Bahamas routs Suriname 77-45
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
AFTER getting blown out by 27 points from host Guyana on the opening day of the FIBA Caribbean Women's Championships, The Bahamas women's national basketball team took their frustration out on Suriname with a 32-point rout.
Coming off their 102-75 loss to Guyana as they connected on 17 three-pointers on Wednesday in the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana, the Bahamas blasted Suriname 77-45 last night.
The Bahamas led just 20-15 after the first quarter, but pushed the margin to 34-24 at the half. Using a 24-5 spurt in the third, The Bahamas went up 58-29 going into the fourth and they cruised to their first victory. "We knew we had a good chance to beat Suriname," said head coach Donillo “Donnie” Culmer. "The ladies came back after the loss to Guyana and played like we wanted them to play."
Culmer, who was assisted by Jaraun “Kino” Burrows, Diasti Delancy and Anthony Swaby, said he was really pleased with how well they played together as a team.
Eleuthera native Lashann Higgs, using her wealth of experience from playing overseas in Europe, led the attack with a game high 35 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals.
Valerie Nesbitt, who had the hot hands in the game one loss, added 15 points with 11 assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Michelle Butler was the only other player in double figures with 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Grand Bahamian Judy Forbes and Valicia Demeritte both had six points with Forbes also
Ladies’
national basketball team in the win column at the FIBA
Caribbean Championships in Guyana
contributing six rebounds, two assists and as many steals, while Demeritte had two rebounds.
Latavia Brennen also made her presence felt with just four points, but 13 rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block shot.
Other members of Team Bahamas are Mikayah Tucker, Kayla Bien, Latoya Rolle, Taronya Wildgoose, Tatyana Lockhart and ShaLonda Neely. Beyonce Jedinie led Suriname with 15 points, 11 rebounds and five steals and Chinique Pengel chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.
Guyana 102, Bahamas 75 The Bahamas didn't have an answer for Guyana's
torrid shooting spree as sisters Amisha, Arshia and Ashna Ramlall, with the help of Ruth Adams, blew out The Bahamas on opening night.
Amisha scored 33 points with five rebounds and three assists, along with 6-of-8 from their 17 three-pointer tally, to lead Guyana.
Arshia and Ashna Ramlall had 13 and 12 points respectively and Adams finished with 22 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Valerie Nesbitt poured in a game high 35 points with six rebounds, four assists and as many steals. And Lashann Higgs had 23 points with four rebounds and three assists. The next best scorer for
The Bahamas was Michelle Butler with five points and two rebounds.
Judy Forbes and Valicia Demeritte added four points with three and two rebounds respectively.
Coach Culmer said after playing Guyana close up to the end of the third quarter, they didn't have any answer for their hometown rivals in the fourth.
"They were shooting lights out. We couldn't guide the three," he said.
"Guyana beefed up their team with two pros, along with some young girls who played college.
"We were in the game up to the end of the third quarter, but they shot the ball phenomenally well in the fourth.
“In all of my 20 years of travelling with the ladies' national team, I've never seen a team shoot the ball like that. Never." Guyana, with the home crowd cheering them on, opened the game with a 32-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, they held onto a 48-42 lead. Coming out of the locker room, Guyana continued to apply the pressure, pushing their lead to 72-59 at the end of the third.
With a mixture of their starters and bench players connecting on their three-pointers, Guyana continued to widen the lead. It was only a matter of what the final score would be.
The Bahamas is slated be back in action today at 6:30pm against Jamaica. They will then take a break and return on Sunday to play their final game against the Virgin Islands.
The top three teams from the tournament will advance to the FIBA Women's Centrobasket Championships in 2026.
"We just have to take care of Jamaica tomorrow," coach Culmer said.
"Once we can do that and get back the Virgin Islands, we will be in.
"We know it's going to be tough, but the ladies are starting to play together. Hopefully we can continue to do that the rest of the tournament," explained Culmer.
Despite 2-1 loss to Anguilla, head coach says men’s national soccer team ‘played very well’
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
Team Bahamas to face British Virgin Islands this Saturday
DESPITE losing 2-1 to Anguilla, head coach Kevin Davies said he was still pleased with the performance of the men's national soccer team on Wednesday at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town, Cayman Islands.
