despite notable interest from the likes of Nottingham Forest over the summer, the 20-year-old has since signed a new deal at the Etihad until 2030, with director of football Hugo Viana stating that the youngster “embodies everything we aspire to be at Manchester City”.

Once lauded by Guardiola as “one of the best [he’s] ever trained” – having also been dubbed a “wonderful” player by one-time wonderkid, Joe Cole – Lewis has certainly enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks in recent years.

As his recent role on the bench has indicated, his progression hasn’t been perfect – not least amid the debate over his best role in the side – yet to have already racked up 98 first-team appearances by the age of 20 is a testament to his quality.

That quality is also evident amid his soaring market value, with the City hierarchy perhaps right not to have cashed in amid Forest’s desire to seal a reported £25m switch.

Indeed, as per Football Transfers, the homegrown sensation is now said to be worth as much as €75m (£66m). For context, that even exceeds the value of both Doku and Reijnders, with the pair said to be worth €66m (£57m) and €63m (£55m), respectively.

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Guardiola’s “little Phillip Lahm”, Lewis is destined to have a bright future in this evolving City squad and starting XI.

Khusanov might have the jersey right now, but such a valuable asset like the seven-cap England international will surely weave his way back into the side before too long. He’s too good not to.

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“I will have to give some time to my body and my bowling to get those speeds back,” the LSG quick said

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-20251:48

Rayudu: ‘Maybe Mayank Yadav isn’t ready yet’

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Mayank Yadav feels that the drop in his speeds after returning from a long injury layoff “is normal”, asserting that he needs to give his body time to return to the same match intensity and fitness standards.Mayank, who returned to professional cricket only late last month after a gap of close to six months due to multiple injuries, is far from the tearaway speedster that he was in his breakthrough IPL 2024 season. He consistently clocked speeds in excess of 150kph last year, touching a high of 156.7kph. This season, though, his pace has mostly been in the 130kph range, occasionally breaching the 140kph barrier. Mayank, however, is not bothered.”This is normal,” he said ahead of LSG’s crucial league game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Lucknow on Friday. “I had a major injury because of which I was out of cricket for five to six months. The body will adapt and take its own time. I will have to give some time to my body and my bowling to get those speeds back. There have been no changes in my bowling technique.”Related

Mayank Yadav returns from injury a slower bowler

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Mayank was one of the three players retained by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He even made his India debut against Bangladesh in October last year, but has missed a chunk of IPL after missing the entire domestic season in 2024-25 with a back injury. His return was later pushed back by a toe injury.”There is no drastic change in my strategy,” Mayank, 22, said. “I will continue to do what I used to. My body is taking a little time. I have not seen the intensity, [and] the match pressure for a while now. So it is very normal that the body is responding a little differently after a major injury. I don’t have a different mindset or intent. That remains the same. But I need to read the wickets and the batsmen quicker.”Mayank has had a lukewarm time in the two games so far this season, picking 2 for 40 against Mumbai Indians, followed by 0 for 60 against Punjab Kings. He has also relied a lot on change of pace and slower balls, which he says is a part of the plan. Despite the slow start, Mayank also wants to be seen as LSG’s “strike bowler” and a “wicket-taking bowler”.”I have been doing this right from the start, the variations, the slower ones,” Mayank said. “I didn’t need it last season. The few matches that I played in the main demand was to bowl quick and hard length deliveries. This time the wickets, wherever I have played using variations have been important.1:30

Mayank Yadav’s variations impress Anil Kumble

“My mindset is to contribute as much as possible for the team. In the last match, my spell was a bit expensive. Whenever I bowl, the team should feel that I am a strike bowler and a wicket-taking bowler. I just try to be positive for my team.”Mayank accepted that LSG have made mistakes in the tournament so far, and find themselves in a must-win situation against RCB. It has not helped that their captain Rishabh Pant has had a poor tournament, where he has managed only 128 runs in 11 innings, and is averaging a mere 12.80. Mayank, however, is backing his captain to bounce back, and is also positive about his team’s playoffs chances.”I have known Rishabh for a while now because we play for the same club in Delhi,” he said. “Whenever I have spoken to him, I have not felt that he is under pressure. He is confidently talking to me about the game, about the situation, [and] about the opposition batsmen.””We have been a little late in assessing the grounds and the wickets. We have made mistakes there; I’ll accept that. But we have three matches, and if we win that, there might be a chance we can make the playoffs.”

