Sevilla manager Matías Almeyda has said he is still unsure whether to start Chidera Ejuke or keep using him as a substitute ahead of their match against Deportivo Alaves.
Ejuke has been one of Sevilla’s best dribblers this season, but he has mostly come off the bench in the second half of matches. The Nigerian winger has struggled to get regular playing time and has not completed a full 90 minutes in any competition. He has also not started a game since the derby against Real Betis in November 2025.
Speaking at a press conference, Almeyda said the coaching staff have tried Ejuke in different attacking positions to get the best out of him.
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“We’ve tried Ejuke on the left and on the right. I think he is a decisive player in one-on-one situations,” Almeyda said.
The Sevilla boss admitted there is still a question about how best to use the Super Eagles star.
“There is always that question of whether it’s 90 minutes or just the second half,” he added.
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Almeyda also described Ejuke as a player who can change games with his individual quality, especially late in matches. He said the winger can create something special when the team needs extra impact.
Sevilla will now decide whether to start Ejuke or keep him as an impact substitute when they face Alaves.
Yuvraj Singh shone bright in the Indian cricket team at a time when the side had several giants. From Sachin Tendulkar to Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni to Zaheer Khan, the first decade-and-a-half of this millennium saw some of the biggest names in Indian cricket play together. In the midst of this, Yuvraj Singh was one of the chief architects of India’s two biggest triumphs – the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.
It was also a period when MS Dhoni led the side with great alacrity. This meant that Yuvraj Singh never got the chance to lead the team on a long-term basis.
After Yuvraj’s playing career ended, his father, Yograj Singh, was quite vocal about MS Dhoni’s role in Yuvraj not getting the captaincy.
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In a Sports Tak podcast, whose teaser was released on Thursday, Yuvraj Singh said: “I would like to apologise to Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni.”
He was also asked: “Do you feel bad when you listen to the interviews?” Yograj Singh’s photo appears when the query is made. Possibly responding to that question, Yuvraj says: “I told dad, it’s not OK.” Yuvraj’s ‘apology’, thus, may be in this regard.
Yograj Singh, a renowned cricket coach in Punjab, is known for making controversial statements about former players. In 2025, he said he wanted to kill Kapil Dev for the then captain dropping him from the team during the 1980s.
“When Kapil Dev became captain of India, North Zone, and Haryana, he dropped me for no reason,” Yograj said on the YouTube channel ‘Unfiltered by Samdish’.
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“My wife (Yuvi’s mother) wanted me to ask Kapil questions. I told her that I would teach this bloody man a lesson. I took my pistol out and went to Kapil’s house in Sector 9. He came out with his mother. I abused him a dozen times. I told him, because of you I have lost a friend, and for what you have done, you will pay for it.
“I told him, ‘I want to put a bullet through your head, but I am not doing it because you have a very pious mother who is standing here.’ I told Shabnam, ‘Let’s go.’
“That was the moment I decided I would not play cricket – Yuvi will play.”
On MS Dhoni and other former players, Yograj had once said: “I talk about Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni. I can talk about people whom I have been with. They have treated people like shit. Jo galat hai woh galat hai. Two wrongs cannot make one right. I say this openly – our cricketers and the team were destroyed by our captain.
Canada won its seventh game in a row at the men’s world curling championship and stayed in the hunt for a direct berth in the semifinals with a 9-2 win over Germany in Thursday’s afternoon draw.
Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg-based team improved to 9-2, tied for second with Scotland with one draw left.
The top two teams after Thursday’s final draw earn semifinal spots, while the next four must play in a qualification round.
Sweden, which is idle in the final draw, leads at 10-2. The Swedes closed their preliminary round with an 11-2 rout of Czechia in the afternoon draw.
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Canada plays Norway in the final draw, while Scotland faces Czechia.
In other afternoon draw results, playoff-bound Italy beat winless Norway 7-4 and Japan defeated South Korea 9-3.
Real Madrid are planning to sign a new midfielder in the summer, as they get set to finally replace Toni Kroos/Luka Modric. The likes of Rodri Hernandez, Vitinha and Kees Smit have been linked with moves to the Bernabeu, but in recent weeks, one name in particular has started to gain a lot of prominence in this regard: Enzo Fernandez.
Fernandez is increasingly keen to leave Chelsea this summer, and if he does push to do so, Real Madrid are expected to rekindle the interest they showed after his fine performances at the 2022 World Cup. The 25-year-old would be open to joining Los Blancos, and he’s not the only one that wants to see him in white for the start of next season.
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Franco Mastantuono is teammates with Fernandez in the Argentine national team, and as per comments to DSports (via ED), he would certainly welcome his compatriot with opens arms if he ends up at Real Madrid this summer.
