Football
'It is the last one': Messi on World Cup 2022
Lionel Messi has confirmed that the World Cup in Qatar next month will be the last of his career.
The 35-year-old Argentina star will play in his fifth World Cup but is still seeking his first title at the showpiece tournament.
“There’s some anxiety and nerves at the same time ... it is the last one,” Messi said in an interview with Star Plus.
It is the first time the Paris Saint-Germain striker has spoken openly about his future after the tournament, which starts on Nov. 20.
Messi did not make it clear whether he would retire from the national team after Qatar.
Read: Which South American Footballers Scored Five Goals in a Single Match Except Messi?
Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986. The team will open the tournament on Nov.22 against Saudi Arabia in Group C before facing Mexico and Poland.
“I don’t know whether we are big favorites, but I believe Argentina is a candidate because of its history, which means even more now because of the way we got here,” Messi added. “But in a World Cup anything can happen, all the matches are very difficult. It isn’t always the favorites who win it.”
AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers: Bangladesh off to good start, beat Singapore 2-1
Hosts Bangladesh opened their AFC U17 Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers Group E campaigns with a 2-1 win over Singapore Wednesday.
At the Birshrestha Sipahi Mohammad Mostafa Stadium in Kamalapur, Bangladesh took the lead in the 10th minute when Singapore defender Brayden Goh scored an own goal while trying to clear Nazim Uddin's cross (1-0).
Muhammad Syazwan levelled the margin for Singapore in the 28th minute (1-1).
The deadlock then continued well into the second half. As the match looked set to end in a draw, Bangladesh forced an error from Singapore goalkeeper Isaac Lee to earn three points.
The winning goal arrived in the last minute of added time. Bangladesh won the match 2-1 as Lee scored an own goal in the stoppage time (97th minute).
In the day's first match, Yemen crushed Bhutan 8-0 at the same venue in the afternoon, leading in the first half 5-0.
In the remaining Group E matches, Bangladesh will face Bhutan on Friday and Yemen Sunday at 7pm at the same venue.
U-17 teams of Yemen, Singapore, Bhutan and hosts Bangladesh will compete in the four-nation qualifiers in Dhaka up to October 9.
The final round of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Championship will be held during May 3-10 next year. The venue is yet to be finalised.
AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers kick off: Bangladesh play Singapore on Wednesday
Hosts Bangladesh will play Singapore in one of the two opening day matches in Group E of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers on Wednesday (Oct 5), at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur.The match will kick-off at 7 pm (BST). Yemen and Bhutan, the other two teams in the group, will square off in the inaugural match at 4pm on the day.Under 17 teams of -- Yemen, Singapore, Bhutan and hosts Bangladesh --in Group E will compete in the four-nation qualifying meet scheduled for Dhaka from October 5 to 9.The final round of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Championship will be held in May 3-10 next year.
Read: Bangladesh to participate in SAFF, AFC U-17 FootballIn the remaining Group E matches, Bangladesh will play Bhutan on Friday (Oct 7) at 7pm and Yemen on Sunday (Oct 9) also at 7pm at the same venue. Bangladesh comparatively played better football in the last three tournaments-SAFF U-20, SAFF U-17 and Asian Youth U-20 football --in last two months, all on foreign soil, featuring a goalless draw with upper ranked hosts Bahrain last month.
BFF U-18 Football: Sheikh Russel KC force Bashundhara Kings to play 1-1 draw
Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra forced Bashundhara Kings to play 1-1 draw in the BFF Under-18 Football League here on Tuesday.Sabbir Rahman put Bashundhara Kings ahead in the 14th minute while Rafiul Islam leveled the margin for Sheikh Russel KC in the 59th minute. In the BFF U-16 Football League, Fortis Football Club played 3-3 draw with Kawranbazar Progoti Sangha here on Tuesday.
Read: BFF U-18 Football: Bashundhara Kings earn 4-2 victory over Police FCMonirul struck twice and Sakib netted one for Fortis FC while Sabuj, Jahirul and Aslam scored one each for Progoti Sangha.
Madrid's perfect season ends with Benzema's penalty miss
It was not the return to action that Karim Benzema had hoped for.
Back in Real Madrid's squad after a long injury layoff, the France striker missed a second-half penalty kick that helped to end the team's perfect start to the season.
Madrid’s streak of nine straight victories in all competitions was halted after a 1-1 home draw against 10-man Osasuna in the Spanish league on Sunday.
The result also cost Madrid the league lead, as it was surpassed by Barcelona following its 1-0 win at Mallorca on Saturday. Both teams are tied on 19 points but the Catalan club is ahead on goal difference.
Benzema, who had missed three straight matches because of a right leg injury sustained before the international break, had a chance to give Madrid the lead in the 79th minute, but his shot from the spot was saved by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.
It was the third straight penalty miss by Benzema against the Osasuna goalkeeper. He had two penalties saved by Herrera in April when Madrid won.
And things were clearly not going Benzema's way as shortly after the striker had a goal disallowed for offside.
“We needed Benzema to convert the penalty,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “He usually does. It was an accident that sometimes happens.”
Vinícius Júnior had opened the scoring in the 42nd after finding the far corner with what appeared to be a cross attempt into the area, but the visitors equalized with a header by Kike García in the 50th.
Osasuna went a man down when David García was sent off for the foul on Benzema that prompted the penalty.
It was Osasuna's first draw after four wins and two losses this season, keeping the Pamplona club in sixth place. It got the point at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium despite playing without the suspended Chimy Ávila, one of its best players.
Ancelotti was without veteran midfielder Luka Modric and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois because of injuries.
A minute of silence was held before every Spanish league match in honor of victims of the tragedy at a soccer stadium in Indonesia on Saturday night.
VALENCIA RALLIES
A goalkeeper's mistake six minutes into second-half stoppage-time allowed Valencia to pull off a 2-2 draw at Espanyol.
Espanyol goalkeeper Álvaro Fernández thought a high shot by Eray Comert toward the goal was going wide and let the ball go, but it ended in the net for the visitors’ equalizer.
Fernández dropped to the ground in despair and later put his hands together over his head with a plea for forgiveness from home fans.
Espanyol was looking for its first home win of the season. It is winless at its stadium in seven straight matches, going back to last season.
The hosts had taken the lead with Sergi Darder's goal in the 83rd after Gabriel Paulista opened the scoring in the 53rd and Joselu equalized for Valencia in the 56th.
Valencia, which stayed midtable, played with 10 men after Marcos André was sent off in the 85th. Espanyol, sitting near the relegation zone, had Martin Braithwaite red carded early in stoppage time.
SOCIEDAD’S GOALFEST
Real Sociedad picked up its second straight league win by beating Girona 5-3.
Alexander Sorloth scored twice and Takefusa Kubo added one of the other goals for Sociedad, which moved to seventh place.
Taty Castellanos was among the scorers for midtable Girona, which has lost two in a row.
BETIS FALLS
Real Betis couldn’t overcome a first-half red card and lost 1-0 at Celta Vigo for its second league defeat of the season.
Gabri Veiga scored a ninth-minute winner for midtable Celta, which was without coach Eduardo Coudet because of a trip back home to Argentina for personal reasons.
Betis lost Luiz Felipe in the 20th with a straight red card.
Manuel Pellegrini’s team remained near the top of the standings, as it was coming off five wins and a single defeat.
Manchester City destroy United 6-3 at Etihad
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks Sunday as Erik ten Hag was humiliated in his first Manchester derby.
Manchester City destroyed Manchester United 6-3 at the Etihad and moved within a point of Premier League leader Arsenal.
It was Haaland's third hat-trick of the season – and his third in successive home league games.
Ten Hag became the sixth United manager since Alex Ferguson's retirement to lose his first derby – but had a heavier defeat than either David Moyes or Ralf Rangnick, who both lost by margins of 4-1.
The Dutchman came into the match having been named manager of the month in the Premier League but any celebrations were short-lived after a traumatic afternoon for United in the highest-ever scoring meeting between these teams.
It was a case of damage limitation at the halftime interval after City raced to a 4-0 lead in an utterly dominant display.
Pep Guardiola's men controlled 62 percent of possession by the midway point and were ahead after just eight minutes through Foden.
United had already survived one goal-mouth scramble in the opening moments by way of warning of what was to come.
Haaland struck twice in the space of three minutes later in the half and then set up Foden for the midfielder's second just before halftime.
A number of empty seats appeared in the away section of the crowd, with many United fans failing to show up for the second half.
Those that did stay witnessed United's Antony score a wonderful goal from distance after 56 minutes.
But City was soon dominating again, with Haaland completing his treble and then setting up Foden to do likewise.
Substitute Anthony Martial scored twice in the last 10 minutes – the second from the penalty spot – but the humbling had been complete long before.
Violence, tear gas, crush: What's behind the Indonesia football stampede?
Violence, tear gas and a deadly crush that erupted following a domestic league football match Saturday night marked another tragedy in Indonesian football.
How did the chaos occur?
Chaos broke out after Persebaya Surabaya defeated Arema Malang 3-2 in East Java's province Malang city. Police said there were some 42,000 spectators in the stadium, all of whom were Arema's supporters because the organiser had banned Persebaya fans to avoid brawls.
But a disappointing loss by Arema – the first match lost to Persebaya at its home stadium – prompted angry spectators to pour into the field after the match to demand answers. Fans threw bottles and other objects at players and football officials and violence spread outside the stadium, where at least five police cars were toppled and set ablaze and others damaged. Riot police responded with tear gas, which is banned at football stadiums by FIFA. But it sparked panic.
Hundreds of spectators rushed to an exit gate to avoid the tear gas, resulting in a crush that trampled or suffocated 34 to death almost instantly, with many more deaths to follow due to injuries.
How many people died?
In one of the worst sports disasters, police said at least 125 people died, including children and two police officers, most of whom were trampled.
More than 100 people were injured. Police said the death toll is likely to rise more with multiple people in critical condition.
Data from an Indonesian football watchdog organisation, Save Our Soccer, said at least 86 football fans had died since 1995, most of them in fights.
Why does football beget violence?
Football is the most popular sport in Indonesia and the domestic league is widely followed. Fans are strongly attached to their clubs, and such fanaticism often ends in violence and hooliganism. But it usually happens outside the stadium.
The most well-known feud is between Persija Jakarta and Persib Bandung. Supporters of the two clubs have clashed in several matches that led to deaths. In 2018, a Persija Jakarta supporter was beaten to death by Persib Bandung rivals.
Indonesian football has also been beset with trouble on the international stage. Brawls broke out between supporters of archrivals Indonesia and Malaysia in 2019 during qualifiers for this year's FIFA World Cup.
In September 2019, Malaysian fans were threatened and pelted with projectiles at a World Cup qualifier in Jakarta, and Malaysia's visiting sports minister had to be evacuated from the stadium after violence broke out. Two months later, fans hurled flares and bottles at each other in another match in Kuala Lumpur.
Also in 2019, after losing in the finals of the U-22 match to Vietnam in the Southeast Asian Games, Indonesian fans took to social media to insult, harass, and send death threats to Vietnamese players and even their families.
In June, two Persib Bandung fans died while jostling to enter the stadium in Bandung to watch the 2022 President's Cup. The angry supporters became aggressive because the officers on the field did not allow them to enter the already-full stadium.
What is the government doing about it?
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his deepest regret and ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths. He has also ordered the premier football league suspended until a safety reevaluation is carried out and tighter security put in place.
