The US-Israel war with Iran has caused many sporting events in the region to be postponed. The conflict is also affecting other events farther afield, largely by forcing changes to travel arrangements. Some questions cannot yet be answered.

Iranian women kick off Women’s Asian Cup campaign

The 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup kicked off on Sunday – a day after the US and Israel began launching airstrikes on Iran, but also a long way away from the conflict, in Australia. On Day 2 of the tournament, on Monday, all eyes were on the Iranian team, one of 12 taking part in the Women’s Asia Cup. The Iranian women took to the pitch as scheduled and there appeared to be no outward sign of the conflict raging in their homeland. South Korea dominated the football match from the outset, perhaps to have been expected given that they sit at 21st in the FIFA women’s rankings, well above Iran at 68. South Korea won easily 3-0.

Formula 1: Australian GP to go ahead.

Formula 1 motor racing officials have sought to play down the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran on the 2026 season, which is to open with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday, March 8.

“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan and not in the Middle East ― those races are not for a number of weeks,” an F1 spokesman said. “As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”

However, the conflict has the series scrambling to rearrange travel plans.

Travis Auld, managing director of the Australian Grand Prix, estimated that the number of people linked to the race who had to make alternative plans was around 1,000.

He said instead of flying to Australia via Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, many had opted for Singapore or Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, tire supplier Pirelli has said that its testing of wet weather tires planned for the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain over the weekend had been scrapped for safety reasons.

Cricket: English team’s match canceled, alternative T20 travel plans

Sunday’s match between the England Lions developmental team and the Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi was cancelled, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced ⁠Saturday.

“The safety and security of ​our teams and staff is our top priority,” the ECB said in a statement.

It also announced that while it was delaying the departure of the England women’s team to Abu Dhabi next week, the men’s team, currently playing in the Twenty20 World Cup, would travel from Sri Lanka to Mumbai ​for Thursday’s semifinal against India as planned.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Saturday said it was working on alternate flight plans for visiting players and officials seeking to return home from the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, due to the conflict. 

Basketball: Euroleague cancels under-18 tournament      

Euroleague Basketball ⁠announced ​the cancellation of the adidas NextGen EuroLeague qualifying ​tournament in Abu Dhabi, citing safety concerns.

The eight-team competition was called off during the second quarter of the opening match between Monaco and Aris Thessaloniki.

“After careful evaluation and ongoing ​consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders, it was determined that cancelling the event is the most responsible course of action at this time,” ​the league said ⁠in a statement on Sunday.

Domestic football leagues suspended, ‘Finalissima in doubt’

Several football associations in the region have announced that they have suspended play over the conflict. Among these were the Qatar FA, which postponed all matches from Sunday, and the Persian Gulf Pro League, Iran’s top flight. The Israeli Premier League has also suspended play for the time being. 

Also on Sunday, Asian soccer’s governing body postponed continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East for this week, saying AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 games would be rescheduled.

Meanwhile the “Finalissima” match slated for March 27 in Doha is in doubt. The contest is to pit European Championship winners Spain against ⁠Copa ⁠America champions Argentina.

Paralympics: Iranian, Israeli athletes qualified

One athlete each has qualified from Iran and Israel to represent their countries at the Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina, which open on Friday, March 6. Iran’s Abolfazl Khatibi is a 23-year-old para-cross-country skier, while Israel’s Sheina Vaspi, 24 is a para-alpine skier, who competed at the 2022 Paralympics in Bejing four years ago. It’s not clear how the conflict could affect their participation.

Men’s football World Cup: Will Iran participate?

Even as the women were playing their opening match at the Women’s Asian Cup, the big question on football fans’ minds all over the world is whether the Iranian men would do the same at this summer’s World Cup.

Iran’s group matches are all scheduled to be held in the United States, with two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

The president of Iran’s FA now says he can’t yet say whether the team will take part.

Edited by: Matt Pearson

Boxing fans remain hopeful that a rematch between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia could be on the horizon, for what would now be a welterweight world title unification bout. Should that happen, two division conqueror Zab Judah forecasts a one-sided ‘destruction’.

Haney and Garcia remain as fierce rivals, following on from their controversial 2024 encounter, where Garcia missed weight and then tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, after handing Haney a first career defeat.

The result was overturned to a no-contest and fans continue to debate whether Garcia would have had the same overwhelming success in the fight, if not for his unfair advantages.

Now, with Garcia joining Haney as a welterweight world champion last month, talk of a second meeting between the Californian duo is rife, for what would be one of the most high-profile events of the 2026 calendar.

