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Southampton are taking significant steps in their search for a new manager after sacking Will Still last week.

The Saints, after an underwhelming start to the campaign, sit 19th in the Championship, just six points above the relegation zone, having won just three of their 14 league games so far.

Southampton’s turbulent season took another dramatic turn when the club parted ways with Still after just five months in charge. The 33-year-old’s brief tenure at St Mary’s came to an abrupt end following a 2-0 home defeat to Preston North End, their third consecutive loss and fifth straight game without a win at the time.

Still recorded a dismal average of just 0.92 points per game in the Championship, leaving Southampton chiefs with no choice but to pull the plug.

Championship

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via Transfermarkt

It marked yet another chapter in Sport Republic’s chaotic ownership, with Still becoming the latest in a long line of coaches sacked during their regime.

Still arrived with growing pedigree after a few successful years in France and was once regularly linked with a Premier League move, but struggled to translate that success to English football.

The Belgian native was tasked with securing an immediate return to the Premier League following last season’s relegation, but instead left Southampton perilously close to a second consecutive drop that would represent an unthinkable disaster.

Now, the process to hire his successor has begun, and there are a few noteworthy candidates who are being mentioned by the media.

Under-21s boss Tonda Eckert has been appointed interim manager and immediately guided the team to a 2-1 victory at QPR, temporarily halting the rot. However, Southampton’s hierarchy are actively searching for a permanent replacement.

Reports suggest high-flying Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is an ambitious option for Southampton, with the Saints also weighing up a reunion for Russell Martin.

A number of other candidates are being assessed too, including Stoke City manager Mark Robins (talkSPORT), England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley, and Gary O’Neil.

In terms of the latter, Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath shared news earlier this week that O’Neil is a strong contender for the Southampton job, and there’s now been another update on the Englishman’s potential appointment.

Southampton 'looking to finalise' Gary O'Neil deal after making approach

As per TEAMtalk, O’Neil is emerging as the clear frontrunner to take charge.

The south coast club have now made an approach to O’Neil over their vacant position, with talks expected to intensify in the coming days as both parties “look to finalise an agreement”.

O’Neil is said to be in pole position to become Southampton’s new manager, with the club having admirers of his previous Premier League work.

Southampton’s search has apparently narrowed to three main candidates. Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick, who was most recently manager of Middlesbrough, remains in contention due to his strong reputation, while Martin is also still a candidate and would be open to discussions about returning to St Mary’s after his Rangers dismissal.

O’Neil is said to be “highly respected” in Premier League circles after his work at Bournemouth and Wolves (Miguel Delaney), even if his tenures did end in sour fashion, and he was briefly considered for the West Ham job recently.

The 42-year-old steered a hapless Bournemouth side clear of relegation in his first season with limited resources, and took charge of Wolves in very difficult circumstances after Julen Lopetegui’s sudden exit — briefly steadying the ship at Molineux.

His track record suggests that O’Neil could be an astute appointment by Sport Republic, and given his free agent status, Southampton won’t have to fork out a compensation fee.

O’Neil has also been called an “underrated” tactician.

