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As Ian Maatsen continues his struggle to break into Unai Emery’s starting side ahead of Lucas Digne, Aston Villa have reportedly joined the race to sign a La Liga defender who would add further competition for places.

Aston Villa transfer news

Those at Villa Park got their transfer window just about spot on in the summer, with fresh faces such as Amadou Onana quickly proving to be a huge success, turning the departed Douglas Luiz into a forgotten man in the Midlands.

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Yet, even after such a strong start, the Belgian is unlikely to go down as Villa’s best business of the summer. Instead, that award belongs to those at the club who managed to keep hold of Jhon Duran. The young striker has started the season in electric form to earn a fresh contract that should see him stay put at Aston Villa until at least 2030.

After handing their frontline a major boost, those in the Midlands have now seemingly turned their attention towards adding to Emery’s defence in pursuit of becoming a consistent top-four side.

According to reports in Spain, NSWE and Aston Villa are now racing to sign Reinildo Mandava from Atletico Madrid in January alongside Manchester United, with the left-back’s contract coming to an end next summer. The report adds that Emery has little confidence in Maatsen so far this season, handing the summer arrival just one start, which came against Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.

Already struggling for game time over Digne, the arrival of Reinildo could hand Maatsen quite the cause for concern. After struggling for minutes at Chelsea and then starring on loan at Borussia Dortmund, the last thing that Maatsen needs is another spell full of cameos from the bench.

"Gladiator" Reinildo would hand Emery selection headache

Squad depth can quickly make or break certain ambitions in the Premier League, as clubs look to balance both domestic and European action. And that’s no different for Aston Villa, who could hand Emery quite the headache by pursuing Reinildo in either the January transfer window or next summer – the headache that Maatsen is seemingly yet to provide the Spaniard.

League stats 23/24 (via FBref)

Reinildo Mandava

Ian Maatsen

Assists

1

2

Progressive Carries P90

1.23

3.05

Tackles Won P90

2.72

1.46

Ball Recoveries P90

6.54

5.49

On the defensive front, Reinildo would certainly complete the job that Maatsen fails to do, albeit whilst struggling to make an impact as a modern full-back going in the other direction.

At 30 years old too, questions would be asked whether the Atletico Madrid man would have a long-term future at Villa Park. Whilst he has been praised aplenty in the past, including by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig who dubbed the defender a “gladiator”, Reinildo’s time for the Premier League may well have passed.

As for Maatsen, he must find his feet sooner rather than later if he wants to earn Emery’s confidence once and for all this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O volante Marcão se despediu do Sport e foi respirar novos ares em Cuiabá, situação que não pegou ninguém de surpresa na Ilha do Retiro.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

O principal motivo foi a ausência de pagamentos no clube pernambucano. De acordo com a diretoria do Sport, Marcão será procurado para um acordo.

‘Marcão acertou com um clube da Série A, tinha falado conosco e está indo para outro clube. Obrigatoriamente, a gente precisa fazer algo sobre a dívida. É buscar acordo, não tem como fugir. Tem que fazer acordo para quitar o débito’, explicou o mandatário ao ge.

Período

Segundo a publicação do ge, Marcão precisa receber cerca de um ano de salários atrasados do Sport no acordo.

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نجح فريق الكرة الطائرة رجال بالنادي الأهلي، في تحقيق الفوز على منافسه الزمالك، بنتيجة ثلاثة أشواط مقابل شوطين، بالمباراة التي جمعت بينهما ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

الأهلي واجه الزمالك على صالة حسن مصطفى بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر، في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري للكرة الطائرة.

وكان الأهلي قد تأهل إلى نهائي كأس السوبر المصري بعد الفوز على بتروجيت بنتيجة 3-0 في مباراة نصف النهائي، بينما جاء تأهل الزمالك على حساب سبورتنج في مباراة نصف النهائي.

طالع أيضاً..  بعد رحيله عن الأهلي الليبي.. خالد الغندور: مؤمن سليمان على أعتاب نادِ مصري

وشهدت المباراة خلافاً بين الجماهير واللاعبين مما أدى إلى توقف اللقاء بسبب هتافات من بعض جماهير الزمالك ضد سيف عابد لاعب النادي الاهلي أثناء الإحماء.