New-look opening pair set stage before middle-order put big runs on the board against visitors

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Apr-2025

Paul Walter moved up to open the batting•Getty Images

Essex (Cox 117, Walter 95, Critchley 45* Westley 40) vs Surrey Jordan Cox made sure his name remained on the England selectors’ radar with the ninth first-class century of his career, and fifth inside a year since joining Essex, as reigning champions Surrey toiled under bright Chelmsford skies.The 24-year-old Cox was on the cusp of an England debut in New Zealand last autumn before suffering another injury setback. But a swashbuckling 117 from 148 balls in the opening Rothesay County Championship match of the season can only have helped his cause ahead of a year in which England face first Zimbabwe and then India and Australia.His powerful innings overshadowed an otherwise excellent 95 from makeshift opener Paul Walter. The 30-year-old left-hander, better known for his big-hitting exploits in T20 cricket, fell just short of what would have been only his third red-ball century.Walter’s stands of 78 with rookie opener Charlie Allison and 100 with Cox, along with Cox’s 92 with Matt Critchley, underpinned an Essex total of 356 for 4 on the first day against a Surrey pace attack devoid of the likes of Gus Atkinson, Dan Worrall and Tom Lawes. Kemar Roach added some respite with 2 for 54 from 18 overs.Essex had won the toss and elected to bat on a benign green-top in front of a bumper home crowd of 2,370.Walter set the tone by marching to his fifty from 58 balls when he turned James Taylor off his legs for a single. He had dominated the first hour as Allison marked his first-class debut in look-and-learn mode. The 20-year-old, replacing Dean Elgar at the top of the order while the South African becomes used to the idea of being a father of twins, took 38 balls before hitting his first boundary, a square drive off Matt Fisher that took his score into double figures.The first-wicket stand ended when Dan Lawrence entered the Surrey attack and with his fourth delivery had Allison lbw for 25, playing down the wrong line, much to the delight of the former Essex man.Where Walter had been dominant in the opening stand, he became becalmed in the fifties either side of lunch as Tom Westley briefly took centre stage. The Essex captain rolled his wrists to turn Taylor through midwicket for four and later thick-edged Lawrence past a despairing slip.Westley contributed 40 towards a 48-run second-wicket stand before turning Roach into short midwicket’s hands. Walter added just five to his total in that 16-over partnership but then opened his shoulders and square-cut the first ball after Westley’s departure for his 10th four.There was greater equality between the third-wicket pair with Walter and Cox trading blows. Some of Cox’s hitting was effortless with no discernible back-lift, most notably his ninth boundary, a drive that scorched past mid-off, and brought up his half-century from 77 balls.The century partnership was reached with a single from Walter, but two balls later he gave Fisher his first Surrey wicket since the winter move from Yorkshire, when mis-hooking to Ben Foakes diving full-length down legside. Walter’s innings had lasted 172 balls and included 14 fours.Cox took up the cudgels immediately after tea, hitting Roach to three different parts of the boundary in an over. There was a strange incident just before Cox reached three-figures when he appeared to hit Foakes with his bat as the ball lobbed towards the wicketkeeper. No censure ensued and the century duly arrived with a straight drive off Lawrence for his 18th four.Cox added three more boundaries before he was beaten for pace by Roach to end a stay of a tad over three hours.It was just left to Critchley to confirm Essex’s domination as the sun went down with three successive fours off the expensive James Taylor and reach the close on 45 not out.

تأهل منتخب جنوب إفريقيا للمرة الرابعة في تاريخه، إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، المقرر إقامتها في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

منتخب جنوب إفريقيا واجه رواندا، في إطار الجولة العاشرة والأخيرة من عمر منافسات المجموعة الثالثة للتصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم، اليوم الثلاثاء.

واستطاع منتخب جنوب إفريقيا تحقيق الفوز على رواندا، بنتيجة 3 أهداف دون رد، ليتصدر ترتيب المجموعة، برصيد 18 نقطة.

وسجل أهداف منتخب جنوب إفريقيا أوزوين أبوليس وثالينتي مباثا وإيفيدنس ماكجوبا، في الدقائق 5 و26 و72 على الترتيب، ليحقق منتخب البافانا بافانا التأهل الرابع في تاريخه إلي المونديال.

طالع | المنتخبات الإفريقية المتأهلة لـ كأس العالم 2026 

وبذلك، تم أقصاء منتخبا نيجيريا وبنين المنافسين لـ جنوب إفريقيا في المجموعة على التأهل المباشر إلى نهائيات كأس العالم.

وفي نفس التوقيت ضمن نفس المجموعة، انتصر منتخب نيجيريا على بنين، بأربعة أهداف دون رد، ليصل رصيده إلى النقطة 17 متساويًا مع بنين في عدد النقاط، ويحتلان المركز الثاني والثالث على الترتيب.

وينتظر منتخب نيجيريا نهاية مباريات التصفيات، لمعرفة مصيره بالتواجد في الملحق القاري المؤهل إلى كأس العالم، بين 4 منتخبات ستكون أفضل من احتلت المركز الثاني في المجموعات التسعة. ترتيب مجموعة جنوب إفريقيا ونيجيريا في تصفيات كأس العالم

1- جنوب إفريقيا، 18 نقطة.

2- نيجيريا، 17 نقطة.

3- بنين، 17 نقطة.

4- ليسوتو، 12 نقطة.

5- رواندا، 11 نقطة.

6- زيمبابوي، 5 نقاط. أهداف مباراة جنوب إفريقيا ورواندا اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم