Torunarigha On The Radar Of Ligue 1 Giants After missing out on European football last season, Olympique Marseille are enjoying a much better campaign in Ligue 1 this term, and while they will not be able to surpass PSG for the title, they are looking increasingly likely to secure Champions League qualification.  Les Phoceens had a busy transfer season in 2024-25, as they looked to bolster their attacking ranks with the acquisitions of Elye Wahi, Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri, whom they splashed out over €70m to bring to Stade Velodrome.  Ahead of next season, it seems that Roberto De Zerbi is now looking to tighten up in defence, and reports in recent days suggest that the team are considering a move for highly-rated Super Eagles defender Jordan Torunarigha.  De Zerbi mentioned in an interview recently that should he remain at the helm next season, he intends to implement a new tactical system at the back which will revolve around a four-man defence. The Marseille boss also emphasised the importance of having a robust backline in order to challenge for top honours in Europe.  Torunarigha is believed to be one of Les Phoceens’ top targets to fit into their defence, and he is set to become a free agent at the end of his season, with his current contract at KAA Gent now into its final few months.  It is understood that the management of the Belgium Pro League side has approached the defender about a contract extension, but he has turned down their revised terms. The 27-year-old is now expected to leave Planet Group Arena in the summer.  However, Marseille is not the only team that is keeping tabs on the Nigerian centre-back, as Leeds United, TSG Hoffenheim and Crystal Palace have also been credited with an interest in his services, though no formal offers have been made just yet.  Keep up with all the football action from across the globe with our football livescore tool here on SportyTrader! Football predictions Can Jordan Torunarigha Help Nigeria Secure World Cup Qualification? While Gent had an underwhelming season in the Belgian Pro League, finishing in sixth place and missing out on Europe, Torunarigha was a mainstay in the team, turning out in 29 games in central defence in top flight. The 27-year-old represented Germany at the Under-15 to Under-23 levels and made 23 appearances before switching allegiance to Nigeria in 2023. He then made his Super Eagles debut against Mozambique in a friendly later the same year.  After Nathan Tella opted to withdraw from Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers last month, Eric Chelle made the decision to call up Torunarigha for the team’s matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, but he was an unused substitute in both games.  With the Super Eagles’ hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup hanging by a thread, Chelle will need to find a way to win all of their remaining matches in the competition, and that will likely require changes being made, particularly in defence, where ...

CSK, RR, SRH: On The Verge Of Elimination Chennai Super Kings: The 2025 Indian Premier League has been something of a nightmare for the five-time champions. Nine games in and the Super Kings have won just two games, leaving them on four points and a net run-rate of -1.302. CSK’s chances of qualifying are all but over, as they need to win all of their remaining games to reach 14 points, and will need a whole lot of luck in results elsewhere to remain in contention.  Rajasthan Royals: The Royals kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday when they pulled off an emphatic eight-wicket victory over high-flying Gujarat Titans. However, that was just their third win of the competition in 10 games, meaning they are in the same predicament as CSK, needing to win all of their remaining games, while hoping for a string of other results over the final two weeks to go in their favour. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Of the bottom three teams, SRH mathematically have the best chance of reaching the knockouts. With six points in nine games, five consecutive wins from here will get them to 16 points and a playoff spot. However, the men from Hyderabad have not won two consecutive games to date, and two of their three wins in the competition came against Rajasthan and Chennai.  KKR, LSG, PBKS: Outsiders To Reach Knockouts Kolkata Knight Riders: The defending champions are in a tough spot, having only managed seven points from their nine games. The no result against PBKS on Saturday would have been frustrating, but it keeps them in the running. KKR can finish on 17 points if they win all their games from here, and based on how the teams above them have been performing, it feels like anything below 16 points will not be enough.  Lucknow Super Giants: Of the three teams in this section, the Super Giants’ situation is the most nerve-wracking. LSG have 10 points in as many games this season, meaning that three more wins can get them into the top four, while two more wins could keep them in with a sniff. However, they have a very poor net rate of -0.325, which could be the deciding factor if 14 points proves to be the qualification threshold.  Punjab Super Kings: The Kings have been one of the surprise packages this season and are the first side below the trio that have already won six games. The no-result over the weekend would have been a major frustration for PBKS, as it means they need to win three of their five remaining matches, while if they had beaten KKR in that game, two more victories would have been enough to get them through. Still, do not count out the Punjab side just yet. Check out our CSK vs. Punjab Kings prediction! DC, GT, MI: The Chasing Pack For Top Spot Delhi Capitals: After a storming start to the competition with four wins in a row, the Capitals are now edging ...

