Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez faces a major selection dilemma as Portugal heads into decisive 2026 World Cup qualifiers without injured star Nuno Mendes, a player the coach calls "the best in the world". With the Paris Saint-Germain full-back sidelined, Martinez admits there’s “no natural replacement” and turns to Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo to fill the void.

Roberto Martinez calls Nuno Mendes irreplaceable

Mendes suffered a left knee sprain during PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich in midweek, ruling him out for two crucial international fixtures. The 22-year-old has been central to Portugal’s defensive structure, combining pace, defensive stability and an ability to drive attacks down the left flank.

“My assessment of Nuno Mendes is subjective, he’s like a son,” Martinez said. “There’s no other left-back who can defend one-on-one, make overlapping runs, and play inside or outside with the ball. He's a complete player, he can play centre-back. He's a decisive player for his club and for me, right now, he's the best in the world. Other coaches don't have to agree with me."

With Nuno Tavares also sidelined, the absence leaves Portugal without a natural left-back, forcing Martinez to turn to tactical adjustments and versatile defenders.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMartinez calls Dalot and Cancelo to share the load

To address the gap, Martinez is expected to deploy Dalot and Cancelo in hybrid full-back roles. Dalot, thriving at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, has evolved into a reliable two-way defender known for his composure, fitness and ability to play on either flank. Dalot was earlier the go-to left-back for Portugal but has since dropped in the pecking order with a loss in form and Mendes rise at PSG last year. Dalot has played 32 matches for Portugal across all competitions.

Cancelo, meanwhile, offers Portugal creative flair and width. A natural right-back at Al-Hilal, he often drifts inside to dictate play, operating almost like a midfielder. While his offensive instincts differ from Mendes’ balanced profile, Cancelo’s experience and versatility make him vital to Portugal’s adaptability. Cancelo has played 62 games for Portugal across all competitions and has also scored two goals in the competition.  

“We need to find solutions, to find balance on the wing, with Cancelo and Dalot,” Martinez explained. “We need to build on the chemistry we already have, there’s no time for drastic experiments before two important games.”

Portugal will miss Mendes' impact

Before his injury, Mendes had been a cornerstone of Portugal’s qualifying campaign. Featuring in all six matches, he provided crucial defensive stability and attacking thrust. His pinpoint assist to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2-2 draw against Hungary not only saved a point but also helped the forward set the record for most goals in World Cup qualifying history with 41 goals.

Mendes’ influence extended beyond numbers. His pace in recovery, ability to overlap in transition, and composure under pressure have been essential to Martínez’s system. Portugal have yet to lose with Mendes on the pitch in these qualifiers, which speaks volume about why the manager didn't really have to bother with an alternative in that space.

His injury arrives at a delicate moment, with Portugal needing positive results against Ireland and Armenia to secure top spot and automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

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Getty Images SportPortugal’s road to qualification and the test ahead

Portugal enters the final stage of World Cup qualifying unbeaten, with four wins and two draws from six games. They top Group F with 10 points, comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals Hungary. Ronaldo continues to lead by example being their top-scorer in the competition with five goals.

Despite their strong position, Martinez acknowledges the challenge ahead: “We must adapt quickly and stay focused. Every player knows their role, we can’t depend on one individual, no matter how special he is.”

As the team faces Ireland in Dublin on November 13 and Armenia on November 15 in Porto, Portugal’s depth and resilience will be tested. All eyes will be on Dalot and Cancelo to maintain Mendes’ standards, ensuring Portugal’s fluid wing play and defensive strength remain intact.

