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With Russell Martin now confirmed as the new manager of Southampton, the club can begin their quest to get back to Premier League football.

The boss has wasted no time in adding to the squad, as the Saints sealed their first signing of the summer, Derrick Abu from Chelsea, following his recent release from Stamford Bridge.

Who is Derrick Abu?

The right-back was noticed by Chelsea after representing grassroots side Coezer FC at a tournament in Spain and was scouted by the Blues at U11 level. He then signed a scholarship with the West Londoners in 2020, before signing professional terms in February 2021.

Then in April 2023, he went on trial with fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace, scoring the winning penalty in a 5-3 shootout victory against Valencia in the Premier League International Cup semi-final. Two months ago, it was announced that Abu would leave the club upon the expiration of his contract, which has allowed the south coast side to pounce.

Despite a short-lived career with Chelsea, he still managed 37 appearances for the U18s and U21s, with seven goal contributions.

As well as his footballing endeavours, the buzzing prodigy has also made a name for himself under the alias ‘Cho$en’ and spoken on his mentality, saying: “I am always trying to get my body in the right shape as well as being prepared mentally as there are a lot of games to be played.

“The coaching team in all the age groups I play in have shown a lot of faith in my talents and as a player that can only help you to achieve your goals and the team's goals."

He has supported his hard-working mentality through an obvious technical impudence, as noted by the Daily Echo’s Reece Barrett, who said: “Abu is an attacking-minded player with lightning-fast acceleration and natural crossing ability.

“Pacey, strong first touch but had his path to the first team blocked due to Chelsea having so many elite full-backs.

“His first-touch crossing is brilliant for a player of his age, and has sparked comparisons of his playing style to Trent Alexander-Arnold. He has also said that he has tried to model his game off of legendary La Liga full-backs Marcelo and Dani Alves.”

Alongside Abu, the returning Nathan Tella will also be a huge boost to Southampton, after the 24-year-old enjoyed a sensational loan spell at Burnley last season. With the pair both capable pf playing down the right-hand side, it could be berth of a brand new and exciting partnership at St Mary's.

The Clarets cantered to the Championship title as Tella scored 17 goals, including two hat-tricks, to cement himself as the club’s top scorer in a phenomenal season.

Vincent Kompany was one admirer, saying of the star’s quality: “I still call him a raw diamond. As you can see, he is still progressing.

"He has been doing really well and before anything else, I must mention his effort. It's so important to point that out.

"He has goalscoring ability but many with that ability don't put the work in for the team but he does. He has all the tools and helps us in so many ways, not just goalscoring."

A new era is brewing at Saint Mary’s Stadium, which Abu and Tella could be huge features within, just waiting to take the Championship by storm in a bid to reach the Premier League again.

The Dhaka Premier League’s relegation battle ended early, with Partex and Victoria Sporting Club confirmed to go down

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Partex captain Irfan Sukkur was one of only three batsmen to reach double figures•BCB

Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity confirmed their stay in next season’s Dhaka Premier League with an eight-wicket win over Partex Sporting Club in the first relegation play-off game at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Khelaghar moved to eight points, meaning both Victoria Sporting Club and Partex, who are on two points each, were relegated to the Dhaka First Division Cricket League. The remaining relegation playoffs will now be formalities.Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam took six wickets for just 18 runs from his 9.1 overs as Partex were shot out for just 73 runs in 25.1 overs. Tanvir’s figures were the best by a bowler in this year’s DPL, which also saw Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Abu Hider and Arafat Sunny take six-wicket hauls.Only three batsmen – captain Irfan Sukkur, Jubair Ahmed and Nuruzzaman Masum – reached double figures for Partex who had elected to bat. Khelaghar only needed three batsmen to reach double-figures as they completed the second-shortest chase in Bangladesh’s List A history; Robiul Islam Robi’s 34 led the chase which they completed in 15.1 overs, with 209 balls to spare.

