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Kylian Mbappe equalled Thierry Henry's scoring record for France as he netted against Ukraine on Friday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The Real Madrid star now has 51 international strikes to his name and is Les Bleus' second-highest goal-scorer of all-time, only behind former Arsenal and Chelsea star Olivier Giroud.

Mbappe equalled Henry's record Five goals behind GiroudFrance beat Ukraine 2-0Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise opened the scoring for the two-time world champions, while captain Mbappe netted a second in the 82nd minute to seal a comfortable victory over Ukraine in Poland. With his strike, Mbappe has now equalled Henry's 51-goal tally for France and became the nation's joint second-highest goal-scorer. The Madrid star is just behind Giroud, who netted 56 times for his country.

AdvertisementWHAT MBAPPE SAID

After the game, Mbappe reacted to equalling Henry's record as he told , "It’s an honour to go level with a player like Thierry Henry. Everyone knows what he represents for us, Frenchmen, particularly strikers. He opened up a path. He completed gigantic feats. I have a lot of admiration and respect for him."

When asked about breaking Giroud's record, the France skipper added, "It’s not something I think about. I don’t know if it’s because I think I can beat it or because I think there are more important things, but to be France’s all-time record goalscorer, that’d be something." 

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

At just 26, Mbappe is on his way to becoming his country's all-time highest goal-scorer. He is also Les Bleus' second-highest goal-scorer in World Cup history and is only one goal behind the legendary Just Fontaine.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

The Real Madrid attacker will be back in action for the national team on September 9 as France face Iceland in their second World Cup qualifying game.

Defending champions Dhaka Division meanwhile remain winless

Mohammad Isam05-Nov-2024Sylhet Division are No. 1 on the table following their four-wicket win against Rangpur Division in the third round of the NCL in Bogra. Rejaur Rahman Raja was the all-round hero after his maiden half-century helped Sylhet in the fourth-innings chase of 190.Sent as a nightwatcher on the third evening, Rejaur added 56 runs for the third wicket with Pinak Ghosh, who made 42, before he made 59 runs lasting two and a half hours on the fourth day. Sylhet captain Amite Hasan completed the 190-run chase with his unbeaten 37.Sylhet’s fast bowlers set up their win in the low-scoring game by taking all ten wickets in the Rangpur first innings. Rangpur were bowled out for 158, before Sylhet took a 31-run lead. Rangpur replied with 220, with fifties from Tanbir Hayder and Nobin Islam. The pair added 149 runs for the seventh wicket. Sylhet remain the only unbeaten side in the NCL.Offspinner Mahedi Hasan took his third ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket to help Khulna Division to a nine-wicket win against Dhaka Metropolis in Sylhet.Batting first, Khulna made 376 with centuries from openers Anamul Haque and Amit Majumder. They are the second opening pair from Khulna to get centuries in the same innings. Amit top-scored with 145, a career high score too, with 14 fours and three sixes. Anamul’s 125 was his 24th century in first-class cricket, but Khulna collapsed from 330 for 2 to 376 all out.Mahedi took 5-62 to help bowl out Dhaka Metro for 210 runs, before Marshall Ayub led a fightback with his 152. It was his 26th first-class century, as he batted for more than six hours. Aminul Islam made 73 as the pair added 182 runs for the fifth wicket. Mahedi took 5-88.Khulna then chased 207 runs in 35 overs with quickfire fifties from Anamul and Imrul Kayes.Rajshahi Division beat Barishal Division by six wickets in Cox’s Bazar. Batting first, Barishal were bowled out for 205 runs despite a maiden century from Iftakhar Hossain. He struck 12 fours and a six in his 116 off 205 balls. Ali Mohammad Walid took four wickets.Rajshahi took a 75-run lead thanks to a 80 from Pritom Kumar, before veteran left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam took 6-41 to bowl out Barishal for 137 in their second innings.Rajshahi chased down their 68-run target in 15 overs, losing four wickets in the process.Defending champions Dhaka Division meanwhile remain winless after three rounds, following their drawn game against Chattogram Division at the Cox’s Bazar Academy ground.Batting first, Chattogram put up 391 with Sajjadul Haque making his maiden first-class century at the age of 34. Sajjadul struck 14 fours and five sixes in his 139. He added 221 runs for the second wicket with Parvez Hossain Emon, who got out for 95.Dhaka replied with 401 with Mahidul Islam Ankon, fresh from his Test debut against South Africa, making 99. He struck five fours and three sixes in his 155-ball stay, before falling to Ahmed Sharif. There were fifties from Ashiqur Rahman Shibli, Joyraz Sheik and Taibur Rahman. Chattogram reached 124 for four in their second innings.

