Tag Futebol

Chelsea returned home from the Club World Cup as resounding champions, having downed the might of Paris St. Germain 3-0 in an unexpected demolition job in the final.

Already, brand new faces are settling in swimmingly, as seen in Joao Pedro firing home yet another goal in the pre-season tournament against Luis Enrique’s challengers to take his total out in America to a lethal three strikes from three games.

He could soon be joined by even more exciting talents in attack, as other targets up top are chased following on from the instant success of the ex-Brighton striker’s arrival.

Chelsea enter talks with £52m star

These attacking additions are unlikely to be more strikers, however, with £30m also splashed on Liam Delap to move from Ipswich Town to Chelsea, away from Pedro costing a far heftier £60m.

Instead, the big bucks might well be reserved for a fresh number ten presence, with the Blues allegedly now preparing to bid a wild £78m for Aston Villa superstar Morgan Rogers, who they deem as a number one priority.

After such a standout campaign in the Premier League with the Villans, which culminated in him collecting a mammoth 14 goals and 15 assists, this could well be viewed as a costly expense worth pursuing.

Yet, there are other options out there, away from boldly chasing the England international, who might be more viable, with a report from CaughtOffside revealing that the agents of RB Leipzig ace Xavi Simons are deep in discussion with Chelsea, alongside Arsenal and Tottenham, over a major £52m switch this summer.

For £26m less, Chelsea could well be about to land a talent that’s even more exciting than Rogers entering Enzo Maresca’s camp, with the Dutchman at the top of his game for some time now, away from offering up similarly electric numbers last season for his Bundesliga employers.

How Simons could be even more exciting than Rogers

The former Manchester City youngster might well have a slight upper hand over his Leipzig counterpart when solely viewing their side-by-side numbers from 2024/25, considering Simons lags behind with ten fewer goal contributions for Ole Werner’s men.

Yet, Rogers only really exploded into life last campaign at the very top after having to work his way up to the Premier League, with only four goal contributions tallied up in total for Villa during the 2023/24 season as he grew used to his challenging surroundings.

On the contrary, the Blues’ new £52m target has been a sublime performer in both the Bundesliga and the Eredivisie over many a season now, leading to outlandish shouts from one analyst that he is “one of the best number 10s in the world,”

The numbers don’t lie, either, with Simons tallying up a monumental 77 goals and assists across 124 appearances in both Germany and the Netherlands, with Rogers only on 23 goal contributions himself in the Premier League.

Staggeringly, he has also created 37 big chances off the back of the silky playmaker’s magic in these tough leagues, which will be music to the ears of the aforementioned Pedro.

Total shots

2.17

1.76

Shot-creating actions

4.71

3.05

Attempted passes

49.80

27.07

Pass completion %

78.1%

72.8%

Progressive passes

5.79

3.59

Progressive carries

3.51

3.20

Their respective FBref numbers over the last year also further validate the argument that the 22-year-old would be a far more thrilling talent to obtain than his English counterpart, as seen in Simons averaging more shots, more shot-creating actions, more progressive passes, and lots more over the last year per game.

Of course, Rogers does have the boost of knowing the Premier League’s rhythms on his side, but Simons has excelled in two taxing European environments already, meaning he shouldn’t be daunted by the step up to the English top-flight.

If anything, the “exceptional” Dutchman – as he’s been labelled in the past by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund – should be able to take this next step in his stride, as Maresca prays another sublime capture is soon to be clinched.

Better signing than Pedro: Chelsea make contact to land "gifted" £68m star

João Pedro certainly made quite the impression after arriving at Chelsea, scoring 3 goals in 2 games, but could the Blues sign an even better PL star?

2 ByBen Gray Jul 20, 2025

The ‘FSG out’ brigade appear to have run out of steam. Liverpool’s American owners have long been divisive within the Reds community, with some segments of the fanbase criticising their so-called frugal approach in the transfer market.

There are grains of truth to these claims: after Jurgen Klopp won the Premier League in 2019/20, he was rewarded with only Diogo Jota, Thiago and Kostas Tsimikas. Admittedly, FSG had jam-packed the squad with high-level quality over the past several seasons, rarely missing the mark.

Liverpool summer transfer window in 2020

But this time around, the Anfield side aren’t resting on their laurels and are instead strengthening across the park to ensure Arne Slot can defend his newly-won league title and forge a dynasty of his own on Merseyside.

It’s a formidable show of financial strength and merciless ambition. The £100m signing of 22-year-old Florian Wirtz (which could rise to a British-record £116m) hands Slot one of the prized playmakers of the modern game, and another new defender may yet be inbound.

Liverpool's new-look defence

Although Liverpool have extended captain Virgil van Dijk’s contract for the next two years, a £30m deal plus add-ons has been agreed for the transfer of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.

Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate’s future remains unclear after a recent contract proposal was rejected by the Frenchman’s camp.

