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People at the airport, on bikes, on trucks, the BCB – everyone wanted a slice of Akbar Ali and Co

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur12-Feb-2020Soon after arriving in Mirpur, Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Akbar Ali sat straight-faced between BCB president Nazmul Hasan and coach Naveed Nawaz at a press conference. Having arrived in the city from South Africa at 5pm local time, they made their way through the crowds of media crews, selfie-seekers, and hangers-on at the airport. Akbar first met his father at the VIP lounge after getting past the initial crowd of photographers and the airport staff.The short walkway from the VIP lounge building to the team bus was filled with flowers for both the players and the support staff. Rakibul Hasan and Shoriful Islam had wide smiles on their faces and the BCB enlivened the occasion by linking up Mrittunjoy Chowdhury with the squad when they took the bus. The allrounder had been forced to return home midway through the World Cup due to a shoulder injury.ALSO READ: The buzz in Bangladesh – Under-19 world champions are the toast of the townAkbar and his team-mates watched thousands line up on one side of the highway as the roads were shut down in order to get the players to their destination quickly. In addition to hundreds of bikes, there were pick-up trucks with several people, holding posters and banners, and cheering on the World Cup winners.When the players reached the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s gate at around 6.30pm, a larger crowd was waiting for them. Chants of “Bangladesh! Bangladesh! Bangladesh!” reverberated through the area as they entered the stadium. There was also a similarly big crowd waiting to catch a slice of the champions inside the stadium. They eventually walked through the entrance to the playing arena, on a red carpet, to massive cheers.

The Bangladesh U-19 team are welcomed home as heroes pic.twitter.com/z7lvDIoHMY

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 12, 2020

The selfie-seekers then approached the players, who were then given a few minutes to rest behind the stage. There, some of their friends, who had come from Mirpur and other areas, welcomed the players home.Then, they cut a cake, waved at the crowd and headed to the home dressing room. When Akbar was finally seated in the press conference room, he must’ve been tired.However, his face lit up as soon as the World Cup trophy appeared. He looked at his coach, exchanging smiles and some words. After a week, the players are likely to be given a civic reception in Dhaka.During the press conference, Nazmul also announced that the victorious Under-19 cricketers will be enrolled into a new Under-21 unit of the board to sharpen their skills and prepare them for international cricket. Each player will be paid BDT 100,000 (approximately USD 1,250) per month during the two years of this training.Bangladesh’s Under-19 stars received a rousing welcome•Raton Gomes/BCB”They will be getting specialised training to upgrade their skills,” Nazmul said. “They will be paid BDT 100,000 per month for these two years. Our fund for this is unlimited. It will be renewed after two years if they improve. If anyone shows lack of interest, he will not be given the contract. We want to make their path to the senior team easier, and for that we will also arrange tours for them.”Akbar largely flew under the radar during the World Cup, but Nawaz was particularly impressed with how he had gone about his business calmly. Akbar’s sound temperament was on bright display in the final, where he steered the side home with an unbeaten 43.”I think Akbar was the least talked about player up to the World Cup final,” Nawaz said “He has done unbelievable things in the last two years. He bats at No. 7 and does the hardest things for us. I don’t think he batted in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. We sometimes had to shuffle the batting order to give Nos. 6 and 7 a hit in the middle.”We always knew he had the temperament and confidence to finish games. He is one of the best players under pressure, keeping his cool. As long as he is in the middle, we have the confidence in the dressing room that we can win the game.”Nawaz was also pleased with the clarity the players had shown in their roles and in assessing the conditions in Potchefstroom.”The boys played a lot of cricket in 2019,” he said. “They were experienced by the time the World Cup began, and they were clear of their individual roles. We had specific plans, particularly to play on the Potchefstroom wicket, where 250 is a good score. It was drilled into the players that we don’t need to do too much.”The Under-19 players will spend the night at the BCB’s Academy residency before heading home to see their families. Shahadat Hossain can return to his mother who worked extra hard to put food on the table after his father had passed away. Shahin Alam will reunite with his father, a brick-kiln worker in a remote village in Kurigram, while Rakibul can rejoice with his parents, and perhaps crack a joke or two about spending money – that was meant to be saved for a tutor – on joining a cricket academy.Akbar will walk into his home in Rangpur where his sister had passed away last week. What his family must be going through is inexplicable, but Akbar has displayed great composure through the personal turmoil, delivering Bangladesh the Under-19 World Cup title.Can he maintain that composure and make the step up to the next level?