“He’s bowling quite well” – SL batter also pleased with his captain Charith Asalanka’s efforts

Madushka Balasuriya14-Nov-2024Kusal Mendis took home the post-game accolades for a career-best 143 as Sri Lanka won the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday by 45 runs via DLS method. However, it might have all been for nought if not for an exemplary effort by the bowlers.New Zealand’s openers Will Young and Tim Robinson had given the visitors an ideal start in pursuit of an adjusted target of 221 in 27 overs, with an 88-run opening stand off 80 deliveries. With Young and Robinson on song, only Asitha Fernando was able to limit the damage. His first three overs went for only 13 runs, but at the other end, Dilshan Madushanka was sprayed around for 21 off his first two, while even the usually miserly Maheesh Theekshana had been taken for 18 in his only two overs before being withdrawn from the attack.”Asitha bowled a good line in the first couple of overs, but after that, they scored a few runs off Dilshan [Madushanka],” Kusal said after the game.Related

Bracewell admits NZ 'didn't time the chase very well'

Kusal Mendis 143 and Avishka Fernando 100 put Sri Lanka 1-0 up

Hasaranga ruled out of NZ ODIs with hamstring injury; Hemantha called up

During the period when New Zealand’s openers were attacking, Sri Lanka had to deal with a wet ball and a wet outfield, and a much skiddier surface, courtesy heavy rain during a prolonged innings break. They might have been fearing the worst when nearing the halfway point of the innings.”When we were batting, there didn’t really seem to be much difficulty for the bowlers; there was no dew or drizzle to deal with,” Kusal said. “But we need to give credit to our bowlers. After the rain, with the dew, the ball gets quite wet. So I think the ball came on to the bat better for them [New Zealand] on the wicket, than it did for us.”It was the reliable Theekshana, though, who eventually provided the breakthrough, with a double-strike in the 14th over to remove both openers. This left New Zealand having to start over again, and gave Sri Lanka the opening they had been looking for to turn the screws.”Our plan was to keep the runs down at least, even if wickets weren’t coming,” Kusal said. “The idea was to make sure the required run rate kept rising, and to build that pressure.”Charith Asalanka has nine wickets in as many previous ODIs•AFP/Getty ImagesThis plan was aided considerably by Charith Asalanka, who once more contributed with the ball, registering figures of 2 for 15 in three overs. After Theekshana’s strikes, Asalanka introduced himself into the attack and struck in consecutive overs as New Zealand tumbled from 88 for 0 to 100 for 4.”Honestly, he’s bowling quite well,” Kusal said of his captain’s bowling exploits. “He has bowled a fair bit since his time with the Under-19s. But after he came to the national team, you would have five frontline bowlers regularly. So it wouldn’t be as common to use a part-time bowler.”Asalanka has bowled in each of Sri Lanka’s last nine ODIs, picking up nine wickets in the process.  Most of his success however has come on favourable home surfaces, particularly in the series earlier this year against India on a Khettarama turner.His efforts on Wednesday, though, were the first in conditions that might not have been as ideal for spin bowling, and it speaks towards Sri Lanka’s growing confidence in Asalanka, the bowler – something highlighted even further by the fact that in several of Sri Lanka’s recent ODIs, they have opted to go with just four frontline bowlers.”It was only because Charith had bowled so well in previous tours that we decided to go with just four [frontline] bowlers [against New Zealand],” Kusal said. “He understands what’s needed of him when bowling, and adjusts depending on the batter. Even as a captain, he reads a lot of things well. Even during practice, we ask him to bowl more, so that he can be ready when needed.”With Sri Lanka’s current part-time bowlers’ combination, Dunith Wellalage finds himself out of the XI•Associated PressThat fifth-bowler quota is now seemingly being fulfilled by the trio of Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage. The idea is to presumably stack the batting line-up – Kamindu was lined up to come in at No. 7 against New Zealand – while keeping options available as far as bowling is concerned.The long-term feasibility of such a plan is questionable, particularly with genuine batting allrounders in Dunith Wellalage and Chamindu Wickramasinghe finding themselves out of the XI. While Wellalage offers better bowling – and can also work on his batting – Wickramasinghe can well clear the ropes apart from being a more useful seam option than Liyanage.Also, by opting to play two part-time bowlers in Kamindu and Liyanage – the captain Asalanka remains a certain starter apart from injury or rest – Sri Lanka also rule out option of having a frontline fifth bowler. However, for the time being, they seem content with trialing out their current combination.”Janith, Charith and Mendis – all three are bowling well,” Kamindu said. “In these sort of conditions, when the ball is harder to grip, then you need a seam bowler, which is what Janith is there for. The other two are there if it’s a spinning wicket. Kamindu Mendis can bowl with both hands.”Honestly, they do the job when required. Sometimes, if the conditions change, we can see if we need to bring in a genuine fast bowler or spinner.”

