KRASNODAR, Russia: Hakim Ziyech scored on his first start for Chelsea as Frank Lampard’s side powered to a 4-0 victory away to Champions League debutants Krasnodar in Russia on Wednesday.
Jorginho missed a penalty for Chelsea but Callum Hudson-Odoi put the Blues in front before half-time after a mistake by Krasnodar goalkeeper Matvei Safonov.
Timo Werner smashed in a spot-kick on 76 minutes to double Chelsea’s lead, with Moroccan international Ziyech and Christian Pulisic adding late goals.
Chelsea move up to four points at the top of Group E after two matches. Sevilla host Rennes later on Wednesday in the other game in the pool.
Thiago Silva stayed in London to rest as Antonio Rudiger made his first appearance of the season for Chelsea, lining up alongside Kurt Zouma in central defense.
Ziyech joined from Ajax for a reported £37 million ($48 million) in the summer but missed the beginning of the season with a knee problem.
The 27-year-old had made three cameos as a substitute before earning his first start in Krasnodar — a journey of some 3,500 kilometers from London.
Krasnodar drew their opening game of the group in Rennes last week, and Daniil Utkin forced Edouard Mendy to dive full-length to tip behind his curling shot inside five minutes.
Chelsea were awarded a penalty when Werner was clipped by Brazilian defender Kaio, but Jorginho’s effort hit the post and bounced off Safonov before Krasnodar scrambled clear.
Hudson-Odoi made the most of his opportunity playing behind Werner, and benefitted from a goalkeeping error to break the deadlock on 37 minutes.
The England international’s low drive looked routine for Safonov, who was excellent in Krasnodar’s opening game, but the Russia Under-21 ‘keeper allowed the ball to slip through his grasp.
Yuri Gazinski struck the bar for Krasnodar as he volleyed into the ground at a corner 10 minutes into the second half.
Chelsea then earned a second penalty when Aleksandr Martynovich was harshly penalized for a handball as he sought to block an attempt from Pulisic.
With Jorginho having been substituted, Werner took over spot-kick duties and lashed the ball beyond Safonov.
Krasnodar were only able to name five outfield players on the bench, Magomed Suleymanov the oldest among them at just 20.
The visitors took advantage of their tiring opponents as some Pulisic trickery allowed Werner to lay off to Ziyech, who tucked a neat finish beyond a crowd of defenders.
Pulisic delivered a fourth in the final minute when he combined with Tammy Abraham before shooting through the legs of Safonov.
Ziyech hits first Chelsea goal in rout of Krasnodar
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Ziyech hits first Chelsea goal in rout of Krasnodar
Khamzat Chimaev set to headline UFC Saudi Arabia card
- UFC president Dana White has confirmed the first fights on the inaugural card in the Kingdom on June 22
DUBAI: After an abrupt postponement, the UFC Saudi Arabia card is back on track for June 22. UFC president Dana White has confirmed the first five fights that will take place at the promotion’s first event in the country, and the early signs suggest the card will be stacked.
The announcement puts an end to the speculation that has dogged the UFC since it delayed the event from its original March 2 date. There were rumors that the proposed card did not have enough star power for Saudi Arabia’s decision-makers to give it the green light. It is a claim that has been disputed passionately by Dana White. Regardless of where the real truth lies, the UFC has pulled out all the stops for a non-title fight card of note.
Khamzat Chimaev will face Kiwi brawler Robert Whittaker in the main event. Placing Chimaev at the top of the bill is a savvy move from the UFC matchmakers. The undefeated Chechnya-born fighter has fanatical support in the Middle East, almost guaranteeing a sold-out Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
In his last fight in February 2024, Whittaker outclassed fellow middleweight Paolo Costa — the fighter whose shoulder injury kept him out of a tussle with Chimaev at Abu Dhabi’s UFC 294. A win for either man potentially puts them next in line for a crack at the middleweight crown.