The final participant in this year's Home Run Derby was announced Thursday evening, and the New York Yankees will officially have a player partaking in the event.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was revealed Thursday night as the eighth participant in the derby, officially setting the stage for Monday's showdown at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Chisholm may not be revered as one of the league's biggest sluggers, but he's had some quality power numbers at the plate. This season, he's slugging .530 with 17 home runs in 61 games. That would put him on a 162-game pace for 45 home runs, which should shatter his career-high of 24. Since joining the Yankees at last year's trade deadline, Chisholm has 28 home runs in 107 games.

He joins a derby pool already consisting of Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood, Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Athletics DH Brent Rooker.

There are no past winners in this year's crop of derby contestants, so a new winner will be crowned in 2025. This will be Chisholm's first time in the derby, and the first time a Yankee has participated since Aaron Judge did in 2017.

The Reds entered the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday night locked in a tight battle with the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Fortunately, Cincinnati had the powers of Elly De La Cruz to lean on.

With the Reds up 2-1, the Pirates got a man on first, and Nick Gonzales came up to bat with one out. On a 2-2 count, he absolutely mashed a liner— right at De La Cruz, playing deep at the shortstop position. Without wasting even a second, EDLC then rifled a one-hop throw to first for the force-out that ended the game.

It was a very cool play that required remarkable reaction time and De La Cruz was all too happy to show off his.

That is a hard throw to make it to first on a bounce before the runner does. De La Cruz has done it again.

The win marks the Reds' 61st of the season, and it was arguably the most exciting ending yet.

Arsenal might just have landed two of South America's most exciting young talents in Independiente del Valle's Quintero twins, Edwin and Holger. The duo, who are currently 16 years old, are set to complete their paperwork in London this week and will officially complete their switch from the Ecuadorian side in August 2027, when they will have turned 18.

• Arsenal secure double Ecuadorian coup

  According to , Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to secure the signings of Edwin and Holger Quintero, Ecuadorian twins who are currently plying their trade in the youth academy for Ecuador's Serie A giants Independiente del Valle. The former, in particular, has drawn comparisons to Neymar from the Ecuadorian media, making waves for his trickery as a right winger. Holger, on the other hand, is an attacking midfielder. Having already represented the Independiente under-20 team at the age of 15, the 16-year-old duo are believed to soon break into the senior side. 

  also claim that the Gunners had been monitoring the Quintero brothers' progress for well over a year. Arsenal’s academy recruitment team view their latest signings as a significant step toward securing the club’s long-term future. The success of the pathway to the first team – highlighted by the rapid progress of Miles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and Max Dowman – has played a key role in persuading the Quintero twins to join the project. The pair are in London this week to finalise contractual formalities, with a formal announcement to follow at a later date. They are set to complete their move to the Emirates in August 2027, when they turn 18, for an undisclosed fee at this time.

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• AFP
  

  Ecuador's brightest stars are shining in the Premier League

  Ecuador have slowly but surely emerged as one of the more intriguing talent exporters in the world, especially for clubs battling for the ultimate crown in the Premier League. Moises Caicedo, the former holder of the record for the most expensive British transfer when Chelsea sensationally splashed £115 million (€130m/$152m) in 2023, arrived at Brighton for just £4m. Now, he is considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Piero Hincapie, who arrived at the Emirates from Bayer Leverkusen on a loan with an option to buy for £45m (€52m) next summer, earned the reputation of having the potential to be one of the best players in his position.