Change may well be afoot. Well, more change, in any case. Trent Alexander-Arnold is already two competitive matches into his Real Madrid career, and Jeremie Frimpong has been signed on as his successor after the Leverkusen right-sider’s £29.5m release clause was met.

On the left side of the rearguard, Andy Robertson, 31, continues to mull over the chance to see out his autumn years in Spain, Atletico Madrid having registered their interest in the left-back.

Robertson is a stalwart and a two-time Premier League champion besides. But he’s waning, and anyway, Liverpool are on the brink of signing Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez as his successor.

And still, another defender could arrive before too long.

Liverpool nearing agreement with Premier League star

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are close to reaching an ‘agreement’ for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is entering the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

In January, Tottenham Hotspur saw a £70m offer rejected, but now Palace chairman Steve Parish knows free agency could become a real situation for the Three Lions star, and Liverpool are thought to be confident that a £50m fee can be agreed.

Football Insider’s Mick Brown even believes Guehi will turn down interest from Arsenal to sign for the Anfield because he is concerned his match action would be limited in Mikel Arteta’s team.

How Guehi could follow in Salah's footsteps

Liverpool’s transfer ethos over the past decade or so has often seen players plucked from clubs lower down the ladder; rarely have Liverpool raided one of their ‘big six’ rivals for a top talent.

Guehi could be the latest in that regard, and having been regarded as a player of high potential right from his maiden days when he was at Chelsea’s Cobham academy, it’s clear he’s got the natural potential to reach even higher levels than have been witnessed over the past several years.

Quansah’s departure opens up space at Liverpool to be sure, but Guehi’s presence could weave into the heart of Slot’s backline for many years to come, with his two-footedness lending itself to the left side of the central defence, an area that Van Dijk will have to vacate at some stage.

Apps

132

Goals

6

Assists

4

Clean sheets

33

Wins

41

Draws

46

Losses

45

Tackle success

55%

Duel success

62%

Cards (Y/R)

21/1

Three years ago, Palace signed Guehi from Chelsea in a deal worth £18m. He has since completed 155 appearances in all competitions, historically winning the FA Cup last month.

A composed, intelligent and technically sound centre-back with steely defensive roots, Guehi could be an incredible fit for a Liverpool side looking to solidify their position at the top of English football.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Reds have signed a former Chelsea reject either, with Mohamed Salah joining Liverpool from AS Roma back in 2017 after previously falling by the wayside as a younger prospect in west London, scoring just two times across 19 matches.

Salah has, of course, grown into one of the most legendary forwards in Premier League history, with his 186-goal tally in the division placing him fifth on the all-time rankings, only 27 strikes behind Harry Kane in second place.

After finding his feet and playing in European competition in Italy, the Egyptian King has since risen to the fore, winning so many team and individual accolades across his Anfield career.

Almost single-handedly driving Slot’s side to the Premier League title in 2024/25, FSG certainly know the benefit in pursuing a player who had once been held by a divisional rival, even if they failed to bring it all together on enemy territory.

Guehi might not be a player of a similar style of positional value, but he does have the potential to become one of the best in his position just as Salah has, with Palace reporter Bobby Manzi even declaring him to be a “monster in defence” after one stunning performance for the Three Lions.

Moreover, the 24-year-old has led his team to trophy-winning success and, while he hasn’t played on the European scene yet, knows that his efforts last term sealed Palace’s place in next year’s Europa League proper, a fine feat indeed.

Guehi has rebounded from the heartbreak of failing to make the final grade at Stamford Bridge, but given that Chelsea have since been interested in re-signing their one-time graduate, it’s Liverpool who may have the last laugh once again. Just as they did with Salah.

Slot's answer to Mane: Liverpool chasing "monster" £70m Premier League star

Liverpool have set their sights on another attacking star this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 24, 2025

Three-wicket hauls from Sugandika Kumari and Kavisha Dilhari set Sri Lanka up for their first women’s ODI win over West Indies since 2015, the hosts going 1-0 up in the three-match series in Hambantota on Saturday.Since that last win in 2015, Sri Lanka had lost their last six ODIs against West Indies going into this match.Sent in, West Indies made a strong start, getting to 75 for 1 courtesy a 68-run second-wicket stand between Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle. They lost steam after left-arm spinner Kumari broke that partnership in the 19th over, losing their last eight wickets for 120 runs. Matthews (38) apart, only Stafanie Taylor (33) got past 30, as the spinners, led by Kumari and Dilhari, chipped away.Sri Lanka’s top five managed the chase perfectly, with four of them getting past 35. Captain Chamari Athapaththu (38) and Vishmi Gunaratne (40) got them off to a solid start, putting on 88 in 13.2 overs, before Sri Lanka stumbled briefly, losing three wickets for 13 runs, with two of them falling to the medium-pace of Aaliyah Alleyne.Harshitha Samarawickrama (44*) and Hasini Perera (43), however, ensured there wouldn’t be any more major hiccups, putting on 63 for the fourth wicket to all but seal victory, before Afy Fletcher picked up a consolation wicket late in the game.

