Nigeria are one of Africa’s most iconic national sides with three AFCON titles to their name and a string of memorable performances at the World Cup.

The Super Eagles have produced countless high profile players at top clubs throughout world football, from mavericks like Jay-Jay Okocha to midfield enforcers such as John Obi-Mikel.

Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman hope to lead the current generation to glory, but who is the greatest Nigerian footballer of all time?

10 Victor Osimhen

Osimhen is the only active player to crack the top ten, as it’s impossible to leave the striker out given his success at club and international level.

The towering front man is forever etched into Italian football history after helping end Napoli’s title drought in the 2022-23 season, racking up 26 league goals and being crowned both Serie A player of the year and African footballer of the year.

At international level, Osimhen only made his senior debut in 2017 but is already one of the country’s greatest ever goalscorers, with just a handful more goals needed to pass Rashidi Yekini in first place.

9 Vincent Enyeama

Vincent Enyeama is Nigeria’s greatest goalkeeper ever. With incredible reflexes, leadership, and consistency, he anchored the Super Eagles for over a decade, racking up 101 caps for his national side.

He captained Nigeria to the 2013 AFCON title and starred at multiple World Cups, particularly in 2014, where he produced memorable performances in clean sheets against Iran and Bosnia

At club level, the legendary shot-stopper won the Nigerian Premier League three times in the early 2000s before spending over half a decade in France starring for Lille.

8 Finidi George

Finidi George was one of Africa’s finest wingers in the 1990s and a player who the likes of Lookman and Alex Iwobi will no doubt be looking up to.

With incredible pace and crossing that David Beckham would be proud of, he was a key part of Ajax’s golden generation that won the 1995 UEFA Champions League.

For the Super Eagles, Finidi was instrumental in the 1994 AFCON triumph and featured prominently in World Cups.

Consistency at elite club level and success internationally make Finidi one of Nigeria’s most accomplished players of all time, having also won the Eredivisie three times during his spell at Ajax.

7 John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel redefined the role of a Nigerian midfielder. Known for his intelligence, reading of the game and composure on the ball, he enjoyed most of his success at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Europa League.

Jose Mourinho once called him the “miracle man” due to his ability to play as a destroyer, marauding box to box midfielder or even as a number ten, with that versatility marking him out as one of the greatest midfielders in the Premier League in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

As captain, Mikel led Nigeria to AFCON victory in 2013 and an Olympic bronze medal in 2016. His leadership and discipline were crucial in stabilising teams filled with attacking talent.

6 Sunday Oliseh

On the topic of tough tackling midfielders, Sunday Oliseh was the engine of Nigeria’s midfield during its most successful era. A powerful and ruthless number six with tactical intelligence and leadership to boot, he played a crucial role in the 1994 AFCON win, 1996 Olympic gold, and multiple World Cup campaigns.

At club level, Oliseh featured for top European sides including Ajax, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, making him one of the most decorated exports from Nigerian football.

His iconic long-range goal against Spain at the 1998 World Cup remains one of Nigerian sport’s greatest moments.

5 Segun Odegbami

Segun “Mathematical” Odegbami was Nigeria’s first true football superstar. Playing primarily in the 1970s and early 1980s, he was a dynamic winger known for his pace, intelligence and ability to step up in the big moments.

He starred in Nigeria’s first AFCON victory in 1980, scoring crucial goals throughout the tournament. His understanding of the game and off-the-ball movement were ahead of his time, creating the pathway for the growth of some of the country’s greatest attacking talents.

Odegbami helped lay the foundation for modern African football, inspiring generations long before the continent gained the type of global footballing exposure it has today.

4 Stephen Keshi

Stephen Keshi is one of a kind as a man who both captained and managed Nigeria to AFCON glory, starring in the 1994 team and later coaching them to another title in 2013.

As a defender, he was strong, commanding, and tactically astute.

Keshi enjoyed a successful club career in Europe, notably in Belgium, and also represented Nigeria in two World Cups and was a pillar of the golden generation.

