Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has signed a new five-year contract, the club have announced. The 24-year-old England international joined the Reds from Sunderland in 2011 for around £20m. With Steven Gerrard leaving at the end of the season for Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, Henderson is among the favourites for the captaincy. Vice-captain Henderson, whose current contract expires at the end of next season, has scored seven times in 55 games for club and country this campaign. Jordan Henderson says he is “over the moon” to sign a new contract with Liverpool, which will take him up until the end of the 2019-20 season. “It’s brilliant news for me to commit my future to this football club – I really feel that it’s a good time for us to look forward to the future, with the squad we’ve got, the manager, the size of the club and the fans we’ve got,” he said. “I really think, over the next few years, we can challenge and start winning trophies.” Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is delighted that “brilliant professional” Jordan Henderson is staying at Liverpool after signing a new contract. “He has faced adversity in his time at Liverpool, but his improvement, growth and development is entirely down to his own hunger, commitment and willingness to learn and be better,” said Rodgers. “The fact he has made such a long-term commitment to Liverpool is a sign of his belief in what we are looking to do here. He will have a crucial role to play as we look to take this side forward. “I am very excited about our future and what this group can achieve together; today’s announcement is another important positive step forward.”

After much concern, debate and speculation, the official word is that tickets for the highly-anticipated world championship showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on 2 May will be on sale from 20:00 BST tonight. Tickets are available for both in-arena and closed circuit viewing and are priced at $7,500 (£5,000), $5,000 (£3,333), $3,500 (£2,333), $2,500 (£1,666) and $1,500 (£1,000). The tickets are limited to four per household, so if you’ve got a spare 20k lying around you can take the whole family.

Former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has claimed he left Anfield on the advice of club captain Steven Gerrard. Torres scored 81 goals in three and a half seasons on Merseyside before joining Chelsea in January 2011 in a £50m move. The Spaniard said: “He talked with me a lot and even when it was said I was leaving he said: ‘Think about yourself and do what’s best for you because you’ve seen how people are leaving and it’s time. You have nothing to prove’. “He changed my way of seeing things and showed me that I could get much higher than what I had always thought. I’ll never find a team mate like him, I’m sure.”

Britain’s Luol Deng will captain Team Africa against Team World in the NBA’s first game in Africa. The match will take place on 1 August at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers will captain Team World. “I am truly honoured to be part of this historic event,” said Miami Heat’s Deng, 30, who was born in South Sudan and represented Team GB at London 2012. Team Africa will include players from Africa and second generation African players, while Team World will be represented by players from the rest of the world. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “The NBA has worked hard to grow the game of basketball in Africa, and I am excited to take this next step of playing our first game on the continent.” The game will support Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, S.O.S Children’s Villages South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

UEFA and FIFA have warned the Greek Football Federation that it faces suspension from international matches because of government interference, BBC reports. The Greek government wants to pass laws on violence following a series of incidents at matches. The Greek Super League has already been suspended three times this season due to serious outbreaks of violence. Any new legislation would breach FIFA and UEFA rules on third-party influence on a national football federation. On Wednesday, the European and world football governing bodies sent a letter to the Greek government reiterating their stance. UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino hopes the threat “will make them reconsider their actions, so we can still work together to resolve the issues affecting Greek football”. However, Greece’s deputy sports minister Stavros Kontonis rejected the ultimatum in a television interview on Wednesday evening. “We are not going to change the philosophy of the sports bill. The supervision exercised in Greek football by FIFA and UEFA has failed,” Kontonis said. Kontonis stressed that he will meet with FIFA and UEFA officials at the end of this month in order to find a solution but made it clear that he “does not accept ultimatums”. Under the planned legislation, the Greek government would have the right to impose fines ranging from £7,000 (10,000 euros) to £17m (25m euros) for violent incidents, to order the postponement or cancellation of sporting events and even to prohibit teams from playing in European competition. FIFA and UEFA warned that “should the bill be adopted as proposed, we will have no option but to refer the case to the relevant FIFA and UEFA bodies for immediate sanctions, including the suspension of the Greek football federation”. Any suspension would bar Greek national teams and club sides from taking part in FIFA and UEFA competitions. The Greek federation was also briefly suspended on the same grounds in 2006 while reigning European champions.

