Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Issue No. 119
Thom Gibbs
Senior Sports Writer
Welcome and hello from me and your Sport Briefing email. Send me something in return if it pleases you: sportnewsletters@telegraph.co.uk
Also In today’s edition
Every England Six Nations player: ranked
The greatest British women’s sport moments of the century
… and read to the end for a non-denominational geopathic surveyor
Senegal have African crown sensationally taken away
Update the record books, or at least the Wikipedia pages, Morocco are the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champions. This despite Senegal winning a controversial final in January. The result of that match has been overturned, with a 3-0 forfeit victory for Morocco in its place, after two regulation breaches in the final.
Morocco, hosts of the tournament, were awarded a debatable penalty with the game goalless in second-half injury time. Senegal players were furious and walked off the pitch for 10 minutes in protest. When they returned, the penalty was taken but missed and Senegal went on to win with an extra-time goal.
Yesterday evening a Confederation of African Football appeal board ruled that Senegal had broken the rules with their protests. A statement read: “The Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.”
Immediately after the match Senegal manager Pape Thiaw said sorry: “After reflecting, I really did not like the fact that I told my players to leave the pitch. I apologise to football.”
But the early reaction last night from Senegal was defiance. Its team’s official X page posted footage of the players celebrating with the trophy and midfielder Pathé Ciss posted, in French, “You can add three more goals in favour of the crybabies”.
What I’m reading
Joe Heyes is top of the props
Always intriguing in articles like Dan Schofield’s Six Nations England player ratings to compare the thoughts of journalists with readers. At the time of writing they are broadly aligned, apart from Jack van Poortvielt who the readers score 1.3 marks lower than Dan’s 6.5/10. You are showing mercy to poor Luke Cowan-Dickie though, bottom of Dan’s list on a 3/10. Readers give him 3.3 on average, and that 0.3 discrepancy is currently the largest favourable difference on the list.
Read more
• Four issues RFU must address in Six Nations review
• Chessum reveals why he did not run towards posts against France
Which women’s sport moment gets your vote?
No such number fun available in our collection of the 20 greatest moments in British women’s sport since 2000, but plenty more to enjoy with a range of nominees from Denise Lewis to the Red Roses’ Rugby World Cup win. You can vote for your favourite, but we have cunningly hidden the results for now. I can exclusively reveal that I went for Jessica Ennis-Hill, but do not let that influence your thinking.
Moronic US fans bring shame to golf
James Corrigan is on punchy form on the subject of American golf attendees who booed Matt Fitzpatrick at the Players Championship on Sunday. Cam Young was the predictable crowd favourite at Sawgrass but, James writes, “instead of willing on their man, [spectators] vocally willed against the rival”. James fears a loutish element has been emboldened by the dispiriting jingoism which marked the last Ryder Cup. “They will excuse it with soundbites such as “passion”, “pride”, “intensity”. Yet it is nothing greater than yobbishness,” he says.
Also in sport
Football
• Chelsea 0 PSG 3 (agg 2-8): Fans sing Abramovich’s name, boo Rosenior subs then leave early
• Man City 1 Real Madrid 2 (agg 1-5): Pep’s (last?) CL tilt ended by Real for third year in a row
• Arsenal 2 Bayer Leverkusen 0 (agg 3-1): Eze and Rice power Arsenal into last eight
• Government intends to sue Roman Abramovich after £2.35bn deadline missed
• Steven Knight: Helping Birmingham is better than winning awards for Peaky Blinders
• Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes targeted by Saudi Pro-League club
Tennis
• Katie Boulter continues 2026 revival
• Jack Draper: My body is still adjusting
Everything else
• England netball coach steps down to grieve father
• Banned transgender pool player granted right to appeal at High Court
• Harlequins coup as Robbie Deans to join coaching set-up
Sported
Our ordering puzzle Sorted always starts with a sport question on Wednesdays. Here is today’s, concerning England cricket captains. Click on the image to solve:
Play all three rounds here and take on a world of brain training challenges on Telegraph Puzzles.
What to watch today
🎾 ATP/WTA Tour
Miami Open
From 3pm, Sky Sports Tennis
⚽ Champions League
Barcelona v Newcastle United
5.45pm, TNT Sports 2
Liverpool v Galatasaray
8pm, TNT Sports 1
Tottenham Hotspur v Atlético Madrid
8pm, TNT Sports 3
⚽ Women’s Super League
Chelsea Women v Brighton Women
7pm, Sky Sports Main Event
And finally…
So much to enjoy about the use of a faith healer by Adam Hollioake at Kent, but hard to look past the job description of the healer in question: a “non-denominational geopathic surveyor”.
Hollioake engaged them to ward off evil spirits from the St Lawrence Ground at Canterbury. Kent were the first county docked eight points for poor discipline last season and lost a series of senior players to injuries. In one match, two batsmen collided mid-pitch while attempting a run. One hurt his wrist, the other was concussed.
Two superb paragraphs from Simon Briggs on the subject: “Geopathy – a system of belief which claims that vibrations in the earth create ley lines and other unusual phenomena – is described by many sources as a pseudo-science.
“When Kent CCC were approached for comment, they confirmed the truth of the story while simultaneously making it clear that a belief in geopathy is not shared across the county’s staff.”
Get in touch
I am keen to hear from you about this newsletter and sporting matters in general. Has anything chimed or sparked a distant memory that you are keen to share with your fellow readers?
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It’s all over now, baby blue. Sorry, I watched the questionable Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown last week and it has clearly stuck around in my subconscious. Back tomorrow, with more sport and 100 per cent less Bob. Thanks for reading,
Thom
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