Sports
Kasper Schmeichel: Keeper in spotlight after night of gloom for Celtic
With fans protesting against the club’s board at the start of the game and later ironically cheering Schmeichel making a save, the atmosphere at Parkhead was far from harmonious.
“It’s bitterly disappointing,” former Celtic captain and manager Neil Lennon said of the jeers directed at Schmeichel.
“He had a bad night but it still doesn’t warrant that kind of treatment.”
Thursday night was the latest in a string of perceived errors made by Schmeichel, following Joe Hugill’s looping header for Kilmarnock last weekend and Jonathan Rowe’s effort for Bologna last month.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Celtic closed ranks around their embattled goalkeeper post-match.
“It’s a tough evening for us,” interim manager Martin O’Neill said. “On paper, 4-1 looks pretty poor.
“We were masters of our own downfall in many respects, conceded some poor goals.
“Kasper [Schmeichel] has made some great saves while I’ve been here. This is a collective, there’s no doubt about that.
“We played Feyenoord in a game we probably had to win and he made an unbelievable save, otherwise we wouldn’t be here playing tonight.
“I will think about all sorts of things [before the next game], but Kasper has done really well since I’ve arrived at the football club, in both spells.”
Captain Callum McGregor added: “Everyone makes mistakes.
“Kasper has been amazing since he’s come to the club. He’ll dust that down. We win as a team and lose as a team.
“There’s no blame, he’s made so many big saves for us. He’ll bounce back for sure.”
Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has named captain Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie in a 25-player squad for friendly matches against Cameroon in Yaounde. The two teams will meet on 28 February and 3 March as part of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Esther Okoronkwo and Chinwendu Ihezuo are included in the attack, while Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene returns to the squad after two years away. Gift Monday is back after missing last year’s continental success in Morocco, and Comfort Erhabor has received her first senior call-up. Defender Chidinma Okeke also returns, while Precious Christopher earns her first invitation to the national team.
Experienced defenders Osinachi Ohale, Michelle Alozie, Oluwatosin Demehin and Ashleigh Plumptre keep their places. Midfielders Halimatu Ayinde, Christy Ucheibe, Deborah Abiodun and Jennifer Echegini are also included, along with forward Omorinsola Babajide.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers:
Chiamaka Nnadozie, Comfort Erhabor, Fatima Oloko, Anderline Mgbechi
Defenders:
Osinachi Ohale, Shukurat Oladipo, Michelle Alozie, Ashleigh Plumptre, Glory Ogbonna, Oluwatosin Demehin, Sikiratu Isah, Chidinma Okeke
Midfielders:
Halimatu Ayinde, Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene, Deborah Abiodun, Jennifer Echegini, Christy Ucheibe, Precious Christopher
Forwards:
Rasheedat Ajibade, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Gift Monday, Joy Omewa, Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, Omorinsola Babajide
The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will hold in Morocco from 17 March to 3 April. The four semi-finalists will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Just six days removed from TNA No Surrender, Trey Miguel defended his newly-won International Championship against Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo on “Thursday Night iMPACT.” Fortunately for Miguel, it proved to be a successful one.
In this title match’s closing moments, Miguel leapt off the top turnbuckle with a meteora for a near fall on Lorenzo. Before he could inflict further damage, Arianna Grace then slid her Knockouts Championships into the ring to distract the referee, allowing Lorenzo to rake Miguel’s eyes and land a kick to the back of his head. Still, Miguel managed to bounce back with a win, courtesy of the Shellshock (swinging reverse STO) followed by the Lightning Spiral.
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Miguel initially earned his TNA International Championship match at No Surrender by claiming a briefcase in last month’s Feast or Fired match, which also marked his official return to TNA. Like tonight, Grace interfered in Miguel and Lorenzo’s title match at No Surrender. In both cases, though, Miguel overcame her involvement to defeat Lorenzo, who continues to appear on TNA programming through the promotion’s partnership with WWE.
As of this writing, Miguel’s next challenger has yet to be determined. Meanwhile, Lorenzo is coming off a 70-day reign as TNA International Champion, having previously unseated Steve Maclin back in December for the title.
Ahead of Lorenzo’s rematch against Miguel, Grace proclaimed that she and Lorenzo would be the new power couple of TNA, especially given that she captured the TNA Knockouts Championship at No Surrender. Following back-to-back losses to Miguel, however, Lorenzo is now left titleless.
Read more: Five Wrestlers Worse Off After Joining TNA
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Sports
Making first WCC start, Gonzaga’s Mario Saint-Supery thrives with extended minutes against USF: ‘It was time to reward him’ | Rewind
Feb. 19—SAN FRANCISCO — Gonzaga’s surprising setback at Portland two weeks ago will follow Mark Few’s team into Selection Sunday, but if you looked at an updated version of the NCAA NET rankings on Thursday morning — one of the evaluation tools committee members will use to seed and sort NCAA Tournament teams — it may have been easy to forget an 87-80 loss to the Pilots even happened in the first place.
Gonzaga was ranked No. 6 in the NET rankings prior to its gloomy night at the Chiles Center. The Zags slid to No. 9 with a Quad 3 loss, but have steadily worked their way up the totem pole with four comfortable wins in West Coast Conference play, including three road victories.
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If you refreshed the NET rankings on Thursday, you probably noticed Gonzaga bumped up to No. 5. That’s two positions higher than where the Zags were before Wednesday’s 80-59 victory over San Francisco at the Chase Center and one spot higher than where they sat prior to the Portland loss.
The Zags still have a few more weeks to build their NCAA Tournament resume and three more games to secure an outright WCC regular-season title.
For now, we’ll take a minute to review how Gonzaga picked up its 26th win, thanks in large part to contributions from a young point guard and veteran forward.
Super(y) night
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Few has insisted this season — and on multiple occasions — that fans, reporters and followers of his program shouldn’t read into the different starting lineup combinations Gonzaga’s used this season.
It may not be wise to make any sweeping conclusions about Mario Saint-Supery’s first start since late December, but the point guard’s minutes total against San Francisco and seemed noteworthy and potentially a sign of things to come as the Zags enter the final week of the regular season.
Saint-Supery started for the first time since Dec. 21 against Oregon and played 33 minutes for the second time in as many games. Junior point guard Braeden Smith got his 14th straight start on Saturday at Santa Clara, but was replaced early in the first half by Saint-Supery, who was also part of Gonzaga’s five-man unit to open the second half at the Leavey Center.
Over the last two games, Saint-Supery has played 66 minutes to Smith’s nine and scored 22 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds compared to zero points, two assists and one rebound for his junior teammate. Saint-Supery finished with 14 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals against USF.
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“I thought Mario was really, really solid, he played heavy minutes tonight,” Few said on Wednesday. “I thought he did a really nice job. Six assists, one turnover, made his shots and was pretty solid on the defensive end.”
Prior to the Santa Clara game, Saint-Supery had exceeded 30 minutes just once this season, tallying 32 against Alabama at the Players Era Festival. The Malaga, Spain, native has been one of the most reliable perimeter shooters on a team that hasn’t been particularly strong in that area this season and accounted for two of Gonzaga’s five 3-pointers on Wednesday.
“He’s just been playing good, he’s playing good,” Few said. “He’s been playing good in big moments, so it was time to reward him a little bit.”
More history for Ike
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Outside of Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, nobody in the WCC has seen more of Graham Ike than San Francisco’s Chris Gerlufsen, whose team matched up with the all-conference forward for the seventh time in three seasons on Wednesday.
Ike’s always been a challenging scout for the Dons, but has generally done most of his work within 10 feet of the basket while playing anywhere from 23-30 minutes per game in matchups with USF.
The forward’s offensive game and stamina have both evolved during his time in Spokane — things Gerlufsen and the Dons noticed on Wednesday, when Ike hit a variety of pull-up jump shots and step-back 3’s while logging a team-high 36 minutes.
“Graham Ike is one helluva player,” Gerflusen said. “His development of not only of his game, but his body, his conditioning. He never would’ve been able to play that many minutes. That says a lot about him, how he’s wired and how he’s built. I have a lot of respect for that. Just his ability to affect the game at the rim, at the midrange, now he’s making 3’s. Playing with a lot of swagger and a lot of confidence and certainly playing like a First Team All-American in my eyes.”
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Ike continues to make history for Gonzaga in his final year of eligibility. The Aurora, Colorado, native became the first GU player since Adam Morrison and Derek Raivio to score at least 20 points in eight consecutive games, tallying 22 points on 10 of 17 shooting and 2 of 5 from the 3-point line on Wednesday.
“I think there’s a lot of traffic in the paint right now and a lot of different coverages in there, so he’s stepping out, he’s showing he can make those shots,” Few said. “For the most part, most of them were pretty good shots. But there at the end, he kind of went back to the bread and butter and got in there and got himself some shots around the basket.”
Back to the Bay?