Liverpool have been one of the most active clubs this transfer window with numerous high-profile incomings and outgoings. Arne Slot is using the momentum from his first Premier League trophy to build a formidable side.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike are some of the biggest names to have arrived at Anfield this summer. All three of them have found recent success in the Bundesliga and this is a league where recent recruitment from has paid off for Liverpool, with the likes of Dominic Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

They’ve funded these big moves through a combination of on-field success, low spending in previous seasons and by letting go of some big-name players. Luis Diaz and Jarell Quansah have already left for Germany and now Darwin Nunez is set to move to Saudi Arabia and become the latest high-profile departure, while Harvey Elliott may not be far behind.

While most of Slot’s reign has gone the way Liverpool had hoped, they could be on the verge of losing a player they want to keep and one who is integral to the team.

Pérez targets Konate signing

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid’s President, Florentino Pérez, has identified Ibrahima Konate as a key Real Madrid target next summer, when he is available as a free agent.

This is a strategy that Madrid have enacted in the past, as this summer they secured the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free after his Liverpool contract expired. Pérez’s hope will be to reunite the pair under the new Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso, so that they may rekindle their defensive connection.

Konate’s current contract sees him earn £70,000 a week, which is less than a third of what his defensive partner Virgil Van Dijk earns. Liverpool’s Director of Football, Richard Hughes, has attempted to rectify this wage disparity and has reportedly offered a new contract that Konate turned down. A report from The Times indicated that the defender wants around £200,000 a week.

Whilst there still seems to be some distance between the two parties’ preferred wages, French journalist Abdellah Boulma has indicated that talks are still ongoing with both Hughes and Konate open to working out a deal.

Konate's significance to Liverpool

There’s a reason both Real Madrid and Liverpool desperately want Konate in their squad for the start of the 2026 campaign – his presence on the pitch has a clear impact on results and defensive form.

Games Played

31

7

Wins

21

4

Draws

7

2

Losses

3

1

Win %

67.7%

57.1%

Avg. Goals Conceded per game

1.47

1.71

Statistics from statmuse

Indeed, Liverpool win 10.6% more games when Konate features, over a 38-game season that will result in between an extra 8 and 12 points. The second major stat is that they conceed 0.24 fewer goals a game when Konate plays, 9.12 goals over a full Premier League season.

Based on their business in the last few windows and their on-field success, Liverpool clearly have more money to spend in order to bring in a Konate replacement if he did leave next summer. However, the difficulty that the club faces is in actually finding a player of high enough quality to replace him.

