LAHORE: South African skipper Faf du Plessis Saturday admitted he was nervous ahead of the World XI tour of Pakistan but praised the hosts for ensuring a safe series which he said would help its revival of international cricket in the country.
Apart from five limited-overs games against minnows Zimbabwe in 2015, Pakistan had not hosted top-level international cricket since militants attacked the bus of the visiting Sri Lankan team in March 2009, killing eight people and wounding seven players and staff.
“When I first thought of coming, obviously there was little bit of nervousness within myself,” said du Plessis, who led the World XI for the Twenty20 three match series.
“Now going through this week with complete different emotions and feelings, I’m very happy with our time here, we’ve really enjoyed it as a team,” he told an end-of-tour press conference.
Pakistan celebrated the return of international cricket with a thumping 33-run win at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium on Friday to clinch the series 2-1.
Hosting the short series is a major step toward convincing international teams to return, with Sri Lanka already due to play a Twenty20 match in Lahore on October 29.
Du Plessis said he was deeply impressed by his time in Lahore but was not sure he could convince South Africa to tour just yet.
“I can just relate my experiences over here, but they will have to be a complete different set of things put in place for South Africa to come and tour here,” he said.
“What I can say is the fact that we’ve been in Lahore here now and we did feel safe,” he said.
“If you do out all those things that were in place (for this series) then definitely another step, another step, another step, to hopefully (bring) cricket back into Pakistan.”
World XI coach Andy Flower agreed Pakistan was making progress toward reviving international cricket.
“This is the step taken in the right direction. This is one step forward, it’s been very successful and very well received here in Pakistan, here in Lahore,” said the ex-England coach, who assembled a World XI with players from seven countries.
“The coverage of the three games around the world has gone down very well. The security operations has made players safe and secure, so first step has been taken so there will be more steps along the way,” said Flower.
“I’ve never been part of a game where there’s been so much emotions and appreciativeness from the crowd when they are cheering you as if you are playing at your own home crowd,” he said.
Cricket: Du Plessis hails Pakistan progress for international cricket
Cricket: Du Plessis hails Pakistan progress for international cricket
Atletico Madrid stumble in La Liga again after draw with Villarreal
Gerard Moreno, Villarreal’s top scorer in club history, made it 120 goals for the Yellow Submarine in the 25th minute
BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid stumbled again in their La Liga quest after being held by Villarreal to 1-1 at home on Saturday.
The stalemate, which came a week after a shock 1-0 loss at Leganes, left Atletico one point behind Real Madrid before the leader visited last-placed Valladolid.
Gerard Moreno, Villarreal’s top scorer in club history, made it 120 goals for the Yellow Submarine in the 25th minute after the striker converted a penalty he earned when fouled by Reinildo.
Gerard went close twice to adding another goal, but defender Axel Witsel did well to block or disrupt his efforts on either side of halftime.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone rested Antoine Griezmann and midfielder Rodrigo de Paul for the first half. Then he made three changes at halftime, sending on De Paul and winger Samu Lino to kickstart his sluggish attack.
The moves paid off as the hosts pressed Villarreal into their box, and Lino rammed in a 58th-minute equalizer after goalkeeper Luis Junior stopped Ángel Correa’s shot but couldn’t control the ball.
Simeone sent Griezmann on immediately after and the action stayed in Villarreal’s area except for two chances for Villarreal’s Ayoze Pérez, who replaced Gerard.
But Griezmann’s header that bounced just wide in the 86th was the closest Atletico came to snatching a winner.
“We played a good game at a very tough ground against a team with a deep bench that is fighting for the league. We are happy,” Gerard said for a Villarreal that stayed in fifth place.
Atletico are at Salzburg on Wednesday aiming to lock up a spot in the knockout rounds of the Champions League and avoid a playoff.
Kane scores as Bayern Munich go six points clear
- Kane and English compatriot Eric Dier created the opener in the 15th minute
- Dier found Kane who drilled a low shot through the fingers of Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu
FREIBURG, Germany: Harry Kane scored as Bayern Munich won 2-1 at Freiburg on Saturday to move six points clear of Bayer Leverkusen, who threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at RB Leipzig.
Kane and English compatriot Eric Dier created the opener in the 15th minute.
