Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus is reportedly close to extending his contract with LA Galaxy, with his agent confirming that "both sides want to continue and expand the successful cooperation." The 36-year-old German midfielder, who joined the MLS club in 2024, is described as "simply a very good fit" for the West Coast team, potentially extending his stay until the end of 2027.

• Marco Reus and LA Galaxy in advanced contract extension talks

  Reus is in advanced discussions to extend his contract with MLS side LA Galaxy. His current deal runs until the end of 2026, but talks are underway to add another year, taking his commitment to the club until the end of 2027, according to .

  Dirk Hebel, Reus' long-time advisor for over two decades, confirmed the positive nature of the negotiations. Hebel said: "We are in very good talks with Galaxy. Marco Reus and LA – it's simply a very good fit. Both sides want to continue and expand the successful cooperation."

  Reus, 36, joined LA Galaxy during the 2024 MLS season following his departure from Borussia Dortmund, where he spent over a decade. He quickly made an impact, helping the West Coast club win the MLS championship in his inaugural year. In his 39 appearances for the club so far, he has scored nine goals across all competitions. This includes five goals and eight assists in 21 MLS appearances during the 2025 season.

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  Reus's impact and role at LA Galaxy

  Despite LA Galaxy missing the playoffs in the recent season, Reus's individual performances have remained consistent. His five goals and eight assists in 21 MLS appearances highlight his continued attacking prowess and playmaking abilities. Reus primarily operates as an attacking midfielder but can also play on both wings, offering valuable versatility to the squad.

  He is currently the fifth-highest earner at LA Galaxy, with a reported weekly wage of around $25,000, equating to an annual salary of $1.3 million. While he is not among the top five earners across the entire MLS, which features stars like Lionel Messi and Lorenzo Insigne, his significant contribution to the team's salary structure reflects his importance to the club.

  His arrival has undoubtedly boosted the profile of LA Galaxy, particularly after a period where the club had not reached the same heights. Reus's immediate success in winning the MLS championship in his first season underscores his quality and leadership, seamlessly integrating into the team.

• Future role as Borussia Dortmund brand ambassador

  Beyond his playing career in MLS, Reus is also set to take on a significant role with his former club. He will work for Dortmund as a brand ambassador, focusing on boosting the club's presence, particularly in the Asian market.

  Reus is "by far the most famous Borussia player, especially in Asia," making him an ideal figure to expand the club's global brand. This post-playing career plan demonstrates his enduring loyalty to Dortmund and his continued value to the club, even from afar. His long-standing relationship with BVB, spanning over two decades from youth teams to captaincy, solidifies his legendary status at the club.

  His time at Dortmund saw him achieve numerous accolades, including being named Best German Player in 2018 and making the UEFA Team of the Year in 2013. He also consistently featured in the Bundesliga Team of the Season, solidifying his reputation as one of Germany's most gifted attackers.

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  What next for Marco Reus and LA Galaxy?

  With contract extension talks progressing positively, Reus's immediate future appears to be with LA Galaxy. The focus for both player and club will be on improving their performance in the upcoming MLS season and aiming for another championship title. Reus's leadership, experience, and attacking output will be crucial for the team's ambitions.

  Reus will likely sign an extension that runs until the end of December 2027. At 36, he continues to showcase remarkable longevity in a physically demanding league. His ability to perform consistently and contribute significantly to LA Galaxy's attack is a testament to his professionalism and enduring quality. This proposed extension would see him play at an elite level past his 38th birthday, further cementing his status as a long-serving professional.

