Scott McTominay has revealed why he believes Jose Mourinho is a "real-life legend" and what he said on the day of his Manchester United sacking.
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Nigeria beat Ivory Coast 1-0 thanks to a second-half penalty as the Super Eagles inflicted a devastating blow to the Africa Cup of Nations hosts.
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Teams played out entertaining first halfTroost-Ekong converted penalty early in secondNigeria held out for important victoryGettyTELL ME MORE
Victor Osimhen saw the game's first real chance when he found himself in a good position but he failed to hit the target. Ivory Coast responded with a promising attack of their own but Stanley Nwabili pulled off a decent save. It was end to end stuff as Samuel Chukwueze went up the other end right away but his low effort was saved, too.
Ivory Coast had another strong chance in the 15th minute when Christian Kouame played the ball back to Evan Ndicka in a good position in the box but Nwabili denied him.
Nigeria got off to a strong start in the second half and their persistence paid off when Ousmane Diomande kicked Osimhen in the back of the leg as both challenged for the ball, giving away a penalty in the process. It was defender William Troost-Ekong who stepped up to take it and he made no mistake in converting, rifling a powerful shot straight down the middle.
Just as in the first-half, Ivory Coast had plenty of the ball throughout the second but were nowhere near as imposing with it as they struggled to create clear chances. The hosts' lack of creativity proved costly as they fell to a narrow defeat which leaves them third in Group A.
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Nigeria goalkeeper Nwabili pulled off three important saves in the first 45 minutes to keep his team in the match and was strong in the second, too, rushing out in a daring decision to kill off an Ivory Coast attack and protect his team's lead. An impressive display from the 27-year-old.
GettyTHE BIG LOSER
Given Nigeria had a hard time getting into dangerous positions before taking the lead, Diomande may feel his tackle on Osimhen cost his team the game. He caught the back of the striker's leg as he looked to win the ball and it provided Nigeria the chance to get the all-important goal.
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WHAT COMES NEXT?
Tournament hosts Ivory Coast will round off the group stage with a game against leaders Equatorial Guinea on January 22, when Nigeria also take on a Guinea-Bissau team sitting bottom of the table with two defeats.
Faf du Plessis will be sidelined for six weeks after suffering an acute lumbar disc injury in the third ODI against Bangladesh on Sunday. Du Plessis had to retire hurt on 91 and could not return to lead the team in the field.He had already been ruled out of the two-match T20 series, which starts on Thursday, but will now also miss most of the domestic T20 competition with the aim to be fit for the inaugural four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe on Boxing Day.In du Plessis’ absence, JP Duminy will lead the T20 side, which also includes AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla.Du Plessis’ injury should not impact any international commitments with South Africa’s calendar empty until Boxing Day. Thereafter, they will play eight home Tests, including three in a full visit by India that also features six ODIs and three T20s. As South Africa’s all-format captain, du Plessis will be eager to be fully fit for that series.He was also due to captain the Stellenbosch Kings in the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League, which was scheduled to start on November 3, but the tournament has been postponed. Instead, CSA have moved the franchise T20 competition into the same slot.Du Plessis is the first high-profile player who won’t take part in that event. According to the timeline, du Plessis should return in the first week of December, by which time the competition will be in its final two rounds. He may be able to take part in the playoffs in mid-December.His franchise, Titans, are laden with international talent. Test opener Dean Elgar, recent international debutant Aiden Markram, de Villiers, wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock and limited-overs regular Farhaan Behardien all play at SuperSport Park, while they also have Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Chris Morris. All three quicks are expected to make their comebacks from injury in the T20 tournament, alongside Lungi Ngidi, who returned from a back problem to take 6 for 37 in an ongoing first-class match against Lions at the Wanderers.
Tim Weah shined on the right flank alongside Weston McKennie as Juventus downed Roma 1-0 on Saturday.
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Jude Bellingham berated the referee and swore at an opponent after not being awarded a penalty in Madrid's La Liga fixture with Granada on Saturday.
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Bellingham thought he was fouled in the boxRefused to be helped to his feet by ex-Arsenal defenderAlready booked, continued to protest decisionWHAT HAPPENED?
Bellingham thought he was fouled in the box late in the first half of Madrid's La Liga clash with Granada. Although Ignasi Miquel got the ball, he stamped on the English midfielder with his follow through, leading to protests from multiple Madrid players. When Miquel offered to help him up, Bellingham had some choice words for the defender, telling him, quite clearly, to "f*ck off".
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Although perhaps unfortunate not to be awarded a spot kick, Bellingham had to tread carefully for the remainder of the fixture. He was shown a yellow card for dissent in the first half, running the risk that further protestations could see him shown his marching orders.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bellingham has only been sent off once in his career, shown red after picking up two bookings for Dortmund in April 2021. That time, his second yellow came from a clumsy sliding challenge.
