Category: 6. Sports

How ACL Injuries Happen on the Slopes and the Field

Dr. Miller: Anterior cruciate ligament injury or ACL injury, that happens a lot to knees here in Utah with so many skiers and athletes. I’m here with Dr. Pat Greis. Pat’s an orthopedic surgeon; he’s a professor of orthopedics in the Department of Orthopedics.

Pat, what is an ACL injury? How do you get that? I understand it’s pretty common. I see a fair percentage of it coming down in sleds off the ski slopes over the ski season.

Dr. Greis: The ACL is one of the main ligaments in the center of the knee. It keeps the knee from sliding forward. Unfortunately, when you tie long boards to the end of your foot

Dr. Miller: With thick boots that weigh 20 pounds?

Dr. Greis: And then go down the ski hill, bad things happen. So, we see a lot of folks who come in, had a twisting fall, maybe got a toboggan ride down the rest of the ski hill, come in with a sore, swollen knee.

Dr. Miller: That happened to a family friend that we took skiing this year. She was, unfortunately, it was the last run of the day. Fell. And then “pop.”

Dr. Greis: First run or last run of the day, it never fails. The knee usually gets twisted. Maybe they feel a pop, try to get up, try to ski, a turn or two, and the knee feels unstable.

Dr. Miller: Or they can’t even stand on it or put weight on it.

Dr. Greis: Certainly those folks who get put right onto the sled. And then usually managed at the bottom of the hill with a knee mobilizer, maybe got some X-rays, make sure nothing was busted. And then show up in clinic two, three days later to get evaluated.

The ACL Is Crucial for Stability and Movement

Dr. Miller: While the ACL is one of the stabilizing ligaments in the knee, we tend to hear ACL not only in skiing but in other contact sports or even non-contact sports in athletics. So, it’s a fairly common injury with the knee?

Dr. Greis: It is one of the higher profile injuries, given the level of disability that occurs from it is pretty high. It’s difficult for a basketball player, a football player to continue playing after they’ve torn an ACL because without the ACL in the knee, instability, where the knee gives out.

Dr. Miller: So, if you’re doing a sport where you pivot a lot – soccer, football, anything with cleats – it’s got to be pretty tough to maintain that activity without the ACL.

Dr. Greis: Any jumping, landing, twisting activity is really tough to continue. It’s the rare individual who can continue and cope without an ACL. So, we end up rebuilding a lot of these to allow people to get back to these kinds of sports.

Dr. Miller: So, that is to say, if you have a complete ACL tear, there’s not much in the way of physical therapy that’s going to help if you’re going to get back into competitive sports. Is that a fair statement?

Dr. Greis: Well, physical therapy alone wouldn’t probably get you there. But that is an important part of the overall treatment. ACL injuries, when they happen, result in a pretty sore and swollen knee. And prior to any surgical treatment, physical therapy is a big part of getting ready for surgery. We like to operate and fix knees when they’re quiet, when they have full motion, limited swelling. And so therapy, although it’s not going to fix the problem, is a big part of treatment.

What to Expect After an ACL Tear

Dr. Miller: So, this dispels the notion a little bit that when patients have a knee injury, especially the loss of an ACL, they don’t need to rush off to the orthopedic surgeon for surgery.

Dr. Greis: Not for surgery, but they should see somebody because getting going and doing the right things to get the knee functioning and working again is important.

Dr. Miller: Talk to me about the differences in gender. I understand that women may be more prone to ACL ruptures.

Dr. Greis: For sure. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen more and more young girls and women in cutting sports such as soccer, we’ve also seen that their injury rates tend to be four to eight times higher than matched controls with their male counterparts. There are a lot of potential reasons for that that are still being worked out. But the fact is, again, young women in soccer are experiencing the same injury quite a bit more often than men.

Dr. Miller: How about the older patient? Do they always need to get their ACL repaired if they’re not doing cutting sports?

Dr. Greis: Sure, they don’t. Here in the Wasatch Front, given the activity level of many so-called older patients. And I think that that’s a question, as we all are aging. The activity level is such that many prefer to get their ACL reconstructed so they don’t have to modify their activity to fit their knee.

