It looks likely to be another hectic summer at Manchester United, with manager Erik ten Hag no doubt keen to strengthen his squad even further with notable new additions, following what has thus far been an impressive debut season in charge for the Dutchman.

Clear progress has been made under 53-year-old's watch with United securing Carabao Cup glory and currently well-placed to finish in the top-four, although work is still needed to be able to go to that next level, with the former Ajax boss said to be particularly keen on signing a new striker and midfielder ahead of next season.

One other area of concern for Ten Hag will be the goalkeeping ranks, with current number one, David de Gea having endured an "alarming decline" of late and become a "massive liability" – according to The Mirror's Colin Millar – despite keeping 16 Premier League clean sheets so far this season.

The long-serving Spaniard's recent error in the defeat away to West Ham United – in which he failed to deal with Said Benrahma's tame, long range attempt – has further showcased that a change in the sticks may be needed, albeit with talks continuing over a new deal on reduced terms for the 32-year-old.

As per the Telegraph, however, it is not certain that the former Atletico Madrid man – who's existing contract is set to expire this summer – will remain as the number one choice even if he is to stay at the club beyond the end of the season, amid recent links to the likes of Borussia Dortmund ace, Gregor Kobel.

Despite the desire to splash the cash on a new addition, Ten Hag could already have a possible replacement for De Gea on the books in the form of Matej Kovar, with the 23-year-old having enjoyed a "stellar season" on loan at Sparta Prague, as per transfer insider Graeme Bailey.

Who is Man United's Matej Kovar?

As per the aforementioned Bailey, the Red Devils are considering whether to promote the Czech youngster next season in order to potentially "challenge" De Gea in the future, 'after emerging as one of the best young keepers in Europe' – according to 90min.

According to that latter report, Ten Hag and co have been keeping 'close tabs' on the 6 foot gem's progress throughout the campaign, with the aim of potentially making him an understudy or possible rival to De Gea for the 2023/24 season.

With current reserve option Jack Butland coming towards the climax of his short-term loan deal – and with Tom Heaton nearing the end of his current contract – there is a real need to bolster the goalkeeping department, hence turning to Kovar.

Amid De Gea's woes – having been criticised by club legend Paul Scholes for making the team "nervous" due to his errant distribution – the academy gem has blossomed out on loan, having been hailed as the "future of Czech football" by Sparta boss, Brian Priske.

The former Slovacko ace has conceded just 32 goals in 29 games across all fronts this season – keeping ten clean sheets in that time – after previously keeping four clean sheets in just six appearances while on loan at Burton Albion last season.

While a first-team appearance at United has yet to come to pass for the one-time Swindon Town loanee, it should not be too long before he is challenging De Gea's starting berth and potentially even ousting the £375k-per-week dud.

The future of the Red Devils' goalkeeping department could, quite literally, be in safe hands if Ten Hag does put faith in the exciting Kovar.

Arsenal have had a season that has certainly exceeded expectations in the Premier League, despite recent form causing them to almost certainly miss out on a historic title.

Mikel Arteta’s side were top of the table for the majority of the season before a damning April dealt the Gunners a blow to their hopes of securing their first league triumph since 2004.

With two games remaining this campaign, the north Londoners are reportedly already looking ahead to next term, with the summer transfer window in sight.

Finishing in the top two has settled Arsenal’s place in the Champions League in 2023/24, where performances and squad depth will be vital in providing success both in and out of England.

The injuries to both William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu in March were influential on Arteta’s teams’ collapse, where their lack of depth to cover first-choice names became all too evident.

It seems as though this is an area Arsenal wish to strengthen this summer, with a Bundesliga defender rumoured to be on the shortlist of names wanted at the Emirates.

What’s the latest on Mohamed Simakan to Arsenal?

The club have set their sights on RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan this summer, as reported by The Guardian’s Ed Aarons earlier this month.

It’s understood that the north Londoners are showing "strong interest" in the 23-year-old, coinciding with football.london’s reports that the Gunners are aiming to 'bolster' their defence.

The Frenchman signed a new deal in December with Leipzig taking his current contract to 2027 with the Bundesliga side. It remains to be seen exactly how much the young talent would command this off-season, though CIES Football Observatory currently estimate his value to be in the region of €30m (£26m).

What can Mohamed Simakan bring to Arsenal?

At just 23 years of age, Simakan has made 22 appearances in the Bundesliga this season so far, averaging a Sofascore match rating of 6.88.

Having been lauded as a "physical monster" by sports writer Robin Bairner, the versatile centre-back – who has primarily played on the right this term – has made a name for himself in Europe, hence sparking interest from the Premier League.

Arsenal have built an inspired young squad under Arteta, making the youngster a perfect fit for the Gunners based on his age and performance level alone.

The club are crying out for depth in defence, something that they have lacked in comparison to Manchester City.

The Spaniard has taken defensive pages out of Pep Guardiola's books and put them into practice since his move from the Etihad Stadium, take the positioning and use of Ben White and the use of Oleksandr Zinchenko as an inverted full-back as two clear examples.

Unlike Arsenal, City have a wave of talent in their ranks in all areas of the pitch and are heavily praised for their bench options being at the calibre of starters, an area that the Gunners must replicate should they wish to push on from this season.

A signing like Simakan could present Arsenal with their own Nathan Ake – a player that began as a squad option for Guardiola and graduated into the first-team at the rotation of Aymeric Laporte. He has been deployed as a left-back and a centre-back throughout the season as City look set to clinch a third successive league title.

The young Frenchman poses a lot of similarities to the Dutchman in his game, and even betters the City man, making 2.75 clearances per 90 compared to Ake's 2.09, and winning 2.26 aerials per 90 to his 1.85, as per FBref.

While the positions of both Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba look concrete in Arsenal's backline next term, the versatile colossus could provide necessary defensive options and competitions for the duo ahead of next season.

It's depth that could take Arteta's plans with the team to the next level, and allow him to once more emulate a part of his time at City at the Emirates as they look to go one better in 2024.

وجه حسين لبيب رئيس نادي الزمالك رسالة لجمهور القلعة البيضاء قبل دقائق من انتهاء فترة القيد الشتوي وإبرام عدد كبير من الصفقات لتدعيم صفوف فريق الكرة والألعاب المختلفة.

مسؤولو الزمالك سعوا لإبرام عدد كبير من الصفقات في فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية، بعدما انتهت أزمة القيد والتي حرمت الفريق من ضم أي لاعبين منذ الموسم الماضي.

طالع.. رسميًا | الزمالك يضم مصطفى أشرف من بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ

وقال حسين لبيب عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “الزمالك أولًا، الحمد لله رب العالمين، والشكر واجب، ألف شكر لكل زملائي أعضاء مجلس الادارة لما قاموا به من مجهود خرافي وخارق وتركوا جميعا أعمالهم وأسرهم وأخلصوا لإسعاد جماهيرنا العظيمة”.

وأكمل: “أشكر لجنة الاستثمار والتمويل لما قدموه من مجهودات وتفانوا في حب نادينا العظيم، ومصممين على عدم ذكر أسمائهم وعن قريب كما وعدتكم سوف أظهر لإيضاح الصورة الكاملة”.

وأتم: “هدفنا الأول إسعاد جماهيرنا العظيمة الوفية، وعاش الزمالك أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر”.

Chelsea 'shouldn't be too far away' from announcing Mauricio Pochettino as manager and he could help to accelerate the development of the Blues' young talent, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Mauricio Pochettino?

As per Football Insider, Chelsea are going to announce their new boss by the end of this week and Pochettino is 'expected to land the role' at Stamford Bridge.

The report states that discussions have reached the 'final stages' with just minor issues to iron out, such as the makeup of his backroom staff as the Argentinian edges closer to a return to management.

