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Morocco set a new world record of 16 consecutive international victories with Tuesday’s 1-0 FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying success over Congo in Rabat.

Fenerbahce forward Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the game for the Atlas Lions, who had already secured World Cup qualification earlier this month with a 5-0 trouncing of Niger.

“Record-breaking. Our National Team makes HISTORY with 16 CONSECUTIVE WINS,” the Moroccan national team said on its official X account.

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“Unstoppable Lions,” it added.

The shock FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finalists were the first African nation to qualify for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Morocco, whose run began on June 7, 2024, had shared the previous mark of 15 victories with Spain, whose winning run began during their Euro 2008 success and ended a year later in June 2009.

That surpassed a previous record set by France, who were European champions at the time, between March 2003 and February 2004.

READ: Frenkie de Jong extends Barcelona contract until 2029

 

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong signed a new deal until 2029, the Spanish champions announced on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Dutch international joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019 and is in his seventh season with the Catalan giants, winning two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey twice.

De Jong has struggled for form at times, but became a key part of the midfield under Hansi Flick last season alongside Pedri Gonzalez.

Arriving under the previous Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, De Jong is one of the club’s highest earners, with Spanish media reporting he has accepted a pay cut in his new deal starting from the 2026/27 season.

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“The midfielder Frenkie de Jong has extended his deal with FC Barcelona until 2029, as on Wednesday the Dutchman signed his new contract alongside president Joan Laporta in the Club’s head offices,” the Spanish club stated in a press release.

“De Jong visited the Club offices following the day’s training session to put pen to paper in front of FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, first vice president Rafael Yuste, board member Joan Soler, director of the Football Area, Anderson Luis de Souza “Deco”, football coordinator, ​​Bojan Krkic, and the rest of the members of the Sporting Commission.”

READ: Noman Ali breaks 37-year-old record of Abdul Qadir in Lahore Test

LAHORE: Pakistan spinner Noman Ali etched his name into the record books after surpassing a long-standing milestone previously held by the legendary Abdul Qadir.

He achieved this milestone during Pakistan’s commanding 93-run victory over South Africa in the opening Test at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old spinner proved instrumental as Pakistan defended a target of 277, bundling South Africa out for 183.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

He shared eight wickets in the second innings with Shaheen Shah Afridi, who complemented his effort with fiery pace and movement. He also took six wickets in the first innings, claiming his 3rd ten-wicket haul in a Test match.

The left-arm spinner’s latest heroics took his tally to an impressive 46 wickets across his last five Tests, the most by any Pakistani bowler in such a span.

The previous record stood for 37 years, held by Qadir, who had bagged 44 wickets between his 48th and 52nd Tests during the 1987–88 season.

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Noman’s exceptional run of form has also made him the most successful spinner in world cricket over the past 12 months, underlining his evolution into Pakistan’s most reliable weapon in the longer format.

His golden stretch includes 10 wickets against South Africa in Lahore, 16 scalps in the two-match series against the West Indies earlier this year, and a staggering 20 wickets during the home series against England, 11 in Multan and 9 in Rawalpindi.

With this win, Pakistan have taken a 1–0 lead in the two-match series and will now shift focus to the final Test in Rawalpindi, set to be played from October 20 to 24.

WATCH: Teenage fan climbs enclosure to meet Babar Azam

LAHORE: A teenage fan breached security at the Gaddafi Stadium during the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa, climbing through the Majid Khan Enclosure in a desperate attempt to meet his idol, Babar Azam.

In a video that has since gone viral, the young fan can be seen making his way past the stands and approaching the players’ area near the dressing room.

He was spotted by members of Pakistan’s coaching staff, who immediately alerted security officials.

Despite his repeated pleas to meet Babar Azam, the young fan was escorted away by security personnel. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet issued any official statement regarding the matter.

 

Notably, the incident occurred on October 15, which marks Babar’s 31st birthday.

Born in Lahore in 1994, Babar has been Pakistan’s most consistent batter over the past decade and remains a national icon, especially among young fans.

While Babar is currently enduring a rough patch with the bat, his numbers speak for themselves.

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In 134 ODIs, he has amassed 6,291 runs at an impressive average of 54.23, including 19 centuries and 37 fifties. Meanwhile, in 128 T20Is, he has scored 4,223 runs at an average of 39.83, with three hundreds and 36 half-centuries.

His Test record is equally remarkable, having scored 4,300 runs in 60 matches at 42.57, featuring nine centuries and 29 fifties.

READ: Afghanistan rest ace spinner Rashid Khan for Zimbabwe Test

Afghanistan selectors, on Wednesday, rested Rashid Khan for the one-off Test in Zimbabwe later this month, but the ace spinner will lead the T20I squad.