Australia and New Zealand are in town as the city ends a 28-year wait

Vishal Dikshit30-Sep-2025A lanky girl in her late teens wraps her batting gloves around her bat handle on the concrete pavement beyond the worn-down fence of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium under overcast skies in Indore. She whacks the under-arm half-volley straight to me and sticks her tongue out instantly, with a cheeky grin, implying that it wasn’t intentional at all.The once-iconic stadium, which started exclusively as a cricket venue under the Indore Municipal Corporation in 1964, now wears a dilapidated look. It hosted nine men’s ODIs and two women’s ODIs but hasn’t hosted competitive cricket matches since 2001. It has since been turned into a multi-sports complex, with patches of overgrown grass covering a majority of the ground, and its corners occupied by aspiring athletes honing their skills in football, cricket, basketball and volleyball.When former India opener Sandhya Agarwal was in her late teens, she used to dabble in kite flying, games of marbles and later on cricket with boys of her age in the gullies outside the same Nehru Stadium, where she grew up watching the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, GR Viswanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, S Venkataraghavan, and others in Ranji Trophy and international matches. Growing up in the vicinity of the ground sparked a fire in her to become an India international herself, and despite retiring in 1995, she is still the leading scorer for India in women’s Tests and holds a storied place as one of only a handful of batters to score hundreds, including a 190 against England in 1986, which was then the highest individual score.The Nehru Stadium is best remembered for witnessing Sachin Tendulkar become the first player to cross 10,000 ODI runs, on his way to 139 against Australia in 2001, and infamously for the three-over farce between India and Sri Lanka in 1997, when the match was called off as the dry and crumbling pitch was judged unsafe for the players to continue. That was the beginning of the end for the ground.Sachin Tendulkar scored his 10,000th ODI run in Indore•ALLSPORTThere was a match here that went largely unnoticed in 1997. It was a World Cup match. Between India women, who weren’t under the wings of the BCCI, and New Zealand women. The ICC wasn’t involved in the tournament either.Agarwal had retired by then and was on commentary for Doordarshan, India’s state-owned and only television broadcaster at the time. She recalls the ground had fairly “nominal” facilities, where New Zealand posted a modest 176 for 9 and India were just six runs away when they lost their ninth wicket, with 15 balls to go.”Until then it felt like India were going to win easily,” Agarwal reminisces while talking to ESPNcricinfo. “It was me and Sushil – Sushil Doshi (journalist and sports commentator from Indore) – and we said to each other, ‘ tak aane lagi hai (we can smell the victory till the commentator’s box now),’ I still remember.”Related

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She estimates there must have been just under a thousand people in the crowd, but they were very vocal in their support for the players who were still miles from becoming household names.Opener Emily Drumm, New Zealand’s top-scorer with 69, was on her first tour of the subcontinent, adjusting to “pretty average” hotels and facilities, and a crowd that was obviously supporting the home team.”It was a tense one,” Drumm says, jogging back her memory, “It ebbed and flowed. It was quite noisy with the crowd, good atmosphere. We didn’t get enough runs, so I knew that was probably going to be really tight.”Wickets fell at good intervals, and then India would get a little bit of parity and then we would break a partnership. It was one of those matches. It was a really funny game. There was a bit of bite between the teams, a little bit of chat. No love lost at all. So I think we got out of there alive just.”Nehru stadium, once an exclusive cricket ground, now a multi-sports complex•ESPNcricinfo LtdNeetu David getting bowled in the last over with the scores level meant New Zealand finished above India in the league stage and ultimately reached the final where they lost to Australia in Kolkata. Three years later the trans-Tasman rivals met each other once again, in Lincoln, and this time Drumm, the captain, lifted New Zealand’s maiden World Cup trophy, edging out Australia by just four runs.Now, another 25 years later, New Zealand return to Indore to kickstart their 2025 World Cup campaign against Australia. Both teams have gone through several transitions since then, the game has gone professional, and Indore also has a new ground – the Holkar Stadium – which started hosting international matches in 2006 but is yet to host a women’s international. This World Cup, it’s the venue for five games, including the India vs England clash – a rematch of the 2017 final – on October 19, which is likely to be the biggest crowd-puller of the lot.Of the four Indian cities that will play host this World Cup, the rapid rise of Indore best mirrors the growth of the women’s game. The city has developed expeditiously – proudly called “Mini-Mumbai” by the locals – just like the dizzying rise of the women’s game, most recently proven by the record prize money this time of US$ 13.88 million, more than what the Australian men received ($10 million) for lifting the 2023 ODI trophy.A number of players who have played pivotal roles in the transformation of the women’s game will take the field in the coming weeks in Indore. If young girls – whether they train at Nehru Stadum or Holkar – want to get inspired, this is their best chance to see them in the flesh and light the fire in themselves.

“Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Umran Malik, who is making his comeback from a hip injury, says

Rajan Raj07-Dec-2025Umran Malik will not compromise on his speed. It’s his “identity” and his “natural ability”, and though he is on a comeback trail after over a year out with injuries – a hip issue the last – he will keep bowling as fast as he can since it’s a point of difference between him and other quicks in the country.”Every fast bowler in the world knows that injuries are going to be a part of his career. But speed is my natural aspect. How can I compromise with that? Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Malik told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of Jammu and Kashmir’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Hyderabad in Kolkata on December 4.”You can’t bowl at 150(kph) straight away. You reach that speed gradually. I don’t want to show my speed to anyone, but I want to show my wickets. But it is also that after ten years [of bowling at a competitive level], I want to bowl at 140 [from 150] and not come down to a speed of 130 from 150.”Before turning out in the latest edition of the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournaments, Malik had last played in in March 2024 in the IPL that year, for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Mumbai Indians (MI). He was with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 but could not play a single match.

“Money is not a concern. The first and last thing is that my fitness and form should be such that I play every match for the team and take wickets. If I can’t do this, then what will be my value as a player?”Umran Malik

Coming back from a serious injury takes a toll on the body as well as on the mind, and Malik’s focus has changed a bit now.”After spending time at NCA [BCCI’s Centre of Excellence] and talking to many experts, I have started to understand my body better,” he said. “I now know what things need to be managed better if I want to avoid injury.”Though KKR have let go of a number of their players, including some big-ticket stars, Malik has been retained ahead of IPL 2026.”I know that for many Indian fast bowlers, it is not that difficult to be part the IPL. It’s probably easy for me too, but I’m not just thinking of taking part in the tournament,” he said. “Money is not a concern. The first and last thing is that my fitness and form should be such that I play every match for the team and take wickets. If I can’t do this, then what will be my value as a player?”I will work as hard as I have to. I will learn where I make mistakes. I will take care of myself and want to make my comeback memorable.”Those who have watched him bowl this season have found a slightly different Malik, who has maintained his speeds while also appearing to bowl within himself a bit.At present, Malik’s eyes are focused solely on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but it is with an eye on the future, starting with the IPL.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has now identified a “special” Real Madrid star as a priority target, joining several other Premier League clubs in the race for his signature.

Man Utd's attacking prowess on show in win at Molineux

Man United returned to winning ways on Monday night, putting in a quality attacking performance to secure a 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, with Bruno Fernandes bagging a brace.

Bryan Mbeumo also bagged his sixth goal of the Premier League season in the rout, with Mason Mount getting in on the act too, and Amorim was very impressed by the Englishman’s performance.

After the attacking midfielder scooped up the Player of the Match award, Amorim said: “He can defend, he can attack, the quality when he touches the ball is really good, so it’s not a surprise for me,”

“He’s a different type of leader. It’s not like Licha [Lisandro Martinez], for example. It’s a guy that leads by the example.”

With Matheus Cunha also grabbing an assist in the routine win, which lifted United to sixth in the table, Amorim clearly has plenty of top-quality forward options at his disposal, but a Real Madrid attacker is now of interest.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Man United are now stepping up their pursuit of Arda Guler, who has been identified as a priority target by Amorim ahead of next summer.

Arsenal and Liverpool are also in the race for Guler’s signature, with Arne Slot’s side believed to be leading the race as things stand, although Madrid aren’t planning to sanction a departure easily.

The Turk is viewed as an important part of the Spanish side’s long-term project, so it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can tempt them into a sale.

"Special" Guler could be fantastic long-term signing for Man Utd

Just 20-years-old, the attacking midfielder has managed to establish himself as an important player for Real Madrid this season, amassing three goals and seven assists across 21 matches in all competitions.

Former manager Carlo Ancelotti has also waxed lyrical about the starlet, saying: “I think the closer to goal, the better. He is very effective, he scores a lot with little space, he has a special talent. He shows it better closer to the goal.”

