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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has faced a fresh wave of controversy after it overturned Senegal's 1‑0 victory over host nation Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final, recording a 3‑0 win for Morocco and stripping Senegal of the championship.Speaking in Rabat, CAF President Patrice Motsepe categorically rejected the Senegalese government's accusations of corruption. “If anybody wants to initiate legal action alleging that there is corruption in CAF, I don’t only welcome that, I encourage them,” he said.Motsepe emphasized the federation’s respect for the legal frameworks of Africa’s 54 member nations, adding, “There’s nothing to hide. We respect enormously the judicial and legal sovereignty of every single one of our 54 nations on the African continent.”He also affirmed that CAF will abide by the outcome of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), stating, “I’m confident that whatever the decision of CAS will say, we will respect it and we will implement it.”The dispute stems from the January 18 final, when Senegalese players, coach Pape Thiaw and staff walked off the pitch after Morocco was awarded an added‑time penalty – a chance that forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed. CAF cited regulations on abandoning the field to justify a 3‑0 forfeit in Morocco’s favour, a ruling announced on March 17.In response, the Senegalese Football Federation has lodged an appeal with CAS, while Senegal’s government has called for an international investigation into alleged corruption within CAF.Motsepe’s remarks come at a tense moment for the governing body, which must now navigate legal scrutiny, the appeal process, and mounting pressure from a disgruntled Senegalese public.

Tyson Fury, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, has asserted that he 'still has it' as he prepares to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in a highly anticipated bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. This fight marks Fury's return to the ring after a 15-month hiatus.The 37-year-old Fury, with a record of 34-2-1 and 24 KOs, will be facing off against the 36-year-old Russian-born heavyweight Makhmudov, who boasts a record of 21-2 with 19 KOs. During a pre-fight news conference in London, Fury emphasized his focus on the upcoming fight, stating, 'I don't want to mention names when I've got a dangerous fighter in front of me. The rest can get a hiding but I need to give Makhmudov a hiding first.'Fury also touched on his future plans, hinting at potential fights against Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk in 2026. His last fight was a loss to Usyk in December 2024, which led to his initial retirement. However, citing the inspiration from Joshua's recent car crash and the death of his friends, Fury decided to make a comeback.Makhmudov, known for his formidable strength, shared a video of himself wrestling a 2.9m bear in the woods outside Moscow. He described the experience as 'very terrible' but believes it helped him confront fear and prepare for the fight.Despite concerns about Fury's recent lack of competitive ring time, Makhmudov expressed confidence that Fury's experience would be an advantage. Fury's father, John Fury, had previously suggested that his son's grueling fights against Deontay Wilder had left him 'past his best'. However, Tyson Fury countered, 'I've never lost my speed of reactions. I've still got it. 100 percent.'

Real Madrid is set to host Girona at the Bernabeu Stadium on Friday, April 10, at 9pm (19:00 GMT) in a pivotal La Liga encounter. The match is crucial for Real Madrid's title aspirations as they trail leaders Barcelona by seven points with only eight games remaining.After suffering back-to-back defeats, including a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid aims to bounce back and keep their title hopes alive. Coach Alvaro Arbeloa emphasized the importance of the match, stating, “We know that each game is important. We have a smaller margin of error now.”Girona, currently 12th in the standings, has shown improvement in 2026, losing just three of their last 13 games. Their recent 1-0 victory over Villarreal has lifted them into 12th place, just one point behind Osasuna, Espanyol, and Athletic Bilbao.In terms of team news, Real Madrid will be without Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois, and Franco Mastantuono, but may include Ferland Mendy if he passes a late fitness test. Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga are set to start for the hosts.Girona faces a lengthy injury list, with Portu, Donny van de Beek, Juan Carlos, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Ricard Artero all ruled out. Vladyslav Vanat and Daley Blind are injury doubts for the visitors.