Widodo said he hoped "this tragedy will be the last tragedy of football in Indonesia."
Indonesia's football association has also banned Arema from hosting football matches for the remainder of the season.
Rights group Amnesty International urged Indonesia to investigate the use of tear gas at the stadium and ensure that those found in violations are tried in open court.
Erling Haaland poised to break unique record in Man City vs Man Utd clash today
The Manchester derby has become one of the fiercest rivalries over the past ten years. The two sides will meet for the 188th time on Sunday (October 10) when Manchester City welcomes bitter rivals Manchester United to the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens' summer signing, Erling Haaland, is on fire right now and is in position to set yet another exceptional record in the Man City vs Man Utd clash.
What record could Erling Haaland break against Manchester United?
Noreiwagn Erling Haaland has been in a record-breaking sphere after hitting 11 goals in his first 7 appearances. The dangerous striker is widely expected to break the Premier League record for most goals in a single season. Andy Cole and Alan Shearer have jointly held the record for most goals in a single Premier League season with 34. Haaland's goal-scoring prowess suggests that he will have little trouble breaking the current record in his first season.
Read: Mbappe scores winner as PSG edges Nice 2-1
But on Sunday, Erling will be eying a different record, one that no one has done before. He netted two hat-tricks in his previous two home league matches against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. Haaland will set a new record of three consecutive hat-tricks in home Premier League fixtures if he can score a hat-trick against Manchester United. In the 2018-2019 campaign, former Man City striker Sergio Aguero had three hat-tricks at home.
Can Haaland achieve the feat by scoring three goals against a top-tier European football team? Given Haaland's recent performance and Manchester United's current defensive shortcomings, it won't be surprising to see Haaland score numerous goals during this match.
Manchester United vs Manchester City: Match Preview
The Manchester City vs Manchester United Premier League match will start at 7 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time) on October 2. Both Manchester sides will likely miss some of their regular starters for this contest. The reigning champions, Manchester City, will miss two of their English stars, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips. However, the return of defender Aymeric Laporte is great news for manager Pep Guardiola. The rest of the players in the squad are fit and available for selection. Guardiola’s preferred formation could be 4-3-3 in this fixture.
Read: Splendid Brazil destroy clueless Tunisia 5-1 in Paris
Probable Starting Line Up (Manchester City)
GK: Ederson; Defenders: Walker, Akanji, Dias, Cancelo; Midfielders: Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Forwards: Foden, Haaland, Grealish
Manchester United, on the other hand, are in even more of a selection dilemma as a number of players are out for this clash due to injury issues. Because of fitness issues, Donny van de Beek, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, and Scott McTominay are all likely to miss this derby clash. Manager Erik ten Hag may prefer to field a 4-2-3-1 formation for more defensive solidarity.
Probable Starting Line Up (Manchester United)
GK: De Gea; Defenders: Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Midfielders: Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Forward: Rashford
Manchester City vs Manchester United 2022: Match Prediction
Manchester City are in second place in the Premier League 2022-2023 season at the moment with 17 points in 7 matches. On the other hand, Manchester United have made a strong comeback after disappointing results in their opening two fixtures. They are now in sixth position with 12 points in six matches. Given the squad's strength and the current form, the Citizens will surely start as favourites against the Red Devils in this fixture.
Read: Argentina equal Brazil’s unbeaten record with a thumping victory over Jamaica
Aftermath
The Manchester City side is currently dominating both domestic and international competitions. Their main hitman, Erling Haaland, has been in excellent form, and it appears that he and his new teammates have developed a close bond. The Norwegian wonderkid will be eager to set a new record when he plays against Manchester United. If Haaland finds his usual form, it would be more worrisome for Manchester United, who are trying to correct their defensive mistakes. Overall, Sunday's Man City vs Man Utd game promises to be an exciting one to watch.
