Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 28 February 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start off with Soccer: Banyana Banyana will face Nigeria in the final qualifying round for the Olympic Games in Paris. This follows after South Africa beat Tanzania 1-nil in last night’s return leg of their qualifier in Mbombela. This gave Banyana an aggregate victory of 4-nil after they beat their opponents 3-nil in last week’s game in Dar-es-Salaam. The qualifiers against Nigeria will take place in April. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says she is happy with her team’s performance:

# Rugby: Tickets for the Springboks’ home Tests against Ireland, Portugal and Argentina will go on sale from Monday. The reigning world champions take on Ireland at Loftus Versfeld on the sixth of July, and in Durban a week later before playing Portugal in Bloemfontein on 20 July. Prices start at 350-rand. Ticket prices for the Argentina match in Mbombela on 28 September will start at 150-rand. Details of the two Tests against the All Blacks at Ellis Park and in Cape Town must still be confirmed.  

Meanwhile, England coach Steve Borthwick is keeping his fingers crossed that Marcus Smith will be fit on time to play in the Six Nations clash with Ireland. The young flyhalf sustained a calf injury that kept him out of all three his country’s matches so far, with England scraping through against Italy, beating Wales by two points and losing to Scotland. The competition resumes next weekend with Italy hosting Scotland in Rome, England welcoming Ireland to Twickenham, and Wales playing France in Cardiff.

# Golf: South Africa’s Thomas Aiken says he is confident heading into the SDC Championship at St Francis Links in the Eastern Cape. England’s Matthew Baldwin is the defending champion. In-form Zander Lombard and DP World Tour winners Thriston Lawrence, Ockie Strydom and Dylan Frittelli join a strong South African challenge in the field with Aiken. Aiken says the past few years have been tough, but he is now playing better than he has ever played:

# And finally, Tennis: World number four Daniil Medvedev got his Dubai Championship title defence off to a winning start. The Russian, who was playing for the first time since losing the Australian Open final last month, defeated Kazakhstani Alexander Shevchenko, 6-3, 7-5, to record his 340th career win. Medvedev will play Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the round of 16 today. France’s Ugo Humbert saw off countryman Gael Monfils, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, while fourth seed Karen Khachanov of Russia defeated Frenchman Luca Van Assche in straight sets.

Stay tuned for more news………….