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South Africa’s captain predicts his team’s future.

Ronwen Williams gets candid about the Benin vs Nigeria clash!

With the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaching its climax, the hopes of a nation rest on the shoulders of Bafana Bafana and their captain, Ronwen Williams. As the team prepares for a decisive final qualifier against Rwanda, the goalkeeper has opened up about the high-stakes permutations, casting a confident eye towards their rivals’ fortunes.

The mission is clear: secure a victory against Rwanda and secure a ticket to the global tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. This urgency was magnified after Bafana Bafana’s recent stumble, failing to claim three points against Zimbabwe. That unexpected result allowed Benin—who now sit at the summit of Group C after a 1-0 win over Rwanda—to stretch their lead, tightening the race.

Yet, within the South African camp, a sense of belief prevails, championed by their skipper. Williams acknowledges the shift in public sentiment but remains an unwavering optimist.

“People will have doubts now, but if you look back to a month ago, it looked like everything was clear for us to qualify,” the Bafana captain revealed in a conversation with the team’s media. “I still feel everything is working out in our favour. I believe in fairytales.”

He then drew a parallel to a poignant moment from the past, adding a layer of destiny to their upcoming challenge. “If I remember well, 12 years ago, we had our calculators out in Mbombela, where we are going now, and maybe we’re going to correct the wrongs from that time.”

Williams’s optimism extends to the other crucial match in the group, where Nigeria is set to host Benin. He shared his prediction with conviction, stating, “So I’m positive, I have faith, and all the results went our way. Now it’s for Nigeria to play Benin, and I don’t see Benin getting results in Nigeria. It’s just for us to get the job done as well.”

The upcoming match is more than just a qualifier; it’s an opportunity for redemption. Rwanda remains the only team to have defeated Bafana Bafana in this qualifying campaign, a fact that fuels the team’s motivation. Ending his rallying cry, Williams sent a heartfelt message to the supporters, urging, “We know how important that game [against] Rwanda is going to be, and we’ve got a score to settle with Rwanda. There’s a lot of motivation behind this game; they are the only team that beat us in the qualifiers. The nation shouldn’t lose hope, get behind the boys and keep sending the positive messages, and maybe things will fall in our way.”

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With the NFL expanding American outside of the United States, more and more games are taking place overseas to court fans from different countries. The league now travels to England for NFL London Game.

For Week 6, the Denver Broncos (3-2) battle the New York Jets (0-5) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The game broadcasts on NFL Network on Sunday, Oct. 12, with kickoff at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT.

Want to watch the NFL London Game online? There are a number of ways to watch online.

Even without cable, you don’t have to miss any of the action. You can access the game livestreams on a number of streaming platforms, including DirecTV, Fubo, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV. All of these services (with the exception of Sling) offer free trials that you can use to livestream select NFL games online for free.

How to Watch NFL Network Online Without Cable

Scroll down and check out the best ways to stream the NFL London Game, below:

DirecTV is one of the best ways for cable-cutters to access live sports and TV from home. Starting at $49.99 for the first month of series ($89.99/month afterwards), you get access to the streamer’s Choice package for NFL regular season games on NFL Network. The service also includes NBC, ABC, ESPN, CBS and Fox for games.

Sling is one of the best options for affordable live streaming with the Sling Blue package, which is half off for the first month of service. The package includes NFL Network for games, analysis, commentary, highlights and more. Please note: Pricing and channel availability are subject to your local TV market.

Additionally, NFL fans can add the Sports Extra package to their plan for an additional $11/month to gain access to the NFL RedZone network.

Fubo is one of the best options for streaming NFL regular season games because it’s the most comprehensive. The service features NFL Network, as well as the other networks that broadcast games, including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and ESPN, while it has additional channels for analysis, like NFL Red Zone. It even has more than 230 live TV channels for cable-free streaming. The streamer offers a 7-day free trial to try out the service before you commit.

