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Rugby: Cape Town is the second round of HSBC SVNS 2024, featuring the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams in the world

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa, December 8, 2023/APO Group/ — The stage is set for HSBC SVNS Cape Town on 9-10 December at DHL Stadium as the world’s best 12 men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams are ready to showcase their incredible talents on the pitch.

Meanwhile a huge entertainment line-up, including live music, mass- participation sports activities and food from around the globe will create a vibrant festival experience for fans to enjoy off the pitch as the reinvigorated HSBC SVNS aims to take the Olympic sport to the next level.

On Wednesday the captains enjoyed a taste of Cape Town at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market in the shadows of the famous stadium, which hosted Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

An exciting new era for rugby sevens began in Dubai on 2-3 December as the highly anticipated HSBC SVNS 2024 kicked off with South Africa men and Australia women taking victory in the opening round to lead the early standings.

VIEW POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE: https://apo-opa.co/41flRrj

The HSBC SVNS CPT action kicks off at 09:00 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday with the pool matches. Day two begins at 09:00 on Sunday with the quarter-finals and culminates with the women’s gold medal final at 18:43, followed by the men’s final at 19:23 local time. Tickets are available from R150 at Ticketmaster.

With the number of teams reduced from 16 to 12 in the men’s event this year the competition will be intense from start to finish.

South Africa’s hugely popular Blitzboks will play Ireland, USA and Great Britain in men’s Pool A. Last season’s runners-up Argentina face double Olympic champions Fiji alongside France and Spain in Pool B. Pool C sees reigning SVNS champions New Zealand take on Samoa, Australia and Canada.

South Africa men’s captain Selvyn Davids said: “We thought we had a tough pool in Dubai and how close it was indeed. Our ‘reward’ is yet another one this weekend and that is the beauty of this new format. Not only does every match count, the reality is that you could be defeated by any of the 12 teams if you are even slightly off your game.

“The Cape Town crowd has been a faithful one for us and it has been a while for them to celebrate a win. We have this opportunity now to give them another title. The Springboks showed the way in France, now we have a chance to make good as well.”

In the women’s competition, Australia will start Pool A in confident mood following their victory in Dubai last weekend and they will come up against Fiji, Japan and Spain. Pool B sees the current SVNS title holders New Zealand together with Ireland, Brazil and Great Britain. France were impressive bronze medallists in Dubai and they will take on Canada, USA and the hosts South Africa who were promoted from the Challenger last season and will be looking to make their mark on home turf in Pool C.

Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcaster partners or online on RugbyPass TV

South Africa women’s co-captain Mathrin Simmers said: “It feels different for a number of reasons. We are at home of course and that always creates a special buzz. The fact that I missed last year’s tournament through injury adds to my excitement to play.

“The real anticipation for us, going into the second tournament as the newcomers onto the series, is to see if we can back up on what we did in Dubai last week. The squad felt good about the fact that we landed on our feet in the series, took some great teams to the wire and got our first win for the season. How excited that we now get another opportunity to do it all over again.”

The competition format replicates the Olympic model and sees the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams qualify for the quarter-finals from where it is knockout rugby.

VIEW HSBC SVNS 2024 CALENDAR: https://www.SVNS.com/en

World Rugby’s revamped and rebranded global celebration of rugby sevens is taking place across eight iconic destinations and is set to supercharge the sport’s global appeal.

The new-look HSBC SVNS 2024 features seven regular season events – in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore – before the Grand Final in Madrid. The top eight placed teams based on cumulative series points after seven events will compete in the new ‘winner-takes-all’ Grand Final, where the women’s and men’s champions will be crowned.

Madrid will also play host to the high stakes relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger, with the top four placed teams securing their place on HSBC SVNS 2025.

The reimagined competition model means fans can expect even more excitement, entertainment and nail-biting jeopardy. And with the clock counting down until rugby sevens kicks off the Olympic Games in Paris on 24 July, 2024, the action will be hotter than ever on and off the pitch.

In line with World Rugby’s commitment to grow the women’s game, all HSBC SVNS events will see men’s and women’s teams sharing the platform equally to showcase their incredible strength, speed and skill on the biggest stages around the world.

Welcoming the teams and fans to Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor of Cape Town said: “To all the players, coaching and management teams and, most importantly, the thousands of traveling fans who have made their way to Cape Town for the HSBC SVNS CPT, I wish you a very warm welcome to the Mother City.

“Sevens and Cape Town have a wonderful decade-old relationship, with our city putting on a show every year that must surely rank among the highlights of the season. For us, the annual SVNS tournament is one of the most important events on our calendar as the world tunes in to Cape Town during a magical time of the year and sees our city at its very best. We are ready to put on our best SVNS party yet, and our iconic DHL Stadium with its brand new pitch, is going to set a standard in this competition that will not easily be matched.”

WHERE TO WATCH: https://apo-opa.co/3Gz7XH6

Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcaster partners or online on RugbyPass TV. All matches taking place on pitch two in Cape Town will be live streamed on RugbyPass TV.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.

Parliament approves 2024 Budget

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Parliament has approved the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for the fiscal year ending 31st December 2024 after a head count of members.

The Majority had 138 votes as against 136 for the Minority.

Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, in declaring the results, said: “At the end of the headcount, the ‘ayes’ had 138, nos were 136, one absent. The ayes have it. The 2024 budget has been approved.”

On Wednesday, November 29, during voting to approve the Budget, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minority Leader challenged the opinion of the Speaker that “I think that the ayes have it”, he therefore requested for a headcount.

The Deputy Minority Leader’s request was vehemently opposed by Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament and his Deputy, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin.

The Speaker’s decision to conduct a headcount with each MP standing up at his seat to be named and counted, did not go down well with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority, which led to a walkout.

During the House’s sitting on Thursday, November 30, the Speaker directed that the Business Committee retable the Motion for the approval of the Budget to Thursday, December 7.

However, during Thursday, December 7, sitting, when the Speaker put the Budget approval to a headcount, the 137 NPP MPs and one independent, Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the independent Member of Parliament for Fomena voted enbloc to approve the Budget by 138 votes.

The opposition NDC Minority voted 136 against the budget, with one of them being absent from the Chamber.

Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, presented the budget to Parlaiment on November 15, this year. 

NDC Minority demands parliamentary scrutiny of Lithium Agreement 

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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament is demanding a parliamentary scrutiny of the Lithium Agreement signed by the Government and Barari DV Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Ltd. 

The agreement aims to facilitate lithium mining operations in the Central Region for a 15-year period. 

Mr John Jinapor, the Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, said Article 268 of the 1992 Constitution explicitly mandated parliamentary approval for transactions involving the exploitation of natural resources.  

Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra, he said: “We demand that the Akufo-Addo Government tables or lays this agreement before Parliament without delay.” 

He pledged the Minority’s commitment to thoroughly scrutinise the terms of the agreement to ensure it aligned with the interests of Ghanaians. 

He said Lithium, which was being hailed as the “new gold” had gained prominence as a lucrative resource in the global market due to its increasing demand in green technologies.  

He reiterated the importance of ensuring Ghana reaps maximum benefits from this valuable resource. 

Mr Jinapor said the minority would engage civil society, seek guidance from legal experts, and involve influential personalities, including former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, known for her stance on lithium agreements.  

He cautioned that any attempt by Barari DV Ghana Limited to commence mining without parliamentary approval would be deemed illegal. 

Mr Jinapor reminded officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission that they had no authority to permit lithium mining without the required parliamentary approval and other necessary licenses. 

“If the agreement does not meet the interests of Ghana, the NDC Minority will vehemently oppose its approval by the House,” he said. 

Mr Jinapor said a future NDC Government in 2025 would ensure the seizure of unapproved mining licenses granted to companies until proper parliamentary approval was obtained. 

He assured of transparent and accountable management of Ghana’s natural resources “when the NDC comes into power” 

Anti-LGBTQ Bill: Chairman of Committee cautions against politicisation 

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Mr Kwame Ayimadu-Antwi, the Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, has warned against the politicisation of the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2022.”

“It is important to note that all Members of Parliament agreed that we must prosecute this Bill and therefore, I must warn that any attempt that anybody will want to cloth this Bill with political colours will suffer non-passage of the Bill,” the Chairman state at a press conference on Thursday, December 7, at Parliament House in Accra.