William Bayles scored the lone goal for Team Bahamas in the second half in their first game of Group D of the inaugural 2025-26 CONCACAF Series.
The new CONCACAF initiative offers valuable international competition and development opportunities for member nations during the World Cup off-cycle.
"In the first half, we came out a little flat. We just took a long time to get into the game," Davies said. "We gave up a questionable goal and a no call from the referee in our opinion.
"But in the second half, we came out and played to our game plan. We created some chances. We got a penalty kick early in the second half. We controlled the game for the most part. But we were not able to take advantage of those chances."
After Bayles' goal that levelled the score at 1-1, Davies said they gave up a scrappy goal at the end of
the game that sealed it for Anguilla. “But we played very well."
The Bahamas joins Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and hosts Cayman Islands in Group D, but will face Anguilla and British Virgin Islands in this November window.
The Bahamas will be back in action on Saturday when they take on the British Virgin Islands at 4:30pm. The Bahamas will play the Cayman Islands in November.
"The British Virgin Islands is a much bigger
team. We watched a little bit of their game. They are a much better technical team," Davies pointed out.
"So we will have to try to play some new people in some new places, so our line-up will be a little different as well as we give everybody a chance to showcase their talent."
Along with Bayles, The Bahamas’ team is comprised of Dylan Archer, Michael Butler, Lance Carroll, Omar Chemaly, Camrawn Cox, Oakland Duncan, ReJohn Ene, William Gardiner, Marcel Joseph, Jack Massey,
the first time on Tuesday for their practice as the majority of them were in school, Davies said he's confident that the team will play much better on Saturday.
Ricardo McPhee, Jonathan Miller, Miguel Thompson, Jean Tilo, Nathan Walker, Brody Wheaton and Vance Wheaton. Joining Davies on the officials’ list are Andre Roberts, assistant coach, Daniel Miller, medical officer, Carlton Adderley, equipment manager and Larry Minns, team manager. With the majority of the players coming together for
THE men’s national soccer team.
VALERIE Nesbitt on the dribble.
THE women’s national basketball team and coaching staff, right.
The Mental Toll of Injury: Supporting the Whole Athlete
By Dr KENT L BAZARD Sports Medicine Physician
INJURIES are part of sport. Most coaches and athletes accept this. What we don’t talk about enough, however, is how deeply an injury affects the athlete’s mental and emotional well-being. Too often, we treat the joint, the muscle, or the fracture — but forget the individual carrying it all.
In The Bahamas, sport is often tied to hope. A scholarship, a national team spot, or simply the pride of representing one’s school or community can mean everything to a young athlete. So when injury strikes, it doesn’t just interrupt a season — it can threaten an entire identity.
When Athletes Feel
Forgotten
For many youth and teen athletes, sport is more than a hobby. It becomes their structure, their social life, and their self-worth. Once they’re injured, their routine is gone. The locker room feels distant. Teammates move on. What
begins as a physical setback soon becomes a mental one. These athletes might not speak up. They show up to rehab with a smile but struggle internally with fear, anxiety, or isolation. Some become withdrawn, others lose motivation altogether. What was once a source of joy begins to feel like a source of stress — and the deeper this spiral goes, the harder it is to return, even once the body is ready.
Beyond the Physical Sports psychology research shows that injured athletes are at a higher risk of depression and anxiety, particularly when their injury affects long-term goals. This is especially true for high schoolers seeking scholarships or youth athletes hoping to make a national team.
Fear of re-injury is common, and it can linger long after the physical healing is complete.
Athletes begin to question whether they’ll ever return to their previous level. Some even feel they’ve lost their place in the sport entirely. That
sense of displacement — of being left behind — often delays recovery more than any torn ligament or broken bone. We also see changes in sleep patterns, appetite, or mood. These are not just signs of frustration; they can indicate that the athlete is silently struggling and needs more than stretching and resistance bands.
Shifting the Culture Injury rehabilitation must go beyond checklists and protocols. It requires empathy, presence, and communication. One of the most powerful things we can do is keep injured athletes involved — not just in therapy, but in team culture. Letting them attend practices, participate in meetings, or support their teammates in small ways helps preserve their sense of belonging.