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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM
The English midfielder remained on the pitch in the second half despite his protestations. Madrid's next fixture is on December 9 against Real Betis.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are being backed to make funds available for January transfers if Wrexham feel like they need more bodies on board.
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Russell Martin has made it his mission to reconnect Southampton's fanbase by making the Saints exciting to watch again after taking over from Ruben Seles as manager.
If the former Swansea City head coach is to achieve that, he could do with a helping hand from his own bosses when it comes to bringing in new recruits.
Southampton will have to offload some players to help balance the books following their relegation from the Premier League, with skipper James Ward-Prowse the most obvious example.
The future of striker Nathan Tella also remains in the balance following last season's impressive spell on loan in the Championship with Burnley, who are one of a number of sides reportedly interested in signing the striker.
But if Southampton are indeed going to cash in on Tella, they need to have a replacement – even if it is a cheaper alternative – lined up and ready to hit the ground running.
According to the Daily Mail, Martin is eager to bring Joel Piroe with him to St Mary's, but recent acrimony between Southampton and Swansea over a compensation fee for the manager could hinder negotiations.
The report suggests Piroe could be available for £12m which, while not exactly a small amount of money for a Championship team trying to readjust to a smaller budget, would mean effectively swapping the Dutchman with Tella and still having £3m or so left over.
Is Joel Piroe a better player than Nathan Tella?
First and foremost, Southampton would be signing a player that is not only Championship proven but also well known to Martin, having worked together over the past two years at Swansea.
Martin, therefore, knows exactly what Piroe is capable of in the final third. "He is so clinical with both feet, and he is a great technician," the then-Swansea boss said after a victory against Millwall last year.
"But the most important thing he has is the right mentality when he gets around the goal. He shows composure, he is calm, and he just focuses on his technique, something that all top strikers possess."
Piroe had very similar numbers to Tella last season – with the latter playing in a better side – as they scored 19 and 17 goals respectively, though the Burnley loanee did assist five goals to the former Netherlands U20 international's two.
They were also alike in terms of percentage of shots on target (44.4 for Tella and 41.4 for Piroe) and touches per 90 minutes (39.5 v 35), as per FBref, but Piroe came out on top for pass-completion rate (81.5% v 72.6%) and also the number of aerial duels won per 90 (0.55 v 0.43).
Ultimately, there is very little between the two players, with just one month separating them in terms of age. Piroe does have more longevity, though, having scored 22 goals and 19 goals in the past two Championship seasons, while also boasting experience of playing in Eredivisie with PSV.
Sanctioning the sale of Tella is a big call to make, but if Piroe is indeed available for a cheaper price, Southampton would not only be bringing in a proven striker but also helping to further ease their financial issues.
The Belgian winger gets fans off their feet and can tear apart a shaky Manchester United defence at Old Trafford
James Milner didn't know what had hit him. He was up against a man 16 years his junior and, to put it mildly, he got rinsed. Jeremy Doku repeatedly tore his way past the 37-year-old in a torturous first half for Brighton and a wonderful opening 45 minutes for Manchester City.
Doku handed Julian Alvarez the opening goal on a plate and could have found the net once or twice if his shooting had been ever so slightly sharper. Every time he got on the ball, City fans sensed something was about to happen. They were enthralled by his every move.
The Belgian is the type of player fans want to see when they go to matches, the type of player that gets you out of your seat and justifies the ticket price. He is also the type of player who can prise open tight defences and win a match in one flash of brilliance.
