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World Cup 2026: Mexico dominates opening match as South Africa falls to two red cards

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Mexico delivered a statement in the 2026 World Cup‘s opening match, dominating South Africa 2-0 at the Azteca Stadium.

Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the co-hosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got off to smooth start.

South Africa meanwhile never looked like spoiling the opening day fiesta, and finished with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off.

Watch moreWorld Cup: Excitement mounts in Mexico City ahead of opening game

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The Mexican-colored red, green and white smoke from pre-game fireworks had barely dissipated before Quinones fired the hosts into the lead on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa’s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams.

 

A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the only stadium to host games at three different World Cups.

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South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players to be ready for the intimidating atmosphere created by a capacity 80,824 crowd at the imposing concrete arena.

Two red cards 

But South Africa’s players looked to have a bad case of stage fright as Mexico’s fans greeted each completed pass with a raucous chorus of “Ole!” in the opening minutes.

Sithole seemed particularly affected, being caught in possession trying to play out of the back for Quinones’ opening goal.

Sithole’s miserable afternoon ended with a 49th minute dismissal after bundling over Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal.

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Read moreMexique – Afrique du Sud : Les Mexicains remportent le match d’ouverture

Mexico rammed home their advantage in the 67th minute, with a fine counter attack culminating in Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jimenez to nod home at the far post.

It got worse for South Africa in the 84th minute when Zwane was dismissed after a VAR review for flinging an arm into the face of Alvarado.

There was still time for late drama when Mexican defender Cesar Montes was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Khulisa Mudau on the edge of the penalty area.

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(FRANCE24 with AFP)

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Clark records triple-double in Fever’s victory over Fire

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Caitlin Clark had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her fourth career triple-double, and the Indiana Fever won their fifth straight with a 112-98 victory over the Portland Fire on Friday night. 

Kelsey Mitchell also had 26 points for the Fever (19-10), who have won nine of their last 11 and had five straight games with 100 points. 

Bridget Carleton had 26 points for the Fire (11-18), who have lost four straight.

The Fever pulled away in the third quarter, going up by 18 points to lead 90-72 heading into the fourth quarter. Makayla Timpson hit a layup that pushed the lead to 10 points to open the fourth. 

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Portland closed the gap, pulling to 98-88 on Carleton’s 3-pointer with 4:08 left. She had a layup that made it 100-93 to get the Fire even closer. Clark hit free throws to make it 110-96 with just a minute to go and the Fire ran out of time. 

There was a pregame rally outside of the Moda Center in support of Sophie Cunningham and her recent comments about barring transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports. A similar rally was held before the Fever’s 105-94 victory at the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. 

Cunningham was booed by the Moda Center crowd when she came into the game midway through the first quarter. Shortly thereafter, she hit a three-pointer that put the Fever up 14-8. Cunningham finished with 13 points.

Megan DiLeo’s three-pointer put the Fire up 36-30, but the Fever clawed back a 56-47 lead at the half. Clark led the Fever with 17 first-half points. 

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The game was a sellout with a Fire-record 19,959 in attendance. 

Fever: At Minnesota on Sunday.

Fire: Host Los Angeles on Sunday. 

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Redblacks one loss away from tying modern-era CFL record for longest losing streak

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New coaching staff, same old results for the Ottawa Redblacks.

Despite bringing in two-time Grey Cup-winning head coach Ryan Dinwiddie this season, the Redblacks fell to 0-7 with a 34-13 loss to the Montreal Alouettes on Friday in the nation’s capital.

Dating back to last season, it marked the 13th consecutive loss for a Redblacks team that has not won a playoff game since 2018. It was also Ottawa’s 13th loss in a row against its closest geographical rival.

The latest loss puts the Redblacks just one defeat away from tying the modern-era — since the creation of the CFL in 1958 — league record for most losses in a row.

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The record was set by the Shreveport Pirates, who lost their first 14 games in their expansion season in 1994.

The Pirates were owned by former Ottawa Rough Riders and Renegades owners Bernie and Lonnie Glieberman, who presided over some dismal days in Ottawa football.

The Gliebermans bolted from Ottawa late in the Rough Riders era to start the Pirates franchise, which lasted two years in Louisiana before the CFL gave up on its American experiment. The father-son duo returned to Ottawa in 2005 for the final year of the Renegades before that franchise folded. Bernie passed away in 2024.

The Redblacks, who brought Ottawa back to the CFL in 2014, will have their hands full avoiding the record book. They play their next three games on the road, starting next Friday in Saskatchewan, followed by contests in Winnipeg and Montreal.

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Six other teams also lost 13 games in a row before avoiding a 14th consecutive defeat.

The Redblacks still have a ways to go to match the all-time Canadian football record, set by the Ottawa Senators and Rough Riders, who lost 25 in a row from 1928 to 1932. The Hamilton Wildcats sit second, with 16 straight defeats from 1948 to ’49.

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Chris Newsome urges quick turnaround for Meralco after loss

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Meralco Bolts' Chris Newsome and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings' Riley Grigsby during a game in the 2026 PBA Governors' Cup.Meralco Bolts' Chris Newsome and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings' Riley Grigsby during a game in the 2026 PBA Governors' Cup.