Only one game now remains of Ipswich Town’s fleeting Premier League campaign.

At points, the Tractor Boys have shown glimpses of their quality with Liam Delap thumping in the goals, but ultimately, the Tractor Boys have lost a worrying 23 clashes from 37 overall games with relegation now confirmed.

This immediate slip back down to the Championship will result in Delap leaving Portman Road after just one season lining up for Kieran McKenna’s men.

The Suffolk side now have the back-breaking ordeal ahead of them in attempting to replace the 12-goal star with a few names already being linked to fill the ex-Manchester City man’s expected void.

Ipswich's potential Delap replacements

Of course, the Tractor Boys might not feel compelled to go all out and actually buy a new star to replace Delap. Rather, McKenna and Co could rely on George Hirst to come good again, dropping down to the EFL.

After all, despite being second in command to the breakout Ipswich ace all of this season, the Sheffield-born forward has still chipped in with five goals of his own. Last time out in the Championship, too, Hirst would also tally up seven goals and six assists as automatic promotion was achieved.

Moving away from what McKenna already has at his disposal, however, Ipswich are being linked with a move for Swiss Super League menace Willem Geubbels.

Leeds United are also sniffing around for the St. Gallen striker’s services according to reports, and for good reason, considering Geubbels has fired home 17 goals for his current employers across 2024/25 to date.

Amazingly, however, there’s one name that hasn’t even been mentioned yet who could go on to be as potent as Conor Chaplin has proven in the past for Ipswich in the Championship.

Ipswich could now sign Chaplin 2.0

Ipswich’s rapid rise up from League One to the Premier League saw various different stars come into their own jumping up the divisions.

The aforementioned Chaplin is definitely one of those who has never looked back whilst McKenna’s men soared up to the top-flight, with the former EFL journeyman scoring a hefty 13 league strikes across the memorable 2023/24 season to help clinch promotion.

Lawrence Shankland has been through a similar upward journey plying his trade in Scotland, with a new report from EFL Analysis suggesting that the Tractor Boys are ‘looking closely’ at the striker in a bid to soften the blow of Delap’s impending exit.

It would surely be a no-brainer decision on the end of Ipswich to move for Shankland, with the report further clarifying that the recently relegated team could land the “ruthless” Hearts marksman – as he was once lauded by Chris Sutton – on a free transfer off the back of many a goal-laden season up and down the Scottish leagues.

Shankland’s G/A record by Scottish division
League	Games	Goals scored	Assists
Premiership	160	64	24
Championship	120	62	12
League One	45	34	13
League Two	33	11	2
Sourced by Transfermarkt

After all, Chaplin once had to cut his own teeth too in the lower reaches of English football, with a respectable 17 strikes coming his way in League Two before he exploded into life the more he ventured up the pyramid.

Shankland is very similar in this regard when looking at the table above, considering the Glasgow-born ace is now up to a bumper 64 goals in the Scottish Premiership after once experiencing such humble beginnings on the books of Queen’s Park.

There will be a lingering worry that Shankland has never proven himself in the English game, but McKenna might well work his magic again on getting even more out of an exciting striker.

As Chaplin was last season, perhaps Shankland can be the man to deliver the goals in the Championship. Time will tell.

A £43m star in the making: Ipswich hit gold on "fantastic" McKenna signing

The exciting talent will be an incredibly important player for Ipswich next season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 4, 2025

As concerns over William Saliba’s future continue, Arsenal are now reportedly eyeing a summer move to sign a potential replacement for the Frenchman in a deal worth a hefty £68m.

Arsenal's Saliba concern

After another season without a Premier League title and potentially without a major trophy altogether, Arsenal could face consequences for failure that they’ll be all too familiar with. Real Madrid, meanwhile, could land one of Europe’s best centre-backs.

The Spanish giants have reportedly set their sights on signing Saliba this summer, with likely new manager Xabi Alonso a fan of the central defender.

Arteta must axe £27m Arsenal dud who was worse than Odegaard v Bournemouth

Arsenal dropped yet more points, this time at home as they hosted Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth.

ByMatt Dawson May 4, 2025

The Madrid call is rarely one that players turn down and that should send alarm bells ringing around The Emirates. It’s a call that even Liverpool academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold is on course to accept and one that Kylian Mbappe accepted last summer. Now, Saliba could be next.

There’s no overstating the damage that the defender’s departure would do to Mikel Arteta’s side who have already struggled defensively when without Gabriel recently. Losing Saliba would be a whole new struggle for their backline as they look to make it a fourth-time lucky in the hunt for Premier League glory next season.

Known for their attacking prowess from set pieces, Arsenal’s struggles to defend such scenarios at the opposite end have gone under the radar this season. After Bournemouth came from behind to seal victory over the Gunners using two set pieces, however, it’s clear that with or without Saliba, Arteta’s side must improve on that front.