In other words, he is exactly the type of player who should be starting Sunday's derby against Manchester United. And if that means a place on the bench for Jack Grealish, then so be it…
The left-arm spinner dismissed Ishan Porel off the last ball of the match to ensure that the fifth ODI between England Under-19s and India Under-19s ended in a thrilling tie
The Report by Nikhil Kalro in Mumbai08-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Delray Rawlins fell for a sluggish 17•PTI
A see-saw contest, in which ball dominated bat, came down to the final ball. India Under-19s required one run with one wicket in hand. With the field in, left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White tossed the last ball up and No. 10 Ishan Porel chipped a catch to short cover, resulting in a thrilling tie at the Wankhede Stadium to end the five-match series.With six required off the last over, No. 11 Heramb Parab played out two dot balls, then scythed a boundary in front of point. A dot ball and a single to deep midwicket off the next two deliveries meant India couldn’t lose.In a game of fine margins, the difference may have been the one run that Porel didn’t complete when turning for a second leg-bye in the penultimate over. Henry Brookes produced figures of 3 for 30 in a disciplined spell of fast bowling.Defending 226, England’s seamers learnt from their mistakes in the previous game. On a green surface, they resisted bowling short, choosing a good length or a fuller length instead. With some lateral movement and bounce on offer, they extracted enough to trouble India’s top order, repeatedly beating batsmen on the outside edge.Priyam Garg popped a catch to short midwicket in the first over, closing his bat face too early. Abhishek Sharma was caught at slip, driving loosely away from his body. In the 12th over, Manjot Kalra slapped a drive to cover, off Arthur Godsal, where Tom Banton took a sharp reverse-cupped catch. In his next over, Godsal had Mayank Rawat caught down the leg side, gloving a pull. India were reduced to 54 for 4 at this stage.S Radhakrishnan, one of nine inclusions for India, was loose outside the off stump early. He gradually gained fluency as his innings progressed, though. He struck a few well-timed drives and was strong on the pull. When on 65, Radhakrishnan chipped a catch to deep midwicket off Delray Rawlins. India slumped to 137 for 7, and it seemed like the game was out of reach. “I felt like the game had gone,” India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid said after the match.Ayush Jamwal and Yash Thakur then combined to add 65 for the eighth wicket to accentuate England’s frustration, taking India close enough to the target. After Jamwal was caught at fine leg, India still needed 25 off 20 balls. Delray Rawlins, Arthur Godsal and Jack Blatherwick picked up two wickets each.After being inserted, England’s top order failed to capitalise on starts, much like the rest of the series. Harry Brook (14), Tom Banton (16) and Rawlins (17) were all dismissed by India’s seamers as England crawled to 64 for 3 in the 17th over.Again, the rebuilding work was left to George Bartlett and Ollie Pope. While Pope was more circumspect against a decent attack, Bartlett repeatedly found the boundary off the seamers.All five wickets taken by India’s spinners were a result of England’s batsmen playing for turn that wasn’t there. Bartlett hit two sixes during his 47 before he missed a straight one from left-arm spinner Shiva Singh. Stand-in captain Max Holden was caught at slip, playing inside the line of a delivery from Jamwal.Will Jacks, who struck 28 off 34 balls with two fours and a huge six over midwicket, missed a non-turning offbreak from Mayank Rawat, and was stumped. Pope was bowled attempting to cut a slider and Liam Patterson-White was pinned in front after missing a sweep. At that stage, England had been reduced to 187 for 8 after 43 overs.However, some handy lower-order cameos propped up England towards the end. Godsal, who hit an unbeaten 19, should have been run-out at the striker’s end, attempting to complete a second run but a fielder had blocked the umpire’s view trying to back up the throw.
Glasgow Rangers and manager Michael Beale are believed to be interested in bringing young FC Utrecht striker Tasos Douvikas to Ibrox, and have seemingly made contact over a possible deal.
Do Rangers need attackers this summer?
The Gers have a vital summer ahead of them, with a number of new signings required all over the pitch, in order to find an extra gear next season. There is still a gap in quality between themselves and Celtic currently, as shown by their respective trophy hauls in 2022/23, so the primary aim has to be to narrow it this summer.
Attack is certainly an area where reinforcements will be required, especially with influential duo Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos both expected to move on, having played such a big part in Rangers' success down the years. The duo could leave a void, considering they scored a combined 157 goals for the club, so it is imperative that the right replacements are brought in.
A new transfer update has now emerged regarding Douvikas, who has been linked with a summer move to Ibrox a number of times in the recent past.
Could Rangers snap up Douvikas?
According to Football Insider, Rangers have "expressed an interest" in signing the Utrecht man, who scored 19 goals and reigstered four assists in the Eredivisie this season. It is claimed that the Dutch side are "looking for a fee of around £6.9million in order to part with the 23-year-old", who is described as being a "crucial" player throughout the 2022/23 campaign, sharing the Eredivisie Golden Boot with PSV star Xavi Simons.
Douvikas could be exactly what the Gers are looking for in the summer window, providing the end product that will be so badly needed without Kent and Morelos around. His aforementioned record this season speaks volumes about his productivity in front of goal, but an overall tally of 31 strikes in 73 appearances for Utrecht further highlights it.
The 23-year-old is also a 15-cap Greece international, scoring once his country to date – he also netted eight times in 10 appearances for the Under-19s – and he is someone who could help take Rangers to a different level next season and beyond.
While primarily a centre forward, Douvikas can play on the left-hand side, as he has done once for Utrecht this season, according to WhoScored, so his ability to play across the attack is something that could appeal to Beale, as the Gers look to wrestle the Scottish Premiership title away from Celtic in 2023/24.