Progress in rehab should be framed as achievement. Instead of focusing solely on what’s lost, athletes benefit from seeing what’s being rebuilt. Even regaining basic mobility or reducing pain can become
a milestone — especially when recovery feels long.
Language also plays a critical role. The way we talk about injuries shapes how athletes experience them. Telling a young person they’re “falling behind” or may “never be the same” creates fear and hopelessness. Reframing recovery as a journey, not a punishment, encourages patience and resilience.
There’s also an urgent need to normalise conversations around mental health in sport.
Referring an athlete to a counsellor or psychologist shouldn’t be seen as weakness — itshould be as routine as referring to a physiotherapist for a hamstring strain. When athletes understand that mental recovery is part of the process, they’re more likely to emerge from injury not just healed, but stronger.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
Some of the top collegiate and Olympic-level programmes now embed mental health support into the entire athlete
care system. These aren’t optional add-ons — they’re core components of athlete development.
Here at home, we can take steps in the same direction. Even small shifts — like routine check-ins, open dialogue, and coordinated care between coaches, medical staff, and families — can make a lasting difference.
Injury is never easy, but it doesn’t have to break the athlete’s spirit. With the right support, it can become a powerful turning point — not an endpoint. The Takeaway We must begin to see injured athletes not as sidelined players, but as whole individuals navigating both physical and emotional challenges. The road back isn’t just about timelines or tissue repair. It’s about restoring belief, identity, and connection. When we treat the person, not just the injury, we give athletes a chance to return not just to the game — but to themselves.
THE WEATHER REPORT
MARINE FORECAST
KENT BAZARD
Strengthening our coaching standards
BAHAMAS Football Association technical director Bruce Swan successfully completed the FIFA coach educators’ development pathway assessment practice programme, held in Aruba from November 4-7.
This four-day programme marked the final stage of FIFA’s comprehensive coach educator development pathway and brought together 11 coach educators from six countries for practical evaluation and mentorship under the guidance of FIFA experts.
The assessment focused on five key areas - teacher theory, teacher practical, technician, assessor and mentor and leadership. Participants demonstrated a full range of coaching education skills, from delivering theory sessions and mentoring student coaches to leading on-field practicals and being assessed by peers. All participants, including Swan, met FIFA’s competency standards to receive the FIFA Coach Educators’ Diploma, a milestone that positions him among a select group of coach educators
BFA technical director Bruce Swan successfully completes FIFA coach educators’ development programme
advancing football education across the region. FIFA’s course delivery manager, Mauricio Marques, closed the programme by encouraging participants to make a lasting impact on the more than 60,000 players who benefit annually from enhanced coaching standards through education and mentorship.
Jake Paul next for Anthony Joshua? Hearn confirms talks with YouTuberturned-boxer
LONDON (AP) — Jake
Paul could be about to get the toughest test yet in his boxing career — against recent world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, confirmed yesterday widespread media reports that talks have taken place with Paul’s camp as Hearn looks to secure what he described as a “small run-out” for his fighter in the final weeks of this year.
“He’s been out of the ring for nearly a year and a half,” Hearn told BBC radio about Joshua, a twotime world champion who hasn’t fought since losing to Daniel Dubois in an IBF title fight in September 2024.
“If he receives several tens of millions to (end his wait to fight) and we get a chance to silence this guy that’s annoyed the boxing community for a long time, then maybe. Maybe. A lot of work to do.”
Paul is a YouTuberturned-boxer who has a
12-1 record (7 KOs) and last fought in June when he beat former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision.
A month later, Paul entered the World Boxing Association cruiserweight rankings, so would need to make a step up in weight if the Joshua fight was to materialize.
“Definitely not agreed yet,” said Hearn, who added that calling Paul a “YouTuber is a little bit harsh on what Jake has done.”
Hearn said Joshua’s priority is to get in shape to revive his career and fight Tyson Fury, a fellow British former heavyweight champion who is currently retired, in 2026.
“The focus for us really is 2026 and that is a big fight in February or March and then Tyson Fury,” Hearn said. “We want the real stuff but we want the business as well.”
Paul’s scheduled November 14 fight with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis was scrapped last week.
Swan’s achievement reinforces the Bahamas Football Association’s commitment to developing top-tier coaching talent and strengthening the foundation of the game through continuous professional growth and international collaboration.
Local Sports Calendar
ROAD RACE ANDROS HEATS
THE sixth annual Andros Heats Road Race will be held on Saturday, December 6 on Morgan’s Bluff, Andros, starting at 8:30am.
The registration fee is $6 per athlete. Trophies will be presented to the first three finishers in each age division, while fourth place finishers will get medals.
Interested persons are urged to contact 242-8238801 for more information.
SWIMMING
SWIM MEETS
BAHAMAS Aquatics has a pair of swim meets
on its calendar for the rest of the year in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
Nassau at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex
November 21-22 - Lightning Aquatics Meet December 5-6 - BEAST Aquatics Meet Grand Bahama
November 15 - Mako Aquatics Club Meet November 22 - Alpha Aquatics Swim Meet
December 6 - Freeport Aquatics Club Meet ROAD RACE
MACEDONIA
BAPTIST CHURCH
AS a part of its 60th anniversary, Macedonia
Boxing fraternity reflects on ‘Elisha
Obed’ winning the WBC super middleweight title
Baptist Church will hold a Family Fun Run/Walk race that is open to the general public on January 24.
The dual event is scheduled to start at 6am at the church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill.
The registration fee is $10 per athlete and the categories include male and female 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and over-60 with awards presented to the first three finishers.
The walk will leave the church and head west on Bernard Road to the junction at Wulff and Soldier Roads.
The competitors will turn around and head east back to the church.
The run will also leave the church and head west on Bernard Road onto Soldier Road, head south to Prince Charles Drive, head east to Fox Hill Road, head north to Bernard Road and head west back to the church.
Interested persons can call 426-7265 or 324-1583 for more details.
ROAD RACE ATLANTIS FUN RUN/WALK ON Saturday starting at 6am at Montagu Beach, Atlantis Resort will hold its annual Run/Walk/Roll Race.
The race is being dubbed: “The Battle for the Cause” and women are urged to wear pink in support of those suffering from cancer and the men in blue for prostate cancer.
Awards will be presented to the various winners and there will be a free health screening and light refreshments will be available.
TRACK
LEGENDS TRACK MEET
THE Legends Track and Field's Devynne Charlton Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, February 7 at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The meet, to be held in honour of world indoor 60m hurdles record holder and two-time champion Devynne Charlton, will have her younger sister Anthaya Charlton as one of the special guests. Powered by Speed Capital, it will feature athletes competing from the ages of seven to the open categories for boys and girls.
T-BIRD FLYERS
THE T-Bird Flyers will hold its 2026 Track Classic, held in memory of the late Gregory Clarke, on Friday, January 9, starting at 6pm and Saturday, January 10 at noon at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
Interested persons are urged to contact Foster Dorsett at 427-3883 for more details.
ON Wednesday, the Bahamas boxing fraternity reflected on Everette “Elisha Obed” Ferguson winning the World Boxing Council’s super middleweight title over Brazil's Miguel de Oliveira on November 12, 1975, in Paris, France.
BRUCE SWAN
Track
to open LA
Olympics,
with women’s 100-metre
sprinters
lining up three times in the same day
By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer
IT will be a busy opening day of action at the Los Angeles Olympics for the fastest women in the world.
As part of a seismic schedule change for the 2028 Games, track and field, and not swimming, will lead off the Olympics. In releasing the detailed schedule Wednesday, organisers revealed that the first day at the LA Coliseum, July 15, will include all three rounds of the women's 100 metres.
Sprinters normally run a maximum of two races in a day at a major event. It's a change the men will not have to deal with, but that a women's field that could include the last two world champions, Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, and Olympic champ Julien Alfred are being given nearly three years to prepare for.
“To be the pre-eminent event on the first night of competition in the historic LA Memorial Coliseum, I think when we presented it to the athletes that way, there was excitement,” said Janet Evans, the gold-medal swimmer serving as chief athlete officer for the Los Angeles Games. “A majority of athletes said to me,
‘Just let me know. Let me know early, and I’ll start training to run three 100s in one day.”
Swimming to take place at SoFi
Swimming has traditionally kicked off the Summer Games, but because the opening ceremony is taking place at SoFi Stadium, same as the swim meet, organisers decided to make the swap. It was not feasible to set up the pool in the stadium so quickly after the ceremony.