Starting at $82.99/month, Hulu + Live TV is a great option for live channel streaming NFL games with access to NFL Network, along with more than 90 other channels, like NBC, ABC, ESPN, CBS and Fox, as well as access to hit originals on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited.

For die-hard NFL fans, the NFL+ streaming service is a must. It features all games across broadcast and cable networks, including NFL Network, during the regular season, post-season, preseason and even the Super Bowl. It broadcasts 24 hours of everything NFL starting at $6.99/month. Learn more about NFL+ here.

Free agent wide receiver Treylon Burks is planning to take a visit to Denver.

Burks will visit the Broncos this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The 25-year-old Burks was an All-SEC receiver at Arkansas and the Titans made him the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, but he never became the kind of player he was expected to be. He has just 53 catches for 699 yards and one touchdown in his career, and the Titans waived him last week after he was medically cleared to return from a broken collarbone.

Despite his disappointing tenure in Tennessee, Burks has talent, and it’s likely that some team will pick him up. The Broncos will be the first to take a look.

Super Formula was forced to cancel Sunday’s second race at Fuji Speedway owing to dense fog. 

The decision was made to abandon the 10th round of the season at around 3:35pm local time amid a lack of visibility, with conditions at the Toyota-owned venue taking a turn for the worse just before the reconnaissance laps were due to start. 

It follows a Saturday race that was cut short due to rain without any green flag running taking place. 

JRP President Yoshihisa Ueno stated in a press conference after the race was cancelled that the series is considering whether a replacement round could be held at either Fuji or Suzuka, where the final double-header is due to be held on November 22-23. 

Qualifying took place as normal in the morning on a mostly dry track, albeit with some damp spots remaining, as Tadasuke Makino claimed his second pole of the season. 

Dandelion Racing driver Makino, who had been fastest in the dry during practice on Friday, beat Nakajima Racing’s Igor Fraga to the top spot by just 0.076 seconds. 

Sho Tsuboi, VANTELIN TEAM TOM’SS

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

Kakunoshin Ohta qualified third in the second Dandelion car, with the single bonus point moving him level on points with Ayumu Iwasa, and ahead on countback owing to his three wins so far this season versus the Team Mugen driver’s one. 

Championship leader Sho Tsuboi (TOM’S) only qualified seventh, but maintains a 14.5-point advantage over Ohta and Iwasa.  

Makino’s three bonus points for pole means he faces a 23.5-point deficit to Tsuboi. 

Tomoki Nojiri (Mugen), who qualified fourth and scored no bonus points, is the only driver still in mathematical contention for the championship if no replacement race is held. 

Saturday race winner Sacha Fenestraz (TOM’S) was due to take the start from down in 18th after a lock-up at Turn 1 – a possible consequence of an off-track moment on the previous lap – meant he was eliminated in his Q1 group with only the ninth-fastest time. 

Zak O’Sullivan meanwhile would have taken the start from last due to an issue with his Kondo Racing machine that prevented him from leaving the garage in Q1. 

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Inter are reportedly concerned about Lautaro Martinez’s potential return.

A few days ago, it was announced that his return from international duty with Argentina to Milan would be postponed by 24 hours due to the unrest over Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

According to Tuttosport, this will force the striker to speed up his recovery ahead of his upcoming matches.

Christian Chivu’s plan was for the number 10 to return on the 15th, have a chance to rest after the long journey, and then return to the pitch on Thursday the 16th for a final training session ahead of the match against Roma, scheduled for the 18th at 8:45 PM.

That won’t be the case, and the Romanian coach will have to hope Lionel Scaloni doesn’t send him out against Puerto Rico.

Inter will also be without Marcus Thuram against the Giallorossi and hopes to have Martinez at peak condition.

If that doesn’t happen, Chivu will have to reconsider his plans: will he still play him with limited playing time or will he field the new duo of Pio Esposito and Bonny? Everything will depend on Argentina’s final match.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier ran for a 7-yard touchdown in the second overtime, BYU’s defense stopped Arizona on the ensuing drive and the 18th-ranked Cougars stayed undefeated with a 33-27 win over the Wildcats on Saturday night.

