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MEDAL TABLE | DAY 4 | COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2026 | GLASGOW

 

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CABO VERDE CONTINUES DREAM RUN, BECOMES SMALLEST COUNTRY TO REACH WORLD CUP KNOCKOUT PHASE

 

Cabo Verde's players celebrate after earning a draw against Saudi Arabia to advance to the round of 32 following their Group H match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston, Texas, June 26, 2026. /VCG

Cabo Verde completed an improbable run through Group H with a third consecutive draw at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the smallest-ever country to earn a spot in the tournament's knockout phase, following a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday.

The tiny island nation off Africa's western coast has enjoyed a stellar debut on football's grandest stage, having held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 stalemate before battling from behind to snatch a 2-2 result against Uruguay.

Cabo Verde's three points left the team in second place behind the Spaniards, who beat the Uruguayans later in the evening to top the group with seven points. The Blue Sharks will face reigning World Cup champion Argentina in the round of 32 on July 3 in Miami.

Drawing all three group matches does not guarantee advancement at major tournaments. But several teams have turned the trick in the past including Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. New Zealand, on the other hand, was eliminated despite picking up a trio of draws in 2010.

Spain's 1-0 victory against Uruguay largely came down to another goalkeeping mistake by Fernando Muslera, as La Roja advance to the knockout phase while also eliminating the South American powerhouse and two-time title winner.

Uruguay will go home without any victories from its three Group H games. European champion Spain will face the second-place team from Group J, either Austria or Algeria, in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood on Thursday.

Álex Baena scored in the 42nd minute after Muslera couldn't fully swat away his shot from inside the box. The miscue marked the third blunder of the tournament by the 40-year-old goalkeeper, who reportedly asked coach Marcelo Bielsa to substitute him out at halftime.

Earlier in the day, Ousmane Dembele produced his best-ever World Cup performance with a stunning first-half hat-trick in France's 4-1 win over Norway.

The 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward showcased the lethal finishing which helped him win last year's Ballon d'Or, finding the net three times in the space of 26 first-half minutes in the Boston suburb of Foxborough.

Dembele's trio of goals, along with Desire Doue's late header, allowed France to complete the first round with three wins from three matches following earlier victories against Senegal and Iraq.

Les Bleus progress to the round of 32 as Group I winners, bolstered by clear evidence that the French squad can once again be serious title contenders, even if captain Kylian Mbappe isn't the player scoring the goals.

Elsewhere, Senegal lit up the scoreboard against 10-man Iraq in a 5-0 victory that boosted its chances of reaching the knockout phase.

Substitute Pape Gueye scored twice in a second-half flurry as the Lions of Teranga, looking to advance from third place in Group I, took advantage of a first-half red card on Iraqi defender Rebin Sulaka, who prevented Sadio Mane from charging in on goal alone by yanking his shirt.

Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but even though Sulaka was sent off in the 13th, the Senegalese side didn't find the net again until Ismaila Sarr struck in the 56th minute.

Gueye then added his two goals, both hard blasts from around the edge of the penalty area, with Iliman Ndiaye rounding out the rout after firing in the fifth. Senegal now has three points and a goal difference of plus-two.

Late evening games saw Belgium thrash bottom side New Zealand 5-1 to top Group G, while Egypt held on to second place after a 1-1 draw with Iran, which had a would-be winner in stoppage time ruled offside by the slightest of margins following a VAR review.

That cruel twist of fate left Iran hoping to be one of the eight best third-place teams poised to join the 12 group winners and 12 runners-up in progressing to the round of 32.

Source(s): AP

- CGTN 

#GUINESSM6N TO BE CROWNED THIS WEEKEND

 

SHE CRANES CLINCH CELTIC CUP WITH PERFECT RUN

The She Cranes have clinched the Celtic Cup with a perfect run, winning all five games.

​Uganda secured a well-deserved 70-48 victory against Wales in the Celtic Cup encounter at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena on Sunday.

