SOCCER
Two killed in Morocco
Two people were killed and 51 injured in Morocco’s largest city on Saturday when rival fans of the Raja de Casablanca club brawled after a home game. The running battles, in which the rival fans threw flares and ripped up parts of the Stade Mohamed V, came despite a 2-1 victory for the home team over Chabab Rif Al Hoceima of Al Hoceima in northern Morocco. Moroccan media said 11 cars parked on streets outside the stadium had been pelted with stones. Security forces eventually quelled the violence and injured people were evacuated to hospitals, authorities said. Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the fan trouble and police had made 10 arrests.
ATHLETICS
Eaton wins at indoors
Ashton Eaton captured his third straight heptathlon title at the world indoor track and field championships, taking all the suspense out of the competition with another dominating performance. The only real drama was whether he could break his own indoor world mark, but an exhausted Eaton did not have a burst in the 1,000m, the final event of seven. He finished with 6,470 points — 175 behind the indoor mark he set four years ago in Istanbul, Turkey. Eaton’s wife, Brianne Theisen-Eaton of Canada, won the pentathlon title the day before with an incredible performance in the last event. Eaton now has six straight major titles, including gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
SOCCER
Mourinho linked to United
Jose Mourinho has signed a pre-contract agreement with Manchester United with a view to replacing Louis van Gaal as manager of the English giants next season, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported yesterday. Citing sources from Gestifute, the agency company owned by Mourinho’s representative Jorge Mendes, El Pais suggested that a deal has been struck that could see the former Chelsea boss make ￡15 million (US$21.7 million), even if he does not end up taking charge at Old Trafford. If United do not complete the deal by May 1, Mourinho will be entitled to ￡5 million compensation. Should negotiations drag on beyond June 1 or break down, the 20-time English champions would owe the Portuguese a further ￡10 million. Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December last year after losing nine out the first 16 games of their Premier League defense. “I look forward to the future,” Mourinho told BT Sport this week. “I want my football back, time flies and July will be just around the corner.”
GOLF
Jason Day maintains lead
Jason Day, seeking his eighth PGA Tour victory, rebounded from a stumbling start to preserve a two-shot lead after Saturday’s rain-soaked third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Two ahead overnight, the world No. 3 bogeyed the par-three second after finding a bunker off the tee, but birdied three of the next six holes on the way to a two-under 70 at a soggy Bay Hill. Though Day also bogeyed the 11th, he broke two strokes clear of a tightly bunched leaderboard with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 16th before parring the last two holes to post a 15-under total of 201. “I feel like I stayed patient to grind out a two-under par,” Day told reporters.
GOLF
Chawrasia wins in India
India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia shot a one-under-par 71 to secure a win by two shots at the Hero Indian Open in New Delhi yesterday. South Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun (68) and India’s Anirban Lahiri (69) shared second place.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
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