The left-arm spinner had been due to return to the T20I side in Cardiff before the last-minute injury

Firdose MoondaUpdated on 12-Sep-2025South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of their T20I series against England after tweaking his groin in the warm-up of the first match in Cardiff.Maharaj, the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world, had been named player of the series in their 2-1 series win in the 50-over leg of the tour. However, he has now been withdrawn from their squad for the remaining two fixtures, at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner who had been preparing to play for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday, has been called up in his place.After the Cardiff match, which South Africa won on by 14 runs on DLS, captain Aiden Markam confirmed Maharaj had been due to play the game but was forced out with the injury and replaced by Corbin Bosch. Maharaj had been recalled to the T20I squad after being left out in Australia and Zimbabwe.Related

• South Africa's T20 concerns: Markram's spot, bowling combo, injury management

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• England 304 for 2; Salt 141* sets up crushing 146-run victory

• South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

• Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

Earlier on Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the series with a right hamstring strain. Ngidi returned home on Thursday and faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa’s next assignment – the start of their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan which begins on October 12.Left-arm quick Nandre Burger has been added to the squad in Ngidi’s place and is available from the second match at Old Trafford on Friday.On Tuesday, David Miller was also withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a hamstring strain during the final week of the Hundred. No replacement has been named for him in the squad.In better news, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lizaad Williams all returned to action in the rain-affected affair. Rabada did not play the ODIs in Australia or England after suffering ankle inflammation but bowled the opening over in Cardiff.Jansen made his comeback from the thumb surgery he underwent after the WTC final in June and Williams returned from knee surgery, which has kept him out of action for most of the year. Jansen bowled two overs in the match but Williams was not used at all.This story was updated at 5.41pm BST following Maharaj’s withdrawal from the squad

It's no wonder Camilla Kuver can't stop smiling. After making her Champions League debut only a couple of weeks prior, the 22-year-old has just won her first and second caps for Germany, starting both games against France over the last international break to help her country qualify for the Nations League final. These would be milestones worth celebrating for any player, but they are particularly special for the Wolfsburg defender, given the incredible bad luck she has had with injuries over the past four years.

“I’m not even really sure how I handled it all,” Kuver admits. Coming into this season, Germany’s new centre-back had made just five first-team starts since tearing her ACL in November 2021, at the tender age of 18. In fact, she didn’t get onto the pitch once in the 2024-25 campaign, that her second season with Wolfsburg, the two-time European champions and the most successful club in the history of German women’s football.

But after enduring setback after setback, Kuver looks to finally be on the other side and back on track in a career that still has so much promise. After all, despite all of those injuries, her goals in football were never really gone. “They were just postponed,” she notes.

Now, as huge Champions League encounters with the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and, on Wednesday, Manchester United loom, Kuver has plenty of opportunity to show everyone just why she remains one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the game.

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  Injury hell

  As GOAL walks through Kuver’s injury history with her, it’s no wonder she admits there were times where there would be questions in the back of her mind asking, ‘Is it even worth it?’ After coming through the youth national teams as a talented and versatile full-back, and breaking into the Eintracht Frankfurt first team as a 17-year-old, an ACL tear during her second senior season would spark the beginning of an incredibly difficult few years.

  Kuver was back on the pitch at the start of the 2022-23 campaign, only to suffer another knee injury that would keep her out for eight more months. Then, after making just five appearances during her first season at Wolfsburg, having completed a move to the German giants during her rehabilitation process, she would miss the entire 2024-25 campaign in what she describes as “definitely the toughest” part of an extremely taxing time. Having overcome cartilage damage in her knee that sidelined her for half of the year, a dislocated shoulder and a ligament injury in her foot took care of the rest.

  “At some point I couldn't even take myself seriously, I feel like, because I came back from injury and then the next one came. Then I thought, 'Okay, now I'm really getting back', and then the next thing came,” Kuver tells GOAL. “Looking back on that time, I'm not even really sure how I handled it all. I just kind of did. I mean, I had to. I think that's what makes this time right now even more special.”

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  Fighting through

  A lot of people would’ve given up had they experienced the setbacks Kuver did. Yet, aside from what she describes as the occasional “tiny questions in the back of my head”, the 22-year-old never considered quitting. Why? “Just because I love playing football,” she responds. “It's always been the greatest joy in my life.

  “During rehab, I realised there's nothing that could compare and there's nothing that could give me the same kind of joy. That was something. I just wanted to be back on the field. Also, I had so many goals – for one, the national team goal. I still wanted to prove myself. I still wanted to show what I can do. That was always something, the mindset of, 'I'm not really done yet'. Even though there were all the injuries and stuff, my goals weren't gone. They were just postponed. That was definitely something that kept me going.”