Here are the semifinalists for this this season’s Champions League:

• Barcelona (2006, 2009 and 2011 champions)
• Bayern Munich (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001 and 2013 champions)
• Juventus (1985 and 1996 champions)
• Real Madrid (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2014 champions)

A total of 22 clubs have won the Champions League/European Cup. Real Madrid hold the record for the most victories, having won the competition ten times, including the inaugural competition. They have also won the competition the most times in a row, winning it five times from 1956 to 1960. Prior to 2009, if a team won the UEFA Champions League three times in a row, or five times overall, they were allowed to keep the European Champion Clubs’ Cup and a new one was commissioned. Five teams earned this privilege; Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Milan and Liverpool.

It doesn’t get any better. Stay tuned for the semifinal draw tomorrow.

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola faces disciplinary charges from Uefa after wearing a T-shirt in support of a dead journalist at a recent news conference. Guardiola wore a t-shirt bearing #JusticiaParaTopo during his pre-match meeting with the media before Bayern’s Champions League win against Porto. The message relates to an Argentine journalist – Topo Lopez – who died at the World Cup last year. Initially, it was reported that it was an accident, but now there is a campaign underway because some suspect he was murdered.

Former South Africa captain John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu has died aged 49. Moshoeu had been suffering from stomach cancer and lost his battle against the disease on Tuesday. The midfielder won 73 caps and will be particularly remembered for starring in Bafana Bafana’s 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team. Moshoeu’s career began in 1987 with local side Giant Blackpool and he went on to play for eight other teams including Kaizer Chiefs and Turkish giants Fenerbahce. He first played for South Africa in 1993 – a year after their return from a decades-long ban because of apartheid – and, incredibly, he was still part of the Bafana Bafana team at the 2004 Nations Cup at the age of 38. Moshoeu carried on playing professionally for four more years before finally hanging up his boots when he was 42. Moshoeu played with our own Austin JayJay Okocha at Fenerbahce and took over Okocha’s number 10 jersey when JayJay moved to PSG.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure says no amount of money could convince him to remain at a club where he felt he no longer belonged. Toure’s future has been the subject of increased speculation in recent months, with former City boss Roberto Mancini making no secret of his desire to try to lure the Ivorian to Inter Milan this summer. And Toure, who turns 32 next month, insists he is not motivated by money and remains open to new challenges.

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Zinedine Zidane (pictured above), who has been tipped to take over in the Real Madrid dugout from his current role of reserve team coach, says that he rates Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (pictured below) alongside Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. “They’re fantastic players, but I like Eden Hazard a lot too,” he told Fifa. “I enjoy everything he does on the pitch. I like the way he carries himself, that decisive streak in him and the fact that he’s improving every year. “He can still get better too, and I think he’s a big reason why Chelsea are on top of the table.”

Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was philosophical after suffering Champions League quarter-final defeat to his former club Barcelona last night. “Let’s be realistic, they were better than us. They will probably win the Champions League,” Ibrahimovic admitted. “As far as we are concerned, it is not possible to reach that goal in the short term. “Let’s not lie to ourselves, it’s just reality.”

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey (pictured) has criticised the appointment of Jon Moss to officiate the FA Cup final. “Seriously, Jon Moss at Wembley? I can’t be having that,” he wrote on social media: “He’s made too many high profile mistakes this season already. Even last weekend he missed two blatant penalties, one for Palace and one for West Brom.” “I reckon we’ll be a laughing stock around the world.”

Athletics’ governing body has asked sport’s highest court to double Rita Jeptoo’s two-year doping ban. But the Kenyan athlete has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking to overturn her punishment for failing a drugs test. Jeptoo, 34, became Kenya’s first high-profile athlete to fail a test when she tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in September. Athletics Kenya have suspended her from all competition until October 2016. CAS has said the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) wants a four-year ban because of “aggravating circumstances”. But Jeptoo, who says she may have been prescribed some banned substances at a local hospital after a road accident, is seeking a delay in the ban’s implementation and hopes to compete in August’s World Championships.

Neymar’s two goals saw Barcelona coast past Paris St-Germain and into a third successive Champions League semi-final. PSG, needing to overhaul a 3-1 deficit from the first leg, were torn apart by a dazzling Andres Iniesta run and assist for Neymar to score the first. The Brazilian striker headed in his second before the break to open up a four-goal aggregate lead. And Barca were rarely troubled in the second half as they pursue a first Champions League title since 2011. Iniesta’s mesmerising skill for the opening goal will be remembered as one of the Champions League’s great assists, and it was indicative of Barca’s superiority over the two legs. The Spanish World Cup winner collected the ball in his own half, before jinking past three PSG players, moving up the pitch and slipping the ball to Neymar, who easily eluded David Luiz and rounded keeper Salvatore Sirigu. Barcelona’s second was more straightforward, as Dani Alves hooked in a left-footed cross from the right and Neymar was gifted all the space he needed to flick in his 30th goal of the season.