Al Ahly Denied Fifth Consecutive Champions League Final by Sundowns South African football has experienced a resurgence in recent years. The country’s national team, Bafana Bafana, currently hold the joint-longest unbeaten run alongside Spain of 18 matches dating back to the start of 2024. Over the last two years, South Africa finished third in the previous edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, currently leads their group in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and has moved into the top 10 rankings according to FIFA in the CAF region.  The majority of players that make up the national team play their club football with Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won the country’s domestic league title (PSL) in each of the last seven campaigns and are en route to another this season, currently nine points clear of their closest rivals.  Now, Masandawana are looking to make their mark on the continental scene, having defied the odds by eliminating Al Ahly from the CAF Champions League on away goals, thanks to a dramatic late strike in Cairo on Friday.  The Red Devils have featured in the CAF Champions League final in each of the last five seasons and won the competition on four occasions, with the only exception being in 2021-22 when they were beaten by Wydad Casablanca 2-0.  In Friday’s semi-final, the Egyptian giants looked as though they had secured their spot in a sixth consecutive continental final after Taher Mohamed gave them the lead midday through the first half, but the South African side refused to throw in the towel.  As the match moved into stoppage time, Sundowns forward Peter Shalulile fired a low cross into the Al Ahly penalty area, which caused panic in their backline and resulted in Ahly defender Yaasser Ibrahim inadvertently turning the ball into his own net.  After the first leg ended goalless in Pretoria, and given that the CAF Champions League still operates on the away goals rule, the 1-1 draw in the second leg was enough to secure the victory for Masandawa and takes them back to the continental club tournament final for the first time since 2015-16.  You can follow every moment of the final using our CAF Champions League livescore tool right here on SportyTrader! Football predictions Orlando Pirates Miss Chance of an All-South African CAFCL Final The semi-final of the CAF Champions League featured two Egyptian teams and two South African teams, meaning there was a possibility that the final would pit two sides from the same country against each other.  Orlando Pirates were the other South African representatives in the competition, but unlike Sundowns, they were unable to hold their advantage to progress to the final, losing 3-2 to Pyramids at the 30 June Stadium later the same day.  The Buccaneers made a dream start to the match, taking the lead in the 41st minute, but their opponents drew level just before the interval. Pirates went up 2-1 early in the second half, but again conceded just moments later, setting ...