Legendary former Real Madrid midfielder Guti dreams of a return to football management five years after he last had a managerial role. After retiring from football, Guti worked in Real Madrid's academy and then was an assistant coach at Besiktas, before coaching Almeria in the second division. The iconic midfielder is hopeful of earning an opportunity like his former team-mate and current Madrid boss Xabi Alonso did.

Guti reflects on his future in coaching

It's been over five years since Guti last had a managerial job, but the iconic former Madrid midfield wizard has not given up on his dreams to manage a top club in the near future. After spending 15 years at the Santiago Bernabeu, Guti joined Besiktas in 2010 and then retired as a player in September 2012. While he gained coaching experience, he has been working as a commentator and pundit on Spanish television.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuti's coaching career so far

After announcing his retirement in 2012, Guti expressed his desire to become a sporting director or a coach. In 2013, he returned to Los Blancos to become a coach in the youth academy. During his five-year stint at La Fabrica, he took charge of the under-19s and managed them in the UEFA Youth League. In 2018, he announced his decision to leave Madrid and join Turkish side Besiktas as an assistant to then-head coach Senol Gunes. Almeria, in November 2019, then confirmed that the ex-midfielder would become their head coach in the second-tier of Spain. He was relieved of his duties in June 2020.

'An opportunity like Alonso' – Guti shares his dream

Speaking in an interview with , Guti said: "I'm always excited to coach, but I like big challenges. A big challenge hasn't come up yet for me to coach, but I'm open to it. I like being a commentator, but I see myself on the bench, and I hope I get the opportunity, like Xabi Alonso had, to take on a big name."

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Getty Images SportAlonso's next assignment as Madrid coach

Alonso will be hoping to get a win on Tuesday evening, as Real Madrid welcome Marseille in the Champions League opener at the Bernabeu. After four wins out of four in La Liga, Alonso will expect his players to come up with a professional performance to help him record a win on Champions League debut with Los Blancos.

Guti is not surprised to see him thrive as a head coach, as he knew it was in his destiny from their playing days. 

"No, he's the typical player you know will be coached later, also because of his position," he said. "On the pitch, he was a bit of a boss, the one who was always in contact with both the defense and the attackers. In the end, you know he's going to dedicate himself to that."

Head’s innings of 140 was scored at a strike-rate of 99.29 and flattened India by the time they came out to bat in the final session