As a coach, he rebuilt Nigerian football with locally based players, restoring national pride at a time when the national side was struggling. His legacy as both a player and coach cements his spot as one of the greatest of all time.

3 Nwankwo Kanu

A two-time African Footballer of the Year, Kanu won the UEFA Champions League with Ajax, multiple Premier League titles with Arsenal, and an Olympic gold medal in 1996 with Nigeria, making him one of the greatest African footballers of all time.

Overcoming a life-threatening heart condition early in his career, Kanu went on to enjoy remarkable longevity at the highest level, inspiring not only with his ability but with his resilience and fortitude.

His intelligent movement, ball control and lethal finishing made him a unique forward who thrived in tight spaces despite his huge 6 foot 5 frame.

Kanu’s post-playing career and humanitarian work further enhance his legacy, with the Kanu Heart Foundation tackling homelessness, building hospitals and paying for life-changing medical care.

2 Jay-Jay Okocha

Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha is widely regarded as Nigeria’s most technically gifted footballer ever and one of the most “Barclays” players of all time.

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Blessed with extraordinary dribbling ability, flair, and creativity, Okocha played the game with a smile on his face, and has even been compared to Brazil legend Ronaldinho.

He was the heartbeat of the Super Eagles for over a decade, starring in three World Cups and winning the 1994 AFCON. At club level, he shone for Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, PSG, and Bolton Wanderers, where he became a cult hero in the Premier League.

Okocha’s influence went beyond trophies – he changed how Nigerian footballers were perceived globally.

1 Rashidi Yekini

Rashidi Yekini stands as the most iconic striker in Nigerian football history. He remains Nigeria’s all-time leading goalscorer with 37 goals in 58 appearances, a record that has never seriously been threatened until Osimhen’s emergence.

His physical strength and clinical finishing made him a nightmare for defenders throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.

Yekini’s legacy is inseparable from Nigeria’s first World Cup goal in 1994, scored against Bulgaria. His emotional celebration – clutching the net and shouting in disbelief – became one of the most enduring images in World Cup history.

He also finished as the tournament’s top scorer in Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON triumph.

Yekini remains the benchmark against which all Nigerian players are measured.

Related Ranking The 10 Best Cameroon Football Players Of All Time

One of Africa’s most successful national sides and one with a great history in the World Cup, here are Cameroon’s greatest players (ranked).

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

Sarfraz Ahmed might have to wait a bit longer to replace Kamran Akmal behind the stumps as the PCB has decided to go in with their best possible combination © AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to stick to the best possible team for the ODI series against Zimbabwe that is scheduled to get underway next month. It was widely anticipated, and planned by the national selection committee, that new faces will be tried in the relatively low-key series in order to assess Pakistan’s backup resources.”We cannot take Zimbabwe on any other team lightly,” Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the PCB, told the . “That is why we will ensure that our best possible team plays against Zimbabwe and wins the series five-nil.”Salahuddin Ahmed, the chief selector, had earlier planned on introducing young blood into the team during the series.”We will definitely try out some new faces in whichever department we need them in,” Salahuddin had told Cricinfo. “That’s not to say that we are taking Zimbabwe lightly, but we need to assess players on the fringes of the national side and this is a good opportunity.”However, after Ashraf attended a couple of domestic matches on Thursday, he had a meeting with Salahuddin where a decision to hold a three-day exercise to test several upcoming cricketers was taken. The camp is scheduled to take place in Karachi from January 9 and will include 22 to 24 promising youngsters in action.”We will call around 20 to 24 youngsters for a few trial matches ahead of the series against Zimbabwe,” Ashraf said. “The players will be selected on the basis of their performance in domestic events as well as during Under-19 assignments.”We will spot players who can be a part of the national team in the future but will bring them in step by step. This is because we have to make it sure that the team’s performance is not affected by too many rapid changes.”We have a four-day and a three-day game against Zimbabwe and they would provide us with excellent opportunities to check out the youngsters who are knocking at the doors of international cricket.”We need solid players who can be groomed into world class Test cricketers.”The tour is scheduled to start on January 14 with a four-day match in Karachi. However, yesterday’s assassination of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister, has thrown the immediate fate of the series in doubt.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:38