كما قامت بعض من جماهير النادي الأهلي بالرد على جماهير الزمالك مما دفع مسؤولو اتحاد الكرة الطائرة والناديين للتدخل من أجل تهدئة الجماهير واستكمال المباراة.

Mark Arthur and Martyn Moxon come under renewed pressure from former club captain

George Dobell08-Oct-2021

Azeem Rafiq has questioned the on-going employment of Mark Arthur and Martyn Moxon by Yorkshire in light of a damning report into racism at the club.Yorkshire recently produced a summary of a report they had commissioned into the issue which admitted that Rafiq, a former captain of the team, was “the victim of racial harassment” and “bullying” during his time at the club.But despite demands from both the ECB and an employment judge, the club have refused to hand over the full report they had compiled into the issue. And they have not announced any sanctions against any employees.As a result, Rafiq has renewed calls for Arthur, the Yorkshire chief executive, and Moxon, the director of cricket, to be removed from office. In a statement attributed to “a spokesperson for Rafiq”, he alleges “several” of his allegations related “directly” to the “conduct” of the pair and suggests their place on the club’s equality and diversity committee is inappropriate.”Several of the allegations by Rafiq and others relate directly to the conduct of both Moxon and Arthur during their stewardship of the club,” it states. “Both were at Yorkshire throughout Rafiq’s second spell and at least part of the first – Moxon from 2007 and Arthur from 2013.”In August 2018, when Azeem Rafiq raised concerns of racism there was a failure by the Club to follow its own policy or investigate these allegations. On a number of occasions prior to 2018 the Club could have done more to make Muslims more welcome within their stadiums and should have dealt better with complaints of racist or antisocial behaviour within those stadiums. These are extremely serious admissions.”Given these failures happened under the watch of Arthur and Moxon, why are they still employed by the club? In view of these failures, why do he and Moxon still sit on the equality and diversity committee at Yorkshire? Again, what consequences are there for those who remain in club management for these failures?”Separately, we note that Moxon and Arthur joined Yorkshire’s equality and diversity committee in 2019, despite the club’s failure to follow its own policies regarding allegations of racism. We believe they should be removed from this committee.”Indeed, we believe that the findings of racial harassment and bullying towards Azeem on their watch should be grounds for their removal.”Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, joins the warm-up•Getty Images

Rafiq’s statement also alleges that it “was completely inappropriate” that Moxon and Arthur had any role in deciding which parts of the report were included in the summary released to the public. It is understood that the pair are part of a very small group at the club to have been provided access to the report.”They are not, by definition, independent,” the spokesperson continues. “It was completely inappropriate for Arthur and Moxon to apparently have decision making roles in how the findings of the report were made public. Any summary that comes from Yorkshire cannot be considered fair and balanced when many of those who have seen the report and determined Yorkshire’s response are themselves subject of allegations.”Yorkshire’s reluctance to hand over the report to even the ECB – the game’s regulator – could yet have consequences. Not only have the ECB indicated they are considering charging Yorkshire with bringing the game into disrepute – a charge which, if proved, could result in diminished funds being made available to the club – but an employment judge ordered the club to hand over the full, unredacted report to both Rafiq and the court before October 8. At the time of writing, it is understood that has not happened, meaning a charge of contempt is also possible. Rafiq’s statement also renews his calls to be shown the full report.Related

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“Yorkshire’s main contention is that the frequent use of racist language and harassment on the grounds of race by players and a coach, as well as failures of procedure when complaints were made, was not sufficient to make a finding of institutional racism,” it says. “Again, it is difficult to comment on this conclusion without sight of the report or its reasoning. What is clear is that racism and bullying has occurred – and on many occasions. What is not clear is how the investigation could accept repeated incidents of racism and bullying, while also reaching the conclusion Yorkshire is not institutionally racist.”Azeem’s solicitor was sent a copy of this summary only a couple of minutes before the media – not that it mattered, because this file was corrupted and could not be opened properly. Azeem and his team ultimately had sight of the summary after the media. Having been given no warning of this publication, we were able to issue only a brief response, which we sent out shortly after 11am that day. We promised a more detailed reply – this statement – once we had sufficient time to review Yorkshire’s statement.”Meanwhile Amna Rafiq, Azeem’s sister, has made a formal complaint against the Yorkshire Cricket Board. Amna has worked as the Board’s Clubs and Community Development Manager but claims that, since her brother’s grievance with the club came to light, she has been ostracised by the club’s hierarchy.

