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Sudan progress with help of blundering Angolans

Sudan won their first match at the African Nations Cup for 42 years on Monday with a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso which took them to the quarter-finals helped by Angola's blundering defence.  Needing a draw to qualify on a dramatic evening, Angola lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast who had already booked their place in the last eight and who had made nine changes to their starting lineup.  Sudan and Angola both finished Group B on four points but the Sudanese qualified with a level goal difference compared to Angola's minus one. Ivory Coast, favourites to win the title alongside Ghana, finished the group with maximum points without conceding a goal.  Sudan, whose entire squad consists of home-based players and who had not won in their 11 previous outings at the tournament, will face Zambia on Saturday.  Angola's frustration boiled when around 20 riot police from the country entered the interview area outside the dressing-rooms to stop repo...

European roundup-Real surge, Juve and Bayern still lead

Real Madrid jumped seven points clear at the top of La Liga with a comeback victory as their title rivals dropped points, while Juventus maintained a one-point lead in Serie A at the weekend.  Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain kept up their 100 percent record since the arrival of new coach Carlo Ancelotti and Bayern Munich stayed just out in front with three teams level on points at the top of the Bundesliga.  In England the spotlight fell on the FA Cup with Manchester United knocked out by arch-rivals Liverpool.  SPAIN  Real Madrid recovered from their midweek King's Cup exit to Barcelona as they beat Real Zaragoza 3-1 to move seven points clear at the top of La Liga.  Jose Mourinho's team had to recover from a goal down at home to the league's bottom club with goals from Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted his 24th of the campaign, and Mesut Ozil.  Champions Barca failed to respond as they were held 0-0 at struggling Villar...

Real go seven clear in La Liga as Barca draw

Real Madrid opened up a seven-point lead at the top of La Liga with a comfortable 3-1 win over bottom side Real Zaragoza as Barcelona could only draw 0-0 at lowly Villarreal on Saturday.  The league leaders recovered quickly from their midweek King's Cup quarter-final exit to arch-rivals Barca and it was Pep Guardiola's victors who seemed to suffer a hangover.  The European and Spanish champions are facing a mini-injury crisis and looked stale and short on ideas at the Madrigal when Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas missed gilt-edged chances.  Their pursuit of a fourth consecutive league title is now an even steeper uphill struggle as they seek to catch Jose Mourinho's men after yet another poor showing on the road.  Real's 17th win from 20 league games left them top on 52 points, with Barca second on 45. Valencia in third with 35 visit Racing Santander on Sunday.  Angel Lafita gave Zaragoza a surprise early lead at the Bernabeu aft...

Spain Roundup-Barca promote Cuenca to first team

Brief news from La Liga ahead of this weekend's matches (All times GMT):  * Barcelona have promoted youth team winger Isaac Cuenca to the first team with an improved contract which will tie him until 2015, the European champions said on Friday.  Cuenca, 21, made his debut in the Champions League last October and has made 15 first-team appearances since.  He is likely to get further opportunities starting at Villarreal on Saturday (2100) as Pep Guardiola has David Villa, Ibrahim Afellay, Andreu Fontas, Andres Iniesta and Alexis Sanchez out injured.  * Villarreal, who started the season playing in the Champions League, secured their first win under new coach Jose Molina last weekend but are only kept out of the bottom three by goal difference.  "We have had a tough season so far," defender Gonzalo Rodriguez said. "We need a special performance to help us to believe in ourselves again."  Villarreal have a d...

Pepe will face Barca in Cup if fit, Mourinho says

Real Madrid defender Pepe will play in Wednesday's King's Cup quarter-final second leg at Barcelona if he is fit despite the controversy over his alleged stamp on Lionel Messi's hand in last week's first game, coach Jose Mourinho said on Tuesday.  Pepe denied intentionally treading on Messi in the 2-1 defeat and the incident, caught on television cameras, was apparently missed by the referee who had earlier booked the Portuguese for a late tackle on Sergio Busquets.  The 28-year-old, who was left out of Sunday's La Liga win at home to Athletic Bilbao, is available for the game at the Nou Camp after the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) decided on Monday to take no action against him.  At a news conference where his often difficult relationship with the media hit a new low, a tetchy Mourinho said Pepe and midfielders Lassana Diarra and Esteban Granero had minor injury problems and a decision on their availability would be taken on Wednesday.  ...