Evans, who won four Olympic gold medals in 1988 and 1992, said the prospect of swimming in what is largely considered LA's best new stadium in front of 38,000 fans is an opportunity her sport embraced.
Also, swimmers are often forced to miss the opening because they compete the very next day.
“I could probably name on my two hands the swimmers I know who have actually been to opening ceremonies,” Evans said.
Schedule not set up for McLaughlin-Levrone double The schedule also makes it virtually impossible for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to try to double in both the 400 metres and the 400 hurdles.
McLaughlin-Levrone is the world-record holder and two-time defending champion in the hurdles.
She took a year off from that to run in the 400 sprint this year, where at the world championships she became
the first runner since 1985 to run the lap in less than 48 seconds (47.78).
(Second-place finisher Marileidy Paulino also broke 48.)
McLaughlin-Levrone's coach, Bobby Kersee, had
hinted at the possibility she might go for the double. In the past — most notably in 1996 when Michael Johnson won the 200 and 400 — organisers have tailored the Olympic schedule to allow marquee track athletes to try for the extra medals.
Not this time, though. The 400 hurdles semifinals and 400-metre final are each scheduled for July 20.
Chief of Sport and Games Delivery Shana Ferguson said LA consulted with World Athletics in designing the schedule.
(AP
“I can't speak directly to any particular athlete's schedule or how he or she is approaching the Games but we are arm and arm in the development of a contest schedule,” Ferguson said. Baseball moved up two days to fit into MLB All-Star break The Olympic baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium was moved up two days and will start on July 13 and run through July 19. That lines up to fit into an extended Major League Baseball All-Star break that would include the All-Star Game on July 11, possibly at San Francisco, and allow the season to resume July 21. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed optimism major leaguers will be available for the Olympics, subject to negotiations with the players' association.
LeBron James takes crucial step toward returning to Lakers, practices with G-League team
By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY
(AP) — LeBron James took a key step toward returning to the Los Angeles Lakers when he practiced with the team's G-League affiliate in El Segundo, California, on Wednesday. James has not played this season because of sciatica, a lower-body nerve issue on his right side.
“He was able to participate in the practice," Redick said. "Got up and down a little bit with just some, like, warm-up transition drills and progressed to five-on-five in the halfcourt, and got, I think about 12 to 15 possessions of live 5-on-5 contact.”
James, who is entering his 23rd
Lakers coach JJ Redick said James practiced with the South Bay Lakers, James' first practice action of the season. Redick told the media about the practice before the Lakers played at Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. He said reports he received were that James looked good.
NBA season, is the league's all-time scoring leader. The Lakers won eight of their first 11 games without him.
LA28 logos decorate a backdrop as First lady Jill Biden speaks at a reception at the U.S. Chief of Mission Residence to commemorate the opening of the 2024 Summer Olympics and celebrate the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games, to be held in Los Angeles.
Photo/David Goldman)
JULIEN Alfred, of Saint Lucia, 4th left, crosses the finish line ahead of Sha’carri Richardson, of the United States, and Melissa Jefferson, of the United States, to win the women’s 100 metres final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, August 3, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.
(AP Photo/ Martin Meissner)
Alcaraz seals year-ending No. 1 ranking with another victory at the ATP Finals
TURIN, Italy (AP) —
When it came down to it, Carlos Alcaraz needed less than 90 minutes to secure the year-ending No. 1 ranking in men's tennis.
Alcaraz needed one more win at the ATP Finals to beat Jannik Sinner to the No. 1 spot and the Spaniard duly got that as he eased to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Italian Lorenzo Musetti yesterday to sweep his group at the season-ending event for the top eight players.
“It means the world to me to be honest,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.
"The year No. 1 is always a goal. To be honest at the beginning of the year I saw that the No. 1 (was) really,
really far away, with Jannik there, winning almost every tournament he plays.
“From the middle of the season till now I put the goal for the No. 1 because I thought it was there ... and finally I got it. For me, it means everything, the work that we put every day during the whole season, up and downs … so I’m really proud about my team and myself.”
It is the second time in his career that the 22-year-old Alcaraz has ended the year at the top of the rankings.
