Spain salvage streak with last-ditch Netherlands draw in Nations League

Spain salvage streak with last-ditch Netherlands draw in Nations League
Spain's Mikel Merino, second right, celebrates after scoring his side second goal during the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal first leg match between the Netherlands and Spain at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP)
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Updated 21 March 2025
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Spain salvage streak with last-ditch Netherlands draw in Nations League

Spain salvage streak with last-ditch Netherlands draw in Nations League

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands: European champions Spain salvaged their two-year unbeaten streak in the dying minutes of Thursday’s Nations League quarter-final first leg, denying 10-man Netherlands a famous victory with a 2-2 draw.

Mikel Merino broke Dutch hearts in the third minute of added time, to maintain an unbeaten run that now stretches to 22 competitive games.

The two powerhouses of world football meet again in Valencia on Sunday, with the winner of the tie to face France or Croatia in the semifinal.

The omens were good for the hosts, who had never lost to Spain on home soil, and could count on raucous support from a sold-out De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam.

But Spain also had good memories of the stadium, the scene of their 2023 Nations League triumph, where they beat Croatia 5-4 on penalties.

The visitors struck first, benefitting from some defensive fraility and deft footwork from star winger Nico Williams.

Barcelona’s 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal dispossessed Jorrel Hato on the right side, finding club-mate Pedri who slotted into Williams in the box.

Williams effortlessly turned Lutsharel Geertruida and slid his shot past Bart Verbruggen in the Dutch goal to silence the orange hordes.

The hosts rallied strongly and got their reward on 27 minutes, the ball breaking for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo who beat Unai Simon at his near post.

The equalizer galvanized the Dutch, who enjoyed possession and pressure, knocking the ball around with confidence and creating several chances.

The best of these fell to Memphis Depay, recalled after a spell in the wilderness and he found himself unmarked in the Spanish box but struck his shot straight at Simon.

An acrobatic strike from AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders grazed the Spain bar and it was the Dutch who went into half-time in the ascendancy after a free-flowing first period.

The Oranje took the lead less than a minute into the second half, Jeremie Frimpong breaking swiftly down the right and squaring accurately to Reijnders, who swept his shot into the left corner.

Gakpo came close to stretching the lead even further in the 59th minute but Simon got down to his stinging shot along the ground.

Spain manager Luis De la Fuente made three substitutions in a bid to exert some pressure on the Dutch, but Verbruggen was untroubled until the 70th minute when he had to react smartly to a ball deflected off his own defender.

La Rioja pushed for the equalizer with some intricate passing around the penalty box but lacked real penetration.

As pressure built, players on both sides became increasingly scratchy, culminating in a red card for Hato, who lunged at Robin Le Normand, catching his ankle.

That sparked a nervous last few minutes for the Dutch and the pressure eventually told.

Williams again harassed the Dutch defense, cutting inside from the left and releasing a shot that Verbruggen could only parry into the path of Merino for a tap-in.


Season-opening wins for Hyderabad and Chennai in IPL

Season-opening wins for Hyderabad and Chennai in IPL
Updated 47 min 11 sec ago
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Season-opening wins for Hyderabad and Chennai in IPL

Season-opening wins for Hyderabad and Chennai in IPL
  • Rough day for Rajasthan’s English pacer Jofra Archer
  • Mumbai had spin woes in Chennai