So, although losing Saliba would be a major blow, his exit would at least allow new sporting director Andrea Berta to welcome a fresh defender capable of turning that set-piece record around.

Arsenal set sights on £68m Diomande

According to Defensa Central in Spain, Arsenal have now set their sights on signing Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Club this summer as Berta plans for the worst-case Saliba scenario, should he leave for the Bernabeu. Alas, any deal won’t come cheap in the coming months. The Portuguese side have reportedly slapped a price tag worth as much as €80m (£68m) on their centre-back.

Whether the 21-year-old “monster” is at the necessary level to replace Saliba is the big question. When compared, it’s clear that the Sporting man would need plenty of patience if he did step in and replace a player who some may believe is irreplaceable at Arsenal.

Starts

27

33

Progressive Passes

79

134

Tackles Won

20

36

Aerial Duels Won

78

58

However, what does stand out as a positive to take note of is Diomande’s aerial success compared to Saliba’s. Winning 20 more aerial duels in six less games, the Sporting man may have stood a far better chance of preventing Bournemouth’s two set piece goals in a frustrating Arsenal defeat last time out.

Also dubbed a player with “great” pace by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Diomande looks set to be one to watch if Saliba does swap Arsenal for Real Madrid in the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur have initiated contact over potentially appointing an “exciting” and “attacking” manager to replace Ange Postecoglou, with speculation continuing to mount in regard to the Spurs boss’ long-term future.

Ange Postecoglou makes admission over Spurs job

The 59-year-old is said to be facing a last chance to maintain his position in the dugout for next season, following a lacklustre Premier League campaign where Spurs find themselves 14th in the league after 16 top-flight defeats in total.

Related Tottenham hold talks with "top" £40m player who Arsenal have contacted too

The north London duo have both reached out.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 10, 2025

Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media outlets report that the Europa League will be crucial in saving Postecoglou’s job at Spurs, and failure to perform in the competition will more than likely result in a change of manager.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is also believed to be Tottenham’s top managerial target if they decide to go in a different direction to the ex-Celtic gaffer, while Fulham’s Marco Silva, Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank have all been linked in the last fortnight.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of the Lilywhites’ crucial Europa League quarter-final clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, Postecoglou admitted he’s aware of some sentiments that he could be sacked regardless of their European campaign.

“I came to this club with a clear purpose of rejuvenating a squad that was coming to the end of a cycle,” said Postecoglou on his future.

“I just think we’re in that position that the good stuff we may do is going to be turned into a glass half full rhetoric and from that perspective I don’t think that can be a driver in what we want to do. The lads are really keen to bring success to the club.

“I don’t think you’re going to win that argument of convincing people, well I think [someone] wrote that even if we win it, I’m gone anyway.

“That’s not having a go at you, that’s just saying the general sentiment of people.”

Tottenham are also reportedly interested in Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who’s just guided the Eagles to an FA Cup semi-final and has impressed with the job he’s done at Selhurst Park.

Tottenham make contact over Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner

Last week, it was claimed that Tottenham are real admirers of Glasner, who Red Bull’s head of Global Soccer, Jurgen Klopp, really likes and is targeting for RB Leipzig.

Now, Sport Bild have another update on the Austrian and Spurs’ interest.

It is believed Tottenham have made contact for Glasner, and they’re seen as serious threats to Leipzig’s prospects of hiring the 50-year-old, considering they can tempt the Austrian with a higher wage packet.

With an approach apparently made, supporters will be intrigued to see Palace chairman Steve Parish’s glowing endorsement of Glasner, who lavished the head coach with praise following his appointment last year.

“He has an outstanding record, and we believe he is the right manager to take the club forward at this pivotal stage,” said Parish last season.

“Wherever Oliver has gone so far in his managerial journey, success has been quick to follow, and we believe his ambition, as well as his exciting and attacking approach is the perfect fit for getting the most from our talented young squad in the remainder of this Premier League season and beyond.”

Taking this into account, and his solid managerial candidate, he could be a strong outside candidate to rival the likes of Iraola and Silva.

Hit-the-deck seamer impresses in Multan after long wait for Test debut

Matt Roller12-Oct-2024Mark Wood’s pace was instrumental to England’s win in Multan two years ago but they hardly missed him this week, such was Brydon Carse’s impact. Carse replicated Wood’s role on Test debut, bowling at high pace with the old ball to finish with match figures of 4 for 140 – which would have been even better but for two dropped catches off his bowling.Wood, who is stuck at home recovering from an elbow injury, sent Carse a WhatsApp message to wish him luck the night before the Test, and another after the second day to reassure him that conditions do not get much tougher for fast bowlers. Carse admitted it had been “a long slog” at times, but the early evidence is that he has the raw materials to make him a success.He has already impressed in white-ball cricket, taking eight wickets in last month’s ODIs against Australia in vastly different conditions. “Playing one-day cricket in England in seven or eight degrees is very different to coming out here, and it’s had its different challenges,” Carse said. “But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and the role that I’ve played this week.”Related

Switch Hit: Multan Magic or Meltdown?