Williamson’s 90 leads NZ to series win

New Zealand’s total of 273 appeared to be inadequate on a few occasions, particularly when Hamilton Masakadza was raining powerful blows, but the visitors eventually whipped up sufficient bowling ammo to snuff out Zimbabwe’s challenge and win their first ODI series after the World Cup. Sean Williams, with 63 off 62, took the game deep but once he holed out to deep midwicket in the 46th over, Zimbabwe were effectively down for the count.After captain Kane Williamson had made 90 off 109 balls – his sixth consecutive fifty-plus score – to guide New Zealand’s innings, Zimbabwe’s fairly placid chase was scuppered by wickets at inopportune moments. It was Mitchell McClenaghan, who finished with three wickets, who triggered the first slide by dismissing Chamu Chibhabha after the batsman put on 97 runs for the opening wicket along with Masakadza.Masakadza’s dismissal in the next over set Zimbabwe back further. The nature of his exit would particularly rankle the opener: he deposited a long hop from Williamson straight into deep midwicket’s palms. Zimbabwe continued to lose their wickets softly, as captain Elton Chigumbura drove legspinner Ish Sodhi straight to covers.The home side’s hopes lifted again when Williams and Craig Ervine put on 45 runs for the fourth wicket. But, Ervine’s dismissal in the 33rd over when he backed up too far only for bowler Ben Wheeler to effect a direct hit sent Zimbabwe towards a freefall. Apart from some persistent hustling from McClenaghan and Wheeler, the spinners, Nathan McCullum and Sodhi, played a part in suffocating Zimbabwe.After being inserted in the morning, New Zealand betrayed caution in the beginning – the tempo not dissimilar to that in the first ODI which was played on the same surface – rather than any attempt at smash-mouth stuff. Their first fifty runs, in fact, came off 76 balls – their second slowest in ODIs against Zimbabwe since 2001.Guptill, who played out a maiden in the first over, ensured he accounted for Tinashe Panyangara’s difficult angles. Panyangara, like he has often done this series, bowled from wide of the crease, and was either getting the ball to stay the course or shape away. The breakthrough for Zimbabwe, however, came through offspinner John Nyumbu, playing his first game of the series, in the 10th over.Williamson, though, came in and weaved substantial partnerships with Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott. Williamson had spoken at the toss about the difficulty of identifying a “good total”, and he ensured nothing was left to chance. Between the 11th and 41st overs, Williamson’s presence was the only constant even as the way he batted kept changing over the course of the innings.During the early part of his 56-run association with Guptill, Williamson played a risk-averse game, not giving in to twitchy urges to score. But even then, he did not miss out on bashing loose deliveries, like in the 17th over when he carted Chibhabha over wide long on for six, and then, after three dot balls, slapped a back-foot punch uppishly between long off and sweeper cover.Williamson was equally efficient against the spinners, using his feet to drill Nyumbu on the on side whenever the ball was tossed up. On other occasions, he shuffled across off stump to get inside the line of Nyumbu’s deliveries, most of which turned appreciably from outside off to middle or leg. Williamson, on 53, also enjoyed a reprieve in the 26th over when Regis Chakabva missed a stumping off Sikandar Raza’s bowling. It was at this point that Williamson was cranking up his scoring rate.Legspinner Graeme Cremer, though, kept Williamson and Guptill guessing by melding slow flight with sharp turn. Guptill was excised by one such delivery that took his edge and was pouched at slip. Soon after, Colin Munro played across the line only for the leg-break to fizz through a big bat-pad gap.Williamson, along with Grant Elliott, then added 70 runs in 13.1 overs to set New Zealand up for a strong finish, but their dismissals in successive overs nearly derailed the visitors. While Elliott was out sweeping to Cremer, his leading edge going only as far as short fine leg, Williamson was subdued in the 90s for the fourth time in his last six innings at long on where Ervine showed incredible presence of mind. Cremer and Nyumbu finished with 5 for 96 between them and stunted the visitors’ progress in the middle stages.New Zealand’s scoring, however, received a leg-up through some late hitting from James Neesham, replacing an injured Ross Taylor in the XI, and Nathan McCullum, who raised 50 runs in 4.1 overs for an unbroken seventh-wicket stand. They pushed the visitors’ score beyond 260, as New Zealand muscled 54 runs in the last five overs. Those strikes proved decisive in the end.

