Rewa edge Cakaudrove to claim semifinal spot – FBC News
Rewa women’s side. The Rewa women’s team booked their spot in the Royal Tea Ranadi Cup semifinals this morning after defeating Cakaudrove 51-43 in a thrilling quarterfinal clash at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. Cakaudrove pushed Rewa all the way, keeping the pressure on and ensuring the match remained tense throughout. Rewa, however, showed composure when it mattered most, taking control early and heading into halftime with a commanding 32-7 lead. Article continues after advertisement Cakaudrove mounted a spirited fightback in the second half, narrowing the margin and forcing Rewa to stay sharp until the final whistle. But Rewa’s pace and teamwork proved decisive, securing them the win. Meanwhile, Macuata and Malolo are currently battling it out in the next quarterfinal, with live coverage on FBC TV. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Nuno Espirito Santo knows West Ham have a lot of work to do despite Everton draw
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Nuno Espirito Santo admitted West Ham “have a lot of work” to do although he was encouraged at his reign starting with a battling 1-1 draw at Everton. The Portuguese was appointed as Hammers head coach on Saturday after Graham Potter was sacked, with the club 19th in the Premier League table after starting their season with four defeats in five matches. Having overseen just a couple of training sessions, Nuno saw his side fall behind to Michael Keane’s 18th-minute header and Everton had several chances to extend their lead at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. But the visitors competed on even terms in the final half hour and Jarrod Bowen’s strike after 65 minutes, which brushed Keane’s head, ensured the teams shared the spoils, to Nuno’s satisfaction. “First impression is I think the team competed well,” Nuno said. “This is a tough, tough place to come. It was a good game, intense, both teams had chances. The message for us is how we can compete now. “It’s a simple message. The basics of a football match, defend properly (and) attack. Now we are in the process of knowing ourselves better so we can have good options and solutions. “When you arrive at a club, it’s slowly and progressively trying to find the right options and solutions. Look at the player and try to improve them. “We are starting now. We have a lot of work in front of us but we are delighted and we embrace the challenge. The players that came in did well and this is what we expect from our squad.” After falling behind, chants of ‘sack the board’ and ‘we want our club back’ rang around the away end, with owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady again bearing the brunt of supporters’ ire. Nuno, back managing a Premier League side less than three weeks after being axed as Nottingham Forest boss, insisted it is up to him and the players to get the fans on side. “What is important is to appreciate what our fans did travelling to Liverpool on a Monday night and give the support they have given,” Nuno, whose side remain second bottom in the standings, added. “It’s our main priority we come closer to our fans. We have to deliver so they can appreciate the work of the boys. Moving forward it is important, this bond.” David Moyes had two stints as West Ham manager, guiding them to the Europa Conference League title two years ago, but was unable to get one over on his former side despite Everton being on top for long spells. “I take lots of positives,” the Scot reflected. “The one thing you mustn’t forget is how good a side West Ham have got – they’ve got Brazilian and England internationals – they’ve got a really good team. “It certainly wasn’t going to be a game where we could roll them over, far from it. I’m disappointed we didn’t get the second goal but we probably didn’t create anything really clear cut. “I thought for long periods we looked as if we could get a second goal but they grew in confidence and in the end, it (not scoring a second goal) cost us a little bit.”
A lot of work to be done at West Ham – Nuno
Nuno Espírito Santo says he ‘hasn’t done much’ in first few days as West Ham manager, replacing Graham Potter as they draw 1-1 against Everton.
