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Man City wins UEFA Super Cup by beating Sevilla in a penalty shootout

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Manchester City marked its first appearance in the UEFA Super Cup by beating Sevilla 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Wednesday to add another piece of silverware to its vast haul under manager Pep Guardiola.

After a 1-1 draw in regulation time and then nine successful spot kicks in the shootout, Nemanja Gudelj struck his attempt against the crossbar to hand City victory inside Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Associated Press reported.

It was the 15th trophy won by City in Guardiola’s reign that started in 2016 and made up for the loss to Arsenal in a penalty shootout in the Community Shield 10 days ago.

“The manager made it so clear to us before the game how much he wants to win this trophy,” City midfielder Jack Grealish said about the annual match between last season’s winners of the Champions League (City) and Europa League (Sevilla). “You want to win everything anyway but that gave us more of an urge. This club has never won it. It’s a brilliant feeling.”

Youssef En-Nesyri’s towering header gave Sevilla the lead in the 25th minute of a match played in stifling heat and humidity in Athens.

City equalized through a header by winger Cole Palmer in the 63rd as the European champions dominated the second half, with star striker Erling Haaland staying on the field for the whole game despite a big Premier League match against Newcastle coming up on Saturday.

Guardiola became the second manager, after Carlo Ancelotti, to win the Super Cup four times and the first to win it with three different teams after doing so at Bayern Munich (2013) and Barcelona (2009, 2011).

Kyle Walker lifted the cup amid ticker tape and chants of “Champions” by his City teammates on the stage in the middle of the field. It is becoming a familiar sight, with the club having won the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble last season for the first time.

This season might be tougher for Guardiola and City, with the match perhaps highlighting the team’s need for more creativity and goal threat following the offseason departures of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez and an injury to Kevin De Bruyne that could sideline him for up to four months.

Palmer could be one answer, with the 21-year-old academy product impressing as City’s most dangerous player and nodding in from Rodri’s cross to add to his goal in the Community Shield. He should get more game time this season on the right wing following Mahrez’s move to Saudi Arabia.

“This guy is incredible and he’s got good players to learn off and the best manager in the world,” Walker said of Palmer. “He needs to keep going, keep his feet on the floor like he has been and keep scoring goals. If he keeps improving, he’ll be fine.”

Sevilla occasionally troubled City on the break and off one such foray forward, En-Nesyri got in between Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol — making his first start for City — and leaping high to power in a header from Marcos Acuña’s left-wing cross.

City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes pulled off two saves from En-Nesyri in the second half, either side of Palmer’s goal, and didn’t need to make a save in the shootout.

Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Mateo Kovacic, Grealish and Walker converted City’s penalties, while Lucas Ocampos, Rafa Mir, Ivan Rakitic and Gonzalo Montiel netted for Sevilla.

Sevilla, which won the Europa League for the seventh time last season, has won just one of its seven appearances in the Super Cup. That was back in 2006 on its debut.

“It’s really frustrating for us, but I’m proud of my teammates,” Sevilla forward Erik Lamela said. “The team did a good job, we ran a lot against a very, very good team.”

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Afghanistan U-15 team qualifies for FIFA U-15 World Cup

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The Afghanistan Football Federation announced on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s under-15 national football team has qualified for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, marking a significant achievement for the country’s youth football development.

According to the federation, the qualification comes as a result of sustained efforts and strategic planning aimed at strengthening grassroots football across Afghanistan.

The federation said the successful organization of under-14 competitions in different zones of the country helped pave the way for the U-15 national team to secure a place in the global tournament.

In a statement, the federation said the achievement also follows efforts by its leadership, particularly Mohammad Yousuf Kargar, who held discussions with officials of FIFA while emphasizing the development of youth football in Afghanistan.

The tournament, part of FIFA’s global talent development program, aims to nurture young players, improve technical ability, provide international exposure, and prepare the next generation of footballers.

The competition will take place in Azerbaijan from October 22 to 31, 2026, with under-15 teams from FIFA member nations set to participate.

Players born in 2011 and 2012 will be eligible for the tournament.

Matches will be played in an 8-versus-8 format designed to maximize ball involvement, develop individual skills, improve decision-making, and provide young players with valuable international competition experience.

Afghanistan’s participation is being seen as a major opportunity for the country’s emerging football talent to compete on the world stage and further elevate the profile of Afghan youth football.

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Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost

The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.

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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.

According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.

The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.

Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.

He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.

Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.

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Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team

Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.

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The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.

Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.

The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.

In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.

The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.

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