After speaking with Steven Smith at tea, Nathan Lyon settled on a tactic of coming over the wicket to Ajinkya Rahane and varying the pace of his deliveries, notably darting through a greater number of quicker balls

Melinda Farrell in Dharamsala26-Mar-2017Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon has said a change in tactics following a brief discussion with captain Steven Smith helped him claim the four-wicket haul that was key to Australia’s fightback, after India’s batsmen started strongly on the second day of the Dharamsala Test.While Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins bowled excellent spells of pace and accuracy and took one wicket apiece, India had accumulated 153 runs for the loss of their openers by tea, and had Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane looking settled at the crease.Lyon, however, finding more of the bounce that suits his bowling in Australia, had Pujara caught at short leg off a ripping offbreak and, four overs later, foxed Karun Nair with sharp turn and bounce to give Australia a chance of maintaining a first-innings lead.After speaking with Smith at tea, Lyon settled on a tactic of coming over the wicket to Rahane and varying the pace of his deliveries, notably darting through a greater number of quicker balls. It worked: Rahane edged a fuller delivery to Smith, who took a sharp catch at first slip, soon after play resumed.”It was a bit of a tactic, I guess,” Lyon said. “I spoke to Steve Smith about that at tea time and I was pretty happy with the way it came out in the end.”If you look at the way the Indians have been playing me, especially Ajinkya, he’s been sweeping me a lot and my plan was to come over the wicket and try and get him not to sweep me. So, I could bring in my stock ball, which is more effective, and it worked quite well.”Lyon rounded off his haul when he trapped R Ashwin lbw and, with India 52 runs short of Australia’s first innings tally and with four wickets in hand, there seems to be little separating the sides in this deciding Test. Lyon, however, described Australia’s position as “quite positive”.”I reckon it’s an unbelievable feeling to be pretty evenly poised after day two,” Lyon said. “I know we probably left a few runs out there but to have the Indians six down for 240 odd after a pretty good day in the field, I was quite happy to be honest.”I think coming over here everyone wrote us off and to be in this position in the last Test, one all, and pressure slightly on India, I reckon that’s fantastic.”While Lyon didn’t think the conditions had changed dramatically, he did believe the pitch offered a little more variation as the day wore on and, with cracks also opening up on the pitch, he expected batting to be very tough for India in the fourth innings.”Hopefully it’s going to be a massive challenge for them, but that really depends on how long we bat for and how many runs we can set them,” he said. “But whatever we set India, that’s going to have to be enough for us.”We believe we’re good enough, it’s going to be good fun and a good challenge for us.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in a La Liga ace, if reports regarding their transfer activities are to be believed.

With the transfer window officially opening yesterday, Julen Lopetegui faces the challenge of making adequate reinforcements to his side white adhering to financial constraints following Wolves’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns.

Putting financial woes aside, Molineux could see a new face this summer, with the latest link posing as a significant upgrade to Lopetegui’s current midfield.

What’s the latest on Geoffrey Kondogbia to Wolves?

As reported earlier this week by Turkish outlet Taktik Mania (via journalist Berk Bekgoz), Wolves are expected to ‘meet with’ Atletico Madrid ace Geoffrey Kondogbia.

The news was relayed by Express and Star Wolves correspondent Liam Keen, who stated that the club are ‘considering’ making a move for the 30-year-old.

Links between the club and the player have been ongoing since January, as revealed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who claimed the Midlands club approached Kondogbia during the winter window.

What could Geoffrey Kondogbia offer to Wolves?

Ranking in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe in terms of interceptions made per 90 (2.41), the Central African Republic international has maintained his status as one of the stand-out defensive midfielders.

Despite only making 10 starts for Atletico this season in LaLiga, the 30-year-old powerhouse has kept his form intact, as shown by his high average of 62% of total duels won in the competition with an average of 3.8 per game, via Sofascore.

With 397 professional appearances under his belt, via Transfermarkt, the midfielder’s vast experience could be vital for Lopetegui’s midfield that will be forced into transitioning to cover the vacancy left behind by departing stalwart Joao Moutinho.

The Portuguese veteran has played his final season at Molineux following the expiration of his contract, after spending five years at the club.

Having been hailed as a ‘midfield maestro’ by his club, the 36-year-old will be sorely missed in the Midlands, however, his on-field efforts could be taken over by the capable hands of Kondogbia.

The £107k-per-week machine, who was once lauded as “world-class” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has operated at a more impressive level than the departing star as told when comparing their statistics over the past year.