Dier found Kane who drilled a low shot through the fingers of Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.
The goal was Kane’s first from open play since mid-November and his 17th in 17 league games this season.
Bayern doubled their lead after 54 minutes when Kim Min-jae outmuscled Atubolu and headed in a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Freiburg made Bayern sweat when Matthias Ginter headed in a corner with 22 minutes remaining, but the German giants held firm to bounce back from Wednesday’s surprise 3-0 Champions League loss at Feyenoord.
“We’ve played better games than that,” Kimmich told Sky Germany.
“But that is exactly what you need sometimes. We deserved to win.”
Bayern’s win means defending champions Leverkusen are now six points behind the league leaders, after they dropped points in the league for the first time since early November at Leipzig.
Florian Wirtz impressed throughout and was instrumental in Leverkusen’s opener.
The Germany midfielder shrugged off two defenders with a jink and shot against the post, with Patrik Schick well placed to tap in and put Leverkusen in front after 18 minutes.
Leverkusen’s controversial second, scored on the 36-minute mark, was also created by Wirtz.
Near the sideline, the 21-year-old won the ball from Leipzig’s David Raum, while appearing to sink his studs into the defender’s leg.
With Raum on the ground, Wirtz dribbled goalwards and cut the ball back to Aleix Garcia, who calmly slotted home.
Raum had his revenge just five minutes later, thumping in a deflected free kick off the crossbar to cut Leverkusen’s advantage.
Leipzig equalized from another set piece with five minutes remaining. Xavi Simons sent a spiralling free kick into the box which Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba turned into his own net.
In their first match since sacking coach Nuri Sahin, 10-man Borussia Dortmund also let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 at home against Werder Bremen.
Dortmund’s chances took an early hit when center-back Nico Schlotterbeck was red carded for a last-man foul after 21 minutes.
The hosts were dangerous despite the disadvantage and took the lead seven minutes later when Julian Brandt found Serhou Guirassy who headed in his eighth league goal of the season.
Dortmund looked in charge when Guirassy’s 51st-minute cross was turned into his own net by Bremen defender Marco Friedl, but Bremen levelled things up with two goals in eight minutes.
Former Dortmund midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt unleashed a rocket from outside the box before Marvin Ducksch caught the hosts napping, running in behind and scoring to level things up.
Elsewhere, Mainz continued their impressive run this season, beating Stuttgart 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Nelson Weiper and Anthony Caci.
Relegation candidates last campaign, Mainz’s win sends them sixth, one point behind Stuttgart and Leipzig and in contention for a Champions League place.
A stoppage time goal from Keven Schlotterbeck took Augsburg to a 2-1 home win over Heidenheim.
In Saturday’s late game, Borussia Moenchengladbach host last-placed Bochum.
Gakpo double helps Liverpool thrash struggling Ipswich
- Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah were also on target in a dominant performance
- By contrast, Ipswich are finding the step up to the Premier League a bridge too far after back-to-back promotions
LIVERPOOL: Cody Gakpo scored twice as Liverpool took another step toward the Premier League title with a 4-1 demolition of Ipswich at Anfield on Saturday.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah were also on target in a dominant performance from the Reds, who remain six points clear of Arsenal having played a game less.
Just a second league title in 35 years and a 20th overall to match Manchester United’s English record now seems just a matter of time in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
The Dutchman was able to make five changes from Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Lille that also secured direct passage to the last 16 of the Champions League in a sparkling season for the six-time European champions.
By contrast, Ipswich are finding the step up to the Premier League a bridge too far after back-to-back promotions.
Kieran McKenna’s men were thrashed 6-0 at home by Manchester City last weekend and could easily have suffered the same margin or more on their first trip to Anfield since 2002.
Slot has been keen for Szoboszlai to up his scoring contribution from midfield and the Hungarian led the way with a fine low strike for his fourth goal of the campaign after just 11 minutes.
Salah had been made to wait to usurp Thierry Henry as the Premier League’s seventh highest goalscorer of all time after blanking away at Nottingham Forest and Brentford.
The Egyptian made sure normal service was resumed by firing in high from Gakpo’s cross for his 176th Premier League goal and 19th of the season to move two clear of Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak in the race for the golden boot.
