Category sport-news

Novak Djokovic will take on Carlos Alcaraz in the group stage of the upcoming ATP Finals while Jannik Sinner could face a derby with Lorenzo Musetti during his title defence at the season-ending tournament.

Tennis icon Djokovic, a seven-time Finals champion, was confirmed on Monday as being among the eight contenders in Turin and has been drawn in the Jimmy Connors Group alongside top seed Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

The winner of a record 24 Grand Slams, 38-year-old Djokovic is currently hunting his second title of the year in Athens, where he beat Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets in the second round on Tuesday.

World number five Djokovic has made the semi-finals at all four Slams this season and in May he became the third player in the Open era to lift his 100th ATP title by winning in Geneva.

Alcaraz is bidding to win the Finals for the first time after another bumper year for the Spaniard which has included triumphs at the US Open and Roland Garros, the latter coming after an epic final victory against his arch-rival Sinner.

Sinner swept to the Finals title unbeaten last year and the world number one is aiming to retain his crown in front of his home fans in Turin after winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and three other titles this season.

The 24-year-old could face Musetti in the Bjorn Borg Group although Sinner’s compatriot needs to win the current tournament in Athens if he is to snatch the eighth and final slot from Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton will be Sinner’s other opponents in the group stage, which kicks off on Sunday.

The top two players in each four-man group will qualify for the semi-finals.

ATP Finals group stage draw:

Jimmy Connors Group: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur

Manoozh Noori said she “wanted to die” when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. That meant she could no longer do what she loved most: play football.

Noori, 22, fled the country where the United Nations say authorities have implemented “gender apartheid” and has been playing in a team of Afghan refugee women taking part in a first-of-its-kind tournament in Morocco.

“I had asked myself: ‘Do I want to stay in this country with people who want to forbid women from studying, from playing football, from doing anything?’” Noori told AFP.

The Taliban authorities, who say that women’s rights are protected by Islamic law, have banned girls and women from schools beyond the age of 12, and also from most jobs and public services — and from playing sports.

READ ALSO: Cosmetic Surgery In Vogue In Afghanistan

Noori had defied family pressure to represent Afghanistan professionally by playing for the country’s national women’s squad before a Taliban government returned to power.

She said she buried her trophies and medals in her family’s backyard and left the country for Australia.

Noori’s team, Afghan Women United, was formed between Europe and Australia, where other teammates have also been living since 2021.

‘A beautiful story’

The team played their first international matches at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series late last month in Morocco — and Noori scored the team’s first goal in the opening game against Chad.

They went on to lose both to Chad and Tunisia, although they registered a big 7-0 win against Libya. But the tournament overall was a major win for the Afghan women.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who attended one of their games, described their participation as “a beautiful story” that the women were writing “for so many girls and women all over the world”.

Nilab Mohammadi, a 28-year-old striker and former soldier who also represented the Afghan national team, said football was “not just a sport — it represents life and hope”.

“There is no more freedom in Afghanistan, especially for Afghan women,” Mohammadi added. “But now, we are going to be their voice.”

Twenty-year-old midfielder Mina Ahmadi said “a dream was taken away from us” back home, “but when FIFA recognised us, it was as if a part of that dream came true”.

“This new adventure is a happy moment for us,” added Ahmadi, who is now studying medical sciences in Australia.

“It won’t stop anytime soon, because we will keep moving forward.”

‘Just to play football’

FIFA has yet to decide whether the refugee team can compete in official international matches as representing Afghanistan, but the players remain determined to get there.

Afghan Women United now have one goal: to have the squad recognised by FIFA as the Afghan national women’s team, since women in the country are not allowed to play the game.

“These women are incredible,” said Aish Ravi, a researcher on gender equity in sports who worked with several of the players when they first arrived in Australia in 2021.

“They are strong and inspiring,” she added. “They’ve had to overcome enormous adversity just to play football.

“This sport is more than a game,” Ravi said. “It symbolises freedom for them.”

Ahmadi said she dreamed of playing in Europe one day, but being far from home can prove difficult.

