All posts by n8rngtd.top

South Australia were already assured of a spot in the final and clinched hosting rights as the game was ongoing

AAP23-Feb-2025
Mitch Owen produced another heroic batting display, crushing 149 off 69 balls in Tasmania’s thrilling two-wicket One-Day Cup win over South Australia.Ladder leaders South Australia posted a formidable 329 for 9 at Adelaide Oval courtesy of a century from Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew’s 63.Related

• Queensland crash out of One-Day Cup to youthful WA

• Kellaway's maiden one-day hundred leads Victoria into final

Owen went into overdrive in Tasmania’s run chase, cracking 14 fours and 10 sixes in a blistering knock that helped lift the visitors to 197 for 3 by the 20th over.He reached his century in just 48 balls. It was a near mirror image to his heroics in the BBL final, when his 108 off 42 balls lifted the Hobart Hurricanes to victory over the Sydney Thunder.Owen’s innings on Sunday finally came to an end when he was bowled between his legs by Wes Agar, with Tasmania slipping to 291 for 8 in the 39th over.With Tasmania still requiring 39 runs to win, Will Prestwidge (26 not out) and Tom Rogers (16 not out) dug in to see their team over the line with six balls to spare.

Dean Jones Cup Final

South Australia vs Victoria, Adelaide Oval, March 1

South Australia entered Sunday’s match knowing they had already secured a spot in the March 1 final, and they were then guaranteed hosting rights when Victoria beat New South Wales.That result catapulted Victoria from fourth to second, securing them a spot in next Saturday’s final against at Adelaide Oval. Tasmania finished the season in fifth spot with three wins, three losses and a no-result from their seven games.South Australia made a hot start on Sunday, reaching 207 for 1 by the 33rd over as Harvey and Drew took control.Allrounder Beau Webster helped limit the damage, ensuring South Australia’s total didn’t become insurmountable.Although Tasmania lost wickets at regular intervals, Owen’s explosiveness ensured they had plenty of runs on the scoreboard.The 23-year-old cracked South Australia’s attack to all parts of the ground, with Jordan Buckingham (1-79 off eight overs) and Wes Agar (2-91 off 10 overs) suffering the bulk of the punishment. Spinner Lloyd Pope was South Australia’s best bowler and found himself on a hat-trick as he nearly turned the game around for the home side.

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has launched a stunning critique of his former rival Jose Mourinho, claiming the Portuguese "hasn't upgraded himself as a coach." After beating Mourinho's Fenerbahce to the Super Lig title last season, Buruk stated he "was better than" Mourinho and that his rival is "not focused like before."

• Mourinho vs Buruk

  Buruk has delivered a damning assessment of his former rival Mourinho, claiming the new Benfica boss "hasn't upgraded himself as a coach" and is "not focused like before."

  In a wide-ranging interview with , Buruk reflected on winning the Turkish Super Lig title against Mourinho's Fenerbahce last season, a rivalry in which the Galatasaray manager came out firmly on top.

  The brief but intensely personal feud between Mourinho and Buruk exploded during Mourinho’s single season at Fenerbahce. The conflict began in February 2025 when Mourinho’s "jumping like monkeys" comment about the Galatasaray bench led to racism accusations, a lawsuit from Mourinho, and a four-game ban. It climaxed in a chaotic April Turkish Cup quarter-final where, after a 2-1 defeat, Mourinho pinched Buruk’s nose, sparking a mass brawl and three red cards. While Buruk admitted he “exaggerated” his dramatic fall, Fenerbahce accused him of faking it “like he was shot,” encapsulating their remarkably volatile rivalry.

Advertisement

• getty
  

  'I was better than him' – Buruk on winning the rivalry

  Buruk's Galatasaray went unbeaten in three meetings against Mourinho's Fenerbahce, recording two victories and a draw en route to their third consecutive league championship. The Turkish coach made it clear who he felt was superior both on and off the pitch, referencing Mourinho's famous mind games.

