Nigeria international Tochukwu Nnadi has said former Chelsea FC midfielder N’Golo Kanté is the greatest footballer in his opinion, placing him ahead of global stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Olympique de Marseille, made the comment during a recent interview with the club.

Nnadi’s career has progressed quickly in the last two years. He moved from Botev Plovdiv to Belgian side Zulte Waregem before completing a reported €6 million transfer to Marseille in the January transfer window.

Since arriving in France, the Nigerian midfielder has faced tough competition for a place in the team. Experienced players such as Pierre‑Emile Højbjerg and Geoffrey Kondogbia are also fighting for spots in midfield.

Nnadi, who plays mainly as a defensive midfielder and is known for his strong positioning, pressing and ball-winning ability, explained that Kanté remains the player he admires the most.

During his time at Chelsea, Kanté became known as one of the best midfielders in the world at recovering possession and breaking up opposition attacks. His tireless energy and smart reading of the game helped the club win several major trophies.

For Nnadi, whose own role focuses on winning the ball and controlling the tempo from deep positions, Kanté’s style has been a big influence on how he approaches the game.

The young midfielder’s progress has also been recognised at international level. He received his first call-up to the Nigeria national football team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and made his senior debut in Nigeria’s final group-stage match against Uganda national football team.

Since joining Marseille earlier this year, Nnadi has not yet become a regular starter. The strong competition in midfield means he may need more time to secure a consistent place in the team.

However, Marseille head coach Habib Beye has previously praised the Nigerian’s performances in training and believes he could earn more playing opportunities if he continues to improve.

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Follow The Athletic’s coverage of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells

The fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is in the books, and it’s time for the quarterfinals in California’s Coachella Valley.

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Here are the matches and players that have stood out, some things tennis fans may have missed, and what to look out for as the tournament heads into its final stages.

How a match with the taste of rust delivered one of the points of the year

Defending champion Jack Draper came through a tight, tense fourth-round match against Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5), but the scoreline hardly tells the story of one of the most compelling matches of the tournament.

What turned it, according to Djokovic in his news conference? One point. This one, in the first game of the third set:

A 26-shot rally that Djokovic won, which typified the quality of the best points of the match, but also why Djokovic ultimately lost it. The point left the 38-year-old exhausted, and while he won the game, he was broken in the next. Draper then led the set until 5-4, when the pressure of serving for the match got to him.

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Three unforced errors and one great point by Djokovic took the score to 5-5. With Draper serving to stay in the match one game later, Djokovic passed up a gaping forehand opportunity down the line in favor of an unnecessary lob that floated way long; leading 4-3 on serve in the tiebreak, he played an apparently random backhand drop shot that gasped into the net. His decision-making was uncharacteristically imprecise for parts of the match, with both players spending most of the first set still shaking off rust — Draper on his return from a left-arm injury, and Djokovic in his first tournament since the Australian Open.

After raising the quality and intensity through the second and third sets, with the crescendo of that impossible point, both of them appeared exhausted by the end. A fresh, in-form Daniil Medvedev will be looking forward to a quarterfinal in the heat of the Indian Wells late afternoon Thursday.

— James Hansen

What makes a player love desert tennis — and troubling Carlos Alcaraz?

Only three men have made four BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals in the 2020s. Medvedev, who eased past Alex Michelsen Wednesday to reach his fourth, is one of them. The other two are Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1, and Cameron Norrie, the 2021 champion, who Alcaraz faces in the last eight Thursday.

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Norrie, the No. 27 seed, loves desert tennis. His high-bouncing forehand and scudding, low backhand discombobulate players on courts and in conditions which can reward both, and he has also developed a habit of upsetting Alcaraz.

Norrie has won three of the pair’s past five meetings, including the most recent one at the Paris Masters in October. It’s a strange sequence for a player who is not generally thought of as a giantkiller, instead grinding opponents down with his steady baseline game and phenomenal fitness levels.

Norrie turned the tables on Alcaraz to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Paris, outdoing Alcaraz in stealing points — something the world No. 1 does better than anybody in the world. Norrie won 37 percent of the points he played on defense, to 27 percent for Alcaraz, according to data from Tennis Data Innovations.

