Category sport-news

Tyrese Maxey and hometown hero Justin Edwards sparked the Philadelphia 76ers over Boston 102-100 on Tuesday, while reigning champion Oklahoma City improved its NBA-best record to 11-1.

Maxey, the NBA’s number two scorer this season, netted 21 points, and Edwards came off the bench to score 22.

But it was Kelly Oubre’s putback shot with 8.7 seconds remaining off the only miss of the night by Edwards that produced the winning points.

“Extremely tough. He fought in there,” Maxey said of Oubre’s final basket. “We got Justin the good look, and KO got the rebound and put it back.”

Boston’s Derrick White missed a desperation half-court heave at the finish, and the 76ers (7-4) improved to 2-1 over the Celtics this year, the games decided by a total of four points.

“That’s how it goes,” Maxey said. “We’ve played them 100 times, it feels like since I’ve been in the NBA. They know what we’re going to do, and we know what they’re going to do.”

Maxey said winning tight games comes down to simple things.

“Resilient. We trust each other,” he said. “Just try to make great plays and play great defense in the fourth quarter.”

Edwards, a two-time state high school champion at Philadelphia’s Imhotep High School, went 8-for-8 from the floor and 5-of-5 from three-point range in a sizzling display until his final miss that set up the winning basket.

Sixers reserve Quentin Grimes added 18 points while Boston’s Jaylen Brown had a game-high 24 points.

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Philadelphia was without Cameroonian big man Joel Embiid due to a sore right knee.

The Sixers led 23-22 after the lowest-scoring first quarter by each club this season and 51-41 at half-time, but needed a Grimes three-pointer from half-court at the third-quarter buzzer to pull within 77-71, setting the stage for a fourth-quarter fightback.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points and 11 assists to lead the reigning champion Oklahoma City in a 126-102 home victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Chet Holmgren added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who boosted their NBA-best record to 11-1 with a third consecutive triumph.

Win Streaks Hit Five

New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, hitting six of nine three-point attempts, and passed off 10 assists to spark the host Knicks over Memphis 133-120.

The Knicks (7-3), who also got 21 points and 13 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns, stretched their win streak to five games and improved to 7-0 at home this season.

Also boosting their win streak to five games were the Denver Nuggets (8-2), who won 122-108 at Sacramento behind Serbian center Nikola Jokic’s 35 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists.

The three-time NBA MVP averages 25.2 points, a league-best 11.9 assists, and an NBA second-best 13.0 rebounds per contest.

Toronto’s Brandon Ingram scored 25 points and Immanuel Quigley added 24 to lift the Raptors over host Brooklyn 119-106.

The Nets sank to 1-10, matching Washington with the NBA’s worst record, and 0-6 at home.

Finland’s Lauri Markkanen scored 35 points to lead the Utah Jazz over Indiana 152-128, the Pacers falling to 0-6 on the road and into the NBA basement at 1-10.

Star African strikers Victor Osimhen of Nigeria and Bryan Mbeumo of Cameroon want to grace the 2026 World Cup tournament, but only one of them can succeed.

Nigeria face Gabon and Cameroon meet the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday in Rabat in the semi-finals of an African play-offs series for the global showpiece.

The winners clash on Sunday, also in the Moroccan capital, with a place in inter-continental play-offs next March on the line.

Whoever represents Africa will be joined by two teams from the Central America/Caribbean region, plus Bolivia, New Caledonia, and Iraq or the UAE, with two World Cup slots up for grabs.

Nigeria are firm favourite and Cameroon the slight favourites to reach the final, and continue the fight to be among the 48 qualifiers for an expanded World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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When a 10-round African qualifying competition ended last month, Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia secured qualification as group winners.

Now, the four best runners-up get a second chance, and Osimhen and Mbeumo could play key roles in deciding which country moves closer to giving Africa a 10th representative.

Osimhen scored a hat-trick against Benin in a 4-0 final-round win last month, which enabled Nigeria to pip Burkina Faso on goal difference for the final runners-up slot.

Switching to the Champions League, he notched another treble last week for Galatasaray at Ajax Amsterdam, and is the leading scorer in the competition with six goals.

“I love Victor. He is the best striker in the world,” says Eric Chelle, the Ivory Coast-born coach of the Super Eagles.

