Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has blamed the conduct of some spectators for her angry reaction during her defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals on Saturday, November 14.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The world number two suffered a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 defeat to Svitolina, with footage showing her swearing in Russian and making angry gestures during the match sparking controversy on social media.

Some commentators interpreted her remarks as an insult directed at Svitolina or Ukrainians. However, the 28-year-old denied targeting her opponent, explaining that her reaction was prompted by spectators who cheered when she made mistakes.

In a statement shared on social media after the match, Sabalenka acknowledged that she lost her temper but insisted that her comments were not directed at the Ukrainian player.

“My comment was not directed at Elina. I was frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering my mistakes, and I reacted emotionally,” she wrote.

“That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologise to anyone offended.”

Sabalenka also commended Svitolina’s performance, describing the encounter as a great match and wishing her opponent success in the remainder of the tournament.

The incident comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Ukrainian tennis players and their Russian and Belarusian counterparts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian players have maintained a policy of refusing to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents after matches. They also avoid taking pre-match photographs together.

Brighton winger Zadok Yohanna will miss Nigeria’s return-leg encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the second qualifying round of the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations after picking up an injury in the first leg.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

reports that the 19-year-old sustained the injury during Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat to DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, November 13, and was subsequently forced off the pitch.

Yohanna has since returned to England for further medical assessment and treatment, ruling him out of the return fixture.

His absence represents another setback for the Olympic Eagles, who must overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The winner of the two-legged encounter will progress to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso.

Egypt will host the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, which will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has urged his players to remain focused ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) encounter against Tanzania.

The Franco-Malian warned the team against repeating the mistakes that contributed to their previous 3-0 away defeat to Guinea-Bissau.

Chelle said the players had learnt from that setback and must maintain their winning mentality as they prepare for the next fixture.

“We played badly against Guinea-Bissau. We spoke to the players after the game, and our motivation was to bounce back. We played under pressure,” he explained.

“That’s football. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When you lose, you have to correct your mistakes and focus on the next game.

“This victory is good, but it is important that we think about the next game, which we must also win.”

Nigerian TikTok streamer Habeeb Adelaja, popularly known as Peller, and his wife, Elizabeth Amaduo, also known as Jarvis, have announced that they are expecting a baby boy.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