Amid the speculation, Judah, who is the godfather of Haney, told MillCity Boxing that ‘The Dream’ will ‘destroy’ Garcia when the time is right.

“I know one thing, when the opportunity presents itself and Devin does make the decision that he wants to get back into the ring with Ryan Garcia, I can promise y’all, we are going to destroy him. I can promise you all.

“But, it has got to be up to Devin to say, ‘I am ready to do this’. Once he says that, it is over. Devin makes his own decisions, he knows what he wants.”

Despite the rematch talk, Garcia has also unveiled plans to return to the super-lightweight division in pursuit of a showdown with another undefeated star, Shakur Stevenson, who currently holds the WBO crown at 140lb.

Michael Freedman joins others in scrutinising Randwick’s track rating before Apocalyptic takes on Tempted during the Surround Stakes.

The Group 1 filly triumph winner will start irrespective, but Freedman admits his belief would lessen if deterioration exceeds Friday’s soft 7 substantially.

“I’m looking forward to seeing her back there. I am just keeping an eye on the weather,” Freedman said.

“Anything in the soft range would be OK, but if we got into that heavy range it may change things a wee bit.

“You probably can’t not run because she has never been on heavy. But I get the feeling she wouldn’t want it too wet.”

Last spring’s three-time Princess Series conqueror Apocalyptic resumed odds-on but trailed Savvy Hallie home second in the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).

Freedman considered the run “good enough” in a race suited to leaders, with the three-year-old thriving in the interim.

Savvy Hallie and Tempted oppose again in the Surround Stakes (1400m), unverified at the trip.

However, the trainer highlights strengths in both, aligning with punter preference for $1.60 market leader Tempted’s recent races.

“I know a few people have queried Tempted at 14 (1400 metres), but to my eye she looks like she’d run it out pretty solidly,” he said.

“She’s run second in an Everest and was obviously impressive first-up. She’s the one that’s got the really good from going into it.”

Unconvinced Apocalyptic relishes deep mud, Freedman trusts Manaal fully for the Guy Walter Stakes (1400m), boasting three wins from five on soft/heavy.

Runner-up fresh in the Triscay Stakes (1200m), she rates prominently at Randwick weight-wise.

“She’s a terrific mare. She’s always thereabouts,” Freedman said.

“She has a slightly tougher draw than what she’s had the last few, but if we do get a bit of rain and the track is genuinely soft, it might offset that.”

Hardanger represents in the Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m), a robust filly due to fire, as Freedman mulls Outspan’s wide berth in the Skyline Stakes (1200m) or deferral to the Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra soon.

“It was a pretty ordinary set up for him two weeks ago, unfortunately, and it doesn’t look much better for him this week if we don’t get a lot of scratchings,” Freedman said.

Punters should check the betting sites for Surround Stakes specials this weekend.

Chido Obi suffered a head injury at the beginning of Man Utd U21s’ 2-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League 2.

21:10, 02 Mar 2026

Chido Obi was pictured by Manchester United’s photographer walking out at Leigh Sports Village to play for the Under-21s on Monday, but his face was buried into the turf around 90 seconds later.

The start of the match was marred by Obi suffering a head injury. The youngster pressed the Chelsea goalkeeper from kick-off, but the clearance struck his head, and he required attention from the medical staff.

Obi received medical attention for around five minutes and he was applauded by fans as he stood to his feet. Lawrence asked whether he was ok as he went straight down the tunnel to the dressing room.

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The Premier League and FA have rules on how to deal with head injuries, which outline clear ‘return to play’ guidelines for players who are suspected of having suffered a concussion. Those rules state that no player will be allowed to return to a competitive game for at least six days.

After that, players are allowed to progress by a step every 24 hours. The steps are: No physical activity, light aerobic exercise, sport specific exercise, non-contact training drills, full contact training, and then return to play (after an all-clear from the club’s medical officer).

Obi will be assessed in the coming days, and he may face a nervous wait to see whether he passes the concussion protocols in time to feature in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals on March 18.

The 18-year-old dropped down to play for the Under-18s in the Youth Cup, the pinnacle of academy football, in the fourth round of the competition. Obi scored the match-winner, and he was on the scoresheet again as the U18s won against Oxford City to reach the quarter-finals.

Obi has predominantly played U21 football this season. The decision to play him in the Youth Cup has enhanced the U18s’ chances of winning the competition, so it will be a huge blow if he’s facing a spell on the sidelines due to the head injury he suffered at Leigh Sports Village.

Michael Carrick attended alongside Steve Holland, Darren Fletcher and Jason Wilcox. Last month, Carrick was asked about his continued support for the youth system, and he recalled a memory of when a West Ham first-team coach travelled to watch him when he was a teenager in their academy.

