NYON, Switzerland: Real Madrid will play Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoffs round in a standout clash of the past two title winners after the draw was made Friday.
Man City, the 2023 champion, will host the first leg on Feb. 11 or 12 and the return game in Madrid is on Feb. 18 or 19. Madrid won a record-extending 15th European title last season.
The winner over two legs advances to the round of 16 to face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, who placed in the top eight of the new 36-team league standings that ended Wednesday.
Teams that finished from Nos. 9 to 24 in the standings dropped into the two-leg knockout playoffs. Madrid placed 11th and Man City barely qualified in 22nd, after rallying to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in a must-win game.
Real Madrid to play Manchester City in standout clash of Champions League knockout playoffs
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Real Madrid to play Manchester City in standout clash of Champions League knockout playoffs
- Manchester City, the 2023 champion, will host the first leg on Feb. 11 or 12 and the return game in Madrid is on Feb. 18 or 19
Algeria’s Muay Thai star Nabil Anane eyes undisputed world title at ONE 172 on Sunday
- In his last fight, Anane clinched the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai world title with a technical knockout victory against Scotland’s fighter Nico Carrillo
After six straight wins in martial arts organization ONE Championship, Algeria’s Nabil Anane is looking to earn the biggest win of his career at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang this Sunday at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
In his last fight, Anane clinched the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai world title with a technical knockout victory against Scottish fighter Nico Carrillo.
Anane’s next mission is to unify the world title against Superlek Kiatmoo9 — the Thai megastar who knocked out the Algerian star on his promotional debut back in 2023.
“I’m looking just for the win. I just want to beat Superlek. I don’t even think about the belt. I just want the win. I just want to beat Superlek. That’s it. That’s what I want in this fight,” Anane said.
The towering 20-year-old star, born to an Algerian father and Thai mother, has shown marked improvement in his overall game since the first time he met Superlek inside the ring.
In his last six bouts, Anane used his height and reach advantage to dominate some of the most established Muay Thai fighters, finishing three of his opponents.
Anane, who is the youngest ever WBC Muay Thai champion, believes his wins over opponents such as former world title challenger Felipe Lobo and Lethwei legend Soe Lin Oo prove that he has become used to fighting in small gloves — and is now ready to even the score with the two-sport, two-weight world champion.
“Two years ago, I didn’t know nothing about small (4-ounce) gloves. I didn’t have this experience. I’m totally different. Very different. It was a big lesson, and I learned a lot in that fight. I’m sure that it’s not going to be the same this time,” Anane said.
If Anane wins the highly anticipated rematch, he will solidify his status as one of the best Muay Thai practitioners today, and become only the second undisputed ONE world champion from the MENA region after former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world champion, Morocco’s Ilias Ennahachi, who is the only man to beat Superlek in ONE Championship.
The event, which features five world title bouts across Muay Thai, kickboxing and mixed martial arts, is headlined by a flyweight kickboxing super-fight between Japanese icon Takeru Segawa and Muay Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangon.
'Incredible feeling': Saudi Women’s Premier League glory vindicates Boussaha’s Al-Nassr move
- Algerian international has helped the Riyadh team clinch a third league title in a row
AUSTRALIA: While Al-Nassr’s men’s team have found success hard to come by in recent seasons, their women’s team have had no such issues, last week clinching their third straight Saudi Women’s Premier League title.
With the league itself, the first professional league of its type in the Kingdom, only three years old, it means Al-Nassr remain the only side to win the competition since its formation back in 2022.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” star midfielder Lina Boussaha told Arab News after a 3-1 win over their nearest title rivals, Al-Ahli, secured their third straight title.
“Winning one title is special, but winning three in a row is a testament to the consistency and belief within the team. This season was challenging in its own way, but we stayed focused, and lifting the trophy again is a moment of immense pride for all of us.”
They haven’t just won the league either, they’ve dominated it. In the almost three full seasons since the league began, Al-Nassr have played 44 games. Remarkably, they’ve won 39 of them and lost just two.
