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Madrid Needs Epic Champions League Comeback. Barca and PSG Are Flying Post-Messi and Mbappe 

Football - LaLiga - Deportivo Alaves v Real Madrid - Estadio Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain - April 13, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Deportivo Alaves v Real Madrid - Estadio Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain - April 13, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
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Madrid Needs Epic Champions League Comeback. Barca and PSG Are Flying Post-Messi and Mbappe 

Football - LaLiga - Deportivo Alaves v Real Madrid - Estadio Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain - April 13, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Deportivo Alaves v Real Madrid - Estadio Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain - April 13, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)

Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal hold such commanding leads in their Champions League quarterfinal matches that a place in the last four looks all but certain.

Don’t be so sure.

European club soccer’s most prestigious competition has a habit of upsetting the odds.

Barcelona and PSG have very recent memories of how quickly things can change.

Barcelona was 4-2 up on aggregate against PSG early in the second leg of last year’s quarterfinals - only to lose 6-4.

In 2017 PSG led 4-0 after the first leg of a round of 16 game between the two in Paris, but famously lost 6-1 at Camp Nou.

Part of what makes the Champions League such compelling viewing is the fragility of even the most commanding leads.

Liverpool trailed AC Milan 3-0 at halftime of the final of 2005 before staging a dramatic fightback and going on to win in a penalty shootout. The Merseyside club stunned Barcelona on its way to the title in 2019 when overturning a 3-0 loss in the first leg of the semifinals by winning the return leg 4-0.

There are many more examples of how the tables can be turned when Europe’s elite go head-to-head, which is why nothing can be taken for granted ahead of this week’s second leg matches.

Real trouble

Record 15-time winner and defending champion Real Madrid will have to produce another of its famous comebacks to overturn a 3-0 first leg loss to Arsenal.

If anyone can, Madrid can - but it goes into Wednesday’s game at the Bernabeu after a run of unconvincing results. Carlo Ancelotti’s team has only won one of its last four games in all competitions - Sunday’s 1-0 victory against Alaves.

The defeat to Arsenal could have been even heavier after being dominated at the Emirates Stadium and came after Madrid needed a penalty shootout to overcome Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.

But Madrid’s history is built on producing special performances in Europe. Its run to the title in 2022 was filled with dramatic comebacks - none more so than the semifinals win against Manchester City when trailing 5-3 on aggregate going into the 90th minute of the second leg.

Madrid simply never knows when it is beaten.

Europe’s finest?

This could be the first great Barcelona team of the post-Lionel Messi era.

Top of the Spanish league and on the verge of the Champions League semifinals, Barcelona looks like the team to beat in this year’s competition.

Leading 4-0 against Borussia Dortmund, it would take the unlikeliest of collapses in Germany on Tuesday to prevent Hansi Flick’s team from booking its place in the semifinals.

With the devastating goal-scoring power of Robert Lewandowski and the individual brilliance of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, this looks like Barcelona’s best team since the days of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and its best chance in a long time of winning its first Champions League title since 2015.

A new era

The post-Kylian Mbappe era is going just fine for PSG. A record-extending 13th French league title has already been sealed and there have been standout performances in the Champions League.

After struggling early on in the tournament, wins against Manchester City and Liverpool have underlined PSG’s progress under Luis Enrique this season, with an exciting young team that is full of flair.

While less reliant on the individual brilliance of long-time talisman Mbappe, PSG has been driven by the outstanding form of Ousmane Dembele, who is realizing the potential that convinced Barcelona to pay up to 147 million euros (then $173 million) when signing him from Dortmund in 2017. A run of 24 goals in 18 games between December and March established him as one of the deadliest forwards in Europe.

Leading 3-1 against Aston Villa after the first leg of their quarterfinal, PSG looks in control, but has so often failed to live up to expectations in this competition.

Dark horse

Inter Milan leads Bayern Munich 2-1 in the closest match of the quarterfinals.

Davide Frattesi’s 88th-minute winner in Munich gave the 2023 finalist the advantage heading into the second leg at the San Siro.

Bayern, under Vincent Kompany, cruised to the quarterfinals and looks like regaining the German league title this season.

Inter could be the dark horse of this year’s competition, having come so close to stopping City’s treble of trophies two years ago.

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Sports

Sudan Dream of AFCON Glory as Conflict Rages at Home

Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
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Sudan Dream of AFCON Glory as Conflict Rages at Home

Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
Sudan's players pose for the team picture before the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)

When war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, Ammar Taifour was in a training camp with his club Al Merrikh in Khartoum.

"I just remember the surprise, the shock of the first gunshots. It was very surprising," the 28-year-old midfielder with the Sudan team at the Africa Cup of Nations tells AFP.

"Then in the days after that there were power cuts and constant gunshots. It was just unbelievable.

"I just pray for peace and for everyone who's in this situation to be safe and make it out."

Taifour, who was born in the United States, is among the lucky ones. He says he is "grateful and blessed" that family members in Sudan were able to leave the country.

Goalkeeper Mohamed Al Nour, meanwhile, had to deal with the anguish of his brother being taken prisoner by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

"Luckily I have not lost any members of my family but my brother was taken prisoner for nine months by the RSF before being released," says Al Nour.

"We have experienced terror, people being killed. We just hope things improve."

The war that erupted close to three years ago between the country's army and its former allies the RSF has had a devastating impact on the population.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 11 million driven from their homes in what the UN has declared "the world's worst humanitarian disaster".

Despite that backdrop, Sudan's national football team qualified for the ongoing AFCON in Morocco and on Sunday they beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablanca.

It was just their second win at the Cup of Nations in 18 matches across six tournament appearances since they lifted the trophy in 1970.

They play Burkina Faso in their final group game on Wednesday and do so with the pressure off because they are already assured of progressing to the last 16.

That is a remarkable achievement regardless of the current off-field context, given Sudan have only once made the knockout stages at an AFCON since 1970 -- they reached the quarter-finals in 2012.

- 'Big responsibility' -

"It's a big honor," says Taifour. "But also we have big expectations and we want to make it as far as possible and even to win the tournament, make our country happy."

"Obviously it's a big responsibility. I think each one of us as individuals, we know the situation that's going on, we all can relate to it, we all have someone involved.

"So whatever we can do to help, whatever we can do to bring some happiness, we try our best to do so."

Al Nour, also known by his nickname Abooja, adds: "Of course the team has been impacted. Everyone has just tried to get through this period but it has been difficult with the tension all over Sudan."

"In the end our results on the pitch are what make the people happy and boost their morale."

The impact of the conflict on Sudanese football has been enormous, leading to the domestic championship being halted and the country's two biggest clubs going into exile.

Al Hilal and Al Merrikh of Omdurman played in the Mauritanian league last season. A domestic elite league did make its return in July, but now the two rivals are playing in Rwanda.

Some players have moved to different countries like Taifour, who departed Al Merrikh for Libya and is now plying his trade in Tunisia.

Despite that the national team has flourished under Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah.

They qualified for the competition at the expense of Ghana and put in some good showings in their World Cup qualifying group, beating the Democratic Republic of Congo and drawing with Senegal en route to finishing third.

In August they got to the semi-finals of the African Nations Championship -- a competition for locally-based players -- and they also appeared at the recent FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.

"We have tried to use every match as preparation and to build chemistry within the group," says Taifour.

Al Nour, meanwhile, describes Appiah as "an exceptional person. We have learned a lot thanks to him."

It has all led to this, with Sudan now building towards a Cup of Nations knockout tie this weekend and hoping to put smiles on the faces of supporters back home.

Sports

Prince Abdul Mohsin Airport Receives First Dakar Rally 2026 Arrivals

This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
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Prince Abdul Mohsin Airport Receives First Dakar Rally 2026 Arrivals

This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA

Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu has received the first arrivals of competitors participating in the Dakar Rally 2026, as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event.

Cluster2 Airports, the operator of Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport, stated that arrivals will continue from December 28 to December 31, with approximately 17 flights, both private and commercial, designated for the arrival of competitors and participating teams, SPA reported.

The process is being handled with a high level of operational readiness and full coordination among the relevant authorities.

Cluster2 Airports affirmed that operational and service preparations at the airports have been completed to ensure smooth passenger movement and the provision of high-quality services to participating delegations, reflecting the efficiency of the affiliated airports and their ability to accommodate major international events.

Sports

Knee Injury for Shaheen Shah Afridi Forces Early Exit from Big Bash League

Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
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Knee Injury for Shaheen Shah Afridi Forces Early Exit from Big Bash League

Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)

A knee injury has forced fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi to return home after playing four games for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

“Due to an unexpected injury; I have been called back by the PCB and will have to take a rehab. Hopefully, I will be back in the fields soon,” Afridi wrote on X on Tuesday.

Afridi limped off the field when he picked up the injury on his right knee while bowling against Adelaide Strikers last Saturday, The AP news reported.

Apparently the Pakistan Cricket Board has called back Afridi as a precautionary step with T20 World Cup due to start from February 7.

“I’m massively thankful to the Brisbane Heat team and fans for showering me with immense love and support,” Aridi said, while adding: “Meanwhile, I will be cheering for the amazing team.”

Afridi had a challenging short stint at Brisbane Heat where he picked up just two wickets in four matches at an expensive economy rate of 11.19. In his first game of the season he was removed from the attack in the 18th over when he bowled to waist-high full tosses to Melbourne Renegades’ batters Tim Seifert and Oliver Peake.

It is not the first time that Afridi has hurt his right knee. He sustained an injury on that knee while fielding during a test match in Sri Lanka in 2022 that also ruled him out from the early stages of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

He returned at the later stages of the tournament, but again picked up injury on the same knee during the death overs of the final against England that let the title match slip away from Pakistan.

Pakistan didn’t name Afridi for next month’s three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka as a rotation policy, but he remains one of the key players for the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka and India.