China has delayed the start of its domestic football season because of the escalation of the coronavirus, which has claimed at least 170 lives. The Super League, which features ex-Premier League players including Yaya Toure, Marouane Fellaini, Oscar, Marko Arnautovic and Salomon Rondon, was due to run from 22 February to 31 October. A new starting date for the season has not yet been announced.
Novak Djokovic moved a step closer to retaining the Australian Open title with a straight-set semi-final win over injury-hit rival Roger Federer. Serbia’s Djokovic was 4-1 and 40-0 down in the opening set before recovering to win the tie-break. That laid the platform for the 32-year-old second seed to go on and win 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 6-3.
India top scorer Bala Devi’s groundbreaking move to Rangers “can be inspirational for players everywhere”, says manager Amy McDonald. Devi, 29, has joined the Scottish club from Manipur Police Sports Club on an 18-month deal and is the first professional Indian female footballer. The forward has 52 goals in 58 caps and scored more than 100 domestic goals.
FIFA’s Secretary General Fatma Samoura has refused to comment on whether her role as General Delegate for Africa will continue beyond 1 February. Samoura was given the role for six months from 1 August by football’s world governing following a reported request by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The Senegalese official was talking during a two-day trip to Uganda where she was inspecting FIFA-funded projects.
The Sudan Football Association has named Frenchman Hubert Velud as their new national team coach. The 60-year-old former Togo, JS Kabylie, TP Mazembe and Etoile du Sahel boss succeeds Zdravko Logarusic, whose contract was not renewed in December. Two weeks after leaving Algerian club JS Kabylie, Velud takes over with Sudan third in Group C of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, three points behind leaders Ghana.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has named Croatian Zdravko Logarusic as the new coach of the national team. The 54-year-old left as coach of Sudan in December when his contract was not renewed. He has signed a two-year deal and will be assisted by Joey Antipas, who had been the Warriors’ caretaker coach since August. During his two-years with Sudan he led them to third place at the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco‚ and to a spot in the group phase of the 2022 World Cup Cup qualifiers.
Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad have announced the signing of Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony on an 18-month deal. He has joined the Saudi Arabian club as a free agent. The 31-year-old has not played a competitive game since July, when his Ivory Coast side were beaten on penalties in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. “This is a good chance to compete for something with a traditional club like this and I feel excited about this,” he said but is yet to announce the deal on his social media accounts.
Canada striker Christine Sinclair has beaten the goalscoring record in men’s and women’s international football. She goes ahead of retired American Abby Wambach on 185 goals after scoring twice in the first 23 minutes as Canada beat St Kitts & Nevis 11-0 in a 2020 Olympics qualifier. The highest goalscorer in men’s international football remains Iran’s Ali Daei on 109 goals. Sinclair, 36, was making her 290th international appearance.
Manchester United have confirmed they have reached an agreement to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes. United agreed a deal worth up to £68m with the Portuguese club, before the Portugal international flew into Manchester on Wednesday evening to complete the move. Fernandes’ move is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms. The two clubs have been negotiating throughout the transfer window with a breakthrough made on Tuesday amid reports of interest from Barcelona.
World Athletics has announced the postponement of the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March due to fears over the coronavirus. The sport’s governing body said it would now look to stage the event – scheduled for March 13-15 – at the same venue in one year’s time.
World Athletics will consider alternative venues for the World Indoor Championships in March as it awaits advice on whether Nanjing can host the event in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The PA news agency understands officials from the global track and field body are meeting within the next 24 hours to draw up contingency plans should the World Health Organisation make recommendations which prevent Nanjing from holding the championships between March 13 and 15. The Formula One Chinese Grand Prix, due to take place on April 19, is also in the spotlight.
Tottenham Hotspur have signed Netherlands forward Steven Bergwijn for £27m from PSV Eindhoven on a contract that will run until 2025. Bergwijn, 22, has played 16 times for PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie this season, scoring five goals. He bolsters Spurs boss Jose Mourinho’s options in attack with England striker Harry Kane out with a long-term hamstring injury. Bergwijn came through the PSV ranks and made his first-team debut at 17.
Top seed Rafael Nadal was denied a place in the Australian Open semi-finals as Austria’s Dominic Thiem rattled the Spaniard with a powerful display to win a four-set thriller. Fifth seed Thiem won 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (8-6) at Melbourne Park. The 26-year-old, beaten by Nadal in the past two French Open finals, missed two match points before taking a third to win in four hours and 10 minutes.
Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has signed a one-year contract extension at the club until 2021. The Brazilian, who turns 35 in May, has won three Premier League titles since joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013. His contract had been set to expire at the end of the current season.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic set up an Australian Open semi-final against Roger Federer after producing another clinical performance to beat Canadian 32nd seed Milos Raonic. Djokovic dismantled Raonic’s potent serve to win 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-1) despite an eye problem late in the third set. The Serb second seed, who is aiming for a record-extending eighth title, has lost just one set in Melbourne so far. Djokovic, 32, will meet Swiss third seed Federer in Thursday’s semi-final.
Inter Milan have completed the signing of Christian Eriksen from Tottenham for a fee of around £16.9m. The 27-year-old Denmark midfielder has signed a contract until 30 June 2024. Eriksen told Spurs in the summer he wanted a fresh challenge with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. After a hoped-for move to Spain failed to materialise, Eriksen began the season with Spurs and played 28 times in all competitions this season.
Legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant has died in a California helicopter crash, reports said Sunday. He was 41. Bryant was among at least four people traveling in his private helicopter over Calabasas when a fire broke out, sending the chopper spiraling from the sky, according to TMZ Sports. The crash occurred around 10 a.m. local time amid foggy conditions in the hills overlooking Calabasas, with the chopper sparking a brush fire on impact that hampered initial rescue efforts, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Danny Garcia claims Ivan Redkach said “Mike Tyson” to him when the Ukrainian bit him during the American’s win by unanimous decision on Saturday. Garcia says Redkach bit his left shoulder during the eighth round of their welterweight fight in Brooklyn. Evander Holyfield had part of his ear bitten off by Tyson in their 1997 bout.
Second seed Karolina Pliskova has been knocked out of the Australian Open in a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3) third-round loss to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Pliskova struggled with her returning game against the 30th seed who had lost their previous six matches. The 75-minute first set saw only two of the 16 break points converted before Pavlyuchenkova won the tie-break. Pliskova could not convert two set points in the second set and then lost a second tie-break to go out.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into round four of the Australian Open by beating Yoshihito Nishioka. Djokovic breezed through 6-3 6-2 6-2 in only 85 minutes. Djokovic, this year’s second seed, was ruthless and efficient with his serving, breaking Nishioka five times from six opportunities.
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