The other four fights that have been confirmed are certified blockbusters, too. A heavyweight clash between perennial title contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov will provide the co-main event of the show. Both men are known for their heavy hands and deceptively fast technical abilities, which makes this a highly anticipated matchup. Pavlovich’s and Volkov’s last defeats came at the hands (and feet) of current Interim Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall.
Welterweight sluggers Kelvin Gastelum versus Daniel Rodriguez is a sleeper hit on the card. They both need a win to end their losing streaks, so we expect the pair to come out swinging for the fences. Brazilian fan-favorite Johnny Walker will take on Swiss striker Volkan Oezdemir in a wild scrap that is bound to end in a knockout.
White also confirmed that Dagestani phenom Sharabutdin Magomedov will return to the octagon to take on Romania’s Ihor Potieria. Magomedov, a fighter with only one eye, made his UFC debut in 2023 but is already tipped for greatness. This is a great matchup to potentially cement his status as the company’s next big thing.
A few more fighters from the Middle East may be on the card including UAE-based Mohammed Yahya. The UFC has built a worthy card from its stable of superstars.
UFC Saudi Arabia confirmed bouts:
Middleweight: Khamzat Chimaev (11) vs Robert Whittaker (3)
Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich (3) vs Alexander Volkov (6)
Light Heavyweight: Johnny Walker (7) vs Volkan Oezdemir (9)
Welterweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs Daniel Rodriguez
Middleweight: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Ihor Potieria
Confusion reigns as cricket makes African Games debut
- In the final on March 23, Zimbabwe convincingly beat Namibia by eight wickets with five overs to spare
- Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe competed in men’s cricket, with Rwanda replacing Ghana in the women’s
This month, cricket was played at the African Games for the first time ever. The 13th edition of the the games, originally scheduled for August 2023, were hosted by Ghana, which had struggled to deliver the infrastructure in time for 2023.
This was not helped by disputes between the three organizing bodies over marketing revenues and ownership of the games.
The postponement had other consequences. Proximity to the Paris Olympics, scheduled for July 26 to Aug. 11, and national championships in several African countries in March meant that a range of top athletes were absent, providing opportunities for younger athletes.
In football, the Africa Cup of Nations had only ended on Feb. 11. The executive board of the Confederation of African Football determined that the participating countries should be those whose under-20 team reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 U-20 African Cup of Nations, plus the host nation.
Ultimately, 53 of the 54 members of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa sent delegations, the exception being Cape Verde. Competition occurred in 23 sports. Accra was the main center, supported by the sub-host cities of Kumasi and Cape Coast. Despite being postponed to 2024, the title of 2023 African Games was retained.
Eight countries competed in men’s cricket: Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. A marginally different eight competed in women’s cricketing, with Rwanda replacing Ghana. In each case, the teams were divided into two groups of four who played a round-robin. The two teams with the highest number of points then advanced to the semifinals.
In the men’s event, those semifinalists were Namibia who beat Uganda and Zimbabwe who beat Kenya. In the final on March 23, Zimbabwe convincingly beat Namibia by eight wickets with five overs to spare. Earlier, on March 13, Zimbabwe’s women’s team claimed gold in beating South Africa but by a much narrower margin.
After 20 overs each, both had both scored 112 runs. This meant a super over to determine the winner. In one of cricket’s arcane procedures, a super over in T20 format stipulates that each team selects three batters, an innings ending if two of them are dismissed. This happened to South Africa who could only score two runs for the loss of two wickets. Zimbabwe’s batter scored a four off the second delivery to seal the match.
As if this drama was not enough, cricket managed to create a controversy all of its own making. The impact of the postponement of the games affected not only athletics and football but also cricket. Boards in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia found that top players were engaged elsewhere, in either the Indian Premier League or domestic competitions.
This was especially true of Cricket South Africa, whose press release announcing the squads stated that the men’s team comprised players who have represented their respective university teams, while the women’s was a mix of emerging players. Zimbabwe entered an under-25 squad and Namibia were missing key players.