Zimbabwe end their tri-series campaign with no wins in four games with serious questions around their batting depth

Firdose Moonda24-Jul-2025

New Zealand smashed the highest score of the tri-series and any hope of Zimbabwe earning a consolation win as they laid down a marker ahead of Saturday’s final against South Africa.After choosing to bat first – despite captains in this tri-series usually bowling – a second-wicket stand of 108 between Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra set New Zealand up well. Both went on to score half-centuries before a Michael Bracewell cameo of 26 of 16 balls pushed New Zealand to 190. They bowled Zimbabwe out in 19 overs, as only three Zimbabwean batters got into double figures.As dominant as New Zealand were, Zimbabwe will be particularly unhappy with their lapses in the field. They put down three catches – Tim Robinson on 0, Seifert on 13 and Bracewell on four – and bowled seven wides and a no-ball in a messy display which left them needing to complete their second-highest successful chase to win.Any chance of that happening was blown away when Zimbabwe were reduced to 44 for 5 in the eighth over. Ish Sodhi took three of those wickets, bowling in the powerplay, and proved too much to handle for Zimbabwe’s top-order. A sixth-wicket stand of 51 between Tony Munyonga and Tashinga Musekiwa leant the innings some respectability Sodhi’s career-best 4 for 12 scripted a simple win for New Zealand. With 150 T20I wickets, he also climbed to third on the all-time wicket-takers’ list in the format.Zimbabwe will be spectators on Saturday and have no more fixtures scheduled before they host the Africa Region T20 World Cup Qualifiers in September.Ngarava among the wickets again Richard Ngarava has been Zimbabwe’s most successful bowler of the series and almost struck with his second ball when Robinson chased a delivery that angled away and got a thick outside edge. Ryan Burl at wide slip could not hold on. There was not too much damage done from that miss as Ngarava had Robinson caught at deep third off the second ball of his next over. Ngarava was brought back at the death and though he was hit for three successive by Seifert, he eventually foxed him with a slower ball that he feathered through to Clive Madande. Two balls later Bevon Jacobs tried to hit a short, wide ball out of the ground but was done for pace and sliced it to backward point.Ngarava’s change-ups worked again when he had Mitchell Santner caught behind off a slower ball in an over that lasted 10 balls. His next challenge is to enhance his wicket-taking skills with a bit more discipline in order to truly lead Zimbabwe’s attack.Ish Sodhi (150*) moved past Shakib Al Hasan (149) to take the No. 3 spot on the T20I wicket-takers’ list•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Seifert sees another opportunity to cash inDon’t drop Seifert. He was put down on 0 by South Africa in the previous match and went on to score 66* in a clinical run-chase. In this match, he was on 13 and had already hit two fours when Munyonga, at deep backward square, put him down off Tino Maposa and Seifert didn’t need a second invitation.Two overs later, he smacked Dion Myers into the leg side for his third four and the runs kept coming. Wellington Masakadza was sent through extra cover, Myers through the slip area and Sikandar Raza past short fine. Seifert brought up his 12th T20I fifty off 33 balls and went on to score his first six when he deposited Raza over long-on. He was especially good in a wide ‘v’ down the ground with 50 of his runs coming between extra cover and mid-wicket before he eventually fell to Ngarava for 75.Myers might be an opening option In search of a solid start, Zimbabwe asked Myers to open the batting, ahead of Wessly Madhevere, for the first time in his T20I career and he was off to a flier. He drove and cut Matt Henry for back to back boundaries to give Zimbabwe a blazing start and then showed off his pull shot to end the first over on 14 without loss. Myers was less in control against Zakary Foulkes, who he inside-edged over the keeper but showed intent against legspinner Sodhi, albeit without success.He walked across his stumps off the second ball he faced from Sodhi and tried to flick him fine but gave himself too much room and was bowled. A score of 22 from 18 balls is not much to write home about but given how poorly Zimbabwe have batted through this series, it could be an option worth exploring in future.Henry gets Raza and Zimbabwe unravel Zimbabwe were 28 for 3 after five overs thanks largely to a Sodhi double-strike and New Zealand clearly in control despite Henry’s expensive opening. He switched ends to complete the powerplay, started with a wide and then went short to Sikandar Raza, who met with him aggression. Raza swiped Henry to the leg side three times, and the third was well enough to get four before Henry adjusted his length and caught Raza in the crease. Raza was given out lbw and indicated he was not happy with the decision which left Zimbabwe 37 for 4 and in danger of their lowest score against New Zealand which sits at 84.They got to 130 but were never in the hunt to chase down the target and have serious questions about their batting depth.

