South African men Cricket National Team, The Proteas, handed Ireland a humiliating 139 runs in the first of three One-Day Internationals (ODI) on Wednesday with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs hitting half-centuries.

The victory also meant Proteas avenge a shock T20 loss to the same opponents last weekend and also followed an ODI series defeat against Afghanistan last month.

Rickelton who opened the batting in just his third appearance in the format, hit 91 off 102 balls with seven fours and three sixes, that being the 28-year-old’s highest score in all international cricket matches.

Middle-order batsman Stubbs, playing in only his fifth ODI, was equally unforgiving on Ireland’s bowlers, making 79 off 86 balls with two fours and four sixes as both men helped rescue South Africa from a perilous 39-3, putting on 152 for the fourth wicket as the Proteas made 271-9 off their 50 overs.

Mark Adair, who took four wickets in Ireland’s 10-run T20 win on Sunday, claimed another four-wicket haul on Wednesday as Ireland struggled to make headway against fast bowlers Lizaad Williams and Lungi Ngidi with their first five wickets falling for just 61 runs.

Only three Irish batsmen got past 20 with Williams, playing in just his fifth ODI, finishing with a career-best 4-32 off his 10 overs and were eventually bowled out for 132 in the 32nd over with veteran all-rounder George Dockrell top-scoring with a modest 21.

The second and third games of the series will take place at the same Abu Dhabi venue on Friday and Sunday.

The Senegalese Football Federation (SFF) has sacked 2022 AFCON-winning coach, Aliou Cisse, following a string of poor results in the ongoing AFCON and World Cup qualifying matches.

The decision to sack the former Birmingham City and Portsmouth midfielder was confirmed by the SFF in a statement on Wednesday, bringing an end to Cisse’s tenure which saw him taking the Teranga Lions to unprecedented heights which included leading the team to its first-ever AFCON title.

“The contract between the national coach, Aliou Cisse, and the Senegalese Football Federation will not be renewed. This is what the new authorities have decided,” the Federation said in the statement.

“Aliou Cisse has given so much to Senegalese football, but the time has come for a new direction,” an SFF official was quoted as saying, highlighting the federation’s determination to start a new chapter for the Teranga Lions.”

The 47-year-old coach has been in charge of the national team since 2015 with his time witnessing a rollercoaster of some sorts, filled with both triumphs and heartbreaking moment for the football crazy West African nation.

After taking charge of Senegal in 2015, following a brief stint as caretaker manager in 2012, Cisse led the Lions to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and although Senegal was eliminated in the group stage on a controversial fair-play tiebreaker, Cisse’s influence was undeniable.

Despite that setback, Cisse continued to build a strong foundation for Senegal. In 2019, he guided the Teranga Lions to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, their first since 2002, only to be narrowly defeated by Algeria, but redemption came in 2022 when Senegal won their first-ever AFCON title under his guidance, beating Egypt in a dramatic penalty shootout.

However, recent performances have failed to live up to that glory with a string of poor results in the months following the 2022 FIFA World Cup put Cisse under increasing scrutiny.

After careful consideration, the SFF said it has decided not to renew Cisse’s contract, ending his eight-year spell in charge of the national team.