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Manchester United have made their worst defensive start to a season in 60 years after conceding three goals against Galatasaray on Wednesday.

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United lost lead to draw 3-3 with GalatasarayHave now conceded 33 goals in 20 matchesTheir worst record since 1962-63WHAT HAPPENED?

United surrendered a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with the Turkish side, putting their Champions League campaign in danger with one game left of the group stage. The Red Devils have now conceded 33 goals in all competitions this season – their worst record after 20 matches since they let in 43 in the 1962-63 season, according to .

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Conceding three goals in such a crucial game puts more pressure on goalkeeper Andre Onana and coach Erik ten Hag. The Cameroon international did not cover himself in glory with the goals, particularly Hakim Ziyech's second free-kick. Onana got a hand to the ball but failed to keep it out, making it 3-2 and allowing Galatasaray to go on and seal a vital point later on.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ten Hag's team have taken just four points from their five Champions League matches and need to beat Bayern Munich in their last game and hope that Galatasaray fail to beat Copenhagen in the group's other match. United have endured a tough start to the Premier League campaign, too, as they sit sixth in the table, conceding 16 goals in 13 games.

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The Red Devils hope to bounce back and secure a third consecutive Premier League victory on Saturday when they visit Newcastle at St James' Park. Newcastle, who beat Chelsea 4-1 last week, are seventh in the table and a point behind United.

Which African All-Stars could be part of the Red Devils’ reconstruction under their incoming Dutch coach?

Getty ImagesTen Hag signs on

Erik ten Hag has finally been confirmed as the new Manchester United manager, ending months of speculation as to who will be the next man in the Old Trafford dugout.

The scale of the rebuilding job on his hands is massive given how far United have fallen behind their rivals and, just on Tuesday, interim manager Ralf Rangnick said the club could need up to 10 new players to get to where they need and want to be.

As Ten Hag plots his transfer targets, GOAL's Joel Omotto looks at six African players who could help his rebuilding job.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEdmond Tapsoba

Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones cost United a combined fee of nearly £200 million yet the club badly needs a defender.

United’s leaky backline has conceded 48 goals in the Premier League this season, the highest among the top 10, a damning indictment on their recruitment.

They can start getting it right by bringing in Burkina Faso defender Tapsoba, who has been in impressive form for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

Tapsoba is a ball-playing defender who is good in one-versus-one situations while also athletic, features none of the current United centre-backs possess.

Unlike Varane, Bailly and Jones, who cannot keep injuries at bay, Tapsoba has no such troubles as he has already featured in 60 Bundesliga games since joining Leverkusen in 2020, giving United continuity and stability.

ProshotsNoussair Mazraoui

Another area that needs a makeover is right-back, where Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot have failed to impress over the last three years.

The two offer little going forward and are not defensively sound, making Morocco’s Mazraoui an upgrade for this position if Ten Hag opts to raid his former team.

Going for a former player would make adaptation easy for Mazraoui since he understands the Dutchman’s philosophy.

Mazraoui is good at keeping the ball and has no problem bombing down the wing while providing pin-point crosses, something United have lacked for years.

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(C)Getty ImagesYves Bissouma

The Mali central midfielder, who plays for Brighton and Hove Albion, possesses everything that United do not have in the engine room.

The six-foot-tall defensive midfielder is a towering presence who is good at reading the game and adept at progressing the ball through long and short passes which will allow United to play through the lines in Ten Hag’s favoured possession-based 4-3-3 system.

He will not come cheap though since Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be interested, but United could finally find a replacement for Michael Carrick if they managed to get Bissouma.

Chelsea are reportedly ready to give up on their protracted pursuit of Moises Caicedo, with Leandro Paredes emerging as an alternative target.

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Blues looking for midfield reinforcementsSeagulls proving difficult to deal withWorld Cup winner may be lined upWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues remain in the market for midfield reinforcements after parting company with the likes of N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic. They had been hoping that long-standing interest in Brighton star Caicedo would reach a positive conclusion in the summer transfer window.

