India’s hopes of securing a historic esports medal at the 2026 Asian Games came to an unusual end after Mongolia’s late arrival for their eFootball Group F match resulted in a forfeit — a decision that ultimately left India out of the qualification spots.

Danial Patel and Chinmay Sahoo were awarded a 0-0 win after the Mongolian team failed to meet the stipulated check-in time at the Aichi Sky Expo Centre. However, because the match was recorded as a goalless forfeit, India gained no advantage in goal difference and were unable to progress from the group stage.

India had started their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Uzbekistan in the three-team group. Uzbekistan then defeated Mongolia in both the mobile and console games, recording 6-3 and 12-0 victories, respectively, to finish with a goal difference of +15.

That left India needing a strong result against Mongolia to keep their hopes of advancing alive. Instead, the decisive match was never played.

Why was India awarded a 0-0 win?

Patel, who represented India in the mobile category, explained that Mongolia’s team leader arrived three minutes after the designated check-in time.

The competition regulations meant the late arrival was treated as a forfeit, with the organisers awarding India a 0-0 victory rather than allowing the teams to play.

How did the result eliminate India?

The unusual nature of the result meant India received the points associated with a victory but none of the goals that could have improved their goal difference.

Sahoo, India’s console player, said the Indian team had, therefore, been left with a goal difference of zero, while Uzbekistan’s earlier victories over Mongolia gave them a substantial advantage.

The 0-0 forfeit also meant India could not qualify as one of the highest-ranked second-placed teams.

Thailand eventually took one of those spots after finishing Group B with a +3 goal difference, while Saudi Arabia secured another after recording a +2 goal difference in Group A.

India, Thailand and Saudi Arabia had each finished their respective group stages with one victory, but India’s goal difference proved decisive in the qualification calculations.

India protested the decision

The Indian contingent did raise an objection after the forfeit was awarded.

Sahoo said the players wanted to play the match rather than accept an automatic victory because playing could have given India the opportunity to improve their goal difference.

However, officials told the Indian team that the regulations required a forfeit because Mongolia had arrived late.

India were also informed that they could seek a review from a panel of judges by paying $500.

The Indian players decided against pursuing that option because, according to Sahoo, the regulations already clearly classified a late arrival as a forfeit, and the review would not necessarily have solved India’s qualification problem.

Why did India need a bigger winning margin?

Sahoo explained that the 0-0 forfeit was not sufficient for India to overtake the teams competing for the best second-place positions.

For India to remain in contention, he indicated that the walkover would have needed to be recorded with a much bigger scoreline, effectively giving them a significant boost to their goal difference.

Without that advantage, India remained on a goal difference of zero and could not progress despite being awarded the victory.

A major setback for Patel and Sahoo

The early exit is particularly disappointing for Patel, who arrived at the Asian Games as the reigning Asian eFootball champion.

Patel had won the mobile title at the FIFAe Continental Championship earlier this year, making him one of India’s strongest medal prospects in the discipline.

A deep run in Aichi-Nagoya could also have given Patel and Sahoo an opportunity to become India’s first esports medallists at the Asian Games.

India had failed to win an esports medal at the 2022 Asian Games, when esports featured as an official medal sport for the first time. At the 2018 edition, when esports was only a demonstration event, Tirth Mehta had won a bronze medal in Hearthstone

Gary Neville made a highly questionable claim about Manchester United’s performance at Fulham

Gary Neville came up with another incendiary soundbite during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Fulham.

Neville called the opening phase of the second half “the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen” from a United side. He added: “Absolutely pathetic. I’ve never seen such a lack of effort. What must [Michael] Carrick be thinking?”

It was certainly a poor passage of play from the team, but the worst 15 minutes since 1980 (around the time Neville, 51, would have started watching United)? It doesn’t stand up to scrutiny when you rate it against other collapses over the years. And, sadly for United fans, there were numerous examples in the recent past alone.

There’s an argument that it wasn’t even the worst performance of the week following the Carabao Cup capitulation against Brighton. Here’s a round-up of 10 more embarrassing collapses from United during the Premier League era…

10. Chelsea 4-3 United (April 4, 2024)

Leading 3-2 deep into stoppage time, United capitulated in the final minutes. Diogo Dalot conceded a penalty that Cole Palmer converted in the 100th minute, before Palmer scored a deflected winner 82 seconds later. United went from securing three points to a soul-crushing defeat in less than three minutes of injury time.

