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The case against Scott Kuggeleijn, relating to a rape charge, will have to be re-tried after the jury hearing the case at the Hamilton District Court couldn’t reach a verdict. A hung jury was declared today, and the matter will be next called up in the court on September 8, the reported.The charge of rape relates to an incident that occurred on May 17, 2015.Kuggeleijn, 24, an allrounder, plays for Northern Districts in New Zealand’s domestic circuit and is the son of former New Zealand Test cricketer Chris Kuggeleijn. He was named Northern Districts’ Player of the Year and Bowler of the Year at the association’s annual awards for 2014-15 season. In the 2015-16 season, Kuggeleijn finished third on the first-class Plunket Shield’s wickets chart overall with 38 wickets at 25.81.Northern Districts acknowledged the outcome of the trial in a statement. Chief executive Peter Roach said: “We fully respect the integrity of the court process. As such, we will refrain from commenting until the case has been concluded.”

Journalist Aidan Macdonald has praised Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley for his "phenomenal" display in the Scottish Cup.

What's the latest on Matt O'Riley and Celtic?

The Bhoys were hoping to progress into the final of the competition as they met Old Firm rivals Rangers at Hampden Park on Sunday lunchtime.

It was a hard-fought encounter, but in the end, Ange Postecoglou and co came away with the victory thanks to a single goal.

Indeed, late on in the first half, Michael Beale's side men suffered a lapse in concentration which allowed Daizen Maeda to steal the ball in a dangerous area and find Jota with an inch-perfect cross.

The Portuguese winger made it 1-0 with a fine header and that's how the match finished. Rangers will no doubt be disappointed with the result but in O'Riley they came up against a midfielder who was on top of his game.

This was certainly noted by Macdonald who gave the 22-year-old an 8/10 player rating for the Glasgow Times.

The football writer also added: "The Dane had a phenomenal afternoon in the middle of the park. He dictated play for the 65 minutes he was on the pitch. Some of his passing and touches were that of a top-level player. Ultimately he was replaced by Aaron Mooy."

How good was Matt O’Riley against Rangers?

It's safe to say Macdonald wasn't the only one impressed by the efforts of the young midfielder on the day.

Indeed, freelance journalist Ryan McGinlay took to Twitter to lavish the praise on the Dane, saying: "Matt O’Riley has been absolutely sublime so far."

Adding to that, Ryan McDonald noted how the player put in one of his best recent performances, handing him a 7/10 in the Scotland Football player ratings and writing: "The midfielder hasn't been at his best this season but put in a combative shift in the middle of the park."

All in all, it seems everyone is in agreement, this was a fine outing for the midfielder as he helped the Bhoys continue on their hunt for major silverware.

They have already won the Scottish League Cup – beating Rangers too – and look destined to win the SPFL, so this could be a season which ends with a treble should they go one step further having now reached the final of the Scottish Cup.

Not at all a bad season for 22-year-old O’Riley and his Celtic teammates.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:40