According to The Daily Mail, Pochettino already has plans in place to strengthen key positions and is believed to want a new goalkeeper, midfielder and striker in the forthcoming transfer window.

He is also keen to trim the squad where appropriate in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations while also giving Chelsea some balance in the squad heading into 2022/23.

On the pitch, things look to have got slightly better for the Blues following a torrid nine-match winless run, as they dispatched Bournemouth 3-1 at the Vitality Stadium last weekend in the Premier League, as per BBC Sport.

Benoit Badiashile was among the scorers in Chelsea's triumph on the South Coast and journalist Jones told Football FanCast that he thinks Pochettino's prospective arrival could help the likes of the central defender and others to develop at Stamford Bridge.

Jones told FFC: "I mean, obviously, we were waiting for the news of the appointment now of Pochettino and it shouldn't be too far away and once that appointment is made, Chelsea fans can start to become more excited about talent like Badiashile and what they'll get from him."

Who else could be winners under Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea?

Conor Gallagher has been in decent form for Chelsea recently, netting twice in his last four matches, as per Transfermarkt, including a header against Bournemouth last weekend.

The Epsom-born midfielder has shouldered the responsibility of breaking between the lines well in the last few weeks at Stamford Bridge and could be looked at by Pochettino as someone to shape his midfield around, given his endeavour, age and profile.

Mykhailo Mudryk and Levi Colwill could also be players central to the Pochettino project. Speaking on Twitter, journalist Rob Pratley has recently claimed: "I understand 2 of the main points Pochettino has impressed the club on is his roadmap for Levi Colwill and Mykhailo Mudryk. The former is viewed as an integral core of the defence, whilst Pochettino has expressed his belief the latter can become an extremely effective goalscorer."

Chelsea have a lot of groundwork to do this summer to get back to pushing for major honours in west London, making pre-season an important time for all involved as they aim to head into 2023/24 in the right frame of mind.

Yasir Shah followed the lead of his captain to give Pakistan the edge after two days of the first Test at Lord’s

