Tommy Fleetwood Sits at the Top of the Leaderboard after 36 Holes in Abu Dhabi

Fleetwood in tie for lead at halfway stage in Abu Dhabi - AFP
Fleetwood in tie for lead at halfway stage in Abu Dhabi - AFP
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Tommy Fleetwood Sits at the Top of the Leaderboard after 36 Holes in Abu Dhabi

Fleetwood in tie for lead at halfway stage in Abu Dhabi - AFP
Fleetwood in tie for lead at halfway stage in Abu Dhabi - AFP

Tommy Fleetwood produced another strong round on Friday to head into the weekend at the Abu Dhabi Championship tied for the lead with fellow Englishman Aaron Rai.

Fleetwood started his second round with three birdies in a row and carded seven in total, shooting a six-under 66 to climb to 14-under for the tournament, AFP reported.

The two-time former winner and reigning FedEx Cup champion began the day in a five-way share of the lead but soon hit the front after catching up with early starter Nacho Elvira.

Fleetwood's lone bogey came at the 15th but he gained that stroke back on the next hole with a putt from 12 feet.

"That was good, especially when you've had a good round the day before. They always say it's hard to follow up a good round with another good one, or a low one with another one."

Fleetwood is level with Rai, who delivered the highlight of the day with an albatross at the par-five second hole.

"I actually caught it a little bit clean off the face, the line was great. I think it probably pitched around the front edge and chased its way down there," said Rai, who holed out from around 220 yards.

"We couldn't see it from back on the fairway, so it was a nice surprise."

Rai carried that momentum through his round and added five birdies to sign for an eight-under 64.

"It was really good. Struck it really well tee-to-green. Had a lot of chances. Just felt very stress-free overall," he said.

Richard Sterne, Andy Sullivan and Nicolai Hojgaard are two shots behind at the head of the chasing pack.

Shane Lowry, who matched Ryder Cup team-mate Fleetwood on Thursday, dropped off the pace with back-to-back bogeys to close out round two as he recorded a three-under 69.

Rory McIlroy is six shots off the top as the Northern Irishman carded another four-under 68. Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert McIntyre are a further shot behind.



Real Sociedad Sack Coach Francisco Amid Slump

Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025.  EPA/Javier Etxezarreta
Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025. EPA/Javier Etxezarreta
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Real Sociedad Sack Coach Francisco Amid Slump

Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025.  EPA/Javier Etxezarreta
Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025. EPA/Javier Etxezarreta

Real Sociedad sacked coach Sergio Francisco on Sunday with the team down in 15th in La Liga, just one point above the relegation zone.

The Basque side reached the Europa League last 16 last season and finished in mid-table in the Spanish top flight, with Imanol Alguacil departing at the end of the campaign.

Real Sociedad promoted Francisco from the reserve team Sanse to take his place, but La Real have won only four of 16 league matches during his time at the helm. On Friday they lost 2-1 at home against Girona, 18th, which sealed his fate.

"Current Sanse coach Jon Ansotegi will be in charge of leading, provisionally, the team into the two matches they have before the Christmas break," said Real Sociedad in a statement, according to AFP.

They visit Eldense on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey before a crunch league clash with Levante, 20th, on Saturday.


Salah Sets up Goal on Return to Liverpool Action

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
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Salah Sets up Goal on Return to Liverpool Action

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)

Mohamed Salah set up a goal in Liverpool's 2-0 win against Brighton on Saturday as he returned to action after an explosive outburst cast doubt over his future at the Premier League champions.

The Egypt forward, the subject of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the game at Anfield, came off the substitutes' bench to huge cheers in the 26th minute, replacing injured defender Joe Gomez.

The home team, whose title defense has collapsed after a shocking run of results, were leading 1-0 at the time, with France forward Hugo Ekitike on the scoresheet after just 46 seconds.

Brighton squandered a number of opportunities to level and Ekitike scored his second with half an hour to go, heading home Salah's corner.

The Egyptian superstar now has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League -- 188 goals and 89 assists -- a new record by a player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney's mark for Manchester United.

