Category News

Liechtenstein vs. Wales World Cup qualifier

Venue: Vaduz’s Rheinpark Stadion on Saturday, November 15 Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Ben Davies, who has missed the past month with an injury, has been named in Wales’ squad for their final group games against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia.

The 32-year-old defender from Tottenham Hotspur hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury on October 13 when Belgium defeated him.

However, he makes a Saturday 15 November trip to Liechtenstein, while Wales will host North Macedonia in Cardiff on Tuesday.

Since Aaron Ramsey is sat down for a while, Davies will continue to lead Wales.

In Ramsey’s absence, Davies has taken the starting role, and fit-again Leeds United winger Dan James has joined Craig Bellamy’s 26-man squad.

The 27-year-old opted not to play in the previous month’s squad due to an ankle issue for the friendly encounter with England at Wembley and Belgium’s qualifying match.

Isaak Davies, who replaces him at Cardiff City, leaves the squad, but Cardiff City’s Rubin Colwill takes his place.

As Wales attempt to return to form at the end of their group campaign, Connor Roberts, Connor Roberts, Danny Ward, Wrexham goalkeeper, and Wes Burns are all still out through injury.

With only one more game to go before Wales need to win their remaining games to finish Group J, the 4-2 defeat to Belgium put an end to their automatic qualifying hopes.

In what will be a crucial encounter, Wales travels to Liechtenstein on November 15 to take on second-placed North Macedonia in Cardiff three days later in what promises to be a crucial match.

Liechtenstein are currently ranked 206th in the world in six games, but they have not yet collected a point or a goal. With a goal difference advantage of six, North Macedonia are currently three points ahead of Wales in terms of goals played.

With only three points left to play against Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein, Belgium are almost certain of being automatically qualified.

Wales’s only chance of finishing second is to win both of their remaining games.

A draw against North Macedonia in Cardiff would also suffice if Liechtenstein were to win by six or more goals.

Wales already has a play-off spot in the Nations League, but it must place second to avoid being among the bottom seeds and having a chance to advance to the semi-finals.

Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), and Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest) are the defenders.

Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester City), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City), and Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City) are the midfielders.

China’s Wu Yize produced a sensational comeback to knock world number one Judd Trump out of the International Championship in Nanjing.

Trump, 36, was 4-0 in front at the mid-session interval but was limited to only 18 more points in the match as Wu, ranked 22nd in the world, won the next six frames in succession to reach the quarter-finals.

The former English Open and Scottish Open runner-up, 22, made five breaks of 80 or more – including a 109 in the sixth frame – on his way to victory.

Trump has had a mixed start to the season but he reached the final of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast last month, losing in a deciding frame to fellow Englishman and close friend Jack Lisowski.

Wu’s quarter-final opponent will be England’s Barry Hawkins, who ended in-form Lisowski’s winning run with a 6-4 success.

Lisowski, who defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the third round on Tuesday, knocked in century breaks in three consecutive frames as he fought back from 4-0 behind to draw level with Hawkins.

But the former World Championship runner-up restored his lead with a break of 75 in the ninth frame on his way to confirming his place in the next round.

World champion Zhao Xintong of China and England’s four-time Crucible winner Mark Selby will meet in one of the other quarter-finals, following 6-1 wins against China’s Si Jiahui and Scotland’s Anthony McGill respectively.

The line-up for the last eight will be completed later on Wednesday, with the four remaining last-16 matches starting at 11:30 GMT.

Judd Trump was knocked out of the Nanjing International Championship by China’s Wu Yize in a spectacular comeback.

At the halfway point of the match, Trump, 36, led by 4-0 going into extra time, but Wu, who was 22nd overall, won the following six frames to advance to the quarter-finals.

The 22-year-old, who finished second in the English Open and Scottish Open, won by making five breaks of 80 or more, including a 109 in the sixth frame.

Trump has had a mixed start to the year, but he made it to the Northern Ireland Open final last month in Belfast, where he lost to fellow Englishman and close friend Jack Lisowski.

Barry Hawkins, who ended Lisowski’s successful winning streak with a 6-4 victory, will be Wu’s quarter-final opponent.

