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It's likely the Blues wouldn't have signed him if Wesley Fofana wasn't injured, but the defender could prove to be an inspired addition

On July 18, Chelsea's pre-season preparations hit a sizable bump in the road. Wesley Fofana being omitted from the Blues' tour of the United States just one day prior had sparked some concerns, but few could have predicted just how bad his injury would prove to be.

Fofana was poised for a big 2023-24 season, following a debut campaign plagued by fitness issues. Instead, he will have to watch Mauricio Pochettino's new-look Chelsea side from the sidelines, with ACL surgery keeping him out of action for an extended period.

Not only was the news a bitter blow for the player – who has already suffered more than his fair share of cruel luck on the injury front during his fledgling career – it also left the Blues with a big decision to make in the transfer market. With Cesar Azpilicueta and Kalidou Koulibaly already having departed west London this summer, Chelsea were suddenly looking perilously short at centre-back.

After spine-chillingly being linked with Harry Maguire a few hours after Fofana's injury was confirmed, they have since gone in a different direction, swooping to sign Axel Disasi from Monaco for a reported fee of €45 million (£39m/$50m).

Disasi, 25, was somewhat of a late bloomer, not making his France debut until last year. But by securing this Chelsea move he is set to finally test himself at the very highest level after a few hype-building seasons in Ligue 1.

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  Where it all began

  Disasi was born in Gonesse, a suburb of Paris, in 1998. He is eligible to represent DR Congo, as well as France, through his parents. After signing on with two local teams, he was spotted by Paris FC in 2014 and enjoyed a meteoric rise to the first team.

  In December 2015, with Paris in the midst of an injury crisis, coach Jean-Luc Vasseur turned to a then 17-year-old Disasi for their Ligue 2 clash against French giants Lens. Vasseur explained his bold decision to at the time, saying: "I didn't hesitate to put him in, so he shouldn't hesitate on the pitch. I've never been afraid to put my faith in young players. Axel is the future of the club, he has great qualities. He'll be well looked after and chaperoned. So there's no reason why things shouldn't go well."

  Disasi was similarly enthused by the prospect of making his league debut, thanking Vasseur for the "fabulous" opportunity – even if he did admit that the game would distract him from his schoolwork!

  The match itself went well, with Lens triumphing 1-0 thanks to a bizarre, deflected goal. Disasi performed solidly and was rewarded with two further Ligue 2 appearances, though this time at right-back as opposed to centre-back.

  After this brief run in the first team, he did not feature for a struggling Paris FC side again and therefore could not prevent them finishing stone-dead last in Ligue 2 that season.

  Disasi was saved from the career-stagnating perils of third-tier football by Stade Reims, who signed him in the summer of 2016. Still a teenager, he had to be patient throughout his time at the club.

  He did not progress to the senior side for some time and his minutes were also slashed when Reims were promoted to Ligue 1 in 2018. However, the following summer, his big break came when Bjorn Engels was sold to Aston Villa. This opened the door for Disasi to start alongside Yunis Abdelhamid and he would make a career-high 27 appearances during the 2019-20 campaign. It would have been more too, if not for the season being cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

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  The big break

  Disasi's move to Monaco in 2020 was the biggest moment of his career so far. While he'd been highly-rated in France during his time at Reims, joining Monaco – a finishing school for the best young talents in Europe – put him in the shop window for the continent's biggest sides.

  It was a brave decision too. Monaco could not offer Disasi European football during his maiden season – unlike Reims, who progressed to the Europa League via points-per-game. But it proved to be the right one.

  Straight away he forced his way into the first team, forming an excellent understanding with Benoit Badiashile, whom he is set to be reunited with at Chelsea. During his maiden campaign at Monaco, Disasi made 29 league appearances and scored three goals as his side finished just five points behind champions Lille in third.

  Overall, it was a coming-of-age season. Disasi was now fully established as one of Ligue 1's most reliable defenders.

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  How it's going

  By his own admission, one of the great disappointments of Disasi's career so far is that he's never tasted Champions League football – and he will need to wait at least a season to experience that a Stamford Bridge.

  Monaco's third-place finish in 2021 offered them the chance to secure a place at European football's top table, but they were beaten in the qualifiers by competition stalwarts Shakhtar Donetsk. It was a huge disappointment, but Disasi responded by taking his game to new heights during the season, missing just six games as Monaco again secured a third-place finish.