No confirmation yet on whom he will play for this season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2025Batter Mandeep Singh has decided to leave Tripura ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season after spending just one season with the team.”Thank you Tripura CA for giving me the opportunity to play last season, I enjoyed my time there,” Mandeep wrote in an Instagram post. “Made some wonderful memories on and off the field. Wishing the team success for the upcoming season. Looking forward to the next chapter.”Mandeep captained Tripura across formats, playing six matches in the Ranji Trophy, six games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and seven matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Tripura in the 2024-25 season.Tripura failed to make it out of the group stages in all the competitions but Mandeep showed good form.In the Ranji Trophy, he scored an unbeaten 124 and made five half-centuries, crossing the fifty-run mark in every game he played last season. He made three fifties in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with a top score of 94 against Bengal, and he scored two half-centuries in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s.Mandeep had switched over to Tripura after 15 years with Punjab, having led them to the Syed Mushtaq Ali title in his last season with them, ending a 30-year trophy drought.There is still no confirmation on which team he will play for in the upcoming season.

Almost a week and a half on from Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation from Celtic, the Scottish champions appear no closer to naming a permanent successor, with this manager saga likely to run and run if recent history is anything to go by.

While the abrupt nature of the Northern Irishman’s exit has no doubt put the club hierarchy on the back foot, there is little evidence to suggest that those at the helm will secure a replacement swiftly.

You only have to look back to the chaos surrounding the Eddie Howe and Ange Postecoglou developments back in 2021.

The fear is that despite a positive week or so on the pitch, the Hoops may well take the easy route until the end of the season, with recent reports suggesting that 73-year-old interim boss Martin O’Neill is in line to see out the campaign.

The enigmatic and much-loved coach has already done a creditable job with two wins from two, although the head should surely rule over the heart. A younger, more long-term appointment needs to be made.

Finding such a figure may well prove tricky mid-season, although a range of targets are already being considered…

Latest on Celtic's manager search

As already stated, the somewhat worrying whispers are that O’Neill could be given the reins until the summer, despite the fact that the treble winner had been parachuted in after a six-year absence from the game at managerial level.

Turning to the veteran coach may well be the only option if Dermot Desmond and co are unable to acquire their top targets, however, with it yet to be seen if the likes of Kieran McKenna can be prised from Ipswich Town.

With a potential return for that man Postecoglou also deemed to be ‘very unlikely’, a clear favourite for the vacancy has yet to emerge, with the Scottish Sun suggesting that the Parkhead outfit have now put together an eight-man shortlist of possible candidates.

Manager Focus

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As per that report, among the names who is being considered is 37-year-old Efrain Juarez, with the Mexican coach touted as something of a shock appointment having come out of the blue as a new managerial target.

Currently at the helm of Liga MX side Pumas UNAM, the promising coach previously had a brief spell as a player at Celtic between 2010 and 2012, albeit while making just 21 appearances in total during that forgettable stint.

Also previously an assistant coach to ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila at New York City FC, Standard Liege and Club Brugge, Juarez does have something of a Celtic connection, with his name thrown into the ring as the Premiership side prepare interviews with prospective targets.

A wildcard move it would certainly be, although similar gambles have paid off in the past for the Glasgow giants…

Why Celtic could appoint their next Postecoglou

As already stated, Celtic are no strangers to chaos when it comes to seeking out a new manager, with the summer of 2021 – in the wake of Neil Lennon’s second Parkhead exit – seeing a protracted pursuit of Howe prove fruitless.

With time running out ahead of the new campaign, a surprise pick was selected in the form of Postecoglou, with the Greek-Aussie later quipping that he was seen as a “joke” by many when he arrived in Scottish football.

Following initial struggles – including a run of three away league defeats in a row – the attack-minded coach quickly quashed the doubters after overseeing two seasons of stunning success, romping to five domestic trophies with a brand of football that has hardly been seen before or since.

Fluid, relentless, breathtaking – Celtic under Postecoglou’s watch were a joy to behold, regularly putting the likes of Rangers to the sword with an almost unstoppable level of performance.