Deivarayan Muthu07-Dec-2024
A whirlwind century from hometown hero Travis Head blew India’s attack away and thrilled the Adelaide crowd on day two of the pink-ball Test. Head’s 140 off 141 balls swelled Australia’s first-innings lead to 157, leaving India facing a challenging final two hours under the floodlights. The visitors fell further behind when they lost half their side during that period when the pink ball was at its most potent. At stumps, India were 128 for 5, still 29 runs behind.Head had walked out to generous applause from his home crowd and into a bit of trouble in the middle after Jasprit Bumrah had taken out both Nathan McSweeney and Steven Smith in a space of 13 balls. While McSweeney nicked a Bumrah special behind to Rishabh Pant, after managing to add just one to his overnight tally of 38, Steven Smith was caught down the leg side for 2.After the floodlights had blacked out twice on the opening day, Australia’s batting threatened to black out on the second afternoon. Head, however, had other ideas and torched the innings with his no-holds-barred approach. He played and missed four of his first nine balls, but that certainly didn’t stop him from playing his shots. He stayed true to his method of staying leg-side of the ball and cracking it away into the shorter pockets of the ground square on the off side.He also cleared the longer straight boundary when he crashed R Ashwin over mid-off and then over his head for sixes, including a 110-metre monster hit over the sightscreen.Head scored his first fifty off 63 balls and took only 48 more balls to convert it into a hundred. He celebrated the landmark by rocking his bat like a baby in tribute to his family’s new arrival, with his wife and newborn among a 51,642-strong home crowd. A hug from fellow South Australian Alex Carey was also part of the revelry.Indian fans would be sick of the sight of Head by now. Since 2023, he has hit 1052 runs in 19 innings against India across formats at an average of 61.9 with three centuries, including tons in the previous cycle of the WTC final and 2023 ODI World Cup final.ESPNcricinfo LtdHead had set to work on Saturday by adding 65 with Marnus Labuschagne and then 74 with Carey. Labuschagne’s innings was as fluent as Head’s but it was one that he needed to work his way back into form after having managed just 123 runs in his last ten Test innings, of which 90 came in one knock against New Zealand, before the Adelaide Test. Having been afforded some fairly comfortable leaves on the first evening, India’s seamers made Labuschagne play a lot more on the second afternoon. Whenever they erred too straight or into his pads, Labuschagne picked them away with compact drives and flicks.Labuschagne got to his fifty off 114 balls and celebrated it by taking the erratic Harshit Rana for three fours in four balls. After having late-cut the taller, quicker Rana with ease, Labuschagne was caught at gully when he tried a similar shot off the shorter, slower pace of Nitish Kumar Reddy.Head was more brutal on Rana, hitting him for 41 off 29 balls. It didn’t really matter what came down at Head. Short. Full. On the stumps. Outside off stump. Everything was dispatched.Mohammed Siraj, though, gave India some control and backed Bumrah up. He picked up his first wicket in the game when he extracted extra bounce and coaxed an outside edge from Carey.R Ashwin’s only wicket was Mitchell Marsh but that was down to some good fortune. After shaping to defend a non-turning offbreak from Ashwin, Marsh walked off even before umpire Richard Illingworth raised his finger and didn’t even contemplate a review. There was nothing on Snicko, with replays also indicating that the ball had missed the outside edge.Head attacked the second new ball as well, whipping Bumrah for a brace of fours. He then picked Siraj up for an imperious six over square leg in the next over, but Siraj struck back the next ball to york Head. Siraj released his pent-up emotions and gave Head a send-off that didn’t go too well with him or his beloved Adelaide crowd.The boos rang out but Siraj proceeded to dismiss Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland soon after tea to wrap up Australia for 337. Bumrah, who had gone down with some discomfort, which prompted medical attention, four balls into his spell with the second new ball, recovered to knock Cummins over.Related

Siraj vs Head: The send-off that turned Adelaide Oval into the Colosseum

Travis Head and India's bowlers – the one-sided love story continues

As it happened – Cummins bags five to make it 1-1

Cummins then took centerstage with the ball and cramped KL Rahul with a lifter for 7 off 10 balls. Just before stumps, he hit the top of Rohit Sharma’s off stump with an absolute peach.Rohit had a shaky stay, having been struck on the helmet by his first ball from Starc. He was then bowled next ball, but a no-ball reprieved him. Cummins did Rohit in just before the close of play, with no error in the placing of his heel.It was Boland who had prised out Virat Kohli by pushing a length ball on a fourth-stump line and drawing an outside edge from him. Boland had earlier struck with his first ball to dislodge Yashasvi Jaiswal for 24 off 31 balls. He has seamlessly slotted into the bowling attack and could pose an interesting selection question for the Brisbane Test though Josh Hazlewood is hopeful of returning to action for that fixture.Starc not striking with the pink new ball in his first spell might be an aberration, but he came back with the older one to storm through the defences of Gill with a hooping inswinger that also seamed in late.Pant, however, continued to do Pant things. Despite the rush of wickets, he charged out of the crease and manufactured swinging room to smash his first ball over mid-off for four. He then unfurled the reverse pull and the falling scoop to counter Australia’s quicks briefly. He remained unbeaten on 28 off 25 balls.India will need more of this from Pant – and more support from Reddy – if they are to somehow pull off another heist in Australia.

Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign another player after they finally sealed their first major outfield signing of the summer.

Unai Emery can breathe a sigh of relief with the arrival of striker Evan Guessand from Nice, who joins the Villans for an initial £26 million, which could rise to £30 million with add-ons (BBC).

Angers 1-4 Nice

9.31

Nice 6-0 Brest

9.03

Nice 8-0 St Etienne

8.76

Nice 2-0 Marseille

8.70

Nice 2-0 Lens

8.63

via WhoScored

It took months for the Midlands side to confirm a noteworthy arrival ahead of what is a vital Premier League campaign, but Guessand will now be available for selection ahead of their first league game of the season against Newcastle next Saturday.