  The 2022-23 campaign began in an eerily similar vein, with Les Rouge et Blanc crashing out of Champions League qualification at the hands of PSV. But for Disasi, it would be his best personal season ever. Not only was he ever-present in Ligue 1, an injury to Presnel Kimpembe opened up a spot for him in France's World Cup squad.

  "I was on my way home to get my family and my luggage to go to the airport when I received a call from [France coach] Didier Deschamps," he told GOAL back in March. "I pulled over to the side of the road to continue the call. The coach told me I needed to be at Clairefontaine today. On the spot, I was so happy and proud, but I needed to arrange my departure very quickly."

  Disasi joined the exclusive club of players to make their national-team debut at a World Cup when he started at right-back for France's group-stage dead rubber against Tunisia. Although Les Bleus suffered a shock defeat, it's a day he will never forget.

  Disasi also came on for the final seconds of France's heart-breaking loss to Argentina in the greatest World Cup final of all time. He got the best seat in the house for Randal Kolo Muani's infamous one-on-one miss against Emiliano Martinez.

  "I see the Argentinian defender make a mistake and Randal comes up against the keeper. I'm thinking 'he's going to kill him, he's going to put it in' and seeing the scenario end like that, it would be so crazy. I tell myself he's going to score and we're going to be world champions," he recalled.

  Of course, it didn't happen like that, with Disasi having to content himself with a silver medal.

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  Biggest strengths

  Disasi can do special things with the ball at his feet. It's this ball-carrying and passing ability that made him stand out above all else when Chelsea were looking for Fofana's replacement. In his own words, his biggest strength is: "play[ing] the ball out from the back cleanly, and hav[ing] fun on the pitch," and it's hard to disagree with his assessment.

  Throughout his career, Disasi has largely been used on the right side of a centre-back pairing and occasionally in the middle of a defensive three. One of his favourite passes is a reverse long ball out to the left wing, though he can also fire shorter passes into a deep-lying playmaker, even sometimes asking for a one-two.

  The stats back up Disasi's excellent passing ability. Just two centre-backs in Europe's top-five leagues completed more progressive passes last season; the only Premier League player who came remotely close to matching him was Brighton's Lewis Dunk.

  Disasi doesn't only start off attacking sequences with his passing, either. He also relishes the chance to drive his side forward by striding out from the back. The Frenchman has wondrous close control and is strong enough to hold off most players. This deadly combination means he can power into the opposition half after making an interception, or when his side are struggling to bypass the initial press.

  Disasi averaged 1.73 progressive carries per 90 minutes last season. For context, that was comfortably more than every other Chelsea centre-back barring the man he is primed to replace: Fofana.

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  Additionally, Disasi has an impressive record in the opposition box, plundering 12 goals in 129 appearances for Monaco so far. This is partly down to his strength in the air, which helps in defensive situations too. However, it's also clear that he has a burning desire to find the back of the net.

  Whenever a set piece is swung in, Disasi attacks the ball with serious gusto. His strike against Nantes summed this up nicely, with the centre-back producing a textbook defender's finish, thumping it with all his might into the back of the net.

The Atlas Lions will be hunting for a place in the semi-finals against the Pharaohs on Sunday and we predict how they will line up

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  Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou

  He has been selected in the last four matches, making vital saves to keep the Atlas Lions in the competion, and will surely be starting again.

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  Left-back – Adam Masina

  The Watford star has been solid defensively and in attack which has seen him start the first four games.

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  Centre-back – Nayef Aguerd 

  As Morocco hunt for a place in the last four, Aguerd is expected to be one of the men to take part in the mission.

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  Centre-back – Romain Saiss

  The Wolves defender has formed a formidable partnership with Aguerd.

From Arsene Wenger to Claudio Ranieri, Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is not the first to rile the outspoken Portuguese

Getty ImagesSpecialist in failure!

"He’s [Arsene Wenger] a specialist in failure. If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don’t come back."

Arguably Mourinho's most infamous insult was directed towards Arsenal's long-serving manager in February 2014, with Arsenal enduring a trophy drought and Wenger having had the audacity to suggest that rival bosses were playing down their Premier League title chances because they "fear to fail".