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That has not been the case, with the Seagulls knocking back several bids as they refuse to budge in their £100 million ($127m) valuation of the highly-rated Ecuador international. Chelsea are now turning their attention elsewhere, with claiming that Paris Saint-Germain ace Paredes is in their sights.

AND WHAT'S MORE

Mauricio Pochettino previously worked with the Argentina international at PSG and – with the 2022 World Cup winner into the final year of his contract in France – he is considered to be a cut-price option at Stamford Bridge. He does not fit the profile of player usually targeted by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake ownership team, but the 29-year-old’s experience could prove invaluable.

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There remains a chance that Conor Gallagher will also leave Chelsea before the next deadline passes, with the Blues still keeping an eye on Edson Alvarez of Ajax, USMNT star Tyler Adams of Leeds, Everton’s Amadou Onana and Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga.

Manchester United's Premier League meeting with Burnley kicks off at an unusually late time on Saturday.

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United face BurnleyKick-off moved to later in the dayNew rules behind changeWHAT HAPPENED?

Saturday's match at Turf Moor kicks off at 8pm local time on Saturday, which is unusually late. There was no 12.30pm match on Saturday, with other matches starting at the usual 3pm slot and then Brentford's match against Everton going on at 5.30pm.

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It is rare for Premier League games to start later than 5.30pm on Saturdays, but United's clash at Burnley has been moved because of new rules surrounding the Champions League.

Many coaches have complained about the lack of recovery time for players after playing midweek matches and the new rules have been brought in to address the issue.

DID YOU KNOW?

The new regulations mean that clubs who were in Champions League action at 8pm on a Wednesday cannot play in the 12.30pm kick-off the following Saturday. As a result, the Burnley vs United match was moved to later on Saturday.

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After the weekend's clash, United will face Crystal Palace in the league on Tuesday.

Justice (retired) AP Shah, the BCCI ombudsman, has ruled that Rahul Sanghvi was in violation of the BCCI’s internal conflict-of-interest rules by serving as Delhi selector while still being associated with Mumbai Indians

