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Indian football head coach Igor Stimac said that he will quit if the team doesn't advance to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Indian national team goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu became the first Indian footballer to play in Australia. Number one tennis player Carlos Alcaraz defeated Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-4 to reach the pre-quarterfinal round of the Miami Open 2024.
Read below to learn more about the latest happenings in the sporting world
Football
We will quit if we don't qualify: Igor Stimac ahead of India vs Afghanistan WC qualifier
Indian football head coach Igor Stimac said that he will quit if the team doesn't advance to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. India will lock horns with Afghanistan on March 26, and the 'Blue Tigers' are less than a win away from making it to the next round of the tournament. Stimac said, "If I don't take India to the third round I will leave, with my pride, with my honour on everything that was done here in the five years of work. I will leave my position to someone else."
Memphis Depay pays Dani Alves' 1 million euro bail sum after rape conviction: Reports
Memphis Depay, Dani Alves’ former Barcelona teammate, has reportedly paid the sum of 1 million euro to bail him out after being convicted of rape. Notably, Depay and Alves played a total of 12 matches together during the 2021-22 season across different tournaments. An exclusive report from Mabkhout Almarri suggested that Depay emerged as a beacon of light for Alves and granted the sum for his bail. He wrote on X, “Exclusive: Memphis Depay is the one who paid one million euros in bail for Dani Alves and was released from prison today. It is not rumored that Neymar was the one who paid, but rather that he and his father evaded paying.”
Panthoi Chanu becomes first Indian footballer to feature in South Australia Women’s Premier League
Indian national team goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu became the first Indian footballer to play in Australia. She has been signed by the South Australia Women’s Premier League side Metro United Women’s Football Club. Chanu will train with the A-League side Adelaide United for the upcoming South Australian league. Chanu’s journey to Australia began after her recent stint in Spain after she alongside compatriot Bala Devi underwent training. The Indian footballers trained and appeared for trials with the Spanish Segunda Federacion team Malaga. Chanu became a global football figure, owing to her experience as well as her skillset. According to the head coach Paul Morris, Chanu is expected to debut on the Saturday, March 30, clash.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey congratulates Sunil Chhetri ahead of his 150th international match
The All India Football Federation President, Mr. Kalyan Chaubey, on Tuesday, March 26, met Sunil Chhetri at the Indian Senior Men’s National Team hotel in Guwahati and congratulated the Indian captain on his possible 150th match for the senior team. In a simple ceremony, the AIFF President formally presented Chhetri with a team jersey that was signed by all players and staff members of the current squad. Later, Chaubey, while talking to the-aiff.com, said, “Sunil playing his 150th match today is a monumental achievement in Indian Football and I feel proud to be a witness to that. I told the captain that the entire football fraternity feels proud about his reaching this remarkable mark.”
Angel Di Maria's family receives death threat on his potential return to Rosario
Argentina star and Lionel Messi’s teammate Angel Di Maria's family received a death threat from an unidentified drug gang based in his hometown. The proceedings came following the 36-year-old’s statement on a possible return to Rosario Central. The Argentine police are investigating the unknown source from which Di Maria received a family threat. According to a local news website Mdzol.com, a note was thrown from a grey car in the private neighbourhood of Miraflores. The paper read, “Tell your son Angel not to return to Rosario again because otherwise, we will screw him up by killing a family member.”
World Cup qualifiers
China 2-1 Singapore
Vietnam 0-2 Indonesia
Friendlies
Guinea 5-1 Bermuda
Zambia 2-1 Malawi
Club Friendlies
FC Kobenhavn 3-2 B93
Tennis
Iga Swiatek gets knocked out of Miami Open 2024
World number one tennis player Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the Miami Open after Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated her 6-4, 6-2 in their fourth-round match on Monday. The 16th seed Alexandrova played an attacking game to beat the Pole and leave the WTA tournament without any top three seeds in the QF stage with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff also being out. On the other hand, French Caroline Garcia upset world number three Gauff by beating her 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Mondy to advance to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev advance to Miami Open 2024 pre-quarterfinal round
Number one tennis player Carlos Alcaraz defeated Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-4 to reach the pre-quarterfinal round of the Miami Open 2024. On the other hand, the fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev got past Christopher Eubanks with a scoreline of 7-6 (4), 6-3 to secure his R16 berth. After the match, Alcaraz was all praise for his 37-year-old rival and he said, “He is a great athlete. He reaches almost every ball. But at the same time, with my forehand, my best shot, I tried to move him around the court.”
Andy Murray injures ankle; to be out for extended period
Andy Murray will be out of action for an ‘extended period’ after he suffered an ankle injury during his exit from Miami Open 2024. Murray last appeared at the Miami Open on Sunday, where he lost the third round 5-7, 5-7, 7-6 (5) to Czech Tomas Machac. Murray announced, “Yesterday, towards the end of my match in Miami, I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL (anterior talofibular ligament) and near full thickness rupture of my CFL (calcaneofibular ligament). Goes without saying this is a tough one to take, and I’ll be out for an extended period.”