RUGBY SEVENS
Afrika red hot as ’Boks roll
Scoring sensation Cecil Afrika brought the Hong Kong Sevens alight yesterday with a scorching show of clinical finishing for South Africa to add 37 points to his already world-beating tally. The 23-year-old playmaker, the leading points and try-scorer in the Sevens World Series, touched down three times and notched 11 conversions as the Springboks ran riot over Hong Kong, winning 45-0, before trouncing Wales 42-12. Joint Sevens World Series leaders New Zealand and England also continued on their winning ways, but were both made to work hard on the second day. New Zealand laboured past Portugal 19-12, before beating France 19-7, while England got a fright from Japan, before winning 33-14 and then went on to down the US 37-12. Other games yesterday saw reigning Hong Kong champions Samoa remain unbeaten thanks to 24-17 and 31-14 wins over Tonga and Scotland respectively, while the Australians took a little time to find their feet, struggling to see off a determined Canada 26-24, before beating Argentina 21-14. Fiji, too, kept in the title race with a 29-14 win over Russia and a 40-0 victory over Kenya late in the day.
SOCCER
Estonia shock Uruguay 2-0
Estonia struck twice in the second half to hand World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay a surprise 2-0 defeat in a friendly international played on a snow covered pitch in freezing and windy conditions on Friday. Substitute striker Konstantin Vassiljev opened the scoring just past the hour soon after coming on with a strike from outside the area which Uruguay goalkeeper Juan Castillo misjudged. Estonia’s second goal came four minutes later in the 65th when Vjatseslav Zahovaiko scored from Vassiljev’s corner. The first half was a dull affair with Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez unable to find a way through the home defense. The tempo picked up after the break with Estonia coach Tarmo Ruutli sending on Vassiljev, who made the breakthrough, before Zahovaiko wrapped up the victory for the home side.
RALLY
Loeb off pace in Portugal
Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb of France was off the pace after the opening day of the Rally of Portugal on Friday. Loeb, disappointing in the season-opening Rally of Sweden, where he could place just sixth, then won in Mexico and is looking to transfer that form to the third race of the campaign. However, the Citroen driver has work to do after Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala, in a Ford Fiesta, led the way in establishing an 11.5 second lead over compatriot and teammate Mikko Hirvonen. Seven-time world champion Loeb and fellow French Citroen racer Sebastien Ogier stood third and fourth respectively with 15 seconds to make up on early pacesetter Latvala.
GOLF
Lafeber in three-way tie
Maarten Lafeber shot a five-under 65 on Friday to climb into a share of the halfway lead at the Andalucian Open. Lafeber had four birdies and an eagle mixed with a lone bogey to join Rikard Karlberg of Sweden and Jeppe Huldahl of Denmark atop the leaderboard with an eight-under total of 132. The 36-year-old Lafeber eagled the 14th to help him move up 10 spots from the first round, when he shot 67. Huldahl had five birdies in the final nine holes to make up for a pair of bogeys and match his first-round score of 66, while Karlberg shot a 67. Former Open winner Paul Lawrie was one stroke behind along with Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka and England’s Jamie Elson.
Fenerbahce on Thursday earned a rare 2-1 win in England, but were still knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Nottingham Forest in the playoffs. Forest entered the second leg with a healthy 3-0 lead from the opener in Istanbul — where Vitor Pereira made an impact in his first game in charge — and that proved enough to advance to the round-of-16 with a 4-2 aggregate score. The result was a boost for Forest, struggling at 17th place in the Premier League, in their return to Europe after three decades. They next face Real Betis Balompie or Kerem Akturkoglu gave Fenerbahce
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
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