Roberto Mancini appointed Italy's head coach, Claudio Ranieri to take over as technical director

Before this, he worked at the Qatari club Al-Sadd, with whom he signed a two-year contract last November. Now he will focus on the task of bringing Italy back to the top of international football. The four-time world champions have not reached the World Cup since 2014 and have not played a single playoff match in the tournament since winning the 2006 final against France on penalties. The only success during this period was the European championship victory won six years ago in a penalty shootout against England. The defense of this title under Luciano Spalletti ended with elimination in the Round of 16 against Switzerland in 2024. Furthermore, Mancini won three consecutive Serie A titles as manager of Inter between 2005 and 2008, and later led Manchester City to its first English league title since 1968 thanks to a famous victory on the last day of the 2011/12 Premier League season over QPR.

iol.co.zaJuly 28, 19:00

Orlando Pirates coach explains the transfer of Norwegian forward Sebastian Pedersen

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Waddu explained to the media that the club's decision to sign Norwegian forward Sebastian Pedersen was driven by the need to improve finishing in front of goal.

Arrival of the new player

Pedersen, who is 27 years old, made an unexpected move to Buccaneers from the Norwegian second-division club Sogndal IL. He has become one of the team's main acquisitions before the start of the Betway Premiership season.

The forward possesses impressive productivity: over the last four and a half seasons, playing for Sogndal and Moss FK, he scored 51 goals and provided eight assists in 117 matches. Furthermore, he started the current Norwegian season in good form, scoring eight goals in 14 games before moving to South Africa.

Club's strategic goals

Waddu admitted that Pirates were specifically looking for a different type of striker who could complement existing players such as Evidens McGopa, Yanela Mbutuma, and Boitumelo Radiopane. The coach noted that the club's sports department was searching for a profile capable of increasing the average conversion rate.

He added: 'I know that last season we were a continental team with the best average number of chances created, and we have good players. I think he will integrate into the group.' The Moroccan coach believes that Pedersen's greatest advantage is his ability to convert chances in the penalty area.

Integration into the squad

Waddu emphasized that the sports department studied Pedersen and believes he will bring freshness, quality, and competence to the team. The coach also reported that integrating the forward during the club's recent pre-season tour of Spain was an important part of the process, helping him adapt to the new environment before the campaign starts.

uzdaily.uzJuly 28, 14:41

USA defeats Uzbekistan 5:3 after the first day of the chess tournament in Miami

According to Chess.com, the USA defeated Uzbekistan with a score of 5:3 after the completion of the first day of the Rapid & Blitz format chess tournament taking place in Miami.

First Day Match Results

Levon Aronian was the top player for the USA team, scoring 2.5 points out of three games. From Uzbekistan's side, Nodirbek Abdusattorov earned three points out of four, but this was not enough to level the match score.

Tournament Format and Organization

The tournament is organized by FIDE presidential candidate Vadim Rosenthalstein and uses the Scheveningen system. Within the competition, five leading players from the USA compete against five players from Uzbekistan over two days. The first day was dedicated to rapid chess with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move, while the second day was entirely devoted to blitz with a time control of three minutes plus two seconds per move. The blitz stage is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, at 13:00 Eastern Time (USA).

Team Rosters and Game Rules

The USA team includes Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, and Leiner Dominguez. Uzbekistan is represented by Javohir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboyev, Shamsiddin Vohidov, and Mukhdin Madaminov. In each round, four games are played on four boards, with one player from each team resting on rotation. A team victory in a round earns it two points, regardless of whether it is achieved with a 4-0 or 2.5-1.5 result.

Progress of the First Rounds

The first round ended with a USA victory of 2.5-1.5. Wesley So secured the only win, defeating Mukhdin Madaminov after employing an innovative pawn sacrifice in the Berlin Defense; the other three games ended in a draw.

The second round was particularly significant, as Uzbekistan needed only one draw to win the round. Hikaru Nakamura unexpectedly lost to Javohir Sindarov in just 22 moves. The Uzbek grandmaster demonstrated play with 99.7% accuracy, aided by his opening preparation. Subsequently, Wesley So helped the USA team by defeating Shamsiddin Vohidov, leading to a round result of 2-2.

Third and Fourth Rounds

The USA won the third round with a score of 2.5-1.5. Nakamura outperformed Vohidov in the endgame with queen and bishop, and Aronian defeated Sindarov using the unconventional move 13...Nxh5. Abdusattorov recorded Uzbekistan's only win in this round, converting an advantage in exchanges into an endgame victory.

The fourth round was split between the teams: Aronian defeated Nodirbek Yakubboyev, and Sindarov defeated Dominguez. The decisive game was between So and Abdusattorov, where castling from opposite sides was used. The Uzbek grandmaster won by utilizing the rook against two minor pieces, while the queens remained on the board.

Post-Day One Comments

After the conclusion of the first day, Abdusattorov noted that his team played very well and maintains good chances for overall victory. He added that Americans were considered favorites in blitz, but stated that Uzbekistan could have equal chances with confident play.