Belgium loses to Morocco

Morocco shocks Belgium thanks to Sabiri & Aboukhlal’s goals

Belgium who was considered one of the favourites for the 2022 FIFA World Cup has suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Morocco. The second-ranked football team was outclassed by Hakim Ziyech’s team 2-0 thanks to the two second-half goals scored by Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal.

The match started with both teams attacking consistently to get the lead. Morocco, however, got the better of the Belgian defence. In the 47th minute of the first half, Hakim Ziyech, the star winger of Morocco, scored a fantabulous goal before the stroke of the whistle. But the goal was ruled out as VAR called it offside.

This didn’t deter the confidence of the Moroccan team as they continued to keep possession of the ball and take shots at the target. In the 74th minute, the Moroccans breached past the Belgium defence. Abdelhamid Sabiri scored a carbon-copy free-kick to Ziyech’s earlier ruled-out goal. The Belgians were left shocked due to this absolute error by their defence.

To make the matters worse, the Moroccan team scored another wonderful goal thanks to Zakaria Aboukhlal’s graceful strike inside the box. Aboukhlal’s strike sealed the game for Morocco and gave his team their first World Cup win in over 24 years.

The loss makes matters worse for Belgium to qualify for the knockout stage. They have 3 points from 2 matches with one win and one loss and are in the third position in Group F. The Belgians have one match remaining against 2018 FIFA World Cup runner-up Croatia.

Tite inform Neymar to continue playing in WC

“Neymar will continue to play”, informs Brazil coach Tite

Brazil manager Tite has provided an update on the entire Neymar situation. He informed that the Brazilian will continue playing despite the ankle injury suffered by the player during his team’s opening clash against Serbia.

Although the team won the match quite comfortably, thanks to Richarlison’s brace, there was a lot of talk about Neymar, who himself, asked to be subbed in the 79th minute of the game.

The Paris St. Germain forward was seen limping off while coming out and looked close to tears as he received treatment on the bench, before being pictured with a swollen ankle as he made his way to the dressing room.

Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed the 30-year-old will undergo further assessment in the next 24 to 48 hours. Tite, Brazil’s head coach revealed Neymar continued playing a further 11 minutes after sustaining the injury and is adamant he will return.

“[Neymar] felt this pain throughout the game, but he decided to stay on the pitch to help his team,” the head coach said. He further said, “So it’s remarkable that he could bear this pain while his team was playing. He stayed 11 minutes on the pitch after his injury, until the moment he could no longer continue, and he was substituted.

“We are confident that Neymar will continue playing; he will continue playing in the World Cup”, Tite revealed.

Archer is MI Cape Town's wildcard

Jofra Archer is MI Cape Town’s wildcard in SA20

England’s pace bowling sensation Jofra Archer’s comeback is on track. The cricketer was seen playing for England Lions and appeared to be in great shape. The latest news is that the right-arm pace bowler has been announced as a wildcard signing by the MI Cape Town franchisee in the SA20 league.

“MI Cape Town announces the signing of Jofra Archer as their SA20 wildcard player ahead of the inaugural season of SA20,” the franchise said in a statement. Archer was signed by Mumbai Indians during the 2022 IPL auction for INR 8 crore despite the franchisee knowing he would be unavailable. He has, in fact, been retained for the 2023 season.

Archer has been taking giant strides on his return and he is currently in the UAE with the England Lions team as part of his rehab programme. He is working under a group of coaches of the ECB. Videos of him bowling full throttle have emerged in social media and English media reports have also said that the pacer has troubled batsmen at a good pace during a friendly game in Abu Dhabi.

The signing of Jofra Archer makes MI Cape Town even more strong which already comprises superstars like Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Olly Stone, Dewald Brevis and Rashid Khan.

The SA20 runs from January 10 until February 11, with a short break in late January for England’s re-arranged ODI series in South Africa. It is reported that Archer will be making his international comeback in the series.

Team of Japan football players is celebrating winning moment in FIFA

Japan stuns 2014 World champions Germany in FIFA World Cup

Two big upsets in two days. After Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina, it was time for Japan to outclass the 2014 FIFA World Cup champions Germany. The South Asian team defeated the 11th-ranked football team to register a 2-1 victory in their Group E match.

The game started with the German players posing with their mouths covered to revolt against FIFA’s ban on the “One Love” armband. This was the team’s idea to show their dissent against the decision.

The Germans showed their dominance on the pitch by relentlessly attacking the opposing team’s goal. They came close multiple times. However, it was their captain Ilkay Gündogan who converted a penalty in the 33rd minute to give his team a lead.

