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It is hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl after he watched his team ship three goals for the second time in four matches, albeit after extra time.

The Ibrox giants were beaten 3-1 at Hampden Park by their Glasgow rivals in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday, but it was fairly impressive that they even took the game to extra time after going 1-0 down and down to ten men.

Rohl, who arrived to replace Russell Martin in the dugout, will have learned a lot about his group of players after his first four games in charge, with two wins and two defeats.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss should be pleased with the fight this team showed on Sunday, although his side seemed to lose their legs in extra time, as shown by how slow the defenders were to react to Callum Osmand’s goal in the clip below.

Celtic’s young striker scored his first goal for the club in his second senior appearance, both of which have come under interim manager Martin O’Neill.

That shows that a fresh pair of eyes in the dugout can unearth a talent that was overlooked by the previous management team, which should be a lesson to Rohl, with the players in the Rangers youth ranks.

The academy problem Rangers have at Ibrox

The Light Blues have a problem with their academy at Ibrox because there has not been enough of a reward for the work being done with their youth teams.

Billy Gilmour

£18m

0

Nathan Patterson

£11m

27

Greg Taylor

£5m

0

Ross McCrorie

£2m

55

Lewis Morgan

£2m

0

As you can see in the table above, the five most valuable former Rangers academy players all play for other clubs, and none of them made more than 55 appearances for the first-team before they left.

Only two of them, Nathan Patterson and Billy Gilmour, being worth more than £5m suggests that the club are not doing enough to bring in or develop high-value players in their academy.

On top of potentially not bringing the right players through their academy system, an issue could also be the lack of a pathway to first-team football at Ibrox.

Osmand for Celtic is the perfect example. He did not play a single minute under Brendan Rodgers for the Hoops, after signing in the summer window, and he made an instant impact in a huge match when brought in by O’Neill.

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If Rodgers had stayed in post and continued to ignore the striker, Osmand’s development may have stalled, and he could have gone on to leave Glasgow and thrive or fail elsewhere.

Instead, O’Neill provided him with a chance to shine and, after his goal against Rangers, he may kick on to become a star for the Hoops in the coming months because of the opportunity that he has been given.

Now, on the other side of Glasgow, Rohl could unearth his own version of Osmand by finally unleashing Findlay Curtis as a starter for the Ibrox giants.

Why Danny Rohl should unleash Findlay Curtis for Rangers

The Gers academy graduate was given a chance by Martin at the start of this season, with starts against Panathinaikos, and he showed real promise, with an excellent first goal for the club.

It was a terrific run and finish from the “Boy Wonder”, as shown in the clip above, but he has not started a game in any competition since those two games against the Greek side.

Curtis added to his goal tally for the club with goals against both St Mirren and Alloa Athletic, in the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup. Both of those strikes, though, came as a substitute.

Panathinaikos (H)

75

1

Panathinaikos (A)

59

0

Viktoria Plzen (H)

5

0

Dundee (H)

13

0

Alloa Athletic (H)

6

1

St Mirren (A)

14

1

Club Brugge (A)

45

0

Celtic (H)

8

0

Hibernian (H)

13

0

Dundee United (H)

14

0

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old attacker has only made ten appearances in all competitions this season, starting two games, and has scored three goals in that time.

Per Sofascore, Curtis has been an unused substitute in seven of his last eight appearances in the matchday squad, with his only outing in that time coming off the bench against Dundee United in Stevie Smith’s game as interim head coach.

Despite his frustrating lack of game time on the pitch, only Djeidi Gassama (five) and James Tavernier (six) have scored more goals for Rangers in all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, than the teenage winger.

Curtis has scored one goal in 49 minutes of action in the Premiership, across four appearances as a substitute, so far this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been effective with the minutes that he has had.

The Scottish forward, who produced four goals and three assists in eight matches for the B team, has delivered quality in the Premiership, in Europe, and in a domestic cup. He has shown that he can make an impact with the first-team.

Yet, as has seemingly been the case for academy players for far too long at Ibrox, Curtis has not been rewarded with regular game time to develop and improve in the senior team.

Rohl must change that by providing the 19-year-old attacker, who can play on the left or the right flank, with more chances to show what he can do on the pitch as a starter for the Light Blues.

Rangers saw firsthand what can happen when a young player is finally given a chance when Osmand found the back of the net against them, and they should learn from that lesson by finally unleashing Curtis.

Martin claimed Rangers star was a "huge asset", now he looks "rotten"

This Rangers signing was heavily praised by Russell Martin, now it looks like he needs to be sold.

ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

A look at the strengths and weaknesses of each WPL squad after the mega auction

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-20250:49

MI coach Keightley: ‘We’re excited to have the same core back’

Mumbai IndiansNo. of players: 16 (6 overseas)Hot take: MI went all out to retain the core of the squad that has won them two WPL titles in the first three seasons. That explained why they spent 52% of their auction purse on New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr. They also wanted South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail so badly that they raised the paddle even before the auctioneer announced her name. MI have put together another strong squad that has an abundance of all-round options; only three of their 16 players are specialist bowlers.Possible first XI: 1 G Kamalini (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Amanjot Kaur, 7 Poonam Khemnar, 8 S Sajana, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Saika IshaqueMI squadBatters: Harmanpreet Kaur (INR 2.5 crore)
Wicketkeepers: G Kamalini (INR 50 lakh), Rahila Firdous (INR 10 lakh)
Allrounders: Nat Sciver-Brunt (INR 3.5 crore), Hayley Matthews (INR 1.75 crore), Amanjot Kaur (INR 1 crore), Amelia Kerr (INR 3 crore), Sanskriti Gupta (INR 20 lakh), S Sajana (INR 75 lakh), Nicola Carey (INR 30 lakh), Triveni Vasistha (INR 20 lakh), Nalla Reddy (INR 10 lakh), Poonam Khemnar (INR 10 lakh)
Spinners Saika Ishaque (INR 30 lakh)
Fast bowlers: Shabnim Ismail (INR 60 lakh), Milly Illingworth (INR 10 lakh)
Related

Abhishek Nayar: We wanted Shikha's experience and Deepti back through RTM

The mega auction as it happened

Deepti, Kerr, Shikha get biggest bids; Healy unsold

WPL 2026 to run from January 9 to February 5

Royal Challengers BengaluruNo. of players: 16 (6 overseas)Hot take: The overseas firepower is undeniable but the missing link is a reliable Indian batter who can be the bridge between the middle and lower middle-order. D Hemalatha and Gautami Naik are two potential candidates; one has struggled in the WPL and the other is completely untested.Possible first XI: 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Grace Harris, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 D Hemalatha, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Nadine de Klerk, 7 Pooja Vastrakar, 8 Radha Yadav, 9 Shreyanka Patil, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Lauren BellRCB squadBatters: Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.5 crore), Georgia Voll (INR 60 lakh), D Hemalatha (INR 30 lakh), Gautami Naik (INR 10 lakh)
Wicketkeepers: Richa Ghosh (INR 2.75 crore), Pratyoosha Kumar (INR 10 lakh)
Allrounders: Ellyse Perry (INR 2 crore), Pooja Vastrakar (INR 85 lakh), Grace Harris (INR 75 lakh), Nadine de Klerk (INR 60 lakh)
Spinners Shreyanka Patil (INR 60 lakh), Radha Yadav (INR 65 lakh), Linsey Smith (INR 30 lakh), Prema Rawat (RTM, INR 20 lakh)
Fast bowlers: Arundhati Reddy (INR 75 lakh), Lauren Bell (INR 90 lakh)
UP WarriorzNo. of players: 18 (6 overseas)Hot take: They came to the auction with by far the biggest purse and made full use of it to assemble a well-rounded squad. Three of the five most expensive buys belonged to them: Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey and Meg Lanning. Deepti, who was bought using the right-to-match option, fetched INR 3.20 crore, the joint-second-most expensive player at a WPL auction. UPW also spent INR 1.20 crore on Phoebe Litchfield and INR 1.10 crore on Asha Sobhana. By comparison, Sophie Ecclestone (INR 85 lakh), Deandra Dottin (INR 80 lakh) and Kranti Gaud (INR 50 lakh) were steals. The only Associate player of WPL 2026 is also in their squad: USA’s left-arm seamer Tara Norris.Possible first XI: 1 Meg Lanning, 2 Kiran Navgire, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Phoebe Litchfield, 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Deandra Dottin, 7 Sophie Ecclestone, 8 Asha Sobhana, 9 Shipra Giri (wk), 10 Shikha Pandey, 11 Kranti GaudUPW squadBatters: Meg Lanning (INR 1.90 crore), Phoebe Litchfield (INR 1.20 crore), Kiran Navgire (RTM, INR 60 lakh), Pratika Rawal (INR 50 lakh), Shweta Sehrawat (retained, INR 50 lakh), Harleen Deol (INR 50 lakh), Simran Shaikh (INR 10 lakh)
Wicketkeepers: Shipra Giri (INR 10 lakh)
Allrounders: Deepti Sharma (RTM, INR 3.20 crore), Deandra Dottin (INR 0.80 crore), Chloe Tryon (INR 30 lakh), G Trisha (INR 10 lakh), Suman Meena (INR 10 lakh)
Spinners: Asha Sobhana (INR 1.1 crore), Sophie Ecclestone (RTM, INR 0.85 crore)
Fast bowlers Shikha Pandey (INR 2.40 crore), Kranti Gaud (RTM, INR 50 lakh), Tara Norris (INR 10 lakh)
1:53