Few suspects his Gonzaga program will be back in the San Francisco Bay Area for future games after it leaves the West Coast Conference. There’s a good chance the Zags will be back at the Chase Center at some point.
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It’s unlikely, however, the opponents will be San Francisco, Saint Mary’s or Santa Clara — three of GU’s toughest contenders in the WCC over the last 30-plus years.
“It’s a great stop on the circuit and it’s a great city, I’ve got some great friends here now with Steve (Kerr) … Steph (Curry), great shared experiences with,” said Few, who worked under the Golden State Warriors coach and alongside the NBA sharpshooter two summers ago at the Paris Olympics. “It’s not like we won’t be back. We’ll play some one-off games here and we’ll be around. There’s NCAA Tournament games here coming very soon, there’s all that so I think we’ll be back.”
The Zags extended one of their most impressive streaks on Wednesday by beating the Dons for the 35th straight game.
“It’s unbelievable, our guys deserve all the credit,” Few said. “… They’ve had some great teams, some great coaches. Chris does a really, really good job and does a lot of different things offensively, a lot of different things defensively you don’t see. To be able to handle that all these years … Kyle Smith, Todd Golden and kind of the whole run.”
All spring and summer last year — consistently without missing a beat — cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. frequented the Minnesota Vikings’ rumor mill. Now, with free agency two and a half weeks ago, Minnesota could once again be in the mix for Samuel Jr., who is free to sign anywhere in the NFL next month.
Samuel Jr.’s market looks softer this time, and that keeps the Vikings’ idea alive if they want a free-agent CB swing.
Zany rumors connected Samuel Jr. to the Vikings in 2025, but this go-round, it could be as simple as a recruiting pitch and a pen to paper.
Samuel Jr. Buzz Alive Again for Vikings
Last year’s Samuel Jr. agenda is alive and well.
SI.com Identifies Samuel Jr. as a Vikings FA Candidate
Samuel Jr. is probably gettable this offseason for a contract worth $10 million to $12 million over two years. He’s still very much in a “prove it” zone after a scary neck injury in 2024 and subsequent recovery throughout 2025.
SI.com’s Joe Nelson listed him as a Vikings free-agent target this week and noted, “There will be bidders for a player of Samuel’s caliber, but for a projected price of a one-year, $5.5 million prove-it deal, Samuel could be an ideal addition to Flores’ defense. He returned from a career-threatening neck injury to play seven games with the Steelers this past season, and he performed admirably.”
“He finished with a 70.1 defensive grade from PFF and a 68.0 coverage grade. He allowed seven catches on 10 passes into his coverage, and he also had an interception.”
After a year of theories from fans — one that even originated from Samuel Jr. allegedly wearing a Vikings hat in a Florida nightclub last offseason — Minnesota finally has a chance to put the man in purple. It won’t be terribly difficult.
Vikings Met with Him Last Year (Midseason)
Meanwhile, this relationship should already have inroads. Samuel Jr. went on a world tour of sorts in November 2025 before signing with the Steelers. One of his stops? Eagan, Minnesota — with the Vikings, presumably talking with head coach Kevin O’Connell, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The possible free-agent relationship this year already has the seed planted. Indeed, Samuel Jr. picked Pittsburgh over Minnesota, but with Mike Tomlin now removed from the Steelers, perhaps he’ll see the light and work for Flores. It’s not an outlandish take.
The Numbers
Samuel Jr. appeared in six games for the 2025 Steelers, banking 222 defensive snaps and a 67.2 Pro Football Focus grade.
In 2023, his last season as a full-time player, Samuel Jr. quietly posted one of his best years, earning a 73.9 PFF grade, a level of performance Minnesota would enjoy.
Here’s a look at his PFF grades since 2021:
- 2021: 56.4
- 2022: 72.6
- 2023: 73.9
- 2024: 59.3
- 2025: 67.2
Although his grade dipped in 2024, his performance in the previous two years indicates he can be a reliable starter. If the Vikings can get him back to his 2022–2023 form, the signing could prove to be a real win. He’s still young, has experience covering top receivers, and is a good fit for Flores’ man-heavy defensive scheme.
Financially, this appears to be a low-risk, short-term move. A one-year “prove it” deal should be relatively inexpensive.
PFF’s Mason Cameron made the case this week for Samuel Jr. to the New Orleans Saints, noting, “Now a free agent, the 26-year-old cornerback can navigate the market for a solid opportunity to reestablish himself. One enticing franchise that should pick up the phone is the Saints, pairing Samuel with his former coach and current Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.”