As he came back from a 4 0 adrift to level with Hawkins, Lisowski, who defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan on Tuesday in the third round.

However, the former World Championship runner-up restored his lead with a 75-frame break in the ninth frame to secure his spot in the following round.

Following 6-1 victories over China’s Si Jiahui and Scotland’s Anthony McGill, world champion Zhao Xintong of China and England’s four-time Crucible winner Mark Selby will face off in one of the other quarter-finals.

The final eight matches will be played on Wednesday at 11:30 GMT, with the final four remaining last-16 games beginning at that time.

Lewis Moody, the former England captain, thanked the public for their “wonderful” support since his diagnosis of motor neurone disease.

The 47-year-old, who was a member of England’s 2003 World Cup winning squad, made it known in September that he had been diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition.

The former flame and his family have been supported by more than £200, 000 raised on a GoFundMe page set up by Moody’s friends and former Leicester Tigers team-mates Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd.

According to Moody, “it’s been a whirlwind.”

“It’s been wonderful because there has been such a strong outpouring of love and support.” Although it’s occasionally a little overwhelming, it’s all from such a lovely and wonderful place.

“It’s been a strange time, but for me and my family, it’s just felt warm embrace from everyone who is supporting us,” he said.

Moody noticed some shoulder weakness while working out in the gym and later learned he had MND.

A series of scans revealed nerve damage to his brain and spinal cord after physiotherapy failed to resolve the issue.

Moody, who has two sons, 17 and 15, says it has been more difficult than the physical effects of his diagnosis so far.

My hand and shoulder have “minor symptoms,” according to Moody.

“Your mind is the only thing it has on you,” you say. It persists.

“Trying to park that and concentrate on the day-to-day.” maximizing your physical potential each day. feeling committed to your goals and self-assured.

Treatment can slow down MND progression because it is incurable and can progress quickly.

A study of Italian footballers suggests that the rate of MND is up to six times higher than the general population, despite the fact that elite athletes are most adversely affected by it.

Lewis Moody, the former England captain, thanked the public for their “wonderful” support since his diagnosis of motor neurone disease.

The 47-year-old, who was a member of England’s 2003 World Cup winning squad, made it known in September that he had been diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition.

The former flame and his family have been supported by more than £200, 000 raised on a GoFundMe page set up by Moody’s friends and former Leicester Tigers team-mates Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd.

According to Moody, “it’s been a whirlwind.”

“It’s been wonderful because there has been such a strong outpouring of love and support.” Although it’s occasionally a little overwhelming, it’s all from such a lovely and wonderful place.

“It’s been a strange time, but for me and my family, it’s just felt warm embrace from everyone who is supporting us,” he said.

Moody noticed some shoulder weakness while working out in the gym and later learned he had MND.

A series of scans revealed nerve damage to his brain and spinal cord after physiotherapy failed to resolve the issue.

Moody, who has two sons, 17 and 15, says it has been more difficult than the physical effects of his diagnosis so far.

My hand and shoulder have “minor symptoms,” according to Moody.

“Your mind is the only thing it has on you,” you say. It persists.

“Trying to park that and concentrate on the day-to-day.” maximizing your physical potential each day. feeling committed to your goals and self-assured.

Treatment can slow down MND progression because it is incurable and can progress quickly.

A study of Italian footballers suggests that the rate of MND is up to six times higher than the general population, despite the fact that elite athletes are most adversely affected by it.

More than 50 years ago, Billie Jean King faced Bobby Riggs in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match, attracting a worldwide television audience of 90 million and going down in cultural folklore with the aid of a Hollywood depiction.

Now, another iteration of their era-defining clash has been announced – featuring two of the most recognisable faces among the modern crop in Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.

Sabalenka, the women’s world number one, is set to face Kyrgios, a controversial figure now ranked 652nd after being beset by injuries, in Dubai on 28 December.

If any woman is going to beat Kyrgios then the leading player in the world is best placed to do it.

Sabalenka, 27, has been the dominant player on the WTA Tour for the past 18 months, underlining her talent by winning the fourth Grand Slam title of her career at the US Open in September.

