Odisha FC beat Hyderabad FC; move to sixth Injured Lionel Messi to miss PSG clash with Monaco in Ligue 1

BHUBANESWAR, FEB 10 (AGENCIES): Odisha

FC maintained their stellar record at home this season after a 3-1 win over Hyerabad FC in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the Kalinga Stadium on Friday. The win saw the Juggernauts replace Bengaluru FC in sixth place, which adds extra pressure on the Blues who play Kerala Blasters on Saturday. A loss for Hyderabad FC also means that if Mumbai City FC win against FC Goa on Saturday, the Islanders will be crowned ISL League Shield winners.

The hosts got off to a lively start and were the better side in the first half.

They dominated possession and had nine attempts on goal. Hyderabad FC could only muster three.

Five out of those attempts came via Diego Mauricio. On a couple of occasions, the striker could not keep his shot on target, while Gurmeet Singh dealt with the others. The Brazilian came closest in the 13th minute when his goal-bound shot picked up a slight deflection off Odei Onaindia and nicked the outside of the post. Saul Crespo controlled the tempo from midfield and almost contributed with a goal when his close-range header from a corner went wide. Gurmeet was solid between the sticks, but it was not enough to keep Odisha FC quiet as they got their noses in front minutes af- ter the half-hour mark.

Pedro Martin played the ball back to Isak Ralte, who unleashed a curling stunner from about 30 yards out to put the hosts in front. Just when it seemed that the Juggernauts were going into the break ahead, Hyderabad FC restored parity. Borja Herrera lofted the ball into the box from a free-kick which was cleared only as far as Nim Dorjee.

1st Mojabi Futsal kicks off in Mkg

Correspondent

MOKOKCHUNG, FEB

10 (NPN): The 1st Mojabi Futsal Tournament, organized by Kubza Students’ Union, Mokokc - hung kicked off on Friday by ADS Mokokchung, Jamong, at the Mojabi Futsal Turf, Salangtem Ward, Mokokchung.

Altogether, 32 teams are vying for the champion- ship with cash prize of Rs. 30,000 for the winner and Rs.15,000 for the runnersup. Individual prizes for the golden boot and golden glove carry an amount of Rs. 2000 each.

The defender got his head on it to equalize Six minutes into the second half, after a clever give-and-go with Narzary, Joel Chianese glided into the box with the ball and tried to squeeze it in at the near post, but Amrinder Singh had it covered. This chance came moments after Narzary’s header was saved comfortably by Amrinder.

Hyderabad FC turned their game up a little in the second half, but it was Odisha FC who retook the lead in the final quarter of the game. Mauricio’s marauding run attracted three defenders on the left side of the box before a loose ball fell into the path of Nandhakumar Sekar. The winger flashed it across the face of goal and it picked up a deflection off Dorjee and went into the back of the net.

Mauricio’s persistence was ultimately rewarded in the final minute of stoppage time. Isaac Chhakchhuak lobbed the ball into the box as the Brazilian beat the offside trap before nestling the ball in at the far post from an acute angle, confirming all three points for the Juggernauts.

Odisha FC will travel to play NorthEast United FC in their next game on February 17. Meanwhile, Hyderabad FC’s eightgame unbeaten streak came to an end and they will try to bounce back with against ATK Mohun Bagan on February 14.

India will go from strength to strength in next decade: Nasser

NEW DELHI, FEB 10

(IANS): With the Women’s T20 World Cup set to take place in South Africa from February 10-26, former England men’s captain Nasser Hussain believes India has the potential to go from strength to strength in the next decade, especially with the emergence of Women’s Premier League (WPL).

India, the runners-up of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup, will open their Group B campaign in the Women’s T20 WC against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 12 at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.

MARSEIL LE, FEB 10 (AGENCIES): Paris St Germain’s injury crisis worsened after the club confirmed on Friday that Lionel Messi will miss this weekend’s Ligue 1 clash against AS Monaco due to a hamstring injury.

Messi played the full 90 minutes of PSG’s 2-1 defeat by Olympique Marseille in the French Cup on Wednesday and the 35-year-old is in a race against time to be fit for their Champions League last-16 clash with Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

PSG have already lost Kylian Mbappe to injury for two more weeks which means the French forward will play no part in the first leg against the German champions.

“Concerning Kylian, the communication has been made. We talked about an unavailability of three weeks. Kylian is being treated,” PSG boss Christophe Galtier told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s match against Monaco.

Norman Putsure College sports meet comncludes

Apart from Pakistan, they will also face 2009 champions England, and 2016 winners West Indies, and Ireland in the group stage of the competition.

“India, meanwhile, are a force to be reckoned with and in the next decade or so they will go from strength to strength. The change happened once they got to that World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 and with the WPL coming up there is no going back. They used to be a sleeping giant but are no longer asleep. They are wide awake,” wrote Hussain for Sky Sports on Friday.