The 27-year-old had back surgery in 2023, and selectors want to keep him fit for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

“Rashid will be rested for the Test as a precaution for the upcoming international events, mainly the World Cup,” said the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

The Test match will be played from October 20 to 24, while the three T20Is are scheduled for October 29, 31, and November 2, all in Harare.

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The squad includes some fresh faces who have done well at the domestic level.

Left-arm fast bowler Bashir Ahmad, who recently made appearances in ODIs and T20Is for Afghanistan, is in the Test squad.

Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the Test team. Since gaining Test status in 2017, Afghanistan have played just 11 Tests, winning four of them.

Afghanistan Test Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai, Ikram Alikhel, Bahir Shah, Shahidullah Kamal, Ismat Alam, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Khalil Gurbaz, Bashir Ahmad

Afghanistan T20I Squad

Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai

READ: Shan Masood lauds team effort after Test victory over South Africa

LAHORE: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood praised his side’s resilience and collective effort after they defeated World Test Champions South Africa by 93 runs in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The win handed Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, marking a strong statement against one of the toughest red-ball sides in world cricket.

Reflecting on the hard-fought contest, Shan acknowledged South Africa’s fightback and credited his players for maintaining composure under pressure.

“There were a lot of challenges out in the middle. Credit to South Africa, they kept coming back, but we built enough margins to have the upper hand, and I’m glad we finished it off,” Shan said during the post-match presentation.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

The skipper also touched upon Pakistan’s tactical approach on turning surfaces, emphasising the balance between spin and pace that proved decisive in Lahore.

“Historically, we have always played on such surfaces. Even when we’ve gone spin-heavy, we included a seamer or two because we want reverse swing to come into play,” he said.

“Test cricket is a collective effort. Sajid was unlucky with his injury, and Noman is Noman,” he remarked, applauding the left-arm spinner’s stellar display.

Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi were Pakistan’s heroes in the second innings, sharing eight wickets to bowl South Africa out for 183.

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Concluding his remarks, Shan Masood hailed the victory as a significant milestone for the side.

“There are a lot of positives to draw from this game. It’s a great opportunity to play against the team that won the WTC, and we closed it out with a win today. Now, we look forward to the next one,” he said.

Pakistan will now head to Rawalpindi, where the second and final Test of the series will be played from October 20 to 24.

READ: Rashid Khan reclaims No.1 spot in ICC ODI Bowling Rankings

DUBAI: Afghanistan’s star all-rounder Rashid Khan has climbed back to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings, overtaking South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj following a stellar performance in the 3-0 series win against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi.

Rashid was at his vintage best, picking up 11 wickets across the three matches to spearhead Afghanistan’s historic first-ever ODI series sweep over their Asian rivals.

The leg-spinner’s dominance has seen him rise five places to reclaim the No.1 position in the world, a spot previously held by Maharaj, who now sits second. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana completes the top three.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s opening batter Ibrahim Zadran has surged eight places to reach second in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings.

He is sitting just 20 rating points behind India’s Shubman Gill, who retains the top spot. India’s former skipper Rohit Sharma holds third, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam has slipped to fourth with 739 points.

Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz also gained two spots to 16th, and veteran Mohammad Nabi climbed six places to equal 50th.

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From Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman retained their positions at 25th and 27th, respectively.

Salman Agha and Imam-ul-Haq both moved up one place to 39th and 41st, while Saim Ayub sits 54th and Abdullah Shafique 98th.

In the ODI bowling rankings, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi is currently ranked 15th, followed by Haris Rauf (29th), Abrar Ahmed (38th), and Naseem Shah (43rd).

Afghanistan’s dominance continued in the all-rounders’ category as well; Azmatullah Omarzai displaced Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza to claim the No.1 position after taking seven wickets in the Bangladesh series.

Mohammad Nabi is now third, while Rashid Khan rose two spots to fourth, further solidifying Afghanistan’s presence across formats.

From Pakistan, Salman Ali Agha remains 20th, Shaheen Afridi is 28th, Naseem Shah is 37th, and Haris Rauf has climbed to 54th.

READ: Mohsin Naqvi hails Pakistan team after Test win over South Africa

LAHORE: The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, praised the national Test team for their impressive victory over the reigning World Test Champions, South Africa.

Pakistan secured a commanding 93-run victory in the first Test of the two-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

In a statement issued after the win, Naqvi congratulated captain Shan Masood, players, and the entire team management for the impressive all-round display that gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

“Pakistan has triumphed against the World Test Champion team — this victory is a result of teamwork,” said Mohsin Naqvi. “Our players showcased excellence in every department, from batting to bowling and fielding.”