How ACL Reconstruction Surgery Works

Dr. Miller: So, what do you do? You wait, you do physical therapy, you wait for swelling to subside, you wait for a little more motion, and then what? I guess there are several techniques that you use to repair the ACL.

Dr. Greis: We usually reconstruct the ACL, so we’re replacing it. Actually repairing it, putting sutures in it, was something that was done commonly in the ’70s and ’80s but less so now. So, we’re more about replacing the ACL rather than reconstructing it. And the idea there is to put a new ligament where the ACL used to be in the right, anatomic position so that it functions like the native ACL did.

Rehab Timeline After Surgery

Dr. Miller: And once that’s done, I suppose there’s a period of fairly enough intense physical therapy to help re-strengthen and reconstruct the knee?

Dr. Greis: For sure. ACL surgery is not something where you wake up from an operation and say, hey . . .

Dr. Miller: Dashing off to the football field.

Dr. Greis: Unfortunately, it’s not that quick. There’s a period of soreness and swelling just from the surgery. But the rehabilitation occurs in phases. First month might be going to physical therapy, going to the gym, doing simple exercises, spinning on a bike. By two to three months, hiking, playing golf are more reasonable leisure activities.

Dr. Miller: Instead of kickboxing.

Dr. Greis: Kickboxing would not be the first thing you do out of the box. But it’s about a 6-month process. And even in six months, many athletes are probably not as good as they’re going to be at 9 or 12 months.

Dr. Miller: So physical therapy and follow-up are extremely important in coming back with a functional knee that will allow you to participate in high-intensity sports.

Dr. Greis: Without therapy, doing ACL surgery is probably not going to be successful. And it is a big part of that. When you see these athletes who are coming back in, six and nine months have to realize that they are probably spending four, five, six days a week in the gym working out. And so, it’s a mindset of being injured but then being willing to do the work to get back to where you were.

Tips to Lower Your Risk of an ACL Injury

Dr. Miller: Finally, do you have any tips for the weekend warrior or the visiting vacation skewer-handed person who comes out to avoid an ACL injury?

Dr. Greis: Like a lot of sports, keep it upright.

Dr. Miller: Stay on your sticks and don’t fall over. I guess one of my questions was, probably not a good idea to ski until the very end of the day when your ligaments and muscles are twitching and not working very well.

Dr. Greis: It’s always a little hard to know when to call it. But getting in the back seat, getting behind your skis, is certainly one mechanism that falls unavoidably. It is what it is. It’s a sport that’s a lot of fun but comes with certain risks.

 

_{updated: July 22, 2025
originally published: August 23, 2016}

The Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) – started in 2009 and last played in 2014 – is set to make a comeback in a bigger and better avatar. Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have taken a formal decision to revive the tournament on the sidelines of the ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Singapore recently. The CLT20 is a Twenty20 league formulated as a high-end international tournament for top franchises of domestic T20 leagues from across the world. The member nations of the ICC are optimistic about restarting the tournament from early 2026.

However, planning for the league’s return remains in a nascent stage, with many particulars yet to be decided. In particular, formulating the eligibility criteria is of immediate priority. As franchise-based T20 leagues have mushroomed across the world, many owners now operate teams across different leagues. Addressing this cross-team ownership pattern will be one of the biggest challenges for the yet-to-be-formed authorities of the tournament. In their next meeting, according to Cricbuzz, the member nations will work on forming a Governing Council (GC) to run the league.

The CLT20 was discontinued in 2015. Initially, only franchises from a handful of major Test-playing nations were allowed to participate in the tournament. But a decade later, global T20 cricket has grown by leaps and bounds, with even Associate members of the ICC – including the USA, Canada, Nepal, and UAE – running their own franchise-based leagues. At present, there are around 11 major franchise-based leagues across the world, including The Hundred in England.

Finding a window to organise the tournament in an already cramped calendar will also pose a challenge to the member nations. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which was not a member of the CLT20 earlier, is expected to join the planning process along with Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest cricket board in the world. Cricket South Africa – one of the three boards that founded the original CLT20 – is also expected to join the talks.