The Report by Alan Gardner15-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYasir Shah followed the lead of his captain to give Pakistan the edge after two days of the first Test at Lord’s. Misbah-ul-Haq’s hundred provided the initial inspiration and Yasir backed that up with a virtuoso display to leave England battling for parity, his fifth five-wicket haul in 13 Tests, on a pitch that offered him little assistance, underlining his claim to be one of the most dangerous spinners currently playing the game.It could have been worse for England, with Alastair Cook dropped twice off the bowling of Mohammad Amir on his way to 81. Amir eventually bowled Cook for his first Test wicket since he removed Graeme Swann on the same ground almost six years ago but the spotlight had already begun to shift to his team-mate Yasir. The last legspinner to take a five-for at Lord’s was Mushtaq Ahmed in 1996 – also the last time Pakistan won on the ground.England had been 118 for 1, Cook and Joe Root adding a century stand for the second wicket, before Yasir struck for his first Test wickets outside of Asia. Root, in his first innings replacing Nick Compton at No. 3, looked at something like his dynamic best before trying slightly too hard to force the pace and top-edging a slog-sweep to be taken at midwicket two short of a half-century. It was to prove a costly indiscretion.Pakistan had their first look at England’s reshaped middle-order, an area Misbah had tentatively suggested his bowlers might be able to exploit before the Test, and Yasir in particular liked what he saw. James Vince briefly shimmered on an otherwise dull, cloudy day, before playing back to be lbw to Yasir – DRS confirming it would have clipped leg stump – for a fifth innings without a significant score at Test level; Gary Ballance clipped one four on his comeback but was then beaten by a gently turning legbreak, pushing down the wrong line.Jonny Bairstow bristled with intent as he attempted his latest England rebuilding effort, hammering boundaries either side of the wicket with the vigour of a blacksmith at his anvil, but he too fell to Yasir, attempting to cut a delivery that was too full and seeing it skid on to the stumps.Misbah erred towards defensive fields, as his quicks struggled for containment, but he had a dual-purpose operator in Yasir, who settled into a 15-over spell that yielded 4 for 46 once he had switched to the Pavilion End. Only the occasional delivery spun but Yasir, like an experienced engineer calibrating a favourite piece of machinery, twiddled away at the control panel, imparting drift and subtle changes of pace to leave England scratching their heads at 193 for 6.They were grateful to Chris Woakes, who had earlier taken his maiden Test five-for, battling to the close. Woakes and Moeen Ali negotiated almost a dozen overs but Yasir again changed ends and an appeal that would once have been dismissed as highly speculative gave him his fifth victim. Joel Wilson adjudged Moeen lbw to a delivery spinning in from round the wicket and, with DRS registering umpire’s call on impact in line with off stump and ball hitting leg, Yasir did not have to consider retracting his of joy.Woakes’ 6 for 70 had helped finish off Pakistan with only 57 added to their overnight score before the stage was transported back to 2010, as Amir prepared to bowl to Cook once again. Amir’s first delivery in Test cricket after a five-year ban for his involvement in spot-fixing on this ground was met by a few pseudo-witty cries of “no-ball” from the crowd and it was unceremoniously tucked away into the covers for a single by Cook.Much has changed in the intervening period but Amir’s tightly coiled action caused the England captain just as many problems as it did on their first meeting, when he picked him up three times in five Tests; when Cook dragged on during the evening session, Amir had his moment of release.He had initially struggled with his line and length, leaking 33 runs from six overs before lunch, but gradually became more comfortable as the adrenaline ebbed away. Rahat Ali was generally the most demanding of Pakistan’s left-arm trio and he removed Alex Hales in the second over of the innings, angling a delivery across to have the opener taken at third slip.The England reply had been anchored by Cook, who benefitted from two glaring errors in the field. When he had made 22, Amir slanted the ball in to take the edge, just as he had done as a teenager, only for Mohammad Hafeez to make a mess of a straightforward low catch at first slip. There was further anguish for Amir when he began his second spell during the afternoon, his first delivery luring Cook into a drive as the ball left him, only for the ball to hit wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed on the wrist as he dived to his left.Cook had reached his fifty by that point and went on to pass Sunil Gavaskar’s record as the opener who has scored the most runs in Tests, but a rather less pleasing statistic for England soon emerged. Of the last eight Tests in which Cook has made a 50-plus score, none have resulted in victory (two draws, six defeats).In the morning session, a burst of three wickets in eight balls, including the dismissal of Misbah for 114, saw England wrap up Pakistan’s innings inside the first hour. Having been 282 for 4 shortly before the close on Thursday, Pakistan might have been disappointed to make only 339.Misbah, fresh from becoming the oldest captain to score a Test hundred, began the second day with designs on seeing his side up towards 400 and a secure position from which his bowlers could mount an attack. He could only add four runs to his overnight score, however, before Stuart Broad brought a delivery back to burst between bat and pad and rattle the stumps.That dismissal meant Pakistan had gone from 310 for 7 to 316 for 9, with Woakes removing Sarfraz and Wahab Riaz in the preceding over. Sarfraz had looked in dangerous mood, frequently stepping down the pitch to cut and drive on his way to 25 from 29 deliveries but he gifted his wicket when slapping a short, wide delivery to backward point to give Woakes his maiden five-for.Two deliveries later, Wahab was following Sarfraz back to the pavilion, as Woakes followed up an excellent outswinger with one of the fastest balls of the match, full and ducking in past a flimsy defence to leave off stump flat on the ground. As the crowd applauded Woakes’ achievements, Amir walked out for his first involvement in a Test since the corresponding match at Lord’s in 2010. But this was far from the main event, as Yasir would later prove.

After Man United's loss to West Ham at the weekend, Mark Goldbridge admitted via his Twitter account that he felt the club's owners were not to blame for the defeat.