Southampton make the daunting trip to Manchester City this weekend and Russell Martin has confirmed that they will be without Will Smallbone, with Premier Injuries’ Ben Dinnery offering a likely return date.

Southampton prepare for huge Man City test

Saints have experienced a huge baptism of fire since their return to the Premier League, having bounced into the 2024/25 campaign fresh off the back of their Championship promotion success. They have picked up just one point from their opening eight matches, leaving Martin battling to save his job.

Last weekend, Southampton suffered their lowest moment of the season so far, blowing a 2-0 lead at home to fellow newly-promoted side Leicester City and eventually succumbing to a 3-2 defeat in stoppage time.

Next up for the south coast outfit is the worst possible game after that, with Martin’s men making the trip to reigning Premier League champions for a tricky test, made harder by the fact Yukinari Sugawara is an injury doubt heading to City.

In truth, the wider footballing public will be expecting a resounding home win and perhaps even a cricket score, and in fairness to Southampton, this isn’t the kind of game to properly judge them in. That being said, a big response is still needed after the Leicester loss, but some concerning injury news has emerged in the lead-up to kick-off.

"Outstanding" Southampton could miss more games after Man City

Speaking ahead of the City game [via SaintsExtra on X], Martin confirmed that while Sugawara is a doubt, Southampton will be definitely without Will Smallbone, who will be “out for a little bit of time.”

This is a big blow for Southampton, with Martin confirming that Smallbone had picked up a knock against Leicester, but now saying that his absence could be lengthy. Dinnery, a popular injury expert amongst Fantasy Football fans, has shared further details on the midfielder’s thigh injury, reporting a likely return date after the next international break, on November 24 against Liverpool.

The Englishman has become such an important player for Saints, featuring in all 46 Championship games last season, 38 of which were starts, with his manager speaking so highly of him, saying: “He’s a really outstanding footballer and his performances so far have justified why I wanted to sign him at Swansea – so we must have got one right. He will play in different roles for us as well. He really is a gifted footballer with some good Championship experience after last season.”

While Southampton have clearly struggled so far this season, Smallbone has still been a solid performer, averaging 1.8 tackles per game and completing 82.5% of his passes, so his absence could hurt the team.

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In terms of the City game, Southampton are essentially expecting a miracle, but supporters will be praying Smallbone’s issue is not as serious as Dinnery’s report suggests, hopefully getting him back for the ‘easier’ fixtures before Arne Slot’s men come to town.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na estreia do Campeonato Catarinense 2022, não faltou emoção no confronto entre Chapecoense e Barra, na tarde deste sábado na Arena Condá. E os mandantes não decepcionaram sua torcida. Logo no primeiro tempo, Tiago Real tratou de marcar para o Verdão do Oeste, segurando o placar na segunda etapa até o apito final do árbitro.

Com a vitória, a equipe comandada por Felipe Conceição chegou aos 3 pontos, ficando na parte de cima da tabela. Já a equipe comandada por Matheus Costa, por conta do tropeço, iniciou sua campanha ficando entre os últimos sem nenhum ponto somado.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

INÍCIO DE JOGO EQUILIBRADO

Fazendo valer o mando de campo, a Chapecoense sabia da necessidade de ir pra cima do Barra em busca do primeiro gol, deixando o adversário pressionado. Entretanto, as coisas não foram bem assim. Até meados dos 15 minutos, apesar de um ritmo maior por parte da Chape, o time de Balneário Camboriú também tratou de oferecer perigo ao goleiro João Paulo, como no arremate de Dudu Silva que acabou sendo desviado pela zaga.

