FOOTBALL

Manchester United and Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo was named Fifa World Player of the Year at a ceremony on Monday. Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi was second, with Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres third. Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez, also of Barcelona, and AC Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka completed the top five. Ronaldo won the honour for the first time after helping United win the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup. It also completed a hat-trick of individual honours for the 23-year-old, who had already won the football journalists' Ballon d'Or trophy and the FIFPro World Player of the Year title voted for by his fellow professionals.

GOLF

Richard Sterne, one of the golden boys of the South African golf circuit, has joined the distinguished field to contest the Africa Open Golf Tournament which tees off in East London on Thursday. The event will be held at the East London Golf Course where some of the world's top golfers - including Argentinean Angel Cabrera, Ireland's Darren Clarke and South Africa's Retief Goosen and James Kingston - will also be competing for R5-million in prize money. This four-day event will kick off with a Pro Am beginning on Wednesday.

CRICKET

The young guns of South African cricket will be let loose at the Gabba in Brisbane in the second Twenty20 clash with Australia on Tuesday. Wayne Parnell, who only turns 20 in July, will make his debut, while 23-year-old Vaughn van Jaarsveld will play only his second game for the national side. He made his debut in the defeat to the Aussies at the MCG on Sunday.

CRICKET

Nuwan Kulasekara and Ajantha Medis took three wickets each as Zimbabwe were dismissed for just 80 runs to hand Sri Lanka a 130-run victory in a triangular limited-overs international match in Mirpur Monday.

FOOTBALL

Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari needs a convincing win at lowly Southend in the FA Cup to relieve some of the pressure that is increasing on him. The Blues should be overwhelming favourites to win at the League One team in one of Wednesday's three third-round replays, but a string of unconvincing performances - including last week's 1-1 draw between the sides - suggests Scolari's players could struggle.