The press conference was in his response to an earlier one held on Wednesday, December 6, by Mr Samuel Nartey George, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Prampram and Lead Sponsor of the LGBTQ Bill.

The object of the Bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values proscribe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and related activities.

Mr George at the said press conference expressed the frustrations of the Sponsors in getting the House to take the Bill through the consideration stage.

Mr Ayimadu-Antwi reiterated that the Minority press conference was in bad faith.

He noted that all Members of Parliament were happy to get the Bill passed, saying “therefore, let no man take some political advantage of the situation.”

He said some members of the public and some Reverend Ministers were of the view that the Bill was a bad one, which the House must not pass, but others think otherwise.

The Chairman said the House must pass a Bill that would become an Act that would stand the test of time and the House had to iron out all the differences.

He said it was the Leadership of the House that decided on the agenda of the House on daily basis and therefore, he as the Chairman of the Committee could not decide for the House.

Mr Ayimadu-Antwi said it was better for the House to unite in taking the Bill through the legislative processes in order for them to have a good Bill.

He cited that Hungary had passed a similar Bill to ensure that their children were protected.

The Chairman said the Anti-LGBTQ, which was a private member’s Bill was not brought into the House under a certificate of urgency and that there were other Bills, which were placed before the House before anti-gay Bill, but nobody was saying that such Bills were keeping long in the House.

He said the Committee was ready to prosecute the anti-gay Bill in the House anytime the Speaker and the Leadership were ready.

Mr Ayimadu-Antwi noted that the Anti-LGBTQ Bill was the only Bill which the House had spent the highest amount of money on – through the Committee’s nine public hearing stage, meeting of special interest groups and Committee Members traveling to other countries on study trips on the Bill.

This, he said, showed the importance the House attached to the Bill.

Chambas laments deteriorating terrorism threat level in West Africa 

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Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, a former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), has lamented the continuous deteriorating terrorism threat level in coastal West Africa. 

He said the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso continued to trigger militant encroachment southwards into coastal States of West Africa, particularly in Northern Benin and Northern Togo.  

He noted that in Poni, a district in Burkina Faso that borders the Ivory Coast witnessed increased attacks while Koulpelogo province continued to witness increasing attacks closer to the frontier with Ghana.  

“The rapid development now leaves the Ivory Coast and Ghana on high alert against possible attacks,” Dr Chambas remarked at the opening ceremony of the Research and Action for Peace (REcAP) Network Regional Conference in Accra. 

He said Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Togo experienced increased number of displaced persons fleeing terrorist attacks and counter terrorism operations in Burkina Faso. 

He said this situation was creating a high national security risks as some of the local populations were reportedly crossing into these countries with their cattle. 

The two-day meeting, on the theme “Unifying for Stability: Addressing Violent Extremism amidst Political Uncertainties in West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin”, is being organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) with the support of the European Union (EU). 

It brought experts, policy makers, international and regional actors together to collectively brainstorm, share experts’ knowledge and good practices on how to collectively respond to violent extremism in the context of the continuing challenges in the implementation of existing  

counterterrorism mechanisms and efforts in West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin.  

According to data available in the Africa Terrorism Database, hosted by the African Centre for the Study and Research on  

Terrorism (ACSRT), the period from 01 January 2023, to 30 September 2023, recorded 2,122 terrorist attacks resulting in 12,092 deaths across the continent, higher than those recorded in the same period in 2022.  

Dr Chambas said the 2023 data represented an increase of 95 per cent and 55 per cent in the number of attacks and deaths respectively, when compared to the same period in 2022.  

He said also, a total of 2,865 people were injured during attacks and that the records also indicated that 5,592 of the deaths were civilians whilst 3,178 were military/security personnel with 3,322 terrorist fighters killed by security forces during the attacks launched by terrorist groups.  

He said in addition to the number of terrorists killed during reprisal attacks by security forces, 5,312 fighters of the various terrorist groups were neutralized  

during deliberate counter-terrorism operations launched by the military, bringing the total number of terrorist fighters eliminated during the period to 8,534. 

Dr Chambas said at the regional level, West Africa recorded the highest number of terrorist attacks; adding that the region recorded 1,027 attacks that resulted in 6,255 deaths.  