India Test captain Virat Kohli has hinted that he will stick to a five-bowler strategy in Sri Lanka. Under Kohli, India had played five bowlers in the one-off Test against Bangladesh as well. Now, speaking ahead of his team’s departure for Sri Lanka, he once again stressed the importance of taking 20 wickets in a Test match, while also pointing out that such a strategy will require his bowlers to chip in with the bat too when required.”That [playing with five bowlers] could be a big possibility. The idea is to take 20 wickets,” Kohli said. “That’s that only way you win a Test match and I strongly believe we need to have the best bowlers playing in the squad.”R Ashwin is a competent batsman, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harbhajan Singh can also be handy. Ashwin has scored 1009 runs in 25 Tests, including two centuries and four fifties at an average of 36.03, while Bhuvneshwar finished as the fourth-highest run-getter for India on the tour of England in 2014, with 247 runs in five matches – 25 more than Cheteshwar Pujara and 113 more than Kohli himself. Harbhajan also has the distinction of scoring two centuries of his own, consecutive ones against a New Zealand attack that included Chris Martin and Daniel Vettori.Kohli has called for more from each of the three to pave the way for a successful six-batsmen/five-bowler combination. “We have people like Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harbhajan Singh, who are very handy with the bat”, Kohli said. “Ashwin averages about 40 in Test-match cricket. So, I don’t see any reason why he can’t be the allrounder for us. It is all about giving people goals and asking them to improve on certain aspects and provide that extra balance the team requires. I strongly feel that you have to play a stronger bowling side to win Test matches. And your batsmen have to take more responsibility, which is challenging but at the same time it is exciting.”Kohli also confirmed that there is a three-way tussle among M Vijay, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan for the opening spots. “It has been a spot that has been contested very strongly,” he said.When Dhawan was jettisoned for the Sydney Test in January this year, following poor returns of 167 runs in six innings, Rahul made his maiden Test century. Rahul had shaken off his forgettable debut in Melbourne, where he had only four runs in two innings while staying in the middle for only 18 minutes. But then he missed the Test in Bangladesh due to dengue fever, and Dhawan marked his comeback with 173 off 195 balls in a 283-run opening partnership with Vijay. Dhawan went on to be the leading run-scorer for India in the subsequent three-match ODI series, as the competition grew stiffer.”We saw KL Rahul coming through Australia, batting really well,” Kohli said. “That was a time where Shikhar was not performing consistently. So, KL stepped in beautifully and now Shikhar has got runs again. Vijay has got runs for us consistently. So, its just a matter of shift in the balance.”Dhawan and Vijay have been the preferred opening pair for India in Tests•AFP

Vijay has been the most consistent batsman for India in recent Tests: the opener had tallied 402 runs in five Tests in England before piling up 482 in four Tests in Australia. “I think he [Vijay] has been a guy who has been very solid for us at the top of the order,” Kohli said. “He has really improved his game in the last one, one-and-a-half years. He has given us solid starts everywhere we have played Test matches over the past 12 months.”