As per FBref, the Atletico brute averages 3.51 tackles per 90 with Moutinho falling short of the Molineux target in this area with an average of 2.58 per 90.

A similar pattern is highlighted in their passing attributes, with the Nemours-born star maintaining an audacious pass completion rate of 88.7% with an average of 61.71 passes attempted per 90, via FBref.

To put into perspective the calibre of player Wolves could replace the Portuguese legend with, Moutinho averages only 53.44 attempted passes per 90, with a completion rate of 80.4%.

Lopetegui may not have the capacity to spend big this summer, given the club's FFP issues, but Fosun and co must aim to make improvements after a disappointing campaign that steered towards relegation at times.

The Spanish head coach could, therefore, replenish his midfield following Moutinho’s departure with the experience and quality of Kondogbia.

GOAL tells you everything you need to know about the new season, including which superstars have joined Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East…

Pep Guardiola knows a thing or two about spending sprees, so when the manager of Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City says that Europe's elite clubs "need to be aware of what's happening" in the Saudi Pro League, you can be sure that something seriously significant is going down.

As the Catalan has correctly pointed out, the SPL has "changed the transfer market" this summer, paying one inflated transfer fee after another for players convinced to move to the Middle East by stunning salaries. As Odion Ighalo put it when asked why he and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo are in Saudi Arabia, "It's for money, bro."

The reasoning has been obvious from the start, though. The real interest lies in whether it's sustainable. It obviously is from a financial perspective. Saudi Arabian clubs have deep pockets, particularly Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal – who have just been taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund in a clear attempt to create a 'Big Four'.

The historic spending spree that has followed has undeniably captured the attention of the footballing world – the question now is whether the SPL can keep a hold of it. An entertaining and competitive 2023-24 campaign would certainly help in that regard, with the emphasis on the new arrivals to not only elevate the standard of play but also make new fans out of the many interested overseas observers.

So, what can we expect from the new season? And who's likely to come out on top? GOAL tells you everything you need to know below…

GettyAl-Ittihad

Al-Ittihad are the reigning champions and obvious favourites to win this season's title after a very productive summer. After all, Nuno Espirito Santo had already turned them into the most well-balanced team in the Pro League. They scored 60 goals last season – only Ronaldo's Al-Nassr managed more – but conceded just 13.

It's not difficult, then, to see the champions being even better in 2023-24, with N'Golo Kante and Fabinho having arrived to give even greater protection to the backline, and current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema set to spearhead an attack that has also been bolstered by the signing of former Celtic winger Jota, who could prove one of the surprise stars of the season, and still features last season's top scorer, Abderrazak Hamdallah.

Benzema, though, is obviously the key. He had his injury issues last season but he remains a world-class talent, which is precisely why Real Madrid were so desperate to keep him for another season. Indeed, the French forward is already banging in the goals in the Arab Club Champions Cup, so do not be at all surprised if Benzema beats former club-mate Ronaldo to the Pro League's top scorer award this season.

AdvertisementAl Nassr TwitterAl-Nassr

It's still hard to believe that Al-Nassr were top of the table when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo to great fanfare in January and yet failed to win the league. The Portuguese scored freely, of course, netting 14 times in just 16 games, but his frustration with Rudi Garcia's tactics quickly became obvious, and the French coach was sacked before the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

So the pressure now falls on Luis Castro to lead Al-Nassr to a first title since 2019. Ronaldo's compatriot doesn't exactly boast a stellar CV, but he did win the Ukrainian Premier League with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2020 and besides, he's taking over a squad that has been significantly strengthened over the summer.

How much Alex Telles will add to the defence is, of course, debatable after his trying time at Manchester United, but Seko Fofana should make a big impact in a midfield that will now be run by the excellent Marcelo Brozovic, who was Inter's best player in the Champions League final.

However, the signing that's generated most headlines is, of course, that of Sadio Mane. The Senegalese has endured a dramatic decline over the past 12 months that saw him go from a hero at Liverpool to a zero at Bayern Munich. However, the 31-year-old should still have more than enough left in the tank to run riot up front alongside Ronaldo, meaning Al-Nassr should once again be challenging for the title.

