Baby Pearls fall short to Malawi in final seconds – FBC News
[Photo Credit: Netball Fiji] Team Fiji’s under-21 netball side suffered a heartbreaking 52-51 loss to Malawi at the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar this evening. Played at the Europa Sports Complex, the contest was a fast-paced and physical battle, with momentum shifting throughout the four quarters. Malawi edged ahead in the opening spell before the Baby Pearls fought back to take a narrow 26-25 lead at halftime. Fiji extended their advantage in the third quarter, heading into the final break up 41-36. Article continues after advertisement The last quarter proved decisive as Malawi mounted a comeback, drawing level in the closing minutes. With just four seconds left, Malawi regained possession and scored the match-winner, leaving the Baby Pearls with a narrow defeat. Despite the result, the national under-21 side showed determination and composure against one of Africa’s strongest youth teams. The Baby Pearls will now turn their attention to their final pool clash against South Africa as they look to bounce back and keep their hopes of progressing alive. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Will Ousmane Dembele attend the Ballon d’Or? PSG match to clash with tonight’s ceremony
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 Heavy Ballon d’Or favourite Ousmane Dembele faces a decision whether to attend tonight’s award ceremony as it clashes with a rearranged Paris Saint-Germain match. PSG’s Ligue 1 clash away to Marseille was postponed on Sunday due to a storm warning in the area and has now been rescheduled for this evening. The fixture will kick off at 8pm local (7pm BST) which clashes with the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony taking place in Paris at the Theatre du Chatelet. Authorities issued an orange alert for flooding and thunderstorms in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region where Marseille is located on Sunday, leading to the original postponement. “Olympique de Marseille regrets that the conditions are not right to play the match this evening, both for its players, for its supporters already present, and for the full visibility of the event,” said Marseille in a statement. PSG forward Dembele is widely expected to win the men’s Ballon d’Or, ahead of the likes of Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah and Vitinha, after racking up a staggering 35 goals and 16 assists for Luis Enrique’s side to propel them to another comfortable Ligue 1 title and a first Champions League crown for the club last season. Normally, a league match would prevent the 28-year-old from attending an awards ceremony but he is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, so won’t be in the PSG squad taking on Marseille. If given permission to be absent from the Orange Velodrome to support his teammates this evening, he would be able to be present in Paris to collect his expected award. Ousmane Dembele could add the Ballon d’Or to his Champions League crown (Getty Images) Fellow PSG stars Desire Doue and Joao Neves are among the other players nominated who are also injured and Spanish outlet Marca are reporting that Dembele, Doue and Neves are expected to attend the ceremony. But remaining PSG nominees Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha are fit and set to play in the rescheduled fixture in Marseille, while Enrique is nominated for Coach of the Year but will be similarly absent. Last year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony was overshadowed by then-reigning European champions Real Madrid snubbing the event due to Vinicius Junior missing out on the top award to Manchester City’s Rodri. However, Dembele’s current injury means this year’s event should at least avoid a repeat.
Proteas star makes shock retirement U-turn
In the midst of a Proteas announcement primarily aimed at naming the squads for the upcoming all-format tour of Pakistan as well as the one-off T20 International (T20I) against Namibia, there was a huge piece of information added into the press release. What will come as a major boost for the Proteas, it was confirmed that Quinton de Kock has been added to both T20I squads as well as the ODI squad. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper, who retired from 50-over cricket at the conclusion of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, has reversed his retirement, citing his desire to represent the Proteas across both white-ball formats. He also returns to the T20I setup for the first time since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against India in Barbados last June. What makes this a particularly timely boost for the Proteas is the fact that it comes not long after another keeper-batsman superstar, Heinrich Klaassen, announced his retirement. Busy period for Proteas The Proteas will begin their defence of the ICC World Test Championship Mace with a two-match Test series against Pakistan from 12-24 October, taking place in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Test captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the series, as he continues his recovery from a left grade two calf strain sustained during the recent tour of England. In his absence, Aiden Markram will lead the side. titans spinner Simon Harmer has earned a recall to the national side for the first time since March 2023. He is joined by fellow spinners Senuran Muthusamy and Dolphins’ Prenelan Subrayan. Keshav Maharaj, meanwhile, has been named for the second Test only as he completes the final stages of rehabilitation from a left groin strain. The all-format players selected for the Test series – with the exception of Titans all-rounder Corbin Bosch and Titans batter Dewald Brevis – will be rested for the white-ball leg of the Pakistan tour, which features three T20Is from 28 October to 1 November and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) from 4-8 November. David Miller will lead the T20I squad, while Warriors batter Matthew Breetzke will stand in as captain for the ODI series. Titans batter Donovan Ferreira will take the captaincy reins in the T20I against Namibia on 11 October in Windhoek. There are also maiden call-ups for Ferreira and Warriors wicketkeeper Sinethemba Qeshile, who have been named in the ODI squad, as well as Titans batter Rivaldo Moonsamy, included in the T20I squad to face Namibia. The T20I against Namibia will be the first limited-overs international match between the two national