“Under Staley, Samuel enjoyed the best seasons of his career, earning 75.0-plus PFF coverage grades as a starter in both 2022 and 2023.”
Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor is on tap for free agency in 2.5 weeks.
Cameron added, “While the Saints aren’t in dire need of outside cornerback help, with young players Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley already in the fold, Samuel would be a high-upside, cost-effective depth option as New Orleans navigates Alontae Taylor’s expiring contract and Isaac Yiadom’s potential release.”
Would Samuel Jr. Be Enough at CB?
Suppose the Vikings make the Samuel Jr. rumor come true, alas. The 2026 cornerback room would look like this before the draft:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Asante Samuel Jr.
- Dwight McGlothern
- Zemaiah Vaughn
Minnesota would then have a decision to get filthy deep at cornerback, possibly drafting a Round 1 corner like Mansoor Delane (LSU), Avieon Terrell (Clemson), Jermod McCoy (Tennessee), Colton Hood (Tennessee), or Brandon Cisse (South Carolina). The upcoming draft is already known for cornerback depth, so Flores and friends might be in good hands.
Even without a shiny CB in Round 1, the Vikings could be in decent shape with the above-listed roster, assuming they sign a veteran CB4, like Fabian Moreau from the last couple of seasons.
Samuel Jr. will turn 27 in October.
Only the nerdiest golf fans know what the acronym PAC stands for, and that’s probably for the best. (It’s Player Advisory Council, a low-hanging branch of PGA Tour government.) The meetings and decisions of the Tour’s player-focused operations are only occasionally interesting, but more often are cumbersome and conservative.
Frankly, that’s how they’re supposed to be.
Sports leagues with 50-plus years of history should have a sustainable (if not profitable) baseline. And the Tour very much did . . . until LIV Golf came along. When LIV stole away a number of players from the Tour — including a few on the Advisory Council! — everything changed, including those PAC meetings.
Golf fans know the history well now. The Tour immediately began shifting its competitive structures to maintain dominance in the pro-golf ecosystem. Not everyone was pleased about the changes. One way of doing something about it has always been to air out those grievances with the 16 members of the PAC, a group that changes every year, which essentially works as a congress for the PGA Tour.
On 10 different occasions, Lucas Glover was voted to be one of those 16 representatives; he declined every time. The 11th time around, he agreed, and soon after was elected the committee’s chairman. In 2026, unlike most years, that actually means something.
Glover ran against the sitting chairman, Adam Scott, for that role atop the PAC, and the Tour announced this week that he won the race. The main reason it matters is not because Glover will oversee the PAC in 2026, but rather because the PAC chairman graduates at the end of his term to not only hold a spot on the PGA Tour Policy Board for 2027-2030 but also the board of PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit arm of the Tour that will determine the league’s future.
Glover may sound reserved on his account of his Southern drawl, but in reality he is one of the Tour’s most outspoken voices, and recently has been one of the most ardent critics of the Tour’s direction (i.e., fewer members, elevated events, no-cut tournaments, etc.).
In less than a year, Glover will join those boards and own one of their precious votes. On the Enterprises side, he’ll be one of 13, joining six other players directors (Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, Camilo Villegas and Joe Ogilvie), along with Joe Gorder, Jay Monahan and four investor directors (John Henry, Sam Kennedy, Arthur Blank, Steve Cohen).
In one sense, Glover, who is 46, is arriving to the party a bit late, because the Tour already has hired a new CEO (who is interested in making change) and taken on massive investment from others who are similarly minded. Also, the board has been reviewing models of a future Tour schedule for months, a process that is a locomotive with only a few more stops on its journey.
Lucas Glover’s career resurgence can be tied to a timely putter change
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Tiger Woods and Brian Rolapp: The unlikely duo plotting PGA Tour’s future
The PAC chairman often gets to observe the Tour’s boards in the year before he assumes a seat, but, in Glover’s case, plenty of what he stands for already has been displayed in interviews and radio hits from recent years: an affection for the Tour’s traditional structures and rituals.
He loves Innisbrook, for example, the course that hosts the Valspar, which isn’t exactly a course (or tournament) of preference for the Tour’s future schedule. Glover called it the best Tour course in Florida.
Glover’s last few years have allowed him to, at times, plan his playing schedule with certainty months in advance. He knows how valuable that can be, and how uncomfortable life can get without those assurances. A mistake, at this point, would be suggesting alterations to the Tour wouldn’t guarantee that predictability. If anything, a trimmed-down Tour — in regards to membership and events — would bifurcate a true PGA Tour and PG(B) Tour, creating more predictable schedules for all.