Out of the versatile Ivorian’s 30 Ligue 1 starts last term, 10 of them came at centre-forward, with Guessand starting a further eight on the right-wing and nine as a second striker.

The 24-year-old also notched a brilliant 13 goals and 10 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions, so it is safe to say Emery has secured an excellent replacement for Marcus Rashford at a pretty good price.

It comes as a piece of great news for Emery, following a window dominated by PSR concerns and rumours of key men potentially leaving Villa Park.

Further encouragement for Villa supporters comes via reports that their side may not be done with Guessand, as links continue to surround a move for wantaway Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegalese, who worked with Emery at Villarreal, is expected to leave Stamford Bridge before deadline day on September 1 (Fabrizio Romano), and Villa’s head coach has already expressed his real admiration for the 24-year-old.

“We worked during the one year on his skill, he improved his understanding better, how he could exploit his potential, and playing minutes and getting experiences was the next step,” Emery told Sky Sports about Jackson.

“But his attitude as well was fantastic. He was always learning. He was always demanding to train more, to be focused. He was also being a professional every day out of training sessions at home because he was focused on football like the first priority in his life.”

Aston Villa offered Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson

Now, talkSPORT report that Villa have been offered the chance to sign Jackson. Enzo Maresca’s side value the African, who’s ready to leave the west London club, at around £80 million – which is just a no-go for most interested clubs.

However, there is a concession that Chelsea will most likely need to reduce their asking price for the attacker if they’re to find a buyer.

There is also the possibility of Chelsea green-lighting a loan deal for Jackson, which is far more feasible from Villa’s perspective, but the Blues would want an obligation to buy clause inserted into the deal.

Jackson bagged 13 goals and six assists in all competitions last season, but Joao Pedro and Liam Delap’s arrivals have now pushed him down Maresca’s pecking order.

The centre-forward has also scored just one Premier League goal since the turn of 2025 and got sent off during Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign, so Jackson could gain a valuable new lease of life working under Emery again in the Midlands.

Peter Crouch called Jackson “unbelievable” at points last season, and claimed the player deserves more respect for his contributions at Chelsea.

Guillermo Ochoa’s AEL Limassol debut ended in disaster, as the Mexican goalkeeper conceded five goals in a heavy 5-0 loss to Omonia on Monday. The setback capped a turbulent summer in which Ochoa served as a Gold Cup backup and saw a move to Spanish side Burgos collapse before landing in Cyprus to chase regular minutes.

AEL LIMASSOLFour months without action

It took Ochoa four long months to step back onto a professional pitch, but his long-awaited debut in Cyprus turned out to be a disaster. His last official appearance dated back to May, when he played for AVS in Portugal’s Primeira Liga – a 3-0 defeat to Moreirense that closed his chapter in that league.

The defeat dropped AEL Limassol off the summit of the Cypriot top division, with the club now third on goal differential, tied for points with Omonia and league giants APOEL. 

AdvertisementAEL LIMASSOLA debut to forget

Ochoa held firm for just 21 minutes in his first start for the club, his seventh in Europe, before Senou Coulibaly opened the scoring with an unstoppable strike. Early on, the veteran showed poise and barked instructions to organize his back line, but repeated defensive lapses left him exposed and chasing the game.

The pressure only mounted after the break. Willy Semedo doubled Omonia’s advantage in the 50th minute, and the floodgates opened late with goals from Evangelos Andreou in the 75th minute, Ioannis Kousoulos in the 78th minute, and Angelos Neofytou in the 83rd minute. Ochoa made several saves to keep the score from growing even worse, but the lopsided result underscored a rocky beginning to his Cypriot adventure.

AFPOchoa chasing World Cup history

Ochoa's objective is clear; he is aiming for a record sixth World Cup. He joined AEL Limassol in an effort to earn consistent minutes and regain rhythm as he hopes to convince Mexico coach Javier Aguirre that he belongs on Mexico's roster in next summer's tournament. 

