United News of Bangladesh

Having suffered an untimely stroke, ex-national cricketer Nafees Iqbal was airlifted to Dhaka from Chattogram for urgent medical treatment on Friday. former batter and current logistics manager of the Bangladesh national cricket team, Chief physician of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Dr. Debashis Chowdhury, confirmed the development, adding that the stroke was 'minor'. "Nafees experienced a minor stroke. He was transported to Dhaka via air ambulance and admitted to Bangladesh Specialized Hospital," Dr Debashis informed Nafees, 39, represented Bangladesh in 11 Tests and 16 ODIs. A cultured top order batsman, he was never quite able to do justice to his abilitiesHe made his Test debut against New Zealand in October 2004, almost a year after an ODI debut against England in November 2003. His lone century in international cricket came in a Test match at home against Zimbabwe in 2005. Since retiring as a player, Nafees has enjoyed a variety of roles with BCB, at its headquarters in Mirpur or with the team. He was last serving as the team's logistics manager, at the time of his stroke. Nafees comes from a notable cricketing family of Chattogram. He is the nephew of former national team captain Akram Khan and the elder brother of another former national team captain, Tamim Iqbal.

England will play Switzerland in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 on Saturday. England faced criticism from fans who thought the team underperformed in its extra-time win over Slovakia, while Switzerland exceeded expectations by knocking out defending champion Italy. The winner will play either the Netherlands or Turkey in the semifinals. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. local (1600 GMT) in Duesseldorf. Here’s what to know about the match: Match facts — England is playing its fourth quarterfinal game at a major tournament under England manager Gareth Southgate and won two of the previous three. Southgate's cautious tactics have brought hefty criticism from England fans, some of whom threw plastic cups at him in the group stage. — Jude Bellingham's last-minute overhead kick to send England's last-16 game with Slovakia to extra time was one of the most dramatic moments of Euro 2024 so far. Defender John Stones said Thursday that surviving that brush with elimination gave the team new confidence. Argentina reaches Copa America semifinals, beating Ecuador 4-2 on penalty kicks after 1-1 draw — Switzerland coach Murat Yakin has won a reputation for smart tactics at Euro 2024, especially by outclassing an Italy team packed with more famous names in the round of 16. — England is playing two days after a general election ended 14 years of rule by the Conservative Party. It didn't make waves in the England camp, which Stones called a “politics-free zone." Team news — Bellingham is available after he avoided an immediate ban from UEFA, which investigated a gesture he made during the Slovakia game. UEFA fined Bellingham 30,000 euros ($32,500) and gave him a one-game ban that only takes effect if he breaks the rules again during a one-year probationary period. He has denied he was mocking Slovakia when he seemed to gesture toward his crotch. — England defender Marc Guéhi is suspended after picking up a second booking against Slovakia. Ezri Konsa, who came off the bench in extra time in that game, is the favorite to replace him in the center of defense alongside Stones. — Stones wore heavy strapping on his right knee in training Wednesday but said Thursday he's fit to play. — Bellingham, forward Phil Foden and full back Kieran Trippier are among five England players who would miss the semifinals if booked against Switzerland. Captain Granit Xhaka is one of four Swiss players in the same situation. By the numbers — Southgate is marking his 100th game in charge and it could be his last. His contract expires after the tournament. — Switzerland hasn't beaten England for 43 years. Harry Kane scored the winning goal when England had a comeback 2-1 win the last time they played in a 2022 friendly. Ronaldo vs. Mbappé: Clash of generations at Euro 2024 has just been given some extra spice — It's only the third time the Swiss team is playing in the quarterfinals of a major tournament. It has yet to reach a semifinal. A penalty-shootout loss to Spain in the quarterfinals of Euro 2020 was its best European Championship showing. What they’re saying — “The other night, I thought we were going home after 60 minutes of the game. To change the mindset of us all and keep that belief and faith, it’s got a lot of power behind that for ourselves, other teams. Everyone watching at home knows that we’re there to do it right until the last minute, literally. And, I think we should take great confidence from that.” — England defender John Stones. — “Every team participating in the Euro wants to win, and so do we. But in the end, we are having both feet on the ground. We know who we are and where we’re coming from. We know our basics. That is keeping us in the tournament until now.” — Switzerland midfielder Steven Zuber.  

