SPORT - The African Mirror

Mar

12

2024

Premier League talking points

FOOTBALL

TALKING points from the weekend's Premier League games: GUARDIOLA SHOWS RUTHLESS TOUCH AS DE BRUYNE HOOKED When Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne was substituted after 69 minutes of a rip-roaring contest at Anfield with the game locked at 1-1 and the top spot up for grabs there was widespread surprise, not least from the Belgian playmaker. De Bruyne, a key component of five Premier League title triumphs, was not impressed and made his feelings known to manager Pep Guardiola who sent on the more defensively-minded Mateo Kovacic. City hung on for the draw in the face of a Liverpool onslaught,…

Mar

12

2024

By The African Mirror

Talking points from European soccer

FOOTBALL

Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues: FRANCE NICE IN A RUT Nice's promising start to the season feels like a distant memory as they extended their winless streak to six league matches with a 2-1 loss to Montpellier on Friday. Manager Francesco Farioli admitted it was a difficult time for the club, which seemed unstoppable just four months ago. "The efforts the players put in to keep the team at the top of the table for six months required a lot of physical and mental energy," he said. With Nice in sixth place and 16 points behind…

Mar

12

2024

By PESHA MAGID

Mercedes would do handstands to have Verstappen says Wolff

MOTORSPORT

MERCEDES would do handstands to have Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen driving for them but first, they need a car worthy of his talents, team boss Toto Wolff said. Verstappen has won 19 of the last 20 races and took his second of the Formula One season in Saudi Arabia with an untroubled run from pole position. The Dutch driver's future has been the subject of some speculation, despite Red Bull being way ahead of the rest, as a consequence of allegations by a female team employee against principal Christian Horner. Horner has been cleared, after denying the accusations, but…

Mar

11

2024

By LORI EWING

Mac Allister penalty earns 1-1 draw for Liverpool in Man City thriller

SPORT

ALEXIS Mac Allister fired home a second-half penalty as Liverpool claimed a point against Manchester City in a breathless 1-1 Premier League blockbuster at Anfield that left Arsenal top of the table. Liverpool is second, level on 64 points with the Gunners who lead on goal difference, with 10 games remaining of a thrilling three-way title race. Holders City, who is unbeaten in 21 games across all competitions, is third on 63. Arsenal climbed top with their 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday. City looked poised to hand manager Pep Guardiola his second victory in nine trips to the cauldron…

Mar

08

2024

By The African Mirror

Liverpool’s Klopp urges caution as Salah returns to training after injury

FOOTBALL

LIVERPOOL boss Juergen Klopp said they wanted to be careful with Mohamed Salah after the forward returned to training following a hamstring injury ahead of Thursday's Europa League tie against Sparta Prague. Salah's return provides a timely boost for Klopp's Premier League leaders ahead of their last-16, first-leg clash in Prague and Sunday's meeting with league champions Manchester City at Anfield. "Mo Salah has travelled with us, he's trained for two days and is full of energy," the German manager told reporters. "We want to be careful, but this is a super intense period of the season. We want to…

Mar

08

2024

By The African Mirror

Real Madrid boss Ancelotti ‘calm’ about tax fraud accusations

FOOTBALL

REAL Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said he was calm about accusations he avoided 1 million euros ($1.09 million) in taxes on image rights revenues while he was at the club in 2014 and 2015. A Spanish prosecutor is seeking a prison term of four years and nine months for Ancelotti. In a statement on Wednesday, the prosecutor said that although the Italian coach was a resident in Spain for tax purposes at the time and filed his tax returns there, he had omitted the income earned through his image rights - 4.2 million euros ($4.58 million) in total. "It's an old…

Mar

08

2024

By The African Mirror

Important for F1 to show its values, says Hamilton

MOTORSPORT

LEWIS Hamilton said Formula One faced a pivotal moment and needed to show its values amid controversies away from the track involving leading personalities in the paddock and governing body. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been in the spotlight after a drawn-out investigation into misconduct allegations by a female employee showed clear divisions behind the scenes. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing FIA, has been accused by a whistleblower of attempted interference in a race and allegedly seeking to deny certification of the Las Vegas street circuit that debuted last November. "As someone who loves the sport, it's definitely disappointing to…

Mar

07

2024

By The African Mirror

Mbappe, Cameroon-born French superstar has no problem with coach

FOOTBALL

KYLIAN Mbappe said he has "no problems" with manager Luis Enrique after playing the full 90 minutes for Paris St Germain for the first time since February 14, the forward scoring both goals in their 2-1 Champions League win at Real Sociedad. The France captain, who scored either side of half-time to help PSG reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021, informed the Ligue 1 club last month that he would leave them as a free agent at the end of the season. Mbappe came off the bench in a 2-0 win over Nantes last month and was substituted in…

Mar

05

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

AI set to transform cricket in South Africa

SPORT

A digital makeover for South Africa’s cricket ecosystem could be in the works, leveraging artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to increase the popularity of the sport among fans while creating new revenue streams for fans, players and brands. Results of a pilot collaboration between LootMogul, an Indian sports technology company, Cricket South Africa and the Durban Super Giants have revealed an increase in fan engagement with cricket gaming platforms, pointing to the potential impact digitization could yield for the sport. According to Vibhu Srivastava, the digital marketing head at LootMogul, “it indicates the significant potential for future business opportunities.” Results…

Mar

05

2024

By The African Mirror

Former German FA bosses go on trial over 2006 World Cup payment

FOOTBALL

FORMER German Football Association (DFB) presidents Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach went on trial along with a former secretary general on Monday, accused of tax evasion in connection with the 2006 World Cup hosted by Germany. At the heart of this case which has dragged on through the legal system for years and has also included several other separate investigations, including a DFB-commissioned one, is a payment of 6.7 million euros ($7.27 million) linked to a 2006 World Cup-related event that never took place. Niersbach, who resigned as DFB president in 2015 as a result of the affair, his predecessor…