senior sides and will also mark the official opening of the Namibia Cricket Ground, one of the host venues for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. Proteas Test squad against Pakistan Aiden Markram (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), David Bedingham (World Sports Betting Western Province), Corbin Bosch (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tony de Zorzi (World Sports Betting Western Province), Zubayr Hamza (DP World Lions), Simon Harmer (Momentum Multiply Titans), Marco Jansen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj* (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Wiaan Mulder (DP World Lions), Senuran Muthusamy (Dafabet Warriors), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors), Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins) and Kyle Verreynne (World Sports Betting Western Province). *Second Test only Proteas T20I squad against Pakistan David Miller (captain, Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Corbin Bosch (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nandre Burger (World Sports Betting Western Province), Gerald Coetzee (Momentum Multiply Titans), Quinton de Kock (DP World Lions), Donovan Ferreira (Momentum Multiply Titans), Reeza Hendricks (DP World Lions), George Linde (World Sports Betting Western Province), Kwena Maphaka (DP World Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nqaba Peter (DP World Lions), Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), Andile Simelane (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), and Lizaad Williams (Momentum Multiply Titans). Proteas ODI squad against Pakistan Matthew Breetzke (captain, Dafabet Warriors), Corbin Bosch (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nandre Burger (World Sports Betting Western Province), Gerald Coetzee (Momentum Multiply Titans), Quinton de Kock (DP World Lions), Tony de Zorzi (World Sports Betting Western Province), Donovan Ferreira (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), George Linde (World Sports Betting Western Province), Kwena Maphaka (DP World Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nqaba Peter (DP World Lions), Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), and Sinethemba Qeshile (Dafabet Warriors). Proteas T20I squad against Namibia Donovan Ferreira (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Nandre Burger (World Sports Betting Western Province), Gerald Coetzee (Momentum Multiply Titans), Quinton de Kock (DP World Lions), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), Reeza Hendricks (DP World Lions), Rubin Hermann (North-West Dragons), Kwena Maphaka (DP World Lions), Rivaldo Moonsamy (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nqaba Peter (DP World Lions), Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), Andile Simelane (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Jason Smith (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), and Lizaad Williams (Momentum Multiply Titans). Pakistan Tour Fixtures Test Series 1st Test – Sunday, 12 October – Thursday, 16 October Pakistan vs South Africa – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 2nd Test – Monday, 20 October – Friday, 24 October Pakistan vs South Africa – Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi T20I Series 1st T20I – Tuesday, 28 October Pakistan vs South Africa – Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 2nd T20I – Friday, 31 October Pakistan vs South Africa – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 3rd T20I – Saturday, 01 November Pakistan vs South Africa – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore ODI Series 1st ODI – Tuesday, 04 November Pakistan vs South Africa – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad 2nd ODI – Thursday, 06 November Pakistan vs South Africa – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad 3rd ODI – Saturday, 08 November Pakistan vs South Africa – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad T20I Namibia Saturday, 11 October Namibia vs South Africa – Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE: Start time and nominees ahead of tonight’s ceremony with Dembele and Yamal the favourites
Ballon d’Or 2025 The prize will crown the best men’s and women’s player of the 2024/25 season, and unlike in previous years, players will not have the chance to use the first months of next term to enter the running. There were an array of standout performers across Europe’s top leagues in 2024/25, with a handful of surprise superstars staking their claim for football’s most illustrious individual award, And after England’s victory at Euro 2025, there are several Lionesses in contention for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, as well. After Arsenal also triumphed in the Women’s Champions League final, Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson could be in the running, along with Spain stars Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and Mariona Caldentey. Mike Jones22 September 2025 08:58 Good morning! The Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place today in one of the highlights of the footballing calendar. Plenty of nominees hope to emulate Manchester City’s Rodri and win, arguably, the top individual award in professional football. The awards ceremony will take place this evening but before then we’ll have all the lates information and build-up you need to get caught on on the favourites and the awards themselves. Mike Jones22 September 2025 08:56
Nakula confident as Fiji U21 Netball gains momentum – FBC News
Netball Fiji Under-21 captain Nina Nakula says the team’s opening matches have given them the perfect lift as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead. The side won 53-40 in their first match against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday and secured a 66-34 win against Barbados this morning. Nakula says the first outing was crucial in setting the tone for their campaign. Article continues after advertisement “This first game is a good boost to keep up with the games that are next.” The skipper adds that the match was intense, but the players remained focused on their roles and enjoyed the contest. The side is currently gearing up for their third match against Malawi at 8pm tonight, before they take a two-day break and return for their final pool game against South Africa at 5am on Thursday. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Who decides the winner of the Ballon d’Or?
