Marcus Rashford "deserves everything that's happening now", according to Manchester United team-mate Hannibal Mejbri.

After a difficult 2021-22 campaign, Rashford started this season strongly, and has carried that form into the World Cup with England in Qatar, where he has hit three goals.

The 25-year-old scored just five times in 32 Premier League games last season for United, but already has eight goals in 19 appearances in 2022-23.

Hannibal – who is spending the season on loan at Championship club Birmingham City – had also been playing at the World Cup with Tunisia, who were eliminated in the group stage. 

Speaking to Stats Perform, the 19-year-old praised Rashford as a player and a person, with the United forward engaging in significant charitable work over recent years.

"I'm enormously happy because when I was at Manchester United, that's when he [had] a bit of a struggle, but he never let up," Hannibal said.

"He's a very good guy and he deserves everything that's happening now and he's worked tremendously hard for it, so I'm very happy for him."

Hannibal joined United from Monaco in 2019 for a fee of around £8million (€10m), and made two appearances for the first-team last season.

The midfielder described what it was like coming in to the Red Devils' academy when he first arrived, in particular the difficulty of doing so with a sizeable fee having been paid.

"It's very difficult when you come into a youth dressing room with a €10m price tag," he said. "You go into the dressing room, everyone judges you.

"But after a training session or two, you show your qualities and everyone accepts you. So that's how it is and that's football now, you have to put aside what people think of you, work, stay focused."

United head coach Erik ten Hag has made an impressive start to life at Old Trafford, and despite being out on loan, Hannibal confirmed the Dutchman has been keeping an eye on his progress.

"The staff, the technical staff always stay informed with us, the players on loan," he said. "So yes, if you do something bad, he tells you, if you do something good he congratulates you too. So yes, he stays in touch and it's a great pleasure."

England must be considered among the world's very best sides and they are capable of going all the way in Qatar, says Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Three Lions defeated Koulibaly's Senegal 3-0 on Sunday at Al Bayt Stadium to seal their place in the last eight of the World Cup.

England, World Cup semi-finalists in 2018 and Euro 2020 finalists last year, are the tournament's leading scorers with 12 goals, while they have conceded only twice across their four matches.

France are next up for England on Saturday and while Koulibaly knows the Les Bleus will provide the sternest of challenges, he believes Gareth Southgate's team have every chance of going even deeper into the tournament.

"They are very good. We know that they have a lot of talent, a lot of big players, we know all of them," Koulibaly told reporters.

"They played very well, they can go far, but the next game will be tough against France. I hope the best will win.

"They have so many options but we know every game is different in the World Cup. You can score a lot in one game and then the next one will be difficult to score.

"They have to keep going and believe it, I think they can go far."

After losing to the Netherlands in their opening Group A match, Senegal – shorn of star player Sadio Mane through injury – beat Qatar and Ecuador to progress in second place, and Koulibaly is happy with what the Africa Cup of Nations champions have achieved in Qatar.

He said: "It was a beautiful tournament for us. We wanted to get out of the group stage, we did it, and now it was a tough game against one of the best teams in the world. We can be proud of what we did."

Koulibaly's Chelsea club-mate Edouard Mendy added: "Dealing with defeat is not difficult. We came up against a better team than us, we have to accept that, England played at their best.

"They also had all their players at their disposal while we were missing some key players. We had to play without Sadio. We also had Idrissa [Gueye] and Cheikhou [Kouyate] missing.

"So when you play against a team like that with key players missing, it is complicated.

"But throughout the tournament and throughout the year, we have shown that Senegal is more than 11 players, it is a group.

"We will continue to move forward, to progress and we will come back stronger in the 2026 World Cup, God willing."

Ashley Khalil has described 2022 as one of her best years ever after cruising to the Women’s Singles title at the Guyana National Squash Championship that concluded on Friday night (December 2) at the Georgetown Club.

Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri has died at the age of 91.

The American, who coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Boris Becker, passed away on Sunday.

He founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, now the IMG Academy, and long since gained a reputation of being one of the most iconic coaches in the sport.

Tommy Haas, who was also coached by Bollettieri, paid an emotional tribute to him on Monday.

The German posted on Instagram: "So many memories, I am not sure where to begin. Nickiiiii, that's how I have called you for the longest time.

"Thank you for your time, knowledge, commitment, expertise, the willingness to share your skill, your personal interest in mentoring me and giving me the best opportunity to follow my dreams.

"You were a dreamer and a doer, and a pioneer in our sport, truly one of a kind.

"I surely will miss you around the academy, our tennis talks, miss showing of [sic] your tan, white teeth and body fat, miss watching you do Tai Chi, miss playing golf with you watching you try to cheat, eating a Snickers bar and running for the bushes, and hearing all about your plans even at the age of 91.

