Rio and Kate Ferdinand make ‘fresh start’ in Dubai
Rio and Kate Ferdinand have revealed they have moved to Dubai with their children for “a new chapter” and “a fresh start”.
Dubai Sport News
‘Battle of the Sexes’ pits Aryna Sabalenka against Nick Kyrgios
DUBAI: WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and tennis showman Nick Kyrgios face-off in a competition billed as the “Battle of the Sexes: The Dubai Showdown” on Dec. 28.
Calculators at the ready to determine African World Cup aspirations
CAPE TOWN: African fans will need their calculators over the next week of World Cup qualifiers to figure out if their favored team remains in contention for a place at next year’s finals in North America. The nine group winners all qualify automatically and will be determined when the group qualifying program ends on Tuesday. While that is simple enough, there is the possibility of an additional 10th African team reaching next June’s finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States via a lengthy playoff route. The four best runners-up from the nine groups will go into a playoff next month to determine a sole African representative for a further intercontinental playoff planned for March. Calculating the four best runners-up from the nine African groups would have been easy had Eritrea not withdrawn before the start of the campaign, but after the draw was made, and left one of the groups with five teams instead of six. Therefore, because the five countries in Group E played eight qualifiers instead of 10 in all the other groups, the four best runners-up will be determined not by their overall points tally but by their results only against the third, fourth and fifth-placed sides in their respective groups. In other words, any points that the runners-up accumulated in matches against the last-placed finisher are expunged, the Confederation of African Football has confirmed. The penultimate round of qualifiers began on Wednesday and with two rounds to play, there are only two confirmed group winners, no confirmed runners-up and four teams condemned to last place. Morocco and Tunisia last month secured top place in their respective groups, and a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, while Djibouti (Group A), Seychelles (F), Somalia
England captain Kane could miss Wales friendly
Kane joined up with England despite suffering an ankle issue in Bayern’s win over Eintracht FrankfurtThe 32-year-old, who is England’s record scorer with 74 goals, sat out Wednesday’s sessionLONDON: England captain Harry Kane could miss Thursday’s friendly against Wales after the Bayern Munich striker was unable to train on Wednesday.Kane joined up with England despite suffering an ankle issue in Bayern’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.Speaking after the Frankfurt game, Kane said: “I am recovering at the moment — I took a knock. A few days and then I should be fine, so no problem for the national team.
Baseball United chief Kash Shaikh ‘proud’ as standouts join Arabia Wolves roster
DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, signed on Tuesday two familiar faces from Dubai to the Arabia Wolves roster for its inaugural season.
Barca’s Flick unfazed by criticism of Yamal’s goal celebrations
BARCELONA: Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal sparked controversy with his regal goal celebration last week when he pretended to crown himself after scoring against Mallorca, but manager Hansi Flick on Friday brushed off criticism of his 18-year-old winger. The gesture appeared to anoint Yamal as the new king after netting his first goal of the season in Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca, with the teenager having inherited the iconic number 10 shirt worn by many club greats in the past. Yamal has found himself under scrutiny recently, with a Spanish disability rights group threatening legal action over reports of people with dwarfism being hired as entertainment at his 18th birthday party last month. But Flick remains unfazed by the external noise surrounding his player. “I don’t care what other people say about my team. Lamine is only 18 years old but he’s a fantastic footballer,” Flick told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game away at Levante. “I will help him to grow in the right way.
ABA League’s MVP McKinley Wright IV touches down in Dubai ahead of new season
DUBAI: Reigning ABA League MVP (most valuable player) and league finalist McKinley Wright IV has joined the Dubai Basketball squad for pre-season training. The 26-year-old American is Dubai Basketball’s second addition to the 2025-26 roster ahead of their EuroLeague debut.
Isak will not play against Liverpool, as ‘lose-lose’ situation continues
Newcastle United’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak will not be in the squad when they host Premier League champions Liverpool on Monday, said boss Eddie Howe, who called the tense standoff a “lose-lose” situation. Isak was the subject of a 110 million pounds ($148.34 million) bid from Liverpool earlier this month, according to media reports, and in a social media post on Tuesday accused Newcastle of breaking promises. Newcastle responded by saying there had been no commitment to sell the 25-year-old who is under contract until 2028. “There’s been no change,” Howe told reporters on Friday. “It’s a lose-lose situation.