UEFA/Europa Q/Final draw results: Salah, Ramos resume hostilities in Liverpool vs Madrid as England overtake Spain – Newstrends
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UEFA/Europa Q/Final draw results: Salah, Ramos resume hostilities in Liverpool vs Madrid as England overtake Spain

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4 years ago

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The UEFA Champions League quarterfinal and semi-final draws took place on Friday with some huge ties being served up by Hamit Altintop in Nyon, Switzerland.

The pick of the quarterfinals is arguably the rematch between last season’s finalists Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but competition is fierce with Manchester City up against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid paired with Liverpool.

Chelsea will probably feel happy with their draw against FC Porto, but there are no easy ties at this point with a number of strong sides having already fallen by the wayside.

All eyes will be on Erling Haaland as he returns to England and the club where his father Alf-Inge played for three years while PSG go up against Hansi Flick’s champions with a new head coach in Mauricio Pochettino.

Real and Liverpool is a meeting of two historical giants who have not had it easy this season while Thomas Tuchel will be plotting a return to the final with Chelsea after leading PSG there last summer.

In the semi-finals, Bayern or PSG will meet the winner of City against Dortmund and Real or Liverpool will come up against Porto or Chelsea to decided the finalists with Bayern, PSG, City or Dortmund destined to be the home team in the ultimate Istanbul final.

Champions League quarterfinal draw

Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund (April 6 and April 14)

FC Porto vs. Chelsea (April 7 and April 13)

Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain (April 7 and April 13)

Real Madrid vs. Liverpool (April 6 and April 14)

Champions League semifinal draw

Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid or Liverpool vs. FC Porto or Chelsea

Europa League

The drama was not limited to the Champions League either, with the Europa League quarterfinals delivering some big names too — AFC Ajax against AS Roma arguably the pick of the ties there.

Underdogs Granada got Manchester United at home for the first leg while Slavia Prague drew Arsenal away and Dinamo Zagreb’s reward for dumping out Tottenham Hotspur was Europa League specialist Unai Emery’s Villarreal.

The winner of Granada against United could face Ajax or Roma while Dinamo or Villarreal will come up against Arsenal or Slavia on the side of the draw that will ultimately produce the home team for the final.

Europa League quarterfinal draw

Granada CF vs. Manchester United (April 8 and April 15)

Arsenal vs. Slavia Prague (April 8 and April 15)

AFC Ajax vs. AS Roma (April 8 and April 15)

Dinamo Zagreb vs. Villarreal CF (April 8 and April 15)

Europa League semifinal draw

Granada CF or Manchester United vs. AFC Ajax or AS Roma

Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal CF vs. Arsenal or Slavia Prague

-CBS Sports

Will Salah avenge Ramos hard tackle

Everyone remembers the final of the 2017/18 Champions League final, where Loris Karius’ goalkeeping errors handed a third successive continental success to Real Madrid.

However, there was a degree of controversy in the first-half, with a physical tussle between Sergio Ramos and Mohamed Salah ending in the Egyptian suffering a shoulder injury which forced him out of the final, and put his 2018 World Cup preparations in difficulty.

Liverpool supporters have since held a grudge against the Los Blancos captain, and many feel it is an interesting subplot for the two teams to be drawn against each other again.

England overtake Spain

The disappointing showing from Spain’s European representatives this campaign, with Real Madrid the only remaining competitor in the Champions League and Granada in the Europa League, has seen England overtake them in UEFA’s coefficient ranking.

England’s rise to the top of the pile is down to their strong representation in the latter stages of European competition, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City still in the Champions League. And in the Europa League, Arsenal and Manchester United are still involved.

-Marca

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BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

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November 14, 2024

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Super Eagles players

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, following Libya’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.

This result leaves Rwanda with five points from five matches, rendering them unable to surpass Nigeria in the standings, even if they win their upcoming match against the Super Eagles in Uyo.

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Currently, Nigeria leads Group D with 10 points, followed by Benin with six points, Rwanda with five, and Libya at the bottom with four points.

Benin remains in contention for the second qualification spot and will face Nigeria in a crucial match tonight.

Libya is set to host Benin in the final Group D game on Monday.

 

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

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Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

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17 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.

Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.

The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.

That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.

– ‘It shouldn’t be happening’ –

“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.

“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”

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Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.

“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.

“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash — and that’s what this is.”

Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.

“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this.”

At an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson declared that a gruelling training camp had left him with the conviction “that I’m tougher than I believed I was.”

“When I agreed to this fight and started training, I thought ‘What was I thinking of?’ But I’ve finished the process. The fight is the party. All the hard work is done.”

At a final press conference in Texas on Wednesday, a stony-faced Tyson pointedly declined to engage in the pre-fight hype.

“I’m just ready to fight,” he said. “I’m looking forward to fighting.”

– Injury fears –

A global audience of several million watching on Netflix, and tens of thousands inside the AT&T Stadium, will be watching on Friday to see whether Tyson’s hard work pays off.

His opponent Paul — who was born six months before Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their infamous 1997 rematch — rose to prominence as a Youtuber, before turning his attention to boxing.

Since his first fight against a fellow Youtuber in 2018, Paul’s opponents have included a basketball player, mixed martial arts fighters and other professional boxers. In 11 fights he has won 10 (seven by knockout) and lost one.

“I feel really good, sharp, powerful and explosive. It’s going to be a short night for Mike,” Paul said at Tuesday’s open workout, where he appeared wearing a bizarre head-dress in the form of a rooster.

It goes without saying that a prime, 1980s-era Tyson would almost certainly have dealt with Paul within a few minutes.

Does he retain enough residue of the talent and destructive power that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986, at the age of 20 years and four months? Bob Arum, the legendary 92-year-old boxing promoter who has seen it all, is unequivocal.

“The answer is no,” Arum told Secondsout.com last month. “A 58-year-old guy, no matter how good they were, no matter how athletic they were, are not gonna be able to fight.

“You can’t throw punches like you’re supposed to, you can’t do a lot of things. I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him relatively no chance.”

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

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Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

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1 day ago

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November 13, 2024

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South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan

Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan was arrested on Wednesday amid allegations that he misused the organization’s funds for personal purposes, as reported by local media.

Jordaan, renowned for his pivotal role in securing South Africa as the host for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, sought to block his arrest on Tuesday by filing an urgent application.

However, the Johannesburg High Court is scheduled to hear his case only on Thursday, leaving him vulnerable to arrest.

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The arrest stems from a raid by police on the SAFA offices in March, after which police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the allegations are that “between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board.”

Jordaan, 73, and his reported co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, are due to appear in court later on Wednesday.

Neither Jordaan nor SAFA responded to a request for comment from Reuters, but in his affidavit to court seeking to block his arrest, he denies any wrongdoing.

Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

(Reuters)

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