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Getty Images SportOctober friendlies ahead

Mexico will face Colombia on Oct. 11 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as part of the upcoming FIFA window. Four days later, on Oct. 15, El Tri will take on Ecuador at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.

Australia, meanwhile, will now face Group 2 table-toppers South Africa in the semi-final on January 31, while India are set to face England.

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2025Nigeria sign off from the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup a mere one point behind a team that made it to the semi-finals from their group after a thrilling victory over Ireland in Bangi, Malaysia. They wrapped up their second win of the Super Six stage, level with that of England above them in second place who went through to the final four of the tournament.Lillian Udeh, the 18-year-old fast bowler, was the star of the show as her 3 for 11 from four overs helped Nigeria defend a total of 94 for 7 and secure victory with six runs and eight balls to spare.Having initially been behind in the game – Udeh was part of a poor top-order performance where four of five batters fell for single-digits – Nigeria turned things around with the ball and not a moment too soon either. Ireland were 40 for 2 in the eighth over, looking quite comfortable in the chase when Udeh triggered the collapse that defined the match. Four wickets for 14 runs later, they were barely holding on. Annointed Akhigbe, the 17-year-old seamer, also played an important part, striking twice in the 12th over where she got rid of Ireland’s top-scorer Rebecca Lowe for 21 off 32. Another 4 for 14 collapse resulted in the team being bowled out for 88, and exiting the competition with just one win.Nigeria built their eventually defendable total with opener Christabel Chukwuonye scoring 25 off 42 balls with three fours. The other end was leaking wickets though, and they required a lower-order intervention to last the 20 overs. Omosigho Eguakun (17 off 23), Peculiar Agboya (17 not out off 20) and captain Lucky Piety (12 off 11) added crucial runs from No. 6, 7 and 8 helping the team recover from 21 for 4 to finish on 94 for 7.The victorious Sri Lankan team indulges in a group selfie•Getty Images Sri Lanka hold on for consolation win Sri Lanka successfully defended a paltry total of 99 against Australia in Bangi, to register their second win of the Super Six phase. Sri Lanka, opting to bat, made a sedate start as their openers Sanjana Kavindi (19 off 35) and Sumudu Nisansala (18 off 15) took their time to get going. Australia, having finished second on the Group 1 table behind India, will now face Group 2 table-toppers South Africa in the semi-final on January 31, while India are set to face England.At 77 for 2 in the 14th over, Sri Lanka might have been looking for a late flourish, but Lily Bassingthwaighte, Hasrat Gill and Tegan Williamson all struck at regular intervals to initiate a collapse, as Sri Lanka lost their next six wickets for just 22 runs.Australia lost three early wickets in the chase, but a handy 27 from Caoimhe Bray had the team well-placed at 64 for 3, and within sight of victory. However, Bray was dismissed in the 15th over courtesy Player of the Match Limansa Thilakarathna, offering Sri Lanka a way back into the game. Chamodi Praboda, Pramudi Methsara and Aseni Thalagune picked up two wickets apiece, as Australia completely lost their momentum. They lost their next four wickets for only 23 runs, finishing their innings at 87 for 8.

Tottenham Hotspur are once again at the heart of transfer market drama.

Having endured a turbulent summer in which they controversially parted ways with Ange Postecoglou and installed Brentford’s Thomas Frank in the dugout, Spurs have wasted little time making bold moves in their squad rebuild.

The north London club have begun the new Premier League season strongly under their new manager, winning 3-0 at home to Burnley and stunning Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad.

Such results have helped to steady nerves after a 2024/25 league campaign that saw Spurs finish a lowly 17th, even if their Europa League triumph over Manchester United provided a route back into the Champions League.

The summer window has been characterised by major departures and equally significant arrivals.

Fan favourite Son Heung-min, a figure synonymous with Spurs over the past decade, departed for LAFC, while James Maddison suffered a devastating ACL injury in pre-season against Newcastle, ruling him out for the entire campaign.

These developments left a creative void in the side.

Tottenham did move quickly to secure Mohamed Kudus from West Ham for £60m, but the sense prevails that further reinforcements are required, particularly after deals for both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fell through in frustrating circumstances.