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Having already proven himself at a high level, setting up two goals in the Champions League in 2025-26, and scoring six goals in 26 appearances for Turkey, the £87k-a-week youngster could be a fantastic long-term addition to Amorim’s squad.

He’s been described as “the single best midfield prospect in world football” by writer Neal Gardner and the fact he finished second in the 2025 Golden Boys rankings, only behind PSG’s Desire Doue, says a lot.

That said, it is somewhat difficult to envisage Madrid sanctioning a sale, given that Guler remains under contract until 2029, so there is no pressing need to cash-in, and he has been a key player for Xabi Alonso this season.

On the eve of MLS Cup, Jordi Alba admitted that Saturday’s final will carry a unique emotional weight. The Inter Miami left back will retire once the whistle blows, closing an illustrious career he hopes to crown with one more trophy. Facing Vancouver, he says there are no favorites — only a final chance to compete at the highest level.

Getty Images Sport'It’s clear how much the club has grown'

Alba is stepping into unfamiliar territory this weekend. Not because it’s a final – he’s already appeared in over 20 major finalsin his career – but because this one marks the end. When Inter Miami host the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS Cup, the Spanish defender will lace up for the last time before officially retiring from professional football.

Speaking during MLS Media Day, Alba emphasized how different this moment feels.

“I knew this would be a new experience, but an appealing one,” he said. “I reunited with former teammates, and it’s clear how much the club has grown. Reaching a final is historic for Inter Miami, and while I’ve been fortunate to play many of them, this one is special because it will be my last. It’s a final — there are no favorites — but if we perform well, we’ll have our chances.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA final loaded with emotion

Alba refused to compare Saturday’s match with his farewell at Barcelona, a moment he still remembers as deeply emotional. This time, he admits, the uncertainty comes from not knowing how it will actually feel until it happens.

“It’s different because I know it’s my last game,” he explained. “Of course it’s important – it’s a final – but it means even more for the club. No matter what happens, I’m leaving afterward. Hopefully, I can leave with a trophy. Busi is in the same situation as me. I don’t know how I’ll process it because you only feel those emotions in the moment. My last game with Barcelona was very emotional, but this isn’t just changing teams – it’s not playing anymore, and that makes it even bigger.”

Alba also spoke warmly about Inter Miami’s coach, someone he shares a long history with.

“I was lucky to play alongside him and then be coached by him. It’s a different relationship on the field, but the bond remains just as good,” he said. “He’s done an exceptional job regardless of what happens Saturday. I’m proud to have been coached by him – I learned a lot from working under him.”

Getty Images SportLooking back on a career beyond expectations

Alba also reflected on his trajectory, tracing it from L'Hospitalet to World Cup triumphs and Champions League glory. Over the course of his career, he picked up major honours – including the 2010 World Cup, the 2015 UEFA Champions League, multiple La Liga titles, and domestic cups.

Asked to grade his own career, he didn’t hesitate:
“I’ve had good and bad matches, like everyone, but I’d give my career an excellent grade. From the moment I left L'Hospitalet, everything felt like a dream. I achieved far more than I ever expected. I can’t complain — I accomplished everything I dreamed of and I’m proud of what I learned with every team I represented," he said. 

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Getty Images SportA farewell shared with Busquets

Saturday will also close the book on Sergio Busquets’ legendary career. For Alba, that shared endpoint has added another layer to an already emotional week.

“It will be his last game too,” Alba noted. “But everyone experiences these moments in their own way.”

Still, finishing his journey at home, in front of the club’s fans, feels like a privilege.

“It’s an honor to end my career with a final here,” he said. “It’s been a tough week emotionally. I’ll miss the game, but I never doubted my decision. Once I made it, it was firm and fully thought out. Now I hope the final goes our way.”

The Dodgers aren’t done making moves this offseason, and another big one could be on the way.

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reports L.A. would “not be opposed” to trading Tyler Glasnow.