  Kendry Paez, one of South America's biggest talents to have emerged in recent memory, is also playing for Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg on loan from the Blues. The common denominator? All these aforementioned names have emerged from the Independiente youth academy. 

• Arsenal investing heavily in youth

  One of the regularities at Arsenal under the reign of head coach Mikel Arteta has been the trust him and his coaching staff have placed on the prodigies emerging at the Hale End Academy. Lewis-Skelly was integrated into the first team dynamics in 2024, with his debut coming in September last year. Since then, he has emerged as one of the most exciting young full-backs in Europe, aggregating 53 appearances in total and becoming a full-time England international. 

  Arsenal now boast the two youngest players ever to debut in Premier League history. Nwaneri set the record in 2022, making his debut at just 15 years and 181 days old, while Dowman followed closely behind, debuting earlier this season at 15 years and 235 days.

  The trio are expected to become the cornerstones of the Gunners' project in the future. Given everything we've seen from these young talents, it's safe to say that Arsenal's future is in good hands.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Gunners look primed to lift major silverware this season

  Arteta's troops have begun the 2025-26 season exceptionally. They currently top the Premier League charts, bagging 30 points after 13 games to hold a healthy five-point lead over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They have firmly established themselves as the team to beat in Europe at the moment, as evidenced by their 3-1 hammering of Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week. 

  However, Arteta and his players will be well aware of not paying heed to any labels or shouts terming them as the 'favourites' to win major silverware this season, even though there will undoubtedly be a lot of belief within the team that they can achieve magical things this season. 

  The 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday may not have proved that they can be easily beaten, but it definitely served a reminder that the seemingly unshakeable Arsenal team can be rattled. A lot of work is left to be done, but the early signs have been promising.

Antony has publicly apologised to Real Betis fans after being sent off towards the end of the weekend's La Liga draw against Girona. The former Manchester United winger accidentally struck an opponent in the face with his boot while trying to keep the ball alive with an overhead kick in the Girona penalty area. It’s one of the rare blots on his record since moving to the Andalucian club, initially on loan, last January.

Antony sees red after VAR check

At first, Antony was only shown a yellow card for the incident that saw his foot catch Girona defender Joel Roca. The Brazilian was guilty of a perhaps unnecessarily audacious attempt to put a bouncing ball back into the danger area as Real Betis pushed for a stoppage-time winner. But instead of recycling the chance for his team, Antony was too late to the ball after Roca headed it away first. The momentum of his swinging boot then struck the defender flush in the face and left him writhing on the floor in agony.

The incident was flagged by VAR and, having consulted the pitch-side monitor, on-field referee Iosu Galech Apezteguia decided to upgrade the original yellow card to a straight red.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesAntony 'sorry' over dismissal

Taking to social media in the wake of the game, Antony offered his sincere apology to Betis fans.

"Very sad about the red card. All I wanted was to help my team win," he said, hoping to justify what was clearly careless mistake, rather than a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent. "A completely unintentional move … sorry to all the fans that have always supported me."

Antony has 'matured significantly'

Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini has seen considerable growth in Antony – who rebuffed Bayern Munich in the summer in order to return to Los Verdiblancos – since he first rocked up on loan from Manchester United last January. His form in the second half of last season was enough for Betis to rejig their finances to facilitate a permanent transfer and Pellegrini remarked in September how pleased he is with the results.

"He's matured significantly, he's working really hard in games, with and without the ball, with 40-metre runs, changes up front, getting into the box, working on recovering," the ex-Manchester City and West Ham boss said at the time. "And that's what has helped him to make up for some of that lack of precision.

