Category: Sports

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said that “you don’t win a World Cup based on your first match” after the five-time champions laboured to a 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday.

The Selecao were in danger of losing their opening game at a World Cup for the first time since 1934 after falling behind to Ismael Saibari’s goal in New Jersey.

Vinicius Junior struck a superb equaliser to earn a point for Brazil, but Ancelotti admitted it was not the type of performance expected from his team.

“I think this was a tough match, especially in the beginning. I think the team was a bit anxious and nerves were all over the place,” said Ancelotti.

“We didn’t play well, but we cannot lose heart. This is the first match in the World Cup and we can’t… think the team is doing perfectly from the get-go.

“This was the result we had. It wasn’t bad, but we’ll keep picking up from the second match on. You don’t win a World Cup based on your first match.”

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Ancelotti tipped Vinicius to excel at the tournament as the leader of the attack, a role he will fulfil even when Brazil’s all-time record scorer Neymar returns from a calf injury.

“He did well. He was very dangerous and I think he has everything in his power to have a great World Cup,” Ancelotti said of the Real Madrid forward.

However, Vinicius rued Brazil’s sluggish start against a Morocco side that had been told by their coach to approach the match with no fear.

“We started on a really bad note,” said the 25-year-old.

“We conceded that first goal and after that happens it’s hard to get it going, you know, it’s the first match, it’s always hard.

“But we’ve got to improve and continue to grow because the competition is only but starting. This is the World Cup, there are no easy matches.

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“But I don’t think there’s a lot to say now. I think we really have to improve.”

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi praised the display of the 2022 semi-finalists, who suggested they will again be a tough proposition in North America.

“Proud of the effort of the team, we drew, but we are happy for the performance of us. We still have to improve every game, so that is what we’re going to be focused on right now,” Hakimi told Fox.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi was left with the feeling that his team could, and perhaps should, have taken more from the contest though.

“It was a good match, it’s a point. We would’ve hoped to have more but we’ll take the point,” said Ouahbi. “We’re happy, we’re not sad today, but we would have liked to win.”

READ: FIFA World Cup 2026: Vinicius earns Brazil draw with Morocco

Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant equaliser for Brazil in a 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday as the five-time FIFA World Cup winners made an uncertain start to the 2026 edition in New Jersey.

Ismael Saibari ran through to give Morocco a 21st-minute lead with a clever scoop in the Group C opener, but Vinicius produced a moment of magic to ensure Brazil came away with a point.

Brazil are chasing a record sixth World Cup title, 24 years after last lifting the trophy, but this performance suggests there is a lot of work to be done by Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Kaka were all members of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning squad and were among those in attendance at MetLife Stadium.

Brazil have turned to the hugely successful Ancelotti in a bid to end the country’s title drought. He is the first foreign coach to lead Brazil at football’s biggest tournament.

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A fifth-placed finish in South American qualifying underlined the scale of the challenge facing Ancelotti. However, the Italian insists Brazil possess a squad capable of competing with anyone in the expanded 48-team tournament.

He was without Neymar for the start of the competition, with Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer still recovering from a calf injury, having not played for his country since 2023.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi urged his players not to fear Brazil, and his message appeared to resonate as the 2022 semi-finalists started brightly in one of the standout matches of the first round.

After Neil El Aynaoui and Achraf Hakimi threatened the Brazil goal, Saibari made the breakthrough when he latched onto a fine pass from Brahim Diaz.

The PSV Eindhoven forward raced beyond Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes, holding his nerve with a clinical chipped finish over the advancing Alisson Becker.

Brazil drew level 11 minutes later through Vinicius, who will have a vital role to play if Brazil are to shine this summer.

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The Real Madrid star received the ball from Bruno Guimaraes on the left side of the area before cutting back onto his right foot and hammering into the far corner past Yassine Bounou.

It belatedly breathed life into a lacklustre Brazil, and Lucas Paqueta saw his acrobatic effort pushed away by Bounou before half-time.

Bounou saved well from Igor Thiago as Brazil caught Morocco napping with a quick throw-in after the break, while Raphinha and Danilo shot right at Bounou as the Selecao pressed for a winner.

Morocco nearly snatched it at the death when Alisson parried a long-range effort from El Aynaoui and had to react sharply to block the follow-up from Ayoube Amaimouni.

Brazil remained unbeaten in World Cup openers since 1934. They next face outsiders Haiti while Morocco take on Scotland in their second match.