Mourinho also once said of a man he has endured regular clashes with down the years, on and off the field: "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea."

AdvertisementGettyLearn the lingo!

“Ranieri? I guess he’s right with what he said I am very demanding of myself and I have to win to be sure of things. This is why I have won so many trophies in my career. Ranieri on the other hand has the mentality of someone who doesn’t need to win. He is almost 70 years old. He has won a Supercup and another small trophy and he is too old to change his mentality. He’s old and he hasn’t won anything. I studied Italian five hours a day for many months to ensure I could communicate with the players, media and fans. Ranieri had been in England for five years and still struggled to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon.'"

What had 56-year-old, then Juventus coach Ranieri done to spark such a tirade back in 2008? He merely stated: "I am not like Mourinho, I don’t have to win things to be sure of myself." 

GettyVery Inter-esting!

"I thought he was going to thank me for the title I gave him. Ask all the Inter fans what they think of me and him."

Mourinho sought to rain on the parade of Inter successor Rafa Benitez after a Club World Cup triumph in 2010 – with his Treble-winning exploits still fresh in the memory. Mourinho also chirped back at the Spaniard's spouse during a bitter verbal battle: “The only club where her husband replaced me was at Inter Milan, where in six months he destroyed the best team in Europe at the time. And for her also to think about me and to speak about me, I think the lady needs to occupy her time, and if she takes care of her husband’s diet she will have less time to speak about me.”

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GettyimagesPep talk!

"Guardiola is a fantastic coach but I have won two Champions Leagues. He has won [only] one Champions League and that is one that would embarrass me. I would be ashamed to have won it with the scandal of Stamford Bridge and if he wins it this year it will be with the scandal of the Bernabeu. I hope one day Guardiola has the chance of winning a proper Champions League, a brilliant, clean championship with no scandal."

Barcelona did win the Champions League in 2011 – handing Guardiola a second European crown – but not before they had irked Clasico rivals Real Madrid during a feisty semi-final encounter, with that coaching rivalry having now been rekindled in Manchester.

Don Robson, the driving force behind Durham’s emergence as a first-class county, has died at the age of 82.Durham became the 18th first-class county in 1992, the first since Glamorgan in 1921, defying the general assumption that county cricket was certain to decline rather than expand bravely into what became its most northerly outpost.After difficult beginnings, they went on to dominate the professional game, winning six trophies between 2007 and 2014, including three Championships, and also staging international cricket at their purpose-built Chester-le-Street ground.The death of the man who was chiefly responsible for delivering that dream comes at a challenging time when Durham are under considerable financial strain, inviting questions whether regular England cricket in the north-east is sustainable.Robson, immensely proud of the north-east, would have had no truck with such pessimism. As leader of Durham county council (the youngest ever when he was appointed in 1973) and an influential member of the regional assembly, he had political clout in the region and he put it to good use in a straightforward, immensely committed style.His ambition was to provide a home for the succession of cricketers developed in the north-east but who had previously had to leave the county to fulfil their ambitions to play professional cricket.Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, knew Robson well from his time as commercial director at Durham.He said: “Don played a leading role in gaining first-class status for Durham prior to their inaugural season at the top table in 1992. The north-east was going through a really tough time economically and Don’s efforts therefore didn’t just help cricket, they also helped the region regain some pride.”The success of Durham on the field, the development of several England players and the staging of international cricket at the Emirates Riverside are all achievements that would not have been possible without Don’s contribution”Don was equally committed to the recreational game – I would often see him watching Greenside CC play in the Tyneside & Northumberland league on a Saturday afternoon.”Robson became Durham’s first chairman as a first-class county, but this was no political sop. He led the fundraising drive, lobbying extensively and continuing his involvement in cricket in the north-east.He was involved when Durham were England’s dominant minor county through the 1970s and ’80s – going 65 games unbeaten between 1976 and 1982 – managed the Under-19 team for a while and represented the county at several committees on the Test and County Cricket Board – the forerunner of the ECB.In April 1992 they played their first match as a first-class county – a Sunday League fixture against Lancashire at the Racecourse Ground in Durham. Ian Botham and Wayne Larkins, two high-profile signings, opened the batting and Durham won. It was a decade and more before winning became a habit.Most importantly, Durham secured land for a permanent headquarters on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street, adjoining the River Wear and with Lumley Castle providing a striking backdrop. A Chester-le-Street farmer had been willing to end his lease because the land was too wet. In May 1995, Durham played their inaugural game on the ground against Warwickshire and the pavilion was named in Robson’s honour and opened by the Queen in 1996.Geoff Cook, Durham’s director of cricket – the longest-serving county coach in the game – said on the their website: “You had to be involved at the time of Durham’s emergence from minor counties cricket to appreciate the enormity of Don’s involvement in the whole scheme.”To be the first new county for 70 or 80 years was a big thing in its own right, but the practicalities of getting the finance and the ground in place were vital to us having a realistic chance of succeeding.”A tremendous amount of balls were up in the air at the same time, but Don remained completely focused throughout the process and at the same time he progressed his business as well as his political career.”It was amazing to be on hand to witness his mental and physical energy and the way he was able to pull things together. He really was a remarkable man. He had a ferocious energy and a determination to satisfy his vision.”No matter the size of the hurdles that got in his way, he always felt he could surmount them. He was formidable, but he had a lot of warmth and he was a caring person.”Before awarding first-class status, Durham had to have at least £1m in the bank and guarantee to secure a permanent ground within five years.Robson used his political contacts to win major support from such companies as Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, but he was a politician who also had a strong connection with the public and they trusted him with a rush of small donations and offers of help in the belief that he would achieve his goal.He was awarded a CBE for services to local government in 1997 and received an honorary doctorate from Sunderland University in 2002 in recognition both of this and his role in securing Durham’s first-class status. He also played professional football as a centre-forward with Doncaster Rovers and Gateshead.