Carrick added: “We want players to come through the system and try and get into the first-team, being around it. So, it’s important that me and the staff support that as much as we can.”

The 44-year-old has not attended academy games for good PR. Carrick genuinely cares about the youth system and has attended almost every U18/U21 fixture since his interim appointment.

Carrick’s presence at youth matches demonstrates there is a pathway to the first-team, although his attendance appeared to be used as extra motivation for Chelsea on Monday night.

When Chelsea captain Shim Mheuka opened the scoring, he celebrated by knee sliding in front of where Carrick was sitting. The youngster looked up to the stands as if to say, ‘are you not entertained?’

Leo Cardoso celebrated in the same corner when he extended Chelsea’s advantage to 2-0 before half-time. Chelsea’s team was full of talented players who have trained with their first-team at Cobham, and they were a cut above for most of the game, despite heading into the fixture two points behind United.

It was hard not to shake the feeling that Obi’s substitution had a huge bearing on the game. The youngster is the academy’s talisman, and Chelsea sensed an opportunity when he was forced off.

It was a shame that Obi was denied the opportunity to audition again in front of Carrick and his backroom staff. The Dane made seven appearances for the first-team last season, but he has only been included in a single matchday squad in the Premier League (Wolves on December 30) this term.

Carrick will have been made aware of Obi’s talent, though. The youngster enjoyed a freakish debut season at United after signing from Arsenal, and coaches believe the sky is the limit for him.

For now, Obi will have to be nursed back to full health after his head injury. It would be a huge blow for the U18s if he’s ruled out of the Youth Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford later this month.

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David Montgomery may not have wanted out of Detroit, but the Lions made it so on Monday in a deal with the Houston Texans. 

The Lions are trading the veteran running back to the Texans in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick, a 2027 seventh-round pick and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, according to multiple reports. 

This comes just hours after Montgomery responded to an ESPN report which stated he “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons with the franchise. 

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David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions looks on prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

“Damn, [D-Mo] told you that?” Montgomery posted on Sunday after the report came out saying the Lions would want a “decent Day 3 pick” in return for him. 

In the end, though, a decent Day 3 pick is what the Lions got in return and then some from the Texans, a team that was looked to bolster its run game this offseason after a down year following the injury to Joe Mixon before the 2025 season even began. 

Mixon is most likely to be released after a foot injury kept him out all of last season. Now, Montgomery and promising rookie Woody Marks are expected to share the backfield, though the former may see an elevated role compared to what was occurring in Detroit. 

Montgomery loved being a part of one of the most dynamic duos at running back in the league, but his other half, Jahmyr Gibbs, was slowly getting more of the workload. The explosive Alabama product is one of the best at his position in the NFL, and Montgomery was mainly being used in short-yardage situations or to spell Gibbs in 2025. 

David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 25, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Known affectionately as “Sonic and Knuckles,” the duo will no longer share the same backfield, and “Sonic” was upset after posting a picture of the video game characters. 

Gibbs has taken off since entering the NFL as the Lions’ first-round pick in 2023. He broke out with 1,412 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, which led the NFL, in 2024. Then, he followed it up with 1,223 yards and 13 rushing scores, with a career-high 616 receiving yards and five more scores through the air in 2025. 

Montgomery had 716 rushing yards with eight rushing scores, while hauling in 24 of Jared Goff’s pass attempts his way for 192 yards. He totaled 2,506 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns across his three seasons with the franchise. 

David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

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Montgomery, who was a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears before landing with the Lions in 2023, is under contract through the 2027 season. 

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Stefanos Tsitsipas has moved to clarify recent remarks about why he has not played regularly in South America.

After his earlier comments sparked debate, Tsitsipas addressed the situation directly.

“Over the last days, I’ve seen a lot of discussion around comments I made about scheduling tournaments and appearance fees, so I want to clarify things in a simple and honest way.”

He stressed that his words were not meant as criticism.

“First of all, I truly enjoy playing in South America. The passion of the fans there is special and I have a lot of respect for the tournaments and the culture around tennis in that region. My comments were never a complaint and never meant as criticism.”

Tsitsipas explained that financial structure plays a role in how players build their schedules.

“On the ATP Tour, players outside of prize money have very limited ways to support their careers financially. The reality is that ATP 250 and ATP 500 events are often the only opportunities where appearance fees exist.”

“Because of that, scheduling decisions are sometimes influenced by those factors. This is not unique to me. It is a standard model followed by many players, especially those competing at the top level.”