And this season they are on track for the perfect “golden” season. Sixteen games into the season they are not only yet to taste defeat, they are yet to drop a single point — 16 games played, 16 games won.
With the league title already in their pocket and just two games remaining — including one against Riyadh rivals Al-Hilal — the perfect season is within touching distance.
“The motivation is high, we always want to push our limits and set new standards,” Boussaha openly admitted.
“Winning every game is not easy, but we’ve come this far, and we want to finish strong. It’s not just about results, but about maintaining our identity and showing what this team is capable of. Writing the history.
“Getting a golden league doesn’t happen often, we want that.”
Given their success to date, and not just this season, but across the entirety of the league’s existence, it’d be folly to back against them.
What sets Al-Nassr apart, according to Boussaha, is their never-say-die attitude.
“Each season has its own story, but this one was unique because of the challenges we faced,” the Algerian international explained.
“In the first five or six games, we had to come from behind multiple times, including an incredible remontada.”
That came in Round 5 in a Riyadh Derby against Al Shabab, who had shot to a 3-0 lead by the hour mark, and had Al-Nassr staring defeat straight in the eyes.
But a remarkable turnaround, spearheaded by Boussaha, who scored two goals in as many minutes to reduce the deficit, saw Al-Nassr score four goals in the final 25 minutes of the game to run out 4-3 victors.
There were other moments, too. They trailed Al-Amal 1-0 before goals in the 88th and 91st minutes secured a 2-1 win in Round 3. Against Al-Qadsiah a week earlier, they also came from a goal down, albeit in less dramatic fashion, to win 2-1.
While in Round 6, just a week after their win over Al-Shabab, Boussaha inspired another comeback, this time against Al-Ittihad as they came from a goal down to win 3-1.
“Those moments built our strength as a team, reinforced our confidence, and showed everyone our resilience,” the 26-year-old said.
“It proved that beating us isn’t easy, even when we’re under pressure or dominated. Overcoming those situations helped us for the rest of the season and gave us the mentality to push through the second half even stronger.”
She continued: “After three seasons working together, we’ve become like a family, sisters, and we fight for each other on and off the pitch. Collectively, we know our potential, and we don’t want to miss out on any opportunity or game.
“As champions, we have high goals and standards, which means we always have to show up and give double or even triple the effort.
“Personally, when we’re losing, I know that giving up is not an option. I have to finish the game exhausted, knowing I gave everything like it was my last match, whether we’re losing, drawing, or winning. That mindset drives me and the team to push beyond our limits.”
Boussaha, a French-born Algerian international, has been one of the headline names in the league since its inception. That she is in the league at all is only down to circumstance after France banned players from wearing the hijab in sporting competitions.
Not willing to forego her identity, Boussaha, a graduate of the PSG academy and a former PSG player, begrudgingly walked away from the professional game in France.
An opportunity to play in a new league in Saudi Arabia, where she could remain true to her identity, was an offer she couldn’t walk away from.
“Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations before coming here,” she said.
“I had very little information about the league, the level, or the players. I tried to gather details, but since the league had just been created, it wasn’t easy.
“My decision to come was first and foremost because of my hijab, I missed playing football, and I knew that in France, it wouldn’t be possible anymore while wearing it.”
Three years on she has zero regrets, having seen the fledgling league boom in that time.
“Since I first arrived, there’s been a huge gap between then and now,” she explained.
“The league wasn’t well-known, we didn’t have superstar players, and the games weren’t even broadcast. There was very little information available on social media, and it was still in its early stages.
“Then, suddenly, everything boomed. The league became more competitive and attractive, with top players and big names joining. The social media presence and marketing are now even better than in some famous leagues. The Saudi players and national teams have progressed technically and mentally.
“The investment in facilities, field, sponsorships and infrastructures in some clubs, has taken things to another level and honestly, it’s really enjoyable to play in this league now.”