Ross Taylor said he decided to turn back the clock in an attempt to rekindle his form, and the early signs are that the the move could pay off

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2015Ross Taylor said he decided to unleash the shackles in an attempt to rekindle his form, and the early signs are that the move could pay off. He produced two counter-attacking innings during the second Test at Headingley then warmed up for the one-day series against England with 77 off 62 balls against Leicestershire.Taylor made a valuable, but scratchy 62 in the first innings at Lord’s, and admitted it was not really his style of batting. With another period of one-day cricket now upon New Zealand – following a short break after the England trip they tour South Africa in August – he is keen to bring some freedom back to his batting.He chipped in during New Zealand’s World Cup campaign – making a top score of 56 against Bangladesh – but did not produce a stand-out performance and had comfortably the lowest strike rate, 61.55, of all New Zealand’s batsmen.”I haven’t scored as many as I would have liked and I have made a conscious effort to express myself and get back to the way I want to play – to hit the ball like when I first played for New Zealand,” Taylor said after the warm-up match against Leicestershire.”You can go two ways, you can try to graft it out a bit which I did at Lord’s or try to play your shots as I did at Leeds and against Leicestershire. It was nice to get a few out of the middle and get some rhythm back.”Taylor does not have to go back too far to remember a golden run in his one-day career. Last year, he scored three hundreds in consecutive innings, which made him the first New Zealand batsman – and only seventh in history – to achieve that feat. Currently Taylor has 12 ODI hundreds, putting him second in the New Zealand all-time list behind Nathan Astle who made 16.He was barely needed with the bat last time New Zealand faced England in an ODI, at Wellington during the World Cup. Tim Southee’s 7 for 33 hustled out England for 123 before the hosts rattled off the runs in just 12.2 overs as Brendon McCullum struck 77 off 25 balls.It will be a very different-looking England side on show at Edgbaston on Tuesday with potentially just five survivors from the Wellington match, although one of them could be Steven Finn who was torn into by McCullum.”You’ve got to respect the opposition and after the way they performed in the World Cup they’ll want to put in a good performance,” Taylor said. “There are a lot of new faces we’ve not seen before. But hopefully we can start again, we have the confidence.”

شارك المصري محمد صلاح بديلاً في مباراة فريقه ليفربول أمام تولوز، مساء الخميس بمنافسات الدوري الأوروبي.

وتعرض ليفربول للهزيمة بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة لدور المجموعات بالدوري الأوروبي.

محمد صلاح حصل على تقييم 6.8 من 10، بحسب شبكة “سوفا سكور” وقد لعب 45 دقيقة في المباراة.

وسدد صلاح تسديدة خارج المرمى، وتسديدة أخرى تم تشتيتها من لاعبي الخصم، فيما لمس الكرة 15 مرة.