Emiliano Martínez saved Argentina's bid for a second straight Copa America title after the Albiceleste conceded a tying goal to Ecuador in second-half injury time. Martínez stopped shootout attempts by Ángel Mena and Alan Minda, and Argentina advanced to the Copa America semifinals with a 4-2 victory on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw Thursday night. “I wasn’t ready to go home,” Martínez said. “This team deserved to advance. They complicated us a lot. They played a great match, very physical. We knew they were one of the top rivals in Copa America.” Lionel Messi, returning from a leg injury that caused him to miss Argentina’s group-stage finale, put the first Albiceleste penalty kick off the crossbar, but the Albiceleste recovered and Nicolás Otamendi beat Alexander Domínguez with the winning kick. “Our goalkeeper came up clutch," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter. Seeking its third straight major title, Argentina advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight Copa America and will play Venezuela or Canada on Tuesday at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina is looking to win a record 16th Copa America championship. US eliminated from Copa America with 1-0 loss to Uruguay, increasing pressure to fire Berhalter Playing in front of a pro-Argentinian crowd of 69,456 at NRG Stadium, Lisandro Martínez gave the Albiceleste a 35th-minute lead following Messi's corner kick. Ecuador’s Enner Valencia put a penalty kick off a post in the 62nd minute after a hand ball by Rodrigo De Paul, but Kevin Rodríguez tied it in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. With Argentina going first in the shootout, Messi tried a Panenka and hit the crossbar. Martínez, the goalkeeper in Argentina’s shootout win over France in the 2022 World Cup final, stopped Mena by diving to his left and batting the ball with his trailing hand. He denied Minda by leaping right, then followed the save with a short dance. Julián Álvarez and Alexis Mac Allister converted to put Argentina ahead 2-0, and John Yeboah made Ecuador’s third attempt. Gonzalo Montiel gave Argentina a 3-1 lead, Jordy Caicedo converted to keep Ecuador alive and Otamendi got the winner, tucking the ball inside the post just past the outstretched arm of Domínguez. Argentina coach Scaloni suspended from Copa America match vs. Peru for being repeatedly late Despite the victory, Scaloni said he “did not enjoy the win.” “We have reached the semis, and given the great level of performance of every national team, I think it’s a great achievement," he said. Lisandro Martínez had put Argentina ahead in the 35th minute with a header after Mac Allister headed on Messi’s corner kick. Rodríguez scored when he headed in John Yeboah’s cross. “The quarterfinals had us playing against the most difficult opponent, and I thought we delivered well,” Ecuador coach Félix Sánchez Bas said through an interpreter. “We showed this team can compete against any opponent.” Under Copa America regulations, the match went straight from the end of regulation to a shootout, without extra time. Messi, who sustained the injury on June 25 against Chile, got a loud ovation when he entered the field 45 minutes before kickoff. He remained without a goal in three Copa games this year. “I think he finished the match well,” Scaloni said. “We asked him how he was feeling for the last time four minutes before the end." Lionel Messi to rest for Argentina's final Copa America group match against Peru with leg injury

Jatrabari Jhotika Sangsad made a good start in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League 2023 -24 beating Mugda Somaj Kallyan O Krira Sangsad by 2-1 goals at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka's Kamalapur on Thursday. Kamran Sheikh scored first for Jatrabari JS in the 24th minute (1-0) while Mahbubul Biswas levelled the margin for Mugda Somaj Kallyan in the 39th minute (1-1). BFF U-18 Football: Dhaka Abahani Ltd earn 4th consecutive win beating Rahmatganj MFS 4-1 Ramjan Hawlader scored the match-deciding goal for Jatrabari JS in the 53rd minute (2-1). Manager of Jatrabari JS Mohammad Niaz received a direct red card in the match 

