Gabon’s government has imposed an indefinite ban on its national football team following a disappointing performance in the Africa Cup of Nations. The team lost all its group-stage matches in Group F, which included Mozambique, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon. In response, Sports Minister Simplice-Désiré Mamboula announced the dismissal of all coaching staff and the suspension of players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele from the national squad.

The minister described the team’s showing as shameful and said the technical staff had been dissolved. The decision reflects the government’s frustration with the team’s failure to advance beyond the group stage. However, the move has raised concerns about political interference in sports, which is generally frowned upon by international governing bodies.

The report notes that Gabon could face further complications if FIFA views the government’s actions as undue interference in football affairs. Observers are now waiting to see what steps FIFA might take in response to the situation.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has released the full schedule for Bangladesh’s 2026 home cricket series. According to the announced calendar, Bangladesh will host Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, India, and the West Indies across all three formats—Tests, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty20s—making it one of the busiest years for the national team.

Pakistan will visit in March for a three-match ODI series on March 12, 14, and 16, followed by a return in May for a two-match Test series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. Between April and May, Bangladesh will face New Zealand in three ODIs and three T20Is. In June, Australia will play three ODIs and three T20Is, while India will tour in August–September for three ODIs and three T20Is. The year will conclude with a two-match Test series against the West Indies in October–November, preceded by a three-day warm-up match.

Additionally, Sri Lanka ‘A’ will tour Bangladesh in May for two four-day matches and three one-day games against Bangladesh ‘A’. The packed schedule has generated renewed excitement among local cricket fans.

Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. has renewed his contract with Santos FC for another year, extending his stay with the club until December 31, 2026. The announcement ends speculation that he might leave his boyhood team. According to Brazilian outlet Globo, Neymar will remain with Santos at least until the end of club president Marcelo Teixeira’s term. The new deal marks his third contract since returning to Santos, following two six-month agreements in 2025.

Under the new terms, Neymar will earn a salary comparable to several average players at the club. In addition to his playing contract, Santos has a separate image rights agreement with NR Sports, a company owned by Neymar’s family, valued at 85 million Brazilian reals to be paid by the end of next year. Neymar is currently recovering from meniscus surgery on his left knee, with a return to the field expected no earlier than mid-February.

Santos credits Neymar’s performance last season for avoiding relegation, as he scored four goals and provided one assist in three decisive 3–0 victories despite playing through injury.

The group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations has concluded, setting the stage for the Round of 16 matches beginning on January 3 and continuing until January 6. Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, was the first team to qualify for the knockout phase, while Mozambique became the last to advance. Defending champions Ivory Coast defeated Gabon 3–2 to top Group F with seven points and will face Burkina Faso in the next round.

In the same group, Cameroon beat Mozambique 2–1 to qualify as the second team and will meet South Africa in the Round of 16. Mozambique advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams. Algeria topped Group E with nine points after a 3–1 win over Equatorial Guinea and will play DR Congo. The knockout fixtures also include Senegal vs Sudan, Mali vs Tunisia, Morocco vs Tanzania, Egypt vs Benin, and Nigeria vs Mozambique.

Quarterfinals are scheduled for January 9–10, semifinals on January 14, the third-place match on January 17, and the final on January 18 at 1 a.m. Bangladesh time.

Bangladesh will make its debut in the SAFF Futsal Championship under the captaincy of Sabina Khatun, with the tournament scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from January 13 to 15. The national team is set to depart for Bangkok tomorrow. At a press conference held at the Bangladesh Football Federation building, Sabina expressed her ambition to achieve a strong result in the country’s first appearance in the regional futsal competition.

Sabina noted her personal connection to futsal, recalling that she was the first Bangladeshi female footballer to play abroad, also in futsal. She acknowledged that Maldives and India are likely to be stronger opponents due to their experience, while other teams are relatively new like Bangladesh. The team has trained for just over a month in preparation. National player Matsushima Sumaiya, who will also compete, emphasized the need for a dedicated futsal stadium in Dhaka, questioning why training remains difficult despite existing facilities.

Seven teams—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—will participate in the tournament.