Hilal TwitterAl-Hilal

Al-Hilal's bid for a fourth consecutive Pro League title unravelled over the second half of last season, but that had a lot to do with the fact that they reached the final of both the Club World Cup, where they stunned Flamengo in the semi-finals, and the AFC Champions League.

However, the most successful side in Saudi Arabian football look far better equipped to win a record-extending 19th title this term – not least because they now have Jorge Jesus back in charge. The Portuguese fell out with his employers during his first spell at Al-Hilal, but he returns after four years away having only further enhanced his reputation as one of the game's great coaches by winning a Copa Libertadores with Flamengo, in 2019.

Jesus will also have a stellar squad at his disposal. Kalidou Koulibaly may have underwhelmed at Chelsea but the Napoli legend is an incredible acquisition for the centre of the defence, while Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have the makings of the best midfield pairing in the league.

Unlike many of the other players to have moved to Saudi Arabia this summer, both Neves and Milinkovic-Savic are still in their prime and the Serb, in particular, should quickly prove himself one of the most dominant players in the Pro League.

There have been no superstar signings up front as of yet – unless you count former Barcelona winger Malcom, who has joined from Zenit – but in Ighalo they already possess a proven goalscorer at this level. All things considered, a title challenge appears inevitable.

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Al Ahli TwitterAl-Ahli

Back in the top flight after winning last season's First Division, Al-Ahli were without a manager until the end of July before managing to lure Matthias Jaissle away from Red Bull Salzburg, which caused quite a bit of controversy. The German had won back-to-back Austrian titles with Salzburg, so they were furious when it emerged that he was in talks over a move to the Jeddah just two days before the start of the new Bundesliga season.

Al-Ahli won't care, though, after finally filling their coaching vacancy with the highly-rated Jaissle, who could work wonders with arguably the most exciting attacking line-up in the league. Star summer signings Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin really should form a fantastically fluid forward line with enough flicks and tricks to bamboozle even the best defences in Saudi Arabia.

However, Al-Ahli have also strengthened elsewhere, with the signing of Franck Kessie from Barcelona representing a real coup, given he was tipped to join Juventus. The Ivorian will add quality and physicality to the midfield, while ex-Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez is a great addition to the backline.

As for Eduouard Mendy, the Senegalese goalkeeper may have suffered a serious slump at Stamford Bridge, resulting in him losing his starting spot to Kepa Arrizabalaga, but if he can get back to anything resembling his Champions League-winning best, he could prove a real difference-maker.

A title triumph is perhaps too much to expect from the newly-promoted side, but the PIF-backed team will be expected to at least challenge for top spot.

A round-up of the NCL games played from December 20

Mohammad Isam23-Dec-2016

Rajshahi Division fought back from a first innings deficit to beat Sylhet Division by 151 runs in Bogra.Abu Jayed’s six-wicket haul helped Sylhet bowl out Rajshahi for 204 in the first innings, after which they took a 15-run lead through Abul Hasan’s 59 at No 9. Farhad Reza took five wickets while Mamun Hossain took four for Rajshahi, who in reply batted much better in the second innings.Farhad Hossain struck his 12th first-class century to help Rajshahi to 344. Farhad, who struck nine fours and four sixes in his five-hour effort, added 90 runs for the fourth wicket with Junaid Siddique, who struck 78.Tasked with 330 to win, Sylhet were bowled out for 178 on the fourth afternoon. Only veteran Rajin Saleh remained steadfast, unbeaten on 75 as the rest collapsed around him.Left-arm spinners Sunzamul Islam and Saqlain Sajib took three wickets each for Rajshahi. Farhad was adjudged the Man of the match.Rangpur Division dismantled Chittagong Division by 10 wickets after Suhrawadi Shuvo’s all-round show put them ahead in Sylhet.Rangpur posted 450 batting first, with Shuvo’s 121 helping them recover from 190 for 6 on the first day. He added 102 for the seventh wicket with Ariful Haque, who chipped in with 52, and another 130 for the eighth wicket with Alauddin Babu, who made 64. Shuvo made 121 off 204 balls with 14 fours, lasting more than four hours at the crease.Shuvo then took three wickets to help Rangpur bowl out Chittagong for 182 in the first innings. Seamer Mohammad Saddam also picked up three wickets while offspinner Mahmudul Hasan took two wickets.Rangpur enforced the follow-on, after which Chittagong made 297 in the second innings, leaving Rangpur with just 30 to win. Seamer Ariful took four wickets while Babu and Shuvo took two each. For Chittagong, Yasir Ali scored their only fifty of the match, an 86-ball 58.Rangpur took just 5.2 overs to knock off the target.