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“Of course I would like him to come (to Real Madrid).”
Mastantuono could be on his way out of Real Madrid
But even if Fernandez does join Real Madrid in the summer, there is no guarantee that he would be teammates with fellow River Plate alumni Mastantuono. Bernabeu officials are considering letting the teenage forward leave on loan for the 2026-27 season, as they want him to gain prominence elsewhere before returning to the club in a better place – as has, and will, be the case with Endrick Felipe.
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Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, and this is also the case for Fernandez’s possible move to Real Madrid. Chelsea’s delicate financial situation, which saw them record the biggest one-season loss in the Premier League history earlier this week, could mean they look to sell on the Argentine midfielder when the summer transfer window opens at the start of July.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Akeem Ishola Busari as the new head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 girls’ team, the Flamingos.
Busari’s appointment was confirmed on April 2, 2026, marking a new beginning for one of Africa’s most successful youth teams. He replaces Bankole Olowookere, who guided the team to a bronze medal at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2022.
The new coach now faces the task of building on that success while introducing fresh ideas to the team.
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Nigeria is preparing for the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Morocco. After receiving a bye in the first round, the Flamingos will play either Niger Republic or Guinea in May in a two-legged tie.
The schedule is tight, leaving little room for mistakes. If the team qualifies, they will face stronger opponents in July. Busari will also need to build a new squad, as players at this level often move on quickly.
Another key task for the coach is to restore confidence in the team. The Flamingos were knocked out in the round of 16 at the last World Cup after a heavy defeat to Italy, a result that still affects the team.
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Busari brings a wealth of experience to the role. He is a CAF A-licensed coach and has worked in both men’s and women’s football in Nigeria and abroad.
Before his appointment, he was Technical Adviser at Pacesetter Queens in Ibadan. He has also coached clubs such as Shooting Stars, Crown FC, Gateway United, and Bayelsa Queens. At Shooting Stars, he helped the club gain promotion to the top flight during the 2008/2009 season.
He has also won several State FA Cup titles with Gateway United and Shooting Stars. At Bayelsa Queens, he served as Technical Director, gaining valuable experience in both coaching and administration.
Outside Nigeria, Busari has coached clubs in the Benin Republic, including Espoir FC and JSP Benin.
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He is known for an attacking style of play, with his teams pressing high and moving the ball quickly. This style could suit the Flamingos, who are known for their speed and energy.
Off the pitch, Busari has also contributed to coaching development. A graduate of Lead City University, he has worked with the Lagos State Coaches Association, helping to train young coaches.
His new role with the Flamingos will focus on developing young players, maintaining Nigeria’s strong record in youth football, and preparing players for the senior national team.
The Tigers earned a crucial 3-0 win over Stockton Town in their bid to avoid relegation from the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.
Jonathan Reynolds MP hailed the power of community when he visited Hyde United for Non-League Day.
The government Chief Whip met the club’s volunteers, and even had a go at helping out himself, as the Tigers earned a crucial 3-0 win over Stockton Town in their bid to avoid relegation from the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.
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Almost 600 were in attendance at the Project Solar Stadium on a day that put the lower levels of the pyramid in the spotlight, and Reynolds was full of praise for those who keep the club running.
“It’s a wonderful way to recognise the volunteers and what they do for a club like this,” he said.
“We are so blessed in this area. I represent three different non-League clubs and what they have all got in common, as well as a bit of rivalry, is that they are run by volunteers and community power.
“It is not just about sport, it is about local identity, local community. Maybe sometimes people take for granted the depth of the English football pyramid.
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“In a place like this we do recognise and value what these clubs bring and the contribution these people make.”
The Tigers have battled against the drop all season but are in with a chance of survival heading into the final month.
Victory over play-off chasing Stockton was a huge boost to their chances but commentator Ian Burke believes the club is about far more than just the 90 minutes every Saturday.
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Non-League clubs like Hyde are fuelled by volunteers, with league sponsors Pitching In providing fans an easy way to find opportunities to help out at their nearest club through its Volunteer Hub.
And Burke hopes Non-League Day may have encouraged a few more fans to discover the lower leagues and maybe even volunteer themselves.
“Non-League Day is important. It exposes people who aren’t used to the non-League game to it,” he added.
“It is almost like the biggest minority sport in the country. People know it’s there, but it is totally different from what you see in the Premier League.
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“Non-League football runs on volunteers. There’s people who grumble constantly who work on the gates or around the ground. Everyone who works here does it for the love of it.”