وبلغت دقة تصويبات محمد صلاح 75%، بواقع 7 تصويبات صحيحة من أصل 12، ومرر تمريرة مفتاحية، وفقد الاستحواذ على الكرة 4 مرات.

ويتصدر ليفربول مجموعته بـ 9 نقاط رغم هزيمته في مباراة اليوم، ويمكنك مطالعة ترتيب المجموعة من خلال الرابط.  ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وتولوز

ESPNcricinfo previews the opening ODI in Colombo between Sri Lanka and England, two sides trying to find form and dodge the rain

The Preview by George Dobell25-Nov-2014

Match factsWednesday, November 26, 2014
Start time 2.30pm (9.00am GMT)Big PictureThis series, in itself, amounts to very little: just seven more ODIs squeezed into the Sri Lankan rainy season to accommodate a schedule that is already bursting at the seams.But its proximity to the World Cup provides relevance. Two sides struggling for form and to find settled line-ups have another opportunity to define positions and tactics before departing for Australia and New Zealand. Some players will see their Word Cup hopes enhanced or crushed in the coming weeks. Both sides will hope to have settled on their World Cup team by the end of this series.Neither side has been in the best of form of late. England have won only one of their past seven multi-match ODI series and that came in the Caribbean when they fielded their T20 side in preparation for the World T20. Sri Lanka suffered the worst ODI whitewash in their history in India, with some eye-wateringly vast defeats. As things stand, Sri Lanka are rated fourth in the ICC’s rankings, only a point above fifth-placed England. Sri Lanka won the last ODI series between the countries 3-2, in England in May.St Lanka have some mitigation for their recent run of modest form. Called to India at short-notice to replace West Indies, their lack of preparation was exposed as they lost 5-0. But the fact that they have recalled Thilina Kandamby – who has not played an ODI since July 2011 – and Jeevan Mendis – who has not played international cricket for more than a year – underlines that they are still searching for missing ingredients.They are without Sachithra Senanayake, who could be cleared for a return to bowling before the end of the series, and Lasith Malinga, who has undergone ankle surgery that renders him a doubt for the World Cup. But they do possess three batsmen in the top 10 of the ODI rankings – England have nobody in the top 20 – and must be considered favourites for the series.The wet weather means England have only completed one warm-up game and their middle and lower-order batsmen are without any competitive cricket since September. They are also missing their two senior seamers – James Anderson and Stuart Broad – so will provide opportunities to other seamers in the Powerplays and at the death.Form guideSri Lanka LLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLLLIn the spotlightAlastair Cook’s position will remain the subject of media scrutiny – the selectors have pledged their commitment to him already – until he can discover some fluency at the top of the order. With Moeen Ali, Alex Hales and Ian Bell all vying for a position in the top three, Cook needs runs to justify his on-going selection ahead of them. More importantly, England require either more fluent starts or for Cook to provide more substantial contributions to relive the requirements of the middle-order.Kusal Perera has scored only four runs in his previous three ODI innings and has not reached 50 in his last 12. But he is likely to win another chance at the top of the order, with Sri Lanka requiring a little more solidity. It may be no easy task in conditions expected to provide a little more help than usual for new-ball bowlers.Teams newsWith so much rain of late, Sri Lanka expect conditions to help seam bowlers and might be tempted to field another seamer ahead of the spin of Ajantha Mendis. But given England’s less-than-glorious record against spin, that remains undecided.Sri Lanka (Probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wkt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Shaminda ErangaSteven Finn is an injury doubt for England with a groin strain. He will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game. Moeen Ali will open the batting for England, with Ian Bell likely to go in at No. 3. That means that an England team crying out for aggression will make do without Alex Hales, the man who hit 116 off 64 balls against Sri Lanka at the World T20 earlier this year.England (Probable) 1 Moeen Ali, 2 Alastair Cook (capt), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Jos Buttler (wkt), 7 Ben Stokes, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry GurneyPitch and conditionsThe R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is probably best known as the venue for the highest Test score in history: Sri Lanka’s 952 for 6 against India in 1997-98. The winning side has scored in excess of 300 in three of the last four ODIs on the ground and the average run-rate since the start of 2013 has been 5.36 runs per over. The forecast suggests there will be thunderstorms in the afternoon. It would be a surprise if the match escapes unscathed.Stats and trivia 4 , 0, 4, 0: The scores contributed by Tillakaratne Dilshan’s opening partner in Sri Lanka’s previous four ODIs. 29 and 40: The amount of months and ODI innings respectively since Alastair Cook reached 80.Quotes”Moeen Ali is a good player, and he’s good against spin. Yesterday at the team meeting we planned a few tactics for him and how to bowl to him in the Powerplays.”
“Preparations have gone well in terms of training. Obviously it’s not ideal our second practice game getting washed out. We can’t control the weather and I’m not sure we’re going to control it over the next couple of weeks.”

