Akwa United FC have expressed appreciation to their supporters after their important win against Sporting Lagos FC in the Nigeria National League.

The Promise Keepers defeated Sporting Lagos 1–0 in their Matchday 14 clash at the Uyo Township Stadium on Sunday, March 15, 2026, a result that strengthened their position at the top of NNL Conference B.

The morning after the match, the club shared photos of the crowd on social media and thanked fans for their strong support during the game.

“A big thank you to all our amazing fans who came out in large numbers to support us in our Matchday 14 victory over Sporting Lagos at the Uyo Township Stadium.

“Your energy, loud cheers, and the sound of the vuvuzelas have truly turned the Uyo Township Stadium into a fortress. Playing at home has become a delight for our players because of the incredible atmosphere you create every matchday. Your unwavering support is a big reason behind our strong home form this season.

“We sincerely appreciate your passion and commitment to the team.

“But the job is not done yet. The season is still on, and we need your continued support as we push towards promotion back to the NPFL.

“Keep the support coming. It’s not over yet. Let’s do this together.”

Akwa United secured the win through a first-half penalty converted by Charles Etim.

The visitors started the game brightly, pressing high in the early minutes. However, Akwa United gradually settled into the match and began to create chances.

Churchill Nnana headed a corner narrowly wide in the 11th minute, while Esonwanne Gift saw his chip saved in the 26th minute. Daniel Gothom also tested the goalkeeper with efforts in the 28th and 30th minutes.

The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Akwa United were awarded a penalty after a defender handled a cross inside the box. Charles Etim stepped up two minutes later and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give the hosts the lead.

Akwa United thought they had doubled their advantage in the 36th minute when Ndifreke Etim found the net, but the goal was ruled out for an infringement in the build-up.

The home side continued to push in the second half. Aniebiet Sunday forced a save in the 47th minute, while Ndifreke Etim saw another attempt saved three minutes later.

Coach Paul Offor later introduced fresh legs, bringing on Michael Okenwa, Oladimeji Dada and Yannick Menegbe as Akwa United looked to maintain their advantage.

Despite late attempts, including efforts in the 82nd and 86th minutes, the score remained unchanged as the Promise Keepers held on to secure the win.

The victory moved Akwa United to 28 points from 14 matches, extending their lead at the top of Conference B to four points.

The strong support from fans has also helped make the Uyo Township Stadium a difficult ground for visiting teams, with Akwa United winning seven of their eight home matches this season while conceding just one goal.

Akwa United will next face Godswill Akpabio United FC in an away fixture on March 25, 2026, as they continue their push for promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League.

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Leny Yoro would love influential Harry Maguire and Casemiro to extend their Manchester United stays beyond the end of the season.

The Red Devils are well placed for Champions League qualification having won seven of their nine matches since Michael Carrick was named head coach for the remainder of the campaign in January.

Maguire, 33, and Casemiro, 34, have started every one of those matches but, like the popular head coach, are out of contract with third-placed United in the summer.

There is a lot to sort out behind the scenes in the coming weeks and months, but Yoro would like the experienced duo to stay at Old Trafford.

“Yeah, of course, having Harry in the team is good for us,” the 20-year-old centre-back said of Maguire.

“If he can stay next season, it’s really good for us, so I hope he’s going to extend his contract and he can stay with us. We’ll see, we’ll see anyway.”

On Casemiro, who United fans chanted to stay for “one more year” after the Brazilian opened the scoring in Sunday’s key 3-1 win against Aston Villa, Yoro said: “Everyone wanted him to stay.

“He’s a really important player for us, he showed it again today. Even in the dressing room, every day, he has the experience that no one else has in the team.

“He won everything, so this helped us a lot in the games and even outside the pitch.”

Former Real Madrid star Casemiro confirmed he was leaving in January, just days after Carrick’s first game in charge, so looks less likely to sign a new deal than Maguire.

The defender, who is hoping for an England recall this week, has established himself as a key player having experienced high and lows since his £80million move from Leicester in 2019.

Maguire put in a solid display as United overcame Champions League rivals Villa on Sunday, with defensive partner Yoro full of praise for him having overcome a shaky spell of his own at the end of 2025.

“I think every player has this phase in a season,” the defender, now in his second campaign with United, said.

“Sometimes you have bad moments, bad performances, and I’m happy to do good games now, to rebound well, so I’m just happy with the result.”

Asked if playing alongside players like Maguire helps, Yoro said: “Of course, of course. With all the experiences he has, he gave a lot of tips, he spoke to me a lot on the pitch, so this helped me a lot.