Stats – Rare England innings win in Asia, Pakistan losing streak continues

Pakistan, a graveyard for Test bowlers – in numbers

Leach four-for consigns Pakistan to historic innings defeat

England ready for 'result wickets' after dishing out Multan mauling

Carse took four wickets at 106 in his four Championship matches for Durham this season, but England’s management viewed those performances as utterly irrelevant. They pick on attributes, not averages, and believed that Carse’s bustling pace and endurance would enable him to withstand the rigours of playing Test cricket overseas.And Carse’s record alone did not tell the story of his summer: three of those four matches came shortly after he found out that he was the subject of an investigation by the Cricket Regulator into a series of bets he had placed as a young professional. It led to a three-month ban, ending his hopes of making his Test debut in the English summer.The prospect of days like Friday – completing and then celebrating his first Test win – helped him through some dark moments. “I had some time off to work on a few things that I wanted to and improve my fitness in certain areas,” he said. “I’ve come back refreshed and just wanting to do well and play as much as I can for England.”Carse was picked for the first Test ahead of Matt Potts, his Durham team-mate, because England want at least one genuine fast bowler in their attack every time they take the field. He regularly hit 90mph/145kph on the first day of the Test, and sustained his pace through the match enough to strike Aamer Jamal on the helmet with a short ball on the final morning.Brydon Carse had to put in the hard yards on Test debut•Getty ImagesHe batted at No. 9, and hit his second ball for six to take England past 800. “I was winding the lads up saying, ‘I don’t think many of you have got off the mark with a six,'” Carse joked. Down the line, he could be a viable No. 8 – as evidenced by a pair of first-class hundreds, most recently against Somerset in August.Carse has been on England’s radar for some time: born and raised in South Africa, he toured with the Lions in 2019-20, shortly after qualifying. He made his ODI debut in 2021, when England’s first-choice squad were decimated by Covid protocols, and impressed some senior players that winter when part of the Lions squad which shadowed England’s Ashes tour.”He got injured quite early on… But you got the impression he could have been added to the squad and actually done a job,” James Anderson recalled on the podcast. “I just really like him: he bowls quick, he can move the ball, and he’s got that sort of action where he almost pauses in his delivery stride and then really snaps at the crease, so it makes it feel even quicker for the batters.”On the fourth evening in Multan, Carse demonstrated that he has skills as well as stamina. He had been gifted a wicket with his first ball of Pakistan’s second innings – Saim Ayub wildly slogging to mid-off – and was bowling in tandem with Chris Woakes, who had started to get the ball reversing. Woakes passed on the message, and Carse pounced.”I joked with him and said, ‘Here we go, right, I’m going to target the stumps,'” Carse said. “And the next ball, it reversed back in.” The ball tailed back late, flicking the top of Mohammad Rizwan’s back pad before cannoning into the top of middle stump. “I felt like I was bowling quite nicely to him in the previous over, so to get him out was a nice feeling.”Along with Potts, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, Carse was one of the fast bowlers that England invested heavily in last winter, awarding them two-year central contracts as they look to build a stock of fast bowlers ahead of next year’s Ashes tour. They share a similar profile: they are all seamers rather than swing bowlers, whose stock balls nip back in.Carse, at 29, is the oldest of those four. After his ban this summer, which reinforced the temporary nature of an athlete’s career, he exudes the sense of a player determined to grasp his opportunity. “It’s been a special five days,” he said. “It’s been hard graft, and it was difficult at times today [Friday] but it’s very rewarding to come away with a win.”

The northeastern state has barely any cricket infrastructure, but its players have fought their way to promotion

