Latest sports news

Liverpool’s English midfielder James Milner (R) celebrates scoring their second goal from the penalty spot with Liverpool’s English midfielder Jordan Henderson (L) during the English Premier League football match between between Cardiff City and Liverpool at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales. PHOTO:
GEOFF CADDICK / AFP

Latest sports news headlines, results and fixtures: Friday 24 July

The latest sports news headlines, results and fixtures.

Latest sports news

Liverpool’s English midfielder James Milner (R) celebrates scoring their second goal from the penalty spot with Liverpool’s English midfielder Jordan Henderson (L) during the English Premier League football match between between Cardiff City and Liverpool at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales. PHOTO:
GEOFF CADDICK / AFP

Welcome to your dose of the latest sports news headlines, results and fixtures from around the globe and here in South Africa.

Latest sports news 

Rugby

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has extended his stay at French club, Toulon by another three years.

English giants Saracens are set to host the Stormers in a high-profile clash at the newly built Tottenham Stadium in 2021.

According to Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber next year’s tour of the British and Irish Lions to South Africa will pose a massive challenge to his team.

A Matt Toomua-inspired Melbourne Rebels put NSW Waratahs to the sword Friday in a 29-10 win for their first back-to-back Super Rugby victories over the Sydney-based team.

Latest sports news

Horse racing

Durban-based ‘psychic’ Doreen Jacobs has made her pick for winner of Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July naming the winning horse as Belgarion.

The eyes of the horseracing world’s fans and socialites will be focused on the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday afternoon for the 124th edition of Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, following on television and live streaming instead of watching from the normally packed grandstands and marquee village at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse.

Boxing

The 30-year-old heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua believes that Tyson Fury has not done enough in the boxing world to be considered as ‘intimidating’.

WWE’s Keith Lee speaks out about his highlights in the ring

Mike Tyson announced the eight-round exhibition bout against Jones, a 51-year-old fighter who briefly held the heavyweight title and has fought consistently into his 50s

Football

SuperSport United have confirmed that four first-team personnel within their camp have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hit back at his Chelsea counterpart Frank Lampard by suggesting the Blues boss still has a lot to learn after branding the new English champions “arrogant.”

West Ham have signed Czech Republic international Tomas Soucek from Slavia Prague on a permanent basis, the Premier League club announced on Friday.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was named the Football Writers’ Association player of the year on Friday for his role in leading the Reds to their first league title in 30 years.

Villarreal announced on Thursday that former Arsenal and Sevilla boss Unai Emery is taking over as the La Liga club’s coach from the sacked Javi Calleja.

The Bournemouth players and coaching staff face “the biggest game” of their careers on Sunday as they battle to extend their surprising five-year stay in the Premier League, manager Eddie Howe says.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Friday that he will not settle for the point that would guarantee his side a return to the Champions League next season when the Red Devils travel to Leicester.

Cricket

The West Indies hope to host South Africa in September. South Africa was scheduled to tour the Caribbean in July, but might only be able to travel there in just over a month.

England suffered a major setback when talisman Ben Stokes was dismissed for just 20 on the first day of the decisive third Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford on Friday. The hosts were 131-4 at tea, with fast bowler Kemar Roach having removed second-Test century-makers Dom Sibley and Stokes on his way to fine figures of 2 wickets for 28 runs from 12.4 overs.

Australian organisers said postponing the men’s T20 World Cup cricket was “absolutely inevitable” Tuesday after the coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be delayed by a year.

The late Bob Willis had been determined to make the English county cricket season work better and would have been “stunned and proud” to see clubs competing for a trophy bearing his name, the England great’s widow has said.

The star-studded Indian Premier League cricket will start on 19 September in the United Arab Emirates, its chairman told AFP on Friday, adding that players may need to undergo quarantine. Although India’s cricket authorities are still awaiting government approval, Brijesh Patel said the world’s richest cricket tournament will be played for 51 days with the final on 8 November.

Olympics

Singapore’s national sports agency said Friday it was “dismayed” to learn of a figure skater’s claims that she suffered physical and mental abuse while training in China. Jessica Shuran Yu, who was born and trained in China but competed internationally for Singapore, said her coach hit her, drew blood from her shin with skate blades, and hurled insults at her and fellow athletes.

Motorsport

Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez has made a remarkable recovery to be passed fit to ride in Sunday’s Andalucian Grand Prix in Jerez.

The Grands Prix in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Canada have been scrapped this year, but three races in Europe have been added to the coronavirus-affected season, Formula One said Friday. There will be an F1 debut for Portugal’s Portimao track and a return for Germany’s Nurburgring and Imola in Italy. The US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, had been scheduled for 23 October, with a race in Mexico City a week later and Brazil on 13 November, but with coronavirus infections rising in all those countries, organisers have abandoned attempts to hold races there.

Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi led the pack in Friday’s two free practice sessions ahead of this weekend’s Andalucia MotoGP in Jerez.

South African sport

Black Lives Matter has exposed a cancer in South African sport according to Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa.

Wayde van Niekerk wants to break his own world record in the next phase of his career.

Tennis

All international tennis tournaments in China this year, including the Shanghai Masters and WTA Finals, were cancelled on Friday because of the coronavirus, the ATP and WTA said. The major blow to attempts to restart tennis comes after China said it would not stage most international sports events for the rest of 2020 to keep the pandemic in check.

Baseball

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan said Thursday he will consult Native American leaders regarding a possible name change for the Major League Baseball club in the wake of similar moves.

Cycling

The 2020 Giro d’Italia will begin in Sicily in October after organisers announced on Friday a revised start for the coronavirus-delayed Grand Tour. The opening stage of the 103rd edition will be a 16-kilometre individual time-trial around Palermo on 3 October, some five months after the race had been due to start in the Hungarian capital Budapest. 

Latest sports results

Super Rugby AU

Rebels 29-10 Waratahs

Italian Serie A results on Thursday

Udinese 2 (Nestorovski 52, Fofana 90+2) Juventus 1 (De Ligt 42)

Latest sports news

Lazio 2 (Milinkovic-Savic 47, Immobile 60) Cagliari 1 (Simeone 45)

Latest sports news

Played Wednesday

Parma 2 (Caprari 45+3-pen, Kulusevski 87-pen) Napoli 1 (Insigne 54-pen)

SPAL 1 (Cerri 24) Roma 6 (Kalinic 10, Perez 38, Kolarov 47, Peres 52, 75, Zaniolo 90)

Torino 1 (Zaza 67) Hellas Verona 1 (Borini 56-pen)

Sampdoria 1 (Gabbiadini 32) Genoa 2 (Criscito 22-pen, Lerager 72)

Inter Milan 0 Fiorentina 0

Lecce 3 (Lapadula 22, 32, Saponara 70) Brescia 1 (Dessena 63)

Played Tuesday

Atalanta 1 (Muriel 62) Bologna 0

Sassuolo 1 (Caputo 42-pen) AC Milan 2 (Ibrahimovic 19, 45+2)

 Latest sports fixtures

Italian Serie A 

AC Milan vs Atalanta (21:45)

French Cup final 

Paris Saint-Germain vs Saint-Etienne at the Stade de France in Paris (21:10).

Golf

Second round of the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Minnesota