Chappell: India didn’t adjust to low-total mentality

For a long time, this New Zealand team was under the charge of a man who loved a gamble or two. But would even Brendon McCullum have been funky enough to go up to his two best bowlers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, on the team’s opening match of a World T20 and say, ‘Pick up the bibs, lads. You’re out.’? Kane Williamson did. He saw a dry Nagpur pitch, heard how the ball had turned during the qualifier games at the venue and asked Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi to clock in for duty. The first of those three spinners is in the twilight of his career, the other two had played only five T20Is each. And India had no answers against them.No one expected it to go down like this. MS Dhoni and his men came into the tournament on a seven-match winning streak. They were back home now, just as New Zealand were in alien territory. They had not played in the subcontinent for two years, and their batting had all the symptoms of it to put up only 126 for 7.An early wicket was vital and New Zealand looked to a McCullum for the magic touch. Nathan, who will join his little brother in retirement after this tournament, trapped Shikhar Dhawan lbw fifth ball. Minutes later, Rohit Sharma was undone by a superb delivery, this time from Santner. The batsman had trotted down the pitch but made the mistake of closing the face. Normally it wouldn’t have been a fatal one, considering Santner specialises in non-turning darts. But on this pitch he was given all the help he could ask for. The ball turned square, and bounced so much that the wicketkeeper couldn’t collect it cleanly. But Rohit had lunged so far outside his crease that Luke Ronchi had enough time to recover.India might not have been nervous at this point, but New Zealand began believing.Virat Kohli was the reason why the hosts held hope. For much of his 27 balls, he looked in control of the situation because he was in control of himself. On a track that was turning square, batsmen needed to play close to the body and trust in proper cricketing shots. He managed it for 26 balls before Ish Sodhi broke down his discipline. A beautiful legspinner was pitched up for the drive, Kohli went after it and feathered an edge to the wicketkeeper. India were 39 for 5, and definitely nervous now. Not long after, they were 79 all out and rather red-faced. “We lacked a bit of adaptability,” Dhoni admitted.New Zealand couldn’t cope with the ball not coming onto the bat either. They tried to smash their way to supremacy – Martin Guptill hit the first ball of the Super 10s for a straight six and Colin Munro began with a jaw-dropping switch hit – but got through to the end of the Powerplay with 22 dots and 33 runs on the board.Corey Anderson was their top-scorer with 34 runs, but his 42-ball innings encapsulated New Zealand’s struggle. Should we hit out? Should we hunker down? They did something in between and it wasn’t pretty. Only hindsight proved it was effective. And the fact that Santner, Sodhi and McCullum kept pitching the ball at the stumps and allowed a rank turner to do the rest. After all, only when a batsmen is pushed to play can he give his wicket away.After the first innings, it looked like India should have had plenty of match-winners. R Ashwin struck in the first over of the match. Jasprit Bumrah, who excels at the death, came away with 1 for 15. Suresh Raina instigated a superb run-out to dismiss Ross Taylor for 10 and had Williamson stumped for 8. That’s New Zealand’s backbone sent packing by the 12th over with the score only on 61.But as willing as Raina the bowler was, Raina the batsman could not handle the fight. He strode in during the third over, offered a tame catch to midwicket and was back in the dressing room before the over was done. Soon after, Yuvraj Singh popped a return catch to McCullum and four of the India’s top five were gone for single-digits.Meanwhile, Santner was bowling like a dream and despite him finishing as the highest-wicket taker on the night, it was Sodhi who extracted the most turn. His legspinners ripped past the outside edge regularly and his control had never looked so good. He finished with 3 for 18 – all of which were characterised by defeating the batsman in flight. Kohli was caught behind, Jadeja closed the face too early after coming forward and Ashwin was dragged out of his crease to be stumped.New Zealand trusted in a set of bowlers capable of exploiting a raging turner. Santner, McCullum and Sodhi delivered them a win against the tournament favourites.

One potential factor in Leeds’ struggles in the Premier League has arguably been the failure to ditch some of the deadwood that has remained at Elland Road following their promotion from the Championship.

The likes of Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas have been fantastic servants for the club in both the second tier and the top division but with all three now 31, it seems clear that they don’t feature in the club’s long-term plans.

However, the prime example of players following Leeds from the Championship to the Premier League, without ever really making an impact in the top flight, is Adam Forshaw.

How much has Adam Forshaw cost Leeds?

Forshaw would sign for Leeds in a £4.5m deal from Middlesbrough in January 2018 but has been plagued with injuries throughout his five years at Elland Road.

In total, the midfielder has made just 84 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit, contributing no goals and three assists in that time, which suggests that he hasn’t lived up to expectations following his previously impressive spells with Middlesbrough and Brentford.

As per FBref, the Englishman earns £20k-per-week at Elland Road, so isn’t one of the top earners at the club, but it means Leeds have paid him £5,360,000 across his 268 weeks at the club.