"Thanks again for everything……..

"RIP Nickiiiii."

Monica Seles and Jim Courier were among the other players who were coached by Bollettieri.

Aaron Rodgers always felt confident the Green Bay Packers would rally to triumph in a "special rivalry" with the Chicago Bears and revelled in helping the franchise make NFL history.

Trailing 19-10 through three quarters, the Packers outscored the Bears 18-0 in the fourth to run out 28-19 winners and rack up an eighth straight victory in matches between the two teams.

Back in October 2021, Rodgers went viral for yelling "I own you" at Bears fans during a typically volatile 24-14 win.

Sunday was by vintage Rodgers, who has been contending with a broken thumb since October and injured his ribs against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, but he completed 18 of 31 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown en route to improving to 25-5 against the Bears.

Asked whether this continued his "ownership" of the Bears, Rodgers replied: "Yes.

"We've got a special rivalry that I've been able to be a part of and there was probably a lot of people that felt good at 19-10, so did I.

"A win against the Bears is always a little more special, there was other things involved, the all-time win total was cool, another fourth-quarter comeback.

"I told the guys in the locker room we've played good enough at times to beat anyone in the league, and at times played poor enough to lose to just about anybody."

With the win, the Packers moved outright top on the list of all-time NFL victories at 787, one clear of the Bears in second.

It is a statistic Rodgers takes great pride in.

"It means a lot, part of the legacy is you always want to leave the place you're at better than you found it," he said.

"Right now, we flipped the all-time series [versus the Bears], all-time wins, we've had a lot of success against them.

"In a few years you'll look back and feel pretty good about your contributions to the rivalry."

Liam Livingstone has been forced to withdraw from England's tour of Pakistan after suffering a knee injury.

The all-rounder was making his debut Test appearance in the first encounter in Rawalpindi, and scored nine runs from 10 balls in the first innings as the tourists posted 657.

Livingstone jarred his knee while fielding by the boundary on day two and has played no further part in fielding since, though did return to score seven not out in England's second innings.

After undergoing a scan on Sunday, it has been decided the 29-year-old will head home to begin treatment.

England have not yet made a decision whether to call up a replacement, but potential options of those already in the squad include teenager Rehan Ahmed, also a leg-spinning all-rounder, and pace bowler Mark Wood.

The second Test in Multan begins on Friday.

Joe Burrow got the better of Patrick Mahomes once again and is playing at an "MVP level" according to his Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

The Bengals earned a 27-24 triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium and moved to 8-4 for the season.

Burrow was once again influential as he moved to a perfect 3-0 in games played against quarterback rival Mahomes, whose Chiefs sit at 9-3.

The 25-year-old completed 25 of his 31 passes, including touchdown passes to Tee Higgins in the second quarter and Chris Evans in the last, with Evans' score putting the Bengals up for good.

"He's playing at an MVP level – absolutely," Taylor said. "He gives us a lot of confidence."

Burrow's outing also included running in a four-yard score and converting on a couple of third-down passes to Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins that allowed the Bengals to run down the clock.

After the game, Burrow said: "We left some points on the field, but we still find a way to win.

"We've still got five weeks left. Let's keep this train rolling. This team knows what it takes to win these games. We've been there. It's December. It's time to separate ourselves."

Wide receiver Chase missed the previous four games with a hip injury and last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year caught seven passes for 97 yards on a brilliant return.

"I was surprised at how quickly he was looking like the same Ja'Marr, even in practice last week. He's a freak," Taylor added.

Mahomes finished the game with 16 of 27 passes completed for 223 yards and a touchdown, while running in for another score.

But the Chiefs quarterback rued some costly mistakes.

"We started off slow, we got back in the game, into the flow of things and [then] we had a turnover late and a missed kick," he said.

"In the fourth quarter, those are the things that kind of bite you at the end."

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa downplayed the severity of an ankle injury that forced him out late in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Tagovailoa, who completed 18 of 33 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns with three turnovers, did not partake in the Dolphins' final drive and was listed as questionable to return.

That came after being listed on the injury report during the week with an ankle injury although he was able to fully participate in team practices.

"As good as I can be coming off a game," Tagovailoa told reporters after Sunday's defeat. "We'll assess some things but as good as I can be."

Tagovailoa's two interceptions came on successive passes in the third quarter. The third-year quarterback had given up three turnovers all season coming into Week 13.

The result leaves the Dolphins with an 8-4 record, with the Buffalo Bills on top of the AFC East with a 9-3 record fueled by a three-game win streak.

The Dolphins' own five-game win streak was ended by the 49ers and Tagovailoa lamented his performance.

"It sucks," he said. "It sucks that we didn't come out and do what we wanted to do as a team.

