Author: AFP

Michael Carrick has told his Manchester United side to ready themselves for an awkward encounter away to Bournemouth on Friday as they look to maintain their challenge for a Champions League place.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a resurgence since former United and England midfielder Carrick was appointed caretaker boss in January until the end of the season.

United are now third in the Premier League ahead of their trip to south coast side Bournemouth after recovering from their first loss under Carrick, away to Newcastle, by beating top-four rivals Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday.

Bournemouth, however, are 10th in the table and have made life difficult for United in recent seasons, with December’s remarkable 4-4 draw at Old Trafford extending their recent unbeaten run in this fixture.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola, tipped as a possible permanent manager of the Red Devils has not lost in five previous matches against United.

But such has been the club’s revival under Carrick, appointed after former United team-mate Darren Fletcher’s two-game spell in temporary charge following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, that the Old Trafford hierarchy may well stick with the 44-year-old come the end of the current campaign.

“It’s a tough game,” Carrick said of Bournemouth, undefeated in their last 10 matches in the Premier League.

“It’s a tough place to go. They’re on a really good run of form, so, yeah, a difficult game,” he also told a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“We’re obviously going down there, we’ve had a good run and the boys are in good shape but, yeah, always a difficult game. Always has been and probably always will be.

“We know that, they’re a really good team, well coached, really well coached, and good energy. We know we’ll be in for a game down there on Friday.”

United have won just two of their last seven away matches following a last-gasp 2-1 loss at Newcastle.

But Carrick said: “Whether it’s home or away, it’s not something we kind of look at too much. It’s the next game, really.”

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He added: “It’s been nice to be able to win at home and put that in place, and to go and play at Old Trafford with a real feeling of confidence and looking forward to the game and for the supporters to feel that as well and leaving with a good feeling.”

Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Lisandro Martinez remain sidelined for Friday’s match, but the latter is expected to be available when United return to action against Leeds on April 13.

The international break, lack of European fixtures and an early FA Cup exit mean United have an unusually long, 24-day, wait for a game after the Bournemouth match.

“You’ve got to be really flexible, you know, to come off the back of it in good shape,” Carrick said.

“The boys will have a break, in some way, but we’re definitely mindful of it for sure and it’s a little bit unique in some ways, having the week after the internationals to prepare for the next game.”

READ: Norris calls Madame Tussauds wax figure ‘surreal’

Formula One world champion Lando Norris has said it feels “surreal” he will soon be joining other sports stars and celebrities by having a waxwork likeness unveiled at London’s Madame Tussauds.

The 26-year-old British driver has been working with the design team at the nearly 200-year-old attraction to create a detailed replica of Norris from helmet to toe.

Norris, born and raised in Somerset, southwest England, burst onto the Formula One stage in 2019 and last year the McLaren driver won his maiden Formula One world title.

“It’s pretty surreal to think I’ll have a figure in Madame Tussauds, it’s such a big honour,” said Norris.

“Working with the artists has been awesome, and seeing all the detail they’ve put into the figure is really impressive. I can’t wait for fans to come and see the finished figure in London this summer.”

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Steve Blackburn, general manager at Madame Tussauds London added: “From the moment we started working with Lando, it was clear we were creating something really special, and our team have been working at full throttle to ensure an exact likeness.

“He’s been fantastic throughout the process, patiently sitting still and not racing around as usual!

“We’re busy ensuring his figure is podium-ready and are incredibly excited to welcome guests to meet Lando’s likeness in the coming months.”

The new figure of Norris will feature in Madame Tussauds London’s Culture Capital zone, alongside fellow British Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, and other sports stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah, and Anthony Joshua.

READ: Bangladesh players receive conditional NOCs for PSL 11

Harry Kane scored in each half as Bayern Munich thumped Atalanta 4-1 at home in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, winning 10-2 on aggregate to book a quarter-final date with Real Madrid.