‘Wolvaardt can fill Lanning’s shoes’

Delhi CapitalsNo. of players: 16 (6 overseas)Hot take: DC paid INR 1.30 crore, their joint-highest bid of the day, to buy West Indies allrounder Chinelle Henry. DC had faced Henry’s wrath last season, when she smashed a 23-ball 62 while playing for UPW. They also paid INR 1.3 crore to buy back left-arm spinner N Shree Charani, who played an important role in India’s ODI World Cup victory. They have packed their squad with allrounders and top-order batters, but are short of Indian fast bowlers. Another exciting prospect is 16-year-old Deeya Yadav from Haryana, who DC head coach Jonathan Batty described as “a young Shafali.”Possible first XI 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Laura Wolvaardt, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Chinelle Henry, 7 Niki Prasad, 8 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Nandani SharmaDC squadBatters: Shafali Verma (INR 2.20 crore), Jemimah Rodrigues (INR 2.20 crore), Laura Wolvaardt (INR 1.10 crore), Deeya Yadav (INR 10 lakh)
Wicketkeepers: Taniya Bhatia (INR 30 lakh), Lizelle Lee (INR 30 lakh), Mamatha Madiwala (INR 10 lakh)
Allrounders: Annabel Sutherland (INR 2.20 crore), Marizanne Kapp (INR 2.20 crore), Niki Prasad (INR 50 lakh), Chinelle Henry (INR 1.30 crore), Sneh Rana (INR 50 lakh), Minnu Mani (INR 40 lakh), Lucy Hamilton (INR 10 lakh)
Spinners: Shree Charani (INR 1.30 crore)
Fast bowlers: Nandani Sharma (INR 20 lakh)
Gujarat GiantsNo. of players: 18 (6 overseas)Hot take: At INR 2 crore, Sophie Devine was their biggest buy of the day. With Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner retained before the auction, they have a solid batting core. But that’s about it. They did pick Yastika Bhatia but she is unlikely to be available because of injury. The rest of their Indian batters lack experience at the big stage. Except for Renuka Singh, the same can be said about their Indian seamers too, although Titas Sadhu and Kashvee Gautam are promising youngsters.Possible first XI: 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Sophie Devine, 3 Bharti Fulmali, 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Georgia Wareham, 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Ayushi Soni, 8 Kashvee Gautam, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Titas Sadhu, 11 Renuka SinghGG squadBatters: Bharti Fulmali (RTM, INR 70 lakh), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (INR 50 lakh), Shivani Singh (INR 10 lakh)
Wicketkeepers: Beth Mooney (retained INR 2.5 crore), Yastika Bhatia (INR 50 lakh)
Allrounders: Ashleigh Gardner (retained, INR 3.50 crore), Sophie Devine (INR 2 crore), Georgia Wareham (INR 1 crore), Kashvee Gautam (RTM, INR 65 lakh), Anushka Sharma (INR 45 lakh), Kanika Ahuja (INR 30 lakh), Ayushi Soni (INR 30 lakh)
Spinners: Tanuja Kanwar (INR 45 lakh), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (INR 40 lakh)
Fast bowlers: Renuka Singh (INR 60 lakh), Kim Garth (INR 50 lakh), Titas Sadhu (INR 30 lakh), Happy Kumari (INR 10 lakh)

افتتح منتخب المغرب مشواره في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 بفوز مستحق على منتخب جزر القمر بنتيجة 3-1، في المباراة التي أقيمت ضمن الجولة الأولى لدور المجموعات للنسخة الحالية من البطولة المقامة في قطر.

سجل المنتخب المغربي هدفه الأول مبكرًا في الدقيقة الخامسة، عندما استغل سفيان بوفتيني ركلة ركنية من الجانب الأيسر ليقابلها برأسية رائعة أسكنت الشباك، مانحًا نسور الأطلس بداية قوية في اللقاء.