He noted that Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo were the countries in which the attacks occurred in the region with Burkina Faso experiencing a rather exponential increase in the number of attacks during the period. 

Mrs Levinia Addae-Mensah, Deputy Executive Director/Programme Director, WANEP, said the recent developments in the political landscape of West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin had been extremely worrying, particularly West Africa. 

She said within the last few years the region had witnessed a number of coup d’états, attempted coups; saying “it almost becomes like a weekly affair and hoped that last of the skirmishes in Guinea Bissau be the last”. 

Mr Romain SZTARK, Head of Multi-Country Operations West Africa and North Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, said economic disparities, unemployment, and poverty could and often would, fuel the grievances that extremists could exploit. 

North Tongu urges business community to develop its agriculture, tourism potential

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Mr Divine Osborn Fenu, the North Tongu District Chief Executive in the Volta Region, says the area has abundant agricultural, tourism, and mineral potential and invited investors and the business community to explore opportunities in the area.

He said when the area’s distinctive, alluring, and competitive mineral resources, tourism, and agriculture were fully harnessed, it would accelerate national development and support local economic growth.

Mr Fenu said this when the Assembly took turns at the Sixth Volta Trade and Investment Fair to draw in the business community and showcase the district’s investment potential to the global world.

He said the district had a large amount of arable land suitable for commercial agriculture, and the Assembly was ready to welcome the business community and prospective investors who wish to invest.

Mangoes, cashews, rice, sweet potatoes, yam, cassava, cowpea, groundnuts, and vegetables like watermelon, pepper, okro, and garden eggs are some of the main trees and food crops that are produced.

He said although Aveyime was historically recognised for producing rice, it was also productive in many other agricultural produce, noting that the district’s potential and resource base allowed for a range of production systems and economic activities.

Due to the district’s abundance of water resources, such as the River Volta, Alabo, Korlor, Aklakpa, Gblor, Bla (Bla-Battor), Anyorgborti (Aveyime), and Nyifla streams, as well as the numerous tributaries that flow into the Volta River, he said, the district also has potential for aquaculture.

Mr Fenu said the Volta River had enormous potential for the growth of the tourism industry and the windy weather was also beneficial for the establishment of tourist-friendly recreational facilities, along the river and for fostering an atmosphere that was ideal for river cruising.

He said that there were large granite deposits and that some of the fine, untapped aggregates could be found at Kpeyibor enclave, while the resource extraction was still taking place at Mafi-Luta enclave to support the Ada Songor Salt Project’s shoreline protection efforts.

The DCE added that the district had abundant clay deposits, which were located near Volo and Torgorme and the soils were ideal to produce ceramic goods, bricks, and tiles, as well as local pottery, which opened job opportunities.

Mr Fenu mentioned oyster shell as another major mineral deposit in the district and it can be found in Battor, Mepe, Volo, Dorfor-Gborkpo, Afaode, and Alabo, among other places and it is used for painting and animal feed, among other things.

Mr Fenu said that the Dorfor and Ogoli enclaves also had deposits of feldspar and nepheline that were suitable for glass, ceramic, and porcelain wares and urged the business community to come and invest in the district.

Assist countries that are vulnerable to climate change quickly so they can implement their plans for development – Ofori-Atta

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Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, has appealed to the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the International Development Finance Club, and the global financial architecture to assist Climate Vulnerable countries in implementing their Climate Prosperity Plans as soon as possible.

As the Chair of the V20 group of Finance Ministers, Ofori-Atta stated that in light of the growing global crisis that aims to widen the financial divide between developing and vulnerable nations, swift and efficient support is essential to achieving prosperity plans.

Dr. Osei Oteng Asante, an official of the Ministry of Finance who spoke on behalf of the Minister at a side meeting of the ongoing Conference of Parties (COP 28) in Dubai on the topic, Action for Climate Targets (ACT) for a Net-Zero Future, disclosed that 40 of the 68 Member States of the V20 Group were in debt distress.

“The climate prosperity actions developed by most of the 68 members were constrained by inadequate financing, high cost of capital, and the squeeze in fiscal space, especially after the Covid crisis,” he indicated, adding that this has led vulnerable countries in their full swing of development to build in further vulnerabilities with each investment rather than becoming more resilient.