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s stand-in captain, has said that the side cannot go into the World Cup on the back of performances that led to their 3-0 series defeat in the ODIs against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2014Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s stand-in captain, has said that the side cannot go to the World Cup on the back of performances that led to their 3-0 series defeat in the ODIs against Australia in the UAE. Afridi, who took over as captain for the third ODI in Abu Dhabi after Misbah-ul-Haq opted out, said the lack of partnerships had been Pakistan’s weakest link in the limited-overs games against Australia.Having lost the series after a defeat in the second ODI, Pakistan made a number of changes to their XI for the dead rubber, and although their bowlers pitched in with a disciplined effort, the batsmen failed to chase a total of 231. Pakistan needed two runs in the final over with two wickets in hand but a double-wicket maiden from Glenn Maxwell ensured Australia swept the series 3-0 and topped the ICC ODI team rankings.”In every aspect the conditions, including the pitch, suited Pakistan more than Australia. I think that if we can’t win on these pitches, our batsmen can’t make runs on them, then we have to think a lot about it,” Afridi said after the side’s one-run defeat. “As for the World Cup, we can’t go there with performances like these.”The one-run defeat was Pakistan’s fifth successive ODI loss and exposed their weakness as a batting unit. In the third ODI, Pakistan’s bowlers did not conceded an extra until the 45th over and reined in Australia to 231 for 9 despite a strong start from the visitors. Sohail Tanvir, who replaced Wahab Riaz in the line-up, took 3 for 40, while Afridi also chipped in with 2 for 44. The batsmen, however, stumbled from one collapse to another and Afridi stressed the absence of partnerships had been the common factor in the side’s failures in the ODIs and the only T20.”If you look overall, we have spoilt the good work of the bowlers,” Afridi said. “On this pitch it looked as if they will get 280-plus. We managed to keep them down to 231 but from the Twenty20 game to the third one-dayer, our problem has been a lack of partnerships. When we build a partnership our wickets start to fall.”Afridi, who had recently been appointed Pakistan’s T20 captain, had taken over the reins in the third ODI after Misbah chose to step aside. While Misbah had been appointed Pakistan captain until the World Cup, there has been a sense of uncertainty around his job. Following his decision to step aside in the ODI, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said that it would be up to Misbah to decide on his future as captain but revealed that the board was considering other names as contingencies.When asked about the ODI captaincy, Afridi urged the board to ensure that the player leading the team would have some certainty about the role: “I think whoever is captain – Misbah or me – we should know about it. If I am to captain in the World Cup, then I should know about it.”

At 195 for 1, South Africa had made a near-perfect start to the Tests after the victorious ODI series, but Sri Lanka hit back with four wickets after tea to edge the day on a flat, dry pitch

The Report by Abhishek Purohit16-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAt 195 for 1, South Africa had made a near-perfect start to the Tests after the victorious ODI series, but Sri Lanka hit back with four wickets after tea to edge the day on a flat, dry pitch. Dean Elgar became the first South Africa opener to make a Test hundred in Sri Lanka but his dismissal in the final session kickstarted the hosts’ fightback.It had been all South Africa till then. In his first Test as captain, Hashim Amla had won the toss on a pitch expected to turn later. Elgar, in only his third Test innings as opener, and his first outside South Africa, had responded with an innings full of positivity and equally high on concentration. Faf du Plessis, batting at No. 3 for the first time in Tests, had battled his way through scoreless periods with aggressive footwork against spin. By tea, the second-wicket partnership had grown to 124. Alviro Petersen’s fall against the run of play for 34 in the morning had been the only blip for the visitors. To add to Sri Lanka’s worries, Shaminda Eranga had been restricted to nine overs after splitting the webbing of his right hand while fielding.But Sri Lanka had found some promising reverse swing after lunch, and they did so again after tea. The first examination yielded no results but during the second Elgar went after a Suranga Lakmal delivery that held its line and edged it behind. A small, but significant opening had been made.Amla was intent on driving at anything pitched up, but the timing just wasn’t there. He tried to loft the tireless Rangana Herath over the off side, but only spooned a catch to wide mid-off for 11.Dean Elgar became the first South Africa opener to make a Test hundred in Sri Lanka•AFP