Kyrgios, 30, has played only five matches in 2025 as he tries to rebuild his career after a wrist problem threatened to end it.

The exhibition will be the best of three sets, with a 10 point tie-breaker if it goes to a decider.

BBC Sport has learned the court will be modified to level the playing field between the pair.

According to organisers Evolve, data shows women players move about 9% slower on average than men. Therefore, the dimensions of Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller.

Each player will only receive one serve – aimed to restrict Kyrgios’ power and speed advantage.

Kyrgios, who served at 143mph at Wimbledon in 2019, is the eighth leading ATP player in terms of aces per match over the course of his career.

This year, he has landed 71% of his first serves. Sabalenka has made 62%.

Sabalenka has been one of the most effective servers on the WTA Tour this season, sitting in the top five for service games won, and also possesses powerful groundstrokes.

The Belarusian has the ability to hit through her opponents – although is still prone to being erratic from the baseline through double faults and wild returning.

Over the past season, where she has won 59 of her 71 matches and claimed four titles, Sabalenka has also looked to introduce more variety into her game with drop-shots and coming forward to the net.

Going toe-to-toe with Kyrgios from the baseline is unlikely to be productive, so trying to make him move around the court – particularly given his fitness worries – would look to be the smart play.

Tennis fans have been divided into two camps since rumblings of this exhibition began at the US Open in September.

Some think it is a bit of harmless entertainment which will successfully attract the eyeballs of a newer, younger audience in the age of social-media content.

Others believe it is a misguided venture and sets up an opportunity for women’s tennis to be belittled if Sabalenka loses.

King’s victory over former Wimbledon champion Riggs – a self-proclaimed chauvinist aged 55 – was a landmark in the fight for gender equality and laid the path for equal pay at the top of the game.

The latest recreation of this concept, which was confirmed on Tuesday, is the brainchild of the Evolve agency which represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.

“This is about respect, rivalry and re-imaging what equality in sport can look like,” Evolve co-founder Stuart Duguid, who set up the firm with four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, told BBC Sport.

Organisers are hoping to attract a sell-out 17,000 crowd at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, while plans to stream the action worldwide are said to be advanced and could be confirmed next week.

The match has not been sanctioned by either of the professional tours – the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) – meaning there are no ranking points available.

It is not known if the winner will receive a cash prize, or whether the pair are being given appearance fees or earning a share of the revenue.

“The battle is for pride, curated by progressive innovation,” Duguid added.

While the financial reward and boost to her profile is likely to be significant, many wonder what Sabalenka stands to gain from an on-court perspective – especially if she loses to a man who has not been fit for a long time.

Kyrgios has long been a polarising figure in the sport, given his chequered history on and off the court.

The Australian has received multiple sanctions over the course of his career for inappropriate behaviour and fiery outbursts.

There have also been allegations of domestic violence and accusations of sexist comments.

Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2023, then had to distance himself from controversial influencer Andrew Tate in 2024.

His recent comments about playing Sabalenka – witheringly questioning on one podcast if he would even have to “try 100%” to win – has led to concerns the event will fuel misogyny.

In a press release announcing the event, Kyrgios’ tone was markedly differently.

“When the world number one challenges you, you answer the call. I’ve got massive respect for Aryna; she’s a powerhouse and a true champion,” he said.

Sabalenka does not seem to think the match will have any negative impact on the perception of women’s sports, simply saying at the US Open she thinks it is a “cool idea”.

Catherine Whitaker, co-host of the Tennis Podcast, believes the opposite.

“I see absolutely nothing to be gained for women’s tennis – I see only bleakness,” she told BBC Sport.

“It’s a crass commercial venture and a vehicle for one of the most outspoken misogynists in tennis who just wants attention.

“If Sabalenka wins, she beats a man who is unfit and has been a total irrelevance for a number of years. What does she win? Nothing. Unless she wins 6-0 6-0, people will only find ammunition to fire at women’s tennis.

“If Kyrgios wins, he and others of the same mind will claim it legitimises everything he’s already spewing out. It’s disgusting to be giving him a platform.