Sylhet Titans defeated Dhaka Capitals by six runs in a closely contested T20 match at Lakkatura, Sylhet. Batting first, Sylhet recovered from an early collapse at 22 for 2 and later 92 for 4 to post 173 for 5 in 20 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai, who joined the team just a day earlier, played a blistering unbeaten 50 off 24 balls with five fours and three sixes. Parvez Hossain Emon contributed 44 runs from 32 balls. For Dhaka, Salman Mirza took two wickets for 46 runs.

Chasing 174, Dhaka Capitals struggled early, losing five wickets for 43 runs in 7.3 overs. Despite a spirited fightback led by Shamim Patwari’s explosive 81 off 43 balls, Dhaka fell short, finishing at 167 for 8. Mohammad Amir’s tight final over sealed the win for Sylhet. Omarzai also impressed with the ball, taking two wickets for 40 runs, while Amir and Nasum Ahmed claimed two wickets each.

The victory, cheered on by home supporters, continued Sylhet’s strong form at their home ground. Omarzai was named player of the match for his all-round performance.

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) governing council has confirmed that no matches of this year’s tournament will be held in Chattogram. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has revised the schedule, moving the Chattogram phase to Sylhet. The announcement was made by BPL governing council member secretary Ifthekhar Rahman Mithu at a press conference at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Originally, the Chattogram phase was scheduled to begin on January 5 after the Sylhet leg ended on January 2. However, considering production logistics and the national team’s preparation needs, all matches planned for Chattogram have been shifted to Sylhet. The Sylhet phase will now run until January 12, followed by the Dhaka phase. The BPL must conclude by January 23 as the Bangladesh national team departs for the T20 World Cup on January 25.

The decision also follows a two-day suspension of matches after the death of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, which disrupted the original schedule. The BCB took this step to recover from the scheduling setback and ensure timely completion of the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored an unusual goal but could not prevent Al Nassr’s winning run from ending in the Saudi Pro League. The match against Al Ettifaq ended 2-2, halting Al Nassr’s streak of ten consecutive victories. Ronaldo’s goal came in the 67th minute when a shot from teammate Félix deflected off his back and went into the net. Despite the goal, Al Nassr conceded again later, resulting in a draw.

With this goal, Ronaldo reached 13 goals in the league, sharing the top scorer position with Félix. His career total now stands at 957 goals as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals. After the draw, Al Nassr remained at the top of the league table with 31 points from 11 matches, while Al Taawoun followed in second place with three points fewer.

The result keeps Al Nassr in a strong position in the title race, though the draw ended their momentum from ten straight wins.

Former three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passed away at 6 a.m. on Tuesday at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, marking the end of a major chapter in Bangladesh’s political history. Her death cast a pall of grief over the nation’s sports community, which remembered her contributions to cricket’s global debut, football’s achievements, and the development of sports infrastructure. In her honor, all ongoing matches across the country were suspended.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board, Bangladesh Football Federation, and Bangladesh Olympic Association led tributes, expressing deep sorrow and respect. The BFF described her as a lifelong influential political figure and a strong voice for humanity, while the BOA highlighted her role as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a key supporter of sports development. Numerous other federations—including hockey, athletics, tennis, swimming, and women’s sports organizations—issued condolence messages to her bereaved family.

Sports journalists’ associations and major clubs such as Mohammedan Sporting Club also joined in mourning, reflecting the widespread respect Khaleda Zia commanded across Bangladesh’s sporting landscape.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has postponed two Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches scheduled for Tuesday in Sylhet following the death of Begum Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female Prime Minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and the entire nation has expressed grief over her death. The BCB confirmed the postponement through an official press release, stating that the new schedule for the matches will be announced soon.

According to the original fixture, Chattogram Royals were set to face Sylhet Titans in the first match of the day, while Dhaka Capitals were to play against Rangpur Riders in the second. The BCB also expressed condolences and remembered Khaleda Zia’s contributions to the country’s cricket. She had been admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since November 23 and had been in critical condition in the ICU before passing away.

The BCB stated that the rescheduled dates for the postponed matches will be announced shortly.

