Sports

Cyclists Await Test Results After Covid-19 Hits UAE Tour

February 28, 2020 5:00 pm
Cyclists including Britain’s Chris Froome awaited the results of coronavirus tests from their hotel lockdown Friday, after the UAE Tour was abandoned when two Italian staff members tested positive.“The decision has been taken to ensure protection of all the race’s participants,” the UAE Tour organising committee said in a statement.

It said the United Arab Emirates health ministry would screen all the race’s participants, administrative staff and organisers, and adopt measures “including quarantine” to prevent the spread of the disease.

“It’s a shame that the #UAETour has been cancelled but public health must come first,” tweeted Froome, a four-time …

Chinese Swimmer Sun Yang To Learn CAS Fate Over Doping

February 27, 2020 5:17 pm

Chinese Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang will learn on Friday whether he faces a possible eight-year ban for missing a drug test, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said.

CAS said it would announce the decision at 0900 GMT on Friday.

The triple Olympic gold medal-winner, who served a doping suspension in 2014, is accused of refusing to provide bllod and urine samples when drug testers visited his home in China in September in 2018.

A vial of his own blood sample was smashed with a hammer during the testing session, but Sun was acquitted by swimming’s ruling body …

Madrid

Landmark Man City Win In Madrid Vindicates Guardiola

February 27, 2020 5:17 pm

Manchester City’s European ban means they are under enormous pressure to win the Champions League this season and they are one step closer after arguably their greatest result in the competition at Real Madrid.

Nothing is won yet, not even after City’s 2-1 victory in the first leg of the last-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, as Pep Guardiola was keen to point out.

Real, who been European champions a record 13 times, have a history of dramatic comebacks

However, City’s first-ever victory against one of Europe’s traditional giants in the knockout stages of the Champions League was …

coronavirus

Coronavirus: Chinese Football Transfer Market Collapses

February 27, 2020 5:16 pm

A double blow of the coronavirus and a new salary cap has seen the bottom fall out of Chinese football’s transfer market, while Odion Ighalo led what could become an exodus of foreign stars.

Shanghai SIPG smashed the Asian transfer record when they signed Oscar from Chelsea three years ago for €60 million, with Hulk, Marouane Fellaini, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez all moving to China in recent years.

Their arrivals put Chinese football on the map and provoked consternation in Europe’s major leagues that Chinese clubs were distorting the transfer market with world-leading wages.

But with wages now …

City’s Laporte Taken Off Injured Against Real Madrid

February 26, 2020 4:41 pm

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte hobbled off injured during their Champions League last-16 first leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Laporte had to be replaced by Fernandinho during the first half, with the score 0-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Read Also: Zidane’s Achievements Will Never Be Repeated – Guardiola

 

The French centre-back only returned a few weeks ago after almost five months out with a cruciate ligament injury.

 

AFP…

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Announces Sporting Mega-Event

February 26, 2020 4:41 pm

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it will hold its biggest sporting event next month, with 6,000 athletes expected to participate, the latest extravaganza in a push to soften its ultra-conservative image.

The “Saudi Games” will be held in Riyadh between March 23 and April 1 and will feature 40 sports — including swimming, athletics, archery, badminton and basketball — that will be open to men and women, officials said.

“I (am) proud to launch the biggest sporting event in the kingdom’s history,” said the Saudi sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki.

The top prize reserved for gold medalists is one …

Goodbye, Tennis: Sharapova Announces Retirement

February 26, 2020 4:40 pm

Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova, one of the world’s most recognisable and highest-paid sportswomen, on Wednesday announced her retirement at the age of 32, and was immediately hailed as “a legend” and “great champion.”

“Tennis — I’m saying goodbye,” Sharapova said in an article for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines.

“After 28 years and five Grand Slam titles, though, I’m ready to scale another mountain — to compete on a different type of terrain.”

Men’s number one Novak Djokovic dubbed Sharapova a “legend” of the sport, hailing her “great impact”.

“She’s a very smart girl. She has the mind …

Vidal Spearheads Barca Attack Alongside Messi, Griezmann

February 25, 2020 6:02 pm

Arturo Vidal will spearhead the Barcelona attack alongside Lionel Messi and Antoine Greizmann in Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, first leg at Napoli.

The clash at the Stadio San Paolo will be the first between the two teams and also a Champions League debut for Barcelona coach Quique Setien and Napoli’s Gennaro Gattuso, who took over after the group stages.

France’s Samuel Umtiti was preferred over compatriot Clement Lenglet in the Barcelona defence, while in midfield Ivan Rakitic is joined by Sergio Busquets and Frenkie De Jong.

Gattuso has opted for captain Dries Mertens up front with Lorenzo Insigne and …

Guardiola

Zidane’s Achievements Will Never Be Repeated – Guardiola

February 25, 2020 6:02 pm

Pep Guardiola said Zinedine Zidane’s feat of winning three consecutive Champions Leagues will never be repeated as his Manchester City side prepare to face the Frenchman’s Real Madrid in the last 16 on Wednesday.

City take on Madrid in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Guardiola and Zidane go up against each other for the first time as coaches.

Guardiola has not won the Champions League since his Barcelona side triumphed in 2011 while Zidane has enjoyed incredible success in recent years, as Real were crowned champions in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

“What he’s done in Europe …

Paris

Neymar Red-Carded In Paris Saint-Germain Match

February 24, 2020 4:22 am
Paris Saint-Germain bounced back from their UEFA Champions League defeat by Borussia Dortmund, to beat Bordeaux 4-3 on Sunday. However, the victory was marred by Neymar’s late sending off.

Edinson Cavani scored his 200th goal and Marquinhos netted twice as the Ligue 1 leaders defeated Bordeaux.

After losing 2-1 in Germany in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in midweek, PSG’s defensive weaknesses were again exposed as South Korean international Hwang Ui-jo gave Bordeaux the lead at the Parc des Princes.

Paris Saint-Germain turned it around thanks to goals by Cavani and Kylian Mbappe either side of …

Late Niang Winner Fires Rennes Back Into Third

February 23, 2020 4:38 pm

M’Baye Niang scored a double, including an 89th-minute winner, as Rennes edged out Nimes 2-1 on Sunday to retake third place from Lille in Ligue 1.

Senegal international Niang helped Julien Stephan’s side recover from a goal down and end a three-match winless streak in the league, while snapping lowly Nimes’ four-match winning run.

Rennes are now one point clear of last season’s runners-up Lille, who beat rock-bottom Toulouse 3-0 on Saturday, in the race for the third and final Champions League spot.

Marseille sit second, eight points ahead of Rennes but 10 points adrift of runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain, …

Fernandes Lifts Man Utd As Wolves, Arsenal Win

February 23, 2020 4:38 pm

Manchester United moved onto the shoulder of fourth-placed Chelsea on Sunday after brushing aside lowly Watford as Wolves and Arsenal also staked their claims for Champions League football next season.

With runaway leaders Liverpool looking certain to win the Premier League, attention has switched to the race for European places, with just 10 points separating fourth-placed Chelsea from Southampton, in 12th spot.

New signing Bruno Fernandes opened his goalscoring account for United at Old Trafford from the penalty spot before impressive second-half goals from Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood sealed a 3-0 win.

It means United, who have struggled to …

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𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

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