9. United 1-6 Tottenham (October 4, 2020)

After Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring in the second minute, United contrived to concede two quick goals before the 10-minute mark. Following Anthony Martial’s red card in the 28th minute, United hit the self-destruct button again, conceding twice more in 10 minutes to go 4-1 down by the break at an empty Old Trafford.

8. United 2-2 Sevilla (April 13, 2023)

Cruising 2-0 at home in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, United completely unravelled in the final 10 minutes. Tyrell Malacia scored an own goal before Lisandro Martínez suffered a season-ending injury, leaving United with 10 men having used all substitutions. Then, in the 92nd minute, a Youssef En-Nesyri header deflected off Harry Maguire into United’s net, completing a disastrous eight-minute spell.

7. Leicester City 5-3 United (September 21, 2014)

Louis van Gaal’s side were comfortably leading 3-1 against Premier League new boys Leicester before a soft penalty, scored by David Nugent, on 62 minutes triggered a total collapse.

Esteban Cambiasso equalised two minutes later and Jamie Vardy made it 4-3 before Leonardo Ulloa added a penalty after Tyler Blackett’s red card. United had conceded four goals in barely 20 minutes.

6. Arsenal 3-0 United (October 4, 2015)

United were blown away in the first 10 minutes. Alexis Sanchez back-heeled in the opening goal on six minutes and Mesut Ozil doubled the lead barely a minute later. Sanchez (if only he could have found that form at Old Trafford) hammered home the third before the 20-minute mark to end the game as a contest.

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5. Southampton 6-3 United (October 26, 1996)

Six days after a 5-0 drubbing at Newcastle, United were thrashed again. The match was in the balance late in the second half with the Saints leading 3-2 but United fell apart after Roy Keane’s red card.

Amid a chaotic six-minute spell, Eyal Berkovic and Egil Ostenstad netted, Phil Neville put through his own net and Paul Scholes scored at the right end. A second heavy defeat in a row saw United become the butt of jokes for weeks. However, it was Ferguson’s side were laughing at the end of the season as they retained their title.

4. Manchester City 6-3 United (October 2, 2022)

Losing 1-0 at the Etihad, United conceded three goals in 10 minutes before half-time. Erling Haaland scored twice in quick succession, followed by Phil Foden’s second goal as the first half ended 4-0. A second-half fightback added a tinge of respectability to the scoreline but the damage had been done.

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3. Brentford 4-0 United (August 13, 2022)

Early in Erik ten Hag’s tenure, United conceded four goals in the opening 35 minutes. The worst stretch came between the 18th and 35th minutes as 1-0 quickly became 4-0.

Mathias Jensen capitalised on a David de Gea error, Ben Mee bundled in a third from a corner and future United star Bryan Mbeumo finished off a rapid counter-attack. The match was followed by an anti-Glazer tirade from Neville and a feisty exchange with Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports.

2. United 4-4 Everton (April 22, 2012)

Thought Sergio Aguero cost United the 2011/12 title? It was arguably this late collapse against Everton instead.

United looked comfortable at 4-2 until Nikica Jelavic pulled one back in the 83rd minute following a mix-up between Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans. Just 120 seconds later, Steven Pienaar scored an equaliser. City beat United a week later to go ahead on goal difference. You know the rest.

1. Liverpool 7-0 United (March 5, 2023)

This has to be the collapse against which all others are judged. This day of hell at Anfield featured more than one.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, United were still in the game, only to concede twice in the first 15 minutes of the second half. It was 4-0 midway through the second half, which was bad enough. But three more goals inside the final 15 minutes condemned United to their heaviest defeat since Boxing Day 1931.

Through two games, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is playing like a guy ready to add another MVP trophy to his mantle.

After leading the Bills to a 2-0 start, Allen is off to one of the strongest statistical openings of his career. He’s thrown for 582 yards and five touchdowns while adding another 92 yards and four scores on the ground.

These impressive numbers also come without Allen throwing an interception.

Speaking with Colin Cowherd on “The Herd,” seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady broke down Allen’s development. He immediately focused on Allen’s development under Brian Daboll before he left to take the New York Giants head coaching job. 

“I thought there was a lot of development that took place when he had Brian Daboll as his [offensive] coordinator,” Brady said. “I think he learned the system. He’s got an awesome ability to improvise and we’ve seen that for a long time.”