Glasnow has elite, ace-level stuff, but has only topped 100 innings once in his 10-year MLB career. Since joining the Dodgers in December 2023, he has only made 40 starts. In that time, he has gone 13-9, with a 3.37 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and 274 strikeouts against 78 walks in 224 1/3 innings. He has produced 5.5 fWAR and boasts an xFIP of 3.10.

As mentioned, the issue with Glasnow has been availability. He dealt with shoulder issues in 2025, after missing the entire postseason run in 2024 due to an elbow injury. This season, he only made 18 starts but pitched just 90 1/3 innings and went 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA.

The Dodgers acquired the 31-year-old Southern California native from the Rays along with Manuel Margo in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca. They immediately signed him to a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension. As Gonzalez explained, the deal is fairly manageable now, with a minimum of $81.6 million left on it over the next three seasons if Glasnow opted in for 2028. Unless he gets a whole lot healthier, it’s unlikely anyone would pick up the $30 million option for 2028.

Glasnow could certainly be part of a deal for an upgrade, or the Dodgers could use him to solve the big hole they currently have in the outfield. Andy Pages is set in center field, while the team seems content to keep Teoscar Hernandez at one corner spot. Or they could decide to swing big and use the veteran righty as part of a package for Skubal, as Gonzalez suggests.

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Blake Snell firmly entrenched in L.A.’s rotation, the remaining spots should go to Glasnow and Roki Sasaki. That’s as things stand today, but the Dodgers are not done maneuvering. Don’t be shocked if they do something big, and if Glasnow is part of it.

When Arne Slot spoke in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United, it was pretty sobering for the head coach to suggest that the focus is on securing a place in next year’s Champions League proper, and not battling to defend their hard-won Premier League title.

Slot’s right, of course, with Liverpool so far removed from last year’s indomitable success that talk of mounting a challenge against high-flying Arsenal would be scoffed at by even the most ardent supporters.

Among Liverpool’s biggest problems this season has been a struggle in the build-up, especially on the right side. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence is keenly felt, and sporting director Richard Hughes is looking to replace the former vice-captain’s creativity.

Liverpool looking to replace Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool have technically replaced Alexander-Arnold already, signing Jeremie Frimpong for £29.5m this summer. However, neither Frimpong or Conor Bradley boast the same playmaking ability as the 27-year-old, who plies his craft for Real Madrid after leaving Anfield at the end of his contract in June.

The £116m signing of Florian Wirtz was meant to help the passing of the creative torch, but Wirtz’s struggles have been well-documented this season, and, as analyst Raj Chohan puts it, “the build-up combination is horrible” on Liverpool’s right-hand side this season.

Those around him know Wirtz has world-class potential in the Premier League and could become a superstar playmaker, a poster boy. However, he doesn’t really operate down the right lane, and this is where Slot and Hughes need to fix Liverpool’s progressive passing.

Perhaps that’s why FSG are showing an interest in signing Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, having shortlisted the France international this week, according to German outlet BILD.

Olise, 23, has only gone from strength to strength since swapping Crystal Palace for the Allianz Arena in 2024, and if Liverpool want to secure his signature, ostensibly as Mohamed Salah’s long-term replacement, they will need to pay over £100m.

BILD believe that Liverpool have placed Olise back onto their shortlist despite Bayern’s not-for-sale stance.

What Olise would bring to Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold’s influence at Liverpool cannot be understated. Quite simply, he is a one-of-a-kind type of player, and his departure to Santiago Bernabeu was always going to be more than just a blow to the Anfield side’s pride.

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Olise might not be a right-back, but he would prove the perfect Salah replacement at right wing in that he would not try to mimic the Egyptian’s clinical output, and instead bring his own flavour to Merseyside.

At Bayern, the former Palace star has posted 29 goals and 34 assists across 76 matches. He is regarded as “one of the best players in the world” by teammate Serge Gnabry.