Glover’s schedule — and press conferences at the John Deere Classic, for example — suggests he believes in a sense of loyalty between player and tournament, and he clearly believes in the value of winner’s exemptions. That issue is one of the trickiest corners of the Tour’s future. Tournament winners receive a lot of benefits, some that extend for years, regardless of a player’s form. Can those benefits live forever on a Tour examining every piece of its competitive model? Probably not at the going rate.
Then there are the sponsor exemptions that seem to unfairly benefit the same few players, and the case of 62-year-old Vijay Singh, who raised eyebrows when he used a career exemption to compete in the Sony Open — and made the cut. Other sports simply don’t allow for a pro twice the age of its core membership to punch in when he or she pleases. Pro golf is different, but that doesn’t always make it edge-of-your-seat compelling or commercially viable. Pro golfers largely respect tradition, but business minds, including the Tour’s new CEO, rarely bind themselves to it.
Which group will Glover fall into? We’ll find out soon enough. He just has some homework to do first.
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‘Everybody loves an underdog story’ – The 2026 T20 World Cup is all about Zimbabwe | Cricket News
TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: It was a three-and-a-half-hour party at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. The match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe was a dead rubber, but fans didn’t disappoint, nor did the 2026 T20 World Cup “underdogs” — Zimbabwe.There were around 30,000 Sri Lankans with drum bands in each of the stands cheering for the co-hosts. But there were also a handful of Zimbabwean fans clapping, shouting, dancing and making their presence felt whenever a Sri Lankan wicket fell or when Sikandar Raza tonked long sixes into the stands.
Zimbabwe’s 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Tadiwanashe Marumani says he has never played in front of such a big crowd. “It was really loud and that was my first experience actually. It was really exciting and a bit nerve-racking,” he told reporters in the ICC mixed zone after his team’s thumping six-wicket win over Sri Lanka.The atmosphere must have been intimidating for Zimbabwe cricketers, but they crossed the finish line. There was hardly any celebration after Brian Bennett hit the winning runs.“I don’t think anybody gave us a chance to be where we are. To win people’s hearts and earn their respect, it’s a wonderful position to be in,” Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said at the post-match presentation.Inspirational leader
Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza leads his team onto the field during the T20 World Cup cricket match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. (AP)
At the post-match presentation, Sikandar Raza told former Zimbabwe cricketer and commentator Pommie Mbangwa how everybody loves an underdog story.Zimbabwe had already defeated two previous champions, Australia and Sri Lanka, in the group stage. In the Super Eight, they will lock horns against two-time champions West Indies and India, and South Africa, the runners-up of the previous edition. Zimbabwe captain Raza calls his team underdogs, but by no means are they pushovers. They are gaining momentum and have a skipper who knows a thing or two about chasing against the odds.After humbling Sri Lanka, Raza vowed his side is not done; reaching the Super Eight is simply part of a larger goal to bring lasting recognition to cricket in his country.“If we can win two out of three games, who knows what can happen. Everyone loves an underdog story,” said Raza, oozing confidence after conquering Colombo.
If we can win two out of three games, who knows what can happen. Everyone loves an underdog story
Sikandar Raza
In a professional career spanning close to two decades, the 39-year-old Raza has seen more dark days than shiny ones.Raza’s journey from Sialkot in Pakistan to Zimbabwe was far from straightforward. It took him through unexpected detours that included dreams of becoming a pilot and earning a degree in computing from a university in Glasgow, before cricket finally took centre stage after his family moved to Africa.After some sombre years in international cricket, followed by a life-threatening bone marrow infection in 2021, the all-rounder, now in the twilight of his career, has reinvented himself as a bonafide globetrotter across T20 leagues worldwide.For Marumani, Raza is an inspirational figure whom everyone looks up to. “A person like Raz in our changing room, who’s played all around the world, who’s played more franchise leagues and who’s been in different changing rooms, I think that experience and that inspiration coming from him has played a really big role for everyone in our changing room,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer, left, celebrates with captain Sikandar Raza the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe assistant coach Dion Ebrahim suggests the squad and coaching staff are in the presence of brilliance with Raza around.“He is a global superstar. He is up there with the greats and he will go down as one of the greats. I’m personally pleased to be in the presence of brilliance,” he said.When coaxed on what Raza brings to the dressing room, the former player added: “He brings all those superlatives. You could say the inspiration, the motivation, the passion. But what he does consistently is lead through his actions. He’s vocal in the dressing room, but people follow him because of the brilliance he performs with and his level of intensity. He is meticulous in how he prepares and consistently tries to improve, and I think that’s what keeps him going at the level he’s operating at.”David vs Goliath