That remarkable stint in charge emphatically extinguished any concerns over his lack of Celtic connection or prior experience in European football, with such a left-field appointment no doubt paying dividends for those at Parkhead.

While Juarez does have brief experience of the club, like Postecoglou he is yet to manage a European side in his embryonic coaching career thus far, having taken over at Pumas in March following a successful stint at Colombian club Atlético Nacional before that.

Like Postecoglou, Juarez has had to fend off the doubters and has done so to notable effect. Indeed, question marks over his lack of experience as a manager were quickly put to bed in Colombia, as he claimed the league and cup double last year.

From 27 games in charge of his former side, he won 15 games and enjoyed a points per game ratio of 1.93. For context, while it is a small sample size, that record exceeds what Postecoglou has achieved in any of his career stints, barring his time at Celtic, where he achieved a 2.31 points per game ratio from his 113 games in charge, as per Transfermarkt.

A passionate coach with a style of play noted for its “quick transitions” – as per journalist Esteban Cristancho Medina – the 4-2-3-1 manager certainly has shades of Postecoglou about him, ensuring he could be a risk worth taking.

While, unlike ‘Ange’, Juarez does not boast a wealth of experience as a manager to date, he has already proven his credentials amid his exploits in Colombia, cultivating a winning formula that could be translated into success in Scotland.

No stranger to being something of an underdog when appointed at his former employers, he would no doubt relish the chance to silence any critics at Celtic – just as Postecoglou did so before him.

Celtic can make Tierney completely unplayable by hiring 4-2-3-1 manager

Celtic could make Kieran Tierney unplayable by hiring this reported managerial target.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 6, 2025

The Philadelphia Phillies landed arguably the biggest bullpen prize available at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

On Wednesday afternoon, Philadelphia is finalizing a trade to land Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran in what will prove to be a major upgrade to the team's bullpen. ESPN's Jeff Passan had the report.

The 27-year-old righty, who’s ranked No. 4 on Sports Illustrated’s list of trade candidates, is 6–4 with a 2.01 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings this season. He has 16 saves in 18 chances, and will be under team control through the 2027 season.

Phillies relievers currently rank 23rd in baseball with an ERA of 4.33, and their closer-by-committee approach has produced mixed results at best. That shouldn't be a problem moving forward.

In exchange for Duran, the Twins will be acquiring two prospects, Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel. Tait is the No. 4 prospect in Philly's system according to MLB Pipeline, and is an 18-year-old catcher who is already in High-A ball and has promising power. Abel, a 23-year-old right-handed starter, was the No. 15 pick in the 2020 MLB draft. He made his big league debut this season and in six starts is 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA, and a 1.36 WHIP.

تغلب فريق مانشستر سيتي على خصمه ليدز يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء السبت، على ملعب “الاتحاد” ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

شهدت هذه الجاولة مواجهة للمتصدر آرسنال أمام تشيلسي، وانتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وتغلب ليفربول على وست هام بهدفين دون رد، وسجل له ألكسندر إيزاك وكودي جاكبو في مباراة شهدت تواجد محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء.

وواجه مانشستر يونايتد خصمه كريستال بالاس، يوم الأحد حيث حقق فوزًا بهدفين لهدف، وحقق أستون فيلا الفوز أمام ولفرهامبتون بهدف دون مقابل. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي 

1. آرسنال، 30 نقطة.

2. مانشستر سيتي، 25 نقطة.

3. تشيلسي، 24 نقطة.

4. أستون فيلا، 24 نقطة.

5. برايتون، 22 نقطة.

6. سندرلاند، 22 نقطة.

7. مانشستر يونايتد، 21 نقطة.

8. ليفربول، 21 نقطة.

9. كريستال بالاس، 20 نقطة.

10. برينتفورد، 19 نقطة.

11. بورنموث، 19 نقطة.

12. توتنهام، 18 نقطة.

13. نيوكاسل، 18 نقطة.

14. إيفرتون، 18 نقطة.

15. فولهام، 17 نقطة.

16. نوتينجهام، 12 نقطة.

17. وست هام، 11 نقطة.

