United News of Bangladesh

Defending champions Bashundhara Kings will play Fortis FC Ltd in a Group A match of the Bashundhara Group Federation Cup Football 2023-24 at 2:30 pm at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in the capital on Tuesday. Brothers Union Club Ltd will meet Dhaka Wanderers Club in the other Group A match also at 2:30 pm at the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh on Tuesday. Earlier in the tournament opener, last season’s treble winners Bashundhara Kings managed 1-0 goal victory over Brothers Union Club to dominate the Group A list securing full three points from one match. The other Group A opening match between Bangladesh Police FC and Fortis FC ended in a goalless draw to follow the league leader Kings securing one point each from one match. Brother Union Club yet to open the account losing the opening match to the Kings while Dhaka Wanderers Club yet to start the tournament. In the Group B, former champions Dhaka Abahani Limited and Rahmatganj MFS dominated the group securing full three points after playing their first match. The Sky-Blue Dhanmondi outfit Dhaka Abahani,without any foreign footballer,  made a flying start outplaying their minnow Chittagong Abahani Ltd by 3-0 goals while Rahmatganj MFS forced last time's runners up Dhaka Mohammedan SC to concede 0-1 goal defeat in the 10-team Federation Cup Football. Bangladesh edge out West Indies in thrilling first T20I Dhaka Mohammedan SC, which shocked last season's treble winners Bashundhara Kings beating them by 1-0 goal in their 2nd BPL match, made a frustrating journey in the Federation Cup Football losing to Rahmatganj MFS by 0-1 goal at the Bashundhara Kings Arena. This was the 2nd successive defeat for traditional black and whites Dhaka Mohammedan at the Basundhara Kings Arena (ground)  this season after conceding 1-3 defeat against the Kings in the one-match Challenge Cup Football recently. Ten premier division league clubs, split into two groups, are initially participating  in the first phase of the Federation Cup Football at three venues in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Cumilla   Grouping of Federation Cup: Group A -Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police FC, Fortis FC, Brothers Union Club and Dhaka Wanderers Club Group B - Mohammedan SC Ltd, Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Chattagram Abahani Ltd, Rahmatganj MFS and Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club. Later, top two teams from each of the two groups will play in the meet's next round (qualification and elimination) like the Franchisee  Cricket League  

Austrian soccer player Guido Burgstaller has been left with serious head injuries, including a skull fracture, after he was attacked in the Vienna city center, his club Rapid Vienna said Monday. Rapid Vienna said the 35-year-old striker was struck by an unidentified man and fell, injuring his head, in an incident which took place in front of witnesses during the weekend. The club said Burgstaller, who has played 26 times for the Austrian national team, was expected to spend “the coming days” in a hospital and would likely be unable to play for several months. The club didn't give further details of the incident and said it wanted to respect the privacy of Burgstaller and his family. It added that it “trusts that the responsible authorities will soon bring the as-yet unidentified perpetrator to justice."