Arun Venugopal16-Mar-2016Justice (retired) AP Shah, the BCCI ombudsman, has ruled that former India spinner Rahul Sanghvi was in violation of the BCCI’s internal conflict-of-interest rules by serving as selector of the Delhi senior and Under-23 teams during the 2015-16 season while still being associated with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians. Former India player Kirti Azad had filed a complaint, alleging Sanghvi was in conflict after the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) appointed him as one of the three selectors in September 2015.Shah also ruled that there was no point in terminating Sanghvi’s contract with the DDCA now, given that Delhi’s season was set to finish at the end of this month.Sanghvi had contended that he had not applied for the job and had been nominated by the DDCA. He also added that he didn’t receive any remuneration as a selector. Sanghvi said he was employed with Mumbai Indians in an administrative capacity since 2008 and he was not involved in coaching or selection of the IPL team.After seeking clarification from the BCCI on the conflict-of-interest rules in place, Shah wrote that if a retired cricketer was appointed as coach or selector of a state association or any other unit affiliated to the BCCI on an “annual or long-term basis”, he could not accept any position with an IPL franchise. Shah’s order, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, stated there was no conflict, though, when a former cricketer was appointed by a BCCI-affiliated unit for a single season following the end of which he worked with an IPL team (for example, a former player might work with say Bengal during the 2016-2017 Ranji Trophy and once the tournament is done go and work for, perhaps, Delhi Daredevils in the 2017 IPL). “The BCCI has permitted the same, at least for the time being,” Shah wrote.In another order, Shah highlighted a clarification received from the BCCI that bars cricketers (current or retired), who hold positions as coaches or selectors of the board’s affiliate units, from running private academies. The order was in response to Azad’s complaint against former India wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya that alleged he was in conflict by virtue of running the Vijay Dahiya academy – a private coaching centre – while still being Delhi’s coach in 2015-16. Azad also said that Dahiya’s role as assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL also constituted conflict. According to Azad, Dahiya owned a company called Safe Hands Sports Management, which deals with cricketing equipment and gear, and that led to further conflict of interest.Dahiya responded by saying he didn’t run the academy and that he didn’t own or hold any position in Safe Hands Sports Management. After reviewing the submissions of various parties Shah stated that the academy was run by Dahiya’s near relatives. “Since the academy is named after Mr Dahiya, and it is run by his near relatives, and there are advertisements for the academy in Mr Dahiya’s name, it appears that the retired cricketer is closely associated with the academy.”While nothing can be done if a name has already been adopted by a cricket academy, hereafter, if such an academy is named after a cricketer and is run by a near relative it may be presumed that it is run by that cricketer,” Shah wrote.He recommended that Dahiya submit an undertaking to the “affiliated unit or the BCCI (whichever entity engages him)” that advertisements wouldn’t bear his name as coach of the Vijay Dahiya Academy. Shah also wrote that if a player from the Vijay Dahiya Academy came up for selection Dahiya should recuse himself from the selection process pertaining to the player. Shah also recommended that Dahiya sign an undertaking that he wouldn’t be associated with Safe Hands Sports Management so long as he is a coach or selector of a team.This is the second instance of the ombudsman pulling up a prominent player for a conflicting association with a sports business, after asking India offspinner Harbhajan Singh to dissociate from Bhajji Sports.Based on Dahiya’s submissions, Shah also made sharp observations on the DDCA’s “deplorable state of affairs” and directed the BCCI to forward a copy of the order to the association. “Mr Dahiya claims that payments have not been made or have been excessively delayed for the past four-five years,” Shah wrote. “This is a deplorable state of affairs, and the BCCI must look into it urgently. Huge amounts are paid by the BCCI to affiliated units, and they must be directed to appropriately compensate their coaches and other staff.”

Mary Earps was left disappointed as Manchester United went down against Arsenal in the WSL on Saturday.

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Earps expressed disappointment after defeatArsenal thrashed United 3-1Seven points behind third-placed GunnersWHAT HAPPENED?

An own goal by Geyse and a strike each from Cloe Lacasse and Kim Little helped Arsenal take a formidable 3-0 lead in the first half. Lucia Garcia then reduced the margin by scoring a consolation goal towards the end of the match as United suffered a devastating defeat.

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Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps was left heartbroken after the defeat as she took to Instagram to share some photographs from the match with the caption, "Gutted doesn’t even come close."

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Mark Skinner's side have now lost four times in the WSL and conceded their 18th league goal in the current campaign which is the most among the top five teams. After Saturday's defeat, the Red Devils saw their gap with the third-placed Gunners increase to seven points which complicates their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

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Skinner's side will be next seen in action against West Ham on March 3 before they take on Brighton in the FA Women's Cup quarter-final on March 9.

Australia vice-captain Brad Haddin revealed he will be joining the captain Michael Clarke in ODI retirement amidst raucous celebrations of the team’s World Cup final victory over New Zealand in Melbourne