He added that his earlier remarks were simply an honest response to a question.

“I was simply answering a question about why my calendar sometimes looks the way it does. I was explaining something that is common knowledge inside professional tennis, not expressing negativity toward any country or tournament.”

Tsitsipas ended by reaffirming his appreciation for playing globally.

“I have great appreciation for every place I compete in and I hope to play in many different regions of the world in the future as well.”

Manchester City are battling Arsenal for the Premier League title and have several key fixtures ahead

Manchester City still have work to do if they are to leapfrog Arsenal in the Premier League title race. City are five points behind the Gunners after the weekend’s results, with yet more matches to play in midweek.

Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Leeds United over the weekend, which temporarily closed the gap to two points before Arsenal’s win over Chelsea on Sunday saw their five-point advantage return.

City will now prepare to face Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, with the game kicking off at the same time as Arsenal take on Brighton.

There are now just 10 fixtures left to play in the Premier League this season for City, and some of them are certainly standing out above the rest.

READ MORE: Real Madrid release new Kylian Mbappe injury statement ahead of Man City Champions League clashREAD MORE: Bernardo Silva explains golden rule for Man City players – ‘not allowed’

Here, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at some of City’s most important Premier League fixtures left to play this season.

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West Ham (A) – March 14

City may be expected to get all three points when they face West Ham later this month, but this game falls between two huge games in the Champions League.

Guardiola and Co. will take on Real Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League, with the home and away legs being played either side of the clash against the Hammers.

While City would be forgiven for putting the majority of their focus on the double header against Madrid, they will need to be mindful of avoiding dropping points on their trip to the London Stadium.

Crystal Palace (H) – TBA

City still have a game in hand over Arsenal – their home clash against Crystal Palace, which was originally due to be played the same weekend as the Carabao Cup final.

The new date for the fixture is yet to be announced, and when it does it could have a major impact on the schedule that City will face.

As a result, depending on whether the fixture falls, the clash against Palace could have ever greater significance.

Chelsea (A) – April 11

City vs Chelsea is often an entertaining fixture, but Guardiola will want this to be a successful one when they travel to Stamford Bridge next month.

City were held to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in January when Chelsea had interim manager Calum McFarlane in charge for the game at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola will be hoping that City’s fortunes change for this game, especially with the title race expected to be entering its most defining weeks of the season.

Arsenal (H) – April 18

City’s clash against Arsenal next month could well be a title decider for both clubs, depending on how results go between now and April 18.

If City win their game in hand and results for both clubs remain the same by this point, a victory over Arsenal could see Guardiola and Co. climb to the top of the table.

There are nine points up for grabs for City and Arsenal between now and when they meet at the Etihad Stadium next month, potentially more if the rearranged game against Palace is played before this fixture.

All City can do is keep winning games and hope that Arsenal drops points over the next few weeks. If the results continue, then the clash at the Etihad next month could truly be a title decider.

Aston Villa (H) – May 24

City will host Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the season at the end of May.

By this point, the title could be decided one way or another, but if not then this could be City’s most important match of the season.

If the title is still undecided by the time kick-off arrives on May 24, then a victory for City go a long way to clinching the title for Guardiola’s team.

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Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma run between the wickets during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI Photo)

Sanju Samson dropped to his knees and looked up at the sky in gratitude and relief, perhaps thanking the cricketing gods at the ‘Garden of Eden’ in Kolkata, after steering India to the T20 World Cup semifinals with a five-wicket win over West Indies in what was a virtual quarter-final for both teams.India captain Suryakumar Yadav doffed his cap in honour of Sanju, after the right-handed batter played a career-defining unbeaten 97 off 50 balls on Sunday.While Sanju’s 97 in Kolkata will be remembered, his short-lived but significant innings against Zimbabwe three days prior had brought momentum to India’s T20 World Cup campaign.In the five matches before Sanju returned to the playing XI against Zimbabwe, India won four but there were clear concerns in the batting, and everyone could see it.

Trouble in top-order

India played without Samson in four out of those five matches, and their highest opening partnership in those games was 8 runs. In the only match that Sanju played, against Namibia (when Abhishek was out due to illness), Samson and Ishan Kishan had an opening stand of 25 runs in 12 balls.Apart from Ishan’s knocks against Pakistan (77 off 40) and Namibia (61 off 24), India’s top four, including Surya and Tilak Varma, were also facing a strike-rate problem in those matches, as the table below shows.