However, it must be noted that despite the popularity of T20 leagues, the Champions League T20 had turned out to be a flop show, with the tournament failing to grasp eyeballs to the expected extent, resulting in its suspension following a proposal by Star Sports in 2014. Incurring heavy financial losses, Star Sports had offered a compensation package to the three boards, who agreed to the same in 2015.

Aston Villa’s unwillingness to purchase Marcus Rashford outright left the Englishman in a state of flux, with Ruben Amorim making it clear that he had no future at Old Trafford.

Rashford only signed his lucrative new contract extension in 2023, but that deal has proven to be somewhat of a poisoned chalice for the 27-year-old.

With his form wavering in the aftermath and questions emerging over his off-field behaviour, Rashford is no longer a desirable asset in the eyes of the Manchester United manager. Moreover, his sky-high salary has rendered the risk great for those willing to take the forward off the Red Devils’ hands.

Villa offered brief respite, and Barcelona are the next club to present Rashford with potential rejuvenation. However, few would’ve suspected the La Liga champions to be in for the England international, given their documented financial woes, which have emerged as a source of widespread mockery.

Nevertheless, Barcelona have taken the plunge, acquiring Rashford on an initial loan. Still, plenty of rejigging is necessary if the Blaugrana are to register their new asset for the 2025–26 season.

Barcelona had registration issues last summer and winter with Dani Olmo, and the main reason why the club failed in their pursuit of Nico Williams was because they were unwilling to include an exit clause in the winger’s contract if he couldn’t be registered for the upcoming campaign.

As it stands, Barça cannot register any of their summer signings, with Rashford joining Joan García, Roony Bardghji and Wojciech Szczęsny at the arrivals desk.

During 2024–25, the Blaugrana spent more on players (including transfer fees and wages) than they made in revenue, meaning they’re over La Liga’s 1:1 salary limit.

While Barcelona did not pay a fee to sign Rashford and the player is willing to take a 15% pay cut, the forward will be expected to earn €14 million (£12.15 million, $16.4 million) in wages next season before the Catalans consider his reported £26 million ($35 million) buyout clause.

Lamine Yamal’s lucrative new extension has increased the club’s wage bill, and Andreas Christensen’s wages must also be accounted for in 2025–26 after 80% were written off last term due to his long-term injury.

Right now, it’s unclear when Barcelona will be able to register Rashford and their other new signings, but the club have worked their way around the issue before.

Barcelona have been active sellers at the start of the transfer window in a bid to balance their books. Álex Valle has joined Como, Pablo Torre signed for Mallorca, and much of Ansu Fati’s €14 million (£12.15 million, $16.4 million) salary was offloaded to Monaco for 2025–26, after he joined the Ligue 1 outfit on loan.

However, there’s still work to do. The club are keen on selling Christensen, but he doesn’t want to leave, and Marc-André ter Stegen following the addition of highly-rated Espanyol goalkeeper García. According to Capology, Christensen and Ter Stegen are due to earn €15.3 million (£13.3 million, $17.9 million) next season, and The Athletic states that Barcelona, “need space of around €28 million (£24.3 million, $32.8 million),” accounting for Rashford’s salary.

Selling players and offloading wages will be the club’s priority in their bid to register new players, but Joan Laporta will also hope that New Era Visionary Group pay the remaining €42 million (£36.4 million, $49 million) of the €70 million (£60.7 million, $81.8 million) they owe for their bulk investment in Barcelona’s 475 VIP boxes at their renovated Camp Nou.

More VIP seats at their new home could yet be sold by the club, and they recently agreed a training kit deal with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This agreement is expected to bring in between €10 million (£8.7 million, $11.7 million) and €11.5 million (£10 million, $13.5 million) annually over the next four seasons.

READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE

Raducanu, the British number three, took the opening set after a gruelling 71 minutes, despite sacrificing a 4-0 lead in the tie-break.

She then held a 3-0 advantage in the second set but Kostyuk, who had lost five singles matches in a row since May, rallied to break and draw level at 4-4.

Having forced Kostyuk to serve to stay in the match, the Ukrainian double faulted to hand Raducanu two match points, which the Briton took on her second chance.

The 2021 US Open champion said it was an “extremely good win”.

“I’m happy with the way I fought through the first set and in the second, stayed tough when I needed to,” she added.