Despite a three‑game winless run that has seen Liverpool knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City and trailing Paris Saint‑Germain 2‑0 in the Champions League quarter‑final, manager Arne Slot insists he feels "complete support" from both the club’s hierarchy and its supporters. Slot told reporters that sporting director Richard Hughes and chief executive Michael Edwards stand firmly behind him. He added that, surprisingly, the fans have also shown solidarity, chanting "We love Liverpool" even after the 4‑0 defeat to City. With Liverpool perched in fifth place in the Premier League – the final Champions League qualification slot – and Chelsea just one point behind, the upcoming home fixture against Fulham carries heightened importance for the club’s European ambitions. Off the pitch, a faction of supporters is organising a protest at Anfield over the owners’ plan to raise ticket prices. The movement recalls a 2016 demonstration when roughly 10,000 fans exited a match to oppose a similar price hike, eventually forcing the American owners to retreat. Slot expressed hope that the iconic Anfield atmosphere will remain intact, stating, "Anfield has always shown its importance in both good and tough times, and I trust the fans will continue to be a positive force, even during protest." In related news, Slot paid tribute to Andy Robertson, who will depart after a nine‑year spell at the club. The Scotland captain, now out of contract, has seen his role diminish following the arrival of left‑back Milos Kerkez. Slot described Robertson as a "great player and a great person" who has served Liverpool loyally for nearly a decade. Overall, Slot’s message underscores a belief that the club’s internal cohesion and the unwavering passion of its fanbase can help navigate the current challenges on and off the field.

The United States has experienced a notable surge in inflation, with consumer prices rising by nearly 1 percent in March. This significant increase, one of the highest short-term inflation rates in years, is largely attributed to the disruption of energy markets amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. According to a report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the inflation rate in March was 0.9 percent, up from 0.3 percent in February. This marks the largest increase since May 2022, during the peak of the cost-of-living crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The March increase was primarily driven by energy prices, with gasoline prices surging by 21.2 percent and fuel oil prices increasing by more than 30 percent. The energy index saw a 10.9 percent increase in March, the largest monthly rise since September 2005. The escalation in prices followed the US and Israel's launch of an all-out war on Iran on February 28, which resulted in the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil and gas prices worldwide to skyrocket. The price of a barrel of oil reached $120, up from about $70 on February 27. In the US, the price of one gallon of gasoline exceeded $4.1, a significant increase from less than $3 before the conflict began. Although a two-week ceasefire was agreed upon between the US and Iran, marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains at a fraction of its pre-war levels. US President Donald Trump has warned Iran against blocking the strait or charging vessels for safe passage. About 20 percent of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. While the ceasefire has brought some relief to the global energy market, with oil prices dropping to less than $100, US consumers are still paying $4.15 on average at the petrol pump. Experts suggest that it will take several months for prices to stabilize. The inflation report comes as US politicians focus on the cost of living and affordability, ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump's Democratic rivals have criticized him for launching the war without congressional approval, highlighting the increased economic costs for Americans.

The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into whether the National Football League (NFL) has engaged in anticompetitive tactics that harm consumers. This probe comes amid concerns over the difficulties consumers face in watching sports games and the growing trend of selling broadcast rights to streamers.Major broadcast station owners, US regulators, and senators have raised concerns about the increasing costs for consumers to access sports games, with estimates suggesting it could cost over $1,500 to watch all NFL games last year. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also opened a review into the shift of live sports away from free broadcast TV to pay TV and subscription services.The NFL has responded by stating that more than 87 percent of its games are aired on free broadcast TV and that all games are available on free broadcast television in markets of participating teams. However, the investigation's nature and scope are still unclear.A 1961 law exempts major sports leagues from antitrust laws, allowing them to pool their individual teams' television rights and sell them as a package. This has led to concerns about the NFL's dealings with streaming platforms and potential anticompetitive practices.