Barcelona stayed top of the Spanish league despite a shock 1-0 home defeat on Sunday to lowly Leganes, a team that had not won away all season. Atletico Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 to leapfrog city rival Real Madrid and go second. Both Barcelona and Atletico have 38 points but Barcelona has a better goal difference. Playing in the first of five La Liga matches on Sunday, Atletico won its sixth consecutive league game to move a point clear of Real, which could only draw 3-3 with Real Vallecano on Saturday. The results set up a mouthwatering clash between the top two at Barcelona next Saturday. The Madrid side will go into the match with the momentum after recording its 11th straight victory in all competitions on a chilly afternoon at the Wanda Metropolitano. Visitor Getafe had taken just two points from its seven away games so far this season but it made life difficult for Diego Simeone’s side. It took Atletico until the 70th minute to get the winner from Alexander Sorloth's header. Barcelona then missed the chance to restore its three-point cushion when it lost to Leganes. Leganes went ahead with Sergio González's header after four minutes and spent most of the match defending its lead. Leganes keeper Marko Dmitrović was superb, especially in the first half, and Barcelona’s front players were so ineffectual that coach Hansi Flick withdrew Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal in the final quarter. His changes, however, had little effect and Leganes, promoted from the second tier in May, celebrated a win that lifts it into 15th, four points clear of the relegation zone. “Taking the lead so early against teams like this is dangerous because they have so much potential," said Leganes defender Jorge Saenz. "We were able to defend together and keep them away from our area. Dmitrovic made three saves that were life-saving for us.” “It’s only three points, but for us they’re like gold. Things were getting tight and this gives us a little breathing room.” BASQUE DERBY ENDS ALL SQUARE Alaves and Athletic Bilbao shared the points in a 1-1 Basque derby that snapped Atheltic’s six-game winning streak. Alaves hadn’t won since Nov. 1 and was knocked out of the Copa del Rey by lowly Deportiva Minera. It was on the defensive for much of the match and went behind after 10 minutes when Unai Gómez hit the net after taking a nice pass from Iñaki Williams. But Joan Jordán took advantage of a goalkeeping error midway through the second half to level the scores. Athletic had chances to win – a late goal from Dani Vivian wasn't allowed because of an infringement – but the draw leaves it in fourth place, four points behind Real Madrid and five behind the top two. “Winning today would have put us in a better position, but coming here for a derby is always tough,” Williams said. “In terms of effort, we can’t be faulted, but we lacked clarity up front.” “Overall, a draw is a fair result for both teams.” BETIS STRETCHES UNBEATEN RUN Real Betis stretched its unbeaten run to four games with a 2-1 win at Villarreal but coach Manuel Pellegrini was angry at playing with 10 men for most of the game after Ezequiel Ávila saw red. The Argentine forward was sent off for a cynical foul 11 minutes before halftime with Betis 1-0 up thanks to a goal from on-loan Barcelona striker Vitor Roque. Giovani Lo Celso made it 2-0 a minute after the break with a superb free kick and, although Alex Baena got one back with a superbly taken volley, Betis left with all three points to take it to ninth place. Pellegrini was angered that Ávila’s foul, committed in the center of the pitch to stop a counterattack, was not reviewed by the video officials. “Penalties, red cards, they should always be reviewed,” Pellegrini said. “They unbalanced the match today unfairly. VAR reduces the chance of these eventualities. VAR should be an ally, not an enemy.” Also, Real Sociedad failed to win for the first time in five matches with a 0-0 draw at home to Las Palmas. Both sides had chances to win the match but poor finishing and good goalkeeping at both ends meant a share of the points. Real Sociedad is in seventh, a point behind Villarreal, while Las Palmas is in 14th.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has arranged Victory Day Friendly Cricket, an annual program of the board on the occasion of the Victory Day, Monday (December 16). Former star cricketers, under the banner of Shaheed Mustaque Eleven and Shaheed Jewel Eleven will compete in the day-long meet at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The friendly cricket match with the participation of former national captains and star cricketers, virtually a reunion of former cricketers, will kick-off at 10:30 am at the Mirpur Stadium. Selected cricketers of two participating teams are: Shaheed Mustaque X1 : Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Akram Khan, Minhajul Abedin Nannu, Mehrab Hossain Opi, Khan Abdur Razzak, Hasibul Hossian Shanta, Mushfiqur Rahman Babu, Abdul Hannan Sarkar, Fahim Muntasir Summit, Hasanuzzanan Jhoru, Khondakar Saidul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Rana, Mohammad Ali, Sajjad Ahmed Shipon and Nazmul Hossain. Shaheed Jewel Xl : ASM Raquibul Hasan, Habibul Bashar Sumon, Khaled Mashud Pilot, Enamul Haq Moni, Mohammad Rafiq, Shahriar Nafees, Ehsanul Haque Sezan, Harun Ur Rashid Liton, Foysal Hossain Dickens, Javed Omar Belim, Mohammad Salim, Salim Shahed, Niamul Rashid Rahul, Talha Jubair and Sanaul Hossain.