Captaining Bayern in the Champions League for the first time, Kane converted a penalty with 25 minutes played and added another goal early in the second half, bringing his career Champions League tally to 50 in 66 games.

Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz also got on the scoresheet for the hosts as Bayern again steamrolled the visitors, who picked up a late consolation through Lazar Samardzic.

“I think whenever you have a lead like we did, sometimes it’s easy to be a little bit complacent,” Kane, who missed the first leg with an injury, told DAZN.

“But we said before the game that we want to win in the same style that we did in the first leg. It’s sometimes harder to get up for a game like this, but we were there from minute one to minute 95.”

Bayern last faced Real in the semi-finals of the 2023-24 competition, crashing out to two Joselu goals in the dying minutes. Bayern have not beaten the Spanish giants since the 2011-12 semi-finals.

Few doubted Bayern would progress after their dominant 6-1 win in Bergamo — no team has ever overturned a five-goal deficit — but the Bundesliga leaders were forced to pick a weaker side on Wednesday due to injuries and suspensions.

With Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer and Alphonso Davies injured, Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise suspended, Bayern received some rare good news from the medical department when goalkeeper Jonas Urbig overcame a concussion and was cleared to play.

Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino was realistic, saying pre-match his charges were playing for the pride of Italian football as the only Serie A team left in the competition.

The visitors were energetic early, but their resistance was broken midway through the first half when VAR found Giorgio Scalvini had handled the ball from close range, bringing Kane to the spot.

The England captain’s first effort was saved, but he was given another chance as visiting ‘keeper Marco Sportiello had both feet off his line.

Kane obliged, driving a low shot into the corner for his 15th successful penalty in all competitions this season.

Urbig was called into action just before half-time, acrobatically saving a Mario Pasalic attempt to keep Bayern in front at the break.

Starting for the first time since last month, Kane looked sharp and doubled Bayern’s lead with 55 minutes gone, shrugging off the attention of four Atalanta defenders and blasting into the top corner on the turn.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said he “could not explain” Kane’s brilliant strike, gushing: “I’m so happy when he scores the simple goals, but when he does that, it’s unique.

“He’s come back fresh, and you can see how important he is for us.”

With Atalanta suddenly shaky, Bayern marched up the field and struck again, Diaz threading a pass for Karl to fire across the face of the goal and into the corner.

The teenage Bayern forward, tipped by German media for a maiden international call-up on Thursday, repaid Diaz with 20 minutes left, cutting a high pass over the Atalanta defence to the Colombian, who chipped Sportiello to score.

Like they did in Bergamo, Atalanta got a late consolation when Samardzic headed home from close range with five minutes left.

READ: Barcelona demolish Newcastle to reach Champions league quarter-finals

Barcelona stormed to a 7-2 victory over Newcastle on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, winning 8-3 on aggregate.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha struck twice each for the Catalan giants as Eddie Howe’s side crumbled under a scintillating attacking display from the hosts at Camp Nou.

Lamine Yamal, Marc Bernal and Fermin Lopez were also on target as Hansi Flick’s side ran riot and recorded a landslide last 16, second leg victory.

The five-time champions are dreaming of lifting the trophy again, 11 years after they last won it, and showcased the attacking firepower which could make their ambition a reality.

By contrast, Newcastle were hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, but the Premier League side departed bruised and battered.

“With the fans supporting us like that for 90 minutes, it’s hard to beat us at home,” Raphinha told Movistar.

Barca led 3-2 at the break after a thrilling first half, but after Lopez netted early in the second, they romped to victory.

After Joan Laporta was reelected president at the weekend, spirits were high around the club, and they came out flying.

They were outplayed in the 1-1 first-leg draw but pledged to improve back on home soil and claimed an early lead through Raphinha.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal turned brilliantly away from Malick Thiaw in midfield, leaving the German defender on the turf and released the Brazilian winger to score.

