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Los Angeles, June 19 (IANS) Switzerland's prodigy Johan Manzambi, who inspired his team's 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina with his brilliant two-goal performance in the second half, is all over the moon and said he won't be able to sleep tonight after scoring his career 's first brace, and that too at the FIFA World Cup.

Subbed on after 72 minutes, the youngest player in Swiss squad announced his arrival at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with an instant impact when he converted a spectacular high volley to give his side the lead. In the 90th minute, he added the 3-0 to round off a spectacularly effective substitute performance.

“Honestly, it’s incredible – it’s the first brace of my career, and at the World Cup on top of that,” Manzambi said after his Superior Player of the Match performance. “Scoring two goals in front of the fans and my family, that’s very, very nice. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight."

Notably, the 20-year-old midfielder became the youngest Swiss player to score in a World Cup game since 1950 – and further wrote himself into the history books by becoming both the first Swiss player to score a brace after being subbed on, and becoming the country’s youngest two-goal scorer in World Cup history.

In a national team, Manzambi has so far been mostly used as a substitute, scoring three times in his first 13 appearances. His speed and box-to-box abilities made him the perfect candidate to pressure on a tired Bosnian team at Los Angeles Stadium.

"Johan is a happy guy with incredible footballing skills. We can use him flexibly, more defensively, in midfield, but also on the wing as a striker,” Swiss coach Murat Yakin said of his young star’s qualities. “He’s a street footballer, the kind who needs to be given freedom. Offensively, he has complete freedom. You saw that today – he can apply pressure, he has good dribbling skills and he can finish.”

--IANS

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Rotterdam, June 19 (IANS) The Indian men’s hockey team put up a strong fight against reigning world champions Germany but narrowly went down 1-2 in their third match of the FIH Pro League 2025-26 Rotterdam leg on Friday (IST).

Jugraj Singh (38’) marked his 100th international appearance with a goal, before late strikes from Justus Weigand (56’) and Jakob Brilla (60’) turned the game in Germany’s favour.

India started the game on the front foot, controlling possession and building early momentum to keep Germany under pressure. With a compact defensive structure, India denied the World Champions space and restricted them from creating clear-cut chances.

The Indian side raised the intensity in the second quarter with an aggressive high press, forcing errors from Germany. Abhishek created India’s best chance of the first half after a well-worked build-up, but the opportunity went unfinished.

In a tightly contested match where chances were limited, India continued to dominate possession and were rewarded in the third quarter. After earning their first penalty corner of the game, India took the lead through Jugraj Singh, who marked his milestone 100th appearance with a powerful drag-flick in the 38th minute.

Germany earned a couple of penalty corners towards the end of the third quarter, but goalkeeper Mohith HS stood firm to ensure India carried their one-goal advantage into the final period.

India had opportunities to extend their lead in the final quarter, with penalty corners and an open-play chance for Shilanand Lakra. However, Germany fought back and found the equaliser in the 56th minute through Justus Weigand, who converted a penalty corner to make it 1-1.

With just seconds remaining on the clock, Germany earned another penalty corner and Jakob Brilla found the winning goal in the 60th minute to seal a 2-1 victory for the world champions.

India will take on the Netherlands in their next match on Sunday.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) India all-rounder Harshit Rana has been added to the India squad for the third and final ODI against Afghanistan, scheduled to take place on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the BCCI said on Friday.

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Rana, who has completed his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE), has linked up with the ODI squad in Chennai.

"The Men's Selection Committee has added Harshit Rana to the India squad for the third and final IDFC First Bank ODI against Afghanistan. Rana, who has completed his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE), has linked up with the ODI squad in Chennai," the BCCI statement read.

The all-rounder suffered a ligament strain in his right knee during the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up game against South Africa in Navi Mumbai and pulled out after having delivered just one over and subsequently underwent surgery. He was replaced by Mohammed Siraj, as India went on to win the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at home.

The right-arm quick was also ruled out of IPL 2026 due to his recovery from the knee surgery he underwent in February, with Kolkata Knight Riders signing right-arm pacer Navdeep Saini as his replacement for the tournament.

The 24-year-old has played 14 ODIs for India, taking 16 wickets at an average of 27.38 and an economy rate of 6.21. His last appearance for India came during the home T20I series against New Zealand in January this year.

Rana has also been named in India’s squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, where the team is scheduled to play seven T20Is.