  "He doesn’t just play inside the pitch. He wants to play outside the pitch too," Buruk said. "He tried a lot of things, but in the end, we were better than him. I was better than him. We won the title against him."

• Brutal verdict on Mourinho's methods

  The Galatasaray manager offered a stark critique of Mourinho's current coaching style, suggesting the 62-year-old has failed to evolve with the modern game. 

  "He's not focused like before. He doesn’t think about football like before," Buruk stated. "He has never changed his style as a coach. He is a really important character, he has really important charisma, but in terms of football, we have to upgrade ourselves every year. Maybe the problem for him is that he hasn’t upgraded himself as a coach."

• Galatasaray's European ambition after domestic dominance

  Having established near-total domestic dominance, including a record-breaking 102-point season in 2023-24, Buruk's focus is now on making an impact in Europe. Backed by major summer signings including Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan, and the permanent transfer of Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray are aiming to replicate the success of the 2000 side that won the UEFA Cup. Buruk, who was a player in that team, is now chasing a record-equalling fourth straight league title.

Aston Villa are one of the Premier League's form sides under Unai Emery and could now look to enact an exciting January transfer, according to journalist Alex Crook.

Aston Villa's January plans

January has come at an ideal time for Aston Villa as they look to maintain their strong domestic form, and Emery and company will be aware that the right changes this month could go a long way to deciding their eventual fate this term.

Rumours will of course be doing the rounds as to who could potentially give the Villans some additional squad depth, and one man who continues to be mentioned in connection with the club is Hellas Verona wideman Cyril Ngonge.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

Tuttomercatoweb claim that the Villans are keen on the 23-year-old; nevertheless, Napoli, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Nottingham Forest will try to beat them to his signature. Hellas Verona are looking to hold out for between €12-13 million for the attacker in part of an effort to raise €25 million this window.

Previous reports also intimated that Aston Villa are keen on Girona forward Artem Dovbyk, with a fee of around £39 million quoted as a figure that could tempt the La Liga high-flyers into parting ways with the Ukraine international.

More or less every top club in Europe has registered an interest in Copenhagen sensation Roony Bardghji and the Villans have joined his illustrious list of suitors. His current employers will look to recoup a figure in the region of £20 million for the Sweden international.

Jeremie Frimpong to Aston Villa update

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT radio journalist Crook has confirmed that Aston Villa do have a "genuine" interest in Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong after initial reports surrounding their attraction towards the Netherlands international surfaced amid his £35 million release clause.

Crook told the outlet: "Yeah, but it's been fairly quiet so far. They were big in the summer and they're probably in a better position than they could have hoped. The owners have got deep pockets and they're ambitious.

"So yeah, I think towards the end of the window that might well ramp up. Jeremie Frimpong is the one that I think is the most genuine from what I'm told. Leverkusen aren't particularly keen to sell him in this window. But if that was to change, I think that they would certainly be part of the conversation."

Labelled "brilliant" by former boss Neil Lennon, the 22-year-old has been in fantastic form this campaign, registering seven goals and ten assists in 22 appearances across all competitions (Frimpong statistics – Transfermarkt).

Frimpong is one of the most talented full-backs in Europe and would be a massive coup for Aston Villa as Emery looks to keep the good times rolling in the West Midlands.

Erling Haaland turned World Cup qualifying into his personal showcase on Tuesday night, scoring five times in Norway's 11-1 demolition of Moldova in Oslo. The Manchester City striker was unplayable, ensuring Stale Solbakken's side maintained their flawless start to the campaign and stayed firmly perched at the top of Group I with 15 points from five matches.