“He always speaks with me, like with the striker, sometimes he speaks before the game, or at half-time, about positioning as well, so playing with him is really good for me.

“We speak a lot. Even before the game, during the week, we speak a lot about the opponent.”

Yoro hopes the adversaries United are talking about next season are Champions League clubs as they push to end a rare, and costly, campaign without European football on a high.

“I think every player wants to play Champions League, especially when you play for United,” he added.

“This club has to play the Champions League, so hopefully we’re going to get it next season.”

Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore has been ruled out of Wales’ World Cup play-offs with a hamstring injury.

The 33-year-old had been a major doubt since sustaining a tendon split during the FA Cup defeat against Chelsea earlier this month.

Having missed subsequent Championship matches against Hull City and Swansea City, Moore is not expected to return to action until April.

That means he will be unavailable for Wales’ World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina on 26 March and, if they win that game, their play-off final against Italy or Northern Ireland five days later.

“Kieffer’s not going to be right for the internationals, which is a blow for him and for Wales,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.

“He’s got this tendon injury which he feels OK with, but he’s shown up on the scan and it’s one of those injuries that, up to 80-85% you’re fine, but if you extend beyond that you make yourself susceptible to muscle injuries.”

The U.S. World Cup team this summer will wear uniforms it helped design — a process that began with discontent at a photo shoot before the last tournament.

“The team wasn’t too fond of the [uniforms] we were going to be wearing [in Qatar], just because we didn’t feel it represented us necessarily and the country as we’d like,” midfielder Tyler Adams, the 2022 U.S. World Cup captain, said recently.  “When you have an opportunity to represent your country at a World Cup … you just want to love the kit.”

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They did not love the kit, which is soccer parlance for uniform.

And they were not going to do the photo shoot, Adams said, unless they were given a voice in designing their 2026 uniforms. Nike and the U.S. Soccer Federation agreed.

[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Fill out brackets for your shot at $50K]

As part of a multiyear collaboration, the group came up with two designs: wavy red stripes with blue trim over a white shirt (known as the Stripes kit) and a “dark obsidian” (black) shirt with shiny stars and red trim (the Stars kit). Both feature original fonts and the USSF’s “The Best of U.S.” ethos stitched inside the back below the neckline.

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The marketing campaign began Monday, and the players will wear each kit in the friendlies in Atlanta against Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31 — the final camp before Mauricio Pochettino names his World Cup squad May 26.

What did the players want in their new jerseys?

“For me, it was simple: I want something that’s timeless,” Adams said. “I want to have that kit you look back at in 30 years and you’re like, ‘That’s still the best one.’ … It’s pretty straightforward: You have to have stars and stripes of some sort. They represent us perfectly.”

Striker Folarin Balogun concurred.

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“I wanted it to be something when you’re gifting the jersey to friends and family, and they’re wearing it, they’re excited and they have the feeling this jersey is extremely unique,” he said. “And as we’re one of the host nations, there was a big emphasis to make sure it stood out from the other nations.”

For the first time, all 27 teams under the USSF’s umbrella, including women and youth, will wear the same uniforms this year, the federation said. The women’s senior team is expected to give input on a special design ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

The men’s reaction to the 2026 kits is a far cry from the 2022 unveiling, when the players had no say in a plain white shirt with some red and blue and a deep blue jersey with black blobs.

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“We just as angry as y’all,” winger Tim Weah, agreeing with fan criticism, wrote on social media at the time.

“Tried to tell them,” posted midfielder Weston McKennie, adding a crying emoji.

In his recent interview with reporters, Adams said in general he doesn’t “necessarily care too much about the kits. A kit’s a kit … but top to bottom, we agreed we can at least have something that represents better.”

He added, “There was definitely a sense [Nike was] very, very uncomfortable with the [2022] situation, especially when you have 20-25 guys on a team saying they all hate the jerseys they’re about to play in. But there was a quick turnaround. They honestly welcomed the criticism and they brought us right into the loop to start the design process for the next ones.”

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The collaboration began in 2024 with Nike conducting listening sessions and design workshops to learn what the uniform means to the players and what they’d like to include on it.

The second phase involved the company welcoming feedback from the players on various designs, patterns, styles and colors. At the November 2025 camp, the final vision was presented to the players.

“Weston, at one point, was coming up with some crazy designs that no one agreed with, just things that [defeated] the whole purpose of why we’re having these conversations,” Adams said with a grin. “Guys, let’s just come up with a design that makes sense. At one point they’re showing us colors, and someone’s like, ‘Oh, I love that green.’ And I was like, ‘Get out of the room! Like, what are we doing here?’ But it’s good. It all came to the right spot.”