Read: In pictures: UEFA Nations League matches from September 2022
Mbappe scores winner as PSG edges Nice 2-1
Kylian Mbappe scored a late winner as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain edged Nice 2-1 to restore its two-point lead over Marseille in the French league on Saturday.
Mbappe pounced on a pass from Nordi Mukiele to beat Kasper Schmeichel with a low strike in the 83rd minute. The France striker tied Neymar as the joint top scorer in the league with eight.
Lionel Messi gave PSG the lead in the 29th with a curling free kick into the top corner from 22 yards. Messi's fifth league goal was one shy of his league tally last season when he took time to adapt to a new club and struggled with knocks and a bout of COVID-19.
Gaetan Laborde equalized from close range just after halftime after the PSG defense failed to clear a cross from Youcef Atal.
“We started the second half with no energy, no rhythm and no intensity, and we let Nice have more possession,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier said. “We put ourselves in trouble by running after the ball, by not winning our duels and not playing the ball out from the back like we should have. Nice equalized quite logically. So, we had to inject more energy, more speed and more verticality.”
Messi shone with Argentina during the international break by scoring twice against Honduras and twice against Jamaica, and could have added a second goal on the stroke of halftime with a powerful strike that Schmeichel tipped over the bar.
PSG needed Messi’s brilliance because forward Hugo Ekitike, who got his first start this season, proved toothless and didn’t make runs in behind the defense like Mbappe does.
Nice pressed high up the pitch to prevent PSG from creating chances. That defensive ploy worked until the 27th when Messi started a dribbling run, outpacing Mario Lemina before taking on Dante, who tripped the Argentina playmaker and conceded the free kick that led to the opening goal.
Ahead of a key Champions League match at Benfica next week, PSG rested Mbappe and Nuno Mendes until both came off the bench in the second half.
Also, Rennes is starting to gel after an uneven start to the season, climbing to fifth place after beating 10-man Strasbourg 3-1.
Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi was sent off for planting his studs into Benjamin Bourigeaud’s thigh with his follow through after clearing the ball in the 28th. That was not long after veteran striker Kevin Gameiro had a goal disallowed for offside.
Arnaud Kalimuendo took advantage in the 38th by controlling a cross from Adrien Truffert to fire into the bottom corner on the turn. Rennes doubled the lead with a low strike from Martin Terrier in the 49th. Kalimuendo set up Amine Gouiri for the third goal in the 61st.
“We are refinding our rhythm from the end of last season,” Terrier said. “There were new signings, they needed time to settle in.”
Rennes signed mobile strikers Kalimuendo from Paris Saint-Germain and Gouiri from Nice in the summer to replace the departing Gaetan Laborde, a more traditional center forward.
Strasbourg managed a consolation goal from a penalty by Habib Diallo in the 72nd after Rennes right back Hamari Traore brought down Gameiro. They remained in the relegation zone and the only winless team in the league.
Sr Div Football: Badda Jagoroni play out 2-2 draw with Sadharan Bima
Badda Jagoroni Sangsad played 2-2 draw with Sadharan Bima SC in the Bashundhara Group Metropolis Senior Division Football League here on Saturday.
Mohammad Rony Mia and Azizur Rahman scored one each for Badda Jagoroni in the first half while Khokon Hossain and Nabil Ahmed scored for the Sadharan Bima SC in the 2nd half.
Shamim Fakir of Sadharan Bima SC got marching order after receiving direct red card.
In the BFF U-18 Football League, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club defeated Sheikh Russel KC by 3-1 goals on Saturday.
Read: 1st Div Football: East End earn 2-0 win over Dilkusha SC
Joy Das struck twice and Tanim netted one for the winners while Rafiqul Islam netted the lone goal for the losers.
In the BFF U-16 Football, Kawranbazar Pragoti Sangha crushed old horse Dhaka Wanderers Club by 8-0 goals on Saturday.
Mustafa and Jahirul scored two goals each while Arjun, Rakib, Ruhul and Harun netted one goal each for the winners.