Chelsea may let Mason Mount leave Stamford Bridge this summer 'if he's not willing to commit' his future to the club and sign a new contract, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

As per Sky Sports, Manchester United are said to be the 'leading contenders' in the race to sign Mount if he is to depart his boyhood club in the summer.

The report states that Liverpool are also keen on his services while talks over a contract extension, with his current £80,000 per week terms set to run out in 2024, have not yielded an agreement from either party.

Mount is said to favour a move to Old Trafford over other potential destinations, as per The Athletic, which also include Arsenal, who are believed to be monitoring his situation.

Prospective new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of Mount and would like to keep him in SW6; however, he may be powerless to stop the Portsmouth-born star from leaving the Blues if no solution is found to extend his deal.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown has suggested that the notion of Mount leaving Chelsea is becoming a likely prospect by the day.

Brown told FFC: "Talks have clearly not gone well between him and the club. Talks have been going on for months and months and not really got anywhere at all and I think the owners would be willing to let him go if he's not willing to commit to the club. I just think it feels like a situation where he is probably going to leave. The new incoming manager might have a say in this. He might be able to sit down with Mason Mount and say, I want you in this team, this is the role you'll play, but it does feel like Mason Mount might be leaving this summer to me."

Should Chelsea keep or sell Mason Mount this summer?

Mount is a talented player and that is reflected in the calibre of sides interested in his services; nevertheless, his contract wrangle at Chelsea has gone on for far too long and they may have no choice but to sell him to avoid losing the England international on a free transfer in 2024.

This term, the 24-year-old has made 35 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, netting three goals and supplying a further six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite a difficult campaign collectively at Stamford Bridge, Mount has still been able to impose his presence in midfield and has won an average of 1.4 challenges in the Premier League, according to WhoScored.

FBRef also note that Mount has also been an effective provider of chances for his teammates, having successfully carried out 83 shot-creating actions in 2022/23.

Nevertheless, it looks as if someone else may be the beneficiary of his capabilities from next season unless there is a drastic change in progress surrounding his contract situation.

Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, has blamed heavy workloads and jaded players for his team’s failure to reach the final of the tri-nation series in the West Indies, but insisted the below-par performance would not push him to resign. Instead, Domingo called on Cricket South Africa to look into managing players’ workloads outside the international schedule to ensure they are hungry enough to perform for their country.”This loss comes on the back of our top players playing too much cricket,” Domingo said on his arrival in South Africa. “It’s a big concern for me. It’s one of the points I need to highlight with my superiors when I get time to sit down and chat to them.

‘De Villiers’ workload is a concern’

On the possibility of resting AB de Villiers for the Tests against New Zealand:
“He’s the captain, he’ll be the first name down on the sheet to play Tests against New Zealand. I spoke to him two days ago planning the workload. It is a concern. Some players around the world play all these tournaments but don’t play all the formats. Our players – Hashim, AB, Faf, Quinton, Morne, JP – they play all the formats and then play a lot of outside leagues as well so that is a big problem for us. But if AB is fit, he should be good to go for the Test series.”
On Dale Steyn being rested for the tri-series but being allowed to play in the NatWest t20 Blast:
“A lot of that thinking was that Dale did need some cricket. We sort of knew that spinners would play a big role in West Indies. Having him sit around, not doing too much was not going to benefit him too much. He would probably have gone to the West Indies and been in a similar position to Morne Morkel. He would probably have only played one game and done a lot of time in the nets. Five games of four overs wouldn’t have hurt him. It would only have benefitted him. I am glad he has gone and played some cricket.”
On the upcoming South Africa A matches in Zimbabwe and Australia:
“The South Africa A side allows you to broaden your base a bit and give some fringe players game time against quality opposition. There are some players in our Test side that will be playing for them like Dean Elgar, Stephen Cook, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt.”

