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In light of Saturday's FA Cup final, GOAL pick an African Dream Team to have won football's oldest club competition

GettyBruce Grobbelaar

Africa has not produced many goalkeepers who have had as much success around the world as Grobbelaar.

The Zimbabwe keeper was very successful during his time at Liverpool, and in a career that spanned over 600 games, he won six league titles, three FA Cup winner’s medals and a European Cup.

He will cherish his 1989 FA Cup medal in particular, as a tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans who were killed in the Hillsborough disaster earlier that season. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLauren

Lauren was an outstanding defender and a crucial member of Arsenal’s Invincibles team that went the entire 2003/04 season unbeaten.

The Cameroonian was often referred to as the Gunners’ unsung hero during his time at the club, and walked away with a Premier League double, three FA Cup medals, and two Community Shield trophies.

He also enoyed a superb international career with the Indomitable Lions. 

Getty ImagesKolo Toure

Toure was a defensive stalwart in England for more than a decade, winning trophies with Arsenal and Manchester City.

He won the FA Cup three times, two with the Gunners and one at City, and enjoyed great success in North London as a member of the 2004 Invincibles squad. 

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(C)Getty ImagesJoel Matip

The Cameroon centre-back steps into our African Dream XI of African winners after clinching the cup with Liverpool on Saturday.

He was introduced as a substitute during the contest, and helped the Reds keep the European champions at bay before they won it on penalties.

The dust has settled on the 2018 blockbuster in Russia, so Goal takes a look at who could light up the next tournament in Qatar

France are the 2018 world champions, while Luka Modric and Kylian Mbappe have been crowned the best player and best young star of the World Cup in Russia. But who will earn the acclaim when the jamboree moves on to Qatar four years from now?

Many of the nations who took part this year have further talents to get excited about seeing in the years to come, while there are plenty coming through with those countries who didn't make it to Russia.

So here Goal looks at 15 players who could well make a lasting first appearance at a World Cup finals tournament at the next event in 2022.

Getty ImagesYacine Adli (France)

If you thought 2018 winners France were loaded with talent, the bad news for the rest of the world is that there are more high-calibre players to come in four years’ time.

Dynamic midfielder Yacine Adli is one such star of the future, having already made his Ligue 1 debut in the final game of Paris Saint-Germain’s 2017-18 season.

New Arsenal boss Unai Emery had been hopeful of taking Adli with him to north London but the 17-year-old has belief in his ability to break through at the Parc des Princes.

AdvertisementGettyHoussem Aouar (France)

With Liverpool and Barcelona among those said to be tracking his progress, it is fair to say that Houssem Aouar is already making a name for himself in the European game.

A regular starter for Lyon last season when still only 19, the midfielder has the versatility to potentially make him a key member of the France squad heading to Qatar to defend their title.

At home in the centre of midfield, he can also fill the No.10 slot or play off the wing.

TélamSantiago Ascacibar (Argentina)

One of the most glaring elements of Argentina’s failure to recreate their run of 2014 with another final appearance in Russia was Javier Mascherano’s decline in the centre of midfield.

But now that the former Barcelona man has announced his international retirement, the new Albiceleste coach could look to build his side around Stuttgart’s Santiago Ascacibar instead.

The 21-year-old has the quality and discipline to carry out the role at the base of the midfield, which would allow Argentina to regain some control in the engine room.

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Getty ImagesJosip Brekalo (Croatia)

For some, Croatia’s run to the World Cup final is the peak of their possibilities. But with players of the quality of Josip Brekalo still to break in to the senior side, there is plenty of hope for the future.

The 20-year-old attacker spent 2017 with Stuttgart and was such a success that Wolfsburg recalled him early from his loan spell in January of this year.

With the ability to play anywhere across the attacking midfield line, Brekalo offers the kind of versatility that national coaches love in their squads.

Gremio boss Renato Gaucho admits it “will take a miracle” for his side to prevent Luis Suarez leaving for a reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

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Uruguayan striker in Brazil for nowSet to leave at the end of the yearReady to join all-time great in FloridaWHAT HAPPENED?

