Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 28 January 12:30 pm

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

# First up we have soccer news: Bafana Bafana has been drawn in Group B alongside record seven-time champions Egypt, Angola and Zimbabwe for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Title-holders Ivory Coast will face five-time winners Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique in Group F. The hosts will take on Comoros in the opening match of the 24-team tournament on December 21st. Bafana Bafana assistant coach, Helman Mkhalele, says they are in a tough group:

# Cricket: SA20 log leaders Paarl Royals defeated Durban’s Super Giants by six wickets, their fifth consecutive win at Boland Park in Paarl. This is the first time a team has won all their home games in the competition. The Super Giants posted 143 for seven. In reply, a second-wicket partnership of 91 by Rubin Hermann and Lhuan-dré Pretorius helped the Royals win, ending Super Giants’ hopes of reaching the playoffs. Super Giants captain, Keshav Maharaj, says he is nonetheless proud of his team:

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council has named Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah as men’s Test cricketer for 2024. The 31-year-old feared his playing days were over after a lengthy back injury, but returned to the longest format late in 2023 and was the leading wicket-taker last year. He claimed 71 scalps with an average of 14.92. Bumrah says Test cricket has always been a format he holds close to his heart. Allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai of Afghanistan was named the ICC’s best one-day player for 2024.

# Rugby: Scotland’s coach, Gregor Townsend, has added five players to his injury-hit squad ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Italy at Murrayfield, including Australia-born loose forward Alexander Masibaka. France-based Masibaka replaces Josh Bayliss, who suffered a groin injury. The 23-year-old former Western Force player qualifies for Scotland through his Scottish-born mother. Locks Cameron Henderson and Ewan Johnson have also been called up alongside Glasgow’s uncapped Euan Ferrie, who can play lock or in the back row, and Glasgow full-back Ollie Smith.

# And finally, tennis: World number three Carlos Alcaraz of Spain is the top-seed in the Rotterdam Open in the Netherlands after defending champion Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal. The Italian, who is on top of the world rankings, decided to take a rest after retaining his Australian Open crown this weekend. World number 11, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, will also not play. Alcaraz will come up against a strong field, including Holger Rune of Denmark, veteran Swiss player Stan Wawrinka, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, and home favourite Tallon Griekspoor.

Stay tuned for more news………….