​The tournament was played in a round-robin format, and the champion was determined by the country that collected the most wins and goals.

​Uganda fought back from an early scare to open a two-goal lead (17-15) at the end of the opening period.

​The She Cranes greatly improved in the second period, making several pass interceptions and thus limiting Wales’ offensive flow. Uganda took a 12-goal lead into the halftime break.

​Coming out of the halftime break, Uganda kept their foot on the gas pedal, extending their lead to 15 goals (54-39).

​The She Cranes hit top gear in the final period as they sealed a 22-goal victory.

​The defensive partnership of Aya Gloria and Faridah Kadondi was crucial, making the attackers’ lives hard, while the middle court players pulled the strings to dictate play.

​At full-time, Mary Nuba was named Player of the Match, and Shadia Nassanga was named Player of the Tournament.

​She Cranes Starting VII

Mary Nuba (GS), Shadia Nassanga (GA), Maricela Akello (WA), Margaret Bagaala (C), Shaffie Nalwanja (WD), Aya Gloria (GD), Faridah Kadondi (GK)

- EDWIN KYLE KULE

SPRINGBOKS BLOWOUT WALES 00-73 🤔

 

GUNNA AT ENGLAND VS. WALES

 

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UEFA CONFIRM QUALIFICATION SYSTEM FOR EURO 2028 COMPETITION

epa10911066 The UEFA Euro trophy is pictured after the UK and Ireland were elected to host the Euro 2028 fooball tournament during the UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts announcement ceremony at UEFA Headquarters, in Nyon, Switzerland, 10 October 2023. EPA-EFE/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

UEFA have announced the qualifying system to enter the EURO 2028 tournament, with news host nations England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will not be given automatic participation.

As is often to case now, the competition will be hosted not by a single nation, but with a combination of different countries sharing the venues.

Italy and Turkey will be co-hosts for the EURO 2032 tournament.

epa10911065 The UEFA Euro trophy is pictured after Italy and Turkey were elected to host the Euro 2032 fooball tournament during the UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts announcement ceremony at UEFA Headquarters, in Nyon, Switzerland, 10 October 2023. EPA-EFE/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

Number of EURO 2028 co-hosts poses problem for UEFA

In the case of EURO 2028, it will be England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

As having all four of those given an automatic berth would reduce the options for others, UEFA has confirmed they will all have to come through qualifying.

Italy are vying to be one of the 20 nations qualifying for the competition, with 12 going through as group winners, and eight as the best-placed runners-up.

There are four remaining spots to be assigned, two will go to the two best-ranked host nations who failed to qualify directly.

Another two are assigned via play-offs between the remaining runners-up and the sides who ranked best in the 2026-27 Nations League, but still didn’t qualify as group winners.

This means the number of spots open via the play-offs will depend on how many of the co-host nations qualify.

The qualification schedule should be finalised this autumn.

EURO 2024 was won by Spain.

- Susy Campanale

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SANCHEZ STEALS REMARKABLE COMEBACK | WALES VS. ARGENTINA | HIGHLIGHTS | RUGBY 🏉 WORLD CUP 2023

WALES SEE OFF FIERCE GEORGIA TO SEAL TOP SPOT POOL C

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Louis Rees-Zammit scored a hat-trick of tries as Wales maintained their momentum ahead of the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals with a six-try 43-19 win over Georgia on Saturday to seal top spot in Pool C with a fourth successive victory.

Wales will likely play either Argentina or Japan in the knockout stages after another accomplished display in which they led 17-7 at halftime but had to withstand a Georgian rally in the second period.

They scored other tries through prop Tomas Francis, fullback Liam Williams and centre George North, and gained revenge for a shock 13-12 loss to Georgia in Cardiff last November, a result that hastened the exit of former coach Wayne Pivac.

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FIJI CAPTAIN AFTER BREATHTAKING DEFEAT TO WALES

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