Inside Luke Donald’s four-word masterplan to win the Ryder Cup
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more On the walls of Europe’s carefully designed players’ quarters at Bethpage Black were inspirational photographs of winning teams from yesteryear and motivational quotes from legends of the game. Perhaps the most energising of all came from a surprising source, the US captain Keegan Bradley. “We’re going to go to Bethpage and kick their f****** ass,” he had said in the build-up. Those words were written in giant red and white print on a wall in the European living space, with Bradley’s name underneath in attribution. After winning the Cup 15-13 on Sunday, Shane Lowry made sure to take a smiling photo with the quote while holding the trophy. This was one of hundreds of tiny pieces of detail that went into Europe’s remarkable Ryder Cup triumph. When Luke Donald was awarded the captaincy ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, one of the first steps he took was to educate himself on the role, and he read numerous books on leadership in sport and in life. He learnt the importance of clear communication, which is why he prioritised close contact with his players outside the Ryder Cup season and delivered early clarity on his preferred pairings. His most important takeaway was that an effective leader provides a simple, unequivocal goal for their team to pursue. open image in gallery Luke Donald is showered in champagne after leading Europe to glory (Getty) In Rome, the aim was simple: to win back the Ryder Cup. But Donald felt he needed a fresh message in New York. He used Rory McIlroy’s statement two years ago about an away Ryder Cup being the hardest feat in sport and shaped a goal around creating history. Their new mission was to become only the fifth European team to win in America. Donald came up with a tagline – “Our time. Our place.” – designed to hammer home the message. That phrase was covered over all of the team’s social media content, and it was the last thing the European players saw as they walked out of their locker room to the first tee, those four words emblazoned by the door. He commissioned a moving video featuring many of the 37 European men who have won an away Ryder Cup, including Justin Rose, McIlroy and Donald himself, who were part of the 2012 Miracle at Medinah. It reinforced the sense that they were playing for their place in a greater story, a message Donald repeated in his speech at the opening ceremony. Donald continued playing golf but he dedicated himself to the captaincy in a way that Bradley did not. His relationship with data guru Edoardo Molinari was crucial and every European pairing had to be approved by Molinari’s models, analysing optimal duos for foursomes and fourballs, as well as containing some personal chemistry. open image in gallery Europe’s chemistry stood out compared to their American counterparts (Getty) Donald felt retaining 11 of the same players from Rome under virtually the same leadership was crucial. The data revealed that rookies don’t perform well when they make their Ryder Cup debut away from home, so Europe tweaked their selection criteria to better suit experienced players and to aid LIV players Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in accruing qualifying points. A major focus was recovery, with McIlroy, Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood expected to play five rounds across three days in baking heat. Europe brought their own bedding so the players would get a comfortable night’s sleep. They discovered cracks in the hotel room doors that let in light and blocked them. They even brought their own sweet-smelling shampoos. Paul McGinley, Donald’s strategic adviser, bragged that Team Europe had spent more money than ever before, and it showed in the bespoke locker room built at Bethpage Black for the three-day competition. The players had an expansive gym to warm up and cool down, with baths and a sauna. They also had bedrooms on site to get some rest, which matched the same bedding as their hotel. open image in gallery Donald and his team left no stone unturned as Europe prepared for Bethpage Black (Getty) They deployed virtual reality headsets to mimic the hostile American crowds – the strategy of smiling and getting on with the golf worked, for the most part. Donald asked speakers, including former England rugby captain Owen Farrell, to share their experiences. Andy Murray and Roger Federer also delivered motivating video messages in the team room. None of which necessarily helped hit drives down the fairways of Bethpage or sent putts rolling into cups. The Europeans still had to go out and play great golf. But Donald wanted to leave no stone unturned and make them feel utterly prepared, so that when they stood over the ball their mind was clear. It came back to that one overarching message, the mission to make history. In the European changing room, those words – “Our time. Our place.” – were written above each seat in their native language. The dates of the four previous wins were written
Temporary floodlights set for IDC – FBC News
[File Photo] Excitement is building in Ba as the town prepares to host the 2025 FMF Inter-District Championship at the newly refurbished 4R Govind Park Stadium, with temporary floodlights set to illuminate the football tournament. Ba Town Council Special Administrators Chair Moshim Khan confirmed that installation and testing of the temporary lights are in their final stages, ensuring the venue will be ready in time for the IDC. He says the council successfully achieved an average of 1,200 lux during testing, a standard suitable for night football matches. Article continues after advertisement “Over the weekend we completed the lighting project, and this week we’ll sit down with the Fiji Football Association to finalize preparations.” The return of the IDC to Ba after nearly a decade is expected to draw large crowds, with the council preparing additional car park spaces at the Namusa racecourse and Xavier College to accommodate over 1,000 vehicles. With 85% of stadium preparations already completed, the finishing touches are now being made to ensure Ba is ready to welcome fans back for one of Fiji’s biggest football events. Meanwhile, the pool draws will be done at 11am at the FMF Gymnasium, Suva. The competition will start next Tuesday to Sunday. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