BBC Sport’s digital presenter Sam Harris explains the process behind the Ballon d’Or vote.
NFL round-up: Philadelphia Eagles beat Los Angeles Rams after last-play drama
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 Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off a remarkable victory over the Los Angeles Rams in a last-play thriller in the NFL. The Eagles looked set to suffer a first loss of the season but Joshua Karty’s potential game-winning field goal attempt for the Rams was blocked by Jordan Davis, who returned it for a touchdown. Jalen Hurts threw for three touchdowns and ran for one more as Philadelphia fought back from 26-7 down to claim a 33-26 success. The most surprising result of the early matches saw the struggling Cleveland Browns stage a stunning comeback to beat the Green Bay Packers 13-10. The Browns trailed 10-0 with less than four minutes left, but engineered a late salvo capped by Andre Szmyt kicking a 55-yard field goal. Shelby Harris had blocked a field goal attempt from Packers kicker Brandon McManus with 27 seconds left and Joe Flacco set up the winning score. A thriller saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recover for a 29-27 victory over the New York Jets. The Buccaneers looked set for a comfortable win, leading 23-6 heading into the final quarter but Will McDonald blocked a field goal attempt from Chase McLaughlin and returned it for a touchdown as the Jets took a one-point advantage. However, McLaughlin had the final say with a 36-yard field goal, leaving the Jets still winless. Aaron Rodgers moved fourth on the all-time list for touchdown passes with his 509th in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 21-14 win against the New England Patriots. The Carolina Panthers claimed their first victory in style with a 30-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons while the Washington Commanders were also dominant, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers starred for the Minnesota Vikings with two defensive touchdowns in their runaway 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans are both still looking for their first wins after respectively going down 17-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and 41-20 to the Indianapolis Colts. Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs claimed their first win of the season with a 22-9 victory over the New York Giants. Kansas City improved to 1-2 with help from Giants quarterback Russell Wilson’s two thrown interceptions. Los Angeles kicker Cameron Dicker converted on a 43-yard field goal attempt as time expired to complete a come-from-behind 23-20 win for the Chargers over the Denver Broncos. LA trailed by seven in the final three minutes, but quarterback Justin Herbert found the end zone when it mattered most – connecting with Keenan Allen on a 20-yard attempt to draw his side level. The Chargers’ players then did their job on both sides of the ball to quickly force a three-and-out and set up for Dicker’s game-winning kick. The New Orleans Saints fell to 0-3 on the season after being demolished 44-13 by the Seattle Seahawks, while the San Francisco 49ers kept their winning streak alive with a 16-15 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. And Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams threw for four touchdowns to lead the Bears over the Dallas Cowboys 31-14.
Nand Plays Keeper for Tactical Power Play – FBC News
[Photo: Supplied] Following Fiji’s challenging match against the Solomon Islands, Merril Nand reflected on the team’s performance and the surprising tactical shift that saw him take on the goalkeeper’s role. Fiji lost to Solomon Islands 5-2 last night in their second match of the OFC Men’s Futsal Cup at the Vodafone Arena. Nand described the game as a tough but valuable experience and praised his teammates for giving their all on the court until the final whistle. Article continues after advertisement Nand shed light on the strategic decision to move him to the goalkeeper position, explaining that it was a tactical power play to create an extra player on the court and put pressure on the Solomon Islands. He said that the strategy was successful, as the team managed to score two goals from it. Fiji will play Tuvalu tonight at 7pm at the Vodafone Arena in Suva. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Match of the Day Analysis: Martinelli’s stunning equaliser against Man City
Match of the Day’s Theo Walcott looks at Gabriel Martinelli’s attitude coming off the bench to score a late equaliser for Arsenal in their 1-1 draw against Man City in the Premier League. WATCH MORE: Martinelli snatches late draw for Arsenal against Man City Available to UK users only.