“It’s very hard to get used to a country where you didn’t grow up,” she said. “You miss your family and friends… But we have to keep moving forward.”

Newcastle secured a third successive Champions League win as Dan Burn’s thunderous header inspired a cathartic 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

Burn struck in eye-catching style in the first half at St James’ Park and Joelinton netted after the interval to wrap up Newcastle’s fifth successive home win in all competitions.

Newcastle’s dismal 3-1 defeat at lowly West Ham on Sunday left the Magpies languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and prompted a painful bout of soul-searching on Tyneside.

But although they have struggled domestically, Eddie Howe’s side have three wins from four games in the Champions League this season, with their only loss coming in the opening match against Barcelona.

Ahead of trips to Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen in their next two league phase fixtures, sixth-placed Newcastle are firmly in the hunt to secure the top-eight place that guarantees automatic qualification for the last 16.

Howe will hope Newcastle’s European success serves as a springboard for a winning run in the Premier League, starting at Brentford on Sunday.

Mired in mid-table in La Liga after losing to Basque rivals Real Sociedad last weekend, injury-hit Bilbao were toothless without brothers Inaki and Nico Williams.

Unai Gomez wasted an early chance to lift the visitors when he headed Alex Berenguer’s corner straight at Nick Pope and Newcastle made the most of that escape.

Newcastle’s lacklustre loss at West Ham had sparked accusations that Howe’s team are developing a habit of playing down to the level of their opponents.

READ ALSO: [UCL] Flawless Arsenal Dispatch Slavia Prague, Extend Clean Sheet Streak To Eight Games

Burn makes his point 

2023 ➡️ 2025

Big Dan Burn on the scoresheet again in the Champions League pic.twitter.com/QVCSXSK0BL

Burn added to that perception this week when he said “everybody knows we will turn up” against Bilbao.

The England centre-back was true to his word as he put Newcastle ahead in the 11th minute.

Kieran Trippier’s free-kick picked out Burn in space in the penalty area and he punished Bilbao’s slack marking with a superb header that curled into the far corner from 10 yards.

Even legendary Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, watching with a broad grin in the stands, would have been proud of such a sublime finish.

Bilbao briefly mounted a determined response to that blow and twice came close to drawing level as sloppy Newcastle conceded possession too easily.

Gomez raced clear of the flat-footed Newcastle defence and fired against the near post.

With Newcastle on the ropes, Adama Boiro lashed a ferocious strike off the woodwork from 18 yards.

Howe’s men squandered a chance to increase their lead when Nick Woltemade climbed highest for a header that whistled wide from Harvey Barnes’ cross.

Newcastle suffered a blow when England winger Anthony Gordon limped off with a recurrence of a hip injury late in the first half.

But they ignored that setback to double their advantage in the 49th minute.

Barnes cleverly worked space on the left side of the Bilbao area and lofted a cross into the six-yard box, where Joelinton thumped his header past Unai Simon for his first goal in nine games.

Nico Serrano’s stunning long-range drive nearly caught out Pope, but the Newcastle keeper recovered to preserve a comfortable clean-sheet.

Newcastle secured a third successive Champions League win as Dan Burn’s thunderous header inspired a cathartic 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

Burn struck in eye-catching style in the first half at St James’ Park and Joelinton netted after the interval to wrap up Newcastle’s fifth successive home win in all competitions.

Newcastle’s dismal 3-1 defeat at lowly West Ham on Sunday left the Magpies languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and prompted a painful bout of soul-searching on Tyneside.

But although they have struggled domestically, Eddie Howe’s side have three wins from four games in the Champions League this season, with their only loss coming in the opening match against Barcelona.

Ahead of trips to Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen in their next two league phase fixtures, sixth-placed Newcastle are firmly in the hunt to secure the top-eight place that guarantees automatic qualification for the last 16.

Howe will hope Newcastle’s European success serves as a springboard for a winning run in the Premier League, starting at Brentford on Sunday.

Mired in mid-table in La Liga after losing to Basque rivals Real Sociedad last weekend, injury-hit Bilbao were toothless without brothers Inaki and Nico Williams.