Himanshu Agrawal23-Jan-2023The state of Manipur, in the northeastern corner of India, has a rich history and tradition in sport; even the state’s current chief minister, N Biren Singh, is a former Border Security Force footballer. But amid all the success in boxing, weightlifting and football, cricket has barely had any presence.It is still, as Rajkumar Imo Singh, the president of the Manipur Cricket Association (MNCA) puts it, “in its infancy stage”. But infants grow quickly. Manipur have made the final of the Plate Division of the Ranji Trophy, where they will meet Bihar starting January 25, and have earned a promotion to the Elite Division next season. Manipur have done this with barely any infrastructure – their “home” games were played in Gujarat – and with a team full of homegrown players.”We have a team born and bred in Manipur – a totally indigenous team,” Imo tells ESPNcricinfo. “With the talent we have, we pushed forward only those who are actually from Manipur.”It was only before the 2018-19 season that nine new teams – including Manipur and five others from the Northeast – gained full-time BCCI membership. Until then, these associations received vastly less funding from the BCCI than the older full members. Though this has changed, Manipur continues to lag behind in infrastructure, grounds and support staff. That the wet weather in the state lasts five or six months a year doesn’t help either.But there is talent, and that talent is learning on the job.”The key is to keep it simple,” says Rakesh Sharma, Manipur’s coach – he formerly played for and coached Oman. “If we feed them with too much information or even stats, they might get confused.”Rakesh takes the example of the successful chase of 337 against Sikkim in the Plate semi-finals.”I broke it down into blocks of 50 runs each because 337 is a huge target. The boys kept believing, and kept growing in confidence as the chase moved on.”We played friendly matches in the build-up [to the Ranji Trophy]. Special thanks to our trainer [Raajoo Bhatkal], who keeps pushing them, since our players barely play ten matches a year. But they have played so much in the last five months that their bodies have taken a lot of load. Our physio has also worked very hard to make them match-ready.”The floodlights at the Luwangpokpa Cricket Stadium in Imphal are soon to be inaugurated•Manipur Cricket AssociationBefore the start of the Ranji season, camps in Noida helped players develop their fitness for four-day matches. Simultaneously, the focus was on developing the right environment for players to prosper no matter the problems they faced.Ronel Singh, the MNCA secretary, says the players gelled well because most of them had played together over he last few seasons.”My priority was strong team bonding,” Ronel says. “We emphasised on players below 30 years of age. We told them, ‘You will be given ample opportunities to showcase your skill’.”While he’s proud of what the players have achieved, Ronel sees room for improvement. “We seem to be low on patience with the bat,” he says. “We are almost always in T20 mode!”

New stars in the making

Rex Rajkumar was one of Manipur’s early bloomers, making the headlines when he picked up all ten wickets in an innings in an Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh in December 2018. Cut to the 2022-23 season, and Manipur’s list of impressive performers is growing.Pace bowler Pheiroijam Jotin, all of 16, made his first-class debut against Sikkim last month, and immediately grabbed attention with 9 for 69 in the first innings. He then took a nine-wicket match haul against Sikkim in the Plate semi-finals. So far, Jotin has 33 wickets at an average of 13.81 in six games this season.Left-arm spinner Kishan Singha has also taken 33 wickets this season, at 15.42, while seamer Bishworjit Konthoujam has 20, at 21.00.Konthoujam is currently Manipur’s leading wicket-taker in first-class, List A and T20 cricket.

Manipur pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam set the stage on fire against Arunachal Pradesh and scalped five wickets. #ARPvMAN #VijayHazareTrophy

Watch his superb bowling displayhttps://t.co/5Vy9UtxGYJ pic.twitter.com/4Q1px1XiD8

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 12, 2021

Cricket wasn’t Konthoujam’s first love – he was once a national-level boxer. And he’s not alone among Manipur’s players in having played other sports at a high level.”He is very tall, and has a fighting instinct,” Ronel says of Konthoujam. “We had just asked him to bowl for a few months, and he has now completely turned to cricket. Also, Johnson Singh played football at the representative level; he is still a very good footballer.”Incidentally, such is the quality of football in Manipur that 38 of their players – the most from any state – featured in the Indian Super League’s 2022-23 season.

The road ahead

Performances on the field have been encouraging, and there is now ample funding from the BCCI, but concerns linger.”The playing season is pretty short [due to the rainy weather], so we have to take that into consideration,” Imo says. “We need the expertise which BCCI has.” He suggests that indoor training facilities will help.But there are positive signs for the future. The Luwangpokpa Cricket Stadium in Imphal, the capital of Manipur, will soon inaugurate its floodlights. And Imo, who has been with the association for six years now, sees an appreciable increase in youngsters taking to cricket, and he has approached the state’s education directorate to request school and college students to be actively involved in the sport.Imo recalls his father, the former Manipur chief minister RK Jaichandra Singh, taking him to the Khuman Lampak Stadium – a multi-use stadium that’s mainly used for football and athletics, to play cricket. Imo hopes that budding cricketers in Manipur will have enough cricket grounds to play in. More and better infrastructure can only speed up the growth of cricket in the state.And there will be accelerated learning for Manipur’s players next year, when they face India’s domestic heavyweights in the Elite Division next year.”We follow Mumbai and Tamil Nadu a lot,” their captain Langlonyamba Meitan Keishangbam says. “And we admire Sai Kishore, Cheteshwar Pujara and Jaydev Unadkat the most.”The ambition, hunger and willingness to grow is already visible. If that desire is matched by performances on the field and the growth of the game in Manipur’s grassroots, there will soon be space for a bat and a ball alongside the football that sits in a corner of every household in the state.

The tournament has reached the halfway stage so how is each team shaping up?