Bachmeier’s run up the middle gave BYU a 33-27 lead, but the 2-point conversion attempt was deflected and fell incomplete. Arizona had a chance to tie the game, but Noah Fifita’s fourth-down pass bounced off the hands of Javin Whatley, who was trying to make a tough catch in the end zone.

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BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) has won its first six games for a second straight season and seventh time in program history.

Arizona (4-2, 1-2) has dropped two of its past three games.

BYU fought back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 24 with 19 seconds left in regulation when Bachmeier ran for a 2-yard touchdown.

Kedrick Reescano gave the Wildcats a 24-14 lead with 11:14 left in the game after a powerful 36-yard touchdown run that went right through the middle of the BYU defense. The 214-pound back met resistance at the line of scrimmage, but broke through a few tackles and dashed toward the end zone.

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Bachmeier threw for 172 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while also running for 89 yards and two touchdowns. LJ Martin ran for 162 yards and a score.

Fifita threw for 219 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Kris Hutson caught nine passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

The game was delayed at the beginning of the second quarter for roughly 75 minutes because of lightning caused by the remnants of what once was Hurricane Priscilla. Arizona trailed 14-7 at the time of the delay.

The rest of the first half remained soggy with intermittent showers, but that didn’t stop Arizona’s offense. Fifita found Chris Hunter for a 35-yard touchdown near the end of the second quarter, helping the Wildcats take a 17-14 halftime lead.

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BYU dominated early. Martin ran up the middle for a 28-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead.

They kept rolling later in the first when Bachmeier completed a pass over the middle to Parker Kingston, who turned upfield and ran untouched for a 75-yard touchdown and a 14-0 advantage.

The takeaway

BYU: It was a gutsy win for the Cougars, who dominated early, had a lull in the middle of the game, and then recovered late to win a sixth straight game. Bachmeier is young and makes mistakes, but showed a lot of moxie with repeated tough runs during the fourth quarter and in overtime.

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Arizona: It’s a brutal loss for the Wildcats, who could have made themselves a factor in the Big 12 race with a win.

Up next

BYU: Hosts Utah on Saturday, Oct. 18

Arizona: On the road at Houston on Saturday, Oct. 18

___

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The three other options tabled by the WRU include two proposals suggesting a reduction in one side by keeping three teams. These choices are now seriously being considered by the WRU board.

Cardiff are owned by the WRU after the side temporarily went into administration in April.

With WRU chief executive Abi Tierney having already said she cannot see a situation where professional rugby would not be played in the Welsh capital, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets will be nervously watching what happens.

Reddin says he hopes a consensus could be reached if regions needed to be cut, with mergers an option.

Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley says he can not imagine any possible merger with west Wales rivals Scarlets – that prospect having previously come close in 2019.

“I credit myself as a rather imaginative person but even I can’t imagine that,” Bradley told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

“I can’t see how it could work. It was proposed a few years ago but there would be so many barriers to it now, that I find it very hard to imagine.”

Bradley says he hopes to have some clarity by the end of October.

“We have been working closely with the WRU but at the end of the day it will be them who has to make the decision,” said Bradley.

“We have had a lot of conversations and they have been constructive.

“We felt that in a meeting we had with Dave Reddin that he genuinely listened to what we said and we hope that will be taken on board.”

Six weeks of the college football season are complete, and that means we’re starting to see separation among some of the pretenders (Clemson) and contenders (Ohio State and Miami). What we thought we knew at the beginning of the season was fantasy. Now we are dealing with reality, not only across the country, but in the Big Ten as well. Each week lets us know a little more about where things stand.

Now that we’ve had a few weeks to assess what’s going on in the conference, we feel like we have a better handle on what teams are playing well — maybe as we expected — and which ones might be in for a long, long season. We’re even starting to have some surprise teams emerge (hello, Indiana once again).