Last season's treble winners Bashundhara Kings returned to winning run in the 10- team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football outplaying Rahmatganj MFS by 4-1 goals in the last 3rd round match at the Bashundhara Kings Arena Saturday evening. Defending champions Bashundhara Kings, which made a flying start crushing Chittagong Abahani Ltd by 7-0 goals in the league opener, suffered a big blow losing to ten-man Dhaka Mohammedan SC by 0-1 goal in the 2nd league match. In the day's 3rd round match, the Kings smartly bounced back in the race beating old Dhaka outfit Rahnatganj MFS comfortably. In the day's match, Brazilian forward Jonathan Fernandes put the Kings ahead in the 10th minute (1-0). Local national coloured striker Nabib Newaj Jibon leveled the margin for Rahmatganj MFS just two minute later (1-1). Another Brazilian Miguel Figueira again put the Kings ahead in the added time of the first half (45+2 minute) from a penalty (2-1). Sohel Rana scored the 3rd goal for the Kings in the 53rd minute (3-1) while defender Topu Barman made it (4-1) in the 76th minute. After the day's 3rd round matches, Dhaka Mohammedan SC took a solo lead in the league with all-win run securing full nine points from straight three matches after beating their arch rivals Dhaka Abahani by 1-0 goal in a keenly contested match at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla Saturday afternoon.   In the day's prestige battle, Mali forward cum team captain Souleymane Diabate scored the match winning goal for Mohammedan SC against foreign booter-less Dhaka Abahani by a good header in the stoppage time of the first half (45+2 minute). With the day's maiden defeat, Dhaka Abahani Ltd went down in the league race to share the 3rd slot with Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police FC and Rahmatganj MFS collecting six points each playing three matches each. The Gopibagh outfit Brothers Union Club followed the league leader Mohammedan neck and neck securing seven points from three matches. In the day's another match, Bangladesh Police FC advanced to the 3rd slot in the league outplaying Dhaka Wanderers Club by 4-0 goals at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur Saturday afternoon. Al Amin struck twice in the 36th and 41st minutes to dominate the first half by 2-0 goals. Dipok Roy and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmani scored the remaining two goals for Police FC in the 79th and 84th minutes respectively.

Dhaka Mohammedan SC took a solo lead in the 10- team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football with all-win record beating their arch rival Dhaka Abahani Limited by 1-0 goal in a keenly contested match at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Saturday. After the day's 3rd consecutive victory, traditional black and whites Mohammedan SC  secured full nine points from straight three matches to dominate the league comfortably . In the day's prestige battle, Mali forward cum team captain Souleymane Diabate scored the match winning goal for Mohammedan SC against foreign booter-less Dhaka Abahani by a good header in the stoppage time of the first half (45+2 minute). With the day's maiden defeat, Dhaka Abahani Ltd went down in the race to share the 3rd slot jointly with Bangladesh Police FC and Rahmatganj MFS collecting six points each playing three, three and two matches respectively. The Gopibagh outfit Brothers Union Club followed the league leader neck and neck securing seven points from three matches. In the day's another match, Bangladesh Police FC advanced to the 3rd slot in the league outplaying Dhaka Wanderers Club by 4-0 goal at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur Saturday afternoon. Al Amin struck twice in the 36th and 41st minutes to dominate the first half by 2-0 goals. Dipok Roy and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmani scored remaining two goals for Police FC in the 79th and 84th minutes respectively.

Experts warn that Saudi Arabia's plans to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup could significantly harm the environment due to large-scale construction and emissions. The Gulf nation, recently confirmed as the host, aims to build or renovate 15 stadiums, develop a futuristic city, and expand airports to accommodate millions of visitors.  These developments will generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions from producing and transporting materials like concrete and steel, as well as from operating heavy machinery and cooling new facilities. Such emissions are a major contributor to climate change. Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College, criticized the plan as “environmentally wasteful in the extreme.” He argued that the World Cup should be hosted in nations with an established soccer infrastructure to avoid unnecessary construction.  Seth Warren Rose, founding director of the Eneref Institute, emphasized the urgency of climate action. “By 2034, we’ll be living in a different climate and that’s not a metaphor,” he said, urging organizers to either take meaningful steps to cut emissions or abandon the event.  Saudi Arabia's plans rely heavily on concrete, responsible for 8% of global emissions and steel, which adds another 7%. The construction of eight new stadiums and the expansion of three currently underway for the tournament’s first-ever 48-team format raise concerns about the potential for “white elephant” venues—facilities left unused after the event.  FIFA names Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host The Saudi bid includes sustainability measures, such as powering stadiums with clean energy, adopting natural ventilation, and enforcing green building standards. However, Karim Elgendy, a fellow at Chatham House, warned that the vast scale of the project and the distances between host cities could make it the most carbon-intensive World Cup to date. Without robust mitigation, he said, the event's emissions could nearly double the record set during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  In comparison, this year’s Paris Olympics achieved a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by using renewable energy, recycled materials, plant-based food options, and energy-efficient infrastructure.  Critics question FIFA’s decision to fast-track Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid, suggesting more suitable hosts like the UK, which already has numerous stadiums. However, Walker Ross, a sport sustainability researcher at the University of Edinburgh, argued that global inclusivity should remain central to hosting decisions. “If this sport is truly for the world, then we have to be open to everyone hosting,” he said.  Previous events have also faced scrutiny. Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, which cost $200 billion and included seven new stadiums and extensive infrastructure, reportedly emitted 3.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Claims of a “carbon neutral” tournament were met with skepticism.  Saudi Arabia’s growing emissions—533 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022—are compounded by its heavy reliance on fossil fuels. While the country aims to source 50% of its energy from renewables by 2030, renewable energy adoption remains minimal.  Khaled Diab of Carbon Market Watch criticized FIFA for seemingly ignoring lessons from Qatar. “It appears FIFA has learnt very little from the debacle with the World Cup in Qatar,” he said.  Source: With inputs from wires