Dhaka Abahani Limited earned the 4th consecutive victory in the BFF Under -18 Football League' 2023-24 outplaying Rahmatganj MFS by 4-1 goals in the 4th round match at the Mohammadpur Physical Education College ground on Thursday. Earlier, Dhaka Abahani made a good start in the league beating Fortis FC by 2-0 goals, defeating Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 2-1 goals in the 2nd match and Brothers Union Club by 2-0 goals in their 3rd match. The day's match between Abahani and Rahmatganj was locked in 1-1 goals in the first half. Mahedi Hassan put the sky-blue Dhabmondi outfit Abahani ahead in the 34th minute (1-0) while Raihan levelled the margin for the old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj in the added time (45+1 minute) of the first half. BFF U-16 Football League: Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club earn 2nd consecutive victory Sakib Hossain Mollah, Yeasin Arafat Sifat and Samuel Raksam scored one goal each in the 57th, 78th and 90+3 minutes respectively to guide Dhaka Abahani to a comfortable victory. . In the day's other match, Dhaka Mohammedan SC shared points with Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club as their encounters ended in a 1-1 draw at the Practice ground of Bashundhara Kings Arena Thursday afternoon. Ariful put Sheikh Jamal DC ahead in the 34th minute from a penalty (1-0) while Yousuf restored the parity for the black and whites Mohammedan in the 40th minute (1-1). In the day's other match, coming from behind, Fortis FC beat Bangladesh Police FC by 2-1 goals at the Armed Police Battalion ground in Uttara Thursday afternoon. Bangladesh Women's team to play two FIFA International matches against Bhutan in July Sonet Shek put Police team ahead in the 14th minute (1-0) while Swe Mong Sing Marma equalised the margin for Fortis FC in the 24th minute (1-1). Mohammad Shanto scored the match-winning goal for Fortis FC in the 70th minute (2-1).

The next edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will take place in Pakistan next year. Reports suggest that Bangladesh are placed in Group A of this event along with India, Pakistan, and New Zealand. India's participation in this event has not yet been confirmed due to security concerns and strained diplomatic relations with Pakistan. Nonetheless, Pakistan has submitted a proposed schedule to the ICC, in which both teams are in the same group with Bangladesh and New Zealand. India last visited Pakistan in 2006. Since then, diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries have deteriorated, resulting in a six-year hiatus from bilateral series. The last bilateral series occurred from late 2012 to early 2013 when Pakistan traveled to India. Venue Guide: Stadiums of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 During the 2023 Asia Cup, India refused to participate as the hosts were Pakistan. Due to India’s refusal, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was forced to host the Asia Cup across venues in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. According to reports, while Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan are in Group A, Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan are in Group B of the upcoming Champions Trophy. However, the ICC will announce the official schedule soon. Squad Analysis of Sri Lanka for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Among the Test-playing teams, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland failed to qualify for this edition of the Champions Trophy. Pakistan are the current champions, having won the title in 2017 by beating India in the final. The draft schedule suggests that Pakistan and India will face off on March 1 in Lahore. The other two venues are Rawalpindi and Karachi.  