How Manchester City parked the bus in Pep Guardiola’s tactical U-turn at Arsenal
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 If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Mikel Arteta should have the warm glow of a man who was complimented and copied. Pep Guardiola’s relationship with his old assistant remains intriguing. He called him “my friend Mikel Arteta” this week and, as those fluent in Guardiola-speak know, anyone described in such terms tends not to actually be his friend. But this was Guardiola, the manager who changed football, threatening to out-Arteta Arteta. Johan Cruyff’s most celebrated disciple almost emulating not his mentor, but his pupil. He didn’t quite succeed. Guardiola entered injury time on the brink of perhaps the greatest rearguard action of his career. Gabriel Martinelli denied Manchester City the least Pep-ish of victories and secured a peculiar kind of parity. For much of a 1-1 draw, it was attack against defence. And Guardiola’s side, shedding their usual identity, were defence. Arsenal, Guardiola had said this week, were the most solid team in the league. For 91 minutes, City staked their claim to take that title. Until, perhaps remembering they are more accustomed to defending with a high line than in their own box, they pushed up for once, Martinelli sprang the offside trap and continued his transformation into Arsenal’s new super-sub. That is the difficulty with defensive blueprints. You have to be flawless. City almost were, led for 84 minutes and missed the chance to draw level with Arsenal in the table. It may still be seen as a point gained for City. It is not often in recent years that they have gone to the Emirates Stadium as underdogs. They played like underdogs, too. “When we have to defend it is because the opponent is better,” Guardiola said. They defended a lot. Their possession stats were off the charts: just not in the way that tends to mean. City had less of the ball than any Guardiola team ever, a mere 32.8 per cent. “I cannot live in this country with another record,” deadpanned Guardiola. “I am so proud of that.” open image in gallery Viktor Gyokeres is forced wide by Manchester City’s defence (Arsenal FC via Getty Images) The numbers were unusual. Arsenal had 39 touches in the opposition’s box to City’s eight. Normally the challenge is to add up the passes from the City players. Here the task was to count the clearances. Rodri made 11, Josko Gvardiol nine, the substitute Matheus Nunes five, the entire side 60. It was backs to the wall; the wall, indeed, may be a fair description of Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian had frustrated Arsenal in the Champions League. He threatened to do likewise in the Premier League. Then, when on the brink of a third consecutive clean sheet in a City shirt, Martinelli became the first player to score against him. Which felt cruel. Normally City’s moral victories come when they pass teams off the mark, when their domination is not reflected in the scoreline. Here, they were dominated in some respects, defiant in others. Arsenal had fewer clear-cut chances – indeed no shots at all in the opening half-hour – just because City defended so well. Guardiola’s gameplan seemed based on some of Arteta’s. He had two sizeable full-backs who weren’t really full-backs. They flourished. Abdukodir Khusanov made one recovery challenge on Leandro Trossard that was pure Kyle Walker. Nico O’Reilly saw off Noni Madueke. Or maybe Guardiola embraced his inner Mourinho. His side played without the ball, got a booking for timewasting, riled their opponents in a couple of rows based on needless narkiness. Somewhere in Lisbon, the frequently sacked one may have been nodding approvingly. It has taken 17 years but Guardiola had come around to his viewpoint. There is a beauty in defence. open image in gallery Erling Haaland put City in front early in the first half (Getty Images) open image in gallery Gabriel Martinelli scores Arsenal’s late equaliser (Getty Images) Or he may have been inspired by a couple of inferiors. When Nathan Ake came on for Phil Foden, Guardiola went to three centre-backs. It was a ploy that seemed borrowed from Nuno Espirito Santo. When John Stones came on, Guardiola had four centre-backs, albeit with one of them at left-back. Include Khusanov’s first-half outing and five central defenders took the field. He was going full Pulis. When the City penalty box was packed, Set-piece FC entered the land of the giants and the biggest of the giants was Donnarumma. With a big back four plus Rodri and Erling Haaland, City’s starting 11 had a supersized seven. Try outjumping them, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Arsenal’s 11 corners brought no reward. “We defended the corners so well,” said Guardiola. That gave him pride. So, too, the spirit and the body language, all a marked improvement from last season. Yet the approach was enforced: by Arsenal, by fatigue after a demanding week. This isn’t the way Guardiola wants to play every week. Did he savour every header, every clearance? “I suffer,” he said. “I want [the ball] to be closer to [David] Raya