The veteran Uruguayan striker is in Brazil at present, but has been cleared to see his contract brought to a close at the end of the calendar year. The expectation is that Suarez will pack his bags at that point and head to the United States.

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Inter Miami have made no secret of their interest in the former Liverpool and Barcelona frontman, with another familiar face set to be slotted into their squad alongside eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi – with deals having already been done for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

WHAT THEY SAID

Gaucho sees Suarez heading for MLS, telling reporters after watching the 36-year-old net the only goal of the game for Gremio in their 1-0 win over Bahia: “It will take a miracle [for Suarez to stay]. He already has plans for 2024. He made that clear a few months ago and I’m not expecting a miracle. It’s his decision. I’d like him to stay, but we have to be honest with our fans. If he ends up staying, it’ll be a miracle, and that miracle comes down to him.”

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Suarez is expected to agree a deal with Inter Miami ahead of the 2024 MLS season, allowing him to take on another new challenge in a career that has already taken him from Uruguay to Brazil via the Netherlands, England and Spain.

Mominul Haque and Tamim Iqbal exhibited patience and character to shore up Bangladesh, and by the end of the day secure a 114-run lead

The Report by Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMominul Haque was part of a record third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh•AFPSmart stats

Mominul Haque became only the second Bangladesh batsman after Tamim Iqbal to hit centuries in two consecutive Tests. Tamim hit two hundreds in consecutive Tests against England in 2010.

Mominul’s 376 runs in this series are the highest by a Bangladesh batsman in a two-match Test series and the second highest ever by a Bangladesh batsman in any Test series. He is just four runs short of beating the 379 runs that Habibul Bashar scored in a three-Test series against Pakistan in 2003.

The 157-run partnership between Mominul and Tamim was Bangladesh’s highest for the third wicket in Tests.

Tamim faced 218 deliveries for his 70 runs in this innings; this was his slowest innings of fifty-plus runs in terms of strike-rate.

This was only the seventh instance of Bangladesh scoring 200 or more runs before the fall of their third wicket in a Test innings.

The unbeaten 57-run partnership between Mominul and Shakib Al Hasan was Bangladesh’s tenth fifty-plus partnership of the series. This equals Bangladesh’s record for the most fifty-plus partnership in a series. Before this, Bangladesh had ten fifty-plus partnership in a home-series against England in 2010.

Mominul Haque and Tamim Iqbal exhibited patience and character to shore up Bangladesh, and by the end of the day the home side had secured a handy 114-run lead in Mirpur. Mominul remained unbeaten on 126 after raising his second successive Test century.The pair chipped away at the 155-run deficit, and in the process laid to rest the unsettling trend of Bangladesh batsmen throwing their wickets away in the third innings of a Test match. Their record 157-run partnership for the third wicket ensured New Zealand were chasing the game at the end of the fourth day. Though the stand was broken in the final hour of play, Mominul will have the company of Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh head into the final day’s play.New Zealand made a promising start, but were unable to replicate their discipline from the first innings. Neil Wagner ran in hard and had both Anamul Haque and Marshall Ayub caught in the slips. On their first full day fielding under the Dhaka sun, he and his fellow seamers struggled to put pressure on the batsmen. The fielders were running low on energy as well, exemplified by Ish Sodhi’s keeling over on the boundary in the 66th over, and letting a cut from Mominul go through him.Tamim and Mominul hardly forced the issue, their interest fixed on orthodox Test match batting, extending the bowlers’ wait for a mistake. There were occasions when Mominul showcased his dominance from the first Test when he scored 181. New Zealand had not learned from Chittagong and continued to be either too short or too full, especially outside the off-stump and Mominul took full advantage, and became only the second batsman from Bangladesh to score back-to-back Test hundreds.More than his shots or the milestone, Mominul’s calm in trying conditions – exhibited best when he wasn’t flustered despite being stuck on 99 for ten deliveries – caught the eye. Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, packed the off side and asked his bowlers to bowl wide of the off stump, trying to prey on the batsman’s nerves. Mominul did play away from his body twice, but would not be tempted when McCullum ran up and had a word with him. He waited, and when the ball was pitched up, drove straight, to collect the four that gave him a second Test century.He found excellent support in Tamim, who played within himself and concentrated on preserving his wicket, as would be expected of a senior batsman. He struck just four boundaries in his 218-ball innings. This was his second slowest fifty and has never scored so many runs with so few boundaries. The last time it happened was in Colombo on a thick, grassy outfield in March. He was careful with balls outside off stump, reining in his usually extravagant cover drives, and collecting his runs by tucking the bowlers on the leg side when the bowlers strayed on his pads. He looked gutted when Ross Taylor leapt up and clung safely to a top-edged cut, lingering before making the walk back.In the morning, New Zealand could only add 18 runs to their overnight total as they were bowled out for 437. Ish Sodhi was slow to react to BJ Watling’s call for a single and Mominul Haque scored a direct hit to break the 93-run ninth wicket stand.There were no heroics from the tenth-wicket stand, as Boult was trapped leg before by Abdur Razzak two overs after the ninth wicket fell.Shakib was the better of the two left-arm spinners though, finishing with 5 for 103 while Razzak took two for 96 in 23 overs. Debutant seamer Al-Amin Hossain and Nasir Hossain took a wicket each but Sohag Gazi and Rubel Hossain remained wicketless.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said Shakib Al Hasan’s participation in this season’s Big Bash League is all but confirmed