Other factors have been more rudimentary. Alcaraz’s backhand was ineffective at the Paris Masters. He made just 73 percent of them, compared to an average of 84 percent, while Norrie made 85 percent of his. During Norrie’s win at the 2022 Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz’s return fell off a cliff.

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Speaking in a news conference Wednesday after cruising past Casper Ruud 6-1, 7-6(2), Alcaraz joked that he didn’t want to say why he found Norrie so difficult, because he knew his opponent would be watching.

“I would say lefties are always tricky to play against,” he said.

“Just the way he can change the the height of the ball. He has a really flat backhand and really topspin forehand. So you can be a little bit confused sometimes with how it’s gonna come, the ball, to you.

“He’s a gladiator. He’s a real fighter, fighting every ball, every game, every set. So it’s really difficult when you’re facing someone who never gives up any point or any ball.”

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Norrie meanwhile said in an interview after beating Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-2 that he feels like he can make Alcaraz “play every single point and frustrate him in his tennis sometimes.”

Norrie acknowledged he’ll still be the underdog, pointing to Alcaraz winning their two Grand Slam meetings. As for his love of playing in Indian Wells, a venue where the wind and fluctuating temperatures can drive many to distraction, he said that “growing up in New Zealand was crazy windy.”

“These kind of windy conditions don’t really faze me too much, or those tough conditions. I think my game is pretty tricky (even) without windy conditions so I kind of use that to my advantage sometimes.”

Alcaraz will be the big favorite, but Norrie’s qualities add intrigue to a match that would otherwise seem like a formality.

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— Charlie Eccleshare

Another step forward for Iga Świątek?

Iga Świątek lavished praise on Karolína Muchová this week, likening her game to Roger Federer’s ahead of their fourth-round matchup Wednesday and admitting after that Muchová is her favorite player to watch.

“Basically, she might be the only player I watch,” Świątek said in an on-court interview.

Muchova might prefer Świątek turn her attention elsewhere. The world No. 2 harnessed her familiarity with Muchová’s game and turned in her best match of the year Wednesday, a surgical 6-2, 6-0 victory that sets up a quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina.

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Her dominance was a reminder of what Świątek, a two-time BNP Paribas Open champion, can do when she feels at home. She is clearly confident facing Muchová’s style of play— she’s won all four of their meetings since 2023 — and comfortable on Indian Wells’ slower hard courts, even though players say they are quicker this year. Świątek was able to take her time Wednesday, ripping high-kicking forehands into the corners that pulled Muchová from side to side and pinned her to the baseline.

Unable to get to net where she does most of her damage, Muchová, who captured her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open last month, looked flat and totally unable to hurt Świątek, who emerged from a scratchy opening four games to break with two beautifully played points and never looked back.

“I just chose the right balls to go forward or to stay back and grind a bit more and play with more shape,” Świątek said in her news conference.

“I think just the decision-making was good today so I didn’t rush, and I had just comfortable situations to do what I wanted to.”

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Świątek won her previous two titles in the Coachella Valley in 2022 and 2024. If the pattern holds, 2026 could be her year to become the first woman to win the tournament three times.

— Ava Wallace

How to measure a player’s rise?

For the past 10 months, Victoria Mboko’s tennis career has moved at exactly one speed: fast.

The 19-year-old Canadian had already composed a series of absurd win-streaks on the third-tier World Tennis Tour when she produced a bullish first-round win against former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun at last year’s French Open, before beating Germany’s Eva Lys in the second round and losing to Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the third.

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It took her all of three months after that to win the Canadian Open, a WTA 1000 tournament one rung below a Grand Slam, which was just her sixth event on tour. She sprinted to another milestone at this year’s Australian Open by reaching the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, losing a fourth-round match to Aryna Sabalenka.

She didn’t waste any time setting up a rematch. Mboko will face the world No. 1 again at Indian Wells Thursday, in the quarterfinals.

If Mboko’s blistering ascent doesn’t impress in a vacuum, consider her rise through the rankings compared to the only teenager ranked in the top 10, Mirra Andreeva. Mboko took 13 months from the start of 2025, when she was ranked No. 333, to make her top 10 debut in February. It took Andreeva — gasp — 25 months from the time she was ranked No. 293 at the start of 2023 to break into the top 10 in February last year.

For Coco Gauff, yet another star who broke onto the scene as a young teen, the journey from No. 313 in July of 2019 to the top 10 took 38 months.

