AFRICA
Favorites reach semi-finals
Favorites the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Ivory Coast needed extra-time goals to beat Rwanda and Cameroon to reach the semi-finals of the African Nations Championship on Saturday. DR Congo beat hosts Rwanda 2-1 in the first quarter-final at a soldout Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali. Doxa Gikanji put the Leopards into an 11th-minute lead when he hit a wonderful lob over the Rwanda goalkeeper. Jean Claude Iranzi was lucky to escape with only a caution for a reckless challenge on DR Congo forward Jonathan Bolingi and it was Iranzi who set up Rwanda’s equalizer on 56 minutes. Iranzi played in Ernest Sugira and the AS Kigali striker fired past DR Congo goalkeeper Ley Matampi for his third goal of the tournament. DR Congo then took control in extra-time and after two missed opportunities, Botuli Bompunga headed home the winner in the 113th minute to break the hearts of the host nation. In Butare, reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Ivory Coast overcame Cameroon 3-0. After a goalless 90 minutes, second-half substitute Koffi Boua broke the deadlock five minutes into extra-time. Two other goals from Atcho Djobo (102) and Serge N’Guessan (112) were enough to send the Elephants into the last four, where they meet either Tunisia or Mali.
ASIA
Japan stun South Korea
Japan won the AFC Under-23 Championship with a thrilling victory in Doha on Saturday, overturning a two-goal deficit to stun South Korea 3-2. The winner came in the 81st minute from substitute Takuma Asano. Asano had started the comeback, scoring Japan’s first in the 67th minute after they trailed 2-0 early on in the second half. Within a minute of Asano’s first, Japan were level after Shinya Yajima struck. It was heartbreaking for South Korea, who had taken the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to a deflected shot from Kwon Chang-hoon. Then a brilliant turn and finish by Jin Seong-uk in the 47th minute doubled their advantage, but the match proved far from over. Both sides qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics later this year after getting through to the final of the two-week long championship held in Qatar. Iraq finished third and were the other team to qualify for the Games. Hosts Qatar agonizingly finished in fourth position, just outside the Olympic qualification places.
ENGLAND
Bamford loaned to Canaries
Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford joined Norwich City on loan for the rest of the season on Saturday, the fifth time he has been sent out on a temporary deal from Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan at Crystal Palace, but it ended in controversy when he said his spell there had been “terrible,” a comment he later retracted with an apology. The former England Under-21 forward has yet to make a first-team appearance for Chelsea, but he has played more than 100 games on loan at MK Dons, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Palace.
ENGLAND
Black Cats sign Khazri
Sunderland have signed Tunisian midfielder Wahbi Khazri from Girondins de Bordeaux on a four-and-a-half-year contract, the relegation-threatened Premier League club announced on Saturday. The Tunisia international, 24, arrived for an undisclosed fee that British press reports said was about £9 million (US$12.8 million). Born on the French island of Corsica, Khazri began his career with SC Bastia and joined Bordeaux in 2014. He played more than 50 games for Bordeaux, scoring 14 goals.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care