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  Helpful factors

  Other factors helped, too. Kuver had several friends who were either enduring or had endured long-term setbacks like hers, meaning she could talk to people who knew exactly what she was going through.

  “I've always felt it was easier to talk to people who have gone through the same thing because, of course, people are trying to support you and be empathetic, and I'm sure they can imagine just how hard it is, but it's different when you've gone through it,” she explains. “That was definitely easier for me to talk to those people with. It was very, very important, actually.”

  School was a welcome distraction during her ACL recovery, while Wolfsburg’s decision to sign her when she was sidelined the following year provided a confidence boost. “It was definitely nice to hear that people saw my abilities and, despite my injuries, they thought it was worth it,” she says.

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  Savouring the 'special' moments

  The hope now is that all of that is well behind Kuver. She speaks to GOAL as a regular starter for the team placed second in the Frauen-Bundesliga table and as someone who, last month, experienced Champions League and senior international football for the first time. The player who ranked ninth in the 2022 NXGN list of the best teenage talents in the world is reminding everyone why she generated so much hype as she broke through. And while the injuries are something she would’ve gladly done without, they have made the recent months all the more sweet.

  Kuver describes playing for Germany as something she thought about during her rehab process, “because it’s not always easy to be motivated to go to rehab every single day”. “That was just one of the big goals and dreams that made it possible for me to even get through it,” she recalls. “It is a very, very special feeling. I think it's also important that I keep reminding myself that it is very special, given the journey that I've been on.”

One of the biggest troubles for Leeds United this season is how poorly they have performed in front of goal. Daniel Farke’s side find themselves in a relegation battle, which many people expected would be the case. ESPN journalist Bill Connelly said they need “random bursts of quality attacking” to help them stay up.

Well, things haven’t worked out that way so far for the Whites. They’ve found the back of the net just nine times, better than just two sides, including bottom of the league Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leeds’ expected goals tally is just 12.94xG, the 12th best in the top flight.

One man who has struggled for his best goalscoring form is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin’s struggles in front of goal

Leeds secured the signing of Calvert-Lewin in the summer on a free transfer, after his contract at Everton expired. He was brought in with the aim of bolstering their Premier League goalscoring stocks, although it hasn’t really worked out that well so far.

The experienced 28-year-old, who has 11 caps and four goals for England, has not quite hit the ground running in a Leeds shirt.

In nine games for the club so far, Calvert-Lewin has only found the back of the net once, against fellow strugglers Wolves.

It was a good finish, too, from the new Leeds number nine. He got on the end of a loopy cross from Jayden Bogle, finding space between the Wolves defenders and heading home. That is the kind of striking instinct Leeds fans may have expected.

However, it hasn’t really worked out for Calvert-Lewin, aside from that goal. His underlying numbers are surprisingly low, averaging just 2.8 shots per 90 minutes, with an expected goals per game of 0.33xG. That places him in the 25th percentile for Premier League strikers.

With a huge game against Nottingham Forest next up, Farke may decide to rotate the striker out of the side in favour of a man who knows where the back of the net is.

Leeds’ Calvert-Lewin alternative

Ultimately, Leeds need to start finding the back of the net more consistently soon. Goals win you football matches, and right now, they could do with a few victories to help propel them up the table.

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Well, Farke could well make the decision to axe Calvert-Lewin against Forest this weekend, and bring in Joel Piroe.

The Dutchman is someone who knows where the back of the net is, and Farke even called him the “best finisher” he’s ever seen as a manager.

With strikes like this one against Bristol City in the Championship last season, it is easy to see where the Whites’ boss is coming from.

Piroe bagged from quite a tight angle outside of the area, which takes some doing.

Indeed, he has put up some impressive numbers in a Leeds shirt so far. In 102 games for the club, the striker has 33 goals and ten assists. Last term in the Championship, Piroe was the main man up front and bagged 19 goals with seven assists in 46 games.

His underlying stats showcase how deadly he can be, too. During the league-winning 2024/25 season, the Dutch striker averaged 0.56 goals per 90 minutes, with an expected goals tally of 0.49xG. Both of those stats placed him in the top 5% of Championship strikers.