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Life changing that much that fast could waylay any young person. Mboko’s approach to dealing with the breakneck pace of her career once involved some level of delusion — as in, tricking her own mind to avoid putting herself under pressure. She pretended she was playing a different tournament, not a Grand Slam, during her French Open run.

After her dominant 6-4, 6-1 win against two-time major finalist Amanda Anisimova in Indian Wells’ fourth round Tuesday, Mboko said more recently she’s trained her focus on her effort, not outcomes.

“I just try to come to terms that with every tournament I play, it’s not going to be maybe the way I want it to [be],” Mboko said. “But I just want to give 100 percent effort, and there is always a lesson to learn.”

She learned plenty from facing Sabalenka for the first time in January, namely, that watching the world No. 1 from afar bears little resemblance to actually standing in the flight path of one of her groundstrokes. Even in that 6-1, 7-6(1) loss, she was a quick study.

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This time, she hopes to keep Sabalenka from pushing her off court as often, having said in Melbourne that she felt like she did not hit a “thorough” ball often enough to trouble her opponent.

“We’ll see. I mean, it was my first time playing on a Grand Slam center court too, so I feel like there was a lot going on in my head, but yeah, we’ll see,” Mboko said.

“It’s a new day, new tournament.”

— Ava Wallace

Two confidence-building runs for Australian qualifiers?

Australian tennis found some cheer that has been hard to come by of late on both sides of the Indian Wells draw. Alex de Minaur is a fixture of the late stages of Grand Slams these days, but him aside, a country that once ruled over the tennis world has found precious little sustained success.

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The fourth-round and quarterfinal appearances by Rinky Hijikata and Talia Gibson may not be anything like spurs to superstardom, but for the 25-year-old and 21-year-old, that is partly the point.

Hijikata took out No. 10 seed Alexander Bublik with a patient, calculated performance in the face of the mercurial Kazakh’s array of haymaker groundstrokes, deft drop shots, elite racket smashes, and whatever the hell this was:

Hijikata did not face a break point and also hit more winners (33) than unforced errors (27), absorbing Bublik’s aggressiveness. The 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-3 win was Hijikata’s first over a top-10 player, and took him to a first ATP Masters 1000 fourth round. He lost there to Cameron Norrie, but said after beating Bublik that “he’s had a hell of a year, never easy to face so I’m just pumped to get through.

“It could be the first time in my life I didn’t face a break point.”

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Gibson went a step better with a stunning win over Jasmine Paolini, the No. 7 seed, to reach the quarterfinals. After winning the first set, the Australian rebounded from a Paolini comeback in the second by breaking the Italian three times in the third, ultimately triumphing 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. It was Gibson’s first top-10 win, and her third consecutive win over a top-20 player, after beating Clara Tauson and Ekaterina Alexandrova in the previous two rounds.

After beating Paolini, Gibson said she was “speechless” and needed time to process the win in her news conference, but added that her game style made her believe that such results were always possible. She said that one player in particular had helped her develop her tennis.

“I have been able to learn quite a bit from (Aryna) Sabalenka,” she said.

“I think she has one of the most aggressive games, and a very powerful game. I think over the last couple of years, being able to see her implement a little bit more of that variety in her game, as well, to complement her already extremely aggressive baseline game.”

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Gibson faces Linda Nosková of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, who dispatched Alex Eala 6-2, 6-0 in the fourth round.

— James Hansen

Other notable results in the fourth round

Jessica Pegula (5) decided that nobody beats her five times in a row. She got past Belinda Bencic (12) 6-3, 7-6(5) in a high-quality match between two of the best absorbers of pace on the WTA Tour.

And the remaining ties in the women’s draw ended in injury retirements. Elina Svitolina (9) led Kateřina Siniaková 6-1, 1-1 when the Czech retired with a right hip injury, while Sonay Kartal retired with a back issue against Elena Rybakina (3) when down 6-4, 4-3.

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Up next: Quarterfinal picks

🎾 Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Victoria Mboko (16)

2 p.m. ET on Tennis Channel

Can Mboko do what she said she wants to do above and push Sabalenka even further than she did at the Australian Open? Sabalenka has been looking inevitable at Indian Wells so far, and Mboko will need to keep her shots deep at all times on the high-bouncing, slower courts.