Given he has failed to ever really be a regular starter other than in the 2018/19 Championship campaign, this represents dreadful value for money for Leeds and Andrea Radrizzani, as they have shelled out nearly £10m on an injury-prone player who simply isn’t good enough for the Premier League.

Although Forshaw would have something of a resurgence last season, featuring 22 times in the top flight as the Whites narrowly avoided relegation, it was a baffling decision to hand him a new one-year contract, as he has mustered just 157 minutes of Premier League action so far this term.

Ian Wright wasn’t complimentary of the midfielder’s failure to find Patrick Bamford with a pass last season, in a moment that rather summed up his entire campaign, despite Leeds securing a vital 2-1 win against Norwich City in their fight for survival.

The pundit said on Match of the Day 2 (13/03/2022): “He sees him, put it in there because he’s doing a lot of work for the team, so he can have a run at it. This is the annoying bit, he says sorry to him. Sorry isn’t going to help him!”

With Forshaw’s contract set to expire this summer, Javi Gracia must not repeat the Whites’ mistake from last January and ensure that the 31-year-old finally departs Leeds after an underwhelming five years at the club.

Newcastle United are back in their pomp and enjoying life at the top end of the Premier League table. It is a great time to be a fan of the club and there certainly are a lot of famous people who fit into that category.The St. James’ Park faithful are renowned up and down the country for being one of the most fierce fanbases in English football. This list goes well beyond Tyneside though, with Newcastle having fans from all over the world.Of course there are local heroes who have always followed the clubs but like with Katy Perry supporting West Ham United and Jay-Z being a big Arsenal follower, people from all corners of the globe can pledge themselves to some of the best Premier League teams.Closer to home there is the man himself Alan Shearer, a legend for the club and someone who was first and foremost, a fan. Here are just some of the icons from the world of music to politics who follow the Magpies that we at Football FanCast have gathered, via The Shields Gazette.

Chris Eubank

The list gets off to a powerful start with the softly-spoken, hard-hitting Chris Eubank. He is one of several sporting legends that has been previously spotted in the stands at St. James’.Eubank was born in Dulwich, South London and so his footballing allegiance may come as a surprise to some. Not only this but he lives in Brighton and his son Chris Eubank Jnr is a vocal Manchester United supporter.Eubank Snr was a champion at middleweight and super-middleweight with one of his biggest fights seeing him cross paths with a fellow Newcastle fan in the form of Welshman Joe Calzaghe.We’re sure that father and son have had some heated exchanges over the years when their two teams have gone head-to-head.

Gabby Logan

Remaining in the world of sport with one of the most recognisable faces and voices on television. Gabby Logan was recently at the fore of the BBC’s coverage of a historic Women’s World Cup over in Australia and New Zealand.Football isn't all Logan is known for either when it comes to presenting with tennis and athletics also being a part of her repertoire.Given her brilliance in front of the camera, many would forget that she herself was a competitor as a gymnast.Her support of Newcastle is just as interesting as Eubank’s given that she was born in Leeds and is Welsh, although her presenting career did begin in that area of the country. Her first game was a 1-0 victory over Everton in the early 1990s and her support may well stem from a boyfriend she had during her time at Durham University.

Sam Fender

From sports to music now and you just have to hear Sam Fender talk to know which club he supports.The peak of his excellent career to date will surely be performing at his beloved St. James’ Park earlier this year. It had always been a dream of his and the city was in an overjoyed mood when the day finally came around.Just days after the sold out shows on hallowed turf were announced, he was actually a guest of honour for a home game against Crystal Palace, a clash which ended goalless.It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him perform there again and his music will continue to be blasted out of the speakers on matchday.

Cam Norrie

Returning to the world of sports and this time to tennis, with Cam Norrie.Norrie was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but is a British tennis star, ranking number 1 for nearly two years now following on from the dominance of Andy Murray.His allegiances are wide-ranging given that his dad is from Glasgow and his mum is from Cardiff. Beyond this, he supports an Australian rugby league team, the New Zealand All Blacks and then Eddie Howe’s Magpies too.