READ: Belgium beat Pakistan 7-1 in FIH Hockey Pro League

WAVRE: Belgium produced a dominant display to defeat Pakistan 7-1 in the FIH Pro League at the Belfius Hockey Arena on Saturday.

Nelson Onana gave Belgium an early lead in the third minute from a penalty corner, with the Europeans taking a 1-0 advantage into half-time after a scoreless second quarter.

Pakistan briefly restored parity through Rana Waheed Ashraf in the 33rd minute, but Belgium responded swiftly as Thibeau Stockbroekx put his side back in front four minutes later. Alexander Hendrickx then extended the lead in the 42nd minute.

Belgium took complete control in the final quarter, adding four more goals through Tobias Biekens (two), Guillaume Hellin, and Tom Boon to seal an emphatic victory.

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The win lifted Belgium above Australia to the top of the FIH Pro League table with 22 points from eight matches and a +16 goal difference.

Pakistan, meanwhile, slumped to their eighth consecutive defeat in the nine-team competition and remain bottom of the standings with a goal difference of -24. They next face Spain on Sunday.

Pakistan squad for FIH Pro League

Goalkeepers: Waqar Ali, Ali Raza.

Defenders: Abu Bakar, Arbaz Ahmad, Mohammad Abdullah, Sufyan Khan.

Midfielders: Nadeem Khan, Ammad Shakeel, Moin Shakeel, Hammad Anjum, Zakriya Hayat.

Forwards: Gjazanfar Ali, Mohammad Emmad, Rana Waleed, Afraz Khan, Rana Wahid, Abdue Rahman, Ahmad Nadeem, Arshad Liaquat, Hanan Shahid.

READ: Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia crush South Africa to make statement start

Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas said officials at “local, state and federal levels” were investigating after World Cup equipment belonging to England was stolen ahead of the squad’s arrival at their training base on Saturday.

Balls and boots are reportedly among items taken after vehicles transferring equipment to the team’s Swope Soccer Village base were broken into, according to the BBC.

Lucas issued a statement on X with the title: “Statement on heist in transit of English national team equipment”.

“Yesterday, officials in Kansas City learned that at some point between their over-the-road transport from Florida to their arrival at the training facility in Kansas City, goods belonging to the English national team were stolen from the team’s transport vehicle,” Lucas said in the statement.

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“Public safety officials at the local, state and federal levels are working to trace where in the United States the items were seized and all individuals who may have been involved. Further information will be provided by authorities at a later time.”

Thomas Tuchel’s England are due to train at Swope Soccer Village for the first time at 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Saturday after transferring from their pre-tournament base in Florida.

They open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, before further games in Group L against Ghana and Panama.

READ: Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia crush South Africa to make statement start

MANCHESTER: Georgia Wareham delivered with bat and ball to power Australia to a 65-run win over South Africa in the third match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Opting to bat first at the Old Trafford Ground, Australia racked up 172-8 in 20 overs, largely due to Phoebe Litchfield’s quick-fire half-century.

Australia were in trouble with four down for 61 after the powerplay, despite Litchfield’s counter-attacking half-century. Litchfield made 50 off 24, striking nine fours and six before getting dismissed after the fielding restrictions were lifted.

It was Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham, who put the innings back on track with a 58-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Perry scored 36 off 26, hitting four boundaries. Wareham hit six fours in her 32 off 22 deliveries.

Annabel Sutherland provided the innings with a late flourish, ensuring her side reached a strong total. She made 21 from 14 balls.

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For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba, and Nadine de Klerk picked up two wickets each.

In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 107 inside 17 overs, thanks to a Georgia Wareham three-wicket haul.

The Proteas were in dire straits at the start of their innings with 7-2 in 1.5 overs.

Skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk launched a swift recovery, adding 41 for the third wicket partnership. Wolvaardt made 44 off 39 balls while De Klerk made 25 off 23.

Wareham broke the threatening stand in the seventh over, cleaning up De Klerk.

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Despite the wicket, Wolvaardt held the innings, stitching another brief 34-run partnership with Marizanne Kapp, who made only 12.

Both batters’ dismissals in quick succession sparked a collapse that South Africa could never recover from. As a result, South Africa,  96-5 to 107 all out.

Earlier, Scotland prevailed over Ireland by 40 runs at the same venue.