Piroe – 24/25 Championship

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Goals

0.56

95th

Shots on target

1.14

89th

Expected goals

0.49xG

95th

Shot-creating actions

2.43

84th

Goal-creating actions

0.38

91st

Stats from FBref

Bringing Piroe into the side for the trip to the City Ground could be a stroke of genius from Farke. He has a point to prove, having fallen out of favour this season. He’s only played 164 top-flight minutes, but would surely love to get more regular game time.

Calvert-Lewin has been out of form this season. With someone who Farke himself has admitted is a deadly finisher waiting in the wings, he could be the difference in helping find the back of the net more often.

Related Farke can get DCL firing by ditching Aaronson for "unstoppable" Leeds star

Daniel Farke can finally get Dominic Calvert-Lewin firing at Leeds United by unleashing this speedy winger.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 6, 2025

AC Milan have been linked with a move for a Manchester United ace who Ruben Amorim rates and now a new update has dropped regarding their pursuit.

Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to fully ignite in a Red Devils shirt to date, with Fabrizio Romano recently talking up his potential exit, even though Amorim values him as a player.

“Yeah, we have to follow the situation closely in the next weeks because the calls have started. First was West Ham, now also Roma have made some calls to understand the situation of Joshua Zirkzee. So the market is moving around the Dutch striker again. Let’s see what happens with Sesko because now with the Sesko injury, again, it’s not a super serious one probably.

“Let’s wait for Manchester United statement. But obviously when you have a player like Sesko injured, there is still the opportunity to have a player like Zirkzee who can cover cover several positions as number nine, as number 10. Ruben Amorim according to my sources never wanted to let Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee leave because he believes that also Zirkzee can cover several positions and can be very important.”

Now, a fresh update has appeared over Zirkzee’s next step in his career, with a move away from United in 2026 still potentially looking on the cards.

AC Milan make contact over Zirkzee signing

According to a report from Corriere dello Sport [via Caught Offside], Milan have held talks with Zirzkee’s representatives over a move from Manchester United.

The January transfer window will be a chance to get a deal over the line, with the Red Devils striker in need of more regular playing time, in order to boost his 2026 World Cup chances with the Netherlands.

It has been a tough spell for Zirzkee at United, scoring just seven goals in 54 appearances, so it is only natural that a move away could be best for all parties.

The 24-year-old remains a popular figure among United supporters, always giving his all, but the summer arrival of Benjamin Sesko has pushed him further down the pecking order.

As mentioned, the World Cup is only around the corner, so warming the substitutes’ bench most weeks is going to do little to aid his chances of being a fixture in the Netherlands’ team, as he battles former Red Devils striker Memphis Depay to lead the line for his country.

Man Utd join race to sign "underrated" Arsenal target in bargain Baleba alternative

United could get one over on the Gunners.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 15, 2025

If Zirkzee does leave permanently, it will be yet another attacking signing that hasn’t worked out for United, but equally, if a move doesn’t materialise, Amorim will surely be content to have him around until at least the end of this season.

Amorim's "modern-day Berbatov" is now already on borrowed time at Man Utd

Centuries from Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod, on the back of a 53 from Danish Malewar, gave Central Zone firm control of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Patidar scored 101 off 115 balls while Rathod remained unbeaten on 137 as Central finished on 384 for 5 on the second day, leading South Zone by 235 runs.The day began with Central in arrears but by only 99 runs. The conditions were in the bowlers’ favour: it was overcast and windy, and Vasuki Koushik was on point. He sent Akshay Wadkar back with a peach of an inswinger that pitched outside off and decked back in sharply. Wadkar, who had shouldered arms, lost his off stump.With Kerala’s MD Nidheesh not as incisive, Gurjapneet Singh was brought into the attack early, and he immediately made the Central batters uncomfortable. He bowled in the mid-130kph range, and got the ball to move both ways.Gurjapneet was soon rewarded when Shubham Sharma tried to drive a fuller-length delivery outside off, and got a thick inside edge which sent his middle stump cartwheeling. Malewar reached his fifty off 113 balls, driving Gurjapneet on the up through covers, but fell soon after edging the fast bowler to first slip.Gurjapneet Singh dismissed Danish Malewar and Shubham Sharma before lunch•PTI

