Sports
Haaland On Fire As Norway Edges Close To W/Cup Ticket
Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Norway took a significant step towards qualifying for their first World Cup since 1998 with an emphatic win against Israel.
Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz twice denied the Manchester City forward from the penalty spot in the opening five minutes, saving initially and then stopping again when a retake was ordered for encroachment.
But the hosts did not have to wait long to take the lead, as Israeli midfielder Anan Khalaili headed into his own net from an Alexander Sorloth cross.
Haaland, Norway’s record scorer, doubled his side’s advantage with a neat right-footed finish.
It was the 10th game in a row for club and country in which he has scored – Haaland has found the net in all but one of his 12 appearances for City and Norway this season.
The hosts then scored a comedic third one minute later when Peretz’s clearance rebounded into his own net off defender Idan Nachmias.
Haaland claimed his second with a towering header, before completing his treble by nodding in Antonio Nusa’s cross at the back post in the 72nd minute.
The 25-year-old has now scored 51 goals in 46 international appearances – the quickest man in history to score 50 or more goals for his nation, beating Harry Kane’s record of bringing up a half century in 71 matches for England.
Haaland’s hat-trick, his sixth for Norway, also put him four behind the record in men’s internationals that is jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Victory left Norway in a commanding position in Group I as they look to compete in their first major international tournament since 2000 and first World Cup for 28 years.
Second-placed Italy kept their hopes of automatic qualification alive by beating Estonia 3-1 in Tallinn.
Fiorentina striker Moise Kean opened the scoring after four minutes, before striker Mateo Retegui doubled their lead seven minutes before half-time.
Inter Milan striker Francesco Esposito scored his first international goal with a neat first-time finish, while Estonia scored a consolation two minutes later through Rauno Sappinen after Gianluigi Donnarumma spilled a cross.
The victory cut Norway’s lead in the group to six points, although Gennaro Gattuso’s side have a game in hand.
Italy host Israel tomorrow, when another success would move the four-time world champions six points clear of their third-placed rivals and within three of the leaders.
Italy, who won the Euros in 2021, have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups and last appeared at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
European group winners qualify automatically for the 2026 finals, which take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Norway will continue their campaign at home to Estonia on Thursday, 13 November, with Italy visiting Moldova on the same night. Italy and Norway then meet in the final round, three days later.
Serbia Loss Benefits England (4)
England are one win away from securing their spot at the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Serbia’s 1-0 defeat by Albania at the weekend means Thomas Tuchel’s England can qualify by winning in Latvia tomorrow, with two matches of their campaign still to play after that trip.
The Three Lions have not missed a major tournament since 2008, when they fell short in qualifying for the European Championship under Steve McClaren.
Tuchel’s side have won all five of their Group K fixtures to date without conceding a goal.
And their place at the most-watched sporting event on the planet next summer could now be confirmed within days.
Anything but victory in Latvia tomorrow would leave England still looking for a win against Serbia in November to guarantee qualification.
A point in Latvia, though, would mean a draw with Serbia would all but secure their spot because England have a vastly better goal difference than second-placed Albania.
England travel to Albania for their final group fixture on 16 November.
The 12 group runners-up in the European section of qualifying will participate in the play-offs.
They will be joined by the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024-25 Nations League that did not finish in the top two of their European qualifying groups.
The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams featuring in each.
Play-off matches will consist of single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals, taking place on 26 and 31 March 2026.
Chelsea’s Palmer Sidelined Till Nov (5)
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer is expected to be out of action until November following a club meeting about his persistent groin injury.
The 23-year-old has faced recurring issues since the injury emerged during a shortened two-week pre-season that followed his starring role in Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory in July.
It has limited him to just four appearances across all competitions this season.
Palmer was substituted after 21 minutes in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on 20 September, and afterwards manager Enzo Maresca said the club would protect the England international with a period of rest to ensure his recovery after the current international break.
He is likely to miss games against Nottingham Forest, Ajax, Sunderland and Wolves.
Palmer was not named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for Thursday’s friendly against Wales and tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier in Latvia.
When announcing the squad, England head coach Tuchel said Palmer’s injury was “concerning” and expressed fears it could become chronic.
Team Nigeria finished sixth on the overall medals table at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, falling short of the National Sports Commission’s ambitious target after ending the competition with 23 medals, comprising 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze
The tally represents a shortfall against the lofty expectations set before the Games.
Director General of the Commission, Bukola Olopade, had projected that Nigeria could surpass the 18-gold target set by the Elite Athletes Podium Finish initiative to win as many as 22 gold medals, citing structural reforms under NSC chairman Shehu Dikko and backing from President Bola Tinubu.
Nigeria’s confidence had been rooted in its performance at the 2022 Birmingham Games, where the country recorded its most successful outing with 35medals, comprising 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze, to finish seventh overall.