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Riley Grigsby during a game in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco guard Chris Newsome knows the Bolts can’t afford to dwell on another setback in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup.

The veteran guard stressed the importance of moving on quickly after the Bolts fell to Barangay Ginebra, 84-75, at Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.

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“We got to have short-term memory. It’s tough when you lose a game like that. We didn’t have momentum, we didn’t shoot well, it was one of those nights that you want to try and forget quickly,” he told the Inquirer.

“With a game on Sunday, that’s exactly what we have to do. We have to find a way to erase this one.”

Playing with a depleted lineup, the Bolts trailed from start to finish after falling behind, 18-10, at the end of the first quarter and never matched the Gin Kings’ intensity.

With a 2-3 card and a long break looming, Newsome hopes Meralco quickly shifts its focus to Sunday’s matchup against a surging Rain or Shine squad at Araneta Coliseum.

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“We have to stay positive in the things that we do. We have to continue to trust what we do even if it didn’t show up today,” he said.

“Things aren’t gonna go your way all the time but we have to stay strong and keep pushing forward.”



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Judo gold rush, Neeraj Chopra claims silver, Tejaswin Shankar scripts decathlon history

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Team India enjoyed a landmark ninth day at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Friday, July 31. Highlighted by a historic double gold sweep on the judo mat, a podium finish in the men’s javelin throw, and a groundbreaking medal in athletics, the Indian contingent added significantly to its collection as the Games hit their climax. Team India’s medal tally stands at 23 won medals after day 9, along with 10 guaranteed medals locked in for upcoming finals.

Here is a full breakdown of how Team India performed across venues on Day 9.


Judo: Twin Commonwealth Games golds and silver mark red-letter day for Indian combat sports

Judo - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 8 - Source: GettyJudo - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 8 - Source: Getty
Judo – Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 8 – Source: Getty

India’s judokas produced a standout performance at the venue, delivering one of the finest single-day displays in the country’s Commonwealth Games history.

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Asmita Dey scripts Golden Score drama

In the women’s 48kg final, young judoka Asmita Dey displayed remarkable resilience against Canada’s Heidi Quach. After a tight bout during regulation time, the contest moved into Golden Score overtime, where Asmita executed a decisive throw to score a Yuko and secure India’s first judo gold medal in Glasgow.

Harsh Singh doubles the gold tally

Minutes later in the men’s 60kg final, Harsh Singh completed a flawless tournament run. Taking on Australia’s Joshua Katz, Harsh remained composed before scoring a crucial point in the closing moments to bag India’s second judo gold medal of the day.

Yamini Maurya earns silver

In the women’s 57kg final, Yamini Maurya added to India’s combat medal count with a hard-fought silver medal. Yamini reached the final following an emphatic 98-second Ippon victory in her semi-final bout before falling short against England’s Acelya Toprak.


Track & field: Javelin double podium and historic decathlon medal at Commonwealth Games

Neeraj Chopra takes silver; Yash Vir Singh claims bronze

The marquee event of the evening took place at the stadium in the men’s javelin throw final. Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra registered a season-best effort of 85.83m to claim the silver medal. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage captured gold with a massive 89.75m throw.

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Joining Chopra on the podium was teammate Yash Vir Singh, who launched a personal best throw of 85.41m on his final attempt to snatch the bronze medal and secure a 2-3 finish for India.

Tejaswin Shankar scripts decathlon history

Multi-event athlete Tejaswin Shankar turned in a heroic two-day performance across ten grueling disciplines to claim the bronze medal in the men’s decathlon with a total of 7,976 points. Shankar’s podium finish marks India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in the decathlon.


Boxing: Unbeaten semi-final sweep sends ten Indians into finals of Commonwealth Games 2026

India’s boxing squad put together a dominant session, winning all scheduled semi-final bouts to guarantee ten spots in the gold medal clashes:

  • Women’s 54kg: Preeti Pawar defeated Zambia’s Catherine Mwape via a unanimous 5-0 decision.
  • Men’s 80kg: Ankush Panghal controlled his bout against Canada’s Joshua Ofori to advance.
  • Women’s 57kg: Jaismine Lamboria notched a Referee Stops Contest (RSC) victory over Lesotho’s Rapelanf Maselela.
  • Women’s 70kg: Arundhati Chaudhary comfortably defeated Rosie Eccles of Wales.
  • Men’s 55kg: Jadumani Singh outpointed Namibia’s Philip Haoseb via unanimous decision.
  • Women’s 51kg & 60kg: Sakshi Chaudhary and Priya Ghanghas sealed victories over their respective semi-final opponents.
  • Heavyweight bouts: Lovlina Borgohain, Sachin Siwach, and Narender Berwal closed out the day with semi-final wins.

Lawn bowls and track cycling at Commonwealth Games

Here is the performance of Indian athletes at lawn bowls and track racing on day 9:

  • Lawn bowls: The men’s pairs duo of Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar extended their unbeaten run by defeating the Falkland Islands 2-0 in sectional play to move into the knockout rounds. In women’s singles, Nayanmoni Saikia posted a convincing 2-0 win over Zambia’s Mildred Mkandawire.
  • Track cycling: Harshveer Sekhon and Dinesh Kumar competed in the men’s 4000m individual pursuit qualification rounds but missed out on advancing to the final heat.