The Minister noted that the time is ripe for the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to incorporate climate vulnerability into their resource allocation metrics and ensure that climate-vulnerable economies have access to low-cost and concessional resources.

He also advocated for the MDBs to scale up credit enhancement tools and guarantees for vulnerable countries and dedicate resources directly to project preparation facilities rooted in member countries’ climate prosperity plans.

“By the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in 2024, MDB management should formulate plans for a general capital increase, articulating how the increase in capital will support development-positive climate action,” he insisted.

In 2022, US$60.9 billion of MDB climate finance was provided for low-income and middle-income economies. US$38.2 billion, equivalent to 63 percent, of this total was for climate change mitigation finance, and US$22.7 billion, or 37 percent, for climate change adaptation finance. The amount of mobilized private finance stood at US$15.4 billion.

The Minister, while admitting the commendable support of the MDBs to low-income countries, called for a swift process in releasing finance support to these countries as time remains of real essence in the fight against climate change.

The Climate Prosperity Plans are national investment strategies that seek to maximize socio-economic outcomes for countries on the frontline of the climate emergency through the deployment of maximized domestic renewable energy potential and climate-proofing of the economy.

The development of Climate Prosperity Plan, the Minister noted is essential to foster climate prosperity through a deliberate climate action which included the adopted Accra-to-Marrakech agenda in October 2023 which outlined a number of salient points.

Other speakers at the event included Saroj Kumar, Global Director for the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice, Pablo Viera, Global Director of the NDC Partnership Support Unit, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director, Lilian Macharia, Director of Portfolio Management at Green Climate Fund and Emilie Potvin, Director of Partnerships, UNOPS.

Saudi Arabia has urged the United States to exercise patience as the Houthis attack ships in the Red Sea.

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FILE PHOTO: Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS

Saudi Arabia has asked the US to exercise restraint in responding to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to two sources familiar with Saudi thinking, as Riyadh seeks to contain spillover from the Hamas-Israel conflict.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have waded into the conflict that has spread across the Middle East since the war erupted on Oct. 7, attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel itself.

The Houthis are one of several groups in the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” which have been attacking Israeli and U.S. targets since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, when their Palestinian ally Hamas sparked the war by attacking Israel.

Their role has added to the conflict’s regional risks, threatening sea lanes through which much of the world’s oil shipped, and worrying states on the Red Sea as Houthi rockets and drones fly towards Israel.

Riyadh, the world’s top oil exporter, has watched with alarm as Houthi missiles have been fired over its territory.

With the Houthis stepping up attacks on shipping over the past weeks, two sources familiar with Saudi thinking said Riyadh’s message of restraint to Washington aimed to avoid further escalation. Riyadh was so far pleased with the way the United States was handling the situation, the sources added.

“They pressed the Americans about this and why the Gaza conflict should stop,” one of the sources said.

The White House declined to comment.

The Saudi government did not respond to an emailed request for a comment on the discussions.

As Saudi Arabia presses for a ceasefire to halt what it has called a “barbaric war” in Gaza, its diplomacy reflects a wider policy aimed at promoting regional stability after years of confrontation with Iran and its allies.

Focused on expanding and diversifying the Saudi economy, Riyadh this year normalised ties with Tehran and is seeking to exit the war it has been waging with the Houthis in Yemen for nearly nine years.

The sources said Saudi Arabia was seeking to advance the Yemen peace process even as war rages in Gaza, worrying it could be derailed. Yemen has enjoyed more than a year of relative calm amid direct peace talks between Saudi and Houthi officials.

The Houthi attacks during the Hamas-Israel war have elevated their profile in the Iran-aligned camp which also includes Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The Houthis have emerged as a major military force in the Arabian Peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.

Senior sources in the Iran-aligned camp told Reuters the Houthi attacks were part of an effort to put pressure on Washington to get Israel to halt the Gaza offensive, a goal that Iran shares with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.

One of the sources, who is based in Tehran, said Houthi representatives had discussed their attacks with Iranian officials during a meeting in Tehran in November, agreeing to carry out actions in a “controlled” way that would help force an end to the Gaza war. The source was briefed on the matter.

Another of the sources said Tehran did not seek “all-out war in the region” that would risk drawing it in directly.

A Houthi spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Iran has denied being involved in the attacks. Iranian officials did not respond to a request for comment on the Houthi attacks.