Matty Healy

Sam Fender is probably the biggest solo artist of this generation to support Newcastle United whilst Matty Healy is probably the biggest member of a band of this generation to support them.The controversial frontman of The 1975 whose parents are TV stars Denise Welch and Tim Healy, he is never far from the headlines.Both Tim and Denise originally hail from the Newcastle area and so it doesn’t come as a massive surprise that the club they support has been passed down through the family to The 1975 star. As is the case with Sam Fender, the band have been on tour and as well as visiting The 02 and Finsbury Park, they also performed at St. James’ Park so it has been a big year for local talent.

Tony Blair

Making a swift transition into the world of politics and there are a few names of note in this field who support Newcastle.Matt Hancock and former Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva are two such names and a third is Tony Blair. He was Prime Minister of England from 1997 to 2007 and since childhood has been a follower of the Magpies.Hancock is more in the headlines at the moment than Tony Blair but the latter can still be occasionally spotted in the stands alongside other big names.

Cheryl

Another famous Geordie who follows their hometown club is the legendary singer Cheryl, who needs no introduction.She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud and has been a judge on The X Factor and The Greatest Days since she took a step back from her singing days.In the footballing world, some will know her better for when she was married to Chelsea and Arsenal fullback Ashley Cole but in her own right, she has performed at the ground and been there many, many times too.If you weren’t sure of Cheryl’s links to Newcastle United, the fans have sung songs with her name in over the years which very few people who aren’t players can boast.

Sting

There is clearly a strong link between famous musicians and Newcastle United with the final singer to feature on this list being the one and only Sting. Prior to launching his solo career, Sting, real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, was the frontman of The Police.Some of their best-known songs include ‘Every Breath You Take’, ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ and ‘Message In A Bottle’. The band’s success is there for all to see and Sting having 17 Grammy Awards to his name is no mean feat at all.Sting was born in Wallsend which is just a few miles away from Newcastle, making sense of his allyship. He has been spotted at games alongside a good friend of his, Jimmy Nail, who is also a musician as well as being a prominent actor as well.

Malala Yousafzai

The most shocking and surprising name to feature on this list is without a doubt, Malala Yousafzai.Malala is the world’s youngster ever Nobel Prize winner at just 17, having won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. She has become a major figure for social change in the last decade or so and is a major advocate for a number of causes, the most notable being against the Pakistani Taliban in her home country.Her husband Asser Malik tweeted the following last year, "I’ve proudly supported Newcastle United since childhood and have always been fascinated by its fan base. Thank you to the club for inviting me to experience this surreal atmosphere at St. James’ Park."This points towards her following of Newcastle coming from her partner and she is certainly one of the most famous faces to grace the St. James’ Park stands.

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (Ant and Dec)

There isn’t anyone as synonymous with the club when it comes to non-footballing fans than the presenting duo of all presenting duos, Ant and Dec.Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are television royalty having presented “Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway”, “I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” and “Britain's Got Talent” to name just a few of their best-known shows.When watching Newcastle on the TV, the cameras regularly pan to this double-act in the stands and whereas previously they would be grimacing a lot, nowadays there is more reason to smile for both of them as well as the St. James’ Park faithful.Ant and Dec met as child actors and have since been inseparable both on and off of the screen, it is difficult to find one without the other!

Others

These are just 10, well 11 actually, famous Newcastle United fans. There are so many others who haven’t been mentioned here and so coming up next is just some of the honourable mentions.AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, another musician in Mark Knopfler, TV presenter Matt Baker, singer James Bay, actor Robson Green, English cricket duo Steve Harmison and Graeme Swann, acting legend Brian Blessed and the hilarious Asim Chaudhry are just some of the other people in the public who don the black and white of Newcastle Un

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، لمواجهة قوية في مشواره المحلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الزمالك نظيره سيراميكا كليوباترا، على استاد القاهرة الدولي ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من عمر الدوري المصري.