Scotland set Ireland 162 to win in 20 overs, with Kathryn Bryce top-scoring with a 60 off 39 balls. Bryce hit six boundaries and a maximum in her knock. She was ably supported by Sarah Bryce, who made 49 off 35 deliveries.

Ava Canning scalped three wickets for Ireland in her quota of four overs.

In reply, Ireland were bundled out for 121 in 19.1 overs. Orla Prendergast remained the highest scorer for them with 33 off 23 balls.

For Scotland, Katherine Fraser and Kirstie Gordon shared six wickets between them.

READ: Mohsin Naqvi links central contracts to domestic cricket participation

Skipper Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 84 and inspired bowling led India to an emphatic seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in a rain-reduced 25-overs-a-side ODI contest on Saturday.

Chasing 195 for victory, India needed Gill’s 66-ball knock to achieve the target with 13 balls to spare in Dharamsala and lead the three-match series 1-0.

The bilateral series is the first between the two nations in the 50-over format.

Afghanistan posted 194 all out despite opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 102 as the rest of the batting faltered after the match started four hours and 15 minutes late due to persistent rain.

Indian debutants Gurnoor Brar, a fast bowler, and Harsh Dubey, a left-arm spinner, took three wickets each to bowl out Afghanistan in 24.5 overs after Gurbaz’s ninth ODI century.

Batters kept up the dominance with Gill leading the charge as he put on 46 runs with veteran batter Rohit Sharma, who made 16 before being run out.

White-ball star Rohit became the oldest Indian men’s player at 39 years and 44 days to play an ODI, 37 years after Mohinder Amarnath took the field at 39 years and 36 days.

Rohit departed after a mix-up with the captain, who then put on 70 runs with wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who made 34, to lay the foundation for the chase.

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India lost Kishan and then Shreyas Iyer before Gill and KL Rahul, who struck a 19-ball 39, steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 53.

Invited to bat first, Afghanistan lost three early wickets before Gurbaz hit back in his 51-ball knock laced with eight fours and eight sixes.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a wicketkeeper-batter, reached his hundred off 48 balls as he leapt up in the air, kissed the ground and acknowledged the applause from the Afghan dressing room.

He put on 118 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, who made 27, after Afghanistan slipped to 26-3 in 4.3 overs.

Brar struck in his first over to send back Ibrahim Zadran for one after the batter mistimed a hit to be caught at mid-off.

Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh then struck twice, but Gurbaz counter-attacked till his departure as he finally fell bowled to medium-pace bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Shahidi became Dubey’s first wicket, and the bowler took two more, including one from a stunning catch by Gill, who dived to take a one-handed grab at first slip.

Azmatullah Omarzai hit a 16-ball 26 before the batting fell apart, and Gurnoor wrapped up the innings with his third strike.

The second match is on Wednesday in Lucknow.

READ: Mohsin Naqvi links central contracts to domestic cricket participation

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that central contracts will be limited to players participating in domestic cricket.

He made these remarks during an informal media interaction at NCA Lahore.

During the interaction, Naqvi said that the new policy will be finalized by Monday after consultation with players.

According to the board chairman, 15 points have been included in the selection committee framework to ensure transparency, and a player’s contract will be renewed only if he maintains consistent performance.

The PCB chairman revealed that the updated system will include five categories, with separate classifications for Test and T20 cricket. Additionally, an emerging players category will be added.

“If a player does not play domestic cricket, he will not receive a central contract,” Naqvi said.

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He revealed that the central contract will be digitized, with no person having any influence over it.

“The contract document will be computerized, and no one will have any influence over it. Nobody will be able to say that a player should have been in Category A or Category B,” he added.

He further remarked that the number of domestic matches for Test players is being increased, while match fees have also been raised to boost morale.

PCB chairman noted that the contract would be awarded strictly on merit and according to clearly defined benchmarks, regardless of a player’s profile or status.

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Regarding Shan Masood’s captaincy, he said the future of Test captain Shan Masood will be decided by “cricket minds.”

“I want cricket minds to decide what should and should not be done,” he remarked.

Naqvi concluded by saying that he is consulting several former legends, including Younis Khan, to improve Pakistan cricket.

READ: Rahmanullah Gurbaz falls short of Shahid Afridi’s record against India

DHARAMSALA: Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz came close to matching Shahid Afridi’s record for the fastest century against India in the ODI series opener at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

The fixture started after a four-hour and 15-minute delay due to persistent rain, with the match reduced to 25 overs per side.