“Think about our seriously long tour to India, long tour against England, then straight into the World T20. Then players stayed behind, played the IPL and flew straight to Caribbean. Some players arrived two days before our first game in Guyana and now some are staying another four weeks in the Caribbean, some are playing county cricket, then home for two weeks, then a series against New Zealand, then go and play a mini IPL, then straight into a tour against Australia. Those are challenges that the coaching staff and the players are sitting with at the moment. When you are playing that amount of cricket for that period of time, it’s difficult to maintain the standards consistently.”Of South Africa’s 15-man squad for the tri-series, nine (including Dean Elgar, who came in as an injury replacement) are Test regulars, eleven were part of the World T20 squad, ten played at the IPL, six are staying on for the CPL, two are headed for county stints and the rest will play for the A side. That means none of the players who are part of the current national set-up have had any time off since October last year and Domingo believes the fatigue is starting to show.”The desire and the hunger levels when you are playing day in and day out will wane at some stage. There’s no doubt about that. You can’t give 100% to ten different teams for ten months. Something’s got to give,” he said.The something, according to team manager Mohammed Moosajee, could be the no-objection certificates (NOC) CSA issues to players, which allows them to spend what should be time off playing in foreign leagues. “CSA management will need to look at the process going forward, how they release NOCs, taking into account the long international season,” Moosajee said.But the declining Rand has made it difficult to deny NOCs because CSA cannot match the amounts players earn overseas and this has left Domingo and his management team with a problem. “The big challenge for me is making sure that international cricket is still the main priority for our players. There are lot of tournaments, a lot of money to be made, a lot of opportunities for players to get out there and market themselves so I need to be making sure we focus really hard on our No.1 priority and that is representing our country,” he said. “Sometimes, if you have done it for a long time, you can take it for granted maybe. There is a lot happening outside international cricket. Making sure guys are fresh and hungry to perform for their country is of utmost importance for me.”Despite admitting he has not been able to do that in the last six months, and that the “sharpness and effectiveness” of the side is “lacking”, Domingo remained confident he and his management team are the right people to try and turn things around.”I’ve got to sit down with my management team and the board members and the CEO and the guys who make those decisions and plan the way forward. I’ve got 10 months left on my contract and the last six months haven’t gone according to plan. I am not a guy who wants to give up or quit so I need to discuss what their thoughts are,” Domingo said. “I’ve got a few days at home now to just mull over things and see where things are going. I feel that the management team we’ve got in place have ticked a lot of boxes and provided the players with as much support as we can. We’re still very motivated to do well. We feel we can take the team forward. That decision doesn’t always lie with us but that’s the way it is.”Domingo will take heart from the knowledge that he has one of the most important people in the set-up in his corner. AB de Villiers threw his weight behind the coach after the team’s loss in their final round-robin match when he said the players should take responsibility for their own shortcomings. Domingo, however, does not feel the players have let him down.”I wouldn’t say the players have let me down. I’m not a coach who is going to sit here and blame the players for lack of performances. Coaches have to front up and take the brunt of it when performances are not there,” he said. “I don’t feel let down by players, I feel let down by performances. The results haven’t been as good as what we’ve wanted. I feel the players gave it as much as they possible could.”The coach put South Africa’s early exit from the tournament on two moments in particular but stressed this does not mean they don’t have what it takes to perform under pressure. “The one was where we needed 96 runs off 15 overs against Australia we were three down and we lost. The batters let us down. Then, in the last game, we had West Indies 21 for 4 after 5 overs and our next 12 overs were very average. We bowled really poorly and allowed West Indies to get some momentum and establish a partnership. Those two phases probably cost us getting into the final and possibly winning the tournament,” Domingo said. “But I definitely think the team has got big-match temperament. This team has managed to win some must-win games in ODI and T20 cricket over the last two or three years.”He cited examples like their Mumbai win to take the series against India and their three victories in succession against England at home earlier this year, but acknowledged that those count for nothing because South Africa’s cabinet is missing a major trophy.”Until we win a world event, people will always question us,” Domingo said. “There’s another opportunity next year. There’s a Champions Trophy. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in our one-day side to get us to be contenders for that but, with the players within our ranks, if we can manage them properly and make sure when the time comes they are all fully fit, all swimming in the same direction, we’ll be one of the teams to beat there.”Domingo’s contract expires before that tournament but if South Africa are to replace him, it is likely they will do so fairly soon to allow the new coach time in charge. With that in mind, has he come home feeling the heat? A little.”There’s always pressure. We know that playing for your country is the ultimate. It’s representing the people back home and we want to represent them well. We know how passionate our supporters are and how much time and money and effort gets put into our cricket. Management and players are under pressure to perform at all times.”