At 93 for 3 in the 33rd over, and with the ball moving around, South would have eyed a few more wickets. But Patidar drained all their optimism. He got off the mark by punching Koushik off the front foot past mid-off, and then clipped him through midwicket. In his next over, Patidar drove Koushik on the up past mid-off again. Rathod, at the other end, took a little more time to get going, with Gurjapneet testing him outside the off stump.Patidar, however, was untroubled as he continued to consistently fetch the boundaries. The confidence rubbed onto Rathod, who sent Nidheesh for two successive fours in the 43rd over.This was the first time Patidar and Rathod were batting together in first-class cricket. While there was some miscommunication early, once they settled in, the quick singles to mid-off and mid-on became a feature of their partnership. Patidar took Central into the lead in the last over before lunch by sweeping Ricky Bhui to the deep square leg fence, as he and Rathod went into the break unscathed.Patidar had a slice of luck in the first over after play resumed, when, on 44, he shouldered arms to a straight delivery from Ankit Sharma, and was struck on his pad. Up went the umpire’s finger, but while the replays showed the ball to be clipping off stump, Ankit had overstepped. The Central captain reached his fifty off 72 balls, gliding Ankit past point before nudging him fine again through the same region.A key feature of Patidar’s innings was the way he manouvered the field. That was on display in an over from Bhui, when he first whipped the offspinner through midwicket, then slog swept him over wide long-on, and again swept him behind square.Yash Rathod was unbeaten on 137 after day two•PTI

Patidar then went after Gurjapneet, first driving a half-volley through covers before upper-cutting him for six over deep third’s head. Patidar had raced into the 90s with Central’s lead going past 60.There are no fans allowed to watch the Duleep Trophy final, but around 20 of them found a small opening from the side of the road to witness Patidar reaching his 15th first-class century. He got there with a single to mid-off, and while there were muted celebrations, Central’s lead had swelled.Rathod also reached his fifty, clipping Gurjapneet through midwicket and then driving Ankit through covers. The 167-run fourth-wicket stand between the two finally came to an end when Patidar edged a sharp, short-of-a-length delivery from Gurjapneet down leg to depart for 101. Central lost Upendra Yadav, too, with Nideesh strangling him down leg, but Rathod kept going.It didn’t take Rathod long to reach his seventh first-class century after tea, getting there with a push to point. He roared in celebration before removing his helmet and gloves and pointing upwards. With the milestone complete, Rathod attacked Ankit, thumping him over wide mid-on and pulling him through midwicket.New batter Saransh Jain, fresh from a half-century in the semi-final, also got going, with the lead past the 200-mark. South took the new ball only in the 101st over, but with the pitch flattening out, both batters had no trouble dealing with it. They added 108 runs in the last session off 32 overs, with Central ending the day firmly on top.