"Obviously, it starts with me - turnovers, with third-down communication errors. In that retrospect, it's hard to win a game when you're not on your P's and Q's and you're not dialed in.

"A lot of that has to do with understanding what we're trying to accomplish and what we're trying to do. It was definitely a poor performance from my part in that aspect of the game."

LeBron James says Anthony Davis after his dominant 55-point display in the Los Angeles Lakers' 130-119 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

Davis' monster points haul, which is the second most by a player in a single NBA game this season behind Joel Embiid's 59, backed up Friday's 44 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. Davis is the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in March 2013.

Davis fell just shy of his career-high 59 points in a single game, but it was the second most he has ever scored and most for the Lakers.

"He's been unbelievable, man," James told reporters. "On both sides of the floor. I mean, playing like the MVP of this league. Just straight dominance."

The Lakers power forward is averaging a career-best 12.6 rebounds this season, along with 27.2 points and 2.4 blocks.

"I just think he's hit a switch where he knows how dominant he can be, night in, night out," James said.

"He's got every aspect of his game working right now. From the paint, to the mid-range, to the threes, his free-throws, his jump hooks, he has everything working for him right now.

"It's just the work. When you put in the work, you live with the results."

Davis' near career-best season comes after injuries dogged him over the past two years, restricting him to only 76 games across the past two seasons.

James said eight-time All-Star Davis had re-discovered his confidence in both his body and his play, admitting he had kept in his ear to get the best out of his team-mate.

"We all need to be reminded sometimes, no matter how good you are sometimes," James said. "Why you're here, what your capabilities are and how much we believe in each other.

"Me as the leader of the team, it's part of my job to reassure AD how great he is in this league, not just this team."

The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up in the second half to run away with a 54-19 home win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, led by former Colts safety Malik Hooker.

The win improved the Cowboys' record to 9-3, good enough for third in the NFC, trailing only the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) and the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) in the race for the one seed.

It was the Colts leading early, with Matt Ryan's 14-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Dulin giving them a 10-7 lead at quarter-time after their opening field goal was answered by a CeeDee Lamb touchdown catch for the Cowboys.

Tony Pollard put the Cowboys back in front when he forced his way into the endzone from the two-yard line, before Hooker seized full control of the game when he intercepted Ryan with one minute remaining in the first half, allowing the Cowboys to add another touchdown ahead of the break.

Michael Gallup was the recipient of that score in the final seconds of the half, and after an Alec Pierce touchdown cut the Cowboys' lead to 21-19, Gallup snagged his second of the game for some breathing room.

Things would go from bad-to-worse from there for the Colts as their next four drives resulted in turnovers.

Hooker added a fumble recovery and defensive touchdown to his big day, and the next two drives would both end in interceptions by fifth-round rookie DaRon Bland, icing the game and setting up some garbage-time stat-padding.

Dak Prescott completed 20 of his 30 passes for 170 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Pollard rushed 12 times for 91 yards and two scores, and Ezekiel Elliott added 17 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Anthony Davis put up a sensational 55-point haul to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their fourth straight road win, triumphing 130-119 over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

Davis, who scored 44 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Lakers' previous game, could not eclipse his career-high 59 points from 2016 against the Detroit Pistons.

But Davis' 55 points, coming from 22-of-30 field shooting and nine-of-nine shooting from the line, were the second most in a single game this NBA season, behind only Joel Embiid's 59 against the Utah Jazz on November 13.

The eight-time All-Star scored 31 of his 55 points in the second half, adding 17 rebounds and three blocks. Davis is the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in March 2013.

LeBron James, who had been listed as questionable due to an ankle issue, added 29 points on 12-of-26 field shooting with eight rebounds and six assists but committed five turnovers.

Russell Westbrook came off the bench to contribute a season-high 15 assists with seven rebounds, while guard Lonnie Walker IV added 20 points on four-of-four three-point shooting.

The Wizards were not helped by a game-ending first-quarter injury to All-Star Bradley Beal. Kristaps Porzingis top scored for the Wizards with 27 points on 11-of-25 shooting, while ex-Laker Kyle Kuzma added 26 points with seven rebounds before fouling out.

The victory improved the Lakers to 10-12, having won three games in a row, but they remain 12th in the Western Conference.

Brown helps Celtics snap Nets' streaks

The NBA-best Boston Celtics ended the Brooklyn Nets' four-game winning streak and six-game winning home stand on 34 points from Jaylen Brown as they triumphed 103-92.

Brown led the way for the Celtics with 20 of his 34 points in the first quarter, finishing also with 10 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum scored 29 points on 10-of-19 field shooting with 11 rebounds.

Kyrie Irving struggled against his former franchise, shooting seven-of-21 from the field for 18 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 31 points but gave up eight turnovers.