Terence Crawford remains unwilling to return to the sport after his December retirement, but has named the two active and undefeated fan-favourite fighters that swerved a showdown with him when he was campaigning as a welterweight.
The Omaha operator then moved up to the super-welterweight division and dethroned Israil Madrimov for the WBA super-welterweight crown on his way up to the super-middleweight division.
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Up at 168lbs, Crawford decisioned Canelo Alvarez in a legacy-defining win, becoming boxing’s sixth five-division world champion, joining Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao in that extremely elite club.
However, in an clip captured by Jai McAllister, Crawford revealed that he was willing to face the up-and-comers during his welterweight reign, but that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. avoided a shot at his WBO strap.
“I had the opportunity to fight Boots but Boots chose to drop out of the WBO rankings, him and Vergil [Ortiz Jr.]. So that is why I ended up fighting Shawn Porter.”
Ennis is a former unified welterweight world champion while Ortiz is the reigning WBC interim super-welterweight champion. The pair looked to be on a collision course with one another, but issues between Ortiz and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya ended those plans.
Instead, ‘Boots’ will attempt to become a two-division world champion when he challenges WBA and WBO titleholder Xander Zayas at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 27.
Michigan star Elliot Cadeau has rejoined his teammates for the Final Four a day after being rushed to the hospital.
The starting point guard revealed that he was hospitalized due to an allergic reaction after an accidental exposure to nuts.
“I just ate something I was allergic to,” the junior said as he sat at his locker at Lucas Oil Stadium two days before the Wolverines meet fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in the national semifinals.
Coach Dusty May said Cadeau, who averages 10.2 points and 5.8 assists, is “fine.”
Cadeau’s treatment came as his teammates were flying to the Final Four, though Cadeau said a Michigan staffer had driven him to Indianapolis to rejoin teammates ahead of Thursday’s locker-room interviews and other pregame promotional activities.
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Fans were concerned after Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X Wednesday showing Cadeau being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney (Getty Images)
Cadeau described it as “just a minor inconvenience for me.”
“I just had a little bit of hives so that’s why I went to the hospital, just to prevent anything further from happening,” he said.
Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X Wednesday showing a covered individual sitting upright while being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.
Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who had complained of a possible allergic reaction and received medical supervision “out of an abundance of caution.”
“If it’s the worst thing that happens to us, then we’re very blessed,” May said Thursday. “It also just shows him how much he means to his teammates. They were very concerned, obviously, like we all would be for a reaction like that.
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“But just grateful that he’s fine. We have great medical care, and he’s back with us. Dude is a warrior. He’ll be fine.”
At the conclusion of last week’s Houston Open, Augusta National officially invited the winner (Gary Woodland) as well as four pros who’d cemented their spots inside the OWGR top 50 (Nicolai Hojgaard, Jake Knapp, Matt McCarty, Daniel Berger) before the final deadline. (Here’s hoping they got overnight delivery on some green envelopes from Augusta. Plus maybe an email confirmation?)
Because Augusta invites every PGA Tour winner from a full-field event since last year’s Masters, this week’s Valero Texas Open includes the last-chance exemption. Should someone already exempt win this week — Tommy Fleetwood, say, or Ludvig Aberg, two pre-tournament favorites — that spot evaporates. But there are dozens of talented pros just four great rounds from earning the chance to play four more great rounds.
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Here are five of those players.
1. Rickie Fowler
Fowler bogeyed two of his first four holes at TPC San Antonio, only steepening his climb — but as I type these words has bounced back with a four-under back nine to open in two-under 70. Fowler has quietly put together a very consistent stretch of golf dating back to last summer. Before he missed last week’s cut he’d logged six top-20s in eight starts. DataGolf still has him as the world’s 25th-ranked golfer, the highest of any player not in the Masters field. But the OWGR rewards very high finishes over consistency, and despite his run of strong play, Fowler doesn’t have a top five since 2024, so he’s No. 65 in the OWGR and on the outside looking in. Fowler has somehow played just one of the last five Masters tournaments; he’s hunting his final chance to make that two in six.
2. Will Zalatoris
Zalatoris just made eight birdies in an opening round of five-under 67 and sits just a shot off the lead. We’re only a quarter of the way through, so it’s early for anything besides what-ifs and wild speculation, but the golf world would be thrilled to see Zalatoris stamp his comeback with a victory and a major berth.
Zalatoris didn’t tee it up on the PGA Tour between the PGA Championship last May to this January’s American Express, where he finished T18. He withdrew from the Cognizant shortly before his first-round tee time with an ankle injury — reportedly unrelated to his previous back procedures. He’s No. 299 in the OWGR, so this would come from left field. What a story it would be.