In 2018, the International Cricket Council gave T20 International status to all T20 matches played by both Full and Associate members. A rider to this in 2022 excluded matches involving A teams or age-group sides. Did CSA consider their men’s squad to be classed as either an A team or U-25 and had there been any clarification of this with the ICC prior to the tournament? There seems to have been a general assumption that all the matches had official T20 International status, meaning that the results feed directly into the ICC T20I team rankings. This has relevance to qualification for the 2026 ICC T20I World Cup. The process for this was approved by the ICC on March 15, after the announcement of squads for the African Games.
There will be 20 places available for the men’s 2026 World Cup. This will comprise the top eight in the 2024 T20 World Cup, two for co-hosts India and Sri Lanka, if not in the top eight this year, with up to four awarded to teams based on their ICC T20I rankings. This refers to teams ranked immediately below 10th. They are Ireland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Scotland, and the Netherlands, all tightly bunched.
South Africa is ranked sixth and likely to finish in the top eight in the forthcoming World Cup, so why would CSA be worried? However, something extraordinary occurred during the event. Although South Africa won its first match, it lost the next two, thus failing to reach the semifinals. On or around March 20, the day that its elimination was confirmed, sharp-eyed observers noted that the statuses of the matches were being changed on cricket websites, downgrading them from T20I status, as well as showing a changed team name.
Conspiracy theories abounded. Had CSA asked for clarification of the status of the matches and, if so, was that after the exit of the team or before? There were rumors that CSA would not have participated if the matches were accorded T20I status and had only done so on the basis that they would not be.
Eventually, on March 26, the ICC announced that matches involving both the South African men’s and women’s teams at the African Games in Ghana did not hold international status. Presumably, this means that Kenya and Uganda, who beat South Africa, lose points.
The ICC added that “all other matches played between teams at the men’s and women’s events were T20 Internationals.” This may not sit comfortably with the South African women’s team.
There is little doubt that this is a mess and a bad look for cricket. It is difficult to determine if it is incompetence, miscommunication or collusion. A polite interpretation would be miscommunication of crossed messages and understanding. It looks deeper than that. The organizers would have wanted South Africa involved, almost at any cost, to heighten the profile of the games. In return, CSA would not have wanted any degradation of its ranking. Sadly, the high hopes that the inclusion of cricket in the games would provide a boost for cricket in Africa have suffered a knockback at the hands of some petty politics played by people who are not coming clean.
Suns eclipse Nuggets, Rockets silence Thunder
- The Warriors, fueled by 23 points from Andrew Wiggins and two late baskets by Stephen Curry, beat the Magic 101-93
- Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James returned from a one-game absence to post a triple-double in a 136-124 victory over Memphis Grizzlies
LOS ANGELES: Kevin Durant scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 104-97 victory over reigning NBA champions Denver on Wednesday to keep things close at the top of the Western Conference.
The Suns made 16 three-pointers and never trailed after the first quarter in Denver.
Durant said it wasn’t a matter of making a statement, but of paying attention to detail in a demanding final playoff push.
“I don’t know if you’re trying to show anybody anything,” Durant said. “I think (we’re) just trying to keep getting better... we’re just trying to play good ball.”
Denver’s two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, playing with a sore back and hip, scored 22 points with nine rebounds and 10 assists.
But the Nuggets clearly felt the absence of point guard Jamal Murray, who missed a third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
It was just their third defeat in their 18 games since the All-Star break, but left them just one half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and Minnesota atop the West.
The Timberwolves beat the Detroit Pistons 106-91, but the short-handed Thunder fell to the red-hot Houston Rockets — who pushed their winning streak to 10 games with a 132-126 overtime triumph in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder were without star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was sidelined with a right quadriceps contusion.
Josh Giddey carried the load in his absence, scoring 31 points. But Houston’s Jalen Green led all scorers with 37 points and the Rockets out-scored the Thunder 20-14 in overtime to seal the win.