ويدخل الزمالك مباراته أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا، طامحاً في الفوز ومواصلة انتصاراته، تحت القيادة الفنية الجديدة بقيادة كريستيان جروس الذي تم تعيينه قبل يومين بعد رحيل جوزيه جوميز.

طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري.. إعلان التشكيلين

ويحتل الزمالك وصافة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 9 نقاط، من 4 مباريات حقق الفوز في 3 وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة.

على الجانب الآخر، يتواجد سيراميكا كليوباترا بالمركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، ولديه 7 نقاط من 4 مباريات، إذ فاز في 2 وتعادل في مواجهة وخسر مثلها. موعد مباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري المصري

من المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة اليوم الخميس، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، التاسعة بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا اليوم

تُنقل المباراة عبر قناة أون تايم سبورتس1.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

On the day of a heroic draw, the big number that loomed was that New Zealand have played only four Tests this season, a reality that captain Williamson said was frustrating

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch 03-Apr-2018Kane Williamson had never bagged a golden duck in Test cricket. When he edged his first ball from Stuart Broad on the final day in Christchurch, it meant New Zealand had lost two wickets off the first two balls of the day – just the fourth time that had happened in Test cricket.By the end of the first hour they had lost four wickets, including Ross Taylor, and the prospect of preserving their 1-0 lead was rapidly slipping away. Yet six hours later, as the setting autumn sun illuminated Hagley Oval until the dying moments of a gripping contest, they were celebrating just a fourth series win over England.Though, officially, the umpires ended things because of the light, there was no assistance in this escape. New Zealand did it all themselves, from a position few would have given them a chance. It was a shame that Neil Wagner was given out – eventually caught off an inside edge on the DRS – because there was no time for the match to continue, but Wagner had left the field so could not walk off triumphant alongside Ish Sodhi.Instead, there was the somewhat odd scene of Sodhi the lone batsman in the middle, Tim Southee having not yet reached the centre, being embraced by the 12th man as the umpires removed the bails and the England players sagged in disappointment. Sodhi, unbeaten on 56 off 168 balls, had played the innings of his life and so, too, had Wagner as he blocked for 103 balls in making 7 when every ounce of him was probably wanting to try and deposit the spinners out of the ground.At times, the pair even managed who would take which type of bowling with Sodhi reckoning Jack Leach’s spin was more of a danger to Wagner out of the footmarks but easier for him to defended as a right hander.”He kept me going, there were some demons out there for sure,” Sodhi said. “The ball started turning from rough a little and found it quite to pick up the bowlers from around the wicket. He’s a bit of mongrel with the ball and he’s got that same mentality with the bat. He was trying to keep fighting against his instinct. Was probably tough but he did it so well. The way he played the bumpers was amazing and showed his character…we got a bit of luck along the way but you have to ride it.”New Zealand’s tail had looked a little longer in this Test without the injured Todd Astle, but in the first innings Tim Southee made an important half-century to narrow the deficit then Sodhi and Wagner defied England during the final session. The pitch, by and large, continued its history of not deteriorating massively but for the eighth-wicket pair to soak up 31 overs was a magnificent effort along with the previous stand between Sodhi and Colin de Grandhomme which lasted 25 overs. The efforts of Tom Latham, in stemming the early trouble, were also very impressive.Sodhi was given a life at silly point before he had scored – at that time it did not appear a major moment – then after tea, when England found the second new ball didn’t swing, he was handed a peppering by the short stuff from Mark Wood and Broad (as was Wagner in a taste of his own medicine) taking a blow on the arm which required treatment and a hastily delivered arm guard.”I was trying to figure out which balls to play and which to get under,” he said. “It started becoming quite difficult when the odd one would jump and another would keep a bit low. But you can’t really nick it, you can’t really get bowled or lbw so if you can get out of the road it’s a bit of a win.”The result meant Williamson joined the small group of New Zealand captains to secure series wins over England: Stephen Fleming, Geoff Howarth and Jeremy Coney. His attempts to control the final day ended with the first-ball lifter from Broad, so all he could do was watch nervously through 100 overs.”We thought there were all three results still possible at the start,” he said. “The first two balls today changed that, but credit to the way the guys batted – de Grandhomme curbed his instincts, Neil and Ish were heroic really. If it wasn’t for them, putting their hand up and weathering the storm, bumps and bruises and all, this series result could have been so different. Fantastic to see that, credit to their character. Just so satisfying to come away with the series win.”Emotions are running high, guys are pretty stoked in the sheds so it’s a great way to finish the season which had a lot of white-ball cricket. The way the Test team performed was superb in a number of different situations.”That Test team is now ranked No. 3 in the world after leap-frogging Australia on the back of their hammering in Johannesburg. There can be no sweeter feeling for a New Zealander than to be above the Australians in a sporting table. But this home season has consisted of just four Tests and the 2018-19 summer is likely to be same with visits from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. When the team faces Pakistan later this year, it will be their first Test cricket overseas in two years.”We’ve played four Tests this year, I think there’s a little bit of frustration, guys want to play more Test cricket,” Williamson said. “But it is what it is, a year without much Test cricket. We know the coming years have a lot more so it’s about being patient. We’ve had so many great games against England. The team love playing Test cricket. As a Test team we are growing, and I think we’ve seen that in this series.”This team consists of some of New Zealand’s finest ever Test players and some new heroes. For now they can bask in the glory of a significant series win, but they deserve not to be undersold.

