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تحدث محمد حمدي وأحمد سامي ومهند لاشين، ثلاثي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بيراميدز، عن مواجهة نهضة بركان في السوبر الإفريقي.

وقال حمدي عبر قناة “النهار”: “ستكون مباراة كبيرة أمام نهضة بركان، سنواجه فريقًا محترمًا وكبيرًا ويمتلك خبرة في إفريقيا، ومن الجيد أن المباراة ستقام في ملعبنا”.

ومن جانبه، أكد أحمد سامي: “بيراميدز أثبت نفسه منذ تأسيسه، أصبح فريقًا كبيرًا وسيظل كبيرًا، في بدايات المواسم الأولى لم يكن هناك توفيق في تحقيق الفوز، ولكن بعد ذلك وُفِّقنا”.

طالع.. رسميًا | بيراميدز يتخذ قرارًا جديدًا بشأن رمضان صبحي وأسامةجلال

وأكمل: “كان هناك توفيق في النهائيات وحققنا أكثر من بطولة، وتركيزنا الآن أن نكمل المشوار الذي بدأناه، المباراة كبيرة جدًا، وكل تركيزنا أن نفوز ونحصد بطولة جديدة”.

وواصل: “الكرة حاليًا لا يوجد فيها ما يسمى داخل ملعبك وخارجه، والدليل على ذلك أننا واجهنا الأهلي السعودي على أرضه ووسط جماهيره وفزنا عليه، الكرة تعطي الفريق صاحب التركيز الأعلى”.

وأشار زميله مهند لاشين: “أمامنا مباراة كبيرة وتحدٍّ قوي، المباريات الكبيرة تحتاج أن تحقق فيها نتائج تُضاف إلى تاريخك كلاعب وإلى تاريخ النادي”.

وأتم: “مباراة السوبر الإفريقي مهمة، وستكون أول بطولة سوبر إفريقي في تاريخ النادي، ونحن كلاعبين نتعامل مع الموضوع بكل جدية”.

ويستعد فريق بيراميدز لمواجهة نهضة بركان المغربي، في نهائي كأس السوبر الإفريقي، يوم السبت المقبل. 

Gambhir makes it clear that he wants Test hopefuls to take domestic cricket seriously, and play the Ranji Trophy if they are not committed elsewhere

Alagappan Muthu05-Jan-2025Following India’s defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, questions loom over the futures of India’s captain Rohit Sharma, who stood himself down in the Sydney Test, and senior batter Virat Kohli, who fell for his seventh score of 20 or less in the series.Head coach Gautam Gambhir offered them support but left the big decision to the players.”I can’t talk about the future of any player,” Gambhir said at the press conference after the series. “It’s up to them as well. But yes, what I can say is that they still have the hunger. They still have the passion. They’re tough people. And hopefully they can continue to take Indian cricket forward. But ultimately, as we all know, that whatever they plan, they will plan for the best interest of Indian cricket.”Related

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Rohit has averaged 10.93 over his last eight Test matches with only one fifty-plus score. He spoke to at lunch on the second day and said that he had taken the decision to sit out the fifth Test because he thought it would have been hard for the team to win carrying so many out-of-form batters.He also clarified that he wasn’t retiring from Test cricket yet.Kohli, meanwhile, has been left frustrated by his vulnerability outside the off stump. He made an unbeaten hundred in Perth but all eight of his other trips to the crease have ended with his outside edge being snaffled up by the wicketkeeper or in the slips. In Melbourne, when that happened, he slumped over his bat. He had been playing an innings that looked, in Steven Smith’s words, like a masterclass until then. In Sydney, when it happened again, he yelled at himself and punched his leg.”First of all, every individual knows where their game and hunger is,” Gambhir, who had himself gone through a phase late in his career where he was out of form but battling to make the team. “That’s the most important thing for any sport and any profession. It’s not just about the sport.”It’s about how hungry you are, how passionate you are, and whether the team is moving forward with your contribution or not. Because ultimately, it’s neither my team, nor your team, it’s the country’s team. I believe, as I said, there are very honest players in our dressing room who know how hungry they are.”But yes, as far as my question is concerned, my biggest responsibility is that I have to be fair to everyone in that room. Not only one or two individuals. If I’m fair to only two or three individuals, and not to everyone else, then I’m being dishonest to my job. So whether it’s a player who hasn’t debuted yet, or a player who has played 100 Test matches, my simple goal in my job is that I have to be absolutely fair and equal to everyone.”India do not have another Test match to play until June 2025, when they tour England for five games. Rohit will be 38 by then and Kohli will be pushing 37.When asked about his thoughts on a long-term roadmap for the team in red-ball cricket, and whether it was time to invest in youngsters, Gambhir said, “Look, it’s too early to talk about it. The series has just got over. I think we still have five more months to plan where we want to head towards. But it’s not the right moment right now for me to talk about that. Where are we going to be after five months?”A lot of things change in sport. Forms change. People change. Attitude change. Everything changes in sport. And we all know that five months is a long time. So, let’s see before the [England] series what’s going to happen. But whatever will happen, will happen for the best interest of Indian cricket.””If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket”•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesGambhir: ‘I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket’India next play England in a T20I and ODI series at home in January-February before moving to the UAE for their share of fixtures in the Champions Trophy, which is being hosted by Pakistan. For the players who do not make those squads, there is the option of playing the Ranji Trophy, which resumes after a break on January 23.”I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket,” Gambhir said. “That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game. If they’re available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket. As simple as it can get.”If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket.”