"I spoke with him before he came to Betis. He told me that he was not playing because he was not happy, but he had a lot of complaints about what he has done also. He wanted revenge, and here in Betis, I think he had it, and he did it in the way we know he can do, because it's not easy for you to play as a 100 million player. And Antony is a very good player. I am absolutely sure that this is a huge time for him here in Betis to help improve his career."

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Getty Images SportAntony suspension a blow for Real Betis

The Girona result was a missed opportunity for fifth-place Real Betis, with two dropped points against a team in the relegation zone to see the gap between them and La Liga's top four grow. In pursuit of Champions League qualification for the first time since competing in the 2005-06 group stage, the distance to Atletico Madrid in fourth is now a sizeable seven points.

But while the red card won't affect Antony's availability for this week's Europa League encounter with Dutch side Utrecht, which is a must-win game for ninth-place Betis against one of the competition's weaker teams to boost chances of a top-eight finish and automatic passage into the round of 16, he will have to serve a domestic ban.

The standard suspension for a straight red card in La Liga starts at just one game, but can be extended to three depending on the severity of the incident. It rules Antony out of at least the huge city derby on Sunday against Sevilla, who are struggling in mid-table but are expected to throw the form book out of the window.

Lunch Harry Brook launched an exhilarating counterattack to help England recover from the loss of two wickets on the fourth morning, keeping the fifth Test in the balance. India were on top when Mohammed Siraj trapped Ollie Pope lbw, leaving England 106 for 3 in pursuit of 374, but Brook and Joe Root added 58 in 10.3 overs to put their seamers back under pressure.Brook made the play, and was given a life on 19: he picked out long leg with a miscued pull off Prasidh Krishna, only for Siraj to step on the advertising toblerone on the boundary rope after completing the catch. He continued to attack, lashing Prasidh through cover and cutting him past gully having cracked back-to-back boundaries off Akash Deep’s previous over.It was Prasidh who struck the first blow of the morning, dangling a carrot outside off stump which Ben Duckett snatched at. He was drawn into driving at a fuller ball in the channel, and KL Rahul made a sharp chance at second slip look straightforward. India came out fired up, their close fielders vocal, and regularly beat the bat in the first hour.

Pope, England’s stand-in captain, hit three boundaries in an over off Prasidh to pass 300 runs for the series, but was trapped plumb in front by Siraj’s nip-backer and took a review with him. He has only reached 50 once since his first-innings century in Leeds, and incredibly, the 27 was his second-highest score in the fourth innings of a Test.Root started uncharacteristically skittishly, surviving a tight lbw shout from Prasidh, but steadily grew into his innings. He was happy to play in Brook’s slipstream, and is the key wicket for India as they bid to square the series.

Liverpool have lost three games in a row. It’s a marker of how high Anfield has risen over the past decades that this has been met with hysteria across England and dejection across the red halves of Merseyside streets.

By one point Liverpool trail Premier League pace-setters Arsenal, who have already been defeated by Arne Slot’s side this term. Liverpool have broken records with their spending across the summer transfer window, and they won the top-flight title at a canter last year.

But we can’t ignore the tactical imbalances and issues in bedding new players in. Teething problems have lingered far longer than anyone would have anticipated.

Many games have been entertaining, but Liverpool have lost the control and confidence they oozed throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Will Slot rekindle that flame? So many late goals across the past two months, flying both directions, is evidence that improvements are needed.

Defensively and in midfield, Slot’s side have left plenty to be desired. But they are also being let down up top, with the 33-year-old Mohamed Salah’s struggles telling of the need for a new right-sided forward.

Why Liverpool need to sign a Salah heir

Salah has entered his ninth campaign as a Liverpool player, but he has been part of the problem engulfing Slot’s side so far, scoring three goals and supplying three assists across all competitions but drifting through games and lacking even a small measure of his trademark vim and vigour.

Salah has seldom gone through dry spells in front of goal in the Premier League, but his last-minute penalty at Burnley is his only strike since the opening day win over Bournemouth.