Former Bangladesh national cricket team captain Tamim Iqbal has called on clubs and stakeholders to stand by players affected by the ongoing turmoil surrounding the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election. The dispute has disrupted Dhaka’s club cricket, with eight of the 20 first-division teams and reportedly 10 of the 24 second-division teams not participating in the league. These boycotts, mainly by clubs that refused to take part in the BCB election, have left many cricketers without playing opportunities.

In an audio message, Tamim expressed concern that the growing practice of halting matches is harmful to players and their futures. He warned that the current situation could affect others in the future and estimated that around 150 players are already impacted by the first-division withdrawals. Tamim urged all parties to prioritize the interests of players over personal or institutional agendas, emphasizing that the continuity of cricket in Bangladesh must be ensured.

He reiterated that his only interest is to see cricket continue in Bangladesh without players suffering losses due to political or administrative disputes.

On Friday night, several major football clubs recorded key victories across leagues. In the English Premier League, Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 2–1, Arsenal beat Brighton 2–1, and Liverpool won by the same margin against Wolverhampton. Manchester United, despite being outplayed in possession and attack, secured a narrow 1–0 home win over Newcastle United at Old Trafford, with Patrick Dorgu scoring the decisive goal. The victory marked coach Ruben Amorim’s first win in three matches. Meanwhile, in the Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals led Al Nassr to a commanding 3–0 win over Al Akhdood.

The results highlighted a competitive night of football across Europe and the Middle East. Manchester United’s win broke a short run of poor form, while Arsenal, City, and Liverpool maintained their strong performances in the Premier League. Ronaldo’s brace reaffirmed his influence in Saudi football as Al Nassr continued their winning momentum.

These outcomes could influence the standings in both leagues, with title races and top-four battles intensifying as the season progresses.

Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Friday night in the English Premier League at Old Trafford. Despite being outplayed in possession, attack creation, and shots, the home side clinched the win through a decisive strike from Danish left-back Patrick Dorgu. The goal, coming from a corner in the 24th minute, marked Dorgu’s first for United and ended the team’s three-match winless run under coach Ruben Amorim. With this result, United climbed to fifth place in the league table with 29 points from 18 matches.

Newcastle created several chances but failed to convert. Bruno Guimaraes’ header was denied by goalkeeper Sen Lammens, while Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley both missed key opportunities, including one that struck the crossbar. Dorgu nearly doubled his tally in the 34th minute, but his close-range effort was saved by Aaron Ramsdale. The match ended with United holding on to their narrow lead despite sustained pressure from the visitors.

The win provided a much-needed boost for Manchester United after a series of draws and losses, strengthening their position in the top five of the Premier League standings.

England captain Ben Stokes and Australian batter Steve Smith expressed dissatisfaction with the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch after England’s victory in the fourth Ashes Test. The match ended in less than two days, with 20 wickets falling on the first day and 16 more on the second before England sealed the win. Stokes said that although his team was proud of the win, the pitch’s behavior was not ideal for Test cricket, as it offered excessive assistance to bowlers and produced an unusually short match.

Smith echoed similar concerns, noting that the pitch provided too much movement throughout the game, preventing batters from settling. He suggested that reducing the grass length from 10 millimeters to 8 might help achieve better balance. The result gave England their first win in Australia in 15 years, but both captains agreed that the surface was overly bowler-friendly.

The debate over the Melbourne pitch has divided cricket fans, with some viewing it as a challenge for bowlers and others criticizing it for undermining the traditional endurance of Test cricket.

England are edging toward victory in the low-scoring Melbourne Ashes Test, where bowlers have dominated all three completed innings. As of the latest report, England reached 77 for 2 in 12 overs, needing 98 more runs with eight wickets in hand to chase a target of 175. The match has seen no team surpass 150 runs in an innings so far.

Australia were bowled out for 132 in their second innings on the second day, undone by the pace attack of Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes. Carse took four wickets for 34 runs, while Stokes claimed three for 24. Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson added two and one wickets respectively, meaning all ten wickets fell to pace bowlers. Earlier, Australia had scored 152 in their first innings, with England replying with 110.

The report indicates that England, led by Stokes, are building resistance and moving steadily toward what could be their first win of the current Ashes series.