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MANILA, Philippines: It was a chant that Luol Deng waited years to lead. He stood along the side of the South Sudan locker room after their run in the World Cup was over, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled the same thing, over and over.
“Where we goin’?” he shouted.
“Paris,” the players all responded.
Deng’s vision when he founded the national team about a decade ago was to use basketball as a beacon of hope for his homeland. And his vision never seemed more real than on Saturday.
A struggling country just 12 years removed from gaining its independence — making it the youngest nation in the world — is headed to the Paris Olympics as the automatic qualifier from Africa. Carlik Jones finished with 26 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, and South Sudan rolled past Angola 101-78 on Saturday in the final game of the World Cup for both teams.
The win, combined with Egypt’s 88-86 loss to New Zealand in a game that went final about a half hour later, clinched the Olympic berth for South Sudan as the highest-ranked African team in the tournament. And later Saturday, Japan joined the Olympic field as the highest-ranked World Cup team from Asia — clinching that spot by holding on for an 80-71 win over Cape Verde.
“This team is a beam of light, like I keep on saying,” South Sudan coach Royal Ivey said. “We’re bringing unity, camaraderie, love and friendship to this country. This country’s only been independent for 12 years. To do this, for Luol Deng to put this together, this is incredible. This is incredible.”
Marial Shayok scored 18, Nuni Omot — the reigning MVP of the NBA-backed Basketball Africa League — scored 17 and Wenyen Gabriel added 15 for South Sudan (3-2).
Childe Dundao led Angola (1-4) with 21 points.
South Sudan and Japan joined Australia (the Oceania automatic qualifier) and France (the host nation) as teams to have clinched spots in the 12-team Olympic men’s basketball field.
The World Cup serves as a qualifier for seven teams — the two highest-ranked teams from the Americas, the top two from Europe, and the top finisher from Asia, Oceania and Africa — into the Olympic field. Those seven join France, and the other four spots will be decided in last-chance qualifying spots next summer.
“I love this team,” Ivey said. “Man, this is a great feeling. This is a great feeling. I wish I could bottle this up right now.”
Japan played host to the Olympics two summers ago and now has secured another trip to the games, though it was far from easy at the end.
Keisei Tominaga put the hosts — Japan got to play its World Cup games in Okinawa — up 73-53 on a 3-pointer with 2:00 remaining in the third quarter.
Cape Verde roared back. It held Japan scoreless for the next nine minutes, going on a 15-0 run to get within 73-68 on a 3-pointer by Betinho Gomes. Japan went 11 minutes without a field goal, but Joshua Hawkinson had the team’s only baskets of the final quarter. They both came in the last minute, one setting up a three-point play, the other a 3-pointer to help the hosts advance.
Hawkinson had 29 points and Tominaga had 22 for Japan (3-2). Edy Tavares and Shane De Rosa each had 11 for Cape Verde (1-4).
PHILIPPINES 96, CHINA 75
At Manila, Jordan Clarkson wouldn’t let the host nation finish the World Cup winless.
Clarkson scored 24 of his 34 points in a third-quarter outburst that turned the entire game around and the Philippines (1-4) rolled past China (1-4) in the finale for both teams. The win also ensured that the Philippines will have a chance to play in an Olympic qualifying tournament next summer.
“We didn’t want our hosting to end without gifting the Filipino people with a victory,” Philippines coach Chot Reyes said in a televised interview after the national team ended a nine-game World Cup losing streak. “It’s storming outside, we’re basically playing for nothing, but they still came out.”
Kaier Li, who goes by the name Kyle Anderson when he plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, led China with 17 points. China was outscored 34-11 in the third quarter.
NEW ZEALAND 88, EGYPT 86
At Manila, Izayah Le’Afa and Finn Delany each scored 27 points for New Zealand (2-3) in a back-and-forth game with 10 lead changes and nine ties.
Ehab Amin and Amr El Gendy each scored 19 for Egypt (2-3).
FRANCE 87, IVORY COAST 77
At Jakarta, Isaia Cordinier scored 19 points and Rudy Gobert added 17 in his 100th national-team appearance for France (3-2).
The Olympic silver medalists were eliminated from medal contention after losing their first two games of group-stage play, then won their final three games in Indonesia and leave the World Cup with a winning record.