HYDERABAD, India: Ishan Kishan scored 106 not out off 47 balls as Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 44 runs in their season-opening encounter in the 2025 Indian Premier League on Sunday.
Kishan smacked 11 fours and six sixes in his first IPL hundred on debut for his new franchise, which notched up its second-highest total in tournament history.
Travis Head scored 67 off 31 balls as the Sunrisers picked up where they left off in 2024 to reach a mammoth 286-6 in 20 overs.
Hyderabad’s previous highest score was 287-3 — the highest IPL total — against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season.
In the evening game, Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by four wickets with five balls remaining in a high-profile clash.
Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad took 4-18 in four overs for Chennai as Mumbai was restricted to 155-9 after losing the toss. Tilak Varma top-scored with 31 off 25 balls.
Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 65 off 45 balls, along with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s quick-fire 53 off 26, helped Chennai score 158-6 in 19.1 overs.
Royals fall short despite reaching 242-6
Rajasthan Royals fought well to post 242-6 (20 overs) in reply to Hyderabad’s huge target. Dhruv Jurel led with 70 off 35 balls, while Sanju Samson scored 66 off 37 balls.
Put into bat, Hyderabad ran away at the start with Head and Abhishek Sharma’s (24) explosive opening pairing putting on 45 off 19 balls.
Kishan found another gear as he reached 50 off 25 balls. Hyderabad, which bought him at the season’s auction earlier, found immediate returns as the young batter smacked his way to an attacking hundred on debut for his new franchise.
He put on 85 off 39 balls with Head, who also hit nine fours and three sixes. The latter fell just prior to the halfway mark.
Kishan – and Hyderabad – did not let up the scoring rate. He found able company in Nitish Reddy who hit 30 off 15 balls and Heinrich Klaasen, who added 34 off 14 balls.
Kishan’s next 50 came off 22 balls, as he raced to his century, helping Hyderabad to a statement total in its first outing.
Rough day for Rajasthan’s English pacer Jofra Archer
England pacer Jofra Archer finished with 0-76 from four overs – the most expensive spell in IPL history.
Rajasthan faltered early in its chase. Yashasvi Jaiswal was out caught for one, while Riyan Parag was dismissed for four — both in the second over. It became 50-3 as Nitish Rana was dismissed for 11.
Samson, coming in as an impact substitute, did start off the season in style. He scored 50 off 26 balls, and put on 111 off 60 balls with Jurel as Rajasthan fought back on a good batting surface.
Jurel reached 50 off 28 balls at the other end, hitting six sixes and five fours as the chase revolved around him. Adam Zampa dismissed him in the 15th over, while Samson was out caught in the previous over.
It was too tall an ask for Rajasthan thereafter to chase down the mammoth target successfully despite fruitful cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23 balls) and Shubham Dubey (34 not out off 11 balls).
Mumbai’s spin woes in Chennai
Ahmad sprung into action after left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed took 3-29, including the dismissal of Rohit Sharma for a four-ball duck.
Spin did the trick on a slow Chepauk track as Mumbai never got into third gear in its opening game. It missed skipper Hardik Pandya, who was on the bench serving a slow over-rate suspension from 2024.
Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav only managed 29 off 26 balls. Mumbai was down to 96-6 in 13 overs and then 118-7 in 16.1 overs.
Deepak Chahar, a former Chennai player making his Mumbai debut, scored 28 not out off 15 balls including two sixes to push the score past 150.
Chasing 156, Chennai was boosted by a 67-run partnership for the second wicket off only 37 balls between Gaikwad and Ravindra.
Gaikwad hit three sixes and six fours, reaching 50 off 22 balls. Mumbai struck back through 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur (3-32).
Chennai lost regular wickets to Puthur and Will Jacks but Ravindra helped his team reach the target in the 20th over.


Saudi national team continue preparations for crucial World Cup qualifier against Japan

Saudi national team continue preparations for crucial World Cup qualifier against Japan
Updated 23 March 2025
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Saudi national team continue preparations for crucial World Cup qualifier against Japan

Saudi national team continue preparations for crucial World Cup qualifier against Japan
  • Saudi Arabia will be looking to secure a positive result to keep their World Cup hopes alive

SAITAMA, Japan: The Saudi Arabian national football team continued their preparations on Sunday evening ahead of their highly anticipated clash against Japan in the eighth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.

Under the guidance of head coach Herve Renard, the Green Falcons trained at Saitama Stadium 2002, where they focused on tactical drills following a warm-up session.

The training concluded with a full-pitch game between two groups before wrapping up with stretching exercises.