Norrie, meanwhile, managed only three winners in the first set, two of them on aces, but dominated the second to force a decider.

After saving five break points in the fifth game of the final set, he broke Musetti, who had a first-round bye, in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead.

The Italian saved two match points in the final game – one on a Norrie double fault – but then sent a backhand beyond the baseline, handing the Briton victory after two hours and seven minutes.

Admitting he was playing “like a kid again”, Norrie said: “I just kind of let go of the expectations and I’m playing tennis more to enjoy it now.

“You’ve got to enjoy it otherwise you can get burned out on this long schedule.”

Lienert-Brown, whose existing contract ran through to the end of 2026, said his passion for the teams and communities he represents meant it was an easy decision to continue to play his rugby in Aotearoa for a further two seasons.

“I’m excited to re-commit to New Zealand Rugby through to 2028. This year’s been frustrating with injuries outside of my control but pulling on the black jersey again last Saturday reminded me just how special this journey really is. Representing Waikato, the Chiefs, and my country is something I never take for granted. My decision to stay reflects my commitment, not just to the teams I play for, but to giving everything I’ve got to the work that lies ahead.”

With 86-Test caps for the All Blacks since his debut against Australia in 2016, 126 appearances for the Gallagher Chiefs during 12 Super Rugby campaigns, and a further 22 matches for Waikato in the Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship Lienert-Brown has been one of the most consistent players in New Zealand over the past decade.

He will activate an existing sabbatical clause in his contract next season to join fellow All Black Ardie Savea at the Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan League One. The pair will return to New Zealand at the conclusion of the Japanese season and be available for the All Blacks July series in 2026.

All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson said:

“Anton is a true professional and a player who embodies the values of the All Blacks jersey. His experience, composure, and clarity in the midfield are hugely valuable. He’s overcome injury setbacks in recent years and has shown real resilience. We’re thrilled to have him locked in through to 2028, and the experience he’ll gain in Japan will only enhance his game and leadership.”

NZR General Manager Professional Rugby & Performance Chris Lendrum said:

“Anton’s loyalty, work ethic and consistency have been hallmarks of his career at every level and we are delighted he has chosen to extend through to a potential third Rugby World Cup campaign. His leadership and experience are a valued part of our game and his decision to recommit through to 2028 reflects the exciting domestic and international schedules on the horizon.”

Chiefs Head Coach Jono Gibbes said:

“Anton is a massive asset to the Gallagher Chiefs, and this sabbatical is a great opportunity for him to experience a different rugby environment and learn from a new playing style. I look forward to seeing how this experience shapes him as a player and what he brings back to the team.”

F1 launched its sustainability strategy in 2019 with a long-term commitment to reduce carbon emissions in areas like travel, logistics, and energy use.

Changing the now 24-race calendar, so grands prix are grouped together by region to reduce travel, has also helped F1 in its quest for greater sustainability, with Japan moving to an April slot and Azerbaijan twinning with Singapore in the autumn since the 2024 season.

Team factories are now using more green energy such as wind and solar power, resulting in a 59% reduction in emissions from these facilities compared to seven years ago.

Other initiatives that have contributed include F1 expanding the use of biofuel trucks for transporting freight in Europe, which reduced related carbon emissions by an average of 83%.

From the 2026 season and beyond, F1 is introducing new regulations that will feature environmentally friendly cars with engines that have a near 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power – and use fully sustainable fuels.

To further improve the flow of the calendar, Canada switches to an earlier date in May, followed by a run of nine European races, starting with Monaco in June and ending with the new Madrid Grand Prix in September.

“Formula 1 has always been synonymous with innovation and the desire to improve,” added Domenicali.

“Once again, this mentality has allowed us to make important progress, not only for those who work in this world, but also for society as a whole.

“While continuing to grow globally, we have shown that sustainable development is possible and that the strategies we have adopted are yielding tangible results.”

The report said any remaining unavoidable emissions in 2030 “will be offset using credible programmes in line with latest best practice guidance”.

Carbon offset programs typically help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by supporting projects which reduce environmental harm, such as tree planting schemes.

