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Gauff Upsets Sabalenka and Sets Up Showdown with Zheng for WTA Finals Title in Saudi Arabia

Coco Gauff, of the US, greets fans after her women's singles semifinal match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at King Saud University Indoor Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo)
Coco Gauff, of the US, greets fans after her women's singles semifinal match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at King Saud University Indoor Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo)
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Gauff Upsets Sabalenka and Sets Up Showdown with Zheng for WTA Finals Title in Saudi Arabia

Coco Gauff, of the US, greets fans after her women's singles semifinal match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at King Saud University Indoor Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo)
Coco Gauff, of the US, greets fans after her women's singles semifinal match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at King Saud University Indoor Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo)

Coco Gauff defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 and set up a showdown with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the final of the WTA Finals on Friday.
Gauff generated six break points to Sabalenka’s four and built on early momentum in the opening set’s tiebreak that she carried through to the second set.
She’s the youngest player at 20 to make the final at the WTA Finals since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.
Zheng earlier defeated Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 7-5 to book her place in Saturday's final.
Zheng continued her remarkable season by reaching the decider in her first appearance. The Chinese player has won 31 of her 36 matches since Wimbledon, more than anyone else on the tour.
Zheng struck nine aces as she defeated a tired-looking Krejcikova in 1 hour, 40 minutes.

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Sudan Beat Equatorial Guinea for Rare AFCON Win

A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
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Sudan Beat Equatorial Guinea for Rare AFCON Win

A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
A woman poses for picture in front of AFCON 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Marrakech city on December 25, 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football tournament. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

Sudan boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after a Saul Coco own goal gave them a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.

Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute in Casablanca when his teammate Luis Asue attempted to clear a Sudan free-kick, AFP reported.

Sudan won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 but this is just their second victory in 18 matches across six appearances at the tournament since then.

They lie 117th in the FIFA world rankings, compared to Equatorial Guinea in 97th.

The win leaves Kwesi Appiah's team on three points from two games in Group E, while Equatorial Guinea have lost both matches so far.

Sudan are competing at this AFCON in Morocco despite the country having been devastated since war broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.

They will play Burkina Faso in their last group game on Wednesday and will be aiming to reach the knockout stages of the Cup of Nations for just the second time since that 1970 triumph -- they got to the quarter-finals in 2012 before losing to eventual winners Zambia.

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Hakimi Could Finally Make 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Bow against Zambia

Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS
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Hakimi Could Finally Make 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Bow against Zambia

Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Quarter-final - Morocco vs United States - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 02, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates scoring their third goal. REUTERS

Morocco coach Walid Regragui has confirmed captain Achraf Hakimi is fit to face Zambia in their final ​Group A clash at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday after two false starts in the competition so far.

Hakimi was crowned Africa’s best player at the Confederation of African Football awards last month but appeared ‌at the ‌ceremony in Rabat ‌on ⁠crutches, ​sparking doubt ‌over whether he would recover in time for the finals, according to Reuters.

The Paris St Germain right-back said he felt ready to play on the eve of the tournament, but has not been used in ⁠host Morocco’s opening two games, a 2-0 victory ‌over Comoros and a ‍1-1 draw against ‍Mali.

However, Regragui said on Sunday that ‍the player is now available and thanked PSG for aiding the player’s recovery and releasing him early to link up with ​the national team and work with their medical staff.

“I want to thank ⁠Paris St Germain. If Hakimi is back with us today, it's thanks to them,” Regragui said.

"There's not a single club in the world that would release a player 15 days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco need victory over Zambia to ensure they win Group B having ‌last lifted the Cup of Nations trophy in 1976.

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Slot: Liverpool's Wirtz Will Score Many More After Wolves Winner

Liverpool's Florian Wirtz scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Liverpool's Florian Wirtz scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
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Slot: Liverpool's Wirtz Will Score Many More After Wolves Winner

Liverpool's Florian Wirtz scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Liverpool's Florian Wirtz scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Florian Wirtz is beginning to find his feet at Liverpool and will keep getting better, manager Arne Slot said after the German midfielder scored his first goal for the Premier League champions in their 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Liverpool signed Wirtz in June for a reported fee of 100 million pounds ($135 million), with a further 16 million pounds in potential bonuses.

The 22-year-old had failed to find the net in more than 20 appearances for Liverpool before scoring the winner in Saturday's match, and Slot said his performances ⁠had been undervalued due to football's obsession with statistics.

"I'm quite sure it was a relief for him. This I could see after his reaction after he scored the goal – and the same I saw with his teammates. I think they were really happy for him," Slot told reporters, according to Reuters.

"In football – rightly ⁠so, maybe – we mainly get judged on results, and individuals mainly get judged on goals and assists. Sometimes we tend to forget what else there is to do during a game."

The Dutch manager called on Wirtz to keep going after ending his drought.

"He's had multiple good games for us but I also feel he gets better and better every single game he is playing for us. He gets fitter and fitter and was getting closer and ⁠closer to his first goal," he added.

"Then it was not a surprise to me that he scored one today, but he would probably be the first one to understand that one goal is not enough.

"He will score many more goals for us than only this one, but I also liked his performance during large parts of the game today. I think he was special in a lot of moments."

Liverpool, fourth in the standings, next host 16th-placed Leeds United in a league match on January 1.