• Haaland scores five in Norway rout
• Fans hail striker as unstoppable 'beast'
• World Cup on horizon

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The evening began with Haaland as provider, setting up Felix Myrhe to open the scoring inside six minutes. What followed was sheer carnage. Haaland struck in the 11th, 36th and 43rd minutes to rack up yet another international hat-trick, his fifth for Norway. By half-time, the contest was dead and buried, especially after skipper Martin Odegaard added a slick finish in first-half stoppage time.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  If the visitors hoped the interval might bring respite, Haaland crushed those dreams almost instantly. Just seven minutes into the second half, he bagged his fourth. And, as if scripted, the relentless forward completed his five-goal haul in the 83rd minute, cementing his name further into the annals of Norwegian football. Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard, introduced as a substitute just after the hour mark, scored four times off the bench, but was still overshadowed by Haaland's heroics.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Supporters were quick to flood social media with awe and disbelief.

  @Football__Tweet wrote: "Erling Haaland with a first-half hat-trick. Monster. Beast. Freak."

  @nonamegang10 gushed: “The World Cup ain’t ready for the Haaland and Odegaard link-up.”

  @seraj_atcc wrote: "Erling Haaland going full beast mode!  Four moments of magic in 43 minutes—absolutely untouchable!"

  @utd_abz05 said: "Haaland carrying Norway to a World Cup, respect."

  @matovic41476 focused on the sheer absurdity of it all: "NORWAY 💀💀💀😭😭😭 BLOODY TEN, HAALAND FIVE FAIRS😭."

  @Never_CapAgain put the night into historical perspective: "Erling Haaland will go down as an all-time striker… five goals after missing three big chances. Ridiculous."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  By the final whistle, Haaland had taken his extraordinary tally to 48 goals in 45 appearances for Norway. The quintet of strikes marked his personal best in international colours and the most by a European in a World Cup qualifier since Hans Krankl’s six for Austria in 1977.

BCCI ethics officer “dismissed” the complaint filed against Dravid because it was “bereft of merit”

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-2019Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been cleared of conflict of interest charges by the BCCI ethics officer Justice (retd.) DK Jain. Justice Jain issued the order on Thursday after conducting two hearings in response to a complaint filed by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA).Gupta had alleged that Dravid, who was appointed the director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) this July by the BCCI, was guilty of conflict of interest because he was occupying more than one post at the time, which was not permitted as per the board’s rules. The second post that Dravid was serving, Gupta said in his complaint, was as vice-president of India Cements Pvt. Ltd, which he claimed had ties with the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the IPL.However, in his order, Justice Jain said “a case of conflict” against Dravid could not be made and hence he had “dismissed” the complaint because it was “bereft of merit.”In the order, Justice Jain noted that Dravid had rejected the allegation straightaway, in a written response on August 9. Dravid told Justice Jain that on the “advice” of BCCI and to “avoid any kind of conflict of interest” he had taken “leave of absence” without salary from India Cements during his stint at the NCA. Dravid pointed out that he had been an employee of Indian Cements for two decades, but never had “any connection, relationship or obligation” towards the Super Kings.The BCCI also told Justice Jain that the Super Kings franchise was run by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd., registered in 2013 under the Indian Companies Act. It had nothing to do with India Cements, which was an independent entity. Hence, the BCCI said Dravid could not be an employee of the Super Kings, as Gupta had alleged.”He (Dravid) has asserted that his employment with India Cements Limited, is not and cannot be construed as an employment with the CSK franchisee, regardless of any relationship between the two entities, viz India Cements Limited and Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd.,” the order said. “He has further pleaded that at no point in time, has he been a “Team Official” of CSK.”Gupta, however, did not accept that. At the hearing on September 26 in Mumbai, Gupta told Justice Jain that Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd. was a “wholly owned subsidiary” of India Cements with “some” of the directors sitting on boards of both firms. Gupta said “a mere change in nomenclature” could not absolve Dravid of the conflict of interest allegation.The ethics officer was clear about one thing. “The concept of ‘conflict of interest’, is not necessarily a question about something one does or intends to do but a question of what one can possibly or potentially do,” Justice Jain said in his order.Justice Jain even referred to the judgments he had served in the cases concerning two of Dravid’s former India team-mates – Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, both of whom were held guilty of conflict. The complaint against Ganguly had been filed by more than one member of the public, while Gupta had pressed the conflict charge against Laxman.Justice Jain pointed out that Ganguly and Laxman suffered from “tractable conflict” and fell foul of the one-man-one-post rule stated in the BCCI constitution.Dravid’s case allowed him to examine the rules deeper. “For examining an instance of ‘conflict of interest”, mere holding of posts by an individual associated with the BCCI may not per-se be sufficient for arriving at the conclusion of existence of ‘conflict of interest’,” Justice Jain said in the order. “But whether holding of such post(s) gives rise to ‘conflict of interest’ or not must also be tested on the anvil of reasonable apprehensions of, or actual favoritism, lack of objectivity, bias, benefits, etc., as contemplated in the definition of ‘conflict of interest’.”Accordingly, Justice Jain needed to test whether the two posts Dravid held “give rise to an apprehension of, lack of objectivity or bias” in each of those positions. “At least, I am unable to fathom any such circumstance (none has even been pointed out by the Complainant), which would come in the way of Mr. Rahul Dravid in fairly discharging his duties as a ‘Team Official’, without being influenced or influencing, in any manner, as a person who is in governance, management or employment of a franchisee or vice versa.”According to Justice Jain, to avoid any complications at the behest of the BCCI, Dravid had handed a written copy from Indian Cements giving a leave of absence until he was employed by the board.