DONOS DA CASA MELHORAM E MARCAM

Passando o momento mais equilibrado, a equipe comandada por Felipe Conceição passou a ditar as ações em campo. Em quatro chances seguidas, sendo três delas com Guedes, além de uma com Perotti, o camisa 9 acabou tendo um gol anulado, pegando uma posição de impedimento na finalização do atleta após cobrança de falta com desvio no meio do caminho.

Mas o Barra não desanimou e tentou responder na mesma moeda, mandando a bola na trave com Dudu Silva, para lamentação do jogador. Entretanto, o susto não tirou a vontade da Chape que, aos 22, balançou a rede adversária com Tiago Real, após jogada iniciada por Pablo acionando Perotti na sequência, com o atacante desviando para o meia marcar.

Após o gol sofrido, o Pescador tratou de ir para cima em busca do empate. Até os acréscimos dados pela arbitragem, chegou a ter boas chances como quase um gol olímpico por parte de Renatinho, porém quase sofreu o segundo com Busanello acertando a trave do gol defendido por Bruno Grassi, sendo esse o último lance de perigo antes do encerramento da etapa.

INÍCIO DE SEGUNDO TEMPO

Com duas mudanças promovidas pelo técnico Matheus Costa, colocando Luiz Otávio e Wallace em campo, o Barra não quis saber de perder tempo para correr atrás do prejuízo. Entretanto, até meados dos 15 minutos, poucas foram as chances criadas pelo visitantes, com exceção a de Renatinho, porém com a Chape também tentando aumentar a diferença com Busanello, essa assustando mais após arremate de longe.

Vendo o tempo passar, o treinador do Barrão voltou a recuar para seus suplentes, desta vez colocando Pereira no lugar de Renatinho. Após a troca, passou a melhorar um pouco mais no jogo, justamente com Pereira, que havia entrado momentos antes,dando trabalho ao goleiro João Pedro que conseguiu fazer bonita defesa, além de Wallace, na sequência, mandar de cabeça para fora após cobrança de escanteio.

VISITANTES VÃO PARA O TUDO OU NADA

Com mais trocas, porém agora de ambos os lados, a emoção tomou conta nos momentos finais de partida na Arena Condá. Aos 38, Reginaldo acabou recebendo o segundo amarelo, sendo expulso na sequência, deixando sua equipe com 10 em campo.

Diante do ocorrido, Felipe Conceição optou por fechar seus sistema defensivo colocando Vitor Beker e Fernando. Tentando tirar proveito da situação, o Barra apostou no ataque até os acréscimos e, mesmo criando chances, acabou esbarrando na falta de pontaria, sofrendo seu primeiro revés na competição.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CHAPECOENSE 1×0 BARRA

Data e horário: 22/01/2022, às 16h30 (de Brasília)
​Local: Arena Condá, em Chapecó (SC)
Árbitro: Charly Wendy Straub Deretti
Assistentes: Helton Nunes e Valdoir Caldatto

Cartões Amarelos: Ronei, 31’/1ºT; Cleyton, 37’/1ºT; Reginaldo, 33’/2ºT

Cartão Vermelho: Reginaldo, 39’/2ºT

Gols: Tiago Real, 21’/1ºT (1-0)

CHAPECOENSE:João Paulo; Ronei (Maranhão, 30’/2ºT), Frazan, Reginaldo e Busanello; Marcelo Santos, Sousa (Paulinho, 30’/2ºT), Guedes (Fernando, aos 41’/2ºT)Pablo e Tiago Real (Foguinho, aos 2’/2ºT); Perotti (Vitor Becker, aos 40’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Felipe Conceição)

BARRA: Bruno Grassi; Lenon, Cleyton, Fredson (Vinicius, aos 43’/2ºT) e Dudu Paraíba; Felipe Baiano (Luiz Otávio, no intervalo), Arthur (Diego Ceará, 37’/2ºT) e Renatinho (Pereira, aos 18’/2ºT); Dudu Silva, Gabriel Pires (Wallace, no intervalo) e Dudu Beberibe.
(Técnico: Matheus Costa)

حقق الفريق الأول للكرة الطائرة سيدات بالنادي الأهلي، إنجازًا جديدًا، بعدما تأهل إلى نهائي بطولة كأس مصر عقب فوزه المستحق على سبورتنج بنتيجة 3-0، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الجمعة.