So, we share with you our weekly Big Ten football power rankings. After a week of some surprising results, it still looks like Ohio State and Indiana are the class of the league, but teams like Oregon, Washington, Iowa, and USC may still have something to say about which teams make it to Indianapolis.

Here’s a look at our Big Ten football power rankings after a tumultuous Week 7. We start from No. 18 and make our way down to No. 1 as usual.

Last Week’s Result: Lost 37-0 vs. Iowa

Last Week Ranking: 17 ⇩ (down one spot)

Next Game: vs. Ohio State

What goes into the ranking

Wisconsin is reeling after four losses in a row, including forgetting to get off the bus at home against Iowa this past weekend. No offense, no defense, no way out of the downward spiral with Ohio State coming to town next. It’s hard to see a path where Luke Fickell keeps his job at this point.

No. 17 – Purdue Boilermakers (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Lost 43-27 vs. Illinois

Last Week Ranking: 18 ⇧ (up one spot)

Next Game: at Northwestern

What goes into the ranking

Purdue has looked very competitive at times and gave Minnesota everything it could handle on the road, but the defense couldn’t keep the Gophers from making two touchdowns late to win a hard-fought contest. We don’t hand out brownie points or participation trophies in this column, so no credit given for a close game. Instead, Purdue moves up a spot because Wisconsin looked so hapless.

Last Game Result: Lost 22-21 vs. Northwestern

Last Week Ranking: 8 ⇩ (down eight spots)

Next Game: at Iowa

What goes into the ranking

The wheels have officially fallen off in Happy Valley, and now starting quarterback Drew Allar has been lost for the season with an injury. A season so full of hope couldn’t have gone any worse, and you have to wonder how the season can be salvaged from here. Do the Nittany Lions even make a bowl?

Last Week’s Result: Lost 38-13 vs. UCLA

Last Week Ranking: 14 ⇩ (down one spot)

Next Game: at Indiana

What goes into the ranking

Michigan State had looked pretty competitive, but couldn’t seem to pull one out in the Big Ten, and the showing against UCLA was a regression. It’s back to the drawing board in East Lansing.

No. 14 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Lost 38-19 at Washington

Last Week Ranking: 13 ⇩ (down one spot)

Next Game: vs. Oregon

What goes into the ranking

Rutgers is well coached and looks good at times, but it just doesn’t have the talent to compete consistently and find itself in the upper half of the league. Getting bowl eligible at some point seems like a realistic goal, but don’t look for momentum in that direction with the Oregon Ducks flying in for a game next weekend.

No. 13 – Northwestern Wildcats (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten)

Last Game Result: Won 22-21 at Penn State

Last Week Ranking: 15 ⇧ (up two spots)

Next Game: vs. Purdue

What goes into the ranking

Northwestern has gotten up off the mat after a pretty poor start to the season. Now, after three wins in a row, including an improbable win at Penn State, things are really looking up in Evanston.

No. 12 – UCLA Bruins (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Won 38-13 at Michigan State

Last Week Ranking: 16 ⇧ (up four spots)

Next Game: vs. Maryland

What goes into the ranking

The UCLA team we saw at the beginning of the year is not the same UCLA team making life difficult on opponents now. Nico Iamaleava is starting to heat up and make the offense a much more dangerous one that’s going to create some issues from here on out for some of the contenders in the league.

No. 11 – Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Lost 34-31 vs. Nebraska

Last Week Ranking: 11 ⇔ (no change)

Next Game: at UCLA

What goes into the ranking

The Terps look like they are going to spoil someone’s party at some point, but the close losses in the Big Ten are starting to become a trend. We’ll see if Maryland can right the ship out west against a resurgent UCLA team next weekend.

No. 10 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Won 27-20 vs. Purdue

Last Week Ranking: 12 ⇧ (up two spots)

Next Game: vs. Nebraska

What goes into the ranking

Like a P.J. Fleck team often does, especially at home, Minnesota just found a way to win against Purdue. Quarterback Drake Lindsey didn’t have the best game, throwing the ball 45 times in the game and only completing 21 of those, but he made plays when he had to. It feels like every week is going to come down to the wire with the Golden Gophers.