Barcelona are notoriously fragile defensively, though, and Newcastle quickly forced their way back into the game.

The Catalan giants were carved open with just a couple of passes between Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes, and Anthony Elanga timed his run right to stay onside and sweep past Joan Garcia.

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Three minutes later, Barcelona were back in front with 18-year-old midfielder Bernal turning home from close range after Gerard Martin nodded down Raphinha’s diagonal free-kick.

Yamal was so often Barca’s hero on their run to the semi-finals last season, but was guilty of a mistake which led to Newcastle’s second equaliser.

The teenager attempted a backheel in his own final third and gave the ball away, with Elanga profiting at the back post as he turned home Barnes’s cross.

Veteran Polish striker Lewandowski has had a tough season for Barca, looking shorn of confidence, and he spurned two fine chances for the hosts in the first half, with Yamal also blazing over from close range.

The Spain international made amends from the spot to give Barca the lead at half-time when veteran defender Trippier pulled back Raphinha. Ramsdale got his fingertips to Yamal’s penalty, low to his left, but could not claw it out.

Raphinha sent Lopez through on goal to bag the fourth early in the second half, and it broke Toon spirits.

From that point on, Newcastle gave up the ghost, and Barcelona scored to their heart’s content.

Lewandowski nodded home from a corner and celebrated joyously, taking off the mask he had been playing with due to an eye-socket fracture.

The goal was liberation for him, and the next chance he got, he put away too, producing a lethal finish after a superb Yamal assist.

Jacob Ramsey put Barcelona’s seventh on a plate for the swaggering hosts, with a poor pass which Raphinha intercepted and dispatched clinically.

Fans sent a Mexican wave around the stadium, celebrating the biggest win they have had at Camp Nou since it reopened.

Howe said his players were affected “psychologically” by conceding a penalty just before half-time and then by Fermin’s goal early after the break.

READ: Messi scores 900th goal but Miami knocked out of Champions Cup

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi bagged the 900th goal of his glittering career on Wednesday, but could not prevent Inter Miami from crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on away goals after a 1-1 draw with Nashville.

Messi, 38, scored his milestone goal after just seven minutes to put Miami 1-0 up in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the regional club competition.

But Nashville’s Cristian Espinoza lashed in a 74th-minute equaliser to make it 1-1 on aggregate, and after holding Miami at bay for the remainder of the game, the visitors from Tennessee advanced to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule.

Miami’s exit was a bittersweet ending to what had promised to be a night of celebration after Messi’s early opener in what was the club’s final game at their Chase Stadium home in Fort Lauderdale.

Messi’s strike took the Argentine’s tally to 81 goals for the MLS champions following his move to Florida in 2023.

The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner previously scored 672 goals for Spanish giants Barcelona, 32 for France’s Paris Saint-Germain, and a further 115 international goals for Argentina.

Goal number 900 came some 21 years after Messi’s first goal in senior football, when he scored for Barcelona in a 2-0 win over Albacete in 2005 as a fresh-faced 17-year-old.

Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, still has some way to go before he catches his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar who is on 965 career goals.

Speaking ahead of Messi’s 900th goal, Miami manager and former Argentina and Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano described the star’s goals total as “insane.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to see most, or many, of the goals he’s scored, much closer than you all, and that’s a privilege,” Mascherano said.

“The number we’re talking about (900) is insane, and that’s why Leo is a one of a kind.”

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Wednesday’s match carried added significance for Inter Miami, marking a farewell to the team’s Chase Stadium.

The venue has served as Inter Miami’s home since the club entered Major League Soccer in 2020. The team will move into a new purpose-built 26,700-seat facility next month.

Messi is strongly expected to play in his sixth World Cup later this year, when Argentina defend their title in the 48-team tournament being staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Argentine star has already extended his Inter Miami contract through to the end of the 2028 season.