Daniel Brettig30-Mar-2015Australia vice-captain Brad Haddin revealed he will be joining the captain Michael Clarke in ODI retirement amidst raucous celebrations of the team’s World Cup final victory over New Zealand in Melbourne.At the same time Haddin spoke freely about the mindset that led to numerous instances of harsh behaviour towards the New Zealand players. In an interview with soon after the sun rose over Melbourne, Haddin said New Zealand’s sheer niceness during their group-stage meeting in Auckland had made the more combative Australian team uncomfortable. This in itself did not seem surprising, given the high pitch of aggression they have played at since they regained the Ashes in a one-sided but occasionally fiery 2013-14 home Test series against England.”You know what? They deserved it,” Haddin said of New Zealand’s batsmen being the subject of several send-offs. “They were that nice to us in New Zealand and we were that uncomfortable. I said in the team meeting: ‘I can’t stand for this anymore, we’re going at them as hard as we can.'”It was that uncomfortable. All they were was that nice to us for seven days. I said, ‘I’m not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys in the final I’m letting everything [out].’ I’m not playing another one-day game, so they can suspend me for as long as they like.”Haddin’s contribution to the final did not merely take the form of boorish send-offs and encouragement to other teammates to do the same. He engaged in a rather more subtle psychological joust with Brendon McCullum in the first over of the match, encouraging New Zealand’s captain to go hard at the ball in the knowledge Mitchell Starc had been honing his yorker for the occasion.”I think I ran down the second ball, didn’t I? I certainly wasn’t tentative,” McCullum had said. “Hadds actually asked me before the first ball, he said, ‘are you still going to have a crack today’, and I said, ‘too right I am’.”A few hours later, Haddin led the team to the middle of the MCG for the rendition of the team song ‘Under The Southern Cross’, a role he has filled since taking over from Matthew Wade as the limited-overs gloveman in late 2013. It was the first of many ecstatic moments for the Cup-winning squad, who went on from the dressing rooms back to the team hotel on the south bank of the Yarra river where celebrations continued right up to and beyond the aforementioned interview.Among the more memorable sights at a richly attended team celebration event in Melbourne’s Federation Square was that of the team’s ersatz captain and later perennial 12th man George Bailey, who walked onto the stage wearing the bright orange bib generally required of drinks runners.This was perceived as a light-hearted signifier of his support role, but was in fact a good-natured riposte to the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle, who had insisted Bailey wear the bib during the final. Preferring to be clad simply in the gold uniform of his team, Bailey had refused, but after winning the final decided it was time to don the bib.It was an episode that showed this to be an Australian team not keen on bowing to authority, whether in the impish manner of Bailey or the more caustic ways of Haddin. His exit from ODI cricket will leave a gulf in the team, but Sunday nights’ victory and Monday morning’s celebrations will mean Haddin’s way is taken up by other members of the team in future years.There is also the possibility that Haddin will not be lost to the dressing room even after his Test career also runs its course. It is known that he harbours coaching ambitions for the future, and may well be fast-tracked into that career after the fashion of the current head coach, Darren Lehmann.

Deadline day is looming and there are a number of big stars who need a move in order to kick-start their careers

Getty1Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Things have gone awry for centre-back Kurt Zouma at Chelsea, but the story could have been so different for the 23-year-old France international had he not suffered a serious knee injury. He had found a regular place in the starting XI under Guus Hiddink but surgery kept him out for six months and a loan move was inevitable thereafter. He played 37 times for Stoke last season but breaking back into the Blues’ first team under the technical Maurizio Sarri is a distant prospect for a player who still has much to give.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)

With a return of 15 league goals in 80 league appearances, attacker Danny Welbeck does not boast the type of ratio that a club that still professes to have title aspirations like Arsenal can afford to have in their roster. The injury-prone striker failed to turn out in any of the Gunners' ICC fixtures and head coach Unai Emery is happy to see him leave. Club legend Ray Parlour says the player could represent a bargain at £15 million ($20m).

Getty Images3Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

During the summer, we finally got a glimpse of why Manchester United signed Paul Pogba for £89.3 million. The 25-year-old midfielder was a dominant presence alongside N’Golo Kante at the heart of the France side that won the World Cup. Jose Mourinho appears unwilling or unable to get similar performances from the ex-Juventus player, who is being linked with a return to Turin or a transfer to Barcelona. A move may allow him to realise his potential on a more permanent basis in an environment in which he is not so stifled.

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Getty Images4Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Anthony Martial was on the periphery of things at Manchester United before a spat with manager Jose Mourinho this summer surely put an end to his career at Old Trafford. His inability to nail down a regular place under the Portuguese likely cost him his chance to be part of France’s World Cup squad, while a prolonged break to be with his new-born child against Mourinho’s orders during the club’s pre-season US tour seems to have severed relations entirely. A new start is required.