Mohammad Isam02-Dec-2014BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said Shakib Al Hasan’s participation in this season’s Big Bash League is all but confirmed. Hasan said the decision to overturn the embargo on his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) will be made official on Thursday after collecting the board members’ signatures over the next two days.Three weeks ago, Hassan had said Shakib was close to regaining his NOC for showing “leadership skills” in the Test series against Zimbabwe. Now he said Shakib would get a decision in time to find a Big Bash team, ahead of the tournament that begins on December 18. Shakib has played two Big Bash matches for Adelaide Strikers in the 2013-14 season.”I think we will get a decision by tomorrow since our board meeting is still some time away,” Hassan said. “I have spoken to Shakib even today. We will get everyone’s signatures by tomorrow. I am going abroad tonight, will return on Thursday. We are not making the decision in the meeting.”We already got most of the directors’ verbal decisions. We have some left. We will make an official decision on Thursday when I arrive at the airport. If it was my decision, I would have said he can play [in the Big Bash]. But the board takes the decision. I don’t have the right to give the decision on my own. But since we are taking a board decision, we don’t want to take it without prolonged discussion among ourselves.”On July 7, Shakib was banned for six months and told he wouldn’t be granted an NOC to play in overseas competitions until the end of 2015. He was punished for “serious misbehaviour” with Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh coach, and an altercation with a spectator during the first ODI against India in Mirpur.On August 26, the BCB reduced his ban by three a half months, letting him play from September 15. Shakib was then made vice-captain for the ODI series against Zimbabwe. He was man of the series in the Tests against Zimbabwe and played a stellar role in Bangladesh’s 5-0 ODI series win.

Amol Muzumdar has called time on a 21-year domestic career

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-20145:21

Who you play for doesn’t matter, giving your best does – Muzumdar

Former Mumbai batsman Amol Muzumdar has called time on a 21-year domestic career, during which he became one of the highest run-getters in the Ranji Trophy. Following 15 years with Mumbai, Muzumdar moved to Assam in 2009 and later to Andhra. He amassed 11167 runs from 171 first-class matches, with 30 centuries.Sanjay Patel, the BCCI secretary, called Muzumdar “one of the finest batsmen produced by the country.”Muzumdar, 39, was handed the captaincy of the Mumbai Ranji team in 2006-07 and overturned a poor start to lead the side to the title. He was unable to break into the national side despite stellar credentials in domestic cricket. He has, however, had a stint with Netherlands as their batting coach.Muzumdar began his first-class career with an unbeaten 260 against Haryana in the 1993-94 Ranji pre-quarterfinal, and kept putting up the runs for Mumbai season after season. He claimed the record for the top-run scorer in Ranji Trophy in 2009, but that record has since passed to Wasim Jaffer in 2012. His List A numbers are also steady with 3286 from 113 matches, including three centuries and 26 half-centuries.He went on to win eight Ranji titles with Mumbai. However, Muzumdar was competing for a middle-order slot in an India team that was quite full with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