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The PCB Chairman expressed hope that the team would continue their winning momentum in the upcoming Test, adding that the performance reflected a renewed sense of discipline and unity within the squad.

“I congratulate the captain, all players, and the management for this outstanding win,” he said. “I am confident the team will maintain this consistency in the second Test as well.”

Pakistan’s victory was built on the brilliance of Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who shared eight wickets between them to bowl South Africa out for 183 on the fourth day.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

Shaheen struck early in the morning session, removing Tony de Zorzi with the third delivery of the day to set the tone.

Noman continued to apply pressure from the other end, dismissing Tristan Stubbs cheaply before accounting for the dangerous Dewald Brevis, who had briefly revived South Africa’s hopes with a brisk 54.

Ryan Rickelton contributed 41 in a fighting partnership with Brevis, but once both fell, Pakistan took firm control of the match. Sajid Khan chipped in with two crucial wickets, while Noman and Shaheen ran through the rest of the lineup.

Shaheen wrapped up the innings by removing Kyle Verreynne (19), Prenelan Subrayen (8), and Kagiso Rabada (0), sealing Pakistan’s dominant victory before tea.

READ: Pakistan seal commanding win over South Africa in Lahore Test

LAHORE: Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi steered Pakistan to a dominant 93-run victory over South Africa in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Chasing 277 for victory, South Africa’s hopes faded under relentless pressure as they were bowled out for 183 on the fourth day. Both Noman and Shaheen claimed four wickets apiece, ensuring Pakistan wrapped up the game before tea.

The visitors began the morning on shaky ground, and things only worsened when Shaheen Afridi struck with the third delivery of the day, removing Tony de Zorzi for 16 to give Pakistan an early breakthrough.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

Noman Ali, who had already been Pakistan’s standout spinner throughout the match, continued his fine form by dismissing Tristan Stubbs for just two, tightening the screws further.

A brief resistance came from Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton, who added 50 runs for the fifth wicket to take South Africa past the 100-run mark.

Brevis, showing character after a first-innings duck, struck a fluent 54 off 54 balls, including some confident strokes to keep the chase alive.

However, Noman broke the stand by removing Brevis at a crucial juncture, while Sajid Khan soon followed up by dismissing Rickelton for 41 off 73 balls, ending South Africa’s last real fightback.

At 137-6 by lunch, the Proteas were still 140 runs short of the target, with Kyle Verreynne (3) and Senuran Muthusamy (3) at the crease.

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The pair offered little resistance after the break as Muthusamy fell prey to Sajid Khan, scoring a mere six runs.

Simon Harmer joined Verreynne, and they added 29 runs for the eighth wicket but could not stand a chance against Pakistan’s bowlers.

Shaheen Afridi came back onto the attack and took the remaining three wickets to seal Pakistan’s emphatic victory.

Verreynne departed after scoring 19 runs, while Prenelan Subrayen (8) and Kagiso Rabada (0) were Shaheen’s other victims. Harmer remained unbeaten for 14.

Other than Shaheen and Noman’s four-wicket hauls, Sajid Khan claimed two wickets for Pakistan.

READ: Son tells South Korea to ignore reputations at FIFA World Cup 2026

Son Heung-min said South Korea need to show the big teams less respect at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after recovering from being “punched” by Brazil to beat Paraguay.

The captain Son and his teammates were hammered 5-0 by Brazil in a friendly in Seoul last week, but got back on track with a 2-0 home win over Paraguay on Tuesday.

Son, who set a new record for South Korea’s men’s team with his 137th appearance against Brazil, urged his side to ignore their opponents’ reputations at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“When we go up against strong teams, we have to think about how we can be more aggressive,” said Son, now playing for Los Angeles FC.

“For instance, I think we respected Brazil too much and that had a big influence on the result.

“We now know it hurts to get punched like that, and we have to learn how to fight back.”

South Korea have upset more fancied teams at the World Cup before, famously beating Portugal, Italy and Spain on the way to the semi-finals on home soil in 2002.

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They scored a goal in each half against Paraguay in Seoul, through Eom Ji-sung and Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Son Heung-min played only the first half after appearing for just over an hour against Brazil.

The 33-year-old forward said he was proud of his team’s performance just days after the Brazil humiliation.

“After a big loss like the one we had, players can feel discouraged, and it can show on the pitch,” said Son.

“To see my teammates put that behind them and pounce on their chances, I felt really grateful as their captain.”

Tuesday’s friendly was played out in front of a disappointing crowd of 20,000.

“If we play better football and more entertaining football, then I am sure fans will return to the stadium,” said Son.

READ: Portugal’s Ronaldo becomes all-time top World Cup qualifying scorer