Andrew McGlashan09-Nov-2020Melbourne Stars (4 wins, 11 points)Season so farIs this the year the most underwhelming record in the WBBL is flipped? After their first three games were abandoned at various stages due to rain they have put together four wins on the bounce – and they have all been dominant. Three came chasing, but when they batted first against the Heat it made no difference. The way they chased a not-insignificant 155 against the Strikers stood out and their Powerplay batting is very threatening.Who’s going well?It’s difficult to imagine Meg Lanning could bat any better than she is right now. Four half-centuries in five innings, guiding chases and setting the tone. There is a level of power – even a touch of brutality – to some of the strokeplay you wouldn’t always associate with Lanning. A nod, too, to Alana King who was not in the starting XI originally but has six wickets in three matches with her legspin and has conceded 5.08 an over. Spin was a question mark for the Stars, and probably remains their weakest area, but King is doing a fine job.What can improve?There are very few holes to pick at the moment although Lanning always stresses improvement and, speaking after the big win over the Heat, said she did not think there had been the “complete” game. Annabel Sutherland’s returns with the ball are a touch disappointing – one wicket in 10 overs at an economy of 7.50.Sydney Thunder (4 wins, 10 points)Season so farAfter some smart recruiting, the Thunder have looked a well-balanced team with three convincing victories following the damp start. They had a slip-up against the Renegades but responded well the next day to defend 129 (just) against the Hurricanes.Who’s going well?Heather Knight has taken her T20 game to a new level in the last 12 months and that has continued into this tournament – with bat and ball. Left-arm spinner Sam Bates (10 wickets at 6.50, economy 3.82) has also been a stand-out, showing outstanding control in pressure situations which included a five-over chase where she bowled a double-wicket maiden. A mention as well for the glovework of Tahlia Wilson.What can improve?They can’t leave the batting to Knight and Rachael Haynes (and the occasional Powerplay dash by Sammy-Jo Johnson). Tammy Beaumont has struggled at the top of the order – strike rate 81.17 – and there is still a question mark over the best place for Phoebe Litchfield who ideally needs time to get into her innings.Stella Campbell’s pace and bounce has impressed•Getty ImagesSydney Sixers (4 wins, 10 points)Season so farThree very comfortable wins and one slightly tighter affair against the Hurricanes has established the Sixers as one of the favourites after the surprise of missing the knockouts last year. However, they stumbled against the power of Sophie Devine on Sunday, a game where none of their ‘big three’ Australians – Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner – had their best dayWho’s going well?The strike-rates of Healy and Gardner (156 and 155 respectively) stand out while Perry has produced one superb all-round performance against the Heat. Stella Campbell has impressed with her bounce and pace. Marizanne Kapp’s half-century against the Scorchers, while in defeat, was also important to illustrate the batting below the top three.What can improve?Outside of Perry’s WBBL-best performance of 3 for 17, her bowling has been a little off colour at times with an economy rate of eight.Adelaide Strikers (3 wins, 7 points)Season so farAfter starting with a bang by dismissing the Hurricanes for 84, they had three defeats by hefty margins in the next four games – and they were on track to lose the other before rain arrived against the Scorchers. However, they responded impressively this weekend with two strong performances in the field to net victories over the Heat and the Renegades.Who’s going well?Laura Wolvaardt has played some of the shots of the tournament so far – an inside-out cover drive for six against the Stars being especially memorable – as her development as a T20 batter continues apace. Darcie Brown has been superb with the ball, both in terms of her pace and her accuracy with an economy rate of five an overWhat can improve?Spin bowling is shaping as a concern. Amanda-Jade Wellington is going at nearly nine an over (although has six wickets), Stafanie Taylor has only bowled six overs and appears to be carrying a few niggles and Madeline Penna has only been given three overs so far. The middle order, too, looks vulnerable with Wellington and Bridget Patterson low on runs.Sophie Devine flayed seven sixes in her century•Getty ImagesPerth Scorchers (2 wins, 6 points)Season so farThey created much of the pre-season talk after bringing in Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney, and that pairing may just have given the campaign the shot-in-the-arm it needed with their huge stand against the Sixers. Before that, two heavy defeats raised questions after their competition began with a loss to the Heat.Who’s going well?Devine struck the first century of the competition on Sunday to really get her tournament up and running. Mooney has been consistent and their pairing at the top could yet carry the Scorchers a long way.What can improve?The bowling attack looks a little thin with Devine, a key component, going at nearly nine an over and taking just two wickets so far. They will also need the middle order to deliver. Outside of the openers, the top score is currently 29 by Heather Graham and no one else except Chloe Piparo (who has faced 17 balls) is striking at over 100.Hobart Hurricanes (1 win, 4 points)Season so farTheir one victory has come against fellow strugglers the Renegades although they should have taken the scalp of the Thunder but they messed up the closing stages of the run chase. They were also very unfortunate against the Heat. The match was three balls short of being official when it was called off with the Hurricanes well on track.Who’s going well?The bowling is holding its own, with 15-year-old Amy Smith very impressive while Hayley Matthews is the leading wicket-taker and Nicola Carey’s wicket-to-wicket seamers have proved effective.What can improve?The batting. Only one player, Rachel Priest, has so far passed 100 runs – and has scored the only half-century. Even taking into account the rain-affected games that’s a poor return. They need much more from Matthews and Chloe Tryon, although there remains uncertainty about the latter’s best position.Melbourne Renegades pulled themselves up off the floor with a superb performance in the field•Getty ImagesBrisbane Heat (1 win, 4 points)Season so farIt has been a real struggle for the defending champions since they opened with an impressive victory against the Scorchers. Following two no results (the second of which was heading for a defeat against the Hurricanes) they have suffered four straight losses and by considerable margins.Who is going well?Grace Harris has made two of the team’s three half-centuries and is comfortably the leading run-scorer after her unbeaten 81 against the Stars. Captain Jess Jonassen has bowled nicely for her eight wickets.What can improve?The big unknown ahead of the season was whether they could replace Mooney’s runs and it doesn’t feel as though they have. New Zealand overseas pair Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr need to deliver more with the bat.Melbourne Renegades (1 win, 4 points)Season so farThey did some soul-searching after being bowled out for 81 by the Hurricanes and dug very deep to defend 110 against the Thunder which has prevented the season from getting away from them. But they could rue not being able to chase 128 against the Strikers. They have been badly hit by injuries with Lea Tahuhu yet to play and Maitlan Brown ruled out of the tournament.Who is going well?Georgia Wareham, enjoying more responsibility than she gets in the Australia team. She has batted well in the middle order with a strike-rate of 146 and made a maiden WBBL fifty.What can get better?They need all-round improvement if they are to mount a challenge. Amy Satterthwaite, crawling along at a strike-rate of 59.25, and Lizelle Lee have 103 runs between them in 10 innings while Sophie Molineux is only striking at 80.35 at the top of the order. Wareham and Molly Strano, two-thirds of what should be a strong spin attack, only have five wickets between them.