It’s almost time for Chelsea to return to action.

The Blues will very much undergo a truncated pre-season schedule, having won the Club World Cup on 13 July, surprisingly defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final in New Jersey.

Thus, Enzo Maresca’s team will have just two pre-season fixtures before their Premier League opener, welcoming Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge on Friday night, before taking on AC Milan in West London on Sunday.

Before then, will the Blues continue to make more signings?

Chelsea's search for even more attacking talent

Fair to say, Maresca has plenty of attacking options at his disposal.

Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens, João Pedro, and Liam Delap have all already arrived this summer, but the Blues are far from done yet, with potentially two new forwards on their way.

First, as reported by James Olley of ESPN, Chelsea are close to signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of €50m (around £44m), with the Dutchman eager to make the move.

Meantime, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, adding that “no talks” have begun just yet, but the Argentine is “keen” on the move.

Elsewhere, Romano notes that the transfer is “not expected to be imminent” but that Garanacho is prioritising a move to Chelsea, with the Blues focussing on outgoings for now.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Garnacho was told to find a new club by manager Rúben Amorim back in May. Currently part of Man United’s infamous ‘bomb squad’, not with the first-team squad in the US, rather left behind at Carrington, alongside fellow outcasts Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia.

Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that Man United valued Garnacho at £70m. Still, now that it’s public knowledge he has been cast aside, James Ducker of The Telegraph believes he is available for £40m, with Chelsea in pole position to snap him up.

What Alejandro Garnacho would bring to Chelsea

At the start of the window, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that Chelsea are ‘priori­tising the addition’ of a right-footed left-winger, with Garnacho very much their top target for this role.

​​​​​His performances for Manchester United have certainly caught the eye, with Statman Dave labelling him one of the two “brightest young talents on the planet” as recently as October, alongside Lamine Yamal, which is high praise indeed.

Elsewhere, Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘reliable attacking outlet’ who still has ‘room for improvement’, with Andy Mitten of The Athletic believing his ‘work rate’ and finishing have both got better in recent times.

When looking to compare Garnacho to a former Chelsea player of the not-too-distant past, he is stylistically most similar to Joe Cole.

Like Garnacho, Cole arrived from a Premier League rival as a 22-year-old back in 2003, namely West Ham United, having come through the Hammers’ academy, and made quite an impact during his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.

In Chelsea blue, Cole made 282 appearances, scoring 39 goals and registering 47 assists, winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the EFL Cup.

At his best, Tom Mason of The Guardian believes Cole was ‘breathtaking’, praising his ‘creativity, flair, technical ability and vision’, adding that he was ‘always willing to receive a pass and take on the responsibility’.

Meantime, Sam Wallace of the Independent heralds his ‘silky touch’, noting that his best years came under José Mourinho when deployed as a left-winger in a ‘clearly defined’ role.

Well, in Maresca’s current set-up, Garnacho, who was hailed as “electric” by Statman Dave, could certainly thrive in a similar way.

So, let’s assess how Cole at West Ham and Garnacho at Manchester United compare to one another.

Appearances

184

144

Minutes

13,250

8,359

Goals

18

26

Assists

9

22

International caps

10

8

As the table documents, when comparing Garnacho of the present day to Cole just before his move to Chelsea, the Englishman was more experienced, but the Argentine had produced a greater output in terms of goals and assists.

Cole arrived in the summer of 2003 as part of Roman Abramovich’s first spending spree, alongside Claude Makélélé, Hernán Crespo, Adrian Mutu, Juan Sebastián Verón, Scott Parker, Glen Johnson, Alexey Smertin, Geremi, Wayne Bridge, Damien Duff, and many, many others.

Well, 22 years on, Chelsea are adopting a similar approach in the transfer market, and all available evidence suggests that Garnacho could thrive in a similar way.

Chelsea looking to do "early deal" for potential £44m-plus striker after Hato

Another centre-forward signing on the horizon?

