SPORTS

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Real Madrid will face defending champions Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. The draw made on Friday means there will be back-to-back Clasicos, with the second leg due to take place in the last week of February, before Madrid host Barca in La Liga on March 2. …

Newcastle, United Kingdom | AFP | Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City’s title hopes were still intact despite admitting Liverpool are poised to take a significant lead in their two-way battle for the Premier League crown. Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge was rocked by a stunning 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Superstar Dutch winger Arjen Robben is lining up a move to J-League outfit FC Tokyo after he leaves Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, local media reported on Tuesday. The 35-year-old has already confirmed he is leaving Bayern at the end of the season after a glittering career that saw him win …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Andy Murray has undergone hip resurfacing surgery in London, the British tennis great told his Instagram followers on Tuesday. The two-time Wimbledon champion had been weighing up the pros and cons of the operation, which involves putting a metal plate into the joint, in one last bid to prolong …

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | “Even though I always believe I can play this way, visualize myself playing this way. At this level, as I said, under the circumstances, it was truly a perfect match.” — Novak Djokovic after his rout of Rafael Nadal to win a record seventh Australian Open. …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has changed the dates for the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). CAF communicated on Monday that hosts Egypt requested for a change of dates for the tournament that will attract 24 teams for the first time. “During …

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | Twelve months after exiting the Australian Open with fitness, form and career doubts swirling, Novak Djokovic on Sunday struggled to keep his emotions from reducing him to tears. The Serb world number one had just lifted the Norman Brookes trophy for a record seventh time, after …

  Melbourne, Australia | AFP | Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will renew the “greatest rivalry” in modern tennis when they collide in a mouth-watering 107th Australian Open final on Sunday. The top two players in the world have 31 Grand Slam titles between them and each can claim another …

Paris, France | AFP | After a stellar playing career that saw him win countless club and international honours, Thierry Henry’s hopes of enjoying a managerial golden touch suffered an ignominious start after his suspension on Thursday as Monaco coach. Henry was removed from his coaching duties after he failed …

  Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Paul Pogba has the qualities to be captain of Manchester United, according to caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has overseen a dramatic return to form for the World Cup winner. The France midfielder was told in September by then-manager Jose Mourinho that …