Beyond Allen’s physical traits, Brady pointed out that his ability to avoid negative plays has been his biggest area of growth. Early in his career, turnovers were a frequent criticism, but Allen has turned his play on the field into a far more disciplined decision-maker.

“He’s got the big arm, the legs and can kind of run the big plays,” Brady said. “It’s always been ‘how can he eliminate the negative plays?’ The bonehead fumbles, the bonehead sacks and those plays are the ones that put your team behind the eight ball.”

As a Hall of Fame passer renowned for protecting the football, Brady recognized the same growth in Allen. In fact, Brady pointed to eliminating negative plays as the single biggest sign of Allen’s development and maturity.

“Sometimes the best play is throwing the ball away,” Brady said. “Playing for a second down and staying in those situations. Eliminating the negative plays. I think for him, that’s where I’ve seen his game mature the most.”

David Benavidez is set to compete in a three-belt cruiserweight unification clash in December, but now one sanctioning body is seeking clarity on which division ‘The Mexican Monster’ seeks to remain at. 

Benavidez moved up to light-heavyweight back in 2024 and he defeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk on his divisional debut to get his hands on the WBC interim title, then capturing the WBA (Regular) title at 175lbs with a win over David Morrell in the fight that followed.

The Phoenix fan-favourite was then elevated to full WBC light-heavyweight world champion and he defended both that and his WBA Regular title against Anthony Yarde, before moving up to cruiserweight this year and halting Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez to capture the WBA (Super) and WBO 200lb world titles.

Now, it is believed that Benavidez has u-turned on plans to return to light-heavyweight, in favour of making the switch to cruiserweight a permanent one – opening the door for two Brits to potentially compete for the WBC 175lb world title.

With that in mind, the WBA have today requested official confirmation from Benavidez as ‘to clarify which title he intends to continue campaigning for’, presumably to allow them to strip him of the WBA (Regular) light-heavyweight title in the near future.

The WBA Championship Committee has requested David Benavidez to clarify which title he intends to continue campaigning for, following his achievement of becoming a champion in two weight classes, holding the WBA Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight titles.

— WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) September 22, 2026

“The WBA Championship Committee has requested David Benavidez to clarify which title he intends to continue campaigning for, following his achievement of becoming a champion in two weight classes, holding the WBA Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight titles.”

Venezuela’s Albert Ramirez currently holds the WBA Interim light-heavyweight title and could soon be elevated into position as the new WBA (Regular) titleholder, should the WBA wish to extinguish their interim belt at 175lbs.

Jai Opetaia is continuing his mission to take over the cruiserweight division, but former promoter Eddie Hearn believes that he has the man to disrupt Opetaia’s momentum and hand the Aussie his first defeat.

Opetaia was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title for the second time shortly after he announced his switch to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing earlier this year, but the hard-hitting southpaw remains as the lineal champion, with his 31-fight undefeated record intact.

This year, despite launching a lawsuit against the IBF, Opetaia has refused to let out-of-the-ring politics impact his activity inside of it, fighting twice in 2026 and overcoming both Brandon Glanton and more recently Noel Mikaelian.

That victory over Mikaelian could be set to tee up a three-belt unified cruiserweight world title shot next May, against the winner of December’s clash between WBA and WBO titleholder David Benavidez and WBC champion Michal Cieslak.

Although, Hearn told The Stomping Ground why he will soon be pursuing a fight between Opetaia and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Pat Brown, who became the British champion in just his seventh pro contest on Saturday night.

“Because of what has been happening with me and Jai, I would love to see Pat go in there and dismantle him, if I am being honest with you.

“But [whilst] Jai is a great fighter, he gets hurt a lot by small punchers. Mikaelian is not a big puncher and he hurt him repeatedly in that fight. 

“If Pat Brown hits Jai Opetaia on the chin, it will be over and he will finish him, but Pat has had seven fights. I believe that he can beat him now, we are not going to fight him now, but we want him next year.

“The only problem is that Jai Opetaia doesn’t have a world title and we want world titles.”

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Alternatively, Brown may well target fellow British cruiserweight Viddal Riley in 2027, with Riley expected to compete with David Nyika for the vacant IBF cruiserweight world title in the near future, unless Opetaia is reinstated as world champion.