Still, he’s one of the greatest forwards in the competition’s history, and the veteran will retain full confidence in his ability to return to form. He practically led Liverpool to the title last year, after all.

Alan Shearer

441

260

Harry Kane

320

213

Wayne Rooney

491

208

Mohamed Salah

308

188

Andy Cole

414

187

It’s painful to consider, but there is also the possibility that Liverpool have extended Salah’s contract by two years so that they can receive a payment from suitors in 2026. There’s a sizeable chance Saudi Arabian outfits will return for the Egyptian King at the end of the season, tempting him with a glinting late-career pay packet.

Should Salah leave, Liverpool will need a high-level replacement, and the English giants appear to have focused their sights on Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.

Well, if Spanish sources are correct, Liverpool have been informed by Bayern Munich that a bid worth €150m (£131m) could be enough to sign the 23-year-old next year. The Anfield side would rather pay closer to €100m (£86m) for Olise’s signature.

Olise was widely regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League when at Selhurst Park, and he has only improved since moving to the Bundesliga.

Though Bayern are looking to bank a pretty penny for the France international’s sale, FSG and Reds sporting director Richard Hughes has shown they are willing to break the bank for the right signing.

What Michael Olise would bring to Liverpool

Olise, crucially, is a proven Premier League star. He left Crystal Palace and signed for Bayern Munich during the summer of 2024 for about £50m, and that looks a real coup for the German giants.

Pundit Micah Richard remarked while Olise was an Eagle that he “is going to be a superstar”. Richards was right. Awe and adoration in south London has been transported and developed over in Germany, with Olise having hit 54 goal involvements from 65 matches with Die Roten, including five goals and six assists from just ten fixtures in 2025/26.

He doesn’t boast the same devastating goalscoring ability as Salah, but Liverpool’s summer investments in Isak and Hugo Ekitike tell of a goalscoring shift back to the centre. In other words, this is the perfect profile to replace the ageing winger at Liverpool, whose underlying metrics are not at the same level as Olise.

Goals scored

0.65

0.39

Assists

0.43

0.50

Shots taken

2.98

3.47

Shot-creating actions

3.85

6.56

Touches (att pen)

8.43

6.32

Pass completion (%)

70.2

80.7

Progressive passes

3.80

7.50

Progressive carries

4.00

5.02

Successful take-ons

1.15

2.48

Ball recoveries

3.00

3.81

Salah has not been at the races this season, but scaling it back across 12 months, the depth of Olise’s top form in Germany is emphasised.

Across all competitions, Liverpool’s star forward scored 34 goals and assisted 23 more, after all.

Olise hasn’t cracked the same clinical heights, but he is “one of the best talents in the world”, in the eyes of Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who helped take the ace’s game to the next level.

With Salah having completed only 13% of his dribbles in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, averaging a measly 0.9 successful ground duels per match too, there’s been little to write home about, and Slot’s hesitance to deploy Federico Chiesa or Jeremie Frimpong on the right during Liverpool’s big matches makes a telling comment on his thoughts about a big-money signing in the shape of Olise.

Might it be that Liverpool part with their club legend at the end of the season? The news that Hughes is already sounding out a move for an elite talent such as Olise highlights the desire to sign such a player.

And given that he knows the Premier League well, with 36 direct contributions in the competition, the young and ever-improving Olise may well be the perfect addition to ease the fateful day when Salah hangs up his Liverpool boots.

Klopp sold Liverpool star for £9.5m, now he's outperforming Salah & Wirtz

Liverpool must rue selling a star who is outplaying Florian Wirtz and playing like Mo Salah.

ByDan Emery Oct 6, 2025

After a stop-start opening to the season, Newcastle United finally appear to be finding rhythm.

Going into their recent home fixture, Eddie Howe’s side had one of the lowest expected goals tallies in the Premier League – a concerning figure for a team competing in the Champions League and aiming for another top-four push.

