ICE HOCKEY
Islanders down Hurricanes
Brock Nelson had two goals and two assists for the New York Islanders, and Johnny Boychuk added a goal and two assists in his team debut as the visitors won 5-3 at the Carolina Hurricanes in their season opener on Friday. Key free-agent acquisition Mikhail Grabovski had a goal, Travis Hamonic also scored and John Tavares had three assists in his return after injuring his knee during the Olympics. Boychuk — picked up from Boston last week for draft picks — and Nelson scored 1 minute, 48 seconds apart in the first period. Nelson later added a deflected goal off a Boychuk shot in the second to put New York up 3-0 and in control of this match of the Metropolitan Division’s two worst teams in the past season. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves in his Islanders debut. Eric Staal, Nathan Gerbe and Chris Terry scored third-period goals for Carolina. Cam Ward made 21 saves. The Hurricanes lost Bill Peters’ NHL head coaching debut.
GOLF
Laird maintains lead
Scotland’s Martin Laird fired a second straight five-under-par 67 on Friday to grab a one-shot lead after two rounds of the USPGA Tour’s US$6 million Frys.com Open. Laird, a three-time winner on the US tour, had a 10-under total of 134 and a one-stroke lead over first-round co-leader Bae Sang-moon of South Korea and the US’ Zach Blair. Bae followed his first-round 66 with a 69, while Blair carded a 66 for 135. Scott Langley vaulted up the leaderboard with a six-under 66 and was tied for fourth on 136 with Sweden’s David Lingmerth (68) and fellow American Mark Hubbard (65). Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama carded a 67 and was alone in seventh. Monday qualifier Jarrod Lyle of Australia, who is playing for the first time on tour since twice being treated for leukemia, made the cut by two strokes after shooting a two-under 70.
SOCCER
Ebola panics Morocco
The Moroccan government on Friday called for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations to be postponed due to the deadly Ebola epidemic. The biennial competition is scheduled to be held in the North African country from Jan. 17 to Feb. 8. The Moroccan Ministry of Health made the plea in the wake of their decision “to avoid events which involve those countries affected by the Ebola virus,” the MAP news agency quoted a government statement as saying. The demand to delay the event has been lodged with the Africa Cup of Nations’ organizers, the Confederation of African Football. More than 4,000 people have died in the Ebola epidemic that broke out in west Africa at the start of the year, according to the latest figures released by the WHO.
SOCCER
Egypt get crucial victory
An unstoppable Mohamed El-Nenny shot set up Egypt for a crucial 2-0 away win over Botswana on Friday in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The midfielder from Swiss club Basel unleashed a 35m drive on 55 minutes that flew high into the corner of the net over goalkeeper Kabelo Dambe. Chelsea striker Mohamed Salah added a second six minutes later with a low curling shot from just outside the penalty area. It was a must-win Group G clash for the Pharaohs after losses away to Senegal and at home to Tunisia last month. Egypt are to host Botswana in Cairo on Wednesday and another victory would give them hope of a top-two finish ahead of return fixtures next month against Senegal and Tunisia.
US national team star Folarin Balogun was among the scorers as AS Monaco on Friday won 3-1 at Paris Saint-Germain, dealing a blow to the side from the French capital before they face Chelsea in a crunch UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie. Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco a first-half lead at the Parc des Princes, and Aleksandr Golovin doubled their advantage early in the second half of the French Ligue 1 clash. Bradley Barcola pulled one back for the reigning European champions, but Balogun struck shortly after with a fifth goal in his last five games as Monaco claimed a precious
Teenage star Lamine Yamal’s superbly-taken goal on Saturday earned Barcelona a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in Spanish La Liga. The champions restored their four-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who had on Friday temporarily closed the gap by beating Celta Vigo. Atletico Madrid tightened their grip on third with an entertaining 3-2 win over Real Sociedad. Yamal, 18, curled into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the sides at Athletic’s San Mames stadium. “We’re already seeing what Lamine can do — he puts it right in the top corner, and there’s nothing the keeper can do,” Barca
West Ham United on Monday advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win against Brentford, who paid the price for Dango Ouattara’s spot-kick blunder. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side twice blew the lead as Jarrod Bowen’s double was canceled out by an Igor Thiago brace to force extra-time in the 2-2 draw at the London Stadium, but in the shoot-out, Brentford winger Ouattara attempted a chipped Panenka penalty, but his woeful effort was straight at West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. It was an awful mistake by the Burkina Faso international and West Ham took full advantage. Bowen, Valentin Castellanos, Callum
CHANCE TO QUALIFY: Both teams now have three points from two games, and Taiwan sit ahead of Vietnam and behind Japan, who last night beat India 11-0 Taiwan yesterday defeated Vietnam 1-0 to move into second place in Group C at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup with one match remaining. Su Yu-hsuan scored the decisive goal in the 26th minute after Taiwan midfielder Saki Matsunaga’s shot hit the crossbar, leaving Su to nod the rebound into an empty net for the team which won the last of their three Asian Cup titles in 1981. It was a deserved victory for Taiwan, 2-0 losers to Japan on Wednesday, who created several chances to extend their lead. Vietnam, the 2022 quarter-finalist, beat India in their opener, but struggled to
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