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 2, 2025

Former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has told Football FanCast that the Gunners should be targeting their next big move in the coming weeks, having already wrapped up a deal for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres in recent days.

Latest on Arsenal's remaining transfer business

It’s over. It’s finally over.

Having toyed with the idea of plumping for RB Leipzig starlet, Benjamin Sesko, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has steered the club in a different direction, having wrapped up a belated deal for Swedish supertstar, Gyokeres.

The £55m striker – who scored 97 goals in just 102 games in Lisbon – is the latest addition amid a hectic summer of activity for those at the Emirates, with the 27-year-old joining Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Zubimendi in bolstering Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

Six signings in the can, although there appears to be room for a little more, with the north Londoners also said to be in the mix for Real Madrid sensation, Rodrygo, amid his uncertain future at the Bernabeu.

That search for a left-winger also seen Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon emerge as a potential option, while elsewhere, the Dutch duo of Xavi Simons and Jorrel Hato have also both been linked – albeit with the young pairing looking set to join Chelsea.

Perhaps the most concrete target remains that of Eberechi Eze, however, with that potential acquisition one that is already sparking notable excitement…

Pennant thinks Arsenal could make a "great signing"

With Gyokeres now signed, sealed and delivered, the Gunners are moving on to new targets, with the aforementioned Pennant – speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of Adventure Gamers – tipping his former side to tie up a deal for Crystal Palace talisman, Eze.

The England international – who scored at Wembley to help steer Palace to FA Cup glory last season – has been earmarked as a leading target for Arteta and co throughout the summer window, having spent the past five years at Selhurst Park.

Latest reports have indicated that the north Londoners have even agreed an initial fee for the £100k-per-week playmaker, with Eze fresh off the back of having chipped in with 25 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25.

Eze record vs the ‘Big Six’ – all comps

Club

Games

Goals

Assists

Arsenal

7

1

0

Chelsea

9

1

1

Liverpool

7

1

1

Manchester City

9

2

1

Manchester United

11

0

0

Spurs

7

3

1

Total

50

8

4

Stats via Transfermarkt

Reportedly available for around £68m, as Pennant suggested, the 27-year-old could well prove to be a “great signing” for the Emirates side.

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Posts ByRobbie Walls Jul 24, 2025

“I’ve left the door open for him to approach me… [but] that might never happen,” South Africa white-ball coach says

Firdose Moonda09-Sep-2024

South Africa remain unsure about the availability of Quinton de Kock, who was omitted from a second successive series post the T20 World Cup, in the format.De Kock, who is no longer nationally contracted but has not announced a complete international retirement, missed the three T20s against West Indies last month and will not play in two matches against Ireland later this month. South Africa will then play four T20Is at home against India in November as preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup ramps up.Asked if there was any clarity on de Kock’s availability, white-ball coach Rob Walter indicated that there would not be any for some time. “I don’t know, to be dead honest. For the next little while, there will be no conversations between myself and Quinny as to whether he wants to play for South Africa again,” Walter said at a press conference. “I’ve left the door open for him to approach me if and when he wants to do that. That might never happen.”Related

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De Kock retired from Test cricket in 2021 and from ODIs after the 50-over World Cup last year. At the time, Walter had said de Kock intended to step away from all international cricket but was persuaded to stay on for the 2024 T20 World Cup and allowed to miss a bilateral series in the lead-up to play at the BBL. By making that allowance, South Africa demonstrated a fundamental shift in their usual selection policy, which requires players to be involved in at least some international cricket ahead of major tournaments – and was the reason AB de Villiers’ request to make a comeback at the 2019 ODI World Cup was denied – and illustrated the power of leagues. The decision paid off as de Kock finished as South Africa’s highest run-scorer at the T20 World Cup, and was key to their run to the final.Since then, de Kock has played in MLC and the CPL and will play at the SA20 and IPL, all of which will mean he is still eligible for South Africa, although Walter was careful to underline that his place was not guaranteed. “There might be a conversation and also that conversation does initially mean it will lead to him being selected,” he said. “We have to just allow him to have his space, to play league cricket and to do what he needs to do. What will become more and more important is performance. He’s not exactly old [de Kock is 31] so from here on in, it’s a performance-based conversation.”Walter has put no timeline on de Kock making a final decision and in his absence, South Africa continue to invest in Reeza Hendricks in the opening role and have options between Kyle Verreynne, Ryan Rickelton and Heinrich Klaasen as wicketkeepers. Of those four, only Klaasen is not part of the squads to play Afghanistan and Ireland in the UAE. He pulled out of the CPL for personal reasons and remains unavailable for the time being. “He has some family matters that he is dealing with currently,” Walter confirmed. “As soon as that position has changed, he’ll obviously fall back into playing again.”