From a design perspective, the players said they picked everything from how red the red was in the stripes to the shorts and socks combinations. There were tweaks along the way.

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“I feel like we had more say than Nike had in it, to be honest with you,” Adams said.

According to the USSF, the players also provided input on fabric weight, seam placement, fit and mobility — a key factor during a competition to be played at times in hot conditions.

World Cup veteran Matt Turner made suggestions for the goalkeeping kit, which is part of Nike’s colorful “Hollywood Keepers” line worn by several national teams.

“You need to have kits that you just love putting on,” Adams said. “You just get that feeling like, look good, play good. And it sounds corny, but I believe in that.”

When a famous World Cup goal is scored or victory achieved, the jersey becomes part of that history — seen around the globe for generations.

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“At the same time, if a kit is ugly, it’s ugly,” Balogun said. “It’s going to get negative reaction” forever.

The Stripes jersey is reminiscent of a popular one the U.S. wore last decade, unofficially known as the “Where’s Waldo” kit: red and white horizontal stripes, like the shirt worn by the main character in the popular children’s books. “We wanted some iteration of that,” Adams said.

The broader aim is to establish a uniform that becomes globally recognized, such as the Netherlands (bright orange), Brazil (canary yellow with blue), Portugal (red and green) and Croatia (checkerboard).

“You want that one jersey that kind of stays consistent,” Adams said. “When you talk to a Dutch national team player, that orange jersey is the top of playing in the Dutch national team system. For us, we have like crazy shapes or something on our jerseys. What does that have to do with the U.S.? We just want to be stars and stripes.”

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Both Adams and Balogun said they prefer the 2026 Stars over Stripes.

“I think that’s going to become an all-time classic jersey,” Adams said. “Something about stars for me, which you don’t really see often [and] makes it pop.”

Balogun added, “I just like the stealthiness to it. It’s got so much hidden detail. It’s such a beautiful kit. It’s a lot more of a statement.”

For fans, they won’t come cheap: $180 MSRP for authentic match jerseys, $100 for replicas.

First Published: Mar 16 2026 | 12:31 PM IST

Neymar’s troubled path to the upcoming World Cup narrowed further after his subdued performance for Santos in a 1-1 home draw against rival Corinthians in a Brazilian league match.

It was Neymar’s last game before Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti announces his squad for two key friendlies on Monday.

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals.

Brazil’s matches against France and Croatia in the United States will, in turn, be the two last games before Ancelotti announces his final squad in May for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

The 34-year-old Neymar’s performance against Corinthians came after he missed a match that the Brazil coach attended.

Memphis Depay opened the scoring on Sunday for Corinthians in the 19th minute at the Vila Belmiro Stadium. Gabriel Barbosa equalized four minutes later.

Neymar’s best chance in Sunday’s game was a second-half header that narrowly missed. The Santos striker struggled to dribble and didn’t shoot on goal.

Two staffers of Brazil’s soccer confederation attended the match in Santos, the club said. 

“I wish to go back to the national team and play in the World Cup, but that’s not up to me,” a disappointed Neymar told journalists after the match in Santos. “Whether I am there or not, I will always cheer for Brazil.” 
Ancelotti has said he will only take players who are 100% fit to the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. He has also suggested that some players need no testing, which keeps Neymar with some hopes of making the final squad even if he is not picked for the next two friendlies.

Neymar suffered an ACL injury in October 2023 and went through another knee surgery in December. He has played less than 10 matches for Santos this year, but he has also shown glimpses of what he could still bring to Brazil.

In February, he broke into the top 10 of Santos club’s all-time leading scorers after scoring twice in a 2-1 win against Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian league.

Fans of Neymar fear that his decision to miss a match against Mirassol on Tuesday, in another Brazilian league game, might have taken him out of his fourth consecutive World Cup.

Local media reports said Ancelotti was not informed about the striker’s absence until a few hours before the game at the 19,000-seater Jose Maria de Campos Maia Stadium.

Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam (Agency Photos)

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has strongly criticised Pakistan’s cricket selectors after the national team lost the ODI series 2–1 to Bangladesh national cricket team. The defeat came shortly after Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, increasing pressure on the team’s management and decision-makers.Bangladesh sealed the series with an 11-run win in the deciding match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Afridi publicly blames Pakistan selection committee

Following the defeat, Afridi publicly blamed the selection committee for the team’s struggles. Speaking in a video shared on social media, he questioned their decisions and leadership. “You saw the performances in the 2026 T20 World Cup, and after that we also lost the Bangladesh series 2–1. In my opinion, the selection committee deserves criticism. All of you in the committee have played so much cricket, yet you still don’t seem to have the idea of who should be the captain for which format,” Afridi said.He also criticised what he called excessive experimentation with young players. “You keep making too many decisions in the name of ‘surgery’. What you are doing is picking youngsters and players who have barely played a few first class matches. Your domestic cricket is not even of that standard that it can consistently produce players ready to secure a place in the Pakistan team,” he added.Afridi further claimed that experienced players with good ODI records had been unfairly pushed aside. While he has not mentioned any names, it is somewhat clear that he was hinting at players like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, who were dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the Bangladesh series. “The senior players who actually deserved their place even if they didn’t have strong T20 performances had very good records in ODIs. But in the name of ‘surgery’, you sidelined those experienced players despite their solid ODI performances,” he stated.He concluded by arguing that the selectors’ strategy lacks direction and could destabilise the team. “Instead, you brought in youngsters who have only played a few domestic and first-class matches. The standard of domestic cricket is not high enough, and those players are not ready to come straight into the Pakistan team and cement their place. You keep handing out Pakistan caps again and again, this is not surgery. If anything, the real surgery should be done on the selection committee,” he said.

Bangladesh beat Pakistan to win three-match series 2-1

Batting first, Bangladesh put up a solid total of 290 for 5 in 50 overs. The innings began strongly with an opening stand between Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan. While Saif scored 36 runs, Tanzid delivered a standout performance with his maiden ODI century, scoring 107 runs with six fours and seven sixes. Later contributions from Litton Das (41) and an unbeaten 48 from Towhid Hridoy helped Bangladesh reach a competitive total.Pakistan’s chase began poorly as both openers were dismissed within the first two overs, leaving the team at 2 for 2. Despite the early setback, Salman Ali Agha fought back with an impressive century, scoring 106 from 98 balls to keep Pakistan in the contest. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added 37 runs, while debutants Saad Masood (38) and Ghazi Ghori (29) showed some promise. Abdul Samad also chipped in with 34, but Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 279, falling short of the target.Bangladesh’s bowling played a key role in sealing the victory. Taskin Ahmed led the attack with four wickets, while Mustafizur Rahman took three. Earlier in the match, Pakistan bowler Haris Rauf had been the most successful for his side, claiming three wickets.

Mumbai City FC held off a spirited Inter Kashi fightback to register a 2-1 victory in their Indian Super League match at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan here on Sunday.

The Islanders recorded their third win of the campaign to move up to third in the standings with 11 points, while Inter Kashi remained eighth with five points. Islanders’ captain Lallianzuala Chhangte was adjudged the Player of the Match.

Mumbai City FC scored through Noufal PN (45th+6) and Lallianzuala Chhangte (52nd), while Rohit Danu (51st) struck the lone goal for Inter Kashi FC.

Mumbai dominated possession in the opening exchanges, putting the hosts under sustained pressure.

Left winger Ayush Chhikara produced the first effort in the fourth minute, but his close-range attempt was comfortably saved by Inter Kashi keeper Lluis Tarres. Chhikara came close again in the 18th minute when he dragged a right-footed effort narrowly wide after being set up by Chhangte.

Ortiz also tried his luck from distance in the 20th minute but fired over the bar.

Inter Kashi struggled to create clear opportunities early on, though Sumeet Passi attempted a shot from outside the box in the 22nd minute that was blocked by Mumbai’s defence.

Despite the Islanders’ dominance in possession, Inter Kashi remained organised in defense and looked to threaten on the counter. Llamas forced a save from Lachenpa in the 42nd minute with a strike from the right. 

The breakthrough arrived deep into first-half stoppage time. From a corner delivered by Chhangte, midfielder Noufal PN slotted the ball into the net to give Mumbai City FC a lead at the interval.

Inter Kashi began the second half with renewed intent and found the equaliser soon. In the 51st minute, Sandip Mandi delivered a peach of a cross from the left flank which Rohit Danu met with a close-range header to level the scores at 1-1.

However, just a minute later, Ortiz threaded a through ball from the left flank into the penalty area, which found Chhangte, who finished calmly with his left foot to restore Mumbai’s lead in the 52nd minute.

The match opened up thereafter as both sides pushed forward in search of further goals. Petkevicius tested Lachenpa with a close-range effort before Danu attempted a long-range strike that forced another save from the Mumbai goalkeeper. Noufal also threatened at the other end but saw his shot denied by Tarres.