Ruben Amorim has been told to drop a Manchester United player after his "absolutely useless" performances this season.

• Amorim urged to drop Man Utd man
• Criticises his "useless" performances
• Replacement signed this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Chelsea star Craig Burley believes head coach Amorim "can't play" goalkeeper Altay Bayindir again this season after a shaky start to the campaign. The ex-midfielder also laid into Bayindir's United team-mate Andre Onana for being a big let-down since joining from Inter Milan for just over £47 million ($63.5m).

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT BURLEY SAID

  He told ESPN, via ESPN: "Altay Bayindir, they can’t play him. He might be okay at shot-stopping, which is what goalkeepers are paid for, but he’s absolutely useless at dealing with balls in from set-pieces.

  "[Onana] is another player who’s gone to Manchester United and got worse. He cost a lot of money but he wasn’t able to marshal a back four. I thought Onana would be the real deal, it looked that way in Italy. I thought he might have a Peter Schmeichel-esque aura about him and boss about players but it hasn’t happened. If this new, youngish lad comes in and starts flapping about all over the place, it’s going to be a mess."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United recognised the need for a new keeper when they signed Senne Lammens from Antwerp on transfer deadline day. Some believe this is a "panic buy" and Burley thinks the 23-year-old has a huge task on his hands.

  He added, "This new lad [Lammens] needs to be able to marshal a back four, make saves and have an authority and make a statement at set-pieces. That’s what every team is going to do against United now, they’re going to launch balls into the box and the goalkeeper needs to be able to deal with it. He’s either going to sink or swim. We don’t really know how he’s going to handle this scenario."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  All eyes will be on who will start in goal for United when they face bitter rivals Manchester City as the Premier League returns next weekend. Will Amorim stick with Bayindir, trust the more experienced Onana, or give Lammens his first taste of English football?

Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is very much taken, but that didn't stop one ambitious fan from trying to set him up with someone else during the World Series championship parade.

Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko, were seen enjoying themselves atop the players' bus in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon when they spotted a Dodgers fan's "Marry My Mom" sign that was playfully trying to break the couple up. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell saw it first, and hilariously pointed at the fan with a cheeky smirk.

When Ohtani saw the sign, he turned to tell Mamiko, who immediately was in stitches about it. She then seemed to try to cover Ohtani's eyes in case there were any more flirty or courting signs along the parade route.

Watch that funny moment in the video below, posted by TikTok user @jaybug2714:

Shooters shoot.