شهدت المباراة التي أقيمت على صالة حسن مصطفى، تفوقًا واضحًا للاعبات الأهلي، حيث قدمن أداءً قويًا وفرضن سيطرتهن على مجريات اللعب، ليحسمن اللقاء بثلاثة أشواط متتالية.

طالع.. بمشاركة الأهلي والزمالك.. اتحاد اليد يعلن جدول ربع نهائي كأس مصر للرجال

بدأت المواجهة بشوط أول قوي ومثير، انتهى بفوز الأهلي بنتيجة 29-27، بعد صراع محتدم بين الفريقين.

وفي الشوط الثاني، واصل الأهلي تفوقه ونجح في الفوز بنتيجة 25-23، قبل أن يحسم المباراة لصالحه في الشوط الثالث بنتيجة 27-25، ليضمن تأهله إلى النهائي عن جدارة واستحقاق.

وسبق لفريق الأهلي وأن تفوق على المقاولون العرب بنتيجة 3-0 في ربع النهائي، ليواصل مشواره نحو اللقب.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه فريق الأهلي، الفائز من مواجهة الزمالك ضد دلفي.

There are exciting times ahead at Manchester United, with Ruben Amroim set to be imminently confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement. The Portuguese boss is set to take over following the international break in November, with his first game away from home against Ipswich Town.

He will inherit a squad short of confidence but surely buoyed by a Carabao Cup thrashing of Leicester City on Wednesday night. Led by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, the Red Devils put five past the Foxes to set up a Christmas quarter-final clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

It will be fascinating to see which players excel under Amorim, and who might leave the club upon a change of manager. One of the players who could leave is Antony.

Antony’s record at United

It is fair to say that Antony’s £81.3m move to Old Trafford from Ajax has been a disaster. There were high hopes for the winger when he first joined, having scored in his first three Premier League games, against Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton.

Since then, however, the winger has declined massively. He has now played for United 87 times but has managed just 12 goals and five assists.

He scored two memorable goals in that time, a Europa League winner against Barcelona and a crucial equaliser against Liverpool in last season’s remarkable FA Cup quarter-final.

However, he has underwhelmed in a United shirt for the most part. Red Devils legend Paul Scholes described him as a “one-trick pony” early on in his Old Trafford career. The Brazilian tends to cut inside on his left foot and get a shot off but does not seem as comfortable on his weaker right side.

This term, the winger has been poor. Even under Ten Hag, the man who fought to bring him to Old Trafford, the United number 21 did not get much of a look in. He has played just five times so far, starting once in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley. Across those five games, he has had just 155 minutes.

According to a recent report from talkSPORT, the Red Devils are set to ‘cut their losses’ on the 24-year-old, with former club Ajax and Brazilian side Flamengo interested in him. It does not seem like Amorim will have the winger in his squad much longer.

Of course, that has led to speculation about who United could sign as a replacement, and they have been linked to one of their incoming manager’s Sporting stars.

United’s Antony replacement

It is unsurprising to hear that the Red Devils are linked with the Portuguese manager’s players. Viktor Gyokeres is one man who could move to Old Trafford, with rumours flying that they could bring in the deadly striker and beat Arsenal to his signature.

The towering Swede has netted 59 goals in just 65 games under Amorim’s watch in Lisbon, making him the perfect solution to United’s centre-forward woes.

The man to replace Antony could be Gyokeres’ current teammate, Marcus Edwards. According to a report from TEAMTalk, the former Tottenham academy ace ‘could be signed as a replacement’ for United’s Brazilian winger.