NASA's Artemis II mission is nearing its final stage, with the Orion spacecraft set for a high-speed return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The mission is a critical test for systems that the space agency plans to use in future crewed moon landings, including Artemis III.The splashdown, scheduled for April 11 at about 00:07 GMT (8:07pm ET on April 10), will mark the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972 that NASA and the Department of Defense are recovering a crewed spacecraft returning from the moon. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by the crew, will re-enter the atmosphere and splash down off the San Diego coast.NASA has set strict 'go' conditions for splashdown, including wave heights below six feet (1.8 meters), winds under 28.7mph (46 km/h), and no rain or lightning within a 30-nautical-mile radius. Clear visibility is also essential for tracking Orion and safely recovering the astronauts.The Orion spacecraft will come hurtling back to Earth, hitting the atmosphere at about 34,965 feet (10,657 meters) per second, roughly 23,800mph (38,300km/h), fast enough to travel from New York to Tokyo in less than 20 minutes. The spacecraft's heat shield, a critical component, will protect it from temperatures of up to 2,700 degrees Celsius (4,900 degrees Fahrenheit).The mission has raised concerns about the heat shield's performance, with some experts questioning its safety. However, NASA officials say they are confident in the shield's ability to protect the crew and have adjusted the re-entry path to limit stress on the shield.The splashdown and recovery will be broadcast live on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube channel. A detailed timeline for the final stages of the mission has been outlined, including the crew wakeup, cabin configuration, trajectory correction, module separation, atmospheric entry, communication blackout, and splashdown.

Egypt and Al-Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy has been banned for four games and fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($942) for assaulting a referee during a recent match.The incident occurred after Al-Ahly's appeal for a penalty was denied in a 1-1 draw with Ceramica Cleopatra. El-Shenawy, who was on the bench, was incensed and struck the referee on the head.The Egyptian Pro League announced the ban, which will sideline El-Shenawy until the final week of the league playoffs. This is significant as El-Shenawy is expected to be Egypt's starting goalkeeper at the upcoming World Cup in North America.Al-Ahly currently sits third in the league with 41 points, five points behind leaders Zamalek.

Shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains effectively halted even after Washington and Tehran announced a two‑week ceasefire on Tuesday, dampening expectations of a swift end to one of the most severe energy disruptions in recent memory. According to ship‑tracking data from market‑intelligence firm Kpler, only five vessels crossed the waterway on Wednesday, down from eleven the day before, and seven managed the passage on Thursday. The figure is a stark contrast to the pre‑conflict norm of 120‑140 daily transits that the strait typically handled before the February 28 attacks by the United States and Israel. More than 600 vessels, including 325 tankers, are still stranded in the Gulf, as reported by Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Ana Subasic, Kpler’s trade‑risk analyst, warned that even if the ceasefire holds, safe‑passage capacity is likely to stay limited to 10–15 ships per day, reflecting shipowners’ caution and the absence of any toll‑free guarantee. The strait channels roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supplies. Its continued blockage therefore sustains pressure on global energy markets. After a brief dip, Brent crude rose to $96.39 a barrel at 02:00 GMT on Friday, having slipped below $95 the previous day. U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire’s “safe passage” clause, labeling Tehran’s performance “very poor” in a Truth Social post. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, countered that the United States had not honored its commitments, urging Washington to choose between a genuine ceasefire and “continued war” linked to Israel’s actions in Lebanon. Maritime veteran C Uday Bhaskar described the atmosphere in the strait as one of “uncertainty and anxiety,” noting that shipping firms remain fearful, especially after Iranian statements about newly laid mines. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of the UAE’s state‑run oil giant ADNOC, echoed the sentiment, asserting that Iran’s conditional permissions amount to “coercion, not freedom of navigation.” Asian equity markets responded positively to the tentative easing of oil price pressure. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.8 %, South Korea’s KOSPI rose about 2 %, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained roughly 1 % in early Friday trading. While the ceasefire offers a diplomatic window, the reality on the water remains stark: the Strait of Hormuz is far from open, and the global energy system continues to feel the strain of constrained maritime traffic.