Here are a few more cute moments of Mamiko trying to take pictures of Ohtani during the parade:

It's not clear exactly how long Ohtani and his wife have been together, but the Dodgers star announced he had officially tied the knot in a sweet Instagram post in February 2024. The two welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in April 2025.

Manchester City icon Sergio Aguero has revealed who gets his vote to win this year's Ballon d'Or – with Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham snubbed.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ballon d'Or nominees announced
• Rodri, Bellingham and Vinicius Jr shortlisted
• Aguero reveals who gets his vote

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The shortlist for world football's most prestigious individual award was announced this week, with the likes of Real Madrid duo Bellingham and Vinicius, City's Rodri, and more, among the nominees for the 2024 Golden Ball. Now, Argentina legend Aguero has given his backing to former City team-mate Rodri to claim this coveted accolade.

Advertisement

• WHAT SERGIO AGUERO SAID

  In response to City tweeting about Rodri's Ballon d'Or nomination, Aguero tweeted: "A perfect year, you deserve it. Come on Rodri 😎😎🤟🏽."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rodri has had a remarkable year or so for both club and country. After leading City to a record fourth- straight Premier League title in May, he played a crucial role in guiding Spain to Euro 2024 glory. The dominant midfielder, however, faces stiff competition from Madrid duo Bellingham and Vinicius – who had outstanding campaigns for Los Blancos on their way to a Liga and Champions League double. This will be a tightly contested Ballon d'Or, of that there is no doubt.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT?

  The winner of this sought-after gong – which was won for an eighth time by Lionel Messi in 2023 – will be revealed in Paris on October 28. Until then, Rodri and co will turn their attention to the current, jam-packed season for club and country.

A former Premier League CEO has shared what “close sources at West Ham” have been saying to him about manager Julen Lopetegui and his future at the London Stadium, amid calls for David Sullivan to part company with the Spaniard.

Lopetegui facing West Ham axe after lacklustre start

The 58-year-old has guided West Ham to just three league wins so far this season, which wasn’t exactly the hope when technical director Tim Steidten finished splashing out more than £120 million on summer signings.

£38m West Ham star could be close to Saudi move with next few days decisive

The Middle East is a very serious option for him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 14, 2024

West Ham arguably have no clear sense of identity on the pitch, and Lopetegui has been criticised for his tactical choices, faith in out-of-form players and general approach to crucial matches.

There are even suggestions that senior West Ham players are not behind Lopetegui, with the Spaniard failing to impress after jumping into David Moyes’ shoes – a man who guided the club to their first major trophy since the 1980s.

Mohammed Kudus is among the West Ham players “frustrated” by this current situation, according to reports, with Liverpool and clubs in Saudi Arabia potentially looking to take advantage of this situation.

Lopetegui is facing attacks from all angles, and former footballing CEO Keith Wyness now says the tactician is in a very tough spot.

Lopetegui "right on the edge" of West Ham dismissal

Speaking to Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, via GiveMeSport, Wyness claims Lopetegui is “right on the edge” of being sacked by West Ham – sharing what “close sources” have told him about what’s going on “behind the scenes”.

“I’ve spoken to some close sources at West Ham. He’s being backed publicly but behind the scenes,” said Wyness.

“There is a lot of unhappiness. If he survives the international break, then he’ll get through to Christmas, and he’ll be reviewed again then.

“But he’s right on the edge at the moment. It’s not surprising. The style of play is lacklustre, as far as West Ham fans see it. It’s a case of be careful what you wish for, because Moyes has gone and they’re now in the same place – if not worse.”

West Ham face Newcastle United at St. James’ Park right after the international break, and a result there could alleviate the pressure after a lacklustre 0-0 draw at home to Everton.