18. ليدز، 11 نقطة.

19. بيرنلي، 10 نقاط.

20. ولفرهامبتون، نقطتان.

MatériaMais Notícias

No dia 11 de de dezembro de 2023, o Vasco SAF anunciava Alexandre Mattos como novo diretor de futebol do clube. A chegada era tratada com grande entusiasmo por parte dos torcedores, que enxergavam em Mattos, um nome consagrado no futebol brasileiro, um sinal de positividade por conta de seus trabalhos vitoriosos em Palmeiras e Atlético Mineiro. Desde então, tudo foi por água abaixo.

Com exatos 100 dias de clube, o diretor de futebol foi demitido após ter soltado informações internas do para um torcedor numa rede social. O fato caiu como uma bomba no Vasco, já que o clube vinha lidando com insatisfações internas por parte da comissão técnica e dos jogadores sobre o trabalho de Mattos. Com isso tornou-se insustentável a manutenção do mineiro no cargo e assim foi encerrada a passagem do executivo em São Januário. Ao todo, foram 9 contratações no valor R$120 milhões gastos, e a venda dos crias da base Gabriel Pec e Marlon Gomes.

continua após a publicidade<br>Desde então, o Vasco está no mercado em busca de um novo executivo para assumir o cargo de Diretor de Futebol. Visando concluir o trabalho de montagem do elenco e jogar o primeiro turno do campeonato brasileiro com tranquilidade, o clube espera ter a contratação definida antes do dia 14. Apesar disso, até agora apenas rumores rolaram e nada de concreto aconteceu.<br><br><img class="wp-image-11206175" style="width: 600px;" src="https://cms.lancecorp.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/53601413852_6d5552caff_o-scaled.jpg" alt="CEO do Vasco SAF, Lúcio Barbosa, em coletiva de imprensa"><br><br>Até o momento, os nomes especulados para chegar em São Januário foram os de Juninho Paulista, Alessandro Nunes, Rui Costa e também o de Admar Lopes, atual diretor do Bordeaux.

Adson

26,7

Em definitivo

Juan Sforza

24,8

Em definitivo

Clayton Silva

18,8

Em definitivo

Lucas Piton

5,3

direitos econômicos

Paulo Henrique

4,8

Em definitivo

Robert Rojas

3,2

Empréstimo

Mateus Cocão

2

Em definitivo

Galdames

1,3

Em definitivo

Praxedes

1,3

Renovação de empréstimo

David

–

Empréstimo

Keiller

–

Empréstimo

Victor Luis

–

De graça

The New York Yankees made a massive addition to shore up their infield by trading for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday. The Yankees sent prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz back to the Rockies so that they could acquire the former All-Star infielder.

Prior to the Yankees' game against the Philadelphia Phillies Friday, manager Aaron Boone shared his initial thoughts on the addition of McMahon.

“Really excited, been an All-Star third baseman," Boone told reporters. "Really good defender. Has had some ups and downs offensively this year, but over the past month, he’s swinging the bat well. He's a presence and can really defend over there at third, and has for a number of years. We're excited to get him."

McMahon has had some struggles at the plate this year—only Riley Greene has struck out more than him in MLB this year—but he will provide stability at third base and defensively after the Yankees have cycled through several options at the position this year.

"He can really defend over there," Boone said. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there. He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing.'"

McMahon will come to the Yankees after spending his entire career prior with the Rockies. This season, he has slashed .217/.314/.403 with 16 home runs and 35 RBIs. He is the Yankees' first major midseason addition this year as New York looks to keep up with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division race and return to the World Series.

Liverpool have not been very good this season. Viewed through the prism of extensive summer spending – more, in fact, than any other club in a single summer transfer window – some of the criticism concerning Arne Slot’s side has been justified.

But some of it has been blown out of proportion. The Reds are a team in transition, and while six defeats from seven matches in all competitions were inexcusable, the response to put Aston Villa and then Real Madrid away in the space of four days underscores the quality rippling through this team.

One of the Premier League champions’ biggest problems this year has been a lack of physicality and control in the engine room. And so, against Los Blancos on Tuesday evening, Slot reverted to type.