وعزز طارق تيسودالي تقدم المغرب بعد ست دقائق فقط، مستفيدًا من تسديدة ارتطمت بمدافع جزر القمر لتغير اتجاهها وتدخل المرمى، ليصبح التقدم المغربي هدفين دون رد قبل مرور ربع ساعة من بداية المباراة.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل منتخب مصر الثاني أمام الكويت في كأس العرب.. شريف يقود الهجوم

وفي الدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الأول، أضاف كريم البركاوي الهدف الثالث بعد متابعة عرضية من الجبهة اليمنى، مسجلاً برأسية مميزة ليختتم الشوط بتفوق كبير للمغرب.

وفي الشوط الثاني، قلص منتخب جزر القمر الفارق في الدقيقة 56، بعدما انطلق زاكواني على الجبهة وسدد عرضية أرضية اصطدمت بمدافع المغرب وسكنت الشباك بالخطأ، ليمنح فريقه بصيص أمل قبل أن يحافظ المغرب على تقدمه حتى نهاية المباراة.

وتضم المجموعة الثانية التي ينافس فيها المنتخب المغربي ومنتخب جزر القمر إلى جانبهما منتخبي السعودية وعمان، حيث يسعى نسور الأطلس لاستمرار الانتصارات لضمان التأهل إلى الأدوار الإقصائية مبكرًا. أهداف مباراة المغرب وجزر القمر في كأس العرب

Bangladesh succumbed to the pressure of a high-stakes game, losing their way in a chase of only 136

Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-20253:15

Why do Bangladesh struggle in pressure situations?

It has taken more than 40 years but we finally have it: an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. Pakistan scrapped their way into the title clash after defending 135 against Bangladesh in Dubai.After Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in three powerplay overs, Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws, finding sharp turn and grip. After bagging his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup, Saim Ayub produced a double-strike and ensured Bangladesh’s batting spiralled out of control.It was one of those bizarre games where the team that hit more sixes ended up losing. Pakistan had managed just five sixes and Bangladesh had matched that tally by the tenth over of the chase. They eventually finished with seven sixes but as they searched for more on a pitch that perhaps wasn’t conducive to that style, they kept holing out.Pakistan’s batters had suffered a similar meltdown earlier in the day, but Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz did enough to drag them to 135 on a used surface, a total that at the end of the day was enough by 11 runs.Pakistan’s go-slowTaskin Ahmed, rested for Wednesday’s game against India, hit the ground running by dismissing the in-form Sahibzada Farhan for 4. He became the third Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.In the next over, offspinner Mahedi Hasan had Ayub flapping a catch to mid-on for a three-ball duck – his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup and ninth in 45 T20I innings. Only Umar Akmal (ten in 79 T20I innings) has bagged more for Pakistan.Fakhar Zaman was also going nowhere, managing only 12 off 18 balls in a powerplay that saw Pakistan score only 27. Only Hong Kong had scored fewer runs in a powerplay in this Asia Cup.After taking the catches of Farhan and Ayub, wristspinner Rishad Hossain dismissed Fakhar (13 off 20 balls) and Hussain Talat (3 off 7) in successive overs. When Mustafizur had captain Salman Agha inside-edging behind with his trademark offcutter, Pakistan were 49 for 5 in the 11th over.2:24

Aaron: Pakistan found right ‘mixture of calm and emotion’

Haris, Nawaz bail Pakistan outThe first six of Pakistan’s innings came in the 13th over when Afridi launched Tanzim Hasan Sakib into the top tier over midwicket. In the next over, he hit Taskin for another six before miscuing a full-toss to the keeper. After being dropped on 1 and 3, Afridi got to 19 off 13 balls.Nawaz could have been dismissed on 0 had Parvez Hossain not dropped a regulation catch. He went on to make 25 off 15 balls. Haris also played his part, taking on both Rishad and Mustafizur during his 31 off 23 balls. Pakistan crashed 80 runs in their last eight overs.Bangladesh fade away in chaseWhile Afridi was on the money with the new ball at one end – his powerplay figures read 3-0-11-2, including a customary first-over strike – Bangladesh went after the bowlers at the other end. When Faheem Ashraf erred too full, Saif Hassan pounded him over mid-on for six. In the next over, he picked Haris Rauf away for a six and a four. In his next over, however, Rauf bounced back to draw a leading edge from Saif, which was grasped by Ayub at point.Nurul Hasan then started with a first-ball six, though off a top edge, but Bangladesh couldn’t sustain their hitting and kept finding the boundary riders. Shamim Hossain, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 off 25 balls, was their only batter to pass 20.Bangladesh’s slim hopes faded away when Afridi returned with the old ball and had Shamim caught by Talat, who was not needed with the ball on the day. Bangladesh were missing their regular captain and key batter Litton Das who was on the sidelines for a second successive game with a side strain. Jaker Ali, the stand-in captain, was among a long list of batters who holed out while attempting to clear the boundary.Pakistan had an injury scare when Rauf collapsed in his follow-through in the 18th over, but he continued to bowl, finishing off his spell, and locked in an India-Pakistan final on Sunday.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are also in the West Zone squad

Edited PTI copy01-Aug-2025

Shardul Thakur is one of seven Mumbai players in the West Zone squad•PA Photos/Getty Images

India and Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur has been named the West Zone captain for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, starting on August 28.The 15-member squad includes India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and middle-order batters Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer. A total of seven Mumbai players have been named in the team.Ruturaj Gaikwad is among the 15, while Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai and Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale are the wicketkeepers.There was no place for Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane in the West Zone squad.Earlier in the week, South Zone had also named their squad with Tilak Verma as captain. East Zone have also named their squad, to be led by Ishan Kishan, with Mohammed Shami in the mix.The six-team Duleep Trophy is returning to the zonal format, with squads picked by the zonal selectors, and the tournament will start the 2025-26 domestic season. Last season, the tournament had four teams – India A, B, C and D – that were picked by the national selectors.South Zone were the winners when the Duleep Trophy was held in the zonal format in 2023-24.West Zone squadShardul Thakur (capt, Mumbai), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Aarya Desai (Gujarat), Harvik Desai (wk, Saurashtra), Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai), Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra), Jaymeet Patel (Gujarat), Manan Hingrajia (Gujarat), Saurabh Nawale (wk, Gujarat), Shams Mulani (Mumbai), Tanush Kotian (Mumbai), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (Saurashtra), Tushar Deshpande (Mumbai), Arzan Nagwaswala (Gujarat)

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was thrown into a difficult situation when he decided to take on the job as Russell Martin’s replacement at Ibrox.

The former Gers boss only won five of 17 matches in charge of the club, whilst the summer transfer window was navigated by Kevin Thelwell, who has since been relieved of his duties.

Now that Thelwell has departed, Rohl will have a chance to lead the charge to recruit his own players in the upcoming January transfer window, and a new winger has to be on the agenda.

Ranking Rohl's winger options for Rangers

Rohl has plenty of options who can play on the left or the right flank, but very few of them have shown that they have the quality to be reliable options in the present day.

Oliver Antman and Nedim Bajrami are both currently out through injury, which means that they are not current options for the manager, whilst Kieran Dowell has only just returned from injury and has yet to be given a chance to shine.

1

Mikey Moore

2

Djeidi Gassama

3

Findlay Curtis

4

Danilo

5

Kieran Dowell

N/A

Nedim Bajrami

N/A

Oliver Antman

As you can see in the table above, we have ranked Mikey Moore as the best current option on the wing for Rangers, because he has scored two goals in his last two Scottish Premiership games.

No other natural Gers winger, with Danilo a striker by trade, has scored more than one league goal for the Gers this season, with Djeidi Gassama on one goal and one assist.

Gassama has been particularly disappointing of late, with one goal and no assists in his last 11 matches, and Rangers could finally replace him as a starter by signing Yelimay Semey left winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek in January.

Why Rangers should sign Galymzhan Kenzhebek

The 22-year-old forward has been the subject of a bid from Rangers ahead of the January transfer window opening for business, and they should push to get a deal done for him because he could be an upgrade on Gassama.

Rangers should bolster their options in the wide areas in the winter market because we have ranked the Frenchman as their second-best wide option, despite the fact that he has only scored one league goal for the club.

A return of one goal and one assist in 15 Premiership matches for the Gers, per Sofascore, is not a good enough return for a team that should be competing to win the title, which is why Kenzhebek should be considered as a possible replacement for the starting XI.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The young winger currently plays in Kazakhstan, which makes it hard to predict how he will adapt to the Premiership, but it is worth remembering that Hearts, who top the league, signed Alexandros Kyziridis from Slovakia and Claudio Braga from the second division in Norway.

There are hidden gems to be found in more obscure leagues, as evidenced by those two signings, who have combined for 15 goals and nine assists for Hearts, per Transfermarkt, this season.

Appearances

11

15

Goals

6

1

Minutes per goal

162

1,171

Key passes per game

1.7

0.9

Assists

4

1

Successful dribbles per game

8.6

2.0

As you can see in the table above, Kenzhebek’s form for his current club is far more impressive than anything Gassama has produced at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues in the Premiership.

