Canada’s Leylah Fernandez reached the Tokyo final with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova on Saturday to continue her hot streak on women’s tennis’s Asian swing. The world number 23 won her first title of the season in Singapore last month and followed that up by reaching the final of last week’s Ningbo Open in China, where she lost to world number one Elena Rybakina. Fernandez will face either Russia’s Diana Shnaider or Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova in the Pan Pacific Open final as she looks for her seventh title on the WTA Tour. Fernandez reached the quarter-finals when Rybakina withdrew from their match with a neck injury, a day after securing the year-end world number one ranking. World number 66 Rakhimova was eliminated in qualifying in Tokyo but entered the main draw as a lucky loser and made it all the way to the semi-finals. She was attempting...

Achraf Hakimi rose to the occasion, scoring a glorious hat-trick on Friday as a heavily rotated Paris Saint-Germain thumped rock-bottom Le Havre 5-1 in Ligue 1. PSG’s nearest Ligue 1 rivals Rennes lost 5-2 at Nice to allow the champions to open a four-point gap atop the table with 20 points after nine games. Lille host Lens later Friday and can close to within two points of PSG should they win, while Monaco can do the same if they win at Paris FC on Sunday. Le Havre gave PSG a game early on as they suddenly surged forward in numbers with the PSG backline scampering in retreat before striker Josh Maja hammered in the opener against the run of play on 18 minutes. Pushing for a second, Le Havre were carved open in a quick-fire move with Belgian winger Mika Godts racing onto a Hakimi through-ball to level on 26...

Nollywood actress Doris Ogala, on Friday, knelt down before a Federal High Court in Lagos to apologise to the court over her unruly behaviour during an earlier sitting. She was, however, returned to the Kirikiri Correctional Centre after the court reserved ruling on her bail application till November 6. Ogala, who is facing charges bordering on alleged cyberstalking, cyberbullying and attempted extortion of Pastor Chris Okafor, expressed remorse before Justice Akintayo Aluko, promising not to repeat the conduct that disrupted proceedings at the previous sitting. The actress, who had been remanded at the correctional centre following her arraignment on Wednesday, personally appealed to the judge, saying she regretted her actions and never expected to find herself in prison custody. She said, “I am very sorry, my Lord. I apologise for my bad behaviour. I have never been to prison before and I wasn’t expecting that I would do that. “I...

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has described current Imo governor Hope Uzodimma as an opportunist, saying he lacks the political power to carry the Southeast. Okorocha also noted that Uzodimma doesn’t beat his popularity among the Imo people, saying he (Uzodimma) only exists in the Aso Villa. On Thursday, Okorocha had commended a Federal High Court judgment on the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Imo West as a victory for the judiciary, democracy and the Nigerian Constitution. Following conflicting claims over the outcome of the APC primary ahead of the 2027 elections, Okorocha had sued the ruling APC and others, seeking a declaration that he was the authentic party candidate for Imo West Senatorial District, as opposed to Uzodimma, who was declared by the party. Uzodimma was declared the winner and recognised by INEC, which maintained that the official results showed that the governor polled 230,464 votes, while...

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has warned his side to expect no let-up from Brighton this weekend when the teams meet again just days after a dramatic cup tie. League Cup-holders City edged the Seagulls on penalties to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday after twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium. After making 16 changes between them, both Maresca and Brighton counterpart Fabian Hurzeler are set to revert to their full-strength sides when the teams meet in the Premier League at the Etihad on Saturday. Table-toppers City are level on points with champions Arsenal, while third-placed Brighton are just five points behind the leading duo. “They (Brighton) are in a brilliant moment,” said Maresca. “They are winning games, they are scoring goals. They are scoring many goals every game, three, four, five goals a game. “I’ve watched all their Premier League games since we started, and...

The General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Auwalu Mahmuda, on Wednesday visited troops deployed around Old Oyo National Park and urged them to sustain their operational tempo against criminal elements. Mahmuda, who gave the advice at the Forward Operating Base in Igbeti, Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State, further urged the troops to effectively dominate the area by denying criminal elements freedom of action. The GOC, according to a statement issued by the Acting Deputy Director, 2 Division Army Public Relations, Danjuma Danjuma, in Ibadan, the state capital, said, “I have been following operational developments in the OONP and its environs, particularly the troops’ efforts and achievements. “I want you to sustain operational tempo against criminal elements. Ensure you clear the OONP and its environs of bandits, terrorists, other criminal elements, and effectively dominate the area by denying criminal elements freedom of action.” Mahmuda added that...

Abia Warriors have appealed against the five-match suspension imposed on their multimedia officer, Chidera Favour Igwe, describing the punishment as excessive and unjustified, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Umuahia-based club denied that Igwe attempted to disrupt a live broadcast during their Matchday 10 fixture on October 25, insisting that she merely expressed displeasure over what she considered poor officiating. In their appeal to the Nigeria Premier Football League, Abia Warriors said Igwe asked a broadcast cameraman to focus on the visiting team’s section after allegedly keeping his camera on her for an extended period. The club maintained that she did not obstruct the cameraman from performing his duties and urged the league to reconsider the sanction. The club also challenged a separate allegation of inadequate security during the fixture, following a notice over an alleged breach of Rule 8.13.52 of the 2026/2027 EUROMATCH NPFL Framework and Rules. Abia Warriors insisted...

Scottish fifth-tier club Johnstone Burgh have been forced to schedule two cup matches on the same day, with kick-off times just 30 minutes apart, after efforts to rearrange the fixtures proved unsuccessful. As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the club are due to face Tayport away in the Scottish Communities Cup third round at 14:30 GMT on Saturday, November 21, before travelling to face Dunipace in the Lowland League Cup first round at 15:00, approximately 65 miles away. The unusual fixture clash means Burgh will struggle to field their strongest available squad for both matches, with the club unable to find an alternative date despite exploring several options. In a statement on X, Johnstone Burgh said they had made extensive efforts to secure a suitable arrangement that would allow them to fulfil both fixtures outside the traditional Saturday afternoon kick-off window. “We have explored every possible option to find...

The vice president of Japan’s football association quit on Wednesday, saying the “series of responses” to controversies surrounding the World Cup did not align with his personal values. Takeshi Okada, who coached Japan at the World Cup in 1998 and again in 2010, stepped down a week after the head of Asian football said the region supported Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president. Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa delivered the unequivocal backing at a meeting in Tokyo. It came weeks after the AFC had joined football bodies in Europe and North America in condemning Infantino over his plan to open FIFA’s premium competitions such as the World Cup to private investors. Infantino has faced calls to quit and lost the support of some associations in his bid to be re-elected to a fourth and final term. Okada, who is one of three Japan Football...

The Lagos State House of Assembly has backed the proposed establishment of state police but warned that the constitutional amendment before state legislatures must give states greater control over policing and clearly define the relationship between state and federal police authorities. The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, raised the concerns on Tuesday during plenary after lawmakers considered the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, transmitted to state Houses of Assembly by the National Assembly. Obasa said the proposed amendment was a significant step towards addressing Nigeria’s security challenges but argued that the provisions did not yet sufficiently resolve questions about who would control and administer state police. “While the proposed amendment represents a step in the right direction, there is still room for improvement to ensure that future administrations can strengthen the provisions and grant states greater authority in managing their security systems,” he said. The...