"Mohamed is a great, great professional," Ekitike told the BBC. "I look to him as an example. You can see how much he is involved in goals and assists.

"He is a legend here. To share the pitch is a blessing. That's the kind of player who makes us like to watch football."

Saturday marked a dramatic change of mood for Salah, who last week accused Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus" after he was left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds -- the third match in a row that he had been named among the replacements.

The 33-year-old winger also said he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot in his extraordinary outburst and was omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0.

Slot said at his pre-match press conference that he would hold talks with Salah and there was feverish speculation in the build-up to Saturday's match about what role the Egyptian would play.

Liverpool made a lightning start, taking the lead in the first minute when Joe Gomez set up Ekitike, who thumped the ball past Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton's Diego Gomez squandered a good chance and Brajan Gruda went close as the home crowd chanted Salah's name.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the 60th minute when Ekitike headed home Salah's corner.

The Egyptian himself went close in stoppage time after he was set up by Federico Chiesa but he blazed over.

He was embraced by teammates at the final whistle and was applauded by fans.

The win -- Liverpool's first at Anfield since November 4 -- lifts Slot's men to sixth in the table, easing the pressure on the beleaguered coach.

- Salah departure -

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool in April, will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The length of his absence depends on how far Egypt go in the competition in Morocco, with the final on January 18.

The forward had invited his family to the Brighton game as speculation swirled over his future.

"I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup," he told reporters last week. "I don't know what is going to happen when I am there."

Salah, third in Liverpool's all-time scoring charts with 250 goals, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League crown during his spell on Merseyside.

He scored 29 Premier League goals last season as Liverpool romped to a 20th English league title, but has managed just four league goals this season.


Algeria Keeper Zidane Likely to Start at Cup of Nations

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)
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Algeria Keeper Zidane Likely to Start at Cup of Nations

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)

Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, looks likely to start at this month’s Africa Cup of Nations after the injured Alexis Guendouz was left out of the squad announced on Saturday.

Guendouz hurt his knee on Monday in the Algerian league and did not make the 28-man selection for the tournament in neighboring Morocco, leaving Zidane next in line.

The 27-year-old second son of Zinedine Zidane, who plays for Spanish second-tier side Granada, made his debut for Algeria in a World Cup qualifier in October after switching international allegiance, having played for France at junior level.

Zidane’s grandparents hail from the Kabylie region of Algeria and he is expected to be ahead of Oussama Benbot and former first-choice keeper Anthony Mandrea in the pecking order for the finals in Morocco, where Algeria will compete in Group E against Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.

Mandrea won a surprise recall after being dropped when coach Vladimir Petkovic said he did not want to pick a keeper playing in the third tier of French football. Mandrea’s club Caen were relegated from Ligue 2 at the end of last season.

Algeria's squad includes striker Baghdad Bounedjah, who netted the winner in the 2019 Cup of Nations final against Senegal in Cairo.

The notable absentee is Olympique de Marseille attacker Amine Gouiri, who required shoulder surgery after the World Cup qualifier against Uganda in October and is not expected to play again until February. Injury ruled him out of the last Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast two years ago.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Luca Zidane (Granada), Anthony Mandrea (Caen)

Defenders: Ryan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City), Youcef Atal (Al Sadd), Zineddine Belaid (JS Kabylie), Rafik Belghani (Hellas Verona), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Samir Chergui (Paris FC), Mehdi Dorval (Bari), Jaouen Hadjam (Young Boys Berne), Aissa Mandi (Lille), Mohamed Amine Tougai (Esperance)

Midfielders: Houssem Aouar (Al Ittihad), Ismael Bennacer (Dinamo Zagreb), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice), Fares Chaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen), Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente), Adem Zorgane (Union Saint-Gilloise)

Forwards: Mohamed Amoura (Werder Bremen), Monsef Bakrar (Dinamo Zagreb), Redouane Berkane (Al Wakrah), Adil Boulbina (Al Duhail), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Shamal), Anis Hadj-Moussa (Feyenoord), Ilan Kebbal (Paris FC), Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli)