SPORTS

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Spain paid homage to new Masters champion Sergio Garcia on Monday after he broke his duck on the biggest stage of all to add a first major to his glittering career. “Finally!” blared the headline in Madrid sports daily Marca as for once the football …

How Arsene Wenger changed the Premier League … and then dropped the ball By Rob Gowers When Arsene Wenger was named as the new manager of Arsenal FC in September 1996, English football was in a period of transition. The 1989 Hillsborough disaster had led to a transformation of the …

Paris, France | AFP | Paul Lonyangata won the 41st Paris marathon on Sunday with his wife Purity Rionoripo tying up the women’s race to make it a memorable day out for the Kenyan couple in the French capital. Lonyangata recorded his biggest career win in a time of two …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Derrick Nsibambi snatched a stoppage-time winner as KCCA of Uganda edged Al Masry of Egypt 1-0 Saturday in the first leg of a CAF Confederation Cup play-off in Kampala. Just when the tie seemed to be heading for deadlock, Benjamin Ochan launched a long freekick …

Paris, France | AFP |  Jemima Sumgong, the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic marathon gold when she triumphed at Rio in 2016, has failed an out-of-competition dope test, reports claimed Friday. The 32-year-old, who is also the reigning London Marathon champion, tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO …

    Zurich, Switzerland | AFP | Brazil surged to the top of the FIFA world rankings for the first time in seven years on Thursday, made all the sweeter as it usurped great rivals Argentina. It caps a terrific week for forward Neymar and Brazil — last week they became …

Football proletariat’ brave Serbia’s crumbling, violent stadiums Belgrade, Serbia | AFP | Khalid Aucho and Takuto Yasuoka are two of hundreds of footballers from Africa, Asia and South America whose dream of stardom has brought them to Eastern Europe. Aucho, a 23-year-old from Uganda who has already tried Scotland, and …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Sunderland manager David Moyes is in hot water over his remark to a BBC reporter that she might get a slap next time — with both of them laughing — after he thought he was off air. AFP Sports highlights five other incidents where …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Chelsea’s shock defeat against Crystal Palace breathed new life into the title race as Tottenham closed the gap on the leaders. Arsenal and Manchester City played out a thrilling draw and Liverpool won the Merseyside derby. Here are five things we learned in the Premier …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Arsene Wenger rubbished the notion that he could give up management if his two-decade reign at Arsenal ends, saying that “retiring is for young people”. The 67-year-old is yet to announce whether he will sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium this summer, …