Defending champions England came back from the brink of Euro 2025 elimination for the second time in two matches to beat Italy and progress to Sunday’s final.

The Lionesses entered the semi-final in Geneva as heavy favourites, but the Italians took a shock first-half lead through Barbara Bonansea’s back-post finish.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time, England looked devoid of inspiration and had reached the point where goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was being sent up for set pieces.

But with all hope seemingly lost, substitute Michelle Agyemang popped up with a composed finish in the sixth of seven added minutes to keep Sarina Wiegman’s side in the tournament, just five days after her goal against Sweden helped take the quarter-final to penalties.

Extra time appeared to be drifting towards a penalty shootout when Beth Mead was hauled over in the box by Emma Severini. Up stepped Chloe Kelly… who missed.

But Kelly and Ella Toone reacted quicker than any Italy defenders, racing towards the ball, and Kelly just got there first, drilling the rebound in to send England into a third consecutive major tournament final.

Charlotte Harpur and Cerys Jones analyse the main talking points.

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Agyemang and Kelly save England again

The definition of “proper England” may need revising to include substitutes saving the day. In 2022, it was Kelly and Toone who came off the bench to score in the final. In 2025, Kelly is reprising her substitute role with a more creative flair, while Agyemang has brought the goals.

Agyemang had one senior cap when she arrived in Switzerland, but nobody can accuse her of being at this tournament simply to take in the experience. The 19-year-old has not only pulled her weight, but with two late equalisers has dragged England through the knockouts. Her energy and aerial presence in the box have troubled tired opposition defences and her physicality in hold-up play has given fatigued team-mates the time to join attacks. Bringing the teenager to Switzerland was a gamble by Wiegman and it has paid dividends.

As she did against Sweden in the last eight, Kelly made a noticeable impact on the wing, this time on the right. After Lauren James was taken off at half-time with an apparent injury, Mead struggled to trouble Italy’s defence on that flank. Kelly’s introduction, which saw Mead move into a No 10 role, stretched the Italian defence far more, opening up space for England’s central attackers. Her pace carved out opportunities — the best of which was a spellbinding run in extra time, beating four defenders before she sent her shot just wide of the top-left corner.

When Mead was fouled in the dying minutes of extra time, it was Kelly who was given the responsibility of taking the spot kick. Her strike was saved, but she reacted first and sent the Italians slumping to the turf.

Wiegman’s lack of rotation could have dented her bench’s motivation, but it seems to have done quite the opposite. Have any of them made enough of an impact to earn a start in the final?

Cerys Jones

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England are in the final, but do they deserve to be?

By the skin of their teeth…

England were flat for a long time in this semi-final and several individuals were below par. In the first half, their tempo was poor, passes were wayward and touches heavy. When England did get into good positions, they did not take their chances. As the game dragged on, they grew frustrated and impatient, taking long-range shots and snatching at chances. England did not get enough bodies in the box and it took pure desperation to keep them alive.

They have not been at their best and, as at the 2023 World Cup, there is an extent to which England have muddled through. Their opening 2-1 defeat by France exposed their weaknesses, but they were soon forgotten after a convincing performance against the Netherlands, albeit the Dutch hardly covered themselves in glory.

England swept aside Wales as expected and that gave them confidence. It seemed finishing second in the group was favourable as the draw opened up for them.

But the Lionesses were extremely fortunate to beat Sweden. Despite their heroics, a team had once again exposed their vulnerabilities. Somehow, through sheer grit, they battled their way through again against Italy. Can anyone stop a team this determined not to go home?

Charlotte Harpur

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Heartbreak for Italy

Italy were tipped as dark horses for this tournament by some and they came within seconds of exceeding anyone’s expectations.

Their signs of promise were there from their opening fixture against Belgium, a narrow 1-0 victory that was pivotal to their progress from Group B. In that game, Arianna Caruso and Michela Cambiaghi sparkled in attack, and Andrea Soncin coached his team to a mature win that balanced pragmatic gamesmanship with a willingness to take attacking risks.

They also took 1-0 leads against Portugal and Spain, but could not hang on to either, pointing to a need to step up their defensive maturity. Against England, they came so close to making that leap.

