SPORTS

Premier League Swansea City fell victims to the first major giant-killing of the FA Cup third round on Sunday when they lost 3-2 away to League Two (fourth tier) side Oxford United. Chelsea, fielding a near full-strength team, came through their home tie with League One Scunthorpe by two goals to nil and Tottenham Hotspur needed a controversial late penalty ...

On paper, Tunisia would probably be Nigeria;s biggest threat, but off course, in football, nothing counts until the final whistle. Anyone would been forgiven for thinking along those lines considering Tunisia are a powerhouse in African football. As the case is, the Africa Nations Championship, a tournament for players playing their trade in their domestic leagues, Tunisia come with a ...

A second half penalty goal from Collins Mbesuma handed MP Black Aces a slender 1-0 win over Polokwane City in an Absa Premiership match at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night. It was a rather dull opening first half with very few chances on goal due to wasteful play in the final third from both sides. The home team, though, did ...

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Barcelona secured a comfortable victory over Granada to return to the top of La Liga. The Argentine scored twice in the first 15 minutes and added another after the break to take his season’s tally to 18, as Barca made it 20 games unbeaten. Messi put Barcelona in command with composed close-range finishes to ...

Wayne Rooney’s stoppage-time penalty spared Manchester United from an embarrassing goalless draw as they edged third-tier Sheffield United 1-0 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday. Holders Arsenal and Manchester City both had little trouble reaching round four, but United looked destined for an unwanted replay until Rooney struck in the 93rd minute after a foul on substitute Memphis ...

Defender Brad Smith’s second-half goal rescued a 2-2 draw as injury-hit seven-times FA Cup winners Liverpool denied fourth tier Exeter City a notable third round giantkilling scalp on Friday. The Premier League outfit, playing their third match in less than a week and without 11 injured first-teamers, fielded a barely recognisable second-string side and nearly slipped up against Exeter who ...

Ethiopia Walia Ibex will play Niger in a warm up friendly at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday in preparation for Chan 2016 to be hosted by Rwanda from January 16 to February 7. Walia Ibex coach Yohannes Sahle intimated that he was happy the friendly will play an important role to know the strengths and weaknesses ...

Spanish prosecutors have requested that legal action be taken against Brazilian football superstar Neymar over alleged fraud surrounding his transfer to Barcelona. “The prosecutor… considers it appropriate for him as to appear as accused,” the court, which specialises in financial affairs and terrorism, declared on Friday. Legal action was also requested against the footballer’s father, Neymar Sr, as well as ...

Chelsea have usurped Manchester United and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League’s wage bill chart, according to annual figures released on Friday. The data, published by Companies House, the United Kingdom’s registrar of companies, showed that Chelsea spent more money on player salaries last season than any other team in the English top flight. They had topped ...

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang narrowly beat Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure to win the Confederation of African Football’s player of the year award. In a vote of coaches and technical directors of Caf member nations, Aubameyang earned 143 points, with Manchester City midfielder Toure, 32, the runner-up with 136 points. Aubameyang, 26, is the first player from his country to win ...