Former South Africa captain wants the team to play their best attack, comprising five match-winning bowlers

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Dec-2022With South Africa still figuring out their best XI for the Test tour of Australia, former captain Graeme Smith believes they should stick to an “aggressive mindset” and play six batters and five bowlers.”I’d like to see South Africa back their six batters,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo. “I think there’s always that fear because the batting has been weak. They’ve always looked to play the extra batter. Maybe that can be a defensive mindset and not an aggressive mindset. I’d like to see them take an aggressive mindset.Related

• Will South Africa follow England's Test template? Not quite, says van der Dussen

• 'I'm here to support Dean in every way' – South Africa captain has coach Maketa's backing

• 'I respect what he has been through' – Elgar backs under-fire Bavuma to bounce back

• Kagiso Rabada hopes for Test turnaround in Australia after 'disappointing' T20 World Cup

• Smith hopes SA20 will help end South Africa's World Cup wait

“You’ve got Lungi Ngidi, you’ve got Marco Jansen. You’ve got [Kagiso] Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and you’ve got Keshav Maharaj, who are all outstanding Test bowlers and can really win you games single-handedly. Work on the batters, get the six batters to bat in partnerships and get totals. If you get the totals you want, bowlers can win you games. And South Africa should pick the bowlers who can win you games.”South Africa’s Test captain Dean Elgar had suggested they were still “in a bit of debate” about playing an extra batter to lengthen their line-up. South Africa are presently second in the World Test Championship table, but their batters haven’t been racking up big numbers in the last few years. Since the start of 2020, they have had just six centuries in 19 games, the fewest among the teams part of the WTC. In their previous Test series, which they lost to hosts England 2-1 in August-September, they had just one batter among the top five run-getters. They also got bowled out under 200 four times in that series.Smith also said South Africa needed to focus on building partnerships. They have had just nine century stands in the last two years, which is again the fewest among the nine teams that are part of the World Test Championships.”If you can get those partnerships together over 100-150, you start to make an impact on the team’s innings. I think when you’re under pressure, you tend to focus on yourself and the pressure just grows, how you can work together as a batting unit to post totals there in Australia is going to be key. You obviously need some of your big players to perform well and take the pressure off the youngsters.”South Africa’s bowling continues to remain their biggest strength. Their bowling average of 24.94 is the second lowest while their strike-rate of 46.7 is the best among the Test-playing teams in the last two years.Among the standouts in this department has been Rabada, who’s been their kingpin across formats. Among the bowlers to take 50-plus wickets since 2020, only his team-mate Nortje has had a better bowling strike rate than him. Rabada is the only fast bowler who was part of South Africa’s successful Test tour of Australia in 2016, when he took 15 wickets in six innings.”The thing about KG is that he’s the center piece for South African cricket at the moment so whenever he doesn’t play it’s noticeable,” Smith said•Getty Images

Ahead of this tour, however, Rabada admitted that the amount of cricket being played was a concern and that it needs to be “managed”.”The thing about KG is that he’s the centre piece for South African cricket at the moment so whenever he doesn’t play it’s noticeable,” Smith said. “But it’s about producing enough talent that you can afford to rest a player here and there. At the moment you know in a World Cup, and a big tour to Australia, he has to play his roles there. And also as he gets more experience, he will learn to manage himself and stay focused on what’s important.”With Elgar saying his side was prepared for a “feisty” series against the current No. 1 Test team, Smith, who has been part of three bilateral tours to Australia, said South Africa should solely focus on competing on the field.”I think whenever you tour Australia you got to be prepared for being in someone else’s country for a period of time. Crowds.. and the players playing the game hard so definitely you’ve got to be mentally prepared. I think the key is always playing good cricket. It’s the only way that I’ve found over the years, having lost really badly once and won twice, if you can play really good cricket and you turn everything around and the home team gets under pressure. So I hope that South Africa focus on their performances, in particular their batsmen. There is some talent in the bowling ranks, [but] if the batters can get some runs in Australia it gives you a chance to beat them.”The first of three Tests between Australia and South Africa starts on December 17 at the Gabba in Brisbane,