MBSG, FC Goa Set to Collide in Super Cup Semi-Final Mohun Bagan kept their domestic treble hopes alive over the weekend, as they saw off Kerala Blasters 2-1 in the first quarter-final of the competition on Saturday, despite sending out a much younger team compared to the one that won the league Shield and Cup this year. MBSG took the lead in the match midway through the first half, thanks to an opening goal by Sahal Samad, while 20-year-old Suhail Bhat doubled the team’s advantage just five minutes into the second period.  The Blasters made it uncomfortable for the Mariners late in the day, with Sreekuttan MS pulling one back for his side off a Jesus Jimenez assist, but the league champions held firm over the dying moments to book their place in the Super Cup semi-final for the first time in the club’s history.  Later the same day, FC Goa faced Punjab FC in one of the most thrilling matches of the competition to date, coming from a goal behind to score twice in stoppage time to keep their hopes of winning silverware intact.  Ezequiel Vidal put Punjab ahead in the 57th minute, but veteran midfielder Borja Herrera levelled proceedings in the first minute of added time before Mohammed Yasir netted the winner in the 93rd minute to put the Gaurs into the final four. Mohun Bagan and FC Goa finished first and second, respectively, in the ISL regular season, and you can stay up to the minute with all the action from this blockbuster matchup using our Indian Super Cup livescore tool.  Football predictions Mumbai City, Jamshedpur Looking to Upset the Odds  On Sunday, we saw the final I-League outfit in the competition, Inter Kashi, take on Mumbai City. The Warriors of Kashi were the surprise package of the round of 16, as they eliminated Suniel Chhetri’s Bengaluru FC in an intense penalty shootout. However, they were unable to repeat the feat over the weekend against Mumbai City. The Islanders were outperformed in almost every statistical category, including having just 37% possession in the match, but they got the job done courtesy of a Lallianzuala Chhangte strike in the 71st minute.  Meeting Mumbai in the semi-final are Jamshedpur, who overcame fellow ISL foes NorthEast United in the last quarter-final match on Sunday. These two sides ended level on points during the ISL season, and unsurprisingly, it proved to be a very even contest. At regulation time, there was nothing to separate these two on the scoreboard at 0-0, but after seven penalties apiece, Jamshedpur came out as the winners 5-4. It was another feather in the cap for the Men of Steel, having also knocked NorthEast out of the ISL Cup last month. Both semi-finals of the 2025 Indian Super Cup will be played on April 30 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, and our football predictions for those matches will be available ahead of kickoff, so be sure to check them out! Football predictions

Why Was Abhishek Nayar Axed From India By BCCI? Ever since India’s home Test series loss to New Zealand and disappointing 3-1 series defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI have been shaking things up in the national team, both on the field and behind the scenes.  Abhishek Nayar, who spent just eight months as an assistant coach with the Men in Blue, was one of the casualties in the backroom overhaul, with the BCCI opting to part ways with him just over a week ago. Along with Nayar, fielding coach T Dilip and conditioning coach Soham Desai were also relieved of their duties with the team, with the latter expected to be replaced by South African Adrian Le Roux, who served as part of the team’s coaching staff during Sourav Ganguly’s tenure in the early 2000s.  The dismissals of Dilip and Desai were much less shocking than that of Nayar, given that the BCCI have recently announced a change to their Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which now caps support staff’s terms with the national team to a maximum of three years.  Reports following Nayar’s sacking as India’s assistant coach suggested that his removal was expected after the BCCI brought Sitanshu Kotak into the team’s supporting staff as an additional batting coach for their upcoming tour to England.  Check out the best online betting sites for cricket here on SportyTrader! IPL predictions Nayar Makes Return to Kolkata Knight Riders Nayar was a key figure of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ coaching setup before taking up the national team role and was one of the driving forces in starting up and managing KKR’s Academy in Mumbai, which has been the team’s training base for several years.  After Gautam Gambhir took the reins at KKR, he and Nayar developed a close bond, and it was Gambhir who originally called up the 41-year-old to serve as an assistant coach to the national team, along with Ryan ten Doeschate.   Before the BCCI confirmed Nayar’s dismissal, reports had already revealed that he had returned to KKR and is expected to remain with the team until the end of the ongoing Indian Premier League season, though his exact role has yet to be confirmed.  Nayar’s return comes at a crucial time too for the Knight Riders, who are at risk of failing to qualify for the knockout rounds of the IPL, having only won three of their nine games to date, which sees them trail the Punjab Kings in fourth place by four points.  Kolkata’s next assignment comes in the form of the high-flying Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, and you can take a look at our cricket experts’ thoughts on that match using our in-depth IPL predictions. IPL predictions