Germany went into the break with a comfortable 1-0 lead over the Asian team. However, little did they knew Japan would turn the tables in such an astounding fashion. After multiple attempts to breach the German defence, Japan finally succeeded. Japan’s Ritsu Doan equalised in the 75th minute with a wonderful goal.

The game was nicely poised with the Germans looking to score the winner with their attacking gameplay. But it was Takuma Asano who smashed the winning goal from a tight angle in the 83rd minute to win the game for Japan.

Germany now faces an uphill task to qualify for the knockouts in a tough group consisting of Spain and Costa Rica besides Japan. 

Ronaldo to exit Man United

Manchester United, Ronaldo mutually confirm an exit

After weeks of ensuing drama and speculations, English Premier League club Manchester United and Cristiano have mutually decided to terminate the contract of their star striker. The decision has been taken following Ronaldo’s explosive interview with British journalist Piers Morgan in which he criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag.

The club in an official statement said, “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.”

The club further added, “ Manchester United thanks Cristiano Ronaldo for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.”

Ronaldo’s contract at Old Trafford was due to run until June, but United sought to cancel it early after the striker told Morgan the club had made “zero progress” since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and that he “doesn’t respect” the current club coach Ten Hag.

Ronaldo also released a statement saying, “ Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early. “ The all-time great further said, “ I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time to seek a new challenge. I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”

Additionally, the club is also in the news because of its owners. The Glazers family have been in charge of the club ever since it took over the club in 2005. But now with the rising protests against the owners, there are reports that the Glazers are looking to sell the club. 

In a statement, the club said, “Manchester United, one of the most successful and historic sports clubs in the world, announces today that the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) is commencing a process to explore strategic alternatives for the club.”

The club further said, “The Board will consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the Company.”

Lionel Messi In blue and white verticle line jersey

Messi’s Argentina face a huge upset in FIFA World Cup; lose to Saudi Arabia

It’s just the third day of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and we have our first upset. Potential title challengers Argentina have lost to 51-ranked Saudi Arabia. It is a huge loss for the team full of superstars.

Argentina started the match by fielding their best players. Their star man, Lionel Messi, converted a penalty to give them a perfect start. The South American team were looking to kill the game as Lautaro Martinez scored an amazing goal but was ruled out by VAR. 

As soon as the second half progressed, the game saw a different version of Saudi Arabia. The team attacked relentlessly, and the approach paid dividends. Their left winger, Yahya Al-Shehri, scored soon after to level the scoreline. 

To make matters worse, Saudi Arabia’s winger Salem Aldawsari scored a blinder to seal the game. Thereafter, the Argentinians tried their best but couldn’t quite get past the Saudi defence.

The loss will hurt the Argentinians very hard as the South American team are on a mission to win the World Cup trophy for their star player, Lionel Messi and give him a special goodbye.

N Jagadeesan makes history, slams 277 runs off 141 balls

N Jagdeesan, Tamil Nadu make history in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Narayan Jagadeesan, the Tamil Nadu batter has created history. The right-handed batsman has scored the highest individual score in all List A cricket bettering Alistair Brown’s 268 for Surrey against Glamorgan at the Oval in 2002.

Little did anyone know the match between Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh will be such a one-sided affair. Tamil Nadu who lost the toss and came to bat first made 506 runs for the loss of two wickets going past the previous best, England’s 498/4 against Netherlands in Amstelveen earlier this year. The previous highest List A total in India was 457 for four by Mumbai against Puducherry in 2021.

Tamil Nadu’s openers put on a show. Sai Sudarshan made 154 runs off 102 deliveries while his partner Narayan Jagadeesan made 277 off 141 balls. His attacking innings was laced with 25 boundaries and 15 sixes.

After posting such a mammoth total, Tamil Nadu’s bowlers bamboozled the Andhra Pradesh batters. They managed to dismiss the opposing team in just 71 runs and won the match by 435 runs. 

Let’s have a look at the records broken during the Tamil Nadu vs Andhra Pradesh match. (stats taken from Cricbuzz)

506/2– The highest-ever team total in List A cricket surpassing England’s 498/4 against Netherlands in Amstelveen earlier this year. The previous highest List A total in India was 457/4 by Mumbai against Puducherry in Jaipur in 2021.

