SOCCER
Coaches to be carded
Referees will be encouraged to issue red and yellow cards to misbehaving coaches and team officials during a trial in Australia’s top-flight men’s and women’s leagues. Football Federation Australia yesterday said the leagues would be the first top-tier domestic competitions to receive approval from the International Football Association Board to conduct the trial, starting on Friday. The use of the red and yellow cards will allow spectators to see when cautions and ejections have been imposed — just as they do when players are sanctioned on the field. Coaches and staff risk being sent from the field for repeated infringements including kicking or throwing water bottles, delaying the restart of the game or for using offensive language or gestures.
SOCCER
Fans banned for urine throw
Tottenham Hotspur have issued life bans to two supporters who threw urine at away fans during the 3-2 defeat to West Ham United on Wednesday last week. After West Ham’s victory, a video circulated on social media showing a Spurs fan urinating into a glass before another threw it at the away supporters. “This kind of behavior is not acceptable and we shall be issuing lifetime bans to both individuals in the video,” a Tottenham spokesman told Sky Sports.
SOCCER
HKFA warned over booing
The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) was warned yesterday by the Asian Football Confederation over the conduct of fans who booed the Chinese national anthem last month. A small section of supporters jeered during the playing of the March of the Volunteers and turned their backs on the Chinese flag ahead of a 2-0 win for Hong Kong over Malaysia at Hong Kong Stadium in qualifying for the Asian Cup finals. The confederation’s disciplinary committee said in a statement that “a repeat violation may result in more severe punishment.”
GOLF
Woods to compete again
Tiger Woods is returning to competition at his holiday tournament in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving. Woods has not played since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 with back spasms. Two months later, he had his fourth back surgery in just more than two years. Woods will be part of the 18-person field at the Hero World Challenge, which starts Nov. 30 at Albany Golf Club. A year ago, Woods returned at this tournament after 15 months recovering from two back surgeries. He made 24 birdies, but finished 15th out of 18.
SOCCER
‘Worst team’ celebrates loss
Fans of the self-proclaimed “world’s worst team” celebrated on Monday after their team was eliminated from a soccer tournament in Brazil. Ibis lost 3-2 on aggregate to Decisao in the second division of the Pernambuco state championship, blocking what could have been the team’s first promotion in decades.
Fans rallied over the past two months to keep the club’s losing traditions, and on Sunday, fans celebrated after a 2-0 first-leg victory was squandered at Decisao in a 3-0 loss. Mauro Shampoo, who calls himself the club’s worst ever player, said he expects to get his Ibis-decorated bicycle back from fans that supposedly stole it in protest against the winning streak.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
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