Marc Brys has refused to acknowledge his sacking as Cameroon manager, instead naming his squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The Belgian has been feuding with Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) president Samuel Eto'o and was recently dismissed from his post, but is staying resolute as he is yet to receive a proper termination notice.

Brys not yet officially fired

Brys remains under contract with the Ministry of Sport until September 2026 and is yet to receive an official termination notice. As such, the Belgian manager is refusing to accept his dismissal from the hands of former Inter and Barcelona striker Eto'o, with the pair feuding intensely over the past year or so. David Pagou is expected to be named as Brys' official successor, having been cited as Cameroon's manager on FIFA's website. However, the situation is a messy one, and Brys seemingly has no desire to leave, instead naming the squad he intends to take with him to Morocco for the upcoming AFCON tournament.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesManager criticises 'narcissistic' Eto'o

Speaking to TV5 Monde on Tuesday, Brys doubled down on his position in charge of the national team and continued his feud with Eto'o, saying: "As long as there is no signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, Mr. Marc Brys remains. This is not up for discussion, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years.

He added to : “How can we go and compete in such a tournament without a world-class goalkeeper, or without [Vincent] Aboubakar? Because these are players who have character, who stand up to the president. It’s incredible, but it doesn’t surprise me coming from someone who is narcissistic, who thinks he’s the most handsome.” 

Hope for axed Man Utd goalkeeper Onana

It's been a tough few years for Onana. After signing from Inter Milan in 2023, the 29-year-old made a catalogue of errors across two seasons with Manchester United and was eventually dropped as their starting goalkeeper by Ruben Amorim. Back-up stopper Altay Bayindir was initially handed the gloves, but summer signing Senne Lammens has since been deployed between the sticks and has started his career at Old Trafford in calm fashion.

Onana, who is now on loan at Trabzonspor in a squad that features household names such as Stefan Savic and Paul Onuachu, was not included in Pagou's final AFCON squad either. However, he could benefit if Brys remains in charge, having been named on the manager's alternative list. The goalkeeper has previously had issues while playing for his national team, most notably being sent home from the 2022 World Cup by then-manager Rigobert Song due to disciplinary problems. He played just three times in 2023 but has featured more regularly over the past two years.  

Also among the players named on Brys' list are United star Bryan Mbeumo, Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, former Bayern Munich and Stoke striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Aboubakar, who is behind only Eto'o in the list of Cameroon's greatest ever goalscorers.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Cameroon?

Cameroon's predicament is clearly a tricky one with a lot of strange things happening all at once. It's hardly ideal with their first game at AFCON coming in two weeks on Christmas Eve, with their campaign starting against Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Gabon. They also face the Ivory Coast and Mozambique in the group stage, but they are not considered to be among the favourites to lift the cup come the end of the tournament.

Instead, hosts Morocco are one of the heavily fancied teams. They have home advantage and also boast talented players with the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Sofyan Amrabat and Noussair Mazraoui among those at manager Walid Regragui's disposal. Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and the Ivory Coast will all hope for strong showings, while DR Congo beat both Cameroon and Nigeria on their way to booking a place in the inter-confederation playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.