While the final gold count of 10 fell well short of the 22 projected and even the eighteen baseline target, and the overall medal haul of 23 was down on the 35 won in Birmingham, Team Nigeria’s campaign in Glasgow nonetheless produced several standout moments across a broader spread of disciplines than in previous editions, with medals arriving from athletics, judo, weightlifting, para athletics, para powerlifting and swimming.
Samuel Ogazi delivered Nigeria’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in the men’s 400m, powering to victory in 44.25 seconds, while Ezekiel Nathaniel added another gold in the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.47 seconds. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi became the first Nigerian to win the men’s shot put title at the Games with a throw of 21.07m, and further medals came from Ella Onojuvwevwo, who claimed bronze in the women’s 400m to end a wait dating back to 1994, Ruth Usoro, who won silver in the long jump, Udodi Onwuzurike, who took silver in the men’s 200m, and Kayinsola Ajayi, whose bronze in the men’s 100m ended a twenty-year wait for Nigeria in the event. The men’s 4x100m relay team and the mixed 4x400m relay quartet both closed out the athletics programme with bronze medals, while the women’s 4x100m team finished sixth.
Beyond the track, Enku Ekuta ended a 24-year wait for a Nigerian judo medal at the Commonwealth Games with bronze in the women’s -63kg category, a result hailed as one of the most symbolic achievements of the campaign given the sport’s long struggle to convert domestic talent into podium finishes.
The Commission had sought to keep morale high throughout the Games with an enhanced welfare package.
NSC chairman Shehu Dikko had announced an upward review of bonuses partway through the competition, raising the reward for gold medallists to 10,000 dollars, comprising 5,000 dollars in instant cash and 5,000 dollars paid directly into their accounts, up from an initial structure of 8,000 dollars. Silver medallists received 5,000 dollars, made up of 2,000 dollars in instant cash and 3,000 dollars paid into their accounts, while bronze medallists received 3,000 dollars, comprising 1,000 dollars in instant cash and 2,000 dollars paid into their accounts.
Coaches whose athletes won gold were also entitled to a 5,000-dollar incentive, on top of daily allowances of 200 dollars for athletes and 250 dollars for coaches.
Despite the increased incentives and the individual milestones recorded across several disciplines, Team Nigeria’s sixth-place finish and gold medal count leave the Commission short of the record-breaking outing it had targeted before the Games, setting up questions for officials over preparation and investment as the country looks ahead to future global multi-sport events.
Nigerian professional wrestler, Oba Femi, defeated former UFC and WWE champion, Brock Lesnar, in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday night, earning one of the biggest victories of his career.
The contest, held at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saw the Lagos-born wrestler overcome Lesnar in his first-ever Hell in a Cell appearance.
Femi took the fight to Lesnar from the opening bell, surviving multiple German suplexes, a Tombstone onto exposed wooden boards beneath the ring and several attacks with steel steps before countering with two chokeslams.
The match reached its climax after Lesnar attempted to use a steel chair, but Femi knocked it from his grip with a stiff right hand before delivering his signature Fall From Grace to secure the victory.
Following the bout, Lesnar embraced Femi, took a microphone and publicly endorsed the Nigerian star.
Declaring himself the past and Femi the future of WWE, Lesnar praised his opponent in front of the SummerSlam crowd.
Reacting to the moment, Femi admitted he did not expect the show of respect from his longtime rival.
“The hug and public endorsement was definitely a shock, and I didn’t see that coming.
“I know that deep down, Brock has always respected me, and he knows that deep down, I respect him as well,” Femi said.
The victory continues an impressive breakthrough year for the Nigerian wrestler, who defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 in April before winning the 2026 King of the Ring tournament in June.
Their SummerSlam clash was the culmination of a months-long rivalry that saw Lesnar return from an apparent retirement to attack Femi before defeating him in a rematch at Clash in Italy.
South Africa national team head coach Hugo Broos has left his position after five years in charge, with South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan confirming the Belgian’s departure at the weekend.
Broos’ contract officially expired last Friday, bringing an end to his tenure, which began in May 2021 after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 74-year-old coach leaves behind a period that included several notable achievements for South Africa.
Under Broos, Bafana Bafana finished third at the 2023 AFCON, which was eventually staged in early 2024 in Ivory Coast after being postponed.
He also guided the team to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking South Africa’s first appearance beyond the group stage at the tournament.
The qualification itself ended a 24-year wait for Bafana Bafana, who had last featured at the World Cup in 2010 as hosts. Their 2026 appearance was their first since that tournament.
Broos had previously indicated that his departure from the national team was settled.
Speaking to the media after the World Cup, Broos said his decision to leave the Bafana Bafana job was irreversible, citing his desire to spend more time with his family. However, he also
expressed a willingness to take up another position within SAFA.
His comments sparked uncertainty, with SAFA initially releasing a statement denying that Broos had already stepped down.
Further speculation followed when reports emerged that the coach had been offered a one-year contract extension. SAFA subsequently issued another statement insisting that no extension had been finalised.