Jubilant India cricketers have received a rousing welcome home from fans after winning the Twenty20 World Cup final in Barbados. India skipper Rohit Sharma held up the World Cup trophy after arriving at New Delhi International Airport early Thursday morning. Hundreds of supporters were gathered at the airport, many waving the national flag and chanting “India, India.” There were thousands more waiting to continue the celebrations, which started Saturday and were about to ramp up. Some of the players danced to drum beats when they reached their hotel. India pulled off a sensational seven-run win against South Africa in a gripping final last weekend, ending a drought in global International Cricket Council limited-overs competitions. The team’s return from the Caribbean was delayed because of a shutdown forced by Hurricane Beryl in Barbados. Hurricane Beryl disrupts T20 World Cup winner India’s homecoming "It's a lifetime experience," cricket official Arun Dhumal said. The T20 triumph was India's first World Cup title since it won the 50-over version in 2011. Over the last 12 months, India lost the World Test Championship final to Australia in England and the 50-over World Cup final at home, also to the Australians. After meeting India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the cricketers were due to fly to Mumbai and participate in an open bus roadshow, followed by a celebration ceremony later Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced a cash bonus of 1.25 billion rupees ($15 million) for the winning squad. Soon after winning the title, Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from international T20 matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Kylian Mbappé. A clash of soccer icons. A clash of generations. They’ll go head to head when Portugal plays France in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals on Friday, and this heavyweight meeting might have got just that little bit bigger. “It is, without doubt, my last European Championship,” the 39-year-old Ronaldo said after his tearful, emotionally charged performance in Portugal’s penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia in the last 16. That may have just confirmed what many were presuming anyway. Still, there’s now a definitive specter of finality to Ronaldo’s long, headline-grabbing Euros adventure that could be brought to an end by Mbappé, the heir apparent to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after their long-time dominance of the sport. Mbappé grew up with pictures of Ronaldo on his bedroom wall. A photo is inevitably doing the rounds on social media of what is apparently their first ever meeting, at Real Madrid’s training ground at Valdebebas in 2012 when a 13-year-old Mbappé stood beside Ronaldo after a visit to the Spanish club where his sporting hero was the star player. In 2020, Mbappé posted on Twitter, now X, that Ronaldo was his “idol.” Ronaldo says he is playing his 'last European Championship' And only a few months ago, Ronaldo reacted to Mbappé clinching a highly anticipated move to Madrid by writing on Instagram: “Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu.” That Mbappé can now end Ronaldo’s European Championship career — who knows, it might even be his last ever major tournament — adds an intriguing subplot to a match that will be watched around the world. “Let’s go, let’s go to war,” Ronaldo said of the match against France, whom he considers as the top contender at Euro 2024 along with Spain. He said he was driven to tears against Slovenia not at the prospect of elimination but because his main motivation these days is “making people happy” and he had a penalty saved in extra time. “I’m moved by all that football means — by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me. “It’s not about leaving the world of football. What else is there for me to do or win?” Ronaldo heads into Friday’s game having failed to score in eight straight matches at major tournaments — Portugal’s last four at the 2022 World Cup and its four games at Euro 2024 — and with growing concerns about whether he deserves what appears to be a guaranteed spot in the team under Roberto Martinez. Mbappé and France into Euro 2024 quarterfinals after Muani's late goal beats Belgium 1-0 Things haven’t been straightforward for Mbappé, either, at Euro 2024. He sustained a broken nose in France’s group opener against Austria and has since been wearing a vision-limiting protective facemask during games. Mbappé has scored one goal and that was from the penalty spot against Poland – it’s the only goal scored by a France player at these Euros. “He will have to get used to it,” France coach Didier Deschamps said of Mbappé and his mask, “because, to protect (his nose), he will have to wear it for a few weeks — or even a few months.” Few would have predicted the top scorer at the last World Cup (Mbappé) and the record scorer in men’s international soccer (Ronaldo) to have just one goal between them heading into the quarterfinals. But no one will be surprised if they come alive in Hamburg, with the pressure on and the occasion so big. Mbappé, remember, scored a hat trick in the World Cup final and has been logging Ronaldo-esque scoring numbers in the first part of his career. He's already on 48 goals for France at the age of 25, and is also on 48 goals in the Champions League from 73 appearances. He is chasing down Ronaldo's scoring records at both international (130) and Champions League (140) level and will likely only succeed by showing the same undimmed passion and desire as the player he used to copy as a kid. Lautaro Martínez scores twice and Argentina playing without Messi beats Peru 2-0 to end group play As their countries' respective captains, they'll shake hands and embrace before kickoff. You can bet they'll do the same after the match. By that time, one of them will be on his way home. For Mbappé, there will surely be more European Championships down the road. For Ronaldo, this could be the end of the road.  

Badda Jagoroni Sangsad made a good start in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League 2023 -24 beating Sadharan Bima Krira Sangha by 3-0 goals at the Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur here on Wednesday. Sr Division Football : Arambagh KS make flying start outplaying Swadhinata KS 4-0 Midfielder Saiful Islam put Badda Jagoroni ahead in the 21st minute (1-0), Arif Islam doubled the margin in the 48th minute (2-0) while Amir Hamza sealed the fate of the match scoring the 3rd goal for Badda Jagoroni in the 63rd minute (3-0). Sadharan Bima custodian Munim Howlader got a marching order in the match after receiving a direct red card.  

Left-arm Bangladeshi pace bowler Shoriful Islam has joined the Lanka Premier League (LPL) as a replacement player for Kandy Falcons, despite not being initially selected in the draft. Shoriful was part of the Bangladesh team in the T20 World Cup that took place in the USA and the West Indies, but a finger injury sidelined him. His injury paved the way for Tanzim Hasan Sakib to Bangladesh’s playing XI, and he did so well that Shorfiul did not get his place back in the team. Shoriful, replacing Pakistani pacer Mohammad Ali, joins the Falcons who currently sit third in the standings. His inclusion marks the third Bangladeshi pacer to participate in this year's LPL, alongside Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman (Dambulla), as well as batsman Towhid Hridoy. While Taskin is representing Colombo Strikers, Mustafizur and Hridoy are playing for Dambulla Sixers. Following the LPL, Shoriful will head to Canada for the Global T20 alongside Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Rishad Hossain. Shakib will also participate in the USA's Major League Cricket beforehand.