India leads the three-ODI series against Afghanistan 2-0 after victories in Dharamsala and Lucknow.

Updated squad for the third ODI against Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harshit Rana

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Zapopan, June 19 (IANS) Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to reach the round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 1-0 win over South Korea here at Guadalajara Stadium on Friday (IST).

Luis Romo's goal just after half-time put Mexico through as Group A winners with a match to go following a goalkeeping mistake by Kim Seung-gyu. Mexico stopper Raul Rangel made a superb double save in the dying minutes to preserve their lead.

With first place in the bag, Javier Aguirre's side will now meet a third-placed team from one of Group C, E, F, H or I in the round of 32 in Mexico City on June 30. Korea are second on three points, with Czechia and South Africa also still alive in the knockout race with one point each.

Mexico will face the Czechia in their dead-rubber final group game while Korea play South Africa on June 25.

Both teams went into the clash in front of a passionate home crowd knowing that victory would guarantee progress in double-quick time.

Jesus Gallardo signalled Mexico’s intent to take charge of proceedings when he sent a low shot into the side-netting from almost the same patch of grass four minutes after the restart, and the co-hosts were celebrating one minute later when Romo was on hand to prod into the unguarded net after a mix-up between Kim Seunggyu and Lee Gihyuk.

South Korea captain Son Heung-min had the first real chance after 15 minutes. He lifted the ball over the goalkeeper, but Edson Álvarez cleared it off the line with a bicycle kick. Son was eventually flagged for offside, though replays showed it was very close.

Julian Quinones then forced a good save from the South Korean goalkeeper with a header, getting the home crowd loud again. The rest of a quiet first half belonged to South Korea. They passed the ball around comfortably but failed to create any clear chances, though they did manage to quiet down the home fans.

The hosts started the second half with much more energy and took the lead five minutes in. Goalkeeper Kim came out for a high ball but crashed into his own defender, dropping the ball right to Romo. Romo easily tapped it into the empty net in the 50th minute.

Kim made up for his mistake in the 75th minute by standing his ground to block a close-range shot from Raol Jimenez with a brilliant save. With three minutes left, Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel made an incredible double save from Cho Gue-sung and Yang Hyun-jun to secure the win for Mexico.

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Foxborough, June 18 (IANS) Scotland head coach Steve Clarke believes his side may perform better as an underdog when it takes on Morocco in its second World Cup group match on Saturday at Boston Stadium.

Scotland tops Group C after beating Haiti 1-0 in its opener, which also marked its first World Cup match since 1998 and its first win at the tournament since 1990. One more point would all but secure Scotland's first-ever place in the knockout stage.

"Against difficult opponents, we have to be very good," Clarke said at a press conference, as quoted u Xinhua. "I feel Morocco are really, really good. They reached the semi-finals in the last World Cup and I have a feeling this Moroccan team is probably even better.

Sometimes the Scottish psyche, the Scottish mentality, is that we're a little bit more comfortable when we're the underdogs. We were the favourites against Haiti and we found the game a struggle, but we managed to win. This time we're the underdogs and sometimes Scotland prefer it that way," he added.

Scotland last met Morocco at a World Cup in France in 1998, when a 3-0 defeat saw it eliminated. "We know how difficult it's going to be. We're now playing against one of the best teams in the world. But we also believe that if we perform to our maximum, we can make it difficult for anyone," Scotland skipper Andy Robertson said.

Being able to call upon inspirational captain Robertson, Clarke explained, offers further cause for optimism. “He's a proper leader. He’s really important for the dynamic of the group. The players all respect him for what he does on the pitch, but they also respect him for what he does off the pitch. He drives the standards along with the rest of the senior players," Clarke said.

"We're starting to introduce a younger group – the next generation of Scottish footballers – and if they can all look at what Andy Robertson does when he represents his country, then we should be in a good place," he said.

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Foxborough, June 19 (IANS) Scotland captain Andy Robertson declared that players and coaching staff have not "shied away" from what is at stake as the nation is aiming to qualify for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time when they take on Morocco at Boston Stadium on Saturday (IST).

Eight Scottish squads have previously travelled to the FIFA World Cup with big dreams of making deep runs, only to be eliminated in the group stage. Victory over Morocco on Saturday, however, will ensure a place in the knockouts for the Scots, who go into the game top of Group C after a 1-0 opening-game win over Haiti.