Nisre Zouzoua scored 18 points for Ivory Coast (1-4).
FINLAND 90, VENEZUELA 75
At Okinawa, Lauri Markkanen needed just under 25 minutes to score 32 points and grab nine rebounds while leading Finland (2-3) in its tournament finale. Pedro Chourio led Venezuela (0-5) with 17 points.
MEXICO 93, JORDAN 80
At Manila, Gabriel Giron scored 21 points for Mexico (2-3). Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finished with 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Jordan (0-5).
LEBANON 81, IRAN 73
At Jakarta, Wael Arakji scored 21 points for Lebanon (2-3). Mohammed Amini led Iran (0-5) with 22 points.
DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, has announced that former Major League Baseball first baseman Ryan Howard has joined its investment and ownership group.
Howard is one of the most decorated players in Philadelphia Phillies history, winning Rookie of the Year in 2005, MVP in 2006, and a World Series in 2008.
Howard was selected to three All-Star games, led MLB in home runs twice, and earned the Hank Aaron Award as the top hitter in the National League. Howard is part of MLB’s 50 home run club (hitting 58 in 2006), and he reached the 100 home run and 200 home run milestones faster than any player in baseball history.
“It’s truly an honor to welcome Ryan into our Baseball United ownership group,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and majority owner of Baseball United.
“Ryan was one of the most feared power hitters of his generation, setting several records and eclipsing many milestones along the way. And off the field, he has been one of the game’s most intelligent and articulate ambassadors. He has also had a strong track record of business success. Now, we get to bring all those passions and skills together as we work to grow the game of baseball in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.”
Baseball United’s Dubai-based league launches this fall with a showcase event from Nov. 10-12 hosted at Dubai International Stadium. The showcase will include the league’s first four franchises, the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Dubai Wolves, and Abu Dhabi Falcons. Each franchise was the first professional franchise in their respective country or city.
In addition to his ownership stake in Baseball United, Howard will also play an ambassador role helping to promote the league, its teams and players. He will also be in Dubai for the showcase.
“I am truly honored to join the Baseball United family as both an owner and an active advocate for growing the game we all love,” said Howard. “It’s been incredible seeing what Kash, John and the BU owners and leaders have been able to accomplish in such a short time. We all know there is still a lot of work to do, but we believe we have all the right ingredients in place to go make history. I’m ecstatic to be a part of it.”
The inaugural Baseball United draft will take place on Sept. 19 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
NEWCASTLE, UK: The Saudi national football team resumed their training camp in Newcastle, England, on Saturday morning. The team will be in Newcastle until Sept. 12.
The camp is part of the second phase of the Green Falcons’ preparation for the 2023 Asian Cup, which begins in January 2024, according to a media statement.
On the field, newly-appointed coach Roberto Mancini divided the players into two groups.
The first consisted of the players who started the team’s last match against Costa Rica, who took part in recovery exercises. The rest of the players began their training session with a warm-up routine before playing a half-field training match, after which they warmed down with some stretching.
Injured Al-Shabab midfielder Riyadh Sharahili continued his rehabilitation program with the medical staff.
Mancini then gave the players the afternoon off before a team meeting scheduled for Saturday evening.
The Green Falcons will continue their preparations on Sunday with a closed-doors training session that will not be accessible to the media.
AGADIR, Morocco: The status of Morocco’s football game Saturday night as part of African Cup of Nations qualifying was uncertain after an earthquake struck the country, killing more than 800 people.
Morocco were scheduled to play Liberia at Adrar Stadium in Agadir.
The earthquake struck late Friday night. It has killed hundreds of people and damaged buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech.
Rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest.
Star player Achraf Hakimi offered his condolences.
“We are living a difficult moment for our fellow citizens. It is time to help each other to save as many lives as possible. My condolences to all who lost a loved one,” Hakimi wrote on Instagram.
The Confederation of African Football did not immediately respond to an email about the status of the game.
Agadir is roughly 170 kilometers (105 miles) southwest of the epicenter of Friday’s tremor — near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province.
The magnitude 6.8 quake was the hardest to hit Morocco in 120 years.
On Friday morning, the team arrived in Agadir and then trained at Adrar Stadium in the afternoon after coach Walid Regragui and captain Romain Saïss held a pre-match press conference.