After taking advantage of lax English defending with some superb passing and movement, Bonansea gave Italy the lead against the run of play. Like against Belgium in their opener, they continued to push for a second rather than sit in a low block and hope for the best.

For an hour, they reduced the holders to frustrated long-range efforts and restricted their opportunities in the penalty area, but a brief lapse in concentration allowed Agyemang the space to fire home her 96th-minute equaliser. It was another defensive slip — Severini’s foul on Mead — that led to England’s winning penalty.

Italy deserve credit for their performance, but they were helped out for much of the game by England’s wayward finishing. When the Lionesses sharpened up, they could not stop them piercing their defence.

This one will hurt for a long time, but Italy can take so many positives from this first major tournament under Soncin, and the gap between them and Europe’s top teams no longer feels insurmountable.

Cerys Jones

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What are England’s prospects in the final?

England will learn their opponents for Sunday’s final when Germany face Spain in Zurich on Wednesday. They are familiar with both, though with contrasting emotions attached: it was Germany they beat 2-1 at Wembley to become European champions in 2022, and Spain they lost to in the final of the 2023 World Cup.

Either side has an incredibly strong motivation to knock England off the top: for Germany, it would represent revenge for 2022 and could kickstart a return to the very top of the women’s game, while for Spain, it would consolidate their status as the best side in Europe.

Head-to-head records since those finals do not give much of a steer. England narrowly lost their only meeting with Germany since 2022, a chaotic 4-3 defeat in October; they have played Spain twice since the 2023 final, winning once and losing once.

Spain’s record so far in this tournament is flawless, collecting nine points and scoring 14 goals in the group — matching England’s record group tally from 2022 — before seeing off a determined Switzerland side in the quarter-finals. Their slick passing football has been impressive. Switzerland came closest, shutting them out for 66 minutes, but England are unlikely to emulate their dogged defensive shape. Instead, they would have to exploit Spain’s high line and try to clog up their well-oiled midfield. It’s a strategy nobody has successfully pulled off so far.

Germany’s tournament has been a rollercoaster. They struggled to find their feet in their opening games, a 2-0 win over tournament debutants Poland and a 2-1 comeback victory against Denmark, and then did their best to shoot themselves in said feet in the games that followed. They lost 4-1 to Sweden in their final group match after Carlotta Wamser was sent off for a handball in the first half, and in their quarter-final against France, Kathrin Hendrich was shown a red card for pulling Griedge Mbock’s hair in the 13th minute.

Despite those mistakes, and despite a tournament-ending knee injury to captain Giulia Gwinn in their first game, they are through to the final four. After Grace Geyoro converted France’s penalty from Hendrich’s foul, Sjoeke Nusken equalised just over 10 minutes later, and Germany’s 10 players somehow held on to win on penalties. Their grit matched the recklessness that had made their lives so hard in the first place. England could expect physicality, determination, pace on the wings, and a dogged defence, but they will know Germany can be their own worst enemy.

Cerys Jones

(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Women’s Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco dispatched Ghana 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat to set up a final showdown with Nigeria at the same venue on Saturday.

Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah failed to score from the spot in the shootout while Morocco converted all of their attempts, having come from behind during regular time with the irrepressible Sakina Ouzraoui Diki cancelling out Stella Nyamekye’s first-half opener.

Morocco, defeated finalists in 2022, now reach a second consecutive WAFCON final where they’ll meet nine-time champions Nigeria who defeated South Africa 2-1 in Casablanca earlier on Tuesday.

Nyamekye had given Ghana the lead in the 26th minute when she tapped home beyond Khadija Er-Rmichi as the Morocco goalkeeper failed to get hold of an attempt on goal following a Black Queens corner. It was yet another high-profile error from the hosts’ stopper, who has looked like the weak link in Jorge Vilda’s fine team during this competition.

Morocco looked jittery as the first half wore on, but responded perfectly after the break, with Player of the Match Ouzraoui Diki — one of the revelations of this tournament — equalising 10 minutes into the second half with a brave left-footed volley from close range.

Nyamekye had served warning of her threat during the first quarter of an hour, when her attempt from range was saved by Er-Rmichi, with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah having earlier forced a stop from the Morocco keeper as the Black Queens sought to find their range.