Kabaddi World Cup Returns to Bihar Kabaddi has grown in popularity rapidly over recent years, and a record crowd is expected to file into the State Sports Academy in June to witness one of India’s oldest sports, while the tournament will also be beamed to millions across the globe.  This will mark the second time that the state of Bihar will host the prestigious tournament, having also done so in the inaugural edition of the competition at the Patliputra Sports Complex back in 2012.  Organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup will feature 14 teams spanning four continents, including teams from Africa and South America. The nations that have confirmed their participation in this year’s Kabaddi World Cup include:  India Iran Nepal  Bangladesh Thailand Netherlands Poland Hungary Japan Germany  Argentina Uganda  Kenya India will enter the tournament as the overwhelming favourites and defending champions, having won the title against Iran in the last edition by a scoreline of 25-19, while Thailand and Japan earned joint third-place.  The India Women’s Kabaddi team have dominated the sport since it made its first appearance on the international stage, with their most recent triumph coming at the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship, which was held in Tehran last month. Team India defeated Iran 32-25. Preparations Underway for 2025 Kabaddi World Cup India team captain and vice captain Sonali Vishnu and Pushpa Rana were seen in attendance at the signing ceremony of the competition, which was made official by Jitendra Thakur and Ravindran Shankaran in Patna last weekend.  Speaking at the ceremony, the secretary general of the AKFI, Shankaran, said:  “It is a matter of great joy and pride for Bihar to host the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Rajgir. Due to the government’s commitment to developing sports, Bihar is gaining the honour of hosting several national and international competitions.” To help Team India prepare to defend their world title, the AKFI has been tasked with organising a training camp which will span 15 days for the squad ahead of the tournament, allowing the team to acclimate themselves before the opening match.  Fixtures and groups for the tournament will be announced in May, while all the best online betting sites will present odds for the competition before commencement on June 1. 

Harmanpreet Kaur To Lead India to Tri-Series in Sri Lanka The ICC Women’s ODI World Cup is now less than five months away, and teams are hard at work preparing for the global spectacle, which will be hosted by India (and a neutral venue for matches involving Pakistan) in September this year.  Team India are no different and have arrived in Colombo to face Sri Lanka and South Africa in a one-off tournament that gets underway on April 27. The tri-series will see each team play four games, and the two with the best records will qualify for the final on May 11.  After failing to reach the final four at the last T20 tournament and playing host for the upcoming ODI World Cup, the pressure is firmly on India to do well later this year, and this series is expected to play a major role in their final preparation.  The team arrives at the competition in good form too, having reeled off six wins in a row, albeit against non-World Cup participants in the West Indies and Ireland, but those victories would have given them serious motivation ahead of facing tougher opposition in the Proteas and Sri Lanka.  India’s selection committee have made several surprising selections for this series, some of which were enforced due to injuries to key players, while others were due to poor performances – most notably, the omission of Shafali Verma.  Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the Blue Shirts in Sri Lanka, while there are three new faces in the camp in Kashvee Gautam, Sree Charani, and Shuchi Upadhyay, all of whom have received their maiden call-ups to the national team.  Cricket predictions India Team Selection for 2025 Tri-Series Here are the 15 players who have been selected to represent India in Sri Lanka over the next three weeks:  Harampreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shuchi Upadhyay, Sree Charana, Kasvee Gautam, Tejal Hasabnis, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal.  Sri Lanka Squad: Chamari Athapaththu (C), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshi Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Hasini Perera, Piumi Wathsala, Achini Kulsuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Malki Madara, Rashmika Sewwandi, Hansima Karunaratne, Inoshi Fernando, Inoka Ranaweera, Dewmi Vihanga, Manudi Nanayakkara.  South Africa Squad: Laura Wolvaardt (C), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Nondumiso Shangase, Miane Smit, Chloe Tryon India Tri-Series Match Schedule Sri Lanka vs. India – Sunday, April 27 India vs. South Africa – Tuesday, April 29 Sri Lanka vs. India – Sunday, May 4 India vs. South Africa – Wednesday, May 7 *Final – Sunday, May 11 Don’t forget to check out our cricket predictions for key stats and breaking news ahead of the tournament! Cricket predictions