Whilst there is no guarantee that he can translate that form over to Scottish football, there is also no guarantee that signings from the Championship or other top leagues in Europe can adapt to the league or Ibrox.

It is also worth taking into account that Kenzhebek, who was hailed as a “very pacy” player by Rangers Journal creator Kai Watson, has also shown promise at international level.

The Rangers target has scored two goals and provided one assist in six World Cup qualifiers for Kazakhstan, per Sofascore, which shows that he can compete on the international stage, as well as impress for his club domestically.

On top of being an attractive target on paper because of his statistics, Kenzhebek’s contract with his club is due to expire at the end of this month, per Transfermarkt, which means that the Gers can pick him up on a free transfer.

Therefore, Rangers must push to get a deal done for the talented youngster because he could be a hidden gem, away from the usual markets that the club shop in, who could come in and take Gassama’s place in the side.

Rangers dud was as "rotten" as Miovski, now he's Rohl's most improved player

This Glasgow Rangers flop who looked as bad as Bojan Miovski is now Danny Rohl’s most improved performer.

ByDan Emery 4 days ago

If he can then translate his current form over to Ibrox, Rohl would finally have a consistent winger who can provide goals and assists on a regular basis.

The Eredivisie fixture between Ajax and Groningen was abandoned in the sixth minute, after an ultras group set off hundreds of fireworks in honour of a recently deceased supporter. Referee Bas Nijhuis initially suspended play for half an hour before abandoning the game entirely as the pyrotechnic display continued after both teams retook the field.

• Shocking scenes in Amsterdam

  Shortly after kick-off at the Johan Cruyff Arena, ultras set off flares and began shooting fireworks towards the playing surface. That prompted a significant delay. 

  Videos from the venue appear to show the pyrotechnics landing on the pitch, with areas of grass temporarily catching fire. 

  During the pause in action, Nijhuis spoke with ESPN, saying:  “If you want to hurt your club, then you should keep doing things like this. It’s disgraceful.” 

  Several of Ajax's players appeared to take exception to the demonstration, with captain Davy Klaassen waving his arms at this own supporters in disbelief, while striker Wout Weghorst was pictured shaking his head on the broadcast. 

  Following the second stoppage, the referee added: "I can no longer guarantee the safety of the players. I won't do that anymore."

  Shortly after, the game was officially abandoned, with Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema permanently suspending the game as per the advice of the Dutch Football Association (KNVB). 

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• AFP
  

  Ajax's statement after Groningen tie abandoned

  Ajax condemned the actions of the fans responsible for the shocking scenes in an official statement, which read: "Ajax finds what happened in the stadium tonight utterly scandalous. We apologize to everyone affected in any way. The safety of spectators and players has been jeopardized. This is unacceptable. We emphatically distance ourselves from this misconduct. Fireworks have no place in the stadium.

  "Spectators in the affected section of the stadium were frisked. Dogs were also deployed to detect fireworks, both inside the stadium before it opened and as spectators entered. Other preventative measures were also implemented. Despite this, we were unable to prevent this situation.

  "We will, of course, review the camera footage to try to identify the perpetrators and investigate in other ways who is responsible. If this leads to the identification of perpetrators, we will take appropriate action."

• Ajax crowd issues

  Nijhuis also called upon Halsema to investigate ongoing issues involving Ajax supporters, and the security measures taken at the Johan Cruyff Arena. 

  There have been notable stories around fan violence at Ajax fixtures in the past few years. Last season, clashes between local football fans, the police and Maccabi Tel Aviv ultras made international headlines, while the violent scenes in the buildup to Ajax's 2023 fixture with fierce rivals Feyenoord were described as "horrific". The visitors were leading 3-0 when that game was called off in the 56th minute, as the home support threw flares and fireworks onto the playing surface. After the game, Ajax supporters attempted to break into the stadium. 

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• AFP
  

  What comes next?

  It is highly likely that the game will now be continued behind closed doors, as was the case with Feyenoord and Ajax's abandoned fixture in 2023. That tie was continued with the score at 3-0 to the visitors, however, with Ajax and Groningnen's fixture sitting at 0-0 with just five minutes played, this game could be completely restarted. 

  The KNVB is expected to announce a new date for the game to be played within the next two weeks.

One Manchester United star could now leave Old Trafford in 2026, according to Sky Sports, and it seems Ruben Amorim and INEOS are clashing behind the scenes.