The team will hold its final training session on Monday at 7:00 PM (Japan time). The first 15 minutes of the session will be open to the media, offering a glimpse into the squad’s final preparations.

Meanwhile, Renard is set to address the media in a pre-match press conference at 6:00 PM (Japan time) in the stadium’s press conference hall. He is expected to discuss the team’s strategy and readiness for the encounter.

Saudi Arabia will be looking to secure a positive result against Japan as they continue their quest for qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.


Algeria’s Nabil Anane defeats Muay Thai icon Superlek at ONE 172 in Japan

Algeria’s Nabil Anane defeats Muay Thai icon Superlek at ONE 172 in Japan
Updated 23 March 2025
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Algeria’s Nabil Anane defeats Muay Thai icon Superlek at ONE 172 in Japan

Algeria’s Nabil Anane defeats Muay Thai icon Superlek at ONE 172 in Japan
  • 20-year-old dominates Thai veteran across 3 rounds at Saitama Super Arena

JAPAN: Algeria’s Nabil Anane picked up the biggest win of his career against Superlek Kiatmoo9 on Sunday in Japan at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

Anane showed improved striking skills and growing confidence en route to an impressive victory inside the Saitama Super Arena against the martial arts icon who is largely considered the world’s best Muay Thai athlete.

The thrilling matchup was contested across three rounds despite being initially scheduled as a ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title unification bout, with Superlek entering as the division’s titleholder and Anane as interim world champion. The rules changed after Superlek failed his pre-match hydration test and was stripped of his belt.

Even without the chance to unify the world title, Anane had a point to prove against the only man to beat him in the ONE Championship, back in 2023 via first-round-knockout on his promotional debut.

The Algerian put in a much-improved performance, dominating the Thai veteran across three rounds of quick-paced action. Anane’s slick movements made it impossible for Superlek to land big shots, while the 20-year-old utilized his height and reach advantage to unleash powerful punches, kicks, and knees.

In the course of the matchup, Anane also became the first man to ever score a knockdown with a high right kick that saw Superlek bounce off the ropes and land on the canvas.

Anane also became only the second athlete to beat Superlek in the ONE Championship, following Morocco’s kickboxing star Ilias Ennahachi.

The emphatic win raised Anane’s overall professional record to 40-5 and continued his stunning run in form after defeating Scotland's Nico Carrillo, former world title challenger Felipe Lobo, and Lethwei legend Soe Lin Oo.

Anane, who is the youngest-ever WBC Muay Thai world champion, later expressed his delight at beating the Muay Thai and kickboxing icon.

“I’m very happy now. My first dream just came true. I’m so happy; I’ve never been this happy in my life before,” Anane said as he thanked his friends, family, and coaching team led by Mehdi Zatout.

The event, which witnessed four world-title bouts, was headlined by the long-awaited five-round flyweight kickboxing contest in which Thailand’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon claimed a historic knockout win in the first round over Takeru Segawa.

Earlier in the event, Morocco’s Zakaria El-Jamari, who represented Arab nations on the fight card alongside Anane, suffered a disappointing first-round-knockout loss at the hands of Japan’s Hyu Iwata.


Patience pays off for Mansell with breakthrough Singapore win

Patience pays off for Mansell with breakthrough Singapore win
Updated 23 March 2025
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Patience pays off for Mansell with breakthrough Singapore win

Patience pays off for Mansell with breakthrough Singapore win
  • Richard Mansell sank a crucial birdie putt at the final hole to win a first DP World Tour title at the weather-hit Porsche Singapore Classic by a single shot on Sunday