DESTROYER DOWNS DRONES

The United States and Britain have condemned the attacks on shipping, blaming Iran for its role in supporting the Houthis. Tehran says its allies make their decisions independently.

In one of the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters on Sunday. The Houthis said they had fired at what they said were two Israeli vessels. Israel denied any link to the ships.

A U.S. Navy destroyer, the Carney, shot down three drones as it answered distress calls from the vessels, which the U.S. military said were connected to 14 separate nations.

The Pentagon said on Monday the Carney had taken action as a drone was headed in its direction, but that it could not assess if the warship was the intended target.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stopped short of using language that could suggest any imminent U.S. retaliation against the Houthis. Asked if the United States might retaliate, Singh said: “If we decide to take action against the Houthis, it will of course be at a time and place of our choosing.”

An Iranian diplomat said Tehran and Washington had exchanged messages through intermediaries about Houthi attacks since the start of the Hamas-Israel war. The diplomat, who was involved in exchanging the messages, said both called for restraint.

Iran on Tuesday denied any role in attacks or actions against U.S. forces.

Erik ten Hag responds to “unfair” criticism from Anthony Martial, saying that “everyone is giving their best” despite Manchester United’s dismal 2023–24 campaign start.

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After Anthony Martial’s subpar performance against Newcastle United over the weekend, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag defended the player.

The French forward was substituted in the 62nd minute of United’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle United, after a lackluster performance that left even manager Ten Hag furious as he was seen yelling at Martial. However, in the face of harsh criticism from all sides, the Dutch manager has defended his player and stated that the team is working hard to improve itself following a disastrous start to the 2023–24 season.

WHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID

Speaking to reporters ahead of a midweek clash with Chelsea, the Red Devils boss said: “Anthony Martial played brilliantly against Everton. I don’t think it’s fair to point to one player. If you have one moment, you can’t make that as a pattern. The week before we played brilliant, lot of energy in the team, spirt, you see all the games before – I mentioned Fulham, Burnley, Brentford, Luton, so many games for evidence. If it was a pattern, these were different. But this is not a pattern, absolutely not. Everyone is giving their best, there is unity as a team.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The 28-year-old has experienced an underwhelming campaign so far, managing to score just twice in 18 appearances for the club. With both Marcus Rashford and Martial out of form, Ten Hag’s side have been wildly inconsistent. They are on the brink of Champions League elimination and find themselves seventh in the league, 12 points behind league leaders Arsenal.

WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

The Red Devils have a very busy schedule in December. After the game against Chelsea, Ten Hag’s side will prepare for a home clash with Bournemouth before a must-win Champions League group stage clash with Bayern Munich. Huge domestic games against Liverpool and West Ham will follow before Christmas Day that could go a long way to deciding whether United make the Premier League’s top-four.

Thibaut Courtois informed Real Madrid that he would not represent Belgium at the 2024 European Championship since his first priority is fully recovering from an ACL injury.

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Thibaut Courtois’ decision to remain at Real Madrid and fully recuperate from his ACL injury means that Belgium will probably be without him at Euro 2024.

In order to fully recover from his anterior cruciate ligament injury, goalkeeper Thibault Courtois will reportedly stay back at Los Blancos’ facilities and work with the club’s goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis. This information is reportedly what Radio Marca reports about the goalkeeper’s decision to not travel to Germany with the Belgian squad for Euro 2024 next summer.

Just two days before the start of Madrid’s 2023-24 campaign in August, the Belgian international damaged his ACL and later underwent surgery. To replace him in the squad, the Spanish giants brought in Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea.

In June, the 31-year-old had a public fallout with Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco after he was snubbed for Romelu Lukaku as captain during a Euro 2024 qualifier against Austria. According to the manager, Courtois was hurt by the decision and decided to leave the squad. Later, the former Chelsea goalkeeper hit back at his manager on social media for making a locker room conversation public.

WHAT NEXT FOR BELGIUM?

In the Real Madrid’s goalkeeper’s absence, Koen Casteels has emerged as Belgium’s number one in recent times and is likely to be their first-choice goalkeeper at the Euros as well. Courtois, meanwhile, is targeting a return to the pitch in time for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

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