Sports News 12:30

NEWSFLASH SPORTS NEWS 17 November 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with Rugby: The Bulls and Edinburgh start the weekend’s United Rugby Championship action in the Scottish capital tonight. At the same time, the Lions will face Irish side Ulster. Tomorrow, the Sharks welcome another Irish team, Connacht, to Durban, while the Stormers are away to Munster in Ireland. The Bulls are currently on top of the log with three wins in four games. The Stormers are in eighth place after winning two and losing two. The Lions are 12th and the Sharks in the 16th and last place.

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana will start their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA with matches at home to Benin tomorrow and away to Rwanda on Tuesday. South Africa will look to qualify for the global showpiece for the first time in over 20 years. They have improved under manager Hugo Broos and boasts an eleven-game unbeaten run, that began in June last year. Goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, believes Bafana can qualify for the World Cup:

Play sound: ENG Ronwen Williams

Meanwhile, in more Soccer news, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over comments he made after his side’s defeat to Newcastle earlier this month. He branded the video assistant referee’s decision an absolute disgrace, after not ruling out Anthony Gordon’s goal in the one-nil defeat at St James’ Park. The FA says Arteta’s comments constitute misconduct as they are insulting towards match officials and detrimental to the game. He has until Tuesday to respond to the charge.

# Motorsport: Three-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen says the weekend’s Grand Prix in Las Vegas is 99-percent show and only one percent a sporting event. The race will take place through the streets of the American gambling city, including a part of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. Several singers such as Kylie Minogue and Journey performed during Wednesday’s opening ceremony, while Verstappen and other drivers aren’t happy about some of the demands being put on their time in Vegas.

# And finally Tennis: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Italy’s Jannik Sinner are through to the semifinals of the ATP Finals in Turin. World number one Djokovic, who beat alternate Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, needed a Sinner victory to advance to the last four. Sinner defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune, 6-2, 5-7 6-4, topping the Green Group with three wins from three. Meanwhile, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev has already qualified for the semifinals, while Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Germany’s Alexander Zverev can both still qualify from the Red Group.

Stay tuned for more news………….