“It will be very difficult in Morocco,” said the tactician who boasts four wins and two draws in competitive matches since taking charge.

Dynamic Gabon Duo

Although Gabon had the best record among the four runners-up with eight wins and a draw, they are ranked 36 places below Nigeria in the world and the least fancied of the four contenders.

But if Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, the last two African Player of the Year award winners, can form a formidable strike partnership, Gabon are also able to choose a dynamic duo.

Los Angeles-based Denis Bouanga is among 10 nominees for the 2025 African Player of the Year, having scored eight times in World Cup qualifying.

Veteran Marseille goal poacher Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted seven times in qualifying and, at 36, knows this may be a last chance to feature at a World Cup.

“We have discovered many new players, and the team now has a solid core. Gabon is capable of achieving great things,” says Bouanga.

Meanwhile, Mbeumo has scored four goals in his last four appearances for Manchester United, helping the Red Devils to a five-match unbeaten Premier League run.

The 26-year-old former Brentford striker was voted player of the month for October in the most-watched domestic league in the world.

Belgium-born Cameroon coach Marc Brys hopes Mbeumo can transfer his predatory instincts from England to Morocco and steer the Indomitable Lions to the final.

Cameroon has qualified for the World Cup eight times — an African record — but finished four points behind shock qualifiers Cape Verde in Group D.

Needing maximum points from their final group match at home against Angola to have a chance of overtaking Cape Verde, they disappointed in a 0-0 stalemate.

Only six places in the world rankings separate Cameroon and DR Congo, who will lack the injured Newcastle United winger Yoane Wissa.

The Congolese had looked set to be among the group winners before blowing a two-goal lead in a home loss to Senegal.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday said next year’s World Cup would be his last as he winds down one of the all-time great careers.

The 40-year-old forward, with more than 950 club and international goals, also said he would retire from football in “one or two years”.

“Definitely, yes,” he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his World Cup swansong. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.”

Ronaldo, who began a lucrative stint at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in 2023, also elaborated on comments last week when he said he would retire “soon”.

“Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game,” he said.

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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is targeting a sixth World Cup next year. He came closest to lifting the trophy in 2006, when Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals.

Portugal have yet to qualify for the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but can secure their spot if they beat Ireland on Thursday.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United for a second time in late 2022, a move that heralded a influx of late-career stars to the oil-rich kingdom.

Saudi Arabia, which is spending big on sports and entertainment as part of its economic diversification plan, was named as host of the 2034 World Cup last December.

The Falconets have won the 2025 WAFU B U-20 Girls Cup title following a 3-0 win over Ghana at the Stade Omnisports d’Adjohoun in Benin Republic on Tuesday. 

The Nigerian girls scored through Akekoromowei, Alaba Olabiyi, and Ramotalahi Kareem to seal the victory for the Falconets.

Ghana won the maiden edition of the tournament two years ago, but Tuesday’s win means Nigeria are now champions of the competition for the first time.

The Falconets went into the match needing three points to seal the title. They began the game with a strong showing and expectedly took the lead in the 17th minute following Akekoromowei’s powerful long-range free-kick.

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FULL TIME! in Adjouhoun!

Nigeria 3-0 Ghana

⚽Jenat Akeremkowei 17′

⚽Alaba Olabiyi 24′

⚽Kareem Ramotalahi 61′#WAFUBU20W #NGAGHA #SoarFalconets

Six minutes later, Olabiyi hammered home to extend Nigeria’s lead. Despite the two-goal advantage, the Falconets continued to press for more, playing with pace, power, and urgency.

They got a deserved third goal after the break. Kareem latched onto an inviting cross from Akekoromowei just around the 60th-minute mark to make it three for Nigeria.

That goal — her third — got her level with Akekoromowei at the top of the scorers’ chart.

The Falconets meet Black Princesses again today after 3-1 opening win#WAFUBU20W #GHANGA #SoarFalconets pic.twitter.com/IYPVJsDmCb

With the win, Nigeria have nine points from three games and will take on hosts Benin Republic in their next match – a dead rubber match – on Wednesday.

Ghana finished the tournament with six points, and victory is sweet revenge for the Falconets, who lost to the Black Princess via penalties in the maiden edition.