Davidson-Richards continues fine form as Durham are outplayed in DLS loss

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Sep-2025 Surrey 290 for 7 (Spence 68, Davidson-Richards 65*, Jones 47, Monaghan 45) beat Durham 138 (Gregory 3-24) by 86 runs (DLS)A fine career-best 68 off 63 balls from teenager Jemima Spence in only her second senior innings of 2025 featured in a rainy Surrey win as they confirmed their Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-final place at the expense of Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside.Surrey sealed a fourth-placed finish – a position they held at the start of the day with a three-point advantage – and prevented either Durham or fellow chasers Somerset from leapfrogging them, winning by 86 runs on DLS.Nineteen-year-old Spence, batting at No.6, shared a 112 partnership for the fifth wicket with England’s Alice Davidson-Richards, who also contributed an unbeaten 65 off 61 to Surrey’s commanding 290 for seven from 48 overs.The third rain delay came with Durham 14 for one in the third over chasing a revised 276 in 41. The target was further revised to an overall 225 in 29, and the hosts were bowled out for 138 inside 23 overs. Davidson-Richards added two wickets with her seam.Vitality Blast champions Surrey will travel to face table-toppers Hampshire in the semis on Wednesday.A Surrey win would guarantee qualification, while a defeat would have eliminated them. In the end, a No Result would have also been enough. But a sixth win did it.A Durham win would have given them a good chance, though a big Somerset success over the Bears left them needing a bonus point win at the start of their chase. They finished sixth in the table.Having been inserted, Surrey started impressively as Alice Monaghan shared in first and second-wicket partnerships of 55 and 69 with Bryony Smith and Emma Jones.Monaghan and Jones both played nicely for 45 and 47 – the latter particularly so as she latched onto anything short and hit a couple of eye-catching boundaries down the ground.At 121 for one in the 22nd over, Surrey looked set to dominate. But Durham took three cheap wickets, reducing the score to 149 for four in the 27th.Scotland off-spinner Katherine Fraser had Monaghan caught at long-on with a full toss and a pulling Jones bowled off her thigh.Rain briefly interrupted play at 180 for four in the 33rd over, with Spence and Davidson-Richards now set. And upon the resumption, they kicked on superbly, sharing their century stand in 18 overs.While Davidson-Richards was classy, Spence mixed power with invention and was first to her fifty off 56 balls. Her more experienced partner followed her there off 55.Durham were disrupted by having to change wicketkeepers because of a finger problem for Bess Heath. Mia Rogers took over. They also lost key seamer Phoebe Turner to a groin injury having only bowled three overs. She slipped in the outfield.Rain returned to cut short the Surrey innings at 1.55pm.When play resumed at 3.15pm, chasing that 276 in 41 overs, Durham would have been aware that Somerset had won with a bonus point. So they had to do the same given the counties started the day level on points.But that never looked realistic.Rogers pulled Phoebe Franklin’s seam to midwicket in the first over before rain intervened again at 14 for one in the third.Durham had approximately 20 overs in which to achieve their target for the bonus point, and they started in solid fashion when needing to be spectacular.Captain Emma Marlow and Hollie Armitage shared 53 for the second wicket.But when both fell inside three overs for 27 and 31 – bowled by Kalea Moore’s off-spin and caught behind off Alexa Stonehouse’s seam – Durham were 85 for three in the 14th over and out of contention.Stonehouse struck again as the end came quickly, with Davidson-Richards bowling Bess Heath and Trudy Johnson. Leg-spinner Dani Gregory struck three times. Injured Phoebe Turner didn’t bat.

تحدث ياسين منصور، نائب رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، عن كيفية زيادة دخل القلعة الحمراء خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وقال ياسين منصور، في تصريحات عبر قناة “سكاي نيوز”: “الأهلي عالمي، بالطبع، أكبر نادي في العالم، والأهلي كبير طوال عمره، وكل من تعامل معه وجد حبًا بلا مقابل”.

وواصل: “كنت مع كابتن صالح وكابتن حسن حمدي، والآن مع الخطيب، وبصراحة، هناك تفانٍ تام في حب النادي الأهلي، وهو الأمر الذي يُسعد المصريين”.

وأكمل: “الإنسان يحس أن الله وضعه في مكان يسعد 80 مليونًا من أبناء بلده ومن خارج بلده”.

طالع.. الأهلي يحسم موقفه من عرض برشلونة لضم حمزة عبد الكريم

وواصل: “أرى أن أهم شيء هو قطاع الناشئين، مصر فيها حوالي 110 ملايين نسمة، ومن بينهم بالتأكيد 20 أو 30 لاعبًا على مستوى محمد صلاح، لكن يحتاجون إلى العين التي تستثمر فيهم وهذا جزء أركز عليه مع كابتن الخطيب وكابتن سيد عبد الحفيظ، وأراه مهمًا جدًا”.

وأضاف: “الأمر الثاني هو كيفية التعاون مع الدولة لزيادة مصادر إيرادات الأهلي، والنادي خلال الفترة الأخيرة نجح في ذلك”.

واستمر: “الأهلي يُعد علامة تجارية قوية، وأقوى علامة في الشرق الأوسط وإفريقيا وهذا يحدث بالفعل، لكن يمكن تعزيزه أكثر”.

