Sakho suspended

LONDON: Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho had been provisionally suspended for 30 days after failing an anti-doping test, European soccer’s governing body Uefa said yesterday. The 26-yearold France international failed a dope test following his side’s Europa League round of 16, second leg tie against Manchester United last month, a statement said. Sakho’s failed test followed the use of a fat-burning drug. – Reuters IT PROVED to be a great afternoon for both the men’s and women’s KZN Raiders sides as they advanced their causes in the A section of the Greenfields Senior Interprovincial Nationals at the Randburg Hockey Stadium yesterday.

A 2-1 win by the women earlier in the day over the South Africa Under-21 side was followed up by a 4-1 victory over Eastern Province for the men in the game immediately afterwards, as both sides continued their march.

The results mean that both sides are likely to take on Southern Gauteng. Raiders managed to convert sustained pressure into a penalty corner and it was duly converted by Ross Hetem. Barely a minute later the lead was 2-0 as Stephen Wiggett fired one in from left of goal after being given too much space by the Eastern Province defence.

A Dalan Phillips drag-flick pegged one back for EP in the 46th minute, but two quick goals from Raiders killed off the contest, which was scrappy at times.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit were guilty of losing possession too easily, but once they strung passes together they whipped through the defence and it showed in the goals by Damien Kimfly and Cameron Mackay.

Both players were able to round off brilliant build-ups with their strikes, in the 51st and 52nd minutes.

But while the KZN sides had reason to cheer it was the opposite for both Tuffy Western Province sides as first their women crashed out of contention, losing on penalty strokes to North West, then the men suffered a 3-1 defeat to Northerns. Province managed to score first in the 16th minute thanks to a Lloyd Norris-Jones field goal, and they held their lead right up to the half-time break.

After the change-over Matthew Guise-Brown double struck, one from a penalty and the second from a short corner, in the space of nine minutes to put the defending champions on the back foot.

Province pressed for an equaliser but their fate was sealed four minutes from time as Grant Glutz made it 3-1. – Sports Reporter