(Photo credit: Haikel Hmima/Anadolu Agency)
Football
Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon, Jan 9 – Feb 6: Senegal beat Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations on February 6 thanks to Sadio Mane’s winning penalty.
The Liverpool forward had earlier seen Egypt’s keeper Gabaski save a penalty in the seventh minute.
Mane nearly won it at Yaounde’s Olembe Stadium when Edouard Mendy denied Mohanad Lasheen.
Gabaski had made three good saves from Senegal’s Bamba Dieng in extra time. And in a match billed as a battle between Liverpool forwards Mane, of Senegal, and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah, it was the former who had the decisive word.
After two previous final defeats, Senegal are Africa Cup of Nations winners at last, while Egypt missed out on a record-extending eighth continental crown that would also have been a first for Salah.
“It just shows that if you work hard, if you persevere, you will get what you want,” Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said.
“I am very emotional because the people of Senegal have wanted this trophy for 60 years.”
All four of Egypt’s knockout games went the distance, and Egypt had beaten Ivory Coast and host Cameroon on spot-kicks en route to the final.
Gabaski had already saved four penalties at the tournament by the time the match went to a shootout, but on this occasion, the 33-year-old ended on the losing side.
Egypt were the first to err when centre-back Mohamed Abdelmonem saw his penalty hit the left-hand upright and bounce away – but Gabaski immediately denied Bouna Sarr. However, Lasheen saw his effort saved and Mane won it with an emphatic finish into the bottom left-hand corner.
His Liverpool teammate Salah did not get the chance to take a penalty, with the Pharaohs captain set to go fifth for his side.Senegal’s two final defeats came in 2002 and 2019.
Egypt will have a chance for vengeance next month as the two sides meet in a two-legged play-off for a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Wrestling
The much-anticipated bout between the wrestling teams of Iran and the US in Arlington, Texas, has been called off after five members of the Iranian team were denied visas. In a letter to his American counterpart, Iran Wrestling Federation Chief Alireza Dabir announced the cancellation of the event that was scheduled for February 12 after the US Department of State refused visas to five members, including him.
The letter also referred to the “disrespectful treatment” of the wrestling federation’s head by officials at the US Consulate in Dubai, who “interrogated” him for five hours.
The US wrestling federation received a star-studded lineup of Iranian freestyle wrestlers last month, who were to compete against American opponents at the Bout at the Ballpark.
Handball
Asian Men’s Handball Championship, Saudi Arabia, January 18–31:
Qatar won the Asian Men’s Handball Championship for the fifth time in a row, beating Bahrain in the gold-medal match in Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
The defending champions won an enthralling match 29-24 to equal South Korea’s record of five straight titles in the continental event. Qatar went into the halftime break with a 14-11 lead before producing a calm second-half display to hold off their opponents and secure the title at the Ministry of Sports Hall.
Bahrain have now lost all five finals that they have appeared in, matching Japan’s record for silver medals.Qatar’s fifth triumph makes them the sole occupant of second position in the tournament’s all-
time medals table after previously sharing it with Kuwait on four titles each.
South Korea is the most successful nation and has won the continental crown nine times, but not since 2012.
Hosts Saudi Arabia beat 2014 bronze medallists Iran 26-23 in the third-place playoff.
Cricket
Wedgwood has announced the shock signing of South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir. Tahir, aged 42, is no stranger to the NSSCL having previously won the Premier Division title with both Norton in Hales and Moddershall.
However, it has come as something of a surprise that Tahir will be plying his trade in the fourth tier of local cricket given his track record around the globe. Wedgwood have revealed that Tahir has agreed a three-year deal with the club, which will also see him take on the role of head coach for the club’s junior section.
Mohammad Rizwan and Tammy Beaumont have been named the ICC men’s and women’s T20I Cricketers of the Year for 2021, respectively.
Rizwan also won the PCB’s Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award recently following a stellar performance.