Messi’s prolific goal-scoring has been a hallmark of his career. His 672 goals for Barcelona came in just 778 games — an average of 0.86 per game — helping the Catalan club win 35 trophies before departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

In France, he scored 32 goals in 75 matches, winning three trophies, including two league titles.

In Miami, his 81 goals have come in just 96 appearances, helping the team win the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2025 MLS Cup.

His 115 international goals have come in 196 matches, including two in the 2022 World Cup final victory over France.

Messi’s goals tally leaves him second only to Ronaldo, according to most recognised statistical records.

Brazilian legend Pele is often said to have scored more than 1,000 goals, but those numbers have been the subject of debate. Most statisticians put Pele’s total for Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos at 762.

READ: Atif Aslam to light up PSL 11 with official anthem

Jos Buttler is refusing to accept his England career is over despite admitting he had a “poor tournament” at the recent T20 World Cup.

Widely regarded as one of the outstanding white-ball batter of his generation, Buttler managed just 87 runs in eight innings at the tournament as England reached the semi-finals before losing to co-hosts and eventual champions India.

“Obviously I had a poor tournament, which is disappointing,” Buttler, who remains on an England and Wales central contract, said on his ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast with former England fast bowler Stuart Broad.

“But I have been playing some of the best cricket of my (career) in recent years, so hopefully I can get back to playing my best.

“I certainly have ambitions (to play for England again), but no longer being a captain, I am not a selector and whatever, so what will be, will be.”

Buttler, 35, is set to play for Gujarat Titans in the upcoming Indian Premier League and hopes time away after the World Cup “up the mountains” in France with his family will leave him feeling reinvigorated.

“I couldn’t have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect,” said Buttler. “It is exactly what I needed.”

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“Obviously the tournament didn’t go personally how I would have liked it to go, and I just felt like I needed some space from cricket and not to think about the game, and I could not have been further away from cricket where I was in that week.”

Buttler, a member of England’s 2019 one-day international World Cup-winning team and also the skipper for their T20 triumph in Australia three years later, stated that he is starting to reflect on his performance.

“It was really refreshing –- I really enjoyed it, a complete sort of release, and slowly but surely, I would say at the start of this week, (I am) just starting to reflect a bit and have a few thoughts about what is important to me and my cricket, and why it probably didn’t go quite as I would’ve liked.

“There’s elements that I actually don’t really know exactly. For all your best intentions and hard work and efforts to perform, it just didn’t work, and sometimes that is OK as well.

“That is something I have had to realise. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, it just didn’t quite happen,” he concluded.

READ: West Indies players depart India on commercial flights

Kyle Walker announced his retirement from international football on Tuesday after winning 96 caps for England and featuring at five major tournaments.

The 36-year-old was part of the sides that reached the European Championship final in 2021 and 2024.

But the former Manchester City defender has been a shadow of his former self since joining Burnley this season, making selection for the upcoming World Cup unlikely.

“I am sad to be making this decision, but I’m also very proud of what I’ve achieved with England,” said Walker, whose last appearance for his country came in a friendly against Senegal in 2025.

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“To represent my country at five major tournaments, to get to the finals that we’ve reached and to be surrounded by this England team, especially the players and the managers that I’ve had the privilege of working under, has been a great honour.

“But today is the time that comes to an end. It’s good for me to have a little bit of closure to my career on the international stage.”

Walker is the 10th most capped England men’s player of all time.

The English Football Association said a tribute will be made to his international career at a fixture after the World Cup.

“I know all England fans will join me in congratulating Kyle on an incredible international career,” said England manager Thomas Tuchel.

“I was always aware that he was one of England’s greats who fully embraced the highest honour of representing his country.

“An international career spanning 14 years and five major tournament is testament to Kyle’s dedication.”

READ: BCCI announces record prize money for victorious Indian team

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced a whopping $14 million in prize money for India’s men’s cricket team after they lifted the T20 World Cup for a record third time.