“We want to be the first team to be able to qualify for the knockouts for our country. We’re now playing against one of the best teams in the world, but we believe we can make any game difficult. If we can do that and put in our best performance, then I believe we can get what we want and hopefully be the ones that achieve that history," Robertson said in a pre-match presser.

Morocco are sixth in the FIFA world ranking, 31 places above Scotland. They also have recent experience of success on the global stage, having finished fourth at the 2022 World Cup.

"We know they're (Morocco) a fantastic team, and they've got threats all over the park. They did so well in the last World Cup. They were a credit to the whole of Africa, never mind Morocco. Obviously, they've done really well in the recent African Cup of Nations, too.

“We believe in ourselves. I don't think we would be here if we didn't. We had to believe at times in the qualifying campaign that we could do it, when maybe people didn't think we could. We've got to focus on our performance. Our aim is to win the game; their aim is to win the game. Hopefully we're the ones smiling come full-time," he added.

--IANS

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Leeds, June 19 (IANS) The West Indies overcame a spirited challenge from Scotland to scrape their way to a second win of the Women's T20 World Cup with a nervy seven-run victory in a Group B clash in Headingley here on Friday (IST).

After Stafanie Taylor's late heroics with the bat lifted West Indies to 153/6, Scotland made a run for it with a strong start. Despite a gritty half-century by Darcey Carter, Scotland fell short at 146 in 20 overs.

After being put into bat, the West Indies struggled to score freely on a good pitch as Scotland suffocated the Windies' batting with disciplined bowling. The Caribbean side only had four boundaries in powerplay and posted 33/1 in the first six overs.

Katherine Fraser (2-31) was the pick of the Scottish attack and also produced a run-out as well as a contender for catch of the tournament on the boundary to dismiss opener Qiana Joseph. Hayley Matthews was the next to depart as she got castled for a 22-ball 14. At the halfway point, the 2016 champions were precariously placed at 59/2.

Shemaine Campbelle kept the scorecard ticking for a while, but Scotland remained on top of the contest with regular strikes. With Chinelle Henry also departing for a low score, things appeared bleak for the West Indies at 85/5 in 14.3 overs.

Campbelle was once again amongst the runs, registering 36 off 26. She steadied the innings with a 35-run stand with Deandra Dottin, playing her milestone 150th T20I on the day, for the third wicket.

The West Indies turned it around in the last five overs, recovering from 85/5 to 153/6, as Stafanie Taylor used the crease well to make space and free her arms for a few big hits. West Indies plundered 29 runs in the last two overs, with Taylor signing off with two big hits to the fence in the final over. She finished unbeaten at 47 off just 19 balls.

Scotland's reply got off to an electric start as Darcey Carter (59) and Fraser (20) brought up a half-century partnership in five overs. But Matthews turned the match with two wickets in the sixth over. She provided the breakthrough by crashing through Fraser's defence as the batter attempted a slog sweep. Two balls later, she dismissed her opposite number Kathryn Bryce.

A collapse of four wickets for four runs in 13 balls to the spinners turned the game on its head, as Scotland slipped from 51-0 to 55-4.

From there on, it was an uphill task for the Scots. However, Carter kept them in the hunt with a dogged 59 off 62 balls. Carter battled on despite a calf injury and reached a well-deserved half-century. Her 58-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Ailsa Lister took them within striking distance.

But the impetus had fallen out of the Scotland innings as Aaliyah Alleyne made packed off Carter, Lister and Kirstie Gordon in the penultimate over. Despite a late flourish from Ailsa Lister (33), the Scots fell short to go over the line.

Brief scores: West Indies 153/6 in 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 47 not out, Shemaine Campbelle 36; Katherine Fraser 2-34) beat Scotland 146 in 20 overs (Darcey Carter 59, Ailsa Lister 33; Aaliyah Alleyne 3-11, Hayley Matthews 3-19) by 7 runs

--IANS

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Dubai, June 19 (IANS) India have suffered a major injury blow in their Women's T20 World Cup campaign as off-spinner Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an injury to her ankle. Uncapped legspinner Prema Rawat has been named her replacement.

During India's Group A clash against the Netherlands on Wednesday, the off-spinner was stretchered off the field after twisting her right ankle on the first ball of the sixth over of the Netherlands' innings when Shreyanka, having just come in to bowl, chased a ball towards mid‑on, but went down on the field after twisting her right ankle. She immediately clutched her ankle and winced in pain, with teammates rushing to her aid.