Zambia complete day of Nations Cup shocks

Zambia's coach Herve Renard Zambia threw out the form book on the opening day of the African Nations Cup by handing Group A favourites Senegal a surprise 2-1 defeat.  Goals from Emmanuel Mayuka and Rainford Kalaba ensured a sensational start to the finals after success earlier on Saturday for co-hosts Equatorial Guinea on their tournament debut.  Swift counter attacks combined with sloppy defending allowed Zambia to burst into an early lead and they weathered a second half fight back to upset the odds. Mayuka headed the opener after 12 minutes followed by a breakaway goal for Kalaba nine minutes later.  Mayuka's goal showed up vulnerabilities in Senegal's imposing backline with the diminutive Zambia players outjumping and outmuscling their bigger opponents for the ball.  Senegal were also caught for pace. Zambia captain Chris Katongo threaded the ball through for Kalaba to beat the offside trap for the second goal as Senegal's defence looke...

Libya open Nations Cup against Equatorial Guinea

Libya's footballers dream of a winning start to the African Nations Cup on Saturday when they open the tournament against joint hosts Equatorial Guinea (1830 GMT) but their opponents have been offered an extraordinary incentive of their own. Libya's improbable qualification for the 16-team tournament, which came against the odds and in the midst of the turmoil of the overthrow last year of Muammar Gaddafi's regime, has made the players a potent symbol in the rebuilding of their country and given their task at the tournament a greater weight. However, they are up against a home side offered some $1 million by a government minister this week to win the tournament's first match. Equatorial Guinea's agriculture minister Teodoro Nguema, the son of the small, oil-rich country's president, told players he would give them 500 million CFA to share if they won and a further 10 million CFA (about $20,000) for each goal scored, the country's official government websit...

Pepe stamp whips up Clasico controversy

A stamp by Real Madrid's Pepe on Lionel Messi's hand had Jose Mourinho on the back foot after a 2-1 at home loss to Barcelona their King's Cup quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.      Mourinho substituted Pepe before the end of the game to whistles from the Bernabeu crowd.  "He plays near the limit sometimes," he said. "But he always tries to get the ball and plays cleanly."  Pepe's Portuguese compatriot Ricardo Carvalho, after a making a surprise return to the Madrid starting XI, defended his team mate.  Guardiola was asked about the incident but said: "The players have said something, but I haven't seen the images, there isn't a TV in the dressing room. It's up to you to comment on them."  Moments later, Pepe clashed with Messi, drawing a tweet from Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney, who said: "Pepe. What an idiot. Sometimes people wind u up."  Later, some theatrical pl...

Real Madrid vs Barcelona - the Clasico in numbers

Following is a factbox detailing key numbers around Spain's 'Clasico', as meetings between Real Madrid and Barcelona are known. The arch rivals meet on Wednesday at Real's Bernabeu stadium in a King's Cup quarter-final first leg, the fourth of a possible eight meetings in four competitions this season. 8 - The number of victories for Barca coach Pep Guardiola in 12 'Clasicos' since he took the helm in 2008 (La Liga, King's Cup, Champions League and Spanish Super Cup) 13 - The number of 'Clasico' goals netted by Lionel Messi. The World Player of the Year is the highest scorer among current members of either squad and is joint-fifth on the all-time list with former Real winger Gento 18 - The number of goals former Real striker Alfredo Di Stefano, currently the club's honorary president, scored to top the all-time Clasico top scorers' list ahead of fellow Real players Ferenc Puskas and Raul, who are tied on 15 18 - The number of cards the ...

Real eight points clear after win in Mallorca

Real Madrid's German midfielder Mesut Ozil Goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon gave La Liga leaders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at Real Mallorca after a gritty display on Saturday that stretched their advantage over second-placed Barcelona to eight points. However, third-placed Valencia missed the chance to close within a point of Barca when they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Sociedad in Saturday's late kickoff. Mallorca's Israel forward Tomer Hemed's superb glancing header gave the home side a shock lead over Madrid six minutes before the break at their Iberostar stadium but Real substitute Higuain levelled with a deflected strike 18 minutes from time. Callejon grabbed the winner for the visitors in the 85th minute when he ran on to a loose ball and fired through a crowd of defenders past Hemed's international team mate Dudu Aouate in the Mallorca goal to lift Real to 46 points from 18 matches. Real had to batt...

Drogba scores 150th Chelsea goal

Didier Drogba Chelsea striker Didier Drogba notched his 150th goal for the club on Saturday with a penalty against Aston Villa in their Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.  The 33-year-old Ivory Coast international joined Chelsea greats Peter Osgood and Roy Bentley on the mark with his 23rd-minute spot kick. Only Frank Lampard (178), Kerry Dixon (193) and Bobby Tambling (202) have scored more goals for the London club.