Amorim calls out Man Utd midfielder at Carrington

A big talking point again so far this season at Old Trafford has been on Amorim’s system and finding a position for captain Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese star has dropped deeper to allow summer signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to occupy the two number 10 roles in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. There hasn’t been room for Manuel Ugarte, though, who has struggled for game time after previously starring under Amorim at Sporting CP.

It has now been revealed that the Man Utd manager wasn’t happy with Ugarte following the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. In fact, Amorim criticised Ugarte in front of his Man Utd teammates during a Carrington meeting towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Amorim felt that Ugarte ‘had let his work rate slide from their time together at Sporting’, adding that the midfielder ‘had gotten comfortable and said he did not recognise him as the same player from their first stint together’.

One midfielder who Amorim has been rating in 2025 is Casemiro, however, a worrying transfer update for the Man Utd boss has now emerged.

Casemiro leaving Man Utd for free a real possibility

According to Sky Sports, the prospect of Casemiro leaving Man Utd on a free transfer is a ‘real possibility’.

It is stated that the Red Devils hold an option to extend the Brazilian’s stay by an additional year, but that may not happen as United look ‘to free up space on the wage bill to strengthen the midfield area next season’.

Casemiro, who is Man Utd’s biggest earner on £350,000-a-week, has been a regular under Amorim and the manager ideally would want the midfielder to stay until 2027.

Reports have claimed that Amorim and the club’s executives are at odds over Casemiro’s future. The manager thinks he is still needed at Old Trafford, whereas executives are asking for a wage cut instead of triggering the extension option, something which Casemiro is unlikely to accept.

Rank	Player	Gross pay per week	Gross pay per year
1	Casemiro	£350,000	£18,200,000
2	Bruno Fernandes	£300,000	£15,600,000
3	Matthijs de Ligt	£195,000	£10,140,000
4	Harry Maguire	£190,000	£9,880,000
5	Matheus Cunha	£180,000	£9,360,000

Since joining in 2022 from Real Madrid, the now 33-year-old has made 135 appearances for Man Utd, scoring 20 goals and registering 13 assists. A regular alongside Fernandes this season, Amorim has selected Casemiro ahead of Kobbie Mainoo and Ugarte, praising the Brazilian recently.

“I think he gives a lot of experience. He’s so important for us. Today he ran a lot. He had to press so high and then return, and he’s doing that. So, I’m really pleased with him. And the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”

However, in 2026, it looks as if Amorim could lose one of his important players, potentially putting a strain on his relationship with INEOS in the process.

Forget Sesko: Man Utd's "terrible" dud is now becoming INEOS' worst signing

India and Pakistan are in Group A with Oman and UAE; Group B has Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong

Danyal Rasool26-Jul-2025 • Updated on 02-Aug-2025India and Pakistan are pitted against each other in Group A at the 2025 men’s Asia Cup, set to be held in the UAE from September 9 to September 28. Their group-stage meeting will be on September 14 in Dubai*, with two more potential games between them should both reach the final. Dubai, where the final will also be played, will host 11 games while Abu Dhabi will host eight fixtures.Last week, the dates for the 17th edition of the tournament were announced by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup, the tournament will be played in the T20I format and, for the very first time, will feature eight teams, a bump of two from the previous edition.

Key group-stage matches

Ban v SL, Sept 13, Abu Dhabi
Ind v Pak, Sept 14, Dubai
Ban v Afg, Sept 16, Abu Dhabi
SL vs Afg, Sept 18, Abu Dhabi

Apart from India and Pakistan, Group A includes Oman and hosts UAE. Group B has Afghanistan and Hong Kong, who kickstart the tournament in Abu Dhabi on September 9, alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.The top two teams from each group will move on to another four-team group for the second stage, with the top two teams of that group proceeding to the final on September 28.The venue and dates for the tournament were finalised at the ACC’s annual general meeting in Dhaka last Thursday, where the Asia Cup was one of the key points on the members’ agenda. The fate of the tournament had briefly been thrown into uncertainty following the India-Pakistan military skirmish in May. After the AGM in Dhaka, Naqvi had addressed a press conference about the imminent notification of the Asia Cup dates, though he had stopped short of confirming specific details at the time.The India-Pakistan fixture is, by far, the most financially lucrative fixture in the Asia Cup. The format of the tournament and the placement in the same group make at least two India-Pakistan matches likely, the second on September 21 – also in Dubai – if it happens. It also leaves open the possibility of a third meeting in the final in Dubai on September 28. There has, however, never been an India-Pakistan final in the Asia Cup.India are the official hosts of the tournament, but, after an agreement between the BCCI and the PCB earlier this year, tournaments held in India or Pakistan will see a neutral venue provided for the other side for a three-year period. The agreement came about ahead of the Champions Trophy held in Pakistan earlier this year. India played all their games, including the one against hosts Pakistan, in Dubai. The final, which India qualified for and won, was also held in Dubai.India are the defending champions, having beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the previous edition in 2023. Sri Lanka won the previous T20I edition, beating Pakistan in the final in 2022.*1700 GMT, Aug 2: The news story was updated after the ACC released the detailed schedule