Unai Gomez wasted an early chance to lift the visitors when he headed Alex Berenguer’s corner straight at Nick Pope and Newcastle made the most of that escape.

Newcastle’s lacklustre loss at West Ham had sparked accusations that Howe’s team are developing a habit of playing down to the level of their opponents.

READ ALSO: [UCL] Flawless Arsenal Dispatch Slavia Prague, Extend Clean Sheet Streak To Eight Games

Burn makes his point 

2023 ➡️ 2025

Big Dan Burn on the scoresheet again in the Champions League pic.twitter.com/QVCSXSK0BL

Burn added to that perception this week when he said “everybody knows we will turn up” against Bilbao.

The England centre-back was true to his word as he put Newcastle ahead in the 11th minute.

Kieran Trippier’s free-kick picked out Burn in space in the penalty area and he punished Bilbao’s slack marking with a superb header that curled into the far corner from 10 yards.

Even legendary Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, watching with a broad grin in the stands, would have been proud of such a sublime finish.

Bilbao briefly mounted a determined response to that blow and twice came close to drawing level as sloppy Newcastle conceded possession too easily.

Gomez raced clear of the flat-footed Newcastle defence and fired against the near post.

With Newcastle on the ropes, Adama Boiro lashed a ferocious strike off the woodwork from 18 yards.

Howe’s men squandered a chance to increase their lead when Nick Woltemade climbed highest for a header that whistled wide from Harvey Barnes’ cross.

Newcastle suffered a blow when England winger Anthony Gordon limped off with a recurrence of a hip injury late in the first half.

But they ignored that setback to double their advantage in the 49th minute.

Barnes cleverly worked space on the left side of the Bilbao area and lofted a cross into the six-yard box, where Joelinton thumped his header past Unai Simon for his first goal in nine games.

Nico Serrano’s stunning long-range drive nearly caught out Pope, but the Newcastle keeper recovered to preserve a comfortable clean-sheet.

Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has scored his first Champions League hat-trick, bagging three goals as Galatasaray trounced Dutch outfit Ajax 3-0 on Wednesday night.

The Super Eagle opened the scoresheet in the 59th minute of the game with a header.

Osimhen converted from the spot in the 66th minute and completed the hat-trick 12 minutes later after another penalty.

Three straight wins in the #UCL ✅#AJAXGALA pic.twitter.com/0zzSgNQ5Fs

READ ALSO: [UCL] Flawless Arsenal Dispatch Slavia Prague, Extend Clean Sheet Streak To Eight Games

In the last matchday in the Champions League, the Nigerian scored a brace as Galatasaray, Turkish champions, beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1.

This duo #UCL pic.twitter.com/PSgqAcmkCb

With three goals on Wednesday, the 26-year-old has now scored 12 goals in his last eight matches for Galatasaray in Europe!

Victor Osimhen becomes the first Galatasaray player ever to score a brace in back-to-back Champions League matches #UCL pic.twitter.com/ViKu8pJkak

Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has scored his first Champions League hat-trick, bagging three goals as Galatasaray trounced Dutch outfit Ajax 3-0 on Wednesday night.

The Super Eagle opened the scoresheet in the 59th minute of the game with a header.

Osimhen converted from the spot in the 66th minute and completed the hat-trick 12 minutes later after another penalty.

Three straight wins in the #UCL ✅#AJAXGALA pic.twitter.com/0zzSgNQ5Fs

READ ALSO: [UCL] Flawless Arsenal Dispatch Slavia Prague, Extend Clean Sheet Streak To Eight Games

In the last matchday in the Champions League, the Nigerian scored a brace as Galatasaray, Turkish champions, beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1.

This duo #UCL pic.twitter.com/PSgqAcmkCb

With three goals on Wednesday, the 26-year-old has now scored 12 goals in his last eight matches for Galatasaray in Europe!

Victor Osimhen becomes the first Galatasaray player ever to score a brace in back-to-back Champions League matches #UCL pic.twitter.com/ViKu8pJkak