TP Mazembe have been declared champions of the Democratic Republic of Congo after the country’s league season was brought to an end because of the coronavirus pandemic. DR Congo’s football federation, FECOFA, issued a statement saying they reached their decision following a meeting on Wednesday after the 2019/20 season had been halted by the Covid-19 crisis.
Tottenham and England midfielder Dele Alli was held at knifepoint during a burglary in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Two men broke into the 24-year-old’s house in north London, where he is spending lockdown with his brother and their respective partners. Alli was threatened and punched during the incident and suffered minor facial injuries in a scuffle.
Leading professional golfers based outside the United States must quarantine in America before resuming the PGA Tour season next month. This was confirmed as the PGA Tour outlined its plans for a return to action.
Daniel Ricciardo is to race for McLaren in 2021, taking the seat of Carlos Sainz, who will move to Ferrari. The double switch was announced by both teams on Thursday morning in a choreographed series of news releases.
Cameroon has become the latest African country to cancel the rest of its domestic league season because of the coronavirus pandemic. PWD Bamenda, who were leading the top tier when football was suspended in mid-March, have been declared champions, according to the country’s football federation FECAFOOT.
Wolves have become the first Premier League club to install a drive-through coronavirus testing station for their players at their training ground. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo and his players returned to Compton for individual sessions last week. It is understood Wolves players are yet to use the procedure but backroom staff have been tested.
Ukraine striker Artem Biesiedin has been banned for one year by Uefa after failing an anti-doping test. Biesiedin, 24, recorded an adverse reading after playing for club side Dynamo Kiev against Malmo in the Europa League group stage in November.
Sebastian Vettel is to leave Ferrari at the end of the year after contract talks between the two broke down with no agreement. Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said the decision was mutual and was “not easy to reach, given Sebastian’s worth as a driver and as a person”.
La Liga president Javier Tebas hopes Spain’s top flight will restart on 12 June and says coronavirus tests will mean “practically zero” risk to players during games. The league said on Sunday that five players had tested positive for the virus across Spain’s top two divisions. La Liga started testing players last week as it plans to resume training and play matches behind closed doors.
Basketball great Shaquille O’Neal says the NBA should “scrap the season” because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2019-20 campaign was halted in March with five regular-season games and two months of play-offs remaining. “Everybody go home, get healthy, come back next year,” said four-time NBA champion O’Neal, 48, who now works as a television pundit.
Atalanta midfielder Andrea Rinaldi has died aged 19 after suffering a brain aneurysm on Friday while training at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Rinaldi was part of the youth system at Atalanta and had been on loan at Serie D side Legnano this season. “Always available and positive, he knew how to make himself well-liked by everyone,” said an Atalanta statement.
Somerset have cancelled the contract of South Africa seam bowler Vernon Philander by mutual agreement. The 34-year-old was due to join the county for the summer on a Kolpak deal, which meant he would not count as an overseas player.
American UFC fighter Kelvin Gastelum has served a five-month ban for breaching anti-doping regulations for a second time, the United States Anti-Doping Agency has confirmed.
Five players have tested positive for coronavirus across Spain’s top two divisions, La Liga has said. The unnamed players are all asymptomatic and are now in isolation. They will continue to be tested and can only rejoin training when they return two consecutive negative results.
Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned for six years from all forms of cricket after breaching anti-corruption rules. Shafaq admitted to four charges while playing for Afghan club Nangarhar Leopards in 2018 and Sylhet Thunder in last year’s Bangladesh Premier League.
Jacare Souza has tested positive for Covid-19 and is out of Saturday’s controversial UFC 249 event – the first of three in seven days in Florida. Souza, 40, was due to fight Uriah Hall in Jacksonville on a card topped by Tony Ferguson’s bout with fellow American Justin Gaethje. But the Brazilian middleweight and his two cornermen returned positive tests.
Odion Ighalo hopes his loan deal at Manchester United is extended until the Premier League season is completed. The Nigeria striker, 30, moved from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in January and has a contract until 31 May. Premier League bosses hope to resume the season in June but, with China’s Super League also intent on a restart, Ighalo may have to return to Shanghai.
Former Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah has said the Ghana Football Association owe him five months’ salary – but the GFA has said any payment should come from the government. Appiah is demanding $185,000 unpaid salary arrears from the GFA – five months’ salary plus a bonus for matches won – but the GFA believes the payment is not theirs to make.
Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) says its domestic season will restart when it gets the go-ahead from the country’s government. The federation said on Thursday that a committee, led by vice president Hamza El Hajoui, has been set up “to study realistic solutions for the resumption of football activity in the kingdom.”
Yaya Toure is backing former Ivory Coast team-mate Didier Drogba’s bid to become president of the Ivorian Football Association (FIF). “It’s time for change in our football. It needs modernity,” said Toure. “When I say I support Drogba, it’s also for the good of the country, to have a former player of his kind investing himself in Africa.” Drogba represented his country 105 times and announced his intention to run for the post back in September.
Naija Sports Crib 