How Liverpool won the midfield battle vs Real Madrid

In short, Liverpool played like they wanted it more. Gone was the lethargy and limpness of recent months, and Slot grinned as he watched his outfit rekindle that irresistible quality of last year.

Real Madrid might have won 55% of the duels on the evening, but Liverpool’s midfielders were economical in their performances, far more reliable and robust than we have been forced to watch for much of the campaign.

Dominik Szoboszlai was as brilliant as ever in the ten role, unplayable at times and unquestionably in the form of his Liverpool career. Moreover, Ryan Gravenberch instilled calm in an assured showing as the anchor. It is no coincidence that Liverpool’s return to form comes after last season’s midfield have been moulded back together.

After all, it was Alexis Mac Allister who bagged himself a goal after Szoboszlai’s whipped delivery, showcasing the direct danger this midfield can pose against opponents, marrying that with slick passing and crisp defending.

A header from a midfielder against a Spanish giant on a big European night. It was reminiscent of Gini Wijnaldum against Barcelona.

However, there was another man on the field to show Slot that he could be his version of the iconic Dutchman, with a statement showing in a red shirt.

Slot's own Gini Wijnaldum

Liverpool were deserving victors against Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Wirtz played a crucial part in claiming three points, hailed post-match by Szoboszlai, who said, “What a game! He just kept on running.”

Wirtz has flattered to deceive since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer, but he looks to be turning a corner, settling into the rigours of football in Slot’s Anfield side.

Despite still searching for that elusive first goal in a Liverpool shirt, the German international oozed class of a different kind against Xabi Alonso’s side, and marrying that with a remarkable physical shift, he has set the foundation for an upswing in performances over the next months.

Florian Wirtz

88′

11.37km

Dominik Szoboszlai

90′

10.61km

Aurelien Tchouameni

90′

10.51km

Jude Bellingham

90′

10.50km

Hugo Ekitike

79′

9.87km

Hailed as being “something special” by writer Eddie Gibbs, the 22-year-old glittered against the most dominant and destructive European side around, and it’s curious that he has shuffled into a wider berth than the number ten role assigned to him for much of the season so far.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger offered an interesting take on the situation. The 76-year-old suggested that the inculcation of Wirtz into the midfield had been to the detriment of Liverpool’s overall fluency.

But, shaped into a more unnatural role on the left, Wirtz’s energy and incredible work ethic played into Liverpool’s victory.

In this way, he could become Slot’s own version of Wijnaldum, who would not have envisaged a permanent remould into an industrious, box-to-box midfielder at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s team when joining the Reds from Newcastle United in 2016.

And yet Wijnaldum became one of the staples of Liverpool’s incredible successes, featuring 237 times for the club but only posting 22 goals and 16 assists across all competitions.

Wirtz will still hope to provide a prolific dimension at Liverpool over the years of his stay, but it might be that his adaptation to this new land requires something of a shift akin to Wijnaldum’s way back when.

And with such indefatigable performances as the one earlier this week, it’s surely only a matter of time until he announces himself as a superstar.

Arne Slot has just unlocked Liverpool's new Coutinho vs Real Madrid

Liverpool may have unearthed their next Philippe Coutinho after getting the better of Real Madrid 1-0.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 5, 2025

They hadn’t conquered Asia since 2014, and following their series win in Bangladesh, South Africa are setting sights on higher honours

Firdose Moonda31-Oct-2024It still matters. Winning away from home matters. Winning in the subcontinent matters. Doing both those things as a country that is now seen as one of the Test nations matters most of all, as South Africa have just experienced.Don’t buy into the talk that it’s only Bangladesh, a place where South Africa have never lost a Test and look at the bigger picture. For the last ten years, the subcontinent has been all but insurmountable. Between September 2014 and September 2024, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies collectively played 35 series in the subcontinent and won just six. Of those, England were responsible for three series (Sri Lanka 2018 and 2021 and Pakistan in 2022) while South Africa lost all four series they played.To be able to finally change that is something South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram described in an understated way as “very special,” while also recognising the significance it has in serving as a marker of progress.”For us as a group of players, we’ve never won a game or a series in the subcontinent so that makes it very special. It’s been a tough journey at times and to slowly be progressing is a really good thing for us,” he said.Related