No. 9 – Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Won 37-0 at Wisconsin

Last Week Ranking: 10 ⇧ (up one spot)

Next Game: vs. Penn State

What goes into the ranking

Iowa got out the whooping stick against Wisconsin and might be flying a bit under the radar. Remember, the Hawkeyes nearly knocked off Indiana and have a loss in a rivalry game. There are still some pretty tough tests ahead, and you can almost bank on them throwing a wrench into things somewhere along the way.

No. 8 – Illinois Fighting Illini (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Won 34-16 vs. Ohio State

Last Week Ranking: 7 ⇩ (down one spot)

Next Game: Off

What goes into the ranking

Illinois didn’t play too badly against the No. 1 team at home; it just made too many mistakes to expect to have a shot to shock the world. Two losses now are going to make it difficult to bet back in the Big Ten race and make the College Football Playoff.

Last Week’s Result: Lost 31-13 at USC

Last Week Ranking: 4 ⇩ (down three spots)

Next Game: vs. Washington

What goes into the ranking

At some point, Michigan has to find a way to generate some offense against more athletic teams after struggling to score against USC and earlier in the year at Oklahoma. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood still can’t find a consistent passing game, and as we all know, a one-dimensional offense makes it hard to win a championship of any kind. Another loss and it’ll likely kiss any chance of a College Football Playoff appearance goodbye.

No. 6 – USC Trojans (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)

Last Game Result: Won 31-13 vs. Michigan

Last Week Ranking: 8 ⇧ (up two spots)

Next Game: at Notre Dame

What goes into the ranking

We’d be talking more about USC if it could have found a way to beat Illinois. As it stands, after beating Michigan, the Trojans are right in the thick of things in the Big Ten. You had better come ready to score some points against Lincoln Riley’s squad.

Last Week’s Result: Won 34-31 at Maryland

Last Week Ranking: 6 ⇧ (up one spot)

Next Game: at Minnesota

What goes into the ranking

Don’t look now, but Nebraska won a close game on Saturday. There’s only one loss on the year, and that one was a close shave as well. There still seems to be something missing with this team, but all the ‘Huskers have to keep doing is finding a way to win.

Last Game Result: Won 38-19 vs. Rutgers

Last Week Ranking: 5 ⇧ (up one spot)

Next Game: at Michigan

What goes into the ranking

Washington’s only loss is to No. 1 Ohio State, and it’s probably about time the Huskies find their way into the Top 25 with the dynamic trio they have on offense. A big trip to Ann Arbor looms. Win that one, and it’s game on in the conference.

No. 3 – Oregon Ducks (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)

Last Week’s Result: Lost 30-20 vs. Indiana

Last Week Ranking: 2 ⇩ (down one spot)

Next Game: at Rutgers

What goes into the ranking

This is still a very good team and don’t expect the Ducks to go anywhere. The roster has more talent than any team not named Ohio State, and I still expect Oregon to be there at the end, contending for a trip to Indy and a College Football Playoff spot.

Last Week’s Result: Won 30-20 at Oregon

Last Week Ranking: 3 ⇧ (up one spot)

Next Game: vs. Michigan State

What goes into the ranking

What a statement win for Indiana over Oregon out in Eugene this weekend. It’s the biggest win any team has had this season in the country, and now maybe folks will start taking the Hoosiers seriously. This is a good team with some fast-twitch athletes and a fantastic quarterback making the engine hum. Indiana does not play Ohio State, and has a much easier path the rest of the season than any other contender.

Last Game Result: Won 34-16 at Illinois

Last Week Ranking: 1 ⇔ (no change)

Next Game: at Wisconsin

What went into the ranking

It was another pretty complete performance for Ohio State. The defense did struggle against a faster-paced play from Illinois, but forced a bushel of turnovers. The offense looked pretty vanilla on the road and simply did what it needed to win a road game against a ranked opponent. This still looks like the best team in the country.

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