🎾 Arthur Fils (30) vs. Alexander Zverev (4)

2 p.m. ET on Tennis Channel

Fils and Zverev have played six times, with Fils winning twice. Zverev is attempting to play a more aggressive style in big moments than is his nature, and he will need to do that against Fils, who can be merciless when given the opportunity to take over points and matches.

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🎾 Jessica Pegula (5) vs. Elena Rybakina (3)

Not before 8 p.m. ET on Tennis Channel

Pegula and Rybakina’s Australian Open semifinal was one of the most gripping matches of the year, even though it was a straight-sets win for Rybakina, who went on to win the title. Pegula’s ability to redirect may be limited by the slower courts that take some of the speed off her ball, but the 90-degree weather forecast may give her some of it back. Rybakina, who has not served to her usual standards in the tournament so far, will need to raise her game against the American.

Tell us what you noticed in the fourth round…

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Sports Business, Culture, Tennis, Women’s Tennis

2026 The Athletic Media Company

The stable of Emma-Lee and David Brown achieved their greatest success to date as Mcgaw prevailed in The Showdown at Caulfield, with plans now to duplicate it after 12 months.

McGaw’s $1 million Showdown conquest last year was the Brownes’ standout Australian victory until the three-year-old claimed the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington last spring.

Representing the Brownes in Saturday’s The Showdown (1200m) is Lomu, who unlike McGaw enters for his track debut.

McGaw kicked off with a Pakenham maiden before Caulfield glory, and after Tuesday’s Caulfield gallop, the Brownes resolved to unleash Lomu this weekend.

“It’s a little bit of a throw at it but he’s trialled up good,” Emma-Lee Browne said.

“At this time of year in two-year-old racing you come up against a horse or horses that have won, so we thought if he came through his gallop all good, it’s an idea.

“A lot of the people that were in McGaw are in this horse as well, so it would be very nice to be there again and go and give it a bit of a nudge as well.”

Lomu, a son of I Am Immortal like McGaw, came at a bargain $10,000 price tag.

“The same reason I loved McGaw, I love this horse,” Browne said.

“He was big, he was scopey, he had big ears. He wandered around having a look at things and seemed pretty happy.

“Hopefully he can run similar.”

Browne admires I Am Immortal’s get, despite escalating costs at yearling auctions post-McGaw’s Danehill win.

“Luckily our first two have been pretty good buys and I really rated the stallion, I think he’s very, very good,” Browne said.

“A lot of the horses by I Am Immortal can really gallop and have shown something.”

Last year’s Showdown result boosted ownership ranks, and Browne welcomes more triumphs.

“We’ve been able to increase our numbers by a fair few,” Browne said.

“We’ve got a few more yearlings this year, so it’s an exciting time of the year to have the young ones around.”

The Brownes start Basilinna’s autumn campaign in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) post her Tuesday Pakenham jump-out.

Find the premier sports betting options for The Showdown on betting sites.

Teddy Bridgewater is once again the enemy. The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback signed a deal with the Detroit Lions this week, set to serve as Jared Goff’s primary backup, a role he held in 2023 and 2024.

Detroit brought back a known veteran as its backup quarterback room took shape again.

If Goff goes down, the Vikings would face the man they drafted in Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Bridgewater Returns to a Familiar Spot on Detroit’s Depth Chart

No more high school coaching for Bridgewater; just backup quarterbacking.

Bridgewater to DET

Bridgewater is back in the NFC North, a place he knows quite well.

Detroit Free Press‘s Rainer Sabin and Ryan Ford wrote Tuesday, “The Detroit Lions are bringing back a familiar face to play behind starter Jared Goff. Former backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is returning to the Lions, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, with a deal agreed to on Tuesday, March 10. The Lions needed to fill the spot behind Goff following the departure of Kyle Allen, who came to terms Monday with the Buffalo Bills on a two-year contract.”

“Bridgewater, who will turn 34 in November, initially was signed as Goff’s backup in August 2023, logging just three snaps in his lone appearance that year. He then retired from the NFL the following February and took a job as head coach at his high school alma mater, Miami Northwestern. In his first season, he guided the Bulls to the Florida Class 3A state championship.”

Like every offseason from the last five years, no one was too sure if Bridgewater would retire or be back for more. Alas, he returned to Dan Campbell’s team.

