Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal national team ahead of Denmark match

Cristiano Ronaldo has left the Portugal national team camp shortly before the upcoming Nations League match against Denmark. The 41-year-old captain stated that he will disclose the true reasons for his departure later, promising Portuguese fans to reveal the 'truth.'

The footballer made this statement via his Instagram account. According to him, the decision was made after a meeting with the national team's head coach Jorge Jesus and a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proença.

Ronaldo wrote: 'In due time, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to my departure from the national team, to which I have always been devoted.'

Prior to this, the player had missed three consecutive days of national team training. He left the Parken stadium in Copenhagen in the federation's car, while the rest of the squad, except for injured Francisco Conceição, continued training on the field.

Recently, Jorge Jesus asserted in a press conference that Ronaldo was obliged to participate in training. The coach explained the player's previous absence by citing gym sessions and noted that he does not consider it a problem.

Conflict surrounding the captain

Tension around the team captain arose after the game against Norway, which Portugal won 2-1. Ronaldo started on the bench and did not come onto the field, despite warming up in the second half. Goals in the match were scored by João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos, whom Jesus preferred.

After the game, Ronaldo went to the locker room and did not participate in the subsequent training session. Later, Jesus characterized this behavior of the footballer as typical. The coach emphasized that he is the one who makes decisions regarding the squad and playing time. According to Jesus, if the team requires Ronaldo for 30 minutes, he will be put on the field, but no one can influence his decision.

The Portugal national team has scheduled a match against Denmark for October 1st in Copenhagen. Due to Ronaldo's departure from the team's premises, his participation in the upcoming match remains uncertain. There was also previously information about Cristiano Ronaldo potentially being acquired by the Saudi club Al-Nassr, for which he has been playing since 2022.

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iol.co.zaOctober 1, 18:58

Bafana Bafana team celebrated anniversary with a 5-0 victory over Eritrea

The national team coach of Bafana Bafana, Pitso Mosimane, marked his return to the squad as they celebrated important milestones with the Ingulas. The 5-0 victory over Eritrea was particularly fitting for Bafana Bafana's 500th match since their return to international football.

On the night South Africa reached 50th place in the FIFA world ranking and faced its 50th African opponent since regaining membership in 1992, Relebogile Mofokeng and his teammates secured a convincing 5-0 win against Eritrea in Cairo. These figures—500 matches, 50 African opponents, 50th place in the FIFA ranking, and a 5-0 scoreline—created a perfect symmetry for this historic event.

History of Bafana Bafana

This latest success reminded how far the Bafana team has come in the last 34 years. Their football journey began in July 1992 when South Africa returned to international football, winning 1-0 against Cameroon in Durban. In that historic match, Dr. Humalo scored the decisive penalty, with five Kaizer Chiefs players participating in the game: Humalo, Neil Tovey, Donald 'Ace' Hughes, Fani Madida, and Lucas Radabe.

Four years later, Bafana conquered African football. In the 1996 AFCON final, Mark Williams scored twice, securing a 2-0 victory for South Africa over Tunisia at the FNB Stadium and winning their first continental title. This was followed by a goal that changed the history of the country's football: Phil Masinga's famous strike against Congo in 1997 helped Bafana qualify for their first World Cup, sending South Africa to France in 1998. A year later, Benny McCarthy scored Bafana's first World Cup goal, netting against Denmark.

Bafana's milestones continued across generations. Aaron Mokoena became the player with the most appearances for Bafana, playing 107 games, while Siphiwe Tshabalala forever etched his name into World Cup history with an unforgettable strike against Mexico in the first match of the 2010 tournament.

New Generation of Bafana

Now a new generation is writing its own chapter. Relebogile Mofokeng was in the spotlight during the celebration on Wednesday, scoring twice as Bafana achieved two wins from two in their campaign for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. This was especially significant for the 21-year-old player, who had been unable to score for the national team in 17 matches before finally succeeding in a spectacular fashion. Goals were also scored by Shpefelo Sithole, Ikraam Reyners, and Luther Singh.

The 5-0 victory is also among Bafana's biggest wins in the post-reintegration period, making the event even more memorable. Bafana's history has been built on defining moments—from Humalo's penalty against Cameroon to Masinga's strike against Congo, Williams' heroic performances at AFCON, McCarthy's breakthrough at the World Cup, Mokoena's longevity, and Tshabalala's iconic goal. In their 500th match, against their 50th African opponent, the next generation added another such moment, and perhaps the most fitting part of it was the score itself.

www.aajtak.inOctober 1, 18:30

Sri Lankan spinner sets unique record by changing bowling hands against India

In the second semi-final of the 2026 Asian Games, held on October 1st (Thursday) in Nishine between India and Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan spinner Tharindu Ratnake attracted significant attention with his play. Ratnake is notable for his ability to bowl with both hands.

In the match against India, he changed his bowling hand to dismiss Sanju Samson. Initially, Ratnake used left-arm off-spin, but before Sanju Samson, he switched to orthodox left-arm bowling. Although Sanju hit a four on the third ball of the second over, Ratnake created pressure in subsequent balls and dismissed Sanju through clean bowling over 2.6 overs.

After this, he used right-arm off-spin to dismiss Shivam Dube on the 19th over with a score of 3 runs. In this match, Ratnake took 2 wickets, conceding 32 runs in 4 overs. He was dismissed after Sanju Samson.

India, batting first, scored 169 runs in 20 overs, losing 7 wickets. Ratnake became a unique bowler who took wickets with both hands in a single T20 International match. Subsequently, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 45 runs in just 9.5 overs while trying to chase the target. The Indian team won the match by a margin of 124 runs.

The final match of the 2026 Asian Games between India and Pakistan will take place on October 3rd (Saturday), where the gold medal match will be played.

Tharindu Ratnake has demonstrated this unique skill before. In his debut Test match against Bangladesh in June 2025, he also bowled with both hands. In that match, both his wickets were taken with right-arm deliveries, but he also bowled left-arm. Ratnake explained at the time that he changes his hand depending on the batsman's weaknesses.

According to ICC rules, a bowler can do this provided they inform the umpire in advance which hand they intend to bowl with, so the umpire can inform the batsman.