Ashwin, Rahane wary of SL

R Ashwin: “[Spinner] Yasir Shah picked wickets [in the Pakistan series] but the pitch was seaming and helping pacers. Sri Lanka will know their conditions, we have to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses… I love my batting. I look to contribute in every way I can. I’ll try and play my shots, which is the way I play.”
Rohit Sharma: “When we started in South Africa in 2013, we knew it would be a challenge with all the big names retiring. But the way we responded through the season, we can say that we are ready to go forward. We cannot give any excuses that we’re still learning. We’ve had enough of experience at this level now as we played outside India. We showed positive intent, which is good for an upcoming team. All of us have played more than 10 Tests and we can’t give any excuses.”
Shikhar Dhawan: “Competition is a good thing. It’s nice to have competition for the opening spot. I take things positively. If I get the chance, I’ll try to do well. In today’s Test cricket, it has become an important thing to score fast. When you score fast, it helps the team. I don’t think much about failures, I have always been an aggressive batsman.”
Ajinkya Rahane: “We have to be aggressive against spin. When we bat, we have to worry about scoring runs, not about getting out. At the same time, we have to give credit to Sri Lanka spinners as well.”

There had been reports in the Indian media that Vijay had some injury concerns but Kohli expected Vijay to be “match fit” well before the start of the only tour game, on August 6.”No, I don’t see any issues with Vijay’s fitness,” Kohli said. “As far as I know, Vijay is almost 100% straightaway and I am sure he will be match fit even before the warm-up game.”Kohli said that the opening combination would be picked on form after the three-day practice match: “Who is playing well at that particular stage. We have a warm-up game to see things in Sri Lanka as well. Problem of plenty is never bad. Might as well having three guys playing well rather than two guys not playing well and one playing well. I am not really worried about that.”With Rohit Sharma being a natural stroke-maker, Kohli felt that giving him more time at No. 3 would bolster the middle order. “He is someone who, if he gets going, even in a Test match, he could take it away from the opposition. That could actually be the difference between winning a Test match and lagging behind throughout.”So, I think that was the whole idea. He has done well in Australia when he has batted at three. I think he needs to get more opportunity there. Once he settles there, he could be the catalyst in the middle order. He can keep the scoring rate going. He is so naturally gifted that once he gets in, he has got massive scores for Mumbai. We want to give him that game time and give him ample opportunity to get that big score and in quick time.”Rohit has scored only 98 runs in three innings at No. 3 at an average of 32.66. At No. 6 he averages 50.37.Kohli had recently turned out for India A in the second unofficial Test, against Australia A, in Chennai, where he had looked in good touch despite managing only 61 across both innings. He had worked with India A coach Rahul Dravid, he said. “I wanted to practice on pitches that are much more difficult as far as spinners are concerned. I got decent practice in the last one week.”Sweeping is one aspect of the game I was always looking to improve upon. I played it a lot in Australia and I figured on turning wickets it is something you have to have as a batsman. He [Dravid] was helping me from the sidelines [during the A game], if he saw something that had to be corrected while playing that particular shot. That was indeed helpful, to have him closely monitor what I was trying to do.”

New Zealand’s domestic first-class competition – the Plunket Shield – will take place without match referees in the upcoming season because of budget cuts. The removal of the three match referees is one among a number of programmes to be cut by New Zealand Cricket, who are expected to face a multi-million dollar loss this year.The match referees were tasked with assessing umpire performance, playing standards of the grounds and on-field incidents, all of which will now be handled by the officiating umpires with assistance from regional associations to ensure quality playing conditions.”It wasn’t a cheap programme given we had to pay them, travel them round and pay for accommodation,” NZC head of cricket Lindsay Crocker told . “It was really disappointing but it was a programme we are simply unable to afford.”If we had more income then we would be able to do all the programmes we wanted, it’s just the nature of running a business and trying to compete on world terms with a budget smaller than our competitors. Now we’ll be asking the people who host the matches, the major associations, to step up and take responsibility for quality again.”Crocker said the money generated from co-hosting the 2015 World Cup would be used as a safeguard for the future and other areas of investment. “The World Cup was a one-off, it isn’t a matter of making a nest egg and then expending it. We’ve got to be prudent about that, it gives us an opportunity to sit out any future rainy days and there is also some investment we need to do around facilities.”The Cricket World Cup money and the legacy we attach from there is really around capital projects rather than operational ones.”As was the process before the concept of match referees came into force, umpires will receive feedback through reports from captains and from NZC umpire Tony Hill, who will travel to select matches.