Du Plessis, who was eager to combat spin by advancing down the pitch, finally failed to reach the pitch of an offbreak from Dilruwan Perera and forward short leg was in business.AB de Villiers seemed to be taking South Africa to stumps safely, despite Sri Lanka taking the second new ball, when he tried a weak, loose drive to Lakmal and found his stumps disturbed in the penultimate over. The final session had cost South Africa four wickets for 74 runs in 31 overs.The first one had read 111 for 1 in 29 overs. Both captains were eager to bat and it soon became apparent why. There was no seam movement, barely any swing and the bounce was largely predictable as well as harmless. Elgar and Petersen did what they were required to do: they left well, defended strongly off either foot and having seen there was nothing alarming in the pitch, soon started putting the bad deliveries away. The duo put on 70 at more than four an over.Herath came on as early as the seventh over, and finished with 37 for the day. The pitch wasn’t conducing for him so early in the match. Elgar was even able to go back and late-cut him against the turn to the third-man boundary. The runs were flowing now for South Africa. By the tenth over, Angelo Mathews had brought himself on as the fourth bowler.South Africa have had three century opening partnerships in Tests in Sri Lanka and this looked set to be the fourth one but in Perera’s second over, Petersen went back to a flighted delivery and was caught in front as it came on without much turn.Du Plessis walked in and worked himself to a steady start with a series of paddle-sweeps. He was smothered after lunch though, but finally broke free from a period where he made 6 off 45 by skipping out to loft Perera over mid-off and mid-on for consecutive fours.Elgar was much more comfortable in the crease, playing late, allowing the ball to come on, and then committing himself with conviction. He was watching the ball so hard that even when Perera seemed to have beaten him with flight and drift, he was able to adjust and place the ball past mid-off for four. That took him to 90, and a straight six, when on 96, off the same bowler brought a long-drawn scream of a celebration.South Africa took tea at 194 for 1, but despite being a bowler short, Sri Lanka weren’t prepared to hand them a third session on the trot.

حسم المدير الفني لمنتخب كرواتيا الأول، زلاتكو داليتش، موقف لاعب ريال مدريد المخضرم، لوكا مودريتش، من المشاركة في نهائيات كأس أمم أوروبا 2024 الصيف المقبل.

ويقام يورو 2024 في صيف العام المقبل وتحديدًا خلال الفترة من 14 يونيو وحتى 14 يوليو، بمشاركة 24 فريقًا تحت إشراف الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم.

ويبلغ مودريتش من العمر حاليًا 37 عامًا، وهو ما وضع الكثير من التكهنات حول إمكانية استمراره حتى الصيف المقبل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إيطاليا وتركيا تقدمان ملفًا مشتركًا لاستضافة يورو 2032

وتحدث داليتش عن الأمر في مؤتمره الصحفي اليوم، الإثنين، وقال: “لقد تحدثت أنا ولوكا في يونيو عن مستقبله وقدرته على اللعب في يورو 2024”.

وتابع: “لقد قرر مودريتش المشاركة في كأس أمم أوروبا المقبلة، وسعيد جدًا بهذا القرار”.

وأضاف: “لم نحب أن نعلن هذا أمام الإعلام، لو كان سيعتزل، لكان تم الإعلان عن ذلك، نشكره بالطبع على هذا القرار، فهو مصدر قوتنا، حافزنا الكبير”.

وأتم: “لوكا مودريتش لا يطيق الانتظار حتى يقود منتخب كرواتيا في كأس أمم أوروبا 2024”.

الجدير بالذكر أن كرواتيا لم تحسم بعد تأهلها إلى كأس أمم أوروبا المقبلة حيث تحتل المركز الثالث في ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة بالتصفيات خلف تركيا وأرمينيا.