India and Zimbabwe cricket team (Agency Image)
In a week’s time, Zimbabwe will be up against favourites India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.“I think rankings and every other measurement will state us as the underdogs, which is perfectly fine. When we came into the World Cup this year, we were definitely the underdogs in the group, and it’s a place we like to operate in,” said Ebrahim.“The advantage of being underdogs is that we go into these games with very little pressure, while most of it sits with India, playing at home, in familiar conditions, in a format they have grown stronger in over time.“Our biggest challenge will be ensuring we are not overwhelmed by the occasion, the crowd or the atmosphere, especially when India inevitably gain momentum. The confidence from today’s win, where we wrestled back momentum multiple times in front of a strong Sri Lankan crowd, helps.“In terms of preparation and planning, we are comfortable that we have ticked the right boxes. T20 is a fickle format, often decided by a moment or two. We just need to keep performing at the level we know we are capable of, as we have over the last three games,” said the batting coach.The fall and the rise of Zimbabwe cricket
Zimbabwe’s players celebrates the wicket of Australia’s Ben Dwarshuis during the T20 World Cup cricket match. (AP/PTI)
After missing out on the previous T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, Zimbabwe were forced into sub-regional qualifiers against teams such as Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles and Gambia. Defeats to Namibia and Uganda at the African finals in 2023 meant the world’s 11th-ranked side became the only Test nation to miss the 2024 event, pushing them to restart their next qualification cycle from the bottom in Kenya.Australia, as joint hosts with New Zealand, are assured of a place at the 2028 T20 World Cup despite an early exit this year, their first group-stage elimination since 2009. Zimbabwe, in contrast, have already sealed qualification for 2028 by knocking Australia out and reaching the Super Eight, completing a remarkable turnaround after years of navigating the hard way through qualifiers.Zimbabwe’s history at major ICC tournaments has been a rollercoaster. It dates back to their maiden 50-over World Cup appearance in 1983, when they announced themselves on the global stage by stunning Australia by 13 runs in the nation’s first-ever ODI.More recently, Zimbabwe’s struggles at major tournaments have been stark. They failed to qualify for the 10-team ODI World Cup in England in 2019 for the first time in 36 years after losing to the UAE at a global qualifier hosted at home. The setbacks continued as they missed the 2021 T20 World Cup following an ICC suspension over government interference, and then fell short again in the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup in India after home defeats to Sri Lanka and Scotland.
Zimbabwe stunned Pakistan by one run in the 2022 T20 World Cup. (PTI)
There were brief highs. Zimbabwe reached the Super Eight stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup for the first time and stunned Pakistan by one run in Perth. But a shock five-wicket loss to Uganda in 2023 marked a new low. Sikandar Raza later said that humiliation triggered a shift in mindset, setting Zimbabwe on a new path that has now delivered their best showing at a major tournament since 1999, when they beat India and South Africa.“I remember when we were told that we had to play the sub-regional Qualifier B in Kenya,” Raza said after his side secured their spot in the Super Eight with a washout against Ireland on Tuesday.“I remember sitting down with the squad and saying either we feel sorry for ourselves and be ashamed or understand the reality. The reality was that it was because of us that we were in this mess and only we could get ourselves out of it. We got together and worked towards a singular goal, which was to win the qualifiers, get to the World Cup and then write our own history and story.“We all sat down and laid out a plan. Along the way, we knew we would have bad games and that a lot of criticism would come our way. But if we stayed true to our plan, kept trusting each other and created a better culture and environment for the team to thrive in, we would be fine. To see the results after almost two years is certainly very pleasing.”
Jonny Clayton described as a “great honour” his impressive victory on night three of the BetMGM Premier League season in Glasgow.
In his quarter-final Clayton beat Gerwyn Price 6-3 – ending a run of 10 straight defeats against his fellow Welshman – then thrashed world champion Luke Littler 6-1, after the 19-year-old went straight into the semi-final due to the absence of Michael van Gerwen, who missed out due to illness.
Clayton was again in fine form in the final, comprehensively beating 23-year-old Dutchman Gian van Veen – playing in his second final in three weeks – 6-2 with a magnificent 156 checkout to go top of the table with nine points.
The 51-year-old said: “Yeah, it’s a great honour to win one of these nights against these players.
“The first job was trying to get Gerwyn out…that little thing of losing to him 10 times. That was a big relief really because I’ve had a few chances against him before, but not taken them.
“It was nice to get that monkey off my back. It really was.
“You think, how do I beat him? I need to take my chances, what do I do to do this?
“So tonight it worked for me, I was quite solid against him and it was just my night and I am chuffed to bits with that. So tonight I took my chances and it just got better.
“I didn’t expect to beat the best darts player on the planet 6-1 and then to beat Gian in the end, you know, it’s my night. It’s my night, and that’s all that counts.
“I was nervous in that first game against Gerwyn, Luke didn’t play to his best but I took my chances and that is the game of darts.
“You need a bit of luck. Obviously you need to play well but if he doesn’t hit and I do, then the ball’s in my court and that’s what happened tonight.
“It put a smile on my face.”
Littler was blown away by Clayton in a one-sided last-four clash after levelling to make it 1-1.
In his quarter-final Clayton raced into a 2-0 lead over Price and kept his nose in front at 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3 before clinching it 6-3.
In the first semi-final, van Veen came from 3-1 down to beat reigning champion Luke Humphries 6-5 in a thrilling encounter.
Humphries led 1-0, 3-1 and 4-2 but van Veen kept chasing. Humphries missed the bull for 5-3 which allowed van Veen to draw level at 4-4 then hit a double 14 at the second attempt to go 5-4 ahead. Humphries levelled but van Veen came through in the end.
In his quarter-final, van Veen averaged over 104 to beat Stephen Bunting 6-3. Humphries had shown his class in his opener to win 6-2 against Northern Irishman Josh Rock.
Shakur Stevenson was stripped of his WBC lightweight world title two weeks ago, but he may still return to the division.
Stevenson schooled Teofimo Lopez in New York to get his hands on the WBO super-lightweight world title and simultaneously become the third-youngest four-division world champion in boxing history.
However, the 28-year-old was stripped of his lightweight title during the aftermath due to an unpaid sanctioning fee – something he disagrees with given the WBC were not involved in the Lopez fight. Despite now not holding a belt at 135lbs, he has not ruled out fighting at that weight in the future.
In an interview with FightHype.com, WBC super-featherweight ruler O’Shaquie Foster proposed an offer to pay Stevenson’s fee in order for the WBC to reinstate Stevenson as their champion, but only if Stevenson is willing to give him an immediate shot at the throne.
“It is most definitely the fight that I want and that is the fight that I am trying to actively make. So, as you know, he got stripped because he didn’t want to pay the sanctioning fee.
“So, we sent them an offer, I gave him my offer – that I would pay the sanctioning fee, the $100,000 that he didn’t want to pay for the last fight. He gets reinstated as the WBC champion at 135lbs, but he has to fight me next.
“That is the offer. I will take care of the fee, but he has got to fight me next. We are waiting, we will just see if he takes it, it is a great offer.”
Of course, the sanctioning body has the final word on whether late payment of the sanctioning fee would result in the reinstatement of Stevenson as their lightweight champion, and Stevenson himself seems to have held a grudge for how things unfolded, meaning he may actively avoid competing for any WBC belts in future. A fight with Foster does intrigue him however, mainly due to bad blood from past comments.
At Riviera Country Club, Tiger Woods says, you hear things.
They usually come later in the day on Fridays and Saturdays. The 10th tee box, he said, is a popular spot for ’em. So are 17 and 18.
“Beverages served, things done,” Woods said.
But the most unexpected interaction the 15-time major winner has had at the historic course?
That came when he was a kid.
Woods told the story on Tuesday in a press conference ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational, an event in which he’s the host. Woods knows Riviera well. He made his first PGA Tour appearance at the Los Angeles course, as a 16-year-old at the 1992 L.A. Open. (If you’re curious, Woods shot rounds of 72 and 75 and missed the cut by six shots.) Before that, he attended the tournament with his dad, Earl.
It was in that stretch, Woods said, where he first heard some words.
“Banter back and forth between the pros and the gallery,” he said.
In retelling the scene, Woods then said he had “kind of a cool story.” It came at one L.A. Open, as Woods said he was watching the action on the 8th green.
“And this golf ball comes slamming in there,” he said, “I go running over to it, and it’s a Ram golf ball. I’ve never heard of Ram. What is Ram? I’m 8 years old, right?
“So I go running over there, and I’m just looking at it, and this caddie just pushes me out of the way. ‘Kid, get out of the way.’
“I look up, and I don’t know who he is at that time, and later find out it was Bruce Edwards caddying for Tom Watson. So I used to give him a lot of grief about that.
“He said, ‘Yeah, you were in the way.’”
