SPORT - The African Mirror

Mar

12

2024

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…

Mar

04

2024

By The African Mirror

Kipruto, Kebede win Tokyo Marathon in course record times

ATHLETICS

KENYAN Benson Kipruto won the men's Tokyo Marathon in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds on Sunday, breaking former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge's course mark in perfect racing conditions on the streets of the Japanese capital. Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede won the women's race ahead of Kenya's defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru in 2:15:55, also bettering the best previous women's time over the course from Shinjuku to the Imperial Palace. Kipruto pulled clear of Timothy Kiplagat over the last few kilometres and finished 39 seconds ahead of his compatriot to add the Tokyo title to those he won in…

Mar

04

2024

By The African Mirror

Bahrain Grand Prix team-by-team

MOTORSPORT

TEAM-BY-TEAM review of Formula One's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday (listed in their current championship order): RED BULL (Max Verstappen 1, Sergio Perez 2) Verstappen started the season with a grand slam of pole position, fastest lap (lap 39) and leading all 57 laps. The victory was the 55th of his career, and fifth grand slam, lifting Red Bull level with Williams in fourth place on the all-time list with 114. The gap to Perez of 22.457 seconds compared to last year's 11.987 advantage. Verstappen has now led the championship for 40 races in a row. Perez started fifth…