What has Mark Goldbridge said about Man United?

It was a bad day at the office for the Red Devils when they came up against David Moyes' side, with all of their efforts ultimately amounting to nothing. Despite dominating possession – United had 65% – it was just the one Hammers goal that decided which was the points would go in this Premier League fixture.

It was Said Benrahma who gave West Ham the lead, with a howler from goalkeeper David De Gea allowing them to go in front within the opening half an hour. United pushed for an equaliser, with Erik Ten Hag even throwing on Anthony Martial for Wout Weghorst in the second half to try and find a response.

However, Lukasz Fabianski held firm in the Hammers' goal and despite managing 19 shots, United couldn't find the back of the net and went home empty handed.

It led to an angry tweet from former player Gary Neville, who stated after the loss that: "The real disgrace are the Glazers. Are they waiting for the last game at OT to pass??? It would be typical of them. Weak and shirking accountability and responsibility to the end! Members of staff on and off the pitch are in an uncertain position waiting for new owners! Let alone recruitment and what budget their is going to be! This should have been done! Classless to the end!"

This seemingly led to a response from talkSPORT host Goldbridge, who then tweeted on his own account that it was "a bit far" to try and pin the reason for United's defeat on the Glazers, instead claiming "ridiculous" decision making from players was to blame. He said: "Blaming the Glazers for last night is a bit far even I'd admit. The Glazers aren't taking shots from ridiculous distances instead of showing patience and composure. Last two games that's killed us."

Did Man United deserve to lose against West Ham?

United struggled to score in their match against the Hammers and that ultimately led to their defeat. Their xG rate during the game was just 1.18, which was worse than West Ham's 1.30xG but it did suggest that perhaps the points should have been shared.

With the Red Devils also managing the same amount of shots on target as David Moyes' side (four) and having had one big chance that they missed, it showed that based on the opportunities they had, they probably should have taken something away from the game.

The fact that they didn't shows how wasteful they were in front of goal instead. If they had a player to finish off the chances created, then it could have been a different story but no player in the side could find the equaliser at the weekend. It perhaps instead highlights a need for United to definitely target a new striker during the summer window.

Newcastle United chiefs have promised to enter negotiations regarding a deal to bring Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Matheus Franca?

Franca is an academy graduate at the Maracana Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team in January 2022, and has since gone on to make 50 senior appearances. His performances have caught the eye of Eddie Howe ahead of the summer window, though this is not the first time a move for the youngster has been explored.

The Sun has reported that the Magpies saw three offers for the 19-year-old – who has a £176m release clause – rejected in January, but speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Dean Jones believes that he is still firmly on the radar heading into the upcoming summer window.

Are Newcastle signing Franca?

Now, according to Brazilian outlet Coluna do Fla (via Sport Witness), Newcastle officials have “promised” to “open new negotiations” to sign Franca ahead of the 2023/24 term. The player “continues to be a target” for PIF, but they are set to face a “lot of competition” for his services, with Crystal Palace, Juventus and another unnamed club from France also “in the mix”.

The South American outfit hold an “expectation” that their starlet will be the subject of bids at the end of the season, though it remains to be seen whether any of the listed potential suitors will be able to get a deal over the line.

Newcastle will know that Franca doesn’t yet have any experience competing at the highest level or even in England, but having been lauded a “sensation” by journalist Aaron Stokes, he could yet be a fantastic acquisition for the long-term future should he decide to put pen to paper at St James’ Park.

The Nike-sponsored ace, who currently pockets £1.9k per week, has clocked up 14 goal contributions (11 goals and three assists) in 55 appearances throughout his career, and as per FBref, ranks in the 99th percentile for three various statistics compared to his peers at a similar level of competition, including successful take-ons – showing he loves to get past his marker and make the magic happen up top.

The Rio de Janeiro native would also add wonderful versatility to the north-east outfit’s squad with his ability to operate in five different positions across the pitch, including two in the midfield and three across the final third, so he’d be a great option for the manager to have at his disposal.