The Spaniard became the youngest player to finish a year at No. 1 when he achieved the feat as a 19-year-old in 2022. Alcaraz had to win three
of his matches at the season-ending event for the top eight players to finish No. 1, while Sinner had to go undefeated to defend his title to be in with a chance. Alcaraz — who admitted he was feeling nervous at the beginning of the match — didn’t give him that chance as he swept aside Musetti despite a partisan home crowd, sealing the result on his third match point. That was his third win in the Jimmy Connors group and Alcaraz will face the winner of Friday's match between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime in Saturday's semifinal.
De Minaur advances The victory also sent Alex de Minaur through to the
semifinals after the Australian earlier claimed a first ATP Finals victory.
De Minaur beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 6-3 for his first victory in six matches at the tournament, following his debut last year.
“I finally won here in Torino,” said De Minaur, who needed a straight-set win to stay in contention for a semifinal spot.
De Minaur never looked back after dominating the tiebreaker and had a chance to seal victory on Fritz’s serve when he moved to match point, but the American held. De Minaur kept his nerve on serve to triumph.
The seventh-seed will face Sinner in the final four.
France qualifies for 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo sent off as Portugal loses to Ireland
By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press
KYLIAN Mbappé and France are definitely going to the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo might now be banned from Portugal’s first game there if his team finally wins its European qualifying group.
Two goals from star striker Mbappé helped twotime champion France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine yesterday.
But Ronaldo was ejected and Portugal will have to wait till Sunday to try and secure a qualifying spot for the seventh straight time after it was stunned 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin.
Midfielder Michael Olise and substitute forward Hugo Ekitiké added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.
Mbappé coolly sent the penalty straight down the middle to break the deadlock in the 55th minute
before Olise turned inside the penalty area to curl home the second goal in the 76th at Parc des Princes in western Paris.
Mbappé poked in France's third goal from close range in the 83rd following a goalmouth scramble.
Mbappé moved onto 55 goals and just two behind Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer.
“The French national team will always be better with him in it,” coach Didier Deschamps said about Mbappé. “He makes things easier for us. He performed his role perfectly this evening, as both a player and the captain of the national team.”
Mbappé went close to a hat trick moments later but blazed over after going clean through.
France has won Group D with 13 points so far, Ukraine and Iceland are tied on seven points and will fight for second when they meet on Sunday.
Ronaldo red card, Portugal not there yet Portugal will host lastplaced Armenia in the final qualifying game on Sunday, when Hungary hosts Ireland at the same time.
Portugal tops Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.
Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea on the hour. The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review.
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal plays Armenia. FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play.”
Troy Parrott put the hosts ahead with a close-range header following a corner kick in the 17th minute against the run of play with Portugal dominant.
In another chance for Ireland, Chiedozie Ogbene hit the post on a counter amid Portuguese pressure before Parrott added his second in the final minute before the break, beating Diogo Costa with a low shot from inside the area at Aviva Stadium.
Haaland’s double Earlier, Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved even closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo.
The win virtually secures a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Italy had to rely on late goals from Gianluca Mancini and substitute Francesco Pio Esposito to win 2-0 at Moldova and is second in Group I, trailing leader Norway by three points.
Italy will likely have to settle for the playoffs where the four-time World Cup champion was eliminated in the past two editions. It
hosts Norway on Sunday and would have to win by a nine-goal margin to directly qualify because of Norway's vastly superior goal difference.
Haaland has scored 14 of Norway’s European-best 33 goals in seven group-stage games. The Manchester City striker was born two years after Norway last reached the World Cup. Still perfect England Already qualified England continued to cruise in qualifying.
It beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to keep a perfect record in Group K and is yet to concede a goal.
Bukayo Saka fired England ahead on a rebound with a left-foot volley in the 28th after an initial shot by Nico O’Reilly was blocked. Substitute forward Eberechi Eze added the second in the 90th off a pass from another substitute, Phil Foden.
Albania beat Andorra 1-0 in the same group to secure the runner-up spot.
PLAYERS on the French national team celebrate yesterday after wining a World Cup 2026 group D qualifying soccer match against Ukraine in Paris.
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
CARLOS Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti during their singles tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, yesterday. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)