Kevin Durant scores 42 points as Suns eclipse Cavs
- The win lifted Phoenix into 10th place in the Western Conference and into the play-in tournament reckoning
- Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their successful clinching of the No.1 seeding on Thursday with a ruthless 141-106 beatdown of the Charlotte Hornets
LOS ANGELES: Kevin Durant scored 42 points as the Phoenix Suns reignited their playoff hopes with a 123-112 upset of the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
A superb performance from Durant secured a third straight victory for Phoenix as they aim to muscle their way into the postseason picture in the Western Conference.
Durant erupted for 19 points in a third-quarter burst of scoring that took the game beyond Cleveland’s grasp, with the Suns opening up a 98-79 lead heading into the fourth quarter which they never looked like letting slip.
The win lifted Phoenix into 10th place in the Western Conference and into the play-in tournament reckoning.
The top six teams in each NBA conference qualify automatically for the playoffs, while teams placed from 7th to 10th play in a mini tournament to determine the final two playoff berths.
“This is the best team in the league,” Durant said of Cleveland following the Suns win.
“We’ve been struggling and we know we’ve got the toughest schedule for the last 10 games,” he added. “So we just wanted to dial in and make sure we kept building on the work we’ve done over the last week.”
Cleveland’s fourth consecutive loss leaves the second-placed Boston Celtics just five wins behind the Cavs at the top of the East.
The Celtics improved to 51-19 after thrashing the Utah Jazz 121-99 on the back of 27 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 26 points from Jayson Tatum.
The Detroit Pistons’ progress toward the playoffs suffered a jolt in a surprising 123-117 defeat on the road to the struggling Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavs — whose season has been blown off course by the trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers and a season-ending injury to Kyrie Irving — powered to a precious victory thanks to 31 points from Spencer Dinwiddie and 27 from P.J. Washington.
The result leaves Dallas perched on the edge of playoff contention in 11th place with a 34-37 record in the Western Conference.
Detroit occupy the sixth and last automatic playoff berth in the East.
Despite the loss the Pistons will fancy their chances of locking down a postseason ticket given a vastly superior record — 39-32 — to seventh-placed Atlanta (33-36).
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their successful clinching of the No.1 seeding on Thursday with a ruthless 141-106 beatdown of the Charlotte Hornets.
The Thunder were assured of top spot in the West despite not playing on Thursday after the Los Angeles Lakers’ defeat to Milwaukee.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points as no fewer than eight OKC players finished in double figures in a wire-to-win which leaves the Thunder with a 58-12 record at the top of the West.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he wanted to see his team play with the same intensity for the remainder of the regular season as they build toward the playoffs.
“We got to play with a sense of purpose — you can’t coast into the postseason,” Daigneault said.
“It was a great 48-minute effort. We played to our standards on both ends of the floor.”
With OKC already assured of top spot, Houston boosted their hopes of clinching second place in the West after rallying from 11 points down to squeeze past the Miami Heat, winning 102-98 on the road to bag their ninth consecutive win.
Fred VanVleet was the key man for Houston, finishing with 37 points after a devastating exhibition of long-range shooting.
VanVleet drained nine-of-11 attempts from outside the arc as the Rockets improved to 46-25.
The Minnesota Timberwolves remain hard on the heels of the sixth-placed Golden State Warriors (41-29) in the race for the playoffs.
The Wolves, who are one place behind Golden State, improved to 41-31 after a 134-93 pasting of the New Orleans Pelicans.
In another upset, the Portland Trail Blazers outgunned the injury-hit Denver Nuggets 128-109.
Argentina without Messi win at Uruguay, need a draw with Brazil to qualify for 2026 World Cup
- Argentina’s midfielder Thiago Almada celebrates after scoring during the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Uruguay and Argentina at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, on Friday. (AFP)
- Argentina lead the round robin competition with 28 points after 13 matches, and could secure their place with a home draw with Brazil on Tuesday
MONTEVIDEO: Argentina didn’t miss Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and other key players on Friday and beat Uruguay away 1-0 in convincing fashion in their South American World Cup qualifying match.
