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By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: Nongkseh SSCC and Shillong Lajong FC grabbed the two semifinal spots from Group A in the 5th Meghalaya State League by winning their respective quarterfinal league stage matches on Friday.

While Nongkseh comfortably beat bottom side Rangdajied United 4-1, the second fixture of the day involving Lajong and Mawlai SC was far more enthralling. Lajong’s 1-0 win thanks to a 72nd minute strike by Fridison Wannianng not only secured their berth in the semis but also ensured that reigning champions Mawlai would not be able to progress.

In the standings, Nongkseh lead the group with 11 points to Lajong’s 10 and Mawlai’s 7. RUFC have 0. Although there is still a round remaining, losing twice to Lajong means that Mawlai, based on head-to-head, cannot hope to reach the Top 2 even if they beat Nongkseh on Monday and SLFC lose to Rangdajied.

Mawlai lacked composure in defence during the first half but still managed to hold on, though rather desperately. Their custodian, Lambhamiki Lamare, was made to work overtime, from the very first minute in fact, when Deibormame Tongper tested him with a powerful shot on target. Fridison would do the same in the 20th minute but Mawlai also had their chances, with Fairming Suting rattling the woodwork in the 12th minute. Both teams were somewhat understrength due to suspensions of key players but Lajong did not let that stop them. Coach Bobby L Nongbet brought on Emanbha Marbaniang in the second half and practically his first touch of the game was to set up Fridison’s thundering left-footer. Earlier, Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw (30′) scored his first goal of the tournament but Nongkseh had to wait until the second half to stamp their authority on the game.

(AP) PARIS, May 22: Their legs don’t move as fast on the red clay. They recover more slowly. But the French public still loves them just as much. Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils have been involved in some of the most memorable matches in recent Roland Garros history. The two veterans are back at the French Open for a final dance at the Grand Slam tournament after announcing they will retire at the end of the season.

(AP)

MANCHESTER, May 22: Pep Guardiola confirmed what Manchester City fans had been fearing. The club’s most successful manager is leaving, bringing to a close a trophy-laden, 10-year spell in which he established City as one of major forces in Europe and changed the face of English soccer.

Guardiola, who had a further year left on his City contract, will take charge of his final game against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time,” Guardiola said. “Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.” City said Guardiola would take up a role as global ambassador.

Enzo Maresca – the for-mer Chelsea manager who was previously assistant to Guardiola at City – is the favorite to take on the daunt-ing task of filling Guardiola’s shoes after a decade of un-precedented dominance.

Since joining City in the summer of 2016, Guardiola led the Abu Dhabi-backed team to six Premier League titles and the Champions League for the first time in 2023.

He won 17 major trophies in all, including a domestic double this season of the English League Cup and the FA Cup. He has won 35 ma-jor titles across his coaching career including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Mu-nich. Guardiola’s departure marks the end of one of the most transformative eras not only in the history of Manchester City but also in modern English football it-self. During his decade-long reign, the Spaniard revolu-tionised the club’s identity with a fearless attacking phi-losophy, relentless pursuit of perfection and a style of football that set new bench-marks across Europe.

From turning City into serial Premier League cham-pions to finally delivering the elusive UEFA Champions League crown, Guardiola leaves behind a legacy built on consistency, innovation and sustained excellence rarely witnessed in the mod-ern game.

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SHILLONG, May 22: Meghalaya will face Kerala in the quarterfinals of the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men’s National Football Championship 2026 in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on Saturday, with both teams coming into the knockout round with a fantastic record behind them. Kick-off will be at 7am.

Meghalaya topped Group A with a full 12 points after beating Bihar 3-1 in their opener on 9 May followed by a 5-0 win against Jharkhand, 8-1 against Andhra Pradesh on 13 May and 3-0 versus Rajasthan on 17 May.

Coached by Jeffrey Warlarpih, the Meghalaya boys will face their toughest contest yet as they go up against Kerala, who were first in Group C. Kerala defeated Chandigarh 5-1 on 13 May, Uttarakhand 3-0 on 15 May, Andaman & Nicobar Islands 12-0 on 19 May and Jammu & Kashmir 6-1 on 21 May. Meghalaya and Kerala faced each other last year in this same tournament. That time they were both drawn in the same group, with Meghalaya winning 2-1.

However, being an age-category event, there are only a couple of players from 2025 in the Meghalaya squad this year. With both sides enjoying unbeaten runs and boasting impressive attacking form, Saturday’s quarterfinal promises to be a fiercely contested encounter between two of the tournament’s standout teams. Meghalaya will look to continue their dream campaign and draw confidence from last year’s victory over Kerala, while the southern side will be eager to avenge that defeat and book a place in the semifinals.

(Agencies)

MADRID, May 22: Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has admitted that playing at the FIFA World Cup has been a lifelong dream, saying the global tournament carries a special feeling that unites entire nations.

In an interaction with FIFA, the Barcelona winger said he was eagerly waiting for his first World Cup appearance and hoped to help Spain make a deep run in the tournament. The 18-year-old said the World Cup was unique because even people who do not usually follow football come together to support their country during the competition.

GOALKEEPERS: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City).

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City).

MIDFIELDERS: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).

FORWARDS: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: Nongkseh SSCC and Shillong Lajong FC grabbed the two semifinal spots from Group A in the 5th Meghalaya State League by winning their respective quarterfinal league stage matches on Friday.

While Nongkseh comfortably beat bottom side Rangdajied United 4-1, the second fixture of the day involving Lajong and Mawlai SC was far more enthralling. Lajong’s 1-0 win thanks to a 72nd minute strike by Fridison Wanniang not only secured their berth in the semis

In the standings, Nongkseh lead the group with 11 points to Lajong’s 10 and Mawlai’s 7. RUFC have 0. Although there is still a round remaining, losing twice to Lajong means that Mawlai, based on head-to-head, cannot hope to reach the Top 2 even if they beat Nongkseh on Monday and SLFC lose to Rangdajied.

Mawlai lacked composure in defence during the first half but still managed to hold on, though rather desperately. Their custodian, Lambhamiki Lamare, was made to work overtime, from the very first minute in fact, would do the same in the 20th minute but Mawlai also had their chances, with Fairming Suting rattling the woodwork in the 12th minute. Both teams were somewhat understrength due to suspensions of key players but Lajong did not let that stop them. Coach Bobby L Nongbet brought on Emanbha Marbaniang in the second half and practi- cally his first touch of the game was to set up Fridi- son’s thundering left-footer. Earlier, Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw (30′) scored his first goal of the tourna- ment but Nongkseh had to

(AP)

MANCHESTER, May 22: Big names were left out of England’s World Cup squad on Friday, with Phil Foden and Cole Palmer notable omissions from Thomas Tuchel’s roster as the German-born coach underlined the importance of “team spirit and being unselfish” in the country’s bid for a first men’s title since 1966.

There was no place either for Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold or Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw in the 26-man group headed to the tournament in United States, Canada and Mexico.

“I think from day one, we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said, echoing his sentiments from previous squad announcements when he left out big names and insisted there were no guarantees for any player.

“Teams win championships. It’s as simple as that. And what we are trying to achieve in summer can only be achieved as a team.” Foden was the double player of the year in England with Manchester City just two years ago.

A surprise inclusion was Ivan Toney, who has only played once for his country since moving to the Saudi league after Euro 2024.

ENGLAND SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City).

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City).

MIDFIELDERS: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).

FORWARDS: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).</