Er-Rmichi was forced into another stop to deny Josephine Bonsu moments before the opening goal, with Sanaa Mssoudy having arguably the best chance of the half when she failed to hit the target with an effort from range.

Ghana, who failed to break down a resilient, rugged Algeria defence during their quarterfinal, could have extended the lead before the break, with Doris Boaduwaa twice taking aim at goal, once firing wide following a counter, having called Er-Rmichi into action again with a header.

The Morocco goalkeeper was ridiculed following her early error to allow Barbra Banda to score inside the opening minutes of the Atlas Lionesses’ first match — a 2-2 draw with Zambia — but here she was resilient, keeping Morocco only one goal behind heading into the break.

After the pause, it was the hosts who came out blazing, putting the pressure on Ghana from the off and winning a series of free kicks and two corners in the opening minutes of the half. Now it was Ghana keeper Cynthia Konlan who was called into action, denying Najat Badri, while Mssoudy stepped up the gears and created three chances in quick succession for Ghizlane Chebbak (twice) and veteran Ibtissam Jraïdi.

When the goal came, it was from Ouzraoui Diki, one of the breakout stars of this tournament, collecting a looping deflected ball into the box, bringing it under control, and finishing beyond the onrushing Konlan.

Morocco would have expected to push on from this point and kill off the contest within the 90 minutes, but for everything they through at Ghana — with Mssoudy and Ouzraoui Diki dovetailing superbly — they were unable to beat the Black Queens backline.

Indeed, Ghana themselves could have won it during the final stages, with Alice Kusi having two efforts, one of which was blocked, and Princella Adubea sending a header wide after a fine ball in from Boye-Hlorkah.

The most notable incident of extra time was an injury to Fatima Tagnaout, who had been introduced as a 90th-minute substitute to inject some spark into this Lionesses side in extra time, but was stretchered off in some discomfort with ice applied to the back of her knee.

So to penalties, where Hanane Aït El Haj, Jraidi, Kenza Chapelle and Anissa Lahmari each converted confidently for the hosts. After Bonsu and Kush netted Ghana’s opening goals, the pressure began to tell for the visitors, with substitute Badu sending a poor effort wide of Er-Rmichi’s right post.

The beleaguered Morocco keeper then completed her redemption act as she saved 18-year-old Comfort Yeboah’s weak effort to send the Atlas Lionesses through to meet the Super Falcons.

BECKENHAM: In a nail-biting finish, Pakistan Shaheens edged out the Professional County Club (PCC) Select XI by just one run, thanks to Maaz Sadaqat’s three-for and solid half-centuries from Haider Ali and skipper Saud Shakeel in the first one-day at The County Ground.

In a match that was reduced to 28 overs per side, Professional County Club Select XI accumulated 187 runs before being bundled out in the final over.

Leading the way for them was opening batter Will Smeed, who top-scored with a brisk 84 off 62 deliveries, laced with a dozen boundaries, including two sixes.

He also shared important partnerships with Hamza Shaikh and Ollie Sykes, who made notable contributions by scoring 44 and 28, respectively.

Maaz was the standout bowler for Pakistan Shaheens, taking three wickets for 28 runs in 4.4 overs, followed by Saud Shakeel and Faisal Akram, who took two each, while Mir Hamza and Ubaid Shah made one scalp apiece.

Set to chase a revised target of 204, Pakistan Shaheens knocked the winning runs for the loss of five wickets and a ball to spare.

Leading the way for the visitors was their captain Shakeel, who top-scored with an unbeaten 72 off as many deliveries with the help of four boundaries.

He was closely followed by Haider Ali, who smashed five fours and three sixes on his way to a 56-ball 71.

Shahid Aziz gave final touches to the run chase with an unbeaten 21-run cameo, which came off just 11 deliveries and featured two boundaries, including a six.

Tom Lawes led the bowling charge for Professional County Club Select XI with two wickets, while Mitch Stanley, Scott Currie and Dan Douthwaite claimed one apiece.

With Pakistan Shaheens now leading the three-match series 1-0, their second one-day match against Professional County Club Select XI is scheduled to be played at the same venue on Friday.