Hampshire have signed South African allrounder Ryan McLaren as their overseas player for the 2016 season.McLaren, 32, who will be available all season and in all formats, played an integral role during his four-match spell at the Ageas Bowl last season as he helped Hampshire complete the ‘great escape’ to avoid relegation from Division One of the County Championship. He has also had spells with Middlesex (2011), Kent (2007, 2008 and 2009) and Warwickshire 2nd XI (2005).”Ryan came into the team at the back end of last season, impressed everyone and proved to be a great fit for us,” Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said. “He gives the team balance, is an excellent professional and performs in both red and white ball cricket.”Having an overseas player around for the whole season is a big bonus and we look forward to meeting up with him in pre-season.”The signing of McLaren is not a surprise. Hampshire confirmed to ESPNcricinfo they were talking to him about a return last September though there was a possibility he could have joined as a Kolpak registration.His status as an overseas player should render his registration and work permit application a more straightforward process and leaves him free to continue his international career, though he has not been selected by South Africa in any format for a year. It is possible he could be re-registered as a Kolpak at a latter date.”I am delighted to have agreed to return to Hampshire for 2016,” McLaren said. “My first experience with the county at the end of the 2015 season was hugely enjoyable and I was delighted to play a part in helping the county retain First Division status. I look forward to returning in April and helping the county challenge across the board for silverware.”

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera has tested positive for a banned substance and has been recalled from the New Zealand tour, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a release on Monday. Perera’s sample was provided for a random test by the ICC in the recent home series against Pakistan. Kaushal Silva will replace Perera in the squad for the New Zealand tour. The first Test starts on December 10.In its release, SLC said that it would take all steps required by the ICC to have a further sample tested and “make every endeavor” to enable Perera to resume playing cricket at the earliest opportunity in compliance with the ICC’s regulations. Perera had been picked in all three squads for the tour.An ICC spokesperson said Perera had been “provisionally suspended” pending the outcome of the disciplinary process to be followed under the ICC’s Anti-Doping Code.”The ICC can confirm that Mr Kusal Perera has been charged by the ICC with an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the ICC Anti-Doping Code after a sample he provided was found to contain a Prohibited Substance,” the spokesperson said, adding that the ICC will offer no further comment on the matter until the disciplinary process is resolved.Neither the ICC nor SLC have confirmed what the banned substance is.The ICC had served Perera with a Notice of Charge on Monday, and Perera now has 14 days in which to request a hearing before an independent three-person Anti-Doping Tribunal. According to the ICC’s Anti-Doping Code, a player who fails to file a written request for a hearing before that 14-day deadline “shall have been deemed to have admitted that he/she has committed the anti-doping ruleviolation(s) specified in the Notice of Charge” and to have accepted the consequences specified in that Notice of Charge.Perera also has the right to request that a laboratory analyse an unopened and untested B sample, in order to “confirm the [ICC’s findings] in respect of the A Sample”. Both samples are taken from the player at the same time.Perera had been Sri Lanka’s top scorer in the ODI leg of the Pakistan tour during which – according to SLC – the positive sample had been given. He hit a 17-ball fifty in the second ODI, and struck 116 from 109 balls in the fifth, to end the series with 230 runs at an average of 46. He had not been in the playing XI during the Test series, and was less effective in the two T20 matches.His suspension is the second major blow to Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand, after Dhammika Prasad was sent home due to injury over the weekend. Perera’s absence will weaken an already-inexperienced Sri Lanka batting order, and will force either Dinesh Chandimal or 20-year-old Kusal Mendis to take the gloves.Perera’s replacement, Silva, can also keep wickets, but has largely batted in the top order in the past, and is less likely to be designated wicketkeeper. At any rate, Silva only lands in New Zealand on Wednesday – on the eve of the first Test.