Goff, Teddy — and That’s It

Strangely, the Lions entered free agency with no other quarterbacks on the depth chart behind Goff. In that vein, a QB2 was required, and Campbell preferred an old friend in Bridgewater. While he may be quite recognizable to Lions fans, he’s taken just three snaps under center in Detroit. If he ever starts a game for the Lions, it will be a first.

The lack of quarterback depth could also signal an incoming draft pick. Detroit swung and missed on 3rd-Rounder Hendon Hooker in 2023 — a pick they obtained from the Vikings in the T.J. Hockenson trade — and this go-round, Campbell and friends could take the plunge on a mid-rounder like Carson Beck or Drew Allar.

Otherwise, one must wonder why the quarterback depth is so thin.

Pride of Detroit‘s Jeremy Reisman noted on Bridgwater’s return, “He is viewed as a very strong locker room presence and mentor. Back when the Lions first signed Bridgewater in 2023, Lions coach Dan Campbell tasked Bridgewater with helping mentor young Lions receiver Jameson Williams. As for how Bridgewater can handle the Lions offense is something happens to Jared Goff? Well, there’s not a ton of proof one way or another.”

“Bridgewater has thrown just 15 total passes in the past three seasons—going 8-for-15 for 62 yards in a single game appearance for Tampa last year. Regardless, Bridgewater is a good person to have in the locker room. And in the meantime, the Lions can continue to look for a longer-term, younger backup quarterback.”

Career to Date

Bridgewater last started full-time in 2021 with the Denver Broncos, leading the team to a 7–7 record as their QB1. Since then, he has remained a veteran presence in the league but has not reclaimed a permanent starting role.

His NFL career began in Minnesota, where the Vikings drafted him in 2014. He initially showed promise as the team’s offensive leader, but a severe injury during a 2016 practice derailed his progress and ended his time as Minnesota’s primary quarterback. At the time, Bridgewater represented the franchise’s future — a source of hope similar to what Minnesota now sees in J.J. McCarthy as they enter the mid-2020s.

All together, these are Bridgewater’s NFL stops through 12 seasons:

• Minnesota Vikings (2014–2017)
• New York Jets (2018)
• New Orleans Saints (2018–2019)
• Carolina Panthers (2020)
• Denver Broncos (2021)
• Miami Dolphins (2022)
• Detroit Lions (2023–2024)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025)
• Detroit Lions (2026)

Lions Free Agency to Date

Detroit has been semi-busy — much more than the Vikings, of course, who have largely been dormant — in free agency after failing to reach the postseason in 2025.

Here’s a list of the transactions as of Wednesday afternoon:

• Larry Borom, RT (CHI → DET)
• Teddy Bridgewater, QB (TB → DET)
• Cade Mays, C (CAR → DET)
• Isiah Pacheco, RB (KC → DET)
• Malcolm Rodríguez, LB (DET → DET)
• Rock Ya-Sin, CB (LV → DET)

Theoretically, the Lions could also be involved in the topsy-turvy Maxx Crosby trade sweepstakes that has shaken the NFL this week.

Bridgewater will turn 34 in November.

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) had originally been due to kick off on March 17, with 16 nations from all over the continent set to compete in Morocco. But just 12 days before the opening game, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), postponed its biggest women’s football tournament until July.

In a statement, the body cited “unforeseen circumstances” but gave no details for the decision. In the absence of an explanation, rumors were soon circulating among fans and journalists alike. 

One rumor had it that the relationship between hosts Morocco and CAF had been severely damaged by events that occurred during the controversial final of the men’s tournament in January. Hosts Morrocco lost the final 1-0 to Senegal, whose coach had earlier led his team off the pitch in protest at a penalty decision. It was also noted that the WAFCON’s original schedule clashed with Morocco’s domestic league for which stadiums were needed.

“It is a combination of factors and it is not a decision taken lightly,” Luxolo September, CAF’s head of communications, told DW in an effort to set the record straight.

“There is a question of the host nation Morocco, requesting a postponement for a number of reasons. There has been a lot of interaction between Morocco, FIFA and CAF regarding the date. This is not a nice position for us, we have taken no joy from this. We would have loved to play in this window, it is a window we had requested.”

Bad timing

There’s been an outcry about how long CAF waited to make a decision. 