277 – The highest individual score in all List A cricket bettering Alistair Brown’s 268 for Surrey against Glamorgan at the Oval in 2002. The previous highest individual score in domestic cricket in India was Prithvi Shaw’s unbeaten 227 against Puducherry in Jaipur in 2021.

114 balls – Balls taken by Jagadeesan to get to his double hundred making it the joint fastest in all List A cricket. He equalled Travis Head who achieved the feat for South Australia against Queensland in Adelaide in October 2021. The previous fastest double century in Indian domestic cricket was off 132 balls by Karanveer Kaushal for Uttarakhand in the 2018/19 Vijay Hazare trophy.

15 sixes – The most number of sixes by a batter in a single fixture in Indian domestic cricket. Jagadeesan surpassed 12 maximums by Yashaswi Jaiswal for Mumbai against Jharkhand in Alur in 2019.

416 – The opening stand between Jagadeesan and Sai Sudarshan which is the highest for any wicket in all List A cricket. The Tamil Nadu duo went past the 372-run stand between Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels in the World Cup 2015 encounter between West Indies and Zimbabwe in Canberra. The previous highest partnership in Indian domestic cricket was 338 by Sanju Samson and Sachin Baby for Kerala against Goa in Alur in 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo breaks another record; becomes first to 500M Instagram followers

Cristiano Ronaldo’s stakes seem to be at an all-time high. After breaking the Internet yesterday with the Louis Vuitton campaign with fellow football G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi, the charismatic striker has become the first person to breach the 500 million followers barrier on Instagram.

The Manchester United striker crossed the milestone in the early hours of Monday. He became the first person in the world to have 500 followers on Instagram. The striker reached the milestone on Sunday evening. Lionel Messi is the second celebrity on the list with 376 million followers. While reality TV star Kylie Jenner (372M followers) and singer Selena Gomez (357M followers) come a close third and fourth respectively. The fifth spot is occupied by WWE star turned actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with 348 million followers.

The record seems to be like a bright light in a dark tunnel (a bit!). The Portugal striker is having a torrid time off the field. The star gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan criticising the coach Erik Ten Hag and the management of Manchester United. 

As soon as the interview was out, everyone on the Internet started criticising his attitude and temperament. As per reports, Manchester United was looking at legal options to terminate Ronaldo’s contract, under which, he earns half a million pounds every week.

Qatar makes history; first host nation to lose opening game

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is no short of news. After making the controversial decision to have no alcohol in the eight World Cup stadiums, the country has attached its name to an unwanted record.

Qatar, the host nation, become the first country to lose its opening game at the World Cup. Enner Valencia’s two goals in the first 30 minutes of the game became the ultimate difference as Ecuador beat the hosts Qatar 2-0 in the tournament opener at the iconic Al Bayt Stadium.

 

“I would say we felt bad [for our supporters],” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said. “I hope in the next game they will be prouder.”

Besides, Qatar was also in the line to have another foot-in-the-mouth moment. Ecuador striker Michael Estrada scored within the first 3 minutes of normal time. But the goal was cancelled as VAR called the goal “offside”.

The night started with more than 67,000 mostly Qatari fans filling the beautiful Al Bayt Stadium, enjoying an opening ceremony that showcased the tiny Arab emirate to a global audience 12 years after winning the right to host football’s biggest event. The night witnessed many high-profile celebrities in attendance including Morgan Freeman, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and K-pop boyband BTS’ singer Jungkook performing his song “Dreamer”.

CR7 and Messi come together for an LV ad

Ronaldo and Messi come together in a Louis Vuitton ad; break the internet!!!

Before the World Cup fever starts, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s sensation Lionel Messi have broken the Internet and sent their fans into a frenzy. The G.O.A.T.s of football have come together for a Louis Vuitton campaign that has become the 3rd most-liked post on Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are featured in a new LV campaign that was shared in the early hours of Sunday. It’s a photo of the two of them playing chess on top of a Louis Vuitton suitcase, using the signature squares as spaces for their pieces.

The said post was also shared on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram profile. The post has garnered 30.9 million likes and 411K comments, leaving it in 3rd place in the most-liked Instagram posts.

The number one ranked most-liked Instagram post is by Chris Godfrey, and his Photo of an Egg post that got over 55.8 million likes. Cristiano Ronaldo himself announced to the world through Instagram that he and his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, are expecting twins. The social media post has over 32.6 million likes.

Looking at the pace at which Ronaldo’s latest social media post is garnering likes, it is a matter of time before it becomes the 2nd most-liked Instagram post. Will it go all the way and become the numero uno? Drop your answers in the comment section.

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