Newcastle United defender Sven Botman is facing a spell on the sidelines, and a reliable journalist has revealed the potential severity of his injury that was sustained at St. James’ Park.

What's the latest on Sven Botman's injury?

The Magpies were the hosts on Sunday as they welcomed Liverpool, but despite the visitors going down to ten men following the dismissal of Virgil van Dijk, Eddie Howe’s side suffered a 2-1 Premier League defeat thanks to substitute Darwin Nunez securing a brace, and unfortunately for the boss, the scoreline wasn’t the only negative to occur that day.

The Dutch international was forced off the pitch with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury on 87 minutes and was replaced by Matt Targett, and whilst Lewis Hall, who has joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea, is in the building, he’s not yet ready to be involved. Quizzed on the youngster’s fitness, the manager said:

“He's trained with us, but he's not played a game during pre-season. He's only trained, so he's some way short of being match-fit."

With the 23-year-old seemingly out of action, PIF have already been assessing their centre-back options in the market, with Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio and Benfica’s Antonio Silva the two primary names to have been linked, and whilst reinforcements may well be needed, a promising update has now emerged on the situation of Botman.

How long is Sven Botman out for?

Taking to X, The Daily Mail's Craig Hope revealed that Newcastle are hopeful that Botman won’t be out for an extended period of time if the preliminary signs are anything to go by in a positive update.

“Understand early indications are that Sven Botman has avoided serious damage to his ankle after injury suffered on Sunday. More news awaited ahead of weekend but I’m told it’s not as bad as perhaps first feared.”

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, Botman has started all three games and has been an integral member of Howe’s squad, so considering the hugely positive impact he has on the side, it will come as a huge boost for the boss to learn that he’s not out for a lengthy spell at Newcastle.

The Muy Manero native, who is naturally left-footed, is currently averaging three clearances and two aerial wins per top-flight game this season, via WhoScored, not to mention that he’s won all five of his tackles made, showing how much of a rock he is at the heart of the backline.

The St. James’ £90k-per-week earner, who has recorded an assist since putting pen to paper with the black and white stripes, even has the versatility to operate out wide at left-back, making him a great option for the manager to have at his disposal should he need him to play out of his natural position.

Alongside Dan Burn, the northeast outfit have Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Hall when he's ready as their other options at centre-back so there is sufficient cover, but with the former potentially on his way out over the next few days, the hierarchy will be safer dipping into the market to bolster their defensive ranks further.