Squash
World TOP 20 Rankings
Rank & Name (Points)
MEN
Ali Farag EGY (18,785)
Paul Coll AUS (16,140)
Mohamed ElShorbagy EGY (10,900)
Mostafa Asal EGY (10,390)
Tarek Momen EGY (10,305)
Diego Elias AUT (8,885-889)
Marwan ElShorbagy EGY (8,440)
Joel Makin WAL (7,225)
Fares Dessouky EGY (6,745)
Mazen Hesham EGY (5,810)
Miguel Rodriguez COL (5,548)
Gregoire Marche FRA (5,110)
Karim Abdel Gawad EGY (4,468)
Mohamed Abouelghar EGY (4,190)
Saurav Ghosal IND (3,540)
Youssef Soliman EGY (3,888)
Youssef Ibrahim EGY (3,635)
Eain Yow Ng MAS (3,688)
Baptiste Masotti FRA (3,275)
Raphael Kandra GER (3,118)
WOMEN
Nour El Sherbini EGY (16,665)
Nouran Gohar EGY (15,655)
Hania El Hammamy EGY (11,095)
Amanda Sobhy USA (9,240)
Sarah-Jane Perry ENG (7,970)
Joelle King AUS (6,015)
Salma Hany EGY (6,045)
Camille Serme FRA (4,900)
Rowan Elaraby EGY (4,193)
Georgina Kennedy ENG (4,218)
Olivia Fiechter USA (3,670)
Olivia Clyne USA (3,555)
Nele Gilis BEL (3,695)
Tesni Evans WAL (3,340)
Joshna Chinappa IND (3,553)
Nadine Shahin EGY (3,665)
Hollie Naughton CAN (3,205)
Emily Whitlock WAL (3,185)
Melissa Alves FRA (3,033)
Danielle Letourneau CAN (3,300)
Tennis
Australian Open: January 9–30, 2022 | Player Tracker: Rounds Reached
Main Draw
MiD – Quarters Sania Mirza and R Ram – IND & USA lost (4:7 6:7) to J Kubler & J Fourlis – AUS
MD – Quarters Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and M Ninomiya A – PAK | JAP lost (5:7 5:7) to G Escobar & L Hradecká – ECU | CZE
Girls Doubles – Round 1 Aya El Aouni and A Okutoyi – MAR & KEN lost (1:6 1:6) to Ma Mushika & M Mushika – JAP
Girls Doubles – Round1 Aya El Aouni – Mar lost (2:6 1:6) to R. Stoiber – UK
Mixed Doubles – Round1 Asia Muhammad and F Martin – USA & FRA lost (2:6 6:7) to S. Stosur & M. Ebden – AUS
Women’s Singles – Round2 Asia Muhammad and J Pegula – USA lost (3:6 6:7) to D. Collins & D Krawczyk – USA
Women’s Singles – Round1 Sania Mirza and N. Kichenok – IND & UKR lost (4:7 6:7) to K. Juvan & T Zidansek – SLO
Women’s Singles- Round 1 Mayar Sherif and K Piter – EGY & POL lost (2:6 4:6) to E Hozumi & M Ninomiya – JAP
Men’s Singles – Round1 Damir Džumhur – BIH lost (1:6 5:7 1:6) to P Andujar – ESP
Women’s Singles – Round1 Zarina Diyas – KAZ lost (7:6 6:7 1:6) to E Rybakina – KAZ
Women’s Singles – Round1 Mayar Sherif – EGY lost (3:6 7:6 2:6) to H Watson – UK
Qualifiers
Women’s Singles – Round 2 Asia Muhammad – USA lost (3:6 2:6) to L. Tsurenko – UKR
Men’s Singles – Round1 Mohamed Safwat – EGY lost (6:3 2:6 1:6) to D Stricker – SUI
Men’s Singles – Round1 Mirza Bašić – BIH lost (2:6 3:6) to M Kukushkin – KAZ
By Elham Asaad Buaras