SPORTS

Beijing has been chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, beating the bid of Kazakhstan’s Almaty. Having hosted the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese capital will be the first city to host both a summer and winter Games. Beijing and Almaty were considered outsiders when the 2022 bid race opened two years ago. But after a host of European ...

Zambia Under-23 coach Fighton Simukonda has breathed a sigh of relief after two overseas call-ups finally reported to camp ahead of this Saturday’s must-win 2015 Caf Under-23 Cup qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire. Striker Ronald Kampamba of Egyptian club Wadi Degla and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Mukuka Mulenga all reported for duty in Lusaka on Tuesday afternoon. The duo arrived in camp ...

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has stoked the fires ahead of the Gunners’ Community Shield meeting with Chelsea on Sunday by saying the champions have done them a “good favour” by selling Petr Cech. The Czech goalkeeper ended an 11-year stint at Stamford Bridge after moving across London to the Emirates Stadium last month for a fee of £10million (14.2m euros; ...

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has stoked the fires ahead of the Gunners’ Community Shield meeting with Chelsea on Sunday by saying the champions have done them a “good favour” by selling Petr Cech. The Czech goalkeeper ended an 11-year stint at Stamford Bridge after moving across London to the Emirates Stadium last month for a fee of £10million (14.2m euros; ...

Zambia will host Côte d’Ivoire in Lusaka on Saturday, in the return leg of their final 2015 CAF U-23 Championship qualifying tie. The two sides played to a goalless draw in Abidjan in their first encounter, with the young Elephants unable to break down a stubborn Chipolopolo defence despite Zambia being down to 10 men after Boyd Mkandawire was sent ...

Three foreign-based players failed to join the Zambia under-23 camp in Lusaka as scheduled on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s 2015 Caf Under-23 Cup qualifying decider against Cote d’Ivoire. Striker Ronald ‘Sate-Sate’ Kampamba of Wadi Degla in Egypt, Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Mukuka Mulenga and defender Emmanuel Mbola of Israeli club Hapoel Ra’anana were all no-shows as Zambia enter day two of ...

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho fired back on Tuesday at comments from the wife of Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez, who said her husband is “tidying up” Mourinho “messes” once again. Montserrat Seara told Le Region newspaper that her Spanish husband has had to clean up after Mourinho in three stops where he has followed the Portuguese coach, at Inter Milan ...

Zanaco coach Mumamba Numba is hoping that last Saturday’s win over Forest Rangers is a turning point for the bankers. The six-time champions picked up a 1-0 home win over Forest at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka to end their two-match losing run. Zanaco headed into their home game against Forest on the back of two successive high-profile 1-0 defeats at ...

Fifa president Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel Prize, says Russian president Vladimir Putin. World football’s governing body is engulfed in a corruption crisis, including an investigation into the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia. “People like Mr Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition,” said Putin. “If there is ...

Rwanda head coach Johnny McKinstry has revealed he is aware of the threat posed by Libya after the two sides were drawn in the 2018 Fifa World Cup second round qualifiers set for November 9-17. The tie is a repeat of the 2015 Afcon first round qualifier, where Rwanda stunned the reigning Chan champions 3-0 on aggregate. But the Irish ...