Physical and athletic, Olise is also near matchless when it comes to creating for his peers, setting up passing patterns and adding pressure in the final third with unplayable passing.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 12% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90.

That is not to say he’s a one-trick pony, with fearsome ball-striking qualities that the Premier League’s many defenders and goalkeepers know only too well.

He has proven himself to be a superstar in the English game, and since levelling up in Germany, Olise has fostered the playmaking brilliance that would see him reinvent Slot’s right flank and rekindle the presence of Trent at Anfield.

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He had suffered a neck injury while batting during the Kolkata Test last month

Alagappan Muthu06-Dec-2025Shubman Gill will be back playing for India at the start of the T20Is against South Africa on Tuesday with head coach Gautam Gambhir confirming that he is “fit and fine, hungry to go.”Gill suffered a neck injury last month – understood to involve a pinched nerve – while batting during the Kolkata Test match. He had moved to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to recover – the initial timeline that the BCCI had drawn up for him involved five weeks of rest before resuming training.After completing a 2-1 victory over South Africa in the ODIs on Saturday, Gambhir addressed the press saying, “yes, Shubman is ready to start. That’s why he has been selected. And obviously he is fit and fine, hungry to go.”In the absence of Gill, Rishabh Pant had stepped in as captain in the second Test in Guwahati, where India suffered their biggest Test defeat, in terms of runs. In the following ODI series, Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting, in place of Gill, along with Rohit Sharma and helped India win the decider in Vizag with his maiden ODI hundred. Gill is now set to return to the top in T20Is and reunite with his good friend Abhishek Sharma.India have been bolstered further by the return of allrounder Hardik Pandya after an injury had layoff kept him out of action for over two months.The five T20Is against South Africa will be played on December 9, 11, 14, 17 and 19 in Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad respectively. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side while Gill will be his deputy.India’s T20I squad for South Africa seriesSuryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar

Well, it certainly could have been easier. If England could have picked their opponents for the 2026 World Cup group stage, they probably would not have chosen a Croatia team that finished third at the last tournament and knocked them out in the semi-finals at the previous one in Russia, or a Ghana side containing two of the most exciting forwards in the Premier League.

At least Panama, who they destroyed 6-1 in the group stage in 2018, represent as close a guarantee to a win as is possible. A testing group, however, is just what Thomas Tuchel's side need to warm-up for the knockout rounds, when the expanded World Cup will truly kick into life. 

England are the only team at the 2026 World Cup to have won all their qualifying games without conceding a goal, and yet the confidence that comes from such a dominant display in those eight matches has to be balanced with the fact that Tuchel's side are yet to face a top team, with their friendlies pitting them against Wales and Senegal, the latter beating them last June.

Having a relatively tough run of opening matches will help sharpen England's reflexes and test their mentality, which should put them in good stead for the business end of the tournament. The Three Lions will need to be prepared because they have a truly daunting path to the final, potentially meeting former winners in every stage from the quarter-finals onwards. 

But while Gareth Southgate's England tended to be cowed by playing the very best teams, Tuchel has sought to remove the fear factor from his players, fostering fierce competition among his squad, which has translated into them wanting to tear into opponents rather than being overawed by them. As the fourth-ranked team in the world and runners-up in the last two European Championships, England have no excuse for not going all the way, regardless of how the draw has panned out.

Getty Images SportCroatia not the force they were

England will begin the tournament after nearly everyone else when they play Croatia on June 17, six days after Mexico and South Africa get the show on the road.

The mere mention of Croatia makes many England fans shudder. They came from behind to beat Gareth Southgate's side in the semi-finals of 2018, using the perceived arrogance of the constant talk of 'Football Coming Home' as fuel. 

Croatia were also responsible for England's darkest moment in the 21st Century: Their failure to qualify for Euro 2008 after losing 3-2 to Slavan Bilic's side at a rain-swept Wembley. England avenged that defeat by thrashing Croatia home and away while qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, while Southgate's side also got their own back, beating Zlatko Dalic's men in the Nations League and in the first game of Euro 2020.

