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Boks Rule Again in Season-opening Dubai Sevens

General view of the Burj Khalifa and the downtown skyline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
General view of the Burj Khalifa and the downtown skyline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
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Boks Rule Again in Season-opening Dubai Sevens

General view of the Burj Khalifa and the downtown skyline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
General view of the Burj Khalifa and the downtown skyline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo

South Africa notched up their fifth consecutive title at the season-opening Dubai sevens tournament with a pulsating victory over Argentina on Sunday.

The Blitzboks beat Los Pumas 12-7 in the final of the first event of the new-look, eight-leg World Rugby SVNS Series.

The series moves on to Cape Town next weekend, with the third leg slated for Perth, Australia, at the end of January, AFP reported.

Action then moves Stateside to legs in Vancouver and Los Angeles before Asian stops in Singapore and Hong Kong ahead of the May 31-June 2 finals in Madrid.

The South African team overcame Australia 24-7 in the quarter-finals and Fiji 14-7 in the semis before taking on Argentina.

Los Pumas came from behind to beat Samoa 21-14 in the quarters and New Zealand 21-19 in a last-four clash to reach their first-ever final in Dubai.

Tries from Impi Visser and Shilton van Wyk, with a Justin Geduld conversion, handed the Boks a 12-0 half-time lead.

Argentina made the most of Ryan Oosthuizen being sent to the sin bin through a try by Matias Osadczuk converted by Santiago Mare.

But the Boks held on for another Dubai title in a season where the ultimate aim will be to dethrone Fiji as Olympic champions at the Paris 2024 Games.

"We had a very good pre-season and the guys showed that they were ready to play six tough matches," South Africa coach Philip Snyman said.

"The way they worked, based on defence, also showed their willingness to work off the ball and cover each other’s backs and that is a wonderful thing for coaches to see."

New Zealand claimed third spot with a victory over Fiji.

The women's title went the way of Australia for a fourth consecutive time.

Teagan Levi touched down either side of halftime as the Australians ended New Zealand’s 41-match winning streak in a 21-14 victory.

Skipper Charlotte Caslick said Levi had been "unbelievable".

"She’s had an amazing pre-season and we’re all getting to see the hard work she’s done this year."

A first-half hat-trick from Yolaine Yengo allied with a Lou Noel try helped France to third place with a 26-5 win over Canada.

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Sports

Villa's Emery Downplays Missed Handshake with Arteta

Aston Villa's Spanish manager Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 30, 2025. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)
Aston Villa's Spanish manager Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 30, 2025. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)
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Villa's Emery Downplays Missed Handshake with Arteta

Aston Villa's Spanish manager Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 30, 2025. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)
Aston Villa's Spanish manager Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 30, 2025. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery played down the absence of the traditional post-match handshake with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Tuesday after his side’s 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium snapped their 11-game winning run.

Emery was seen rushing back to the dressing room after the final ⁠whistle, while Arteta appeared to be waiting at the touchline.

"After the match, always my routine is quick -- shake hands and go with my coaches, with my players, or go to ⁠the dressing room," Emery told reporters when asked about his quick exit.

"And I was waiting, and waiting.

"Of course, he was happy and he was with his coaches and I decided to go inside.

"But for me, it's not a problem," added Emery, who spent 18 months in ⁠the Arsenal hotseat before he was sacked in November 2019.

According to Reuters, Arteta also played down the significance of the missed handshake. "No, that's OK. That's part of the game, not an issue at all."

Villa, in third, now trail leaders Arsenal by six points and next host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Sports

Life Begins at 59 for the Globe's Oldest Professional Soccer Player

Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura of Suzuka plays in a JFL soccer match against Oita in Suzuka, central Japan, July 14, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura of Suzuka plays in a JFL soccer match against Oita in Suzuka, central Japan, July 14, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
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Life Begins at 59 for the Globe's Oldest Professional Soccer Player

Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura of Suzuka plays in a JFL soccer match against Oita in Suzuka, central Japan, July 14, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura of Suzuka plays in a JFL soccer match against Oita in Suzuka, central Japan, July 14, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP, File)

He turns 59 in February, and the globe's oldest professional soccer player has a new club as he gets set for his 41st season.