• South Africa's batting close to finding the 'sweet spot' again

• Shanto laments top-order failures after Bangladesh slump to innings defeat

• BCB chief: Shakib unlikely to play ODIs against Afghanistan

• Jansen, Coetzee set to make T20I return against India

• Spinners, Rabada's complete performances hand South Africa their biggest innings win

The last time South Africa conquered Asia was in 2014, at the latter end of a dream run that saw them go nine years unbeaten on the road. At the time, Markram was fresh off captaining the under-19 side to the age-group title in the UAE and the future looked bright. They didn’t know it then, but things were already changing.Big-name retirements started with Jacques Kallis in 2013 and every year since then someone else who was considered essential to success stepped away. As recently as last December, former captain and stalwart opener Dean Elgar called it a day which means South Africa have been in transition for almost ten years. The subcontinent became an impossible place to win as South Africa experienced in India in 2015 and 2019, in Sri Lanka in 2018 and in Pakistan in 2021. Of course, it’s not as though SENA countries hadn’t been making use of their own home advantage for decades so they had nothing to complain about, but it didn’t make the losses hurt any less.South Africa’s batting has paid the highest price for that. Since May 2018, they do have a single Test batter with an average over 40 which includes all of the current squad. Tony de Zorzi, thanks to his 177, and David Bedingham, with a hundred and three fifties, are close but both have only played eight Tests.What that means is that South Africa didn’t often have hundreds, which is something they had to play down and Markram is still singing from that hymn book.”As for numbers, it’s all quite relative. You look at different surfaces that you play on, wickets around the world are so different from each other and have so many different types of challenges that you face as a batter so it can be tough to pump that average up but we don’t speak about numbers,” Markram said. “We just speak about making an impact on the game and there can be a time where scoring 60 or 70 is match-winning and then there will be times where big hundreds runs are match-winning.”In this series, the latter was the case. From Kyle Verreynne in Mirpur to de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder in Chittagong, South Africa’s wins were built on big runs which gave their attack a lot to work with. And while there is some sense in what Markram said in that an individual stacking up hundreds may not necessarily equate to a successful team, he also recognised the need for a collective progression in performance.”I’m certainly not too fazed about numbers and I don’t think the rest of the guys are either. It’s one of those things that will take care of itself if you put in good performances consistently. Naturally the numbers will lift. We’re all definitely striving towards that but trying to be more consistent and trying to have a good impact on the game.”With South Africa’s batters focused on the efficacy and not the amount of their runs, it was hardly surprising to hear the leader of their attack, Kagiso Rabada, also play down his own importance. Asked about being back at No.1 on the ICC rankings or taking 300 wickets in his post-match interview, Rabada glossed over that the game “moves on”.Aiden Markram believes South Africa have the players required to reach the WTC final•AFP/Getty Images”You have to keep working hard. don’t look at where I am on the rankings,” he said, acknowledging it is a “good motivator to keep going.” His highest praise was for his team-mates, who he said are all “willing to put their hands up,” to drive success.And they can see the rewards in front of them. Despite playing fewer Tests than almost anyone else in this cycle, they’re in with a chance of making the final. They see the potential to make that happen as brimming with possibility. “We don’t really know what the ceiling is because we haven’t managed to lift the trophy,” Markram said.That’s also one way of South Africa looking at their empty accolades cupboard and wondering whether it will ever fill up. They’ve taken the approach that the things they are capable of are still coming and this year has shown them that.They reached the final of the T20 World Cup in June and now their chance to reach the WTC final lies in their hands. It’s proof that something is working, that the talent pool is starting to play to their potential and that maybe, the impossible could become possible.”We believe that we have the players in the country to be able to do so but by no means will it be easy,” Markram said. “The journey itself has been incredibly difficult but worth the fight, worth the hours, worth the sacrifice. That’s pretty much how we see it.”