Australia are privately fuming but biting hard on their tongues and declining to express any public anger over the reprieve of Stuart Broad

Daniel Brettig and George Dobell at Trent Bridge12-Jul-2013Australia are privately fuming but biting hard on their tongues and declining to express any public anger over the reprieve of Stuart Broad after the umpire Aleem Dar failed to detect a thick edge to slip from the bowling of Ashton Agar.In the second major umpiring controversy in successive days at Trent Bridge, England were only 232 ahead when Broad stood his ground. Australia’s players reacted with considerable dismay at the decision, which they could not refer to the third umpire after using up their DRS allocation earlier in the day.Broad was still in occupation alongside Ian Bell at the close, by which time the hosts’ lead had reached 261. While the players’ immediate response on the field was plain, and the coach Darren Lehmann made his displeasure plain on the dressing room balcony, the fast bowler Peter Siddle did his best to avoid critiques of Broad, the umpires or the current protocols for the use of technology, saying only that he had only seen a bigger edge not given out “in the backyard maybe off my brother”.”How many people have ever walked? Some. That’s right, some,” Siddle said. “At the end of day it’s the umpires’ decision. The umpires make the decision and players stick with it. We just went about it. You finish the over and go through to the next over. If you watched out there, there wasn’t a big deal made of it. We got stuck in and just kept working to get the wicket.’I don’t see bowlers asking you back’

“The review system was brought in to get rid of the howler, I don’t see why umpire Dar couldn’t have had someone is his ear saying you’ve got that one wrong let’s just overturn that quickly. This has been a terrific game but I think a lot will be talked about that incident, which is sad.” – Michael Vaughan

“DRS was brought in to correct obviously wrong decisions and that is how captains should use it. Alastair Cook does just that, he is very sparing with it, and hopefully Michael Clarke does the same after this. To me, it has to be the umpire [fault]. A player is allowed to stand his ground. If Australia had one appeal left, Broad would have walked. The fact there was no referral left, he left it up to the umpire.” – Glenn McGrath

“The rules say that it’s ‘in the opinion of the umpire’ so it’s above things like ‘The Spirit of the Game’. I don’t see bowlers asking you back when the ball is sliding down leg. There is no debate, it’s quite simple. The Australians I have played with and have watched, with the exception of Adam Gilchrist, believe in standing and it’s up to the umpire to give you out – there shouldn’t be a morale argument. They should be upset, disappointed and angered by the umpires. If they keep making poor decisions, it’s up to the ICC to do something about it.” – Geoff Boycott

“He (Dar) always gets the crucial decisions wrong & always has, that’s why he’s not a great umpire! We all make mistakes & it’s a very tough job being an umpire, but when Dar continually makes crucial mistakes why does he keep getting a gig?” – Shane Warne on Twitter