Marcus Trescothick moved within one hundred of Harold Gimblett and as Peter Trego added his own century, Somerset made Middlesex fight all the way at Taunton

David Hopps at Taunton12-Jul-2016
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick is within one century of Harold Gimblett•Getty ImagesMiddlesex will anticipate the final day of four at Taunton and reflect that on such days are Championships won and lost. With Warwickshire getting little change from the bottom club Hampshire, there is a chance to extend their lead at the top, but Somerset’s lead of 203 with four wickets remaining makes victory in the balance. A tense day lies in prospect.When Middlesex took a first-innings lead of 145 and then removed four Somerset wickets before conceding the lead, their hopes must have been high that they could be well on the way to their third win of the season which would be quite an achievement for an attack lacking Toby Roland-Jones, Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh: 76 wickets between them.Instead, they ran aground on both sides of tea against familiar foes as centuries from Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego lifted Taunton spirits. For 40 overs, as they crashed and carved 181 runs, West Country cricket had a smile on its face again. Middlesex’s stand-in seamers have much to commend them, but they deteriorated under pressure and as a green pitch became firm and true their hold over the match weakened.Here are two fine servants of Somerset cricket: the gentle roll of Trescothick, ambling around the crease with the contentment of a jolly sailor reaching dry land after a satisfying day’s fishing in the Bristol Channel, and the piratical figure of Trego, who is more likely to dock with cutlass and eye patch. They offer fine entertainment, even on a day when a chill wind is whistling around the Quantocks.Trescothick’s 48th first-class century for Somerset takes him second in the county’s all-time list, his innings coming to grief on 124 when James Harris had him caught at the wicket with a delivery of tight line. His latest landmark leaves him just one century behind the great Harold Gimblett, a batsman from five centuries of Quantocks farming stock.Jayawardene stays on

Mahela Jayawardene will now be available to play in the remaining matches in Somerset’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.
Originally the Sri Lankan batsman had only signed for the NatWest T20 Blast campaign but this has now been extended to the 50 over competition.

Trego, the great entertainer, only averages about one hundred a year – destructive 40s and 60s are more his metier – but he played with great certainty and remained 115 not out at the close. To reach his first century of the season, he needed a let-off by John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, on 81, a chance high to his right off James Fuller.Trego said; “It was my 200th game and I never thought I would get to this point. But having been around for such a long time, I have had to make sure that my game has evolved. I needed to dig in for the team and I felt I did that today.”Tres and I have got a great rapport, but a lot of our better partnership[s have been in one day cricket. With Marcus not playing one day games anymore, we don’t often get the chance to bat together. So, yes, it was enjoyable.”Fuller, resuming on 84, had failed to achieve his maiden Championship hundred before lunch, falling nine short when he edged Tim Groenewald to first slip. James Harris fell in identical fashion, their ninth-wicket stand stretched to 162 in 46 overs, and the match in Middlesex’s grasp.Peter Trego shows delight at his century•Getty ImagesThere was talk of a three-day win as Middlesex, led by three wickets for Harry Podmore, worked through Somerset’s second innings. No batsman likes to lose his middle stump because of a leave alone, but Johann Myburgh could at last reflect that he was beaten by a ball that came back sharply and which he might have felt he could fairly leave on length alone.Chris Rogers – the captain who had risked a greentop, knowing that Somerset would have to have first bat on it – had reason to be doubly frustrated about his duck, guiding Podmore to his former Australian team-mate George Bailey at point. Spin has played a minor role on this pitch, but Ollie Raynor chipped in with the wicket of James Hildreth thanks to a sharp catch at slip from James Franklin.Trescothick, as he has so often, welcomed each new partner with equanimity, a figure of certainty while change happened all around hm. Jim Allenby first provided support until he pulled Podmore to mind-on. Then came Trego and Taunton put its gripes and grievances aside and soaked up the entertainment.