Spurs hunting for Eze alternative

Their attempts to land young talents with star potential have been well-documented.

Spurs had a bid of €70m rejected for Como’s Nico Paz, a player Real Madrid still retain a buy-back clause for, and saw Arsenal hijack their move for Eze.

An ambitious attempt to prise Savinho from Manchester City was also rebuffed, with City holding out for £70m.

Transfer Focus

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

It now appears that their answer could come from France, where an exciting young player has been described by data analyst Ben Mattinson as “ridiculous” in terms of his potential.

According to Football Insider, Spurs are looking at sealing a move for Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, with a bid worth £47.5m expected to be accepted. It's important to state that the Lilywhites are yet to bid, but they now know the price they'll have to go to in order to complete a deal.

The 23-year-old Frenchman, who operates primarily from the right wing but has shown the versatility to play across midfield and attack, has quickly emerged as a viable alternative to Savinho.

Why Akliouche could be Spurs’ solution

His lower price point compared to Savinho or Paz makes him an appealing option for Spurs, particularly given the club’s wider squad-building needs.

Akliouche broke into Monaco’s first team in 2021 and has been a consistent performer over the past two seasons.

Across his Ligue 1 career, he has contributed 13 goals and 14 assists, while last term alone he made 32 appearances, including ten in the Champions League.

His rise has not gone unnoticed at international level either, earning six caps for France and scoring once.

Akliouche represents a balanced investment: a player young enough to grow with the team but experienced enough in top-flight European competition to make an immediate impact.

His potential signing has been framed as Tottenham’s alternative to Paz, another highly-touted youngster tipped for stardom.

Tottenham’s decision to turn to Akliouche reflects both necessity and opportunity.

With Maddison sidelined for the entire season, the club cannot afford to enter a Champions League campaign short of creativity.

The collapse of their moves for Paz, Eze and Gibbs-White have heightened the urgency, while the ongoing pressure from fans has only increased the demand for statement signings.

Comparisons between Akliouche and Nico Paz are inevitable, given the parallel interest Spurs have shown in both players.

Matches Played

35

32

Starts

30

27

Goal

6

5

Assists

8

10

Progressive Carries

77

127

Progressive Passes

163

273

Statistically, they occupy similar creative roles, though their profiles contain subtle differences that make Akliouche potentially a stronger fit under Frank.

Akliouche stands out for his blend of creative passing and ball progression. According to FBref, he ranks in the 86th percentile compared to positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for assists per 90 (0.30), showing his ability to provide for teammates consistently.

His 71st percentile ranking for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.25) underlines his direct involvement in chance creation, while his 89th percentile for progressive passes (6.15 per 90) and 79th percentile for progressive carries (4.58 per 90) highlight an ability to break lines with both his passing and his dribbling.

His defensive contributions should not be overlooked either, ranking in the 92nd percentile for interceptions per 90 (0.74), making him more well-rounded than many of his attacking midfield contemporaries.

Paz, by contrast, brings a more direct attacking profile. At 20, the Argentine is already showing signs of stardom, ranking in the 97th percentile for total shots per 90 (3.68) and 86th percentile for shot-creating actions (4.95).

His dribbling ability is reflected in his 85th percentile for successful take-ons (2.34 per 90), making him a more goal-oriented option than Akliouche.

However, Tottenham’s failed pursuit of Paz has left them looking for a player who combines creativity with maturity, someone able to step into the Champions League spotlight immediately.

That balance is why Akliouche’s candidacy is so compelling. Unlike Savinho, whose £70m valuation was deemed excessive, Akliouche’s £47.5m fee represents relative value in today’s market.

More importantly, his statistical profile suggests he could provide much-needed creativity following Maddison’s injury, while also offering tactical flexibility across midfield and attack.

He may not yet carry the global recognition of Paz or Savinho, but his combination of technical quality, versatility, and productivity makes him a signing that could reshape Spurs’ midfield dynamic.

If the deal is finalised, Tottenham would not only have secured their replacement for Maddison in the short term, but also potentially acquired a cornerstone for the club’s next era under Frank.

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