Bangladesh National Women's Football team moved seven steps ahead in the latest FIFA /Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking published by World Football body FIFA after four months on Friday (December 14). Bangladesh, which clinched the SAFF Women's Football crown for the 2nd consecutive times beating hosts Nepal by 2-1 goals in the final in last October, advanced to the 132nd place securing 1097.55 rating points to better the previous ranking of 139th among 185 countries. Among the South Asian countries, India (69th) and Nepal (103rd) are ahead of Bangladesh (132nd) while Pakistan (157th), Sri Lanka (158th), Maldives (163rd) and Bhutan (172nd) behind the Bangladesh The USA Women's team maintained their top slot intact on the FIFA World Ranking securing 2087.55 rating points, followed by Spain, Germany, England. Sweden, Canada, Brazil, Japan, DPR (North) Korea and Netherlands.

Brothers Union Club took a solo lead in the ongoing 10- team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football with unbeaten run beating Chittagong Abahani Ltd by 2-0 goals in the 3rd round match at the Bir Shreshtha FL Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj Friday afternoon. With the day's feat, the Gopibagh outfit Brothers Union took a solo lead in the league table securing seven points from three matches toppling three joints leaders --Dhaka Mohammedan SC, Dhaka Abahani Ltd and Rahmatganj MFS, which bagged full six points from straight two matches. Defending champions Bashundhara Kings went down in the race with three points from two matches losing to Federation Cup runners up Mohammedan SC by 0-1 goal in the 2nd round match. In the day's match, Senegalese midfielder Cheik Sene scored both goals for Brothers Union---first in the 18th minute and 2nd in the last minute. In the day's other match, Fortis FC outplayed Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool by 3-0 goals at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur on Friday. After barren first half, local striker Piash Ahmed Nova struck twice for Fortis FC in the 58th and 85th minutes while Gambian forward Omar Sarr opened the account in the 52nd minute Three more 3rd round matches will be held on Saturday at three separate venues across the country. The titans battle between two traditional rivals Dhaka Mohammedan SC and Dhaka Abahani Ltd will be held on Saturday at :2:30 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla. Last season's treble winners Bashundhara Kings will play joint league leader Rahmatganj MFS at 5:30 pm at the Bashundhara Kings Arena while Dhaka Wanderers Club will face Bangladesh Police FC at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur on Saturday.

UEFA punished Serbia’s soccer federation for racist acts by fans at two Nations League games, including trying to burn an Albania flag in Switzerland. The decision was announced Friday, hours before Serbia and Albania were drawn by FIFA into the same qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup — meaning they will play each other twice, home and away. On Monday, UEFA's executive committee is set to confirm Serbia and Albania as co-hosts of the Under-21 European Championship in 2027. Injured Mbappé to travel with Real Madrid to Qatar with hopes of playing Intercontinental Cup final At a Switzerland-Serbia game last month, visiting fans were filmed trying to set light to an Albania flag. The Swiss team, including captain Granit Xhaka, typically fields players with family ties to Albania or Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. UEFA said its disciplinary committee charged the Serbian federation for “racist and/or discriminatory behavior” in Switzerland on Nov. 15 and at home to Denmark three days later, plus other incidents including fans showing an “illicit banner.” Serbia’s federation was banned from selling tickets for the team’s next two away games in UEFA competitions, and must close parts of the stadium at two home games. Harry Kane set to return for Bayern Munich next week after injury The first parts of the sanctions will apply in March when Serbia faces Austria in a two-leg Nations League promotion playoff. UEFA also imposed fines totaling 173,000 euros ($181,000) with 90,000 euros ($94,000) of that for the discrimination. Serbia’s soccer body has been charged by UEFA and FIFA for repeated fan misconduct including at Euro 2024 in Germany and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Serbia-Albania games in World Cup qualifying next year will be the first since they met in a Euro 2016 qualifying group. The game in Belgrade in October 2014 was abandoned in chaos after a fan outside the stadium flew a drone carrying an Albanian nationalist banner over the field.