Sport

Former Holland boss Bert van Marwijk will lead Australia at the World Cup in Russia. The 65-year-old Dutchman, who took his own nation to the final of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, where they were beaten by Spain, succeeds Ange Postecoglou. Van Marwijk secured Saudi Arabia's qualification for this summer's tournament in Russia - competing against Australia in the process - but left his role as manager after failing to agree a new contract.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has signed a new contract with the club which will see him remain at the club until at least 2020, with an option for one more year. The Portuguese coach initially penned a three-year deal to become United manager back in the summer of 2016, with the option of an additional 12 months.

Former Nigeria Under-17s coach and now coach of Sudanese top side Al Khartoum FC Emmanuel Amuneke has hailed the Super Eagles for making the quarter-finals of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco even as he tipped the team for greater things.

Amuneke who has settled down quickly with his new club with two pre-season victories over Shabia FC and FC Karcoj Sporting said the Super Eagles would get better and “with little luck, can cart home the trophy”.

“I watched the Eagles matches and I am of the view that they were not at their best and yet they managed to get results that enabled them to top their group ahead of former champions Libya. I believe this team can go all the way with more efforts from the players,” Amuneke, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in 1994 as a player, told CSN.

Leganés were still on the Bernabéu pitch close to midnight, long after Real Madrid players and their fans had departed head down and in silence. There were a few hundred of the visiting supporters still in the stadium, joining them in celebration of reaching the Copa del Rey semi-final for the first time in their history – and against the European champions. Zinedine Zidane’s side, already 19 points behind Barcelona in the league, are out of the cup too. Pressure builds and Paris Saint Germain approach: all or nothing on Valentine’s Day.

Marco Asensio had scored a last-minute winner at Butarque in the first leg which gave Madrid an advantage that it was difficult to imagine them relinquishing but a 2-1 defeat saw them knocked out on away goals. They were without Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, Zidane rotating as tends to be the case in the cup, but that was no consolation and no excuse either.

Arsenal started the post-Alexis Sanchez era in style on Wednesday, coming from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 on aggregate and set up a mouthwatering League Cup final against Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s City reached the Wembley showpiece the previous evening by beating Championship side Bristol City 3-2 in the second leg of their tie and 5-3 over the two legs, staying on course for an unprecedented quadruple.

After a goalless first leg, the visitors took an early lead at the Emirates through Eden Hazard but Arsenal were level soon afterwards via a bizarre Antonio Rudiger own goal and scored the winner in the second half through Granit Xhaka.

Arsene Wenger has an outstanding record in the FA Cup with Arsenal but in more than 21 years in the job he has never won the League Cup, which he has often used to blood young players.

Equatorial Guinea head coach, Rodolfo Bodipo, has blamed the centre referee, Abou Coulibaly, for their 3-1 loss to Nigeria on Tuesday in Agadir, insisting that the arbiter made two wrong calls in favour of the home-based Super Eagles in the final Group C game at the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Equatorial Ginuea scored their first goal of the tournament courtesy of a header from Nsi Eyama in the 40th minute, but second half goals from Anthony Okpotu, Dayo Ojo and a penalty goal from substitute Rabiu Ali cancelled out the curtain raiser to send Nigeria through to the quarter-finals.