Sports
Hend Wins In Dramatic Finish
Scott Hend overcame Nacho Elvira in a play-off to triumph after a weather-delayed finish to the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
The Australian produced a birdie blitz on the front nine carding five in total before the turn and led by one shot as the final group, which included Elvira, teed off at the 18th hole.
However, heavy rain and thunder forced the players off the course before they could complete the last, with the break in play lasting more than 90 minutes.
Elvira duly returned to the green and sank a long birdie putt to join Hend at 15 under, meaning the duo needed a play-off to decide who would be crowned champion.
Hend needed only one hole, though, making the most of his wayward tee shot at the par-five 18th finding the fairway via a deflection off a tree to record a birdie and clinch his third title on the European Tour.
“So is my caddie Tony [Carolan]. We both have the same mental attitude. It doesn’t matter how old we are, we work hard at what we do. It just takes a bit of luck to win.
“Obviously I had a bit of luck on the play-off hole. If you don’t have any luck you won’t win. I had the luck today, unfortunately for Nacho. His time will come, he’s going to win. He’s a great player.”
Elvira had led overnight but narrowly missed out on glory again – he finished in a tie for second in his previous start, at the Qatar Masters.
Jazz Janewattananond sat alone on 13 under, one ahead of American Johannes Veerman as England’s Oliver Fisher and Maximilian Kieffer of Germany ended tied together on 11 under.
Ernie Els was part of a six-man group a further shot back, giving the South African the 300th top-10 finish of his illustrious career.
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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