The Atlas Lions made a historic run at last year’s World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals, where they lost to France.
Morocco have already qualified for the 24-team tournament, which begins in January in Ivory Coast.
The team were also scheduled to play a friendly match in France against Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
COLOMBO: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said Saturday his side will have an edge over India in their Asia Cup Super Four clash, with a bowling line-up ready to win matches and tournaments.
The arch-rivals meet again in Colombo on Sunday after their group match was abandoned due to rain, which has played havoc with the 50-over tournament that is a precursor to the upcoming ODI World Cup in India.
Pakistan won their opening match of the Super Four stage and a second win will further enhance their chances of making the final on September 17.
But rain in the Sri Lankan capital is expected to play spoilsport again in the match, for which a reserve day has been kept aside.
“You can say we have the edge as we have played back-to-back cricket here (in Sri Lanka) and in Pakistan,” Azam told reporters.
“It has been two-and-a-half months in Sri Lanka including the Test series, Lanka Premier League, Afghanistan series and now the Asia Cup.
“So you can say it will be advantage (for us).”
Pakistan’s pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have stood out with 23 wickets between them and played a key role in the team’s performance so far.
Shaheen, a left-arm quick who leads the bowling, rattled India with his opening burst in the group match, taking the key wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Azam said the team believes their bowlers can win them titles.
“Proud to have the fast bowlers that we have. One of the best (in the world),” said Azam.
“Fast bowlers win you tournaments and matches and I have total belief (in) them. The line-up that we have including Naseem and Faheem (Ashraf) is the best lot that we have. They have the belief and how they bowl in partnerships.”
COLOMBO: Pakistan pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi has warned his devastating spell against arch-rivals India that set the Asia Cup alight is just the start, with the World Cup only weeks away.
The left-arm fast bowler rattled the Indian top-order in their Group A clash last week, taking 4-35 — including the wickets of star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
That match was washed out but they meet again in Colombo on Sunday in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, a precursor to the 50-over World Cup that kicks off next month.
And Shaheen told AFP there is more to come.
“Every match against India is special and people watch this a lot,” the 23-year-old said Friday. “I used to wait for this match as a fan before I played under-16 cricket.”
“I can’t say this has been my best spell so far. This is just the start and there will be many more, so the best is yet to come.”
With his ability to move the ball both ways, Shaheen leads one of the most potent pace attacks in the world.
“If you play all the three formats at such a young age for Pakistan and handle the new ball, people expect you to perform like that,” he said.
Shaheen and his fellow fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have picked up 23 wickets between them in the Asia Cup so far.
“We know our roles with the new and old ball,” Shaheen said.
“Haris is quicker than us and impacts with his pace. Naseem and I try to get early breakthroughs.”
The “communication is good between us,” he added. “And that’s our success.”
Shaheen, who stands at 6 feet and 6 inches (1.98 metres), suffered a serious knee injury last year but returned strongly in Sri Lanka in July.
“It’s your match time that helps you improve. These Test matches against Sri Lanka recently made me improve as I bowled long spells and fielded all day,” said Shaheen, who has 105 wickets in 27 Tests.
“So that cleared all doubts about the knee injury.”
Shaheen has never played cricket in India — bilateral cricket ties are frozen because of political tensions between the neighbours.
He is keen to do well when Pakistan take on hosts India in the hotly anticipated World Cup match in Ahmedabad on October 14.
“All the foreign players who have played in the IPL (Indian Premier League), we had discussions with them. I think our Pakistan wickets or Dubai pitches will be similar,” he said.
“Spinners will get more help, maybe. We will hit good lengths. Our team performance is going well as the number one (ODI) team. We have prepared well.”
Shaheen is married to one of the daughters of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, and said he speaks to the former all-rounder before every big match.
“I try to pick his brains before a big game and include it in my plans as he was a big-match player,” said Shaheen.
“He talks simply and says: ‘Just play your cricket’.”
A fan of legendary Pakistani left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram, Shaheen said he keeps his focus on the field by avoiding cricket off it.
“I don’t go out much and stay in my room. Just stay indoors, make green tea… and talk about anything other than cricket,” he said.
“That keeps me relaxed.”