Indian top-order batters’ strike-rate in the first 5 matches of T20 World Cup

Openers not providing a good start, and the middle order struggling to score runs quickly, was a double trouble for defending champions India. This was largely due to India’s batters struggling against off-spin in the tournament.With six left-handers in the top eight, India essentially invited themself to be attacked by off-spinners. And oppositions’ Erasmus, Aghas, Ayubs, and Dutts obliged.During the group stage, India faced more off-spin than any other team — 102 deliveries. Among the 13 teams that faced at least six overs of off-spin, only Nepal (5.25) and Oman (5.42) scored at a slower rate than India’s 6.23 runs per over.India’s trouble against off-spin bowling was first exposed by Gerhard Erasmus, when the Namibian skipper took four wickets, three of them left-handers, in the group-stage match. Pakistan took the cue, and their captain, Salman Ali Agha, a part-time off-spinner, took the new ball and dismissed India’s opener Abhishek Sharma caught on duck at mid-on. The trend continued in India’s last group-stage match against the Netherlands as off-spinner Aryan Dutt came to bowl the first over. He first bowled Abhishek Sharma for another duck, his third in as many matches in the tournament by then, and then sent his partner Ishan Kishan back to the dugout in the fifth over.

It is worth noting that Abhishek had not previously shown vulnerability against off-spin; in fact, he has a career strike rate of 171.1 against off-spinners in powerplay in T20Is. However, given the slow nature of the pitches in the tournament, as compared to the IPL and T20 bilaterals India played at home in the last two years, he seemed to be out of his comfort zone against them and fell to off-spin twice in the three group-stage matches.Meanwhile, Abhishek’s opening partner Ishan Kishan, does face trouble against the off-spinners. In all T20Is, Kishan has scored against off-spinners at a mere 76.9 strike rate in the first six overs. That hasn’t changed in the T20 World Cup, despite him being in the form of his life; the southpaw has scored at just 115.8 strike rate against off-spin in the powerplay, his lowest against all kinds of bowling.In comparison, Sanju Samson has a strike-rate of 188.2 against off-spinners in the powerplay in T20Is.

‘Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau?’

By the end of the group stage, it was clear that India’s two left-handed openers had a difficult match-up against off-spin.It was evident that South Africa will use their off-spin options if Ishan and Abhishek open the innings for India in their first Super 8 clash. India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked in the pre-match press conference whether India would look to bring back right-handed Sanju Samson vs South Africa in the top order to counter the off-spin threat? To which he replied, “Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau? (Should I play him instead of Abhishek?)”, “matlab Tilak ki jagah khilau? (You mean in place of Tilak?).“Suryakumar Yadav was seen smiling sarcastically while replying to the journalist as if the suggestion was out of context.But the story repeated, as predicted, and South Africa captain Aiden Markram himself came to bowl with the new ball and dismissed opener Ishan Kishan for a duck. India lost the match by 76 runs, which left them in a do-or-die situation.

How fortunes changed for India?

India’s next Super 8 match was against Zimbabwe in Chennai, and in came Sanju Samson back in the playing XI. He opened the innings with Abhishek and provided India a brisk opening stand of 48 runs. More importantly, with Sanju as an opener, India succeeded in keeping the off-spinner away from the new ball. By the time Sanju was dismissed in the fourth over, India were 48, and Abhishek Sharma was set at the crease. Sanju scored 24 off 15 balls and fulfilled the task brilliantly that he was entrusted with, and was lauded by head coach Gautam Gambhir and support staff after his dismissal. Sanju’s presence did wonders for India in the match. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who had scored just 15 runs before that in the tournament, including three ducks, came back to form and scored a half-century. India scored 256 in the first innings and crushed Zimbabwe by 72 runs. India finally had a convincing win in the tournament, and a campaign that once seemed on the verge of derailment found its momentum. Sanju Samson had turned it around through his 15-ball 24-run knock.Against West Indies on Sunday, India chased down their highest-ever target (196) in Men’s T20 World Cup history, bettering their previous record of 173 against South Africa in 2014.Sanju Samson’s 97 in the chase was the second-highest score for India at the men’s T20 World Cup, behind only Suresh Raina’s 101 against South Africa in 2010. It was the highest for India in a chase at the T20 World Cup, bettering Virat Kohli’s 82 not out against Australia in 2016 and Pakistan in 2022.India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who just a few days ago questioned “kiski jagah khilau?”, bowed down to Samson in appreciation.The 97 in Kolkata will be remembered. It secured the semifinal spot and will sit high among India’s best T20 World Cup knocks. But it was Samson’s 15-ball 24 against Zimbabwe in Chennai that brought India’s T20 World Cup campaign to life, and they are now looking like the formidable side that they are, going into the semi-final.