Croatia defied the odds once again at Qatar 2022, reaching the semi-finals after coming back to beat Japan and then Brazil on penalties, and few teams have their endurance factor in the big moments. But they are a team of the past, as their dismal showing at Euro 2024 showed.

Captain Luka Modric recently turned 40, but he is far from the exception when it comes to veterans with prominent roles in the team. Ivan Perisic will be 37 when the tournament comes around while Andrej Kramaric will be almost 35. England should beat them.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGhana on the way back after AFCON disaster

Next up is Ghana. The Black Stars are the lowest-ranked team England will face in the group after they suffered the ignominy of failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. They recovered some pride by winning eight of their 10 World Cup qualifiers to finish top of their group, however, and they have more than enough big names to keep Tuchel's side on their toes. 

Antoine Semenyo is one of the most productive players in the Premier League and will be the one England will be looking to keep a lid on, with Mohamed Kudus a close second. Semenyo has, it should be pointed out, failed to reproduce his club heroics for his country, scoring only three goals and providing one assist in 32 internationals.

Ghana's top scorer in World Cup qualifying was Leicester City striker Jordan Ayew, who just so happens to be the son of Abedi Pele, the greatest Black Stars player of all time. Coach Otto Addo, who led them to the last World Cup in Qatar but left before the AFCON qualifying debacle, has European experience as an assistant with Borussia Dortmund and Danish side Nordsjaelland, and has bolstered their threat from dead balls by with the help of the Belgian video analyst and set-piece coach Gregory De Grauwe.

They will be no pushovers, but England should have more than enough resources to also beat them.

AFPPanama have kicked on

England will have hoped to have at least assured themselves of a place in the knockout rounds when they meet Panama in their third and final group game. The 6-1 shellacking of the Central American nation in Nizhny Novgorod smashed England's previous record win at a World Cup, with Harry Kane's hat-trick against the tournament debutants going a long way towards him winning the Golden Boot. Panama failed to pick up a point in Russia, but have advanced as a team since then under the tutelage of Thomas Christiansen. 

The former Leeds United coach, who spent most of his playing career in Spain and represented La Roja despite being born in Denmark, took Panama to the final of the 2023 Gold Cup, the 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League and to the quarter-finals of the Copa America in 2024, which was held in the United States. 

Strangely, the team that are ostensibly the minnows of Group L could pose the toughest challenge to England as they set up in an extremely conservative 5-4-1 formation, the same shape that Andorra used in their narrow defeats to Tuchel's side in qualifying. But if England need a result to qualify or finish top of the group, they will surely get it. Indeed, their relentless record in qualifying suggests Tuchel will not let them relax even if the game is a dead rubber.

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GettyAvoiding the worst conditions

The good news is that England have avoided some of the toughest conditions when it comes to temperature, humidity and altitude. The exact venues and kick-off times will not be confirmed until Saturday evening, although most of England's games have been designated for the eastern region, with one exception: Dallas.

Their opening game with Croatia will be in either Toronto or Dallas, places with vastly different climates. The good news is though that if the game is held in Dallas – or Arlington, to be exact – AT&T Stadium has a retractable roof and its climate can be controlled, protecting the players from the worst of the Texas summer and its temperatures that can reach 34C degrees. 

Toronto represents the best conditions for football, and England could also play Ghana in the Canadian city, meaning there is potential for back-to-back games without travel. The alternative is Boston, which will be hotter and with the added disadvantage of the Gillette Stadium having no roof and thus no shelter from the sun or the rain. The same is true of the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the two options for the final game against Panama.

If England top Group L, their path through the knockout stage will see them criss-cross the continent, heading south to the indoor Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the last 32, then all the way to Mexico City, with lower temperatures but significant altitude, for the last 16. The humidity of Miami would be a new challenge for Tuchel's side in the quarter-finals, with a return to Atalanta on the cards in the semis before a final in New York/New Jersey.