Houston remained a game behind the Golden State Warriors for 10th place and the last play-in berth in the West.
The Warriors, fueled by 23 points from Andrew Wiggins and two late baskets by Stephen Curry, beat the Magic 101-93 in Orlando despite the ejection of Draymond Green just 3min 36sec into the contest.
Curry was left shaking his head when Green was tossed, receiving two quick technical fouls for heatedly arguing a foul call.
It was the fourth ejection of the season for Green, who missed 16 games after he was suspended in December for swinging an arm into the head of Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
“Too bad,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Green’s ejection. “It was unfortunate. He deserved it and he’ll bounce back. I’m just proud of the guys for stepping up.”
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James returned from a one-game absence to post a triple-double of 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a 136-124 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
James sat out the Lakers’ come-from-behind double-overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday with a sore left ankle.
Anthony Davis, who played nearly 52 minutes on Tuesday, was sidelined with a hyperextended left knee.
But Rui Hachimura provided a big lift, drilling seven of eight three-point attempts on the way to 32 points with 10 rebounds to help the Lakers win their fifth straight.
There was controversy in Philadelphia.
The Los Angeles Clippers edged the 76ers 108-107 but officials acknowledged after the game they missed a call in the waning seconds that would have given the hosts the chance to win it at the free-throw line.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard made a pair of three-point plays in the final minute and came up with a big block on Kelly Oubre Jr. with 5.1 seconds remaining.
The Sixers, down by one, had one last opportunity after a jump ball and coach Nick Nurse was incensed that no foul was called on Paul George as he defended Oubre’s final attempt.
Nurse rushed onto the court to dispute the non-call, Oubre voicing his displeasure too.
“I just thought it was enough contact to call,” Nurse, sounding more conciliatory after the game, said. “But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Referee Kevin Scott told a reporter that in real time officials thought George jumped vertically but that “in post-game video review we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul should have been called.”
There was some good news for the Sixers, as Nurse confirmed before the game he believed there was “a very good likelihood” that NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid would return before the post-season.
Embiid has been sidelined since January 30 by a knee injury that required surgery.
Collins and Alexandrova set up semifinal showdown at WTA Miami Open
- Collins reached the semifinals of Miami six years ago as a qualifier and at 53rd is the lowest ranked semifinalist in the tournament
- Thursday will see the opening semifinal with three-time Miami winner Victoria Azarenka up against fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina
MIAMI: Danielle Collins and Ekaterina Alexandrova will meet in the semifinals of the WTA Miami Open after victories in the last eight on Wednesday.
Collins powered into the last four with an emphatic 6-3, 6-2 win over France’s Caroline Garcia before Alexandrova emerged triumphant from a near two-hour three set battle with American fifth seed Jessica Pegula.
Thursday will see the opening semifinal with three-time Miami winner Victoria Azarenka up against fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina, the highest ranked player left in the tournament.
Garcia went into the match against Collins on the back of an upset win over third-seeded American Coco Gauff but was unable to get a foothold against the Floridian.
Garcia still appeared to be troubled by an injury to her right shoulder and received some treatment early in the second set.
Collins broke to go 5-3 up in the first set and then held serve for the set, then in the second set broke in the third game and never looked back as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 19 minutes.
Collins reached the semifinals of Miami six years ago as a qualifier and at 53rd is the lowest ranked semifinalist in the tournament.
The 30-year-old American is now 4-0 against Garcia and has yet to lose a set to the Frenchwoman but said the numbers didn’t tell the true story.
“I think against someone like Caro, it forces me to be more concentrated. I know I don’t want to give her an inch or she can get in there,” Collins said.
Garcia said she had felt the pace of back-to-back tournaments.
“It’s been a long two weeks for the body for me, between the back at the beginning and then the she shoulder which came back,” she told reporters, adding that the shoulder issue was a recurrence of a previous injury.