Bayern Munich put in a devastating first-half performance to overcome a first-leg deficit and beat Porto 6 – 1 (7-4 aggregate) to reach the Champions League semi-finals. Needing a 2-0 win, Bayern were level on aggregate within 22 minutes thanks to Thiago and Jerome Boateng headers. Robert Lewandowksi put them further ahead and Thomas Muller drove home for 4-0 before Lewandowski added a second. Jackson Martinez gave Porto some hope, but Ivan Marcano was sent off, with Xabi Alonso scoring from the free-kick. The result was a boost to the reputation of Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, who was in danger of suffering a Champions League humbling for a second consecutive season. Since the Spaniard took over the reigning European champions from Jupp Heynckes in 2013, they have dominated in the Bundesliga, losing only four of 63 games.

Tuesday 21 April 2015:

Barcelona 2 – 0 Paris St Germain  (Aggregate: 5 – 1)

Bayern Munich 6 – 1 FC Porto (Aggregate: 7 – 4)

Wednesday 22 April 2015:

Monaco 0 – 0 Juventus (Aggregate: 0 – 1)

Real Madrid 1 – 0 Atl Madrid (Aggregate: 1 – 0)

Stephen Keshi today agreed to a new two-year contract to coach Nigeria’s national men’s football team, The Super Eagles, ending months of uncertainty and speculation over his future. Some opposed extending Keshi’s tenure as the Super Eagles coach after they failed to qualify for the recent CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. The 53-year-old has called for a fresh start on Tuesday at an official signing ceremony, saying any lingering bitterness needed to be put in the past. “This is the time for us to come together to fight for this nation,” Keshi said, adding: “I am begging you all to please put the past behind and let’s start afresh.” Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee chairman Felix Anyansi-Agwu also described Keshi’s second stint as coach as “a new beginning”. The entire (NFF) board has absolute confidence in the capacity of Stephen Keshi to take the Super Eagles to new heights,” he told reporters. Keshi’s initial contract of three years ran out after last year’s FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil, where Nigeria reached the last 16 knockout stages. He had previously steered the side to a win at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, raising his profile in Africa’s most populous nation after a string disappointments at the continent’s top tournament.

Novak Djokovic is “a machine” who will get close to Roger Federer’s Grand Slam record and go down as one of the greatest players of all time, or at least so says former British number one Tim Henman. Djokovic, 27, is aiming to lift to his eighth grand slam at next month’s French Open and close the gap on Rafael Nadal and Federer, who have 14 and 17 respectively. Henman, clearly an admirer, said: “It’s the way he’s hitting the ball from the baseline, how aggressively he plays and how he does it with so few unforced errors. “And then his movement and his athleticism – his ability to turn defence into attack is as good as I’ve ever seen. He is a machine.”

Carlos Tevez has denied reports he could leave Juventus this summer and return to his former club Boca Juniors. Tevez has said that he has no intention of leaving Turin before his contract expires in 2016. The Argentinian’s comments come amid reports he wants to return to his homeland and re-sign for Boca Juniors this summer. But Tevez, who has scored 17 goals in 25 Serie A games this season, dismissed the speculation as false and reiterated that he will be staying at Juventus. “That’s not true,” he told reporters in Turin. “I’m relaxed and I carry that with me on the field, without thinking about the future. “I think I will continue to the end, as agreed with the director.” Meanwhile, Tevez’s agent, Adrian Ruocco confirmed that the 31-year-old wants to end his career at Boca Juniors, but added that he will “respect his contract with Juventus”. “The only guarantee is that Tevez wants to respect his contract with Juventus,” Ruocco said.

There’s still no word on why tickets are not on general sale for the much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on 2 May. The MGM Grand holds 16,500 but only around 1,000 tickets are expected to be made available to the wider public. Contracts with the MGM Grand remain unsigned, while tickets are also not on sale for other venues across Las Vegas. Promoter Bob Arum cut a news conference short on Monday before questions could be asked about the ticket issues.