In a bid to revive a club system that has become crippled with inactivity, Zimbabwe Cricket have announced a Premier League, but not of the twenty-over variety like many other countries. The Zimbabwe Premier League (ZPL) will be a forty-over competition involving eight clubs and will be played as a conventional league, with no final, and a winner declared after seven rounds.The bulk of the teams come from Zimbabwe’s two main cricketing centres, Harare and Bulawayo. Takashinga Cricket Club, famed for being the breeding ground of some of Zimbabwe’s most notable players, including Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda, will have two teams called Patriots 1 and Patriots 2, while Rainbow are the club from the capital. Bulawayo’s metro and northern areas will be represented by the Amakhosi and Inkatha teams respectively, and Masvingo’s Southern Lions make up the other standalone side. Manicaland and Mashonaland East will have one team between them, the Eastern Lions, while Mashonaland West and Midlands will play as the Muzvezve Tigers.The league kicks off this Saturday and will continue through Zimbabwe’s Tests against New Zealand in Bulawayo and beyond, as a precursor to the summer. All players not featuring in the internationals but who are part of the national and domestic set-up in Zimbabwe are expected to take part in this competition, which ZC is hoping to use to increase the player pool and grow depth.”The ZPL is a very important competition involving Zimbabwe’s top clubs fighting it out for the national honours,” Givemore Makoni, ZC’s head of cricket affairs, said. “It’s top-notch cricket with all national team players not in the Test side expected to turn out for clubs in the league. This means youngsters will get the chance to play with and against experienced international players, which will quickly bring them through.”Apart from the ZPL, Zimbabwe’s domestic structures continue to include first-class, fifty-over and twenty-over competitions.

حذر المدير الفني لمنتخب نيجيريا الأول، جوزيه بيسيرو، من مباراة أنجولا في دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

وتلتقي نيجيريا وأنجولا غدًا، الجمعة، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “فيليكس هوفويت بوجيني” في مدينة “أبيدجان”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: كارتيرون مرشح لتدريب منتخب عربي بعد خروجه من كأس أمم إفريقيا

وأجرى بيسيرو مؤتمرًا صحفيًا قبل مباراة أنجولا، وقال: “سنواجه منتخبًا ليس مشهورًا في إفريقيا ولكنه يمتلك لاعبين ممتازين”.

وتابع: “لقد أظهر هذا المنتخب أن لديه كافة الإمكانات من أجل الذهاب بعيدًا في تلك البطولة، وفي رأيي أن نسبة الفوز متساوية 50%”.

وأضاف: “بالنسبة لنا، نعتبر مباراة أنجولا النهائي الرابع لنا ونريد الفوز به”.

واستمر: “لقد عمل الكثير من أفراد عائلتي في أنجولا، أريد أن أهنئ المدرب بيدرو جونسالفيش على عمله الرائع، هناك روح والجميع يضحي من أجل المنتخب”.

وزاد: “سندرس طريقة لعب أنجولا جيدًا، لكننا لن نغير أسلوبنا، نحن نيجيريا وعلينا فرض سيطرتنا بطريقتنا المعتادة”.

ورد بيسيرو على فرص نيجيريا في الفوز بالبطولة بعد خروج المنتخبات العربية مثل نسخة 2013: “التاريخ والنتائج السابقة ليس لهما قيمة، لا علاقة بالأمر بما يحدث في النسخة الحالية، آمل أن يتكرر الإنجاز ونفوز بالكأس”.

وأكمل: “نيجيريا أكثر من صنعت الفرص التهديفية في تلك البطولة، لذلك لن نتخلى عن أسلوبنا أمام أنجولا، ستكون خطتنا دائمًا 3-4-3”.

وعن موقف الحارس الأساسي، ستانلي نوابالي: “سنقيم حالته، إذا لم يكن جاهزًا سيلعب أوزوهو أمام أنجولا لأن لدي ثقة في جميع حراس المرمى”.