“I think it’s nothing too serious but (shoulder) is always quite problematic for a tennis player,” she said, before adding that Collins had played “an amazing match.”
Collins intends to retire at the end of the year but while she agreed she had a relaxed look to her play, she rejected the idea that it was a result of her impending departure from the sport.
“I think I feel pretty relaxed, but that could be due to a number of things. I’ve got a new hobby. I’m playing some more golf, running more, Pilates, all of these different things,” she said.
“My dog is here. I’m feeling relaxed because I get to be with him at night. I don’t know,” she said with a smile.
Alexandrova beat home favorite Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, showing plenty of grit in a third set where both players showed signs of fatigue.
Pegula broke to go 4-3 up in the first and broke again to clinch the set but the Russian fought back, breaking in the first game of the second set.
Again 14th seed Alexandrova broke early in the third but she let Pegula back into the set when she double-faulted on break point to leave the set balanced at 3-3.
The pair produced a fantastic rally in the subsequent game which Pegula was able to hold, but at 4-4, Alexandrova struck the decisive blow with Pegula going long on a back-hand return on the second break point.
The Russian held to grab the win and fell to her knees in joy at the result.
Alexandrova, who upset world number one Iga Swiatek in the previous round, said it was tough to break down Pegula’s gritty defense.
“I couldn’t understand how it was possible to return that ball it was always back. She was everywhere so I needed to do something,” she said. “I tried to wait and use any opportunities that I got.”
The win was Alexandrova’s third against a top five player this year and she said her success was the result of developing patience.
“You have to wait and wait and something is going to come — and then you have to use it,” she said.
Chelsea and Lyon advance to the Women’s Champions League semifinals
- Chelsea advanced 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg in Amsterdam 3-0
- The French champion advanced to the semifinals for a record 13th time after a 4-1 win over Benfica
LONDON: Emma Hayes’ hopes of going out on the ultimate high at Chelsea moved a step closer on Wednesday as the London club reached the Women’s Champions League semifinals after a 1-1 draw with Ajax.
Chelsea advanced 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg in Amsterdam 3-0.
Hayes takes over the US women’s national team at the end of the season, when she will lead their bid to win Olympic gold in Paris.
Before that, she is aiming to win a quadruple of trophies with Chelsea — including the Champions League for the first time.
The Women’s Super League champion had effectively secured their place in the next round after a dominant performance in the first leg of the quarterfinals at Ajax. And they extended their overall advantage to 4-0 on aggregate after Mayra Ramirez’s goal in the 33rd minute at Stamford Bridge.
Chasity Grant scored in the 65th to give Ajax some consolation and a 1-1 draw on the night.
While Chelsea are searching for their first Women’s Champions League trophy, Lyon are hunting a record-extending ninth.
The French champion advanced to the semifinals for a record 13th time after a 4-1 win over Benfica.
Delphine Cascarino and Kadidiatou Diani scored two goals each as record eight-time champion Lyon won 6-2 on aggregate at Groupama Stadium after a 2-1 first leg win in Portugal.
Cascarino’s goal in the first leg had set up Lyon’s comeback win after trailing 1-0 at halftime of that match. And she tightened the French champions’ control of the tie when she opened the scoring in the 43rd of the second leg with a long-range chip to put Lyon ahead on the night.
Marie-Yasmine Alidou evened the score two minutes later, but Cascarino restored the home team’s lead with a powerful effort from distance in the 51st.
Diani put Lyon 3-1 ahead in the first minute of stoppage time and scored her second five minutes later.
Lyon were playing in the quarterfinals for a record-equaling 15th time, while Benfica became the first Portuguese team to advance to this stage.
Lyon last won the trophy in 2022 and will play either Hacken or Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals. Chelsea face either defending champion Barcelona or Brann.
PSG and Barcelona both won their quarterfinal first-leg matches 2-1 and will host their respective second-leg games Thursday.
The home-and-away semifinals will be played on April 20-21 and 27-28.