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3. Michael Thorbjornsen
Thorbjornsen looked like he might lock up his spot in the OWGR top 50 via the Players Championship, where he played his way into the final pairing but struggled to a Sunday 77 that sent him plummeting to T22. He also stalled out with a Sunday 72 at the Houston Open, leaving him T14 — and No. 54 in the OWGR.
Nobody’s doubting Thorbjornsen’s tremendous talent; he’s ascendant, he seems like he’ll be a central figure on the PGA Tour for years to come and it seems extremely likely that he’ll be at next year’s Masters. He just might not squeak into this one.
4. Tony Finau
As pointed out by Jeff Eisenband below, Tony Finau is on the verge of ending his streak of major championships played at 33. Finau is No. 107 in the OWGR, though he’s shown flashes of strong form with three top-20s in seven starts in 2026. It feels like there are more chapters of Finau’s major-championship story left to write; check out those nine top-10s from 2018-2021! That next rally could start this week.
Tony Finau has played in 33 straight major championships. He’s played in every @TheMasters since 2018. He hasn’t missed a major start since the 2017 U.S. Open.
Cashmere Keith is another pro in relatively strong form — he’s made 12 cuts in a row, including five top-20s — but although he’s No. 44 in DataGolf’s ranking he’s just No. 104 in the OWGR. There’s plenty of good news with Mitchell’s game; he’s been consistently excellent off the tee, his iron play has been strong, he’s top 20 on Tour from tee to green. If he finds a hot putter this week, who knows? Mitchell could be in his third career Masters.
Otherwise these five will look to next year. Plenty of others will, too.
Griffin, 20 later this month, will be the first teenager to appear in the big leagues since Elvis Luciano and Juan Soto in 2019. The No. 9 pick in the 2024 Draft skyrocketed through the minors last season, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 steals while climbing from Low Class-A to Double-A. Griffin is 7 for 16 (.438) with three doubles in five Triple-A games this year.
The rap on Griffin during his amateur days was that he had every tool but the hit tool, the most important of the bunch. It was encouraging, then, to see him ease concerns about his swing-and-miss during his first pro season. He connected on more than 75% of his attempts while showing off the power (he cleared the 114 mph threshold) and speed (he stole 65 bases) combination that gave him a high ceiling. Griffin even kept his strikeout rate under 24% during a 21-game stint in Double-A, suggesting that he wasn’t just feasting on younger pitchers or those with less raw talent. Knowing when to adjust priors is one of the trickiest parts of evaluating players. Given everything about Griffin’s year, it would be silly to ignore how much higher his chances of reaching his star ceiling are now than they were 365 days ago.
It should be noted there are not service time games being played here. Griffin did not spend enough time in the minors this year to push his free agency back. The Pirates will control him from 2026-31, though if the two sides complete their reported nine-year extension, service time will be moot, and Griffin will be tied to the Pirates for nine years.
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Griffin is being called up early enough that he will accrue a full year of service time and thus be eligible for a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick. Those are extra draft picks given to teams that do not manipulate the service time of top 100 prospects. To get a pick for Griffin, he would need to win Rookie of the Year, or finish top three in the MVP voting in one of his pre-arbitration seasons between 2026 and 2028. (The extension would also have to be signed after he appears in a game.)
The Pirates are 3-3 in the early going. Thursday is a team off-day, then they’ll take on the Baltimore Orioles in Friday’s home opener. Utility man Jared Triolo has started five of the team’s six games at shortstop. Nick Gonzales has started the other.
A nine-year extension would still allow Griffin to become a free agent at age 28.
Three-time champion Phil Mickelson will miss this year’s Masters and step away from golf “for an extended period” because of a family health matter.
The American has only missed the tournament on three other occasions since making his debut at Augusta National in 1991.
In a post on X, Mickelson wrote: “Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter.
“I have great respect for Augusta National Golf Club and it is definitely the most special week of the year. I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”
His absence this year, for the tournament that runs from 9 to 12 April, means it will be the first time since 1994 that both Mickelson and Tiger Woods will not feature in the Masters.
Mickelson sat out of the first four events of the 2026 LIV Golf season, at Riyadh, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also cited a “family health matter” when announcing his initial absence on 1 February.
Although he returned to action last month at Steyn City in South Africa, where he finished tied for 48th place, it was unclear whether he would play at Augusta.
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Mickelson, who missed the cut at last year’s Masters, has also won the US PGA Championship twice and triumphed at the Open Championship, at Muirfield, in 2013.
Only Jack Nicklaus (six), Woods (five) and Arnold Palmer (four) have won more Masters titles than Mickelson.
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