“Obviously people are going to be frustrated but it’s hard out there for players, for umpires. It’s a long day, it’s a tough day for people out there. Things are going to happen and we just have to deal with it. That’s just a part of the game and spectators have to understand that – that there are times when things like that happen. Obviously it’s a long day and it’s hard for everyone involved. We can’t be blaming anyone.”Siddle’s acceptance of Broad’s failure to walk – common practice in professional cricket for a generation and more – was in contrast to howls of outrage on social media sites and from media commentators, many of who judged Broad’s behaviour as immoral and unsporting.Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler, contended that Broad’s behaviour was comparable to that of the West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who falsely claimed a catch against Pakistan in a Champions Trophy match at The Oval in London last month. Ramdin was banned for two one-day games by the ICC match referee, who happened to be Broad’s father, Chris.”What Stuart Broad did amounts to the same thing as Ramdin,” Holding told Sky TV. “He knew he had hit the ball. The ICC fined Ramdin and suspended him for ‘actions that were contrary to the spirit of the game’. What Stuart Broad did is contrary to the spirit of the game. He played the ball and stayed there.”The day after England sought clarification from the ICC following a Hot Spot operator error that contributed to Jonathan Trott’s lbw dismissal, Dar’s howler was not referred to technology that would have picked up the mistake because Australia no longer had any recourse to do so. Umpires do have the right to refer some decisions themselves if in doubt, but for now are limited to low catches and bump balls. Dar’s refusal of Australia’s appeal was as unequivocal as it was mistaken”You can’t do anything about that,” Siddle said of the burned referrals. “You use them because you think you’re going to get a result early on and you don’t. You can’t just hold them and put them in the back pocket and say ‘I’m going to get one in the afternoon’ and save it for that. You use them when you think there’s a chance of getting a wicket and that’s what they’re there for.”For their part, England stood by the view that Broad was well within his rights to stand and wait for Dar’s decision. It is debatable whether he would have done so had Australia still been able to use a video referral, but his team-mate Kevin Pietersen did not think Broad should have taken any other action in the circumstances.”Each and every player who plays for their country, their club side, for their franchise or their county has the opportunity to wait for the decision the umpire makes and you respect the umpire’s decision,” Pietersen said. “We play hard. We play fair and each individual has the responsibility and makes the judgement if he will wait for the umpire’s decision. Aleem Dar is a fantastic umpire and he has been rated one of the best umpires in world cricket over the last few years. Wait and respect his decision.”Contrary to reports, no apology has been forthcoming from the ICC to the ECB regarding the Trott decision on the second day.

West Ham manager David Moyes was encouraged by Kalvin Phillips' performance despite the midfielder's red card against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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Phillips sent off in Forest defeatMoyes pleased with performanceTold England man to 'keep going'GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Hammers crashed to a 2-0 defeat with their Manchester City loanee sent off after picking up two bookings in quick succession with his team trailing by a goal. Pundits and fans were quick to direct their ire at Phillips, who has endured a difficult start to his spell at West Ham, committing costly errors in his first two appearances then featuring in the second half of last weekend's thrashing by Arsenal. Despite the latest setback, Moyes saw some positives from Phillips on the 70 minutes before his dismissal.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT DAVID MOYES SAID ABOUT KALVIN PHILLIPS

"I thought for long periods he played well today," Moyes told after the game. "I though Kalvin played well. It looks like he's had a bad start and that adds to it a little bit but overall his performance today was good with just a couple of small incidents.

"I've watched him gain 50 or 60 caps for England, play incredibly well for Leeds United and get a huge transfer to Manchester City. So he's not a bad player, he probably just needs to get back on it and keep going and today he played well."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Moyes made the point that Phillips' second yellow card was harsh and it's hard to not feel a shred of sympathy for the player who played a key role in Marcelo Bielsa's thrilling Leeds revival before being picked up by City with a view to becoming an established part of Pep Guardiola's midfield.

Phillips spoke earlier this week about his sadness at being frozen out at the Etihad and it seems his lacking of playing time is now being punished ruthlessly before he can shake any of that rust off.

West Ham's alarming dip in form has seen them go eight games without a win. And the Hammers fans' frustrations with Moyes has not provided the calmest of environments for Phillips to play his way back into form.

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WHAT NEXT FOR DAVID MOYES AND WEST HAM?

The suspended Phillips will have to sit on the sidelines once again when West Ham seek their first win of 2024 against Brentford at the London Stadium on February 26.