Chelsea are now open to offers for Hakim Ziyech and have set their price amid interest in the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Ziyech's future?

The Blues playmaker’s contract at Stamford Bridge isn’t set to expire until 2025 but his future has recently been uncertain after falling out of favour which has seen him make just six top-flight starts this season. Football.London have reported that Todd Boehly could be set to sanction a mass exodus this summer to try and help with the financial aspect of things and the 30-year-old is one of the names to have been included on the list of players who could potentially be facing the axe.

West Ham United and Fulham are two clubs that have already been credited with an interest in the winger should he be made available for transfer at the end of the season and there now appears to be another rival who has entered the race to secure his signature.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have “registered an interest” in signing Ziyech during the upcoming window. Paris Saint-Germain are also expected to join the running after they saw a loan move collapse in January. The Blues forward “could look to leave” SW6 ahead of the new term after dropping down the pecking order where the Irons and the Cottagers are once again both name-checked alongside Spurs.

It’s believed that Frank Lampard's side would “accept bids” in the region of £20m which is a staggering £18m less than the £38m they initially paid for him when he joined from Ajax. PSG are currently his “preferred option”, but the Lilywhites would be the “most likely” to acquire him should he remain in the Premier League.

Should Chelsea keep or sell Ziyech?

Ziyech has been hailed a “joy to watch” by journalist Josh Bunting and he certainly can be on his day, but Chelsea clearly don’t see him as part of their long-term future so they should cash in whilst there is significant interest.

The Moroccan international has not featured in any of his side’s previous six top-flight outings, the last four he was completely omitted from the matchday squad and the other two he was an unused substitute. Additionally, the Dronten native has made 19 appearances across all competitions this season but has only recorded one assist during that time showing that he’s failed to prove himself when given the opportunity to play.

Finally, Ziyech is pocketing £100k-p/w in the capital which is an awful lot of money for someone who’s nothing more than a bench warmer so Chelsea letting him go would help free up their wage bill and generate funds for potential new signings in the summer.

Journalist Daniel Wales has claimed Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock is good enough to get in the England squad amid Jude Bellingham comparisons.

What's the latest on Joe Willock and Newcastle United?

With the Premier League taking a break while intentional teams play fixtures across the globe, the Magpies regular will get to rest his legs too.

Indeed, aged 23 years old, Willock remains uncapped at senior level for his country – though has played for multiple youth teams, right up to the U21s.

However, it seems as though there are those who think he deserves a reward for his good form at the club, having played in all but one of the club's league games this term as Newcastle push for a Champions League spot.

While speaking on the Everything is Black and White podcast, Wales claimed Willock – who earns £80,000 per week – should be in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

He said: "I saw a stat yesterday, it showed players that are similar to Jude Bellingham and I think it was Gavi and Pedri were the top two.

"And then Joe Willock was third after those, if I remember rightly, showing that he is certainly capable of, perhaps not exactly emulating the ability of Jude Bellingham – we know how good he is for his age as well – but certainly producing performances good enough to get him in the England squad with that sort of ability that Joe Willock is showing week-in, week-out."

Does Joe Willock deserve an England call-up?

The information Wales is referring to comes from an article by The Athletic. In the story, it notes that across Europe from players aged 23 and under who have played 900+ minutes this season, only Barcelona duo Gavi and Pedri are more "stylistically similar" than Bellingham.

With that in mind, if Gareth Southgate was to see Bellingham pick up an injury, Willock is theoretically the best player to come in and replace him.

However, until he gets handed an international call-up, it will be impossible for the Newcastle man to prove his worth. In the meantime, then, he'll have to just keep on impressing with the Magpies.

To be fair to Willock, in the last two games before the break, he delivered impressive 7.8 and 7.7 Sofascore ratings in wins over Wolves and Nottingham Forest respectively, so he may wonder what more he was to do to play for his country.