How Bafana Bafana can still qualify for the 2026 World Cup
Bafana Bafana were docked points for fielding an ineligible player during their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho. Teboho Mokoena of South Africa was meant to serve a one-match suspension in that match, which Bafana won 2-0; however, he featured, which then saw FIFA get involved. In their ruling, FIFA overturned Bafana’s win, and the match is now recorded as a 3-0 victory for Lesotho. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the match in question to have been forfeited… SAFA has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000,” read an official FIFA statement. How can Bafana qualify for next year’s World Cup? Bafana drops three points, losing their top spot in Group C to Benin. Both South Africa and Benin have 14 points, but the West Africans have a superior goal difference. Bafana’s task is simple: win all matches by a big margin, and they qualify for the World Cup. Hugo Broos’ men play Zimbabwe and Rwanda at home next month, which will add more pressure on them like never before. A 3-0 win over the Warriors and another 3-0 victory against Rwanda should be enough, given Benin’s advantage against South Africa is only a single goal. The good news for Bafana fans is that Benin will play their final two qualifiers away from home. They face Rwanda before their anticipated encounter with Nigeria, which could decide which team finishes second in the group, assuming Bafana wins their remaining two matches convincingly. Bafana are in a good position to still qualify for the World Cup, but anything less than a win against Zimbabwe could make things more complicated. The South African Football Association (SAFA) have lodged an appeal over FIFA’s decision, which could add another twist should Bafana fail to qualify for the World Cup. Will Bafana still qualify for the WC?
Norwegian FA president calls for Israel to be suspended from international competition
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness has called for Israel to be suspended from international football ahead of an expected UEFA vote this week on the country’s participation in European competition. Norway are set to play Israel on October 11 in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo when a win for the hosts would all but seal their qualification for next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Klaveness, who also serves on European soccer governing body UEFA’s executive committee, ruled out a boycott of the match but said sanctions against Israel are necessary. “I work on the issue from a principled standpoint, but we will not boycott on our own. A boycott would only result in Israel going to the World Cup instead of us,” Klaveness said on Norwegian podcast Pop and Politics. “In general, we are now working for Israel to be sanctioned. We believe that they should be, and this is about upholding the rules. “Personally, I believe that since Russia is out, Israel should also be out. As a football president you can have personal opinions, and I certainly have mine,” Klaveness added. UEFA is preparing to hold an emergency vote this week on suspending Israel from European competition. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry issued a report this month concluding that Israel has committed genocide during the war in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide and described the report as scandalous. “It is, first of all, incredibly difficult to play against a country where the word genocide is involved, because after all, it is still their flag and national anthem that are present,” Klaveness said. Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has written to soccer’s world governing body FIFA, UEFA and the heads of national football associations urging a ban on Israel from international competition, local media reported. Reuters
Suryakumar says champions India ‘denied’ the trophy after Asia Cup win – FBC News
[Source: Reuters] India captain Suryakumar Yadav said his side had been denied the chance to hoist the Asia Cup trophy after it was removed from the presentation ceremony following their refusal to accept it from Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi. India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final at Dubai International Stadium with emotions running high between the sides following a brief military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. The teams met three times at the tournament, with Indian players refusing to shake hands with their opponents throughout, and Sunday’s final ended in bizarre circumstances with India celebrating their win by hoisting an imaginary trophy. Article continues after advertisement “I think this is one thing which I’ve never seen since I started playing cricket and started following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, and that too a hard-earned one,” Suryakumar told reporters.“I feel we deserved it. I can’t say anything more, I’ve summed it up really well.