Messi named Time Magazine’s “Athlete of the Year”

Messi named Time Magazine’s “Athlete of the Year”

Lionel Messi has been named Time magazine's "Athlete of the Year" for 2023 after a trailblazing season marked by an eighth Ballon d'Or award and his ground-breaking move to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami. Time said the Argentine superstar had already had a transformative impact on the American sporting landscape, which has been historically slow to embrace football."Lionel Messi this year managed to do what once seemed impossible, when he […]

December 6, 2023 2

Sport

Arsenal moves clear atop the English Premier League

Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League after Declan Rice's last-gasp goal capped the leaders' thrilling fightback in their 4-3 win against Luton on Tuesday. Rocked by a pair of costly blunders from keeper David Raya, Mikel Arteta's side trailed 3-2 in the second half of a pulsating clash at Kenilworth Road. But Arsenal roared back to consolidate their lead at the top of […]

December 6, 2023 6

Sport

Pochettino warns “Man U is a wounded animal”

Mauricio Pochettino has warned Chelsea to beware of a backlash from wounded Manchester United when they face Erik ten Hag's troubled team on Wednesday.United suffered another setback in their spluttering campaign when they were beaten 1-0 at Newcastle last weekend.The loss, which left United five points adrift of the Premier League's top four, came just days after they blew the lead in a damaging 3-3 draw at Galatasaray in the […]

December 6, 2023 7

Sport

Manchester City charged over Haaland meltdown

Manchester City were charged by the Football Association on Monday over their players' behaviour in the final moments of their 3-3 draw against Tottenham at the weekend.Several City stars, including an irate Erling Haaland, surrounded referee Simon Hooper after he failed to play advantage in the closing moments of a thrilling Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.Haaland was fouled but shrugged off the challenge from Emerson […]

December 5, 2023 7

Sport

Kluivert fired by Adana Demirspor

Former Dutch international Patrick Kluivert has been relieved of his duties as manager of after the Turkish club won just one of their last six matches."We are parting ways by mutual agreement with our coach, Mr. Patrick Kluivert," said the club which stands fifth in the league table."We would like to thank Mr. Kluivert and his staff for their contribution to our club, and wish him success for the […]

December 5, 2023 8

Sport

Fiji player guilty of sexual assault

Fiji rugby union international Api Ratuniyarawa on Monday admitted committing a series of sex offences before he was due to play for the Barbarians against Wales.The 37-year-old lock pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by penetration and one of sexual assault when he appeared before a court in Cardiff.The offences against three women took place between October 31 and November 2, two days before the Barbarians-Wales match at […]

December 5, 2023 1

Sport

Kenya name strong Olympic marathon group

Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and world record holder Kelvin Kiptum were on Monday named in Kenya's provisional marathon team for next year's Olympics Games in Paris.An equally stacked women's squad sees the inclusion of defending Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and the women's former world record holder Brigid Kosgei.Kipchoge is bidding to become the first athlete to win three Olympic marathon […]

December 5, 2023 6

Sport

Banyana Banyana qualify for WAFCON

Janine van Wyk became the most capped African footballer on Monday after making a 185th appearance for Banyana Banyana in a 2-0 African Women's Cup of Nations qualifying win over Burkina Faso. She overtook Egyptian Ahmed Hassan, who held the record since retiring in 2012 having represented his country 184 times. Central defender Van Wyk, 36, played for eight minutes against the Burkinabe in the western Pretoria township of Atteridgeville before […]

December 5, 2023 4

Sport

Nadal returns in Brisbane next month

Former world number one Rafael Nadal said on Monday he expects "nothing" from himself before his return to the courts next month.Nadal, 37, has been out with a hip injury since last January but is set to feature at Brisbane in the near year.The Spaniard will use the tournament as a warm-up to the Australian Open in Melbourne having slumped to 663rd in the world before starting his […]

December 5, 2023 2