The Sporting number 10 is an impressive player who has benefited from Amorim’s system, where he plays as one of two number 10s behind Gyokeres. The 25-year-old has superb technical ability and is a superb dribbler.

As per FBref, he averages 5.93 progressive carries per 90 minutes and completes 2.76 take-ons. That places him in the top 2% and 9% of wingers in Europe’s next 14 leagues respectively.

Edwards dribbling stats vs. players in next 14 leagues

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Progressive carries

5.93

98th

Carries into final third

3.27

92nd

Carries into penalty box

2.86

98th

Take-ons attempted

5.93

93rd

Take-ons completed

2.97

91st

Take-on success rate

46.6%

63rd

Stats from FBref

The “electric” winger, as broadcaster Jack Collins has described him, has a superb record under Amorim already and is a player the 39-year-old can trust. In 116 games playing for the new United boss, Edwards has scored 22 times and registered 28 assists.

His most productive league season was 2022/23, where he managed 16 goal involvements in 33 games.

As per Transfermarkt, he is valued at just £15m, and whilst he could well fetch more than that, it seems a safe bet from United’s point of view. Not only would Amorim be signing a player he trusts, but also someone who would not break the bank.

It could be a smart addition to the squad and a great replacement for Antony, with the prospect of bringing both Edwards and Gyokeres into the fold at Old Trafford certainly an exciting one.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Enquanto ainda está resolvendo a questão de nomes de peso, o Botafogo pode ter dois ‘reforços caseiros’ contra o Bangu, no próximo domingo, pela 2ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca, no Estádio Nilton Santos. Erison e Vitinho apareceram no BID e estão liberados para entrarem em campo.

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O atacante carrega certa expectativa. Contratado junto ao XV de Piracicaba, Erison marcou oito gols na segunda metade da última Série B com a camisa do Brasil de Pelotas. Ele foi anunciado na semana passada e tem treinado com o grupo desde então.

Vitinho é um jovem que atuou no time sub-20 no ano passado mas pertencia ao Resende. Assim como Vitor Marinho, o Alvinegro foi atrás com a intenção de adquiri-lo em definitivo e assim o fez. O meio-campista agrada Enderson Moreira, tanto que chegou a atuar em um jogo da última Série B.

A dupla está disponível para atuar no Campeonato Carioca, sendo escolha do técnico sobre quando e como escala-los.

The ACB CEO said Azizullah Fazli’s term was always intended to be temporary

Umar Farooq11-Nov-2021

Afghanistan allrounder Mirwais Ashraf has been appointed as acting chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). The order was issued earlier this week by Hasan Akhund, patron-in-chief of the ACB and the acting prime minister of the country, and awaits a ratification by the ACB board, which is expected to be just a formality.The change at the top is the second in four months after Azizullah Fazli was earlier named new ACB chairman replacing Farhan Yusufzai, who left the country after the Taliban took over. No proper reason has been given by the ACB about the latest change, but it has been learnt that Fazli’s appointment was always intended to be a temporary one.ESPNcricinfo understands that the country’s government intends to revamp the working structure of the board. “The government is trying to bring in more competent people with expertise in technical aspects of the game – commercial, business and marketing,” a former director of the ACB told ESPNcricinfo. “If Afghanistan can produce world-class players with this broken system back home, then imagine what they can do with a competent board.”Mirwais, a 33-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler who played representative cricket as recently as in October 2020, was among the initial lot of players who helped cricket in Afghanistan rise to the top table. He made his international debut in 2009 and last played in 2016, featuring in 46 ODIs and 25 T20Is.Fazli had served a ten-month term as ACB chairman following the resignation of Atif Mashal – replaced by Yusufzai after Afghanistan’s bottom-place finish at the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. He was among the early group of players who established the game in the country. He had also served as the ACB’s vice-chairman and advisor in the past, and has been involved in running the country’s domestic and regional set-ups. “But when it comes to the ICC, he was a quiet person who kept his head down,” said the former director.Afghanistan, one of the teams that qualified directly for the Super 12 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup, were eliminated at the group stage after losing to Pakistan, India, and New Zealand, while winning against Scotland and Namibia.