“My trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff, those are the real trophies throughout this journey in the Asia Cup.” Indian batsman Tilak Varma anchored his team’s chase with an unbeaten 69 in reply to Pakistan’s 146 all out but the action on the field was overshadowed by the drama off it. The start of the presentation ceremony was delayed by more than an hour and then cut short just before the winner’s trophy was to be handed out with Naqvi among those left waiting on the dais. Indian cricket board (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed their players had refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council President Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Local media reported that organisers left the ceremony with the trophy. Reuters has contacted the Asian Cricket Council for comment. Suryakumar, who was later pictured picking up an imaginary trophy to celebrate with his team mates on the dais, said all that mattered was that India were champions once again. “The win is important. If you saw after the match, ‘India’ was written on the big screen. ‘Asia Cup 2025 Champions’ … what’s better than this? You play for that,” he said. “It was a great moment. Great journey. Great campaign for us as a team. We had a lot of fun.” Pakistan captain Salman Agha said India had disrespected cricket. “What India have done in this tournament is disappointing,” Agha said. “They’re not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they’re disrespecting cricket. Good teams don’t do what they did today. We went to pose with the trophy on our own because we wanted to fulfil our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. “I don’t want to use harsh words but they’ve been very disrespectful.” Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Scotland: Five squad questions facing head coach Steve Clarke
Let’s get the troubling position out the way, first. Though Angus Gunn kept back-to-back clean sheets on his return between the Scotland sticks earlier this month, the shotstopper has not had a sniff at new club Nottingham Forest in the meantime. He’s only been named on the bench once – in the late League Cup win against Swansea – since 31 August, and has yet to catch even the peripheral vision of new manager Ange Postecoglou. The good news for Gunn – perhaps not Clarke and the rest of the country – though, is no other goalkeeper is staking a claim to start. Zander Clark hasn’t featured for Hearts since joining 29-year-old Gunn on the plane earlier this month, while Rangers’ Liam Kelly has only played against Alloa Athletic in the Premier Sports Cup this campaign. The most recent call-up playing regular football is League Two Barnet’s Cieran Slicker. It may be too soon to mention his name, following his horror Hampden debut, but Slicker has started nine league games, and recently saved two penalties in one afternoon against Crewe Alexandra. Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain came in for a bounty of praise, despite their 3-0 defeat by Hearts on Saturday. If not for the former Celtic benchwarmer, John McGlynn’s side would have been on the end of a mauling. The last of his three caps came more than six years ago in a 2-0 win over San Marino – Alex McLeish’s last game in charge before the Clarke era commenced. How Clarke – and Scotland – have come to this between the sticks still leaves the mind boggling, but for now, Clarke has another big call or two to make.
South Africa docked qualifying points over ineligible player in huge blow to World Cup hopes
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more South Africa have been stripped of three points in their World Cup qualifying campaign for fielding an ineligible player, denting their hopes of reaching next year’s finals. Fifa said on Monday that its disciplinary committee had found South Africa guilty of playing midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a 2-0 home win over Lesotho in March when he should have sat out the qualifier after two cautions in previous Group C games. Lesotho have been awarded a 3-0 victory, with South Africa stripped of the points and fined 10,000 Swiss francs (£9,344), while Mokoena was given a warning. Benin now top the standings on goal difference, level with South Africa on 14 points with two games left. Nigeria, who were the group favourites, are three points behind along with Rwanda. Only the group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, though the runners-up have a chance to win a berth albeit through an arduous playoff process. In the penultimate round of qualifiers on 10 October, Benin visit Rwanda, Lesotho host Nigeria and South Africa take on Zimbabwe. The final set of key games on 14 October see South Africa hosting Rwanda while Benin are at neighbouring Nigeria. Losing the points is a major embarrassment for the South African Football Association, with coach Hugo Broos already admitting: “We did something bad, we did something we shouldn’t do.” open image in gallery Teboho Mokoena was the illegible player that led to the points deduction (Getty Images) But Fifa’s handling of the matter has come in for criticism as it took world soccer’s governing body almost seven months to settle a routine matter. It had not held a disciplinary hearing before the last round of World Cup qualifiers, to the ire of the other countries. “It is not normal that we don’t know the situation about the points on the log table before our games (last month),” said Benin coach Gernot Rohr. Fifa did not respond to multiple enquiries from March onwards about possible sanctions for South Africa, leaving the matter hanging until earlier this month when the body announced it was opening an investigation. Fifa’s rules state: “If a person receives a caution in two separate matches of the same Fifa competition, they are automatically suspended from the next match in that competition. “If a team fields a player who is not eligible to participate (due to suspension, registration issues, nationality, etc.), the match is automatically forfeited. “The default result is a 3-0 loss, unless the actual result was even more disadvantageous to the offending team.” It is not the first time a country has been docked points for fielding an ineligible player in African World Cup qualification. In the 2018 qualifiers, Fifa awarded Algeria a 3-0 win as a result of Nigeria fielding the ineligible Shehu Abdullahi, after their match ended in a 1-1 draw. Ahead of the 2014 finals in Brazil, the Cape Verde Islands lost out on a playoff spot after using Fernando Varela in their shock group win against Tunisia. He was still suspended, so Tunisia went through to the playoffs instead of the islanders. Reuters