“The teams had prepared, the teams had played a lot of friendly matches, so it was such a short time and just unfair” Jackline Juma told DW. As head coach of Kenya‘s U-20 women she had an up-close view of the disruption the delay caused to the senior team.

Kenya has just played friendly games against Ivory Coast and Benin, while Nigeria was in Cameroon and Ghana had held a training camp in Dubai.

“Twelve days out, your team is ready to go, you are fine-tuning the last little bits, you are making sure the players understand what their roles are going to be,” Vicki Huyton, founder of the Female Coaching Network, told DW.

“It’s about keeping the team morale, so 12 days out, the teams have spent one or two years, the hard work is done.”

It is not just the teams and the players who were about to travel to Morocco – fans and journalists are complaining at being left out of pocket.

“People had booked the hotels, press had booked their hotels,” Collins Okonyo, a player agent, told DW.

“It shows how disorganized you are. CAF should sit down and bring their house in order.”

CAF spokesperson September rejects this criticism, insisting that they did all they could to avoid a postponement.

“The announcement came very late as all the parties were trying to find common ground that would advance the situation and ensure that the competition continues as it must,” he said.

“It is important for CAF that the tournament is played in the best possible conditions, we don’t just tick a box.”

Weeks of uncertainty

The postponement did not come as a complete surprise. As early as February, a South African politician said that her country could step in to host at short notice. The day before the announcement, the minister of sport for 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, Gayton McKenzie, made a similar statement.

“If they are not ready, we want to tell them we are not a country with no stadiums or infrastructure… We will not allow women’s football to be treated this way,” he said.

It is not the first time that WAFCON has been moved. Morocco had originally been due to host the tournament in 2024, but as it coincided with the Paris Olympics, it was delayed by a year – also at short notice. This and the latest postponement has led to accusations that CAF does not value women’s football as much as it does the men’s game.

“I don’t think AFCON men would be postponed, they are not treating women’s football with the respect that it deserves,” Juma said.

“It’s so frustrating and disappointing for women’s football in Africa, to postpone for no tangible reason. It’s very discouraging, women’s football is not as respected as men’s football.”

It is a charge that CAF denies.

“The facts speak for themselves,” September said.

“Look at the investment, don’t look at what people say. When the current president [Patrice Motsepe] of CAF arrived, he took the prize money for women’s football from $100,000 to $1 million (€86,000 to €860,000) in the space of four years. He introduced the Women’s Champions League. The advancement of women’s football is one of the top priorities for him and CAF.”

Potential silver lining but no consolation

Despite the late decision, some have tried to put a positive spin on things, noting that some national teams could benefit in terms of injured players being able to return to action by July.  There have also been reports in the South African media that the extra time coulc give the coaching staff there an opportunity to heal divisions that are currently damaging the team.

“If some of the teams have injury issues, it could benefit them,” Huyton conceded.

“But ultimately major tournaments like this have set dates. We are all aware they come around every two or four years and every team and coach works towards that.”

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

Britain’s Sonay Kartal says it was “one match too many” as a lower back injury forced her retirement from a fourth-round Indian Wells match against world number three Elena Rybakina.

Receiving physio treatment between games, Kartal lost the first set to the Kazakhstani 6-3.

Then, in clear discomfort as she trailed 4-3 in the second having been broken when she stretched for a return, she made her way to the net to shake hands.

The 24-year-old had battled the problem through the tournament and said she had to “pull the plug” on Wednesday as the pain got more intense the further the match went on.

“As athletes you are super in-tune with your body, and I’ve had it pretty much the whole event, so I kind of knew that I could keep pushing,” Kartal told BBC Sport.

“But today it was unfortunately one match too many.

“[I played] a super-tough opponent, so you need to be at your best. I was far from that but still managed to make it competitive.”

Kartal, ranked 54, had become the first British woman to twice reach the fourth round in California.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Thursday confirmed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season will take place as scheduled, adding that the remaining match fixtures will be announced after the election dates are declared by the Election Commission of India. Speaking to ANI, Shukla clarified that the BCCI has already released the schedule for the initial phase of the tournament and will decide on the remaining fixtures once the poll schedule is announced for the states heading to elections.

“IPL will be held as per schedule. We have released the schedule for 20 matches. The schedule for remaining matches will be released after the Election Commission announces the dates for states going to the election,” Shukla said.