SINGAPORE: Richard Mansell sank a crucial birdie putt at the final hole to win a first DP World Tour title at the weather-hit Porsche Singapore Classic by a single shot on Sunday.
Needing to avoid a playoff with Japan’s Keita Nakajima at Laguna National Golf Resort Club, the Englishman reached the green in two at the par-five 18th.
He then rolled his eagle attempt to within six feet of the pin before holding his nerve to drain his winning putt to clinch his maiden DP World Tour title with a final-round six-under-par 66.
“I wish this win had come earlier. I played so well today to get into that position and I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said the 29-year-old.
“So many people have supported and believed in me when I stopped doing it myself.”
Victory was particularly special as Mansell had come close to winning on multiple occasions on the tour, only to fall short and struggle with self-belief.
“I had quite a few close calls and didn’t get it done. Looking back, I probably should have kept doing what I was doing and it (a win) probably would have happened a lot sooner,” he said.
“I tried to change and became quite good at pointing the finger at other people. I was just not enjoying this much and I got a little lost.
“It took a lot of work this past six months.”
Nakajima carded seven birdies for a bogey-free 65 to finish alone in second place.
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin and France’s Adrien Saddier ended the week tied for third.
A three-day monsoon surge in Singapore forced the cancelation of the first round on Thursday, leading the tournament to be decided over 54 holes.

Leading scores:
200 — Richard Mansell (ENG) 68-66-66
201 — Keita Nakajima (JPN) 67-69-65
202 — Adrien Saddier (FRA) 66-68-68, Tom McKibbin (NIR) 69-65-68
203 — Marcus Armitage (ENG) 65-70-68
204 — Matthew Jordan (ENG) 65-69-70, Dan Erickson (USA) 69-64-71, Yuto Katsuragawa (JPN) 72-65-67
205 — Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 69-65-71, Manuel Elvira (ESP) 66-69-70, Kazuma Kobori (NZL) 70-71-64, Robert Macintire (SCO) 73-64-68, Li Haotong (CHN) 66-72-67


Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix from pole in McLaren one-two

Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix from pole in McLaren one-two
Updated 23 March 2025
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Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix from pole in McLaren one-two

Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix from pole in McLaren one-two
  • Oscar Piastri led from pole to win the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday as McLaren used a one-stop strategy to complete a dominant one-two with Lando Norris second

SHANGHAI:Oscar Piastri led from pole to win the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday as McLaren used a one-stop strategy to complete a dominant one-two with Lando Norris second.
George Russell was third in a Mercedes with Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen snatching fourth place after a thrilling late pass on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton came home sixth behind his teammate after his first Ferrari victory in Saturday's sprint race in Shanghai, when Piastri had been second.
"It's been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega," said the Australian Piastri, who had been running second a week ago in Melbourne' season-opener before a late spin.
"Very, very happy. The hard was a much better tyre than everyone expected, so to go all the way to the end was a bit of a surprise, but a happy surprise."
Norris had to cope with a late brake issue which forced him to settle for second rather than challenge his teammate.
The Briton continues to lead the championship after two race weekends on 44 points from Verstappen on 36.
Russell started from second and knew it was imperative to try to grab the lead off the line.
Instead he was squeezed by Piastri on the long first bend complex, which allowed Norris to surge past into second.
Both Ferraris got past Verstappen on the same bend, relegating the world champion from fourth to sixth.
Leclerc lost part of his front wing when it brushed Hamilton's rear right wheel but it did not affect his pace.
Hamilton was the first of the front-runners to dive in for new rubber on lap 14.
All the others followed for hard tyres with Russell getting past Norris in the melee.
But the McLaren showed superior pace and surged back past at the end of the pit straight with the help of DRS.
Hamilton began to struggle on the hard compound and allowed his teammate past on lap 21 freeing Leclerc to go after Russell.
On lap 38 Hamilton had to pit again for new tyres, dropping him behind Verstappen.
The front five all stayed out as it became clear they were going to attempt to make the hard tyres last till the end of the 56 laps.
Verstappen had nursed his tyres throughout the race which enabled him to have a late charge on Leclerc and pass the Ferrari at the start of lap 54.
Haas finished with two cars in the points as Esteban Ocon was seventh and rookie Ollie Bearman 10th.
The other points scorers were Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli in eighth with Alex Albon ninth in his Williams on his 29th birthday.