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In the world of football, Jesse Lingard, the former Manchester United midfielder has completed a move to FC Seoul in South Korea after being a free agent for the majority of the ongoing season. In the realm of hockey, Indian women continued their poor run and lost their clash against Australia with 0-3.
Read below to learn details about these top stories and other happenings in the sporting world in the last 24 hours.
Football
Jesse Lingard completes move to FC Seoul in South Korea
The former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has completed a move to the South Korean side FC Seoul after being a free agent since the end of last season when his contract expired at Nottingham Forest. As per the report from the BBC, the 31-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the K-League club with the option for a further year, and he said in a YouTube video, “I've always wanted a different challenge and to create new memories in my career. I believe South Korea is the perfect place for that.”
Nigeria secures place in AFCON 2023 final after defeating South Africa on penalties
Kelechi Iheanacho scored the winning penalty for Nigeria in the semi-final of the AFCON 2023 against South Africa to send them to the final of the continental football tournament with a 4-2 triumph in the shootout. After a remarkable end to the normal time which saw Teboho Mokoena of South Africa convert a penalty for 1-1, cancelling out William Troost-Ekong’s spot kick, their defender Grant Kekana was sent off in the 115th minute, forcing them to hold on late-on in the extra time.
Enzo Fernandez has no intention of leaving Chelsea, says his agent
The Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez has no intention of leaving Chelsea according to his agent Uriel Perez after rumours of him leaving the London-based club were raised. According to the report from AS in Spanish, the agent of Enzo Fernandez was quoted as saying, “The player has no intention of leaving. The leaders were very clear with this project,” before adding, “Enzo Fernandez's desire is to be on the team and succeed. We don't meet with any clubs or try to talk to any clubs. We know what the player's desire is.”
Manchester United better placed than Arsenal to sign Ivan Toney: Reports
Manchester United are reportedly in a better place in comparison to Arsenal to sign the Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the summer, who is valued at £80 million. According to the report from Teamtalk, Chelsea, who have shown their interest in Ivan Toney, are expected to shift their focus on signing Napoli forward Victor Osimhen instead.
Some major results in football are as under:
AFCON 2023
- Nigeria 1-1 (4-2) South Africa
- Ivory Coast 1-0 DR Congo
AFC Asian Cup 2023
- Iran 2-3 Qatar
FA Cup 2023-24
- Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea
- Nottingham Forest 1-1 (5-3) Bristol City
Copa del Rey 2023-24
- Atletico Madrid 0-1 Athletic Bilbao
Bundesliga 2023-24
- Mainz 0-0 Union Berlin
Coupe de France 2023-24
- Lyon 2-1 Lille
- Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Brest
Saudi Pro League 2023-24
- Al-Tai 0-3 Al-Ittihad
Roy Keane and Gary Neville accuse Premier League Italian clubs of doping
Former Manchester United captains Roy Keane and Gary Neville made shocking accusations against United’s Premier League opponents. Keane and Neville said that they were suspicious of some opponents at Italian sides they faced in the Champions League consumed banned substances. The 48-year-old former footballer revealed that he and his teammates thought that players at some Italian clubs were doping as a sudden improvement in their performance was seen. Both Keane and Neville were on the Stick to Football podcast where they accused their Italian counterparts.
Tennis
Novak Djokovic set to return to Indian Wells after five years
World Number 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic is set to make his return to Indian Wells after five years with an intent to win his sixth title. The last time Djokovic participated in the tournament was in 2019 when he ended up getting knocked out after a third-round defeat. The Serb didn’t participate in the tournament following that because he wasn’t vaccinated against Covid-19. Till last spring, the U.S. regulations required non-citizen visitors to get vaccinated. Djokovic holds the tournament record of 20 consecutive wins from 2014-2016 and lifted the trophy in five editions, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Joining him will be the three-time winner Rafael Nadal, who missed last year’s season due to his injury.
Novak Djokovic rips t-shirt off in ATP’s hilarious ‘Reality Show'
The 24-time Grand Slam winner was seen ripping his t-shirt off in a hilarious video posted by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), termed as a ‘reality show’. The video depicts that none of what the fans see on TV is true and the tennis stars are the actors. In the parody video, Djokovic can be seen ripping the t-shirt, while a nervous Carlos Alcaraz could be seen rehearsing his lines before walking into the court. According to the video, Djokovic is Bert Critchley, a prominent actor who was earlier a supporting cast member of the Big Four and went on to become the leading men’s singles player.
Boris Becker steps down as coach of Denmark's Holger Rune
Six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker stepped down from the role of Holger Rune's coach citing personal reasons. Becker returned to the tennis circuit to coach Rune. In a social media post, Becker wrote, "Due to professional and private responsibilities, I can’t give Holger what he needs now. I wish him only the very best and I’m always going to be his n.1 fan. I truly appreciated this journey together."
Hockey
India women's hockey team lose 0-3 to Australia in FIH Pro League
The Indian women's hockey team continued their poor run in the ongoing FIH Pro League and fell to Australia 0-3 in their recent clash. In the entire match, the Indian team got only one bright spot, which was an early penalty corner that they ended up wasting and finished the game without a goal. On the other hand, China maintained their dominance over the USA and secured a 3-1 victory in their recent clash.