Woods then laughed.
Only at Riv.
“For me, that’s part of the neat things being here at Riv,” he said, “being able to go back in time as a kid.”
“>
After a Minnesota Vikings win in 2024, head coach Kevin O’Connell greeted Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson at midfield, telling him to keep his chin up after a recent demotion. A year and a half later, Richardson has been suggested as the Vikings’ big offseason quarterback addition.
Richardson remains a volatile bet, but Minnesota’s QB situation keeps his name in the conversation as a swing-for-upside option.
Minnesota will add another quarterback next to J.J. McCarthy in the coming weeks, and according to Bleacher Report, the Vikings should be on a shortlist for a Richardson trade.
Richardson Talk Lingers as Vikings QB Board Widens
Your Richardson agendas are alive and well.
BR: Vikings Make Sense for a Richardson Trade
BR’s Alex Kay sized up four destinations for Richardson, and in addition to the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota got a nod.
He wrote, “After going 14-3 with Sam Darnold at the helm in 2024, the Minnesota Vikings could be in the market for another rehabilitation project. Richardson would fit the bill as a promising talent who hasn’t come close to meeting the lofty expectations set by his first-round draft position.”
“While Minnesota will be working to build up J.J. McCarthy after a rough sophomore campaign, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024 has proved to be injury-prone early in his NFL career. He already missed his entire rookie season and seven games in 2025, making quarterback depth a priority this offseason.”
Richardson isn’t a dream fit for the Vikings’ current offense, but he does have the raw tools to mature into a long-term QB1 if nurtured properly.
Kay added, “O’Connell seems to believe Richardson has real potential to develop into a superstar despite the rough start to his career. After his Vikings bested the Colts midway through the 2024 season — a game Richardson spent on the bench backing up Joe Flacco — O’Connell went out of his way to heap praise upon the young QB.”
“Richardson could do far worse than landing in the Twin Cities this offseason. He’ll have a fantastic opportunity to develop his game and could even end up starting if McCarthy goes down with another injury in 2026.”
The IND Experiment Winding Down
Last offseason, the Vikings attempted to re-sign Daniel Jones, but he preferred the Colts as his free-agent destination because he figured he could win a starting job there over Richardson, while McCarthy felt like the preordained starter. Ultimately, Jones was correct.
He toppled Richardson somewhat easily during training camp and in the preseason, paving the way for Jones as the unabashed QB1, which he rewarded the Colts by starting the 2025 season white-hot.
Jones would later tear his Achilles tendon, but Richardson was battling an injury, too, so the Colts had to scramble and wound up mind-bogglingly signing Philip Rivers, who hadn’t played football in five years.
Every Colts quarterback outcome in 2025 involved a quarterback not named Anthony Richardson. Therefore, it feels like he’s the odd man out and must head elsewhere.
Just Another Version of McCarthy?
The problem with a Vikings trade for Richardson? He has two shortcomings: his performance shows extreme flashes of brilliance, followed by woeful inconsistencies. He also can’t stay healthy.
Does that sound familiar? It should — those are McCarthy’s bugaboos through two seasons. Finding a way to obtain Richardson would feel like onboarding another version of McCarthy. That is — he might eventually become consistent if he can stay healthy, but no one knows if either will occur.
Kay also noted on Richardson to Minnesota, “O’Connell is considered one of the league’s premier quarterback whisperers, coaxing some truly impressive seasons out of Pro Bowlers like Kirk Cousins and Matt Stafford in addition to maximizing the talents of written-off or unheralded talent such as Darnold and Josh Dobbs.”
“Daniel Jones, the passer who edged out Richardson for Indianapolis’ starting job last year, said the handful of months spent in Minnesota with O’Connell ‘made a big impression’ on him.”
Other Trade Options
Of course, Richardson isn’t the only trade option for the 2026 Vikings. If one assumes that established quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, and Dak Prescott are not for sale — why would those players’ teams trade them? — a realistic list might look like this:
- Derek Carr
- Mac Jones
- Drew Lock
- Jalen Milroe
- Jameis Winston
- Justin Fields
- Will Levis
- Davis Mills
- Kyler Murray
- Spencer Rattler
Minnesota would also explore Malik Willis’s free agency; he’s the QB2 for the Packers, who is on the cusp of netting a handsome free-agent contract, with hopes of breaking out big in 2026.
Any Vikings trade for a quarterback like Richardson can happen at anytime. The team doesn’t have to wait until free agency begins on March 9th.
Richardson will turn 24 in May. Youth is his friend.
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