But after back-to-back victories, 4-0 against Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise and 2-0 at home to Nottingham Forest, the Magpies look revitalised.

The improvement has been clear. Six goals in two games without conceding is a sign that Newcastle are balancing both ends of the pitch.

The performances weren’t so emphatic as to raise expectations sky-high, but they were precisely the kind of controlled, confident displays Howe would have wanted.

And perhaps most impressively, they’ve come despite a growing injury list.

Both starting full-backs, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, face extended spells on the sidelines.

Fabian Schär, meanwhile, has only just returned from concussion, but his place in the starting XI is suddenly far from guaranteed.

That’s because his replacement, a £30m summer signing from AC Milan, has made a seamless transition into the side.

While the spotlight currently belongs to the man spearheading Newcastle’s attack, it may be their new defender who turns out to be “one of the signings of the summer.”

Why Woltemade is the man of the moment

Nick Woltemade’s arrival at St James’ Park was met with curiosity.

The 23-year-old German forward joined from Werder Bremen after scoring 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances.

He caught the eye of Bayern Munich, who saw three bids rejected.

Instead, it was Howe who convinced the towering 1.98m striker that Newcastle was the right place to continue his development.

Since then, the attacker has been nothing short of transformative.

He opened his account on his home debut against Wolves, before adding further goals against Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Nottingham Forest – where he rifled a superb penalty into the top corner to round off the win.

His blend of physical presence, link-up play, and calm finishing has quickly made him a fan favourite on Tyneside.

In Sunday’s match against Forest, he was unlucky not to score more than once, denied by the post and an inspired Matz Sels performance.

When he left the field, the Gallowgate End rose to its feet, chanting his name in unison.

Unfortunately, illness has ruled him out of the current international break – though Howe will secretly be pleased to keep his new talisman fresh and close to home.

With Yoane Wissa yet to feature for Newcastle, Woltemade’s form and fitness are paramount.

His early-season output has quelled doubts about Newcastle’s attacking fluency and offered a glimpse into Howe’s evolving system – one that relies less on chaos and more on control.

Yet while the German striker’s goals are making headlines, another of the club’s summer signings is quietly redefining their defensive stability.

Newcastle's real signing of the summer

Woltemade’s impact on this Newcastle side has been eye-catching. On the contrary, Malick Thiaw’s introduction to English football has been understated but immaculate.

The 24-year-old centre-back arrived from AC Milan for £30m after two standout seasons in Serie A, where he made 85 appearances.

His profile – composed, progressive, and powerful – fits seamlessly into Howe’s tactical blueprint.

Statistically, Thiaw’s impact has been immense. Compared to positional peers in the Premier League, he ranks in the 95th percentile among his positional peers for pass completion (93.2%) and in the 85th percentile for progressive passes per 90 (4.86).

That ability to initiate play from deep has added an extra layer of composure to Newcastle’s build-up.

Ground Duels Won

1

Aerial Duels Won

4

Clearances

8

Interceptions

1

Dribbled Past

0

What stands out most is his calmness under pressure – his close control, his knack for turning out of tight spaces, and his confidence stepping into midfield to progress the ball.

For a defender still adjusting to the physicality of the Premier League, his transition has been remarkably smooth.

Thiaw’s partnership with Sven Botman has all the makings of a long-term defensive axis for Newcastle.

Both are young, technically gifted, and dominant in the air. Together, they could form one of the most balanced and forward-thinking centre-back pairings in the division.

For Howe, who knows the importance of rotation with European fixtures piling up, Thiaw’s arrival is more than just depth.

The German brings a level of assurance that allows Newcastle to play higher, press smarter, and retain control in matches that once felt frantic.

While Woltemade’s early-season exploits deserve every bit of praise they’ve received, the real signing of the summer might just be standing behind him.

90-touch Newcastle ace is now as undroppable as Bruno Guimaraes & Woltemade

Newcastle United secured a vital 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 5, 2025