"The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Prema Rawat as a replacement for Shreyanka Patil in the India squad. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad," ICC said in a statement.

The 24-year-old leg-break bowler impressed in her recent outing in the Women's Premier League and also in the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars. She picked eight wickets at an average of 9.62 for India A in the latter. Prema has featured in six Women's Premier League matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over the last two seasons, picking up three wickets. In the domestic circuit, she played a crucial hand in Uttarakhand's victory in the domestic senior championship.

Shreyanka, meanwhile, had made a comeback to international cricket from injury earlier this year, and had featured in India’s win against Pakistan, where she finished with 0-17 from three overs.

Earlier this year, in the 2026 WPL, Shreyanka was a member of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team, winning the title. On her return to international cricket, Shreyanka openly spoke about the mental toll of repeated injuries and admitted to battling thoughts of giving up the game altogether, but credited her family and support system for keeping her motivated.

India are unbeaten in their group so far, having beaten Pakistan and Netherlands. They face South Africa on Sunday in Manchester.

--IANS

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Vancouver, June 19 (IANS) Jonathan David notched a hat-trick while Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba added goals as co-hosts Canada thrash nine-man Qatar 6-0 at BC Place Vancouver here on Friday (IST).

It is the first FIFA World Cup victory for the 2026 co-hosts, who, with four points, are on the precipice of the knockout round. Canadians now need only a draw against Switzerland in their final match to finish top of the group.

Cyle Larin, fresh off his goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina, slotted home a rebound in the 16th minute. David took it to another level, pulverising a volley that blazed past Mahmoud Abunada in the 29th.

The celebratory atmosphere at Vancouver's BC Place stadium, however, was soured by a serious injury to Ismael Kone in the 51st minute. Qatar's Assim Madibo upended Kone with a clumsy challenge from behind to leave the Italy-based midfielder writhing in agony and clutching his left leg, AFC reports.

Kone was eventually stretchered off the pitch, waving to the crowd as he inhaled from an oxygen pipe and Madibo, who had initially been given a yellow card for the tackle, was sent off after it was upgraded to red following a VAR review.

With Qatar down to nine men, Canada took full advantage to score three more goals. Saliba - who had replaced the injured Kone - curled in a free-kick to make it 4-0 in the 64th minute. The substitute celebrated his goal by racing to the sideline to hold up a replica of the stricken Kone's Canadian jersey.

Another substitute, Jacob Shaffelburg, then helped make it 5-0, his fierce shot turned into the Qatar goal by defender Mohammad Manai. David then completed his hat-trick in the second minute of stoppage time to complete the win.

The Canadian striker is the first player to score a hat-trick on home soil since Geoff Hurst for England in 1966.

--IANS

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Los Angeles, June 19 (IANS) Midfielder Johan Manzambi scored twice in the second half to help Switzerland move to the top of Group B after Johan Manzambi bagged a brace in the second half to beat ten-man Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 here in their second FIFA World Cup match on Friday (IST) here at Los Angeles Stadium.

The Freiburg star struck twice in a goal-laden second half as the Swiss followed up their opening-match draw against Qatar with an impressive and ultimately deserved victory.

At 20 years and 247 days, Manzambi became the youngest player to score two or more goals in a FIFA World Cup match for Switzerland. He is also the first player to score multiple World Cup goals for the Swiss having come off the bench.

"Yes, it’s probably the best moment of my career so far. We knew why we didn’t start well and we had to be patient today. But we’re a good team and I think we showed that today," said Manzambi.

After a forgettable first period, the match burst into life after the interval when Manzambi came off the bench to crash home an unstoppable first-time strike. Fellow substitute Ruben Vargas doubled their advantage with a smart right-footed finish before setting up Manzambi to settle the outcome and put himself in the adidas Golden Boot picture, FIFA reports.

The Bosnians, who had lost Tarik Muharemovic to a red card for a professional foul on Breel Embolo, pulled a goal back in stoppage time with a ferocious Ermin Mahmic strike. There was no hope of a comeback, though, and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka restored their three-goal cushion as time ticked down with a coolly dispatched penalty.

"It was important to have all the energy on the pitch today and to find solutions. We needed to be patient and we chose to wait until the hydration break to make our tactical changes, so the opponent didn't have a chance to react. We brought fast players and after the opponent already ran a lot, we got spaces, and we were able to convincingly decide the match," said Murat Yakin, Switzerland coach.