Everything you need to know about Napoli's Nigeria talisman Victor Osimhen.

Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Napoli and the Nigerian national team. Born on December 29, 1998, in Lagos, Nigeria, Osimhen started his football career at the Ultimate Strikers Academy before moving to Europe to play for various clubs.

Osimhen's breakthrough moment came in 2015 when he led the Nigerian U-17 team to victory in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he was awarded the Golden Boot and the Silver Ball. This performance caught the attention of various European clubs, and he eventually signed for Wolfsburg in Germany in 2017.

Despite struggling at Wolfsburg, he found his footing during a loan spell at Charleroi in Belgium, scoring 20 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions. His exploits took him to Lille in 2019 before eventually being snapped up by Napoli in 2020 for €70 million.

Osimhen has also represented the Nigerian national team at various levels, making his debut for the senior team in 2017. He has since established himself as a key player for the Super Eagles, scoring several crucial goals in their qualification campaigns for major tournaments

Osimhen is known for his physical strength, pace, and clinical finishing, which makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders. He is also proficient in the air and possesses excellent dribbling and ball control skills, making him a complete striker.

Here are 13 interesting facts about Osimhen that you absolutely need to know?

Getty ImagesYoungest of six siblings

Born in Lagos on 29th December 1998, Victor was the last of the six children. His parents have their family origin from Southern Nigeria, precisely Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State in Nigeria.

He grew up alongside his brother Andrew and 4 other siblings in Olusosun, asmall community around Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.

AdvertisementGod is good

Osimhen has an interesting story behind the meaning of his last name.

In the native Ishan language, his family surname "Osimhen" means "God is good."

From African nursery team to big European club

When he broke out with the youth team, Wolfsburg registered their interest in the striker. Osimhen was transferred from Ultimate Striker Academy, a local club in Lagos, to German club VfL Wolfsburg for $3,970,225 on January 1, 2017. 

He was one of the most expensive players to be signed directly from an African nursery team to a big European club, thanks to the transfer fee.

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Breakout star at the U17 World Cup in 2015

Osimhen was an integral part of the Nigerian side that won the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile. His 10 goals in seven games at the tournament and his incredible goalscoring record coming into the tournament made heads turn all across the globe.

He finished the tournament as the highest goalscorer, winning the Golden Boot along with the Silver Ball for his standout performances.

Emi Martinez is looking to make more history with the Argentina national team, taking a couple of records from Sergio Romero in the process.

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Helped to secure global glory in 2022Also a Copa America winnerWants to become a centurionWHAT HAPPENED?

The enigmatic Aston Villa goalkeeper is already assured of legend status in his homeland after helping the Albicelste to Copa America and World Cup triumphs. His performances at those events – particularly in penalty shootouts – are set to live long in the memory.

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Martinez only made his senior international debut at 28 years of age, in June 2021, but he is already up to 33 caps and believes he can push towards becoming an Argentine centurion – something that no other keeper has achieved for the South American nation.

WHAT THEY SAID

Martinez sits eighth on Argentina’s goalkeeper appearance list at present – behind the likes of German Burgos, Sergio Goycochea and Ubaldo Fillol – with ex-Manchester United shot-stopper and current Boca Juniors star Romero topping the charts with 96 caps. Martinez has told of chasing ‘Chiquito’ down: "I cannot say that I am the best when I still have a lot to do. I want to reach 100 games and surpass it. Everyone talks about Goyco or Pato, but Chiquito did a great job in the national team. He reached a world final; two Copa America finals. We were unlucky to lose, but he did a great job.”

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Martinez also has Argentina’s clean sheet record in his sights, having secured seven successive shut-outs dating back to the 2022 World Cup final. He now has 24 to his name in total, with Romero once again topping that roll of honour on 47.