Andre Onana was reportedly left fuming at his AFCON snub by Cameroon, with the Manchester United keeper asking: “Why did I come on a private jet?”

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Red Devils shot-stopper delayed journey to Ivory CoastArrived in time for tournament openerLeft out of matchday squad by head coach SongWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils star figured for his club in a Premier League clash with Tottenham on Sunday, before immediately making his way to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool and catching a flight to the Ivory Coast in order to link up with his national team.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He was unable to land in Yamoussoukro – where Cameroon were kicking off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Guinea – but did complete a 5,000-mile journey three hours prior to that game getting underway. Onana was still left out of Rigobert Song’s matchday squad, with Fabrice Ondoa taking on starting duties while Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu filled spots on the bench.

WHAT ONANA SAID

Onana reportedly had to be calmed down by former Liverpool and Senegal star El Hadji Diouf, with the 27-year-old shot-stopper said to have bellowed in the direction of Cameroon’s coaching team: “If I wasn't going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

Onana has endured a strained relationship with Song, leading to him being sent home from the 2022 World Cup. An international retirement decision was reversed in order to join AFCON plans in 2024, but a man that has struggled for form at Old Trafford now has to convince his head coach that he should figure against Senegal on Friday – with the Indomitable Lions being held to a 1-1 draw in their opening game of another quest to savour continental glory.

Newcastle United are interested in signing Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace and are mulling over opening further talks for the Denmark international, though are yet to make an official approach.

Are Newcastle interested in Joachim Andersen?

That's according to the Guardian's Ed Aarons, who has revealed that the Magpies, as well as Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, are pursuing a deal for the Eagles centre-back, though given the lack of ground covered it could go "to the wire".

The 27-year-old has been valued at £50m by the Selhurst Park side, and while his signature would not come cheap, his stellar showings for the club have left the likes of Eddie Howe's high-flying Magpies hoping to seal a deal.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Newcastle have bolstered the midfield and attack with astute deals for Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes, while a £40m deal for full-back Tino Livramento has been agreed, but the central defence is yet to receive a fresh face.

How good is Joachim Andersen?

The £80k-per-week central defender put pen to paper with the Eagles in 2021, signing from Lyon on an initial £15m deal after impressing on loan with Fulham the season prior.

Described as a "leader" with the potential to be a "top defender" by former coach Svend Graversen, while playing for Midtjylland, Andersen has now chalked up 72 appearances for Crystal Palace and is an indispensable member of their backline.

The 6 foot 4 colossus is also a multi-faceted defender, ranking among the top 18% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for total shots, the top 20% for passes attempted, the top 13% for touches in the attacking box, the top 16% for aerials won and the top 1% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.

Given that FBref list Andersen as a comparable player to Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, Andersen could be viewed by the Toon hierarchy as the perfect ace to complement the imperious Sven Botman at the back, who has had an "incredible impact" on Newcastle's team since joining from Lille for £35m last year, according to pundit Leon Osman.

That likeness to Liverpool's French titan, who stands at 6 foot 4 himself, falls down to the respectively imposing statures, combative nature and inclination to make a difference in the attacking penalty area, with Konate ranking among the top 10% of centre-halves for successful take-ons, the top 12% for touches in the attacking box, the top 13% for tackles and the top 21% for aerials won per 90.

Konate has been dubbed a "monster" by Liverpool writer Charlotte Coates for his brutish efforts in the defensive third, having also won 77% of his aerial battles in the Premier League last season and made 3.1 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.

Hailed as "commanding" by pundit Robbie Earle, Andersen is already matching this in the English top-flight, winning 72% of his aerial duels and exhibiting his first-rate sweeping skills with an average of 5.8 clearances per game.

Howe already boasts a top-class defence, having concluded the 2022/23 campaign with the Premier League's joint-best defence alongside champions Manchester City, and he could now take Newcastle's ascension one step further by wrapping up a deal for Andersen.