Szoboszlai’s forward runs were a constant threat for the Ipswich defense and the source of the third goal as Gakpo turned home the rebound after Christian Walton saved the midfielder’s initial effort.
Liverpool unsurprisingly eased off in the second half amid a gruelling schedule as they remain in the hunt for four competitions.
Gakpo headed in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inviting cross for his 14th goal of the season.
Ipswich did at least get a consolation in the final minute when Jacob Greaves headed in from Julio Enciso’s corner.
However, the real test of their survival hopes comes next weekend when bottom-of-the-table Southampton visit Portman Road in a must-win clash for the Tractor Boys.
Ipswich remain in the relegation zone but only on goal difference behind Wolves, who blew a man advantage for half an hour of their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Monday match against Al-Hilal is ‘difficult,’ says Al-Qadsiah’s coach Gonzalez
- ‘We’ve played 19 matches in the league and the cup without fear, and we will continue in the same way,’ the Spaniard told a news conference
- ‘Al-Hilal are an offensive team with a high-scoring record’
AL KHUBAR: Al-Qadsiah and Al-Hilal will face off on Monday in the 17th round of the Saudi Roshn League in what Al-Qadsiah’s Spanish coach Michel Gonzalez described as a “difficult” match on Saturday.
Addressing a news conference ahead of the match that takes place at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, Gonzalez said: “I’m old enough that there’s nothing I fear anymore. I’ve lived my whole life without fear, but I respect everyone.
“My lack of fear doesn’t mean I don’t respect the opponent. We are here to compete with the other teams. However, the only thing I fear is when my wife looks at me.”
From the Spaniard’s perspective, in sports, “fear has no impact.”
“We’ve played 19 matches in the league and the cup without fear, and we will continue in the same way. That’s our goal. However, we greatly respect the opponent, and we approach the match with significance but without any fear,” he told the conference.
The Spanish coach stressed that they will play a match against the champion, “Al-Hilal, a team known and distinguished by its players and coach.”
“Our opponent possesses both individual and collective abilities that enable them to play at the highest levels in any league in the world,” Gonzalez said.
Currently, Al-Qadsiah are in their best form, and they will deliver a great performance in Monday’s match that allows them to secure the three points, the coach said.
He emphasized that Al-Qadsiah play as a team and respects all opponents, emphasizing: “Al-Hilal are an offensive team with a high-scoring record. However, we have excellent defensive players. Statistically, we are also distinguished defensively, while Al-Hilal excel offensively.
“We are aware that our opponent will miss their Serbian striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who scores even with half-chances. Personally, I wished all players on both teams were fully ready and without absences.”
The Brazilian substitute, Marcos Leonardo, according to Gonzalez, is a remarkable striker with great abilities, and his scoring record speaks for itself.
Frankfurt sign French striker Elye Wahi until 2030
- “I’m very happy to have signed for Eintracht Frankfurt,” Wahi said
- “I hope the supporters of the club have faith in me and that I will repay them”
FRANKFURT: Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt have signed French striker Elye Wahi on a long-term deal until 2030.
Frankfurt posted a photo on X of the 22-year-old Wahi putting pen to paper on Friday evening.
“I’m very happy to have signed for Eintracht Frankfurt,” Wahi said in French. “I hope the supporters of the club have faith in me and that I will repay them.”
No transfer fee was given but French website L’Equipe reported that Frankfurt paid 26 million euros ($27.3 million) for Wahi with an additional 3 million euros in bonuses and a 12 percent share of any future sell-on profit.
It is the third significant career move in two years for Wahi, who joined Lens from Montpellier in 2023 for a fee of 35 million euros ($38 million), turning down Premier League side Chelsea.
Despite a bright start at Lens he failed to settle and, after scoring 12 goals in 36 games, he joined Marseille this season for 25 million euros. But he scored only three league goals for the club and struggled for consistency.
Wahi made a strong impression with Montpellier in the 2022-23 season, scoring 19 league goals and impressing with his speed and skill.
Frankfurt have sold two forward for big profits, with Randal Kolo Muani joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 in a deal worth 95 million euros and Egypt forward Omar Marmoush joining Premier League champion Manchester City on Thursday for a reported 70 million euros ($73 million).