A brittle Indian top order collapsed to some good seam bowling fromKiwi opening bowlers T Robin and I Butler. Ravneet Ricky (15), ManishSharma (9), Mohammad Kaif (0) and Reetinder Sodhi (5) were out beforeIndia had 40 runs on the board. After that, a swashbuckling innings of68 off from Yuvraj Singh saved the day for India.The South paw played some solid shots in his innings that included 12boundaries. He took the New Zealand bowling apart, hammering the ballto all parts of the ground. His sense of timing was not impeccable,but he hit the ball with such raw power that anything off the middleof the bat raced to boundaries. When he was dismissed by Irwin, theIndians once again began to falter. A useful 25 from Patel saw Indiathrough to 199.Robin was the pick of the bowlers with 4/26 off his 10 overs.The Kiwis began their response well, though they lost Bredon McCullumfor just 6. Probably the two best batsmen in the New Zealand team,James Franklin and JP McNamee came together to give New Zealand aserious chance of victory. The two hit the ball crisply and scoredfreely gainst the Indian mediumpacers. After the spinners wereintroduced, the scoring rate dropped. Yuvraj Singh got into the attackagain and removed McNamee after he had made exactly 50 runs.At this point the Indian spinners tightened the screws on the Kiwisand closed the match out. The Kiwis lost wickets at regular intervalsand were finally dismissed for 171 off 49.3 overs.

Singapore inningsIn the match played at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) ground Karachi, Singapore batted first and were all out for 115 runs.The opening pair of Zeng Penchun and Sidarth Verma provided the team a solid start of 54 when Sidarth was out after scoring 27 runs with the help of two 4s. The 2nd wicket fell immediately when Anand Sanrthanam was run out for a duck. Except for Zeng Renchun who scored a steady 21 and Nishant (11 not out) no other batsman could hold the crease with confidence.The whole team was thus out for 115 runs in 34 overs. The UAE bowlers being too wayward bowled 18 wides in a total of 30 extras. Aamir Shahzad was however, the most successful bowler for clinching 4 wicket for 24 runs.UAE inningsUAE had a moderate target of 116 runs to win the match. They had a fantastic start with Aamir Husain (28) and Aamir Shahzad (45) mounting the score to 66 when the first wicket fell. Both of them hit 3 boundaries each during their stay at the crease. In 20 overs UAE was at 79 for the loss of 2 wickets.Nidike Kiran who came to bat at no.4 played an excellent innings of 22 not out with 4 hits to the boundary. He received sound support from Mohammad Usman who also remained not out with 10. Both of them raised their team’s total to 119 for the loss of 5 wickets in 30 overs. Anand Santhanam took 3 wickets for 38 runs. UAE defeated Singapore by 5 wickets.

A handy unbroken 67 run seventh wicket stand between Rahul Sanghvi andAmit Bhandari helped Delhi reach 270/7 on the first day of their NorthZone Ranji Trophy tie against Haryana at the Tata Energy ResearchInstitute (TERI) ground in Gurgaon on Sunday.After hosts Haryana won the toss and fielded, Delhi openers AkashChopra and Ashu Dani ran up 95 for the first wicket in under 28 overs.Dani was first to leave, bowled by off spinner Pankaj Thakur for 40(87 balls, 5 fours). Thakur struck again in his next over, removingChopra for 51 (86 balls, 7 fours).Skipper Vijay Dahiya and Mithun Minhas flattered to deceive in themiddle order and Nikhil Chopra, fresh from his exoneration in the CBIreport, was taken out cheaply by seamer Feroz Ghyas. The big hittingVirender Shewag showed only glimpses of his striking prowess, blasting4 sixes and 3 fours in his 44. It was his dismissal at 203 thatbrought Sanghvi (25) and Bhandari (36) together and they took Delhisafely through to 270/7 from 90 overs, Thakur returning figures of4/81.