SOCCER
Kean on course for title
Former Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean remains on course to win his first trophy as a manager after his Brunei DPMM side edged past Geylang International on penalties to reach Friday’s Singapore League Cup final. The Scot, chased out of the English club after some vitriolic abuse from unhappy fans in 2012, could win a rare treble in his first season in Southeast Asia, with Brunei three points clear at the top of the 12-team table and also in the semi-finals of the Singapore Cup. Kean’s side are to face Tanjong Pagar United in Friday’s League Cup final after they downed Geylang 3-0 in the shootout after 120 goalless minutes.
SOCCER
S Korea to overhaul staff
The South Korea Football Association hopes to appoint a new technical chief this week, the first step in a overhaul that will end with a new head coach after the disappointing World Cup showing in Brazil. Former skipper Hong Myung-bo stepped down as coach after the team managed just one point in their group stage exit in Brazil following losses to Belgium and Algeria, with technical head Hwangbo Kwan following him out of the door. The association met on Monday with Hwangbo’s successor the top priority, followed by a restructuring of the technical committee and the inclusion of former national team coaches to it before they appoint a new manager. Former Celtic player and head coach Neil Lennon has been linked with the role as has Croatia’s Robert Prosinecki.
SOCCER
Player attacked in Brazil
Andre Santos, a defender with struggling Brazilian top-flight side Flamengo, was attacked by fans following Sunday’s 4-0 thrashing by Internacional in what his club called a “cowardly” act. The loss left the once proud Rio side bottom of the table after a run of just one win in 11 games. The fans allegedly lay in wait for Santos, who played for English Premier League side Arsenal from 2011 until last year, after the game in Porto Alegre and kicked and punched him as the team prepared to fly back to Rio, the player said. “I was kicked and punched. I was on my own save for a security guard. The police arrived straight away and helped me a lot but I received a lot of blows before I could get into the coach,” he told the Globo newspaper. “There have been various such cases in our country but we have to take them seriously. Yesterday it happened to me — but it could happen to anybody,” Santos said.
BOXING
Dereck Chisora cancels fight
Dereck Chisora has withdrawn from his European heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury after fracturing his hand during a sparring session. The Londoner was set to meet Fury in Manchester to contest the European belt and the vacant British title on Saturday night, but the fight is now to be rescheduled with a new date to be announced shortly. “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am to have to pull out of the fight against Fury, but it is on the advice of my specialist that I have to do this,” Chisora said on Friday. After a bad-tempered runup to the fight, Fury reacted unsympathetically to his opponent’s withdrawal. “Told you all what would happen find me a real man to fight the furious1,” Chisora tweeted. “If any1 feels like a fight I’m in Bolton town centre& I feel like a rumble.” Saturday’s bout was also set to be a final eliminator for the WBO world title, currently held by Wladimir Klitschko. Chisora and Fury fought three years ago, with Fury winning on points.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
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