This is of course Kazuyoshi Miura who is known in Japan as “King Kazu,” The Associated Press reported.

Miura announced his signing this week with third-division J-League team Fukushima United. He is moving on loan from Yokohama FC and spent last season on loan with fourth-division club Atletico Suzuka.

He failed to score in seven matches with Suzuka.

Miura has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. And of course in Japan. He made his debut in 1986 with Santos in Brazil, a club made famous by Brazilian star Pelé.

In 2017 at age 50, he became the oldest player to score in a professional match. That topped the record held by highly decorated England international Stanley Matthews.

Miura was one of the first big names in Japanese soccer. He scored 55 goals in 89 appearance and was a star with Japan’s national team in the 1990s.

Sports

Sudan Dream of AFCON Glory as Conflict Rages at Home

Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
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Sudan Dream of AFCON Glory as Conflict Rages at Home

Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)

When war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, Ammar Taifour was in a training camp with his club Al Merrikh in Khartoum.

"I just remember the surprise, the shock of the first gunshots. It was very surprising," the 28-year-old midfielder with the Sudan team at the Africa Cup of Nations tells AFP.

"Then in the days after that there were power cuts and constant gunshots. It was just unbelievable.

"I just pray for peace and for everyone who's in this situation to be safe and make it out."

Taifour, who was born in the United States, is among the lucky ones. He says he is "grateful and blessed" that family members in Sudan were able to leave the country.

Goalkeeper Mohamed Al Nour, meanwhile, had to deal with the anguish of his brother being taken prisoner by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

"Luckily I have not lost any members of my family but my brother was taken prisoner for nine months by the RSF before being released," says Al Nour.

"We have experienced terror, people being killed. We just hope things improve."

The war that erupted close to three years ago between the country's army and its former allies the RSF has had a devastating impact on the population.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 11 million driven from their homes in what the UN has declared "the world's worst humanitarian disaster".

Despite that backdrop, Sudan's national football team qualified for the ongoing AFCON in Morocco and on Sunday they beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablanca.

It was just their second win at the Cup of Nations in 18 matches across six tournament appearances since they lifted the trophy in 1970.

They play Burkina Faso in their final group game on Wednesday and do so with the pressure off because they are already assured of progressing to the last 16.

That is a remarkable achievement regardless of the current off-field context, given Sudan have only once made the knockout stages at an AFCON since 1970 -- they reached the quarter-finals in 2012.

- 'Big responsibility' -

"It's a big honor," says Taifour. "But also we have big expectations and we want to make it as far as possible and even to win the tournament, make our country happy."

"Obviously it's a big responsibility. I think each one of us as individuals, we know the situation that's going on, we all can relate to it, we all have someone involved.

"So whatever we can do to help, whatever we can do to bring some happiness, we try our best to do so."

Al Nour, also known by his nickname Abooja, adds: "Of course the team has been impacted. Everyone has just tried to get through this period but it has been difficult with the tension all over Sudan."

"In the end our results on the pitch are what make the people happy and boost their morale."

The impact of the conflict on Sudanese football has been enormous, leading to the domestic championship being halted and the country's two biggest clubs going into exile.

Al Hilal and Al Merrikh of Omdurman played in the Mauritanian league last season. A domestic elite league did make its return in July, but now the two rivals are playing in Rwanda.

Some players have moved to different countries like Taifour, who departed Al Merrikh for Libya and is now plying his trade in Tunisia.

Despite that the national team has flourished under Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah.

They qualified for the competition at the expense of Ghana and put in some good showings in their World Cup qualifying group, beating the Democratic Republic of Congo and drawing with Senegal en route to finishing third.

In August they got to the semi-finals of the African Nations Championship -- a competition for locally-based players -- and they also appeared at the recent FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.

"We have tried to use every match as preparation and to build chemistry within the group," says Taifour.

Al Nour, meanwhile, describes Appiah as "an exceptional person. We have learned a lot thanks to him."

It has all led to this, with Sudan now building towards a Cup of Nations knockout tie this weekend and hoping to put smiles on the faces of supporters back home.