The West Asia Conlfict has put stress on player travel. The West Indian team’s departure post the T20 World Cup in India was delayed due to cancellation of flights to the region.

Earlier, the BCCI announced the schedule for the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12, 2026.

As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced.

The 19th edition of the biggest T20 league on the globe will commence when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.

Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, 2026, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings (PBKS), meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.

Note: The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

As Mark Twain would say: The reports of Aaron Jones’s release were greatly exaggerated. The Minnesota Vikings had initially planned to release Jones this offseason, but that has changed on the third day of free agency. Jones has reportedly accepted a pay cut to stay in Minnesota.

The veteran stayed, though the backfield plan still looks like a work in progress.

Many wondered why the Vikings hadn’t signed any free-agent halfbacks this week. Well, they evidently wanted Jones back for Year No. 3 in the Twin Cities.

Jones Reworks Deal to Stay With the Vikings

Your Aaron Jones jerseys stay relevant.

Jones Back to MIN

NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero broke the news Wednesday, “The Vikings and RB Aaron Jones have agreed to a revised contract to keep him in Minnesota for the 2026 season, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport. Jones lowers his base salary to $5.5 million and will stay in Minnesota.”

“The Vikings never wanted to let go of Aaron Jones, who is a strong locker room presence and still effective when healthy at age 31. The sides worked towards a new deal and found common ground to keep in purple for another season.”

NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper added, “A report early this month said that the Vikings were set to release running back Aaron Jones, but he and the team have worked out a revised deal that will keep him in Minnesota. No other details of the changes have been reported, so Jones may have a chance to earn some of that money through incentives related to his production on the field.”

The move felt like a total swerve because in the Vikings fans’ minds, Jones was as good as gone. He apparently tested the waters on the open market, determining a pay reduction in Minnesota would be more than a fresh contract with a new team.

Running It Back .. at Running Back

What does this mean for Minnesota in 2026? Well, the Vikings are running it back. Full stop. In 2025, they embarked on Week 1 with Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, and Ty Chandler in their roster orbit, with Jones on deck as the RB1.

Minus Chandler, who remains a free agent, Minnesota will feature the same veteran threesome in the offensive backfield.

As recently as two days ago, the only tailback in the mix for Minnesota was Mason, as Scott held a restricted free-agent status, and news had already leaked that Jones would be dropped. Now, just a few days into free agency, all three are back.

One must wonder if the other players “released” by the Vikings, defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, might accept the same arrangement. Stay tuned.

Jones in 2025

Jones appeared in 12 games last season, battling injuries, which is a part of his modus operandi and what prevented him from having a superstar’s career in Green Bay from 2017 to 2023. But — he logged 747 yards from scrimmage in 2025, with 3 touchdowns. That isn’t nothing.

The year before, Jones’s first in Minneapolis, he tabulated 1,546 yards from scrimmage and 7 scores. Ironically in that season, Justin Jefferson and Jones both banked 1,546 yards from scrimmage on the nose.

In 2026, Jones will hope to remain upright and healthy. He’ll turn 32 in December.

It’s also worth noting that Minnesota will retain a core leader in the locker room. From the jump, and even in Green Bay, Jones has created his reputation as a “locker room guy,” and “one of the good ones” to have on a football team. With players like fullback C.J. Ham retiring and possibly safety Harrison Smith, the Vikings risked losing a large faction of its veteran leadership.

Wednesday’s news regarding Jones changed that.

The New Plan?

Jones and Mason are now expected to compete for the RB1 role in 2026. However, Minnesota may still bolster its roster in the draft, as that venue will provide another avenue to acquire a running back.

While Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame might be unavailable by pick No. 18, Minnesota could consider other prospects. Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Nick Singleton (Penn State), and Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas) are projected to be Rounds 2–4 selections.

Ultimately, drafting a rookie running back appears to be the most likely path for Minnesota. The team hasn’t drafted a successful tailback since Dalvin Cook in 2017 and Alexander Mattison in 2019, a drought they will likely end this year.

Minnesota met with Johnson (Nebraska) at the NFL Combine, and Washington Jr. (Arkansas) bedazzled all general managers, scouts, and coaches with his size and speed at the same event.

Singleton (Penn State) would provide a blend of youth, size, speed, and big-game experience and is likely available in Round 3 or 4.