Put into bat first, Afghanistan lost three early wickets for 26 in 4.3 overs. However, after early wickets, Gurbaz held the innings together, forging 118 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi to lift his side.

Gurbaz smashed a 48-ball century — the fastest by an Afghanistan batter in ODI cricket. The wicket-keeper batter scored 102 off 51 balls, hitting eight sixes and eight boundaries.

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In doing so, he surpassed Mohammad Shahzad’s record of a 72-ball hundred against Scotland in 2010. It was Gurbaz’s ninth ODI century.

Fastest ODI hundreds for Afghanistan

48 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs IND, Dharamsala, 2026

72 – Mohammad Shahzad vs SCOT, Alloway, 2010

72 – Karim Sadiq vs NED, Sharjah, 2012

85 – Nawroz Mangal vs SCOT, Sharjah, 2013

85 – Mohammad Shahzad vs IRE, Belfast, 2019

However, Gurbaz fell just short of former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi record for the fastest century against India, set in 45 balls 21 years ago.

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He was eventually dismissed by pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy in the 16th over before the visitors lost their way in the closing overs.

Fastest ODI hundreds vs India

45 – Shahid Afridi (PAK), Kanpur, 2005

48 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG), Dharamsala, 2026

57 – James Faulkner (AUS), Bengaluru, 2013

57 – AB de Villiers (SA), Mumbai WS, 2015

57 – Michael Bracewell (NZ), Hyderabad, 2023

Afghanistan were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs, with the debutant pair of Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey picking up three wickets each.

READ: England call up uncapped seamer as cover for Ollie Robinson

England have included uncapped Henry Crocombe ahead of the second Test against New Zealand as cover for fast bowler Ollie Robinson.

Robinson, who impressed on his return to international cricket with seven wickets in the match, felt knee soreness following a training session on Saturday. The right-arm medium pacer will undergo a “precautionary” scan tomorrow.The

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the addition in a press release statement.

“Uncapped seamer Henry Crocombe has been called into the England Men’s Test squad as cover for Ollie Robinson. Robinson experienced knee soreness after a training session on Friday and is set to undergo a precautionary scan on Saturday, June 13,” the board confirmed in a press release statement.

Jofra Archer and Jordan Cox have also been brought into the squad ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, starting on Wednesday at The Kia Oval.

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The second fixture of the three-match series begins on Wednesday at Trent Bridge.

The 24-year-old Crocombe has collected 21 wickets at an average of 28.61 in seven County Championship matches for Sussex in 2026. He also impressed for England Lions against South Africa A last month.

Overall, he has picked up 104 wickets in the 47 matches at an average of 36.32, including a five-wicket haul

The Three Lions have been without the services of seamer Gus Atkinson and Ben Stokes after a nightclub incident.

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Crocombe has never been added to the England squad, but has been mentioned by England coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key in recent weeks.

The other seamers in the squad are Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, and Matt Fisher for the second New Zealand Test.

England Updated Squad for Second Test

Joe Root (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Henry Crocombe, and Josh Tongue.

READ: England World Cup gear stolen ahead of training camp in Kansas City

Batter Will Young was drafted into the New Zealand Test squad on Saturday in place of Kane Williamson, who called time on his international career mid-series against England.

Young will arrive in London on Sunday and join the squad ahead of the second Test at the Oval from Wednesday, Cricket New Zealand said.

Williamson, New Zealand’s most prolific run-scorer, stunned the cricketing world with his retirement announcement on Friday ahead of the second Test.

The 35-year-old former skipper, who played in the first England Test, said that “it just feels like the right time for me to step away”.

“I feel really good about it,” said Williamson, one of the ‘Fab Four’ batter of his generation alongside India’s Virat Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith and England’s Joe Root.

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His decision sparked a slew of praise from some of the leading lights of the game.

“From an opponent to a friend over the years,” Kohli said of Williamson.

“It’s been a pleasure watching you bat and compete against you over so many years but more than that I value our friendship and shared perspectives on the game and beyond.”

Fellow Indian great Sachin Tendulkar was equally effusive.

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“A thorough gentleman and a true role model for youngsters,” Tendulkar said. “His retirement will probably be received with unexpected relief in more than a few bowling camps.”

Young has played 23 Tests but is yet to score a century, with a highest score of 89.

England lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the opener at Lord’s by 115 runs.

READ: Ex-pacer tips Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to surpass Tendulkar, Kohli