Sri Lanka’s major battle in Chittagong will be in the mind, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said, as his team prepares to pursue their first away series victory since 2008, which had also come against Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Chittagong03-Feb-2014Sri Lanka’s major battle in Chittagong will be in the mind, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said, as his team prepares to pursue their first away series victory since 2008, which had also come against Bangladesh. Four times since July 2010, Sri Lanka have allowed an opposition to level the series after heading into the final match with a 1-0 lead.”The mental approach is going to be very important in this game,” Mathews said. “If we play the same way we played in the first Test, we will probably win. But it’s a fresh wicket, fresh start, fresh conditions and we’ll probably try to adapt as quickly as possible and perform as well as we’d like to. It was a great inspiration for all of us to win by an innings and 248 runs. The guys are really looking forward to going out and doing a great job.”Ajantha Mendis is almost certain to play after Rangana Herath’s problematic knee flared up, leaving him in serious doubt for the match. Mendis had been viewed as a limited-overs specialist before this tour, but Mathews said he could be effective in Tests, despite a tapering off of his results in that format. Mendis averaged 18.28 on his last visit to Bangladesh in 2008, but has only averaged less than 40 in one of eight series since then.”All players have a bit of a rough patch as their career goes on. Mendis had a bit of a rough patch in he past, but he’s bowling brilliantly and he’s back in form. He’ll be a good candidate to play if Herath doesn’t pull up tomorrow.”Mathews echoed Kumar Sangakkara’s sentiments that Sri Lanka expected stiffer fight from Bangladesh in this match, than they had encountered in Mirpur. Sri Lanka finished that game with four full sessions still to play. “Bangladesh have not got anything to lose and they’ll come back hard at us, so we’ve got to accept the challenge. It’s their own conditions and they play well at home, so we’ll expect a good challenge from them and we’ll play our brand of cricket to try and win the game.”Sangakkara had also said Sri Lanka’s short-ball bowling plan from the first Test may not be effective on the Chittagong surface, and Mathews agreed, hinting that spinners may be the major threat. “The wicket looks very good. You can’t predict it 100%, but it might get slower and lower as the Test match goes on. At least the first couple of days will be good for batting.”

The intensity of Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal’s toil in the first Test against Pakistan has moved Mahela Jayawardene to mark them out as future matchwinners for Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Dubai06-Jan-2014It is a rare match in which a Sri Lanka fast bowler delivers more than 40 overs, but the intensity of Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal’s toil in the first Test has moved Mahela Jayawardene to mark them out as future matchwinners for Sri Lanka. Eranga and Lakmal bowled 41 and 46 overs respectively, sharing six wickets evenly between them.Each bowler delivered several spells without success, but they maintained exacting discipline and pace during lengthy occupations of the bowling crease. Their first-innings efforts were particularly notable as they combined mild movement with accuracy to help keep Pakistan’s scoring rate under three an over on a good batting track.”Really happy about the way we came back in that Test,” Jayawardene said. “We knew that there would be something in the pitch in the first innings, when we were out cheaply, and our fast bowlers were very good. This is the first time two fast bowlers bowled this well for us in a long time. If we can help develop those two guys, I don’t think it will be hard to win overseas Tests in the future. Shaminda and Suranga both bowled really well.”Sri Lanka’s batsmen, meanwhile had kept Saeed Ajmal wicketless for 49 overs in the second dig. Ajmal had never before bowled more than 20 overs without a breakthrough in the second innings, and Jayawardene suggested familiarity with Ajmal’s bowling had earned Sri Lanka an edge that may prove definitive in the coming matches. This is Sri Lanka’s fifth Test series against Pakistan in the past five years.”We’ve played a lot of cricket against Saeed Ajmal. He’s a trump bowler for his team, and we knew that if we batted well against him, we could remove that threat to some extent. The younger players batted really well against him, so hopefully we can continue that. That said, he is a very good bowler. There’s a chance he can take wickets against us at any moment, but if we play him like we did in the first match and also play the quicks well, there’s a good chance for us to win the series. We won the last series against Pakistan 1-0 in Sri Lanka by sticking to similar plans.”Jayawardene said Sri Lanka were pleased with the draw in Abu Dhabi, but said they would need to sustain the batsmen’s form to earn a better result in Dubai.”It’s really important that we did well in the first match, having not played Tests in for so long. To be in such a bad situation against Pakistan and then to come back was really good. We got back into the game and that’s what Test cricket is about. Different things happen on different days. When we are behind, we have to show a little character and we did that, even turning it into a potentially winning situation.”But it’s important to realise that’s over now, and we have to go and look at this next pitch and start again. If we do that, and keep to the plans that we’ll devise, it shouldn’t be hard to win here.”