MEN’S FOOTBALL: Uzbekistan will join Japan and Iran at next year’s World Cup if they avoid defeat against the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah tomorrow. The Uzbeks have never previously reached the finals. 

Unbeaten South Korea are in Iraq still needing points to seal their progress from a group that could also see Jordan, Oman or Iraq qualify while Australia play Japan, Bahrain meet Saudi Arabia and Indonesia host China.

NETBALL: Nottingham Forest need a big win over Birmingham in their Super League clash tomorrow evening to stay in the hunt for the fourth and final play-off spot. 

The top three — London Pulse, defending champions Loughborough and Manchester Thunder are already through to the end of season competition. 

The Mavericks, who currently sit fourth, face Loughborough on Friday, before Manchester host the Pulse and bottom club Cardiff are at Leeds.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: Saoirse Norman scored the only goal of the game as Ireland edged group leaders Slovenia 1-0 to confirm a place in the Nations League promotion play-offs, where they will be joined by their northern Irish neighbours, who drew 1-1 with Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

Already relegated, Wales ended their winless campaign with a 4-1 home defeat to Italy and Scotland grabbed their first point in a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: After playing in their first Eastern Conference final for 25 years the New York Knicks have sacked head coach Tom Thibodeau. 

Under his leadership the Knicks reached four play-offs in the last five seasons and Thibodeau’s record of 24 play-off game wins is 17 more than the club’s previous 13 coaches combined. 

The Knicks last picked up the NBA trophy in 1973.