Some of the match-ups to look forward to in the first semi-final of the women’s World Cup

Vishal Dikshit28-Oct-20252:33

Kapp vs Knight, and other key match-ups to watch out for

Four-time champions England and now four-time semi-finalists South Africa are set to clash in a Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final for the third straight time. If 2017 was nothing less than heartbreak for South Africa, when they nearly defended 218 with two wickets left for England, 2022 was a lot more one-sided when South Africa managed only 156 in their chase of 294.Wednesday may or may not see a different result, but it will be chock full of cool match-ups. Here are some of them:Kapp against England’s big namesMarizanne Kapp is the most experienced bowler in her side but is yet to put out her best show this World Cup. She will be banking on the experience of having played 21 matches against England for 29 wickets, her best against any team, including her only ODI five-for.Kapp usually takes the new ball for South Africa, which is just as well because she has dismissed opener Tammy Beaumont five times (for 146 runs), one of which was during the 2022 semi-final for a score of just 7. Beaumont, however, has four ODI centuries against the South Africans, the most by anyone against them.Related

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Crucially, Kapp has a stellar record against England’s two best batters at this tournament – 5 for 100 against Heather Knight and 3 for 35 against Nat Sciver-Brunt.What happens to South Africa against spin?Seven. It’s a number that will be ringing in South Africa’s ears after seven of them fell to Alana King in their last game.Seven is also the wickets they lost to spin in their first match of this World Cup. England and Guwahati have come calling again, this time in a semi-final.Even if it’s not a skills thing, which is what captain Laura Wolvaardt said on Tuesday, it could still play in the mind if wickets start to fall to the slow bowlers again, or even if the runs start drying up.Left-arm spinners, in particular, have been a problem. South Africa have the lowest balls-per-wicket ratio (20.20) against them at this World Cup. England’s is 33.70 (second-best).2:30

Wolvaardt: ‘Have a really good chance of winning if we stay calm’

South Africa have given away 15 wickets (third-most) to left-arm spin at an average of 16.40 (third-worst) and England have two of them in Linsey Smith and Sophie Ecclestone, who is expected to recover from her injury and play on Wednesday.Wolvaardt, South Africa’s top-run-scorer in the competition, doesn’t score too quickly against Ecclestone (47 runs off 108 balls) and has also lost her wicket twice. Should she survive that match-up though, there is every chance she could go big. Wolvaardt is the only South African batter to have scored over 500 ODI runs against England.Conditions in Guwahati will also test South Africa in another way. A slow pitch is likely to be used for the semi-final, the kind that isn’t conducive to hitting a lot of boundaries. Wolvaardt’s team has found 57.1% of their runs through fours and sixes at this World Cup. They’ve got here playing one way. Will they stick to it, even when conditions demand something different, even when everything is on the line?Who is going to get the runs then?Irrespective of the surface and the occasion, both teams would want to collect quick runs at some point. South Africa will rely on their lower-order star Nadine de Klerk to belt out those big hits. And she in turn might eye Charlie Dean to pull it off. Their head-to-head reads 35 runs in 24 balls at a strike at 145.83, but with no sixes yet. Annerie Dercksen and Chloe Tryon have also struck at over-a-run-a-ball against Dean: 33 off 30 and 59 off 58 respectively. Tryon is also the only one from South Africa’s top seven to have struck Dean for two sixes.For England, Amy Jones, with two half-centuries in her last three outings, could be the one to push the pedal. She has a strike rate of 134.61 against de Klerk (35 off 26 balls) and 153.81 against Nonkululeko Mlaba (20 off 13), South Africa’s best bowler this tournament, without being dismissed by either of them.Some of the unmatchable strike rates for a match-up between these two teams belong to Danni Wyatt-Hodge. She has 39 off 19 (205.26) while facing de Klerk for one dismissal and 17 off 9 (188.88) against Mlaba for no dismissals.