Former England batter dies at home in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-20252:30

Remembering Robin Smith

Robin Smith, the former England batter who went toe-to-toe with some of the greatest fast bowlers of the 1980s and 90s, has died at his home in Australia at the age of 62.Smith played 62 Tests between 1988 and 1996, scoring 4,236 runs at 43.67 with nine centuries, including three against West Indies – the team that so often brought out his pugnacious best.Smith’s signature shot was a front-foot square cut that was, by many estimations, one of the fiercest strokes in the world game, and it enabled him to thrive in cricket’s adrenalin-fuelled fast lane. This was especially true on England’s memorable tour of the Caribbean in 1990, when Smith was instrumental in England’s victory in the first Test in Jamaica, and again on home soil in consecutive 2-2 drawn series against West Indies in 1991 and 1995.At Edgbaston in 1993, Smith produced a remarkable innings of 167 not out in an ODI against Australia, a score which would remain England’s highest in the format for 23 years, until surpassed by Alex Hales in 2016.However, his perceived weakness against spin counted against him at key moments of his career, in particular with the emergence of Australia’s Shane Warne, whose success in his maiden Ashes tour in 1993 persuaded the selectors to omit Smith from England’s subsequent visit to Australia 18 months later.Ironically, Smith and Warne became lifelong friends – a relationship that was central to Warne’s decision to sign for Hampshire in the latter years of his career.Born in South Africa in 1963, Smith was brought up to be a professional cricketer, and would spend hours honing his technique in the bespoke cricket net that his father built at the family home in Durban, and in which Barry Richards and Mike Procter counted among his practice partners.Richards’ own connections with Hampshire had, in turn, persuaded the club to take a punt on his two young neighbours. Smith’s elder brother Chris would also go on to play for England after emigrating from South Africa in the early 1980s, but Robin’s debut – against West Indies at Headingley in 1988 – was the more eagerly anticipated of the two.Robin Smith on his way to 90 against West Indies at Lord’s, 1995•Getty Images

In a sign of things to come, his maiden innings comprised a century stand with his fellow South African import, Allan Lamb – another great player of West Indian fast bowling – only for England to collapse to a ten-wicket defeat at the hands of Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh.Smith was still arguably in his pomp at the age of 32 when he played his final Test, against his former countrymen South Africa at Cape Town, at the end of a disappointing 1-0 series loss in January 1996. With England’s supremo, Ray Illingworth, keen to usher in a new generation, Smith was bracketed with England’s older guard and cast aside, despite boasting a batting average that – of the players with whom his career overlapped – only David Gower and Graham Thorpe could better.Post-career, Smith’s struggles with alcoholism were poignantly addressed in his 2019 autobiography, The Judge: More Than Just A Game. However, only last week, he attended the first Ashes Test in Perth, and spoke widely to the media about his ongoing recovery. He also attended an England Lions training session at Lilac Hill at the invitation of Andrew Flintoff.A statement from his family confirmed that Smith had died unexpectedly in his South Perth apartment on Monday, and that the cause of death is unknown.”Since his retirement from the game in 2004 [Robin’s] battles with alcohol and mental health have been well-documented but these should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death which will be determined at postmortem investigation,” the statement added.”This is an immensely difficult period for us all whilst we try to come to terms with our bereavement, and we would therefore much appreciate consideration for our privacy by media and cricket followers alike.”ECB Chair Richard Thompson said: “Robin Smith was a player who stood toe to toe with some of the quickest bowlers in the world, meeting spells of hostile fast bowling with a defiant smile and an incredible resilience. He did so in a way that gave England fans enormous pride, and no shortage of entertainment.”He was a batter ahead of his time which was typified in that unforgettable unbeaten 167 from 163 balls in an ODI against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993.”His record at Hampshire is exemplary, and he’ll be remembered rightly as a great of Hampshire CCC. We’re desperately sad to learn of his passing, and the thoughts of all of us in cricket are with his friends, family and loved ones.”