Suns extend struggling Spurs' skid

The Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns condemned the San Antonio Spurs to 11 straight losses with a 133-95 blowout win led by Deandre Ayton's double-double.

Suns center Ayton finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Booker added 20 points on seven-of-16 field shooting, with Mikal Bridges making six-of-seven triples in his 20 points.

The struggling Spurs were blown away in a 36-11 second quarter, seeing them close within two defeats of a franchise-worst losing streak, set in 1989.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan called it "crushing" to lose starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the rest of the season after he broke his foot in Sunday's 33-17 win against the Miami Dolphins.

Garoppolo's injury came on the 49ers' eighth offensive play of the game, when he was sacked by both Jaelan Phillips and Jerome Baker to end their first drive. He stayed down, and ended up being carted off the field and promptly ruled out.

After the game it was revealed he had sustained broken bones in his foot, requiring season-ending surgery.

Starting the campaign as the third-string quarterback, Brock Purdy came in and threw two touchdown passes, managing the game efficiently before the 49ers' defense snagged a fumble-return touchdown to pull away.

Shanahan said it hurts to lose Garoppolo, but gave plenty of respect to Purdy for the performance.

"Just hearing it, it was pretty crushing," he told reporters. "We know what Jimmy has been through, how hard he's worked at this. He'll be out. He'll need surgery, broke a few things in there.

"Brock came in and made some big plays. We've got to clean some stuff up, obviously, but just throwing him in there in the heat of battle like that, [with] how much [all-out pressure] that team did, too, which you guys can see.

"We were having to change a lot of stuff on the fly, so putting a lot of pressure on [Purdy] in that way. I thought he did a hell of a job doing it. Protected the ball well, didn't have any turnovers and made some big plays too that I thought weren't there always."

The 49ers ruled out any possibility for Week 1 starter Trey Lance returning in time for a playoff run, meaning it will be Purdy the rest of the way, and he will make his first career start next week when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town.

"It’s gonna be pretty cool," Purdy said. "[Brady] has been playing football longer than I’ve been alive."

In fact, Brady played his final college game at Michigan four days after 22-year-old Purdy was born.

Defensive captain Fred Warner showed no signs of panic after he heard the news of Purdy's rise to the top of the depth chart, saying all his repetitions against this incredible 49ers defense in practice should have him ready.

"He's played against the best defense in the league for the past 13 weeks," he said. "He'll be fine."

Australia have handed a shock call-up to uncapped WA speedster Lance Morris for the day-night second Test against the West Indies in Adelaide starting Thursday.

Morris, along with Queensland fast bowler Michael Neser, have been drafted into the 15-man Australia squad with doubts lingering over skipper Pat Cummins' availability due to a quad injury.

Cummins did not bowl in the second innings of Australia's 164-run win over the West Indies, which concluded on Sunday in Perth, but did spend time in the field and indicated he was hopeful of playing in Adelaide.

Victorian fast bowler Scott Boland, who was in Australia's initial 13-man squad, is Cummins' likely replacement should he not prove his fitness, with Morris and Neser coming in as cover.

Morris, 24, is a Test bolter, having enjoyed an excellent 2022-23 Sheffield Shield season for WA, taking a competition-high 27 wickets in five matches.

Neser, who made his Test debut against England in Adelaide last year, has taken 24 wickets in five Shield matches for Queensland.

"Michael has been with the squad on a regular basis in past seasons and was simply outstanding in Adelaide last summer," Australia selection chair George Bailey said. "He has continued to perform incredibly consistently since and will be warmly welcomed back.

"Lance is another of the outstanding young fast bowlers coming through the ranks. He has genuine pace and his ability to create opportunities for wickets is a real drawcard. It will be great experience for him to come into the environment."

Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan has clarified Trae Young's absence from Friday's 117-109 win over the Denver Nuggets as down to a "miscommunication" amid reports of a feud.

The Hawks had claimed that the All-Star's absence for the game was due to right shoulder soreness, but The Athletic's Shams Charania has since reported that the coach and player had engaged in a heated exchange at Friday's shootaround.

It is reported that McMillan and Young disagreed on whether the 24-year-old point guard would participate in shootaround or receive treatment. McMillan subsequently handed him an ultimatum to play off the bench or not show up at all, with Young opting for the latter.

The Hawks coach labelled the issue as a "miscommunication" when asked on Sunday, as Young trained normally, putting him in line to play on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Atlanta, who lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season, hold a 13-10 record and sit fourth in the East, but there have been reports of simmering tensions.

McMillan took over as Hawks coach in March 2021 on an interim basis from Lloyd Pierce. He went on to guide them to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, earning the job permanently in July 2021.

Two-time All-Star Young is averaging 27.8 points on 41.1 per cent field goal shooting with 9.6 assists this season.

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