وتابع: “على سبيل المثال، في أندية أوروبا تمثل مبيعات التذاكر نحو 30% من الإيرادات، بينما هنا لا تتجاوز 1%، وذلك بسبب تجربة حضور المباريات نفسها، مثل الجلوس ثلاث ساعات في الحر”.

وأتم: “لذا، يجب ترتيب الأمور بحيث يذهب المشجع قبل المباراة بخمس دقائق ويجد كرسيه جاهزًا، وهذه أمور ستحدث فرقًا كبيرًا”.

Jonah Tong made his major league debut on Friday night starting for the Mets against the Marlins at Citi Field. Tong went five innings, gave up six hits and just one earned run and left with the home team leading 12-4.

Tong finished his night by striking out his sixth batter on a very questionable call, but no one in Queens—including home plate umpire Andy Fletcher—seemed to care that his final pitch was low. All that really mattered was that the Mets got to put another maple leaf K up on the scoreboard.

And no one was more excited after that final strikeout than Tong, who walked off the mound screaming. Except maybe his mom who cheered, hid her face in her hands and whistled to show her support from the stands.

Tong's parents, Alex and Karen, were interviewed earlier in the game and they seem awesome. Mom talked about what it was like watching her son pitch, told the story of how Jonah kept working on his craft during the pandemic in Canada and was also startled by a foul ball as she spoke.

On Thursday, Tong told reporters about the experience of telling his mother he had been called up, and said that he had held it together until she told him to "get out." Then he cried for an hour.

If the Mets can make a run and Tong can be a part of it, this seems like a family that New York (and the internet) might really enjoy getting to know better. Friday night was certainly a quality start.

Exiled players now living in Australia have trained at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and watched India vs Sri Lanka

S Sudarshanan30-Sep-2025Afghanistan’s women cricketers in exile have been involved at a global event for the first time, albeit only as spectators.A total of 17 formerly contracted Afghanistan women’s players attended the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday to watch India face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 as part of a 12-day programme offered by the ICC with support from Cricket Australia (CA), the ECB and BCCI.They have also undergone coaching at the VVS Laxman-led BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, met with players from some of the top teams competing at the World Cup and played some matches.”Most of the players are now based in Australia,” Mel Jones, part of the ICC’s initiative, said on commentary during the match. “They’ve got a few players in Canada and the UK as well. They’ve been put through their paces.”They’re smiling at the moment. That might have been a few ice baths that they had to enjoy over the last couple of days as well. Fitness testing, match simulations, matches, wonderful coaching from the coaching staff at the Centre of Excellence. The ICC, the ECB, BCCI, Cricket Australia have come together to host this tour.”Related

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The players do not represent Afghanistan as they are not recognised by the ACB but many are playing in league structures in Australia, having fled their country after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Since then, women have been increasingly excluded from public life in Afghanistan, cannot attend university or secondary school and their voices cannot be heard in public. As such, the ACB is unable to ratify a women’s team, despite contracting 25 players in 2020.Not all those living in Australia have made the trip to India as some faced visa challenges but most of them played in an exhibition match between an Afghanistan XI and Cricket without Borders in Melbourne in January.They had not received any official communication from the ICC between their exile four years ago and April this year, when the ICC announced a support package for Afghan female cricketers in exile. Funding for these players comes from the ICC, BCCI, ECB and CA and not from the ACB’s disbursements and will include training camps and trips, such as this one.By inviting them to a World Cup game, the initiative – firmed up at the ICC’s annual conference in July – aims to give the players exposure and allow them to experience the atmosphere of a high-profile women’s international. Their experience was enhanced by the presence of India, New Zealand, England and Australia at the CoE during the World Cup warm-ups and Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, presented them with a jade necklace.”It’s gorgeous,” Jones said. “A jade necklace, that represents courage and determination and that’s exactly what these women, these players, have shown after the last four years and going into the future as well.”All going to plan that future mimics almost the Afghan men’s cricket team, whereby they can go through these high-performance programmes, they can create a team that can then be in qualifiers for T20 Women’s World Cups in the future.”