The co‑hosts and pre‑tournament favourites swept aside New Zealand by 96 runs in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad to become the first team to retain the trophy and the first to win it on home soil.

Cricket commands an unrivalled following in the world’s most populous country, with top players enjoying star status and the game serving as a rare unifying force in an otherwise diverse nation.

BCCI praised the players, support staff, and selectors for the “historic achievement” as it announced the cash reward.

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The victory cemented India’s place “among the most successful teams in the history of the format”, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement.

The prize money will be shared among the entire team, including coaches and support staff.

The announced prize money is roughly $3m higher than the tournament’s overall prize pot of $11.25m.

The Indian team will separately receive $2.34 million from the International Cricket Council, while runners-up New Zealand will earn $1.17 million.

Midnight celebrations broke out across the country on Sunday as delirious fans in blue Indian shirts took to the streets, beating drums and dancing to Bollywood hits.

READ: Arshdeep Singh fined for Daryl Mitchell incident

Sri Lanka have indefinitely postponed a six-match white-ball series against Afghanistan that was due to start in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week, an official said on Monday.

“We had to cancel because of the flight situation… and the ongoing fighting in the region,” a Sri Lanka Cricket official told AFP.

The teams were scheduled to play three T20 internationals in Sharjah on March 13, 15 and 17, and three one-day internationals in Dubai on March 20, 22 and 25.

It would have been the first time that Afghanistan had hosted Sri Lanka for a bilateral series.

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Fighting has spread across the Middle East since the United States of America (UAE) and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Tehran launching retaliatory strikes.

The conflict has disrupted flights across the region, including in Dubai, where the airport was briefly closed on Saturday as Iran fired drones and missiles at targets across the Gulf.

War-ravaged Afghanistan has never hosted an international cricket match, instead having to play its home fixtures in India or the UAE.

READ: Iraq football coach calls for World Cup playoff to be re-scheduled

Iraq football coach Graham Arnold pleaded with FIFA on Monday to postpone his team’s intercontinental playoff for the World Cup because many of his players and backroom staff are stranded by the growing Iran war.

The Iraqis are due to face either Suriname or Bolivia on March 31 in the Mexican city of Monterrey for a place in the World Cup finals, but with Iraqi airspace closed until April 1, Arnold’s squad is unable to gather or travel.

“If the game goes ahead in Mexico, we have the difficulties of getting out of Baghdad,” Arnold, an Australian, told CNN.

“About 60% of my players play in Iraq, all my backroom staff live in Iraq, all my medical staff live in Qatar, and we’re having trouble getting Mexican visas at this moment,” he added.

Arnold said he had already been forced to cancel a training camp in the United States.

“That has all been scrapped now, because we can’t get out of Baghdad,” he said. “FIFA need to obviously make a quick decision on this because it is a bit unfair at this moment, with what we would have to go through.”

He suggested that Suriname and Bolivia could go ahead with their playoff in Monterrey on March 26, and the winner of that game could play Iraq in the United States just before the World Cup, which kicks off on June 11.

“Suriname could always play Bolivia if we can’t get there, and we could always play the winner just before the World Cup, and that lets us prepare properly and do everything required to be successful,” Arnold said.

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“Bolivia and Suriname can play in March, they’ve got no complications with flights or anything, they can get there straight away, and we could play the winner

“The winner stays and plays the World Cup, and the loser goes home.”

Graham Arnold said the Iraqi football authorities were in close contact with FIFA, but he admitted the situation was taking its toll.

“It’s one step at a time, it’s stressful, (I’ve had) a lot of sleepless nights worrying about getting that planning right,” he said.

An Iraqi source told AFP the national federation had asked for the change.

“Iraq’s request came due to the inability of the delegation to travel from the capital, Baghdad,” they said.

“As a result of the closure of airspace and the security risks currently affecting the region,” they added.

READ: Carlos Alcaraz battles back to reach Indian Wells fourth round