Thiago Almada scored the winner with a powerful curled shot from the edge of the box, putting the defending champions one point away from their direct spot in the tournament next year.
Argentina lead the round robin competition with 28 points after 13 matches, and could secure their place with a home draw with Brazil on Tuesday. The team of coach Lionel Scaloni already has 15 points ahead of 7th-placed Bolivia, with only five rounds to the end of the competition.
The last time the two soccer powerhouses clashed, Argentina won 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Earlier, Ecuador defeated Venezuela 2-1 and moved into second place in South American World Cup, edging close to reaching the tournament once again.
Brazil is third with 21 points, one ahead of Uruguay and Paraguay. Colombia, with 19 points, has the sixth position.
The top six teams will secure direct berths to the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The seventh-place team among the 10 of the region will still have a chance to qualify through an international playoff.
No Messi, no problem
Argentina had to accommodate key absences beyond Messi. Lautaro Martinez, Lisandro Martínez, and Rodrigo De Paul did not play in Montevideo. So coach Lionel Scaloni gave a place to Giuliano Simeone in the starting lineup, with Julián Álvarez and Thiago Almada up front.
Uruguay, playing in a full Centenario Stadium against their archrival, took the initiative and had the clearest chances in the first half. But Argentina managed to hold their ground and started getting the better opportunities after halftime.
Almada’s goal in the 68th minute, after Argentina had wasted several other opportunities in front of goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, still didn’t push Uruguay forward as Marcelo Bielsa’s team finished the match with only four shots on goal.
“I was a little anxious, very willing to play and to show why I was making the squad,” said Almada, a world champion with Argentina in 2022. “Now we have to rest and wait for this match against Brazil, they will rest one more day than us.”
Argentina’s Nico González will miss the match against Brazil. He was sent off after a challenge against Nahitan Nandez in injury time.
Brazil have selection problems of their own for Tuesday’s match at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium, as starting goalkeeper Alisson, defender Gabriel Magalhaes and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes are all ineligible to play.
Argentina coach Scaloni celebrated his team’s performance despite so many absences.
“We made a complete match, we absorbed the pressure. When we had to play, we did it. And when we had to defend, we did it too,” Scaloni said in a press conference. “I am happy not only for our win, but also for how the team behaves.”
Uruguay will have a chance to recover against Bolivia on Tuesday. If the Bolivians fail to beat the Uruguayans, Argentina will qualify for the World Cup even if it loses against Brazil.
Valencia brace
Enner Valencia, Ecuador’s all-time top goal-scorer, added another two to his tally on Friday.
The striker broke through the Venezuelan defense in the 39th minute and scored with a powerful right-footed shot from an acute angle. In the first minute of the second half, he added the second after a run on the left flank ended in a classy poach over goalkeeper Rafael Romo.
Valencia could have had a third from the spot in the 69th but he missed it.
Jhonder Cádiz scored for Venezuela in injury time.
Venezuela has not won for nine straight games and remains in eighth place. The team still has a chance of qualifying for the first time in history.
Ecuador started the competition with a three-point deficit due to fielding Byron Castillo, who was actually Colombian and ineligible to play in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Now it is close to returning to the tournament in with a steady, confident squad.
Ecuador will travel to play 10th-placed Chile on Tuesday. Venezuela will play host to 9th-placed Peru.
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George Foreman, the glowering heavyweight who became a lovable champion, dies at 76
George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76.
Foreman’s family announced his death on social media.
“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote.
A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt in one of the greatest fights ever staged.
Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening.
He then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history in 1994, flooring Michael Moorer — 19 years his junior — with one perfect combination to claim Moorer’s two heavyweight belts.
Foreman’s transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times before moving onto his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman and occasional actor.
He was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, a rudimentary cooking machine which sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did.
