US Driver Guthrie Leads Dakar in Saudi Arabia After Stage Three Sweep for Ford

Rallying - Dakar Rally - Stage 2 - Yanbu to AlUla - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - January 5, 2026 General view of Ford Racing's Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch in action during stage 2. (Reuters)
Rallying - Dakar Rally - Stage 2 - Yanbu to AlUla - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - January 5, 2026 General view of Ford Racing's Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch in action during stage 2. (Reuters)
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US Driver Guthrie Leads Dakar in Saudi Arabia After Stage Three Sweep for Ford

Rallying - Dakar Rally - Stage 2 - Yanbu to AlUla - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - January 5, 2026 General view of Ford Racing's Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch in action during stage 2. (Reuters)
Rallying - Dakar Rally - Stage 2 - Yanbu to AlUla - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - January 5, 2026 General view of Ford Racing's Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch in action during stage 2. (Reuters)

Ford Raptors filled the top five places in the Dakar Rally as American Mitch Guthrie Jr won the third 421km stage in Saudi Arabia, his first victory in the top car category, and took the overall lead on Tuesday.

Guthrie ended the loop starting and finishing in AlUla with a 26 second overall lead over Czech driver Martin Prokop with Sweden's Mattias Ekstrom third.

"We started at the back and (co-driver) Kellon (Walch) killed it with the navigation," said Guthrie.

"There were a lot of tricky spots, but we ‌had no flat ‌tires. The car was great so ‌we ⁠just kept ‌moving all day, really."

Spaniard Carlos Sainz, a four-times Dakar winner still competing at 63, was in fourth place overall and compatriot Nani Roma fifth.

Brazilian Lucas Moraes was sixth with Dacia Sandrider teammates Cristina Gutierrez, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sebastien Loeb seventh, 10th and 12th respectively.

Five-times winner Al-Attiyah had led the standings after Monday's ⁠stage but dropped to 11 minutes and 39 seconds off the pace.

Al-Attiyah, ‌who suffered two punctures, was the only ‍driver of Monday's leading six ‍to remain in the top 10. Toyota had filled ‍the top five places in Monday's stage.

Nine-times world rally champion Loeb also lost time with two punctures in the first 100km and no further spare tire after that.

"We’re driving at about 20% of our capacity just to avoid punctures and we still get them," said the Frenchman.

"You don’t see the ⁠punctures coming and with two flat tires and 300 km to go, I had no spare wheels left so we drove the rest of the stage at crawling pace.

"I’m just happy to be at the finish because at one point I really didn’t think we were going to make it".

In the motorcycle category, Spain's Tosha Schareina won the stage for Honda with Australia's defending champion Daniel Sanders retaining the overall lead on a KTM, one minute and seven seconds ahead of ‌Honda's Ricky Brabec.

Wednesday's fourth stage is 417km from AlUla with an overnight bivouac in the desert.



Tougher Test Awaits Anxious Hosts Morocco at Cup of Nations

 Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)
Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)
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Tougher Test Awaits Anxious Hosts Morocco at Cup of Nations

 Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)
Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)

Hosts Morocco can expect the first proper examination of their ability to go on and win the Africa Cup of Nations when they take on a feisty Cameroon in the quarter-finals at the weekend.

The top-ranked Moroccans were not stretched in the group phase of the tournament, where they finished top of the standings, nor in their last-16 clash against Tanzania on Sunday.

Yet they delivered only one convincing performance when they beat Zambia in their last of their group matches and against Cameroon in Rabat on Friday there will need to be a marked improvement if they are to advance towards ‌the target ‌of a first continental title in 50 years.

The ‌home ⁠side were ‌heavy pre-tournament favorites but have looked anxious and nervy at times, feeling the intense pressure and will be cautious of the threat that Cameroon pose.

"We will try to disrupt them," said Cameroon coach David Pagou, promising a physical battle.

The game will be one of the highlights of a blockbuster set of last-eight ties, with Algeria meeting Nigeria on Saturday and Egypt's clash ⁠against defending champions Ivory Coast later on the same day also eagerly anticipated.

Only Senegal, who ‌take on Mali in the first quarter-final in ‍Tangier on Friday, are expected to ‍ease through to the semi-finals, up against opponents who have made ‍it to the latter stages of the tournament without winning a game.

Mali have drawn four successive matches in Morocco, advancing on post-match penalties over Tunisia in the last 16 despite being down to 10 men for most of the match. Their fighting spirit is not expected to be enough to hold out against Senegal's attack, which has scored 10 ⁠goals at the tournament.

Algeria and Nigeria are the only teams to have won all four of their matches in Morocco and both have given strong indicators of their ability to take the title.

Ivory Coast were also in impressive form in the last 16 as they brushed aside Burkina Faso 3-0 on Tuesday and are set to reignite a Cup of Nations rivalry with Egypt, who are looking to give talisman Mohamed Salah international success to go along with his numerous achievements at club level with Liverpool.

"We'll simply try to impose our rhythm (of play) on Egypt," said Ivorian ‌coach Emerse Fae.

The quarter-final winners advance to the last four to be played in Rabat and Tangier on January 14.


Ten Hag Back to His Roots from Next Season

Erik ten Hag smiles during his presentation as new head coach of Bundesliga soccer club Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Erik ten Hag smiles during his presentation as new head coach of Bundesliga soccer club Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
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Ten Hag Back to His Roots from Next Season

Erik ten Hag smiles during his presentation as new head coach of Bundesliga soccer club Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Erik ten Hag smiles during his presentation as new head coach of Bundesliga soccer club Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is to return to his old club FC Twente as technical director from next ​season, the club has announced.

The Dutchman has signed a contract until mid-2028, returning to the club where he began his playing career in 1989 and ended it in 2002.

The 55-year-old will join the Enschede club on February 1 and succeed technical director Jan ‌Streuer, who ‌retires at the end ‌of ⁠the ​season.

"I think ‌it's wonderful and special to return to FC Twente, where I've been a supporter since I was a young boy," Ten Hag said in a statement on the club's website.

"My football career began here. With my experience in youth ⁠development, team building, and elite sports culture, I want ‌to strengthen FC Twente's technical ‍foundation so that the ‍club can sustainably realize its potential as ‍a regional flagship."

After retiring as a player at Twente, Ten Hag became head of the youth academy and then assistant manager before going on to ​coach at Go Ahead Eagles, FC Utrecht, Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United, who ⁠fired him in October 2024.

He became Bayer Leverkusen coach last year, making a return to Germany where he had already spent two seasons as coach of Bayern Munich's reserves from 2013 to 2015.

But his contract with Leverkusen was terminated after just two Bundesliga matches, a record in Germany. Ajax approached Ten Hag in November about succeeding sacked coach John Heitinga, but ‌he said he had no interest in returning to Amsterdam.


Liverpool’s Ekitike in Doubt for Arsenal Clash

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Leeds United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 1, 2026 Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Leeds United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 1, 2026 Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)
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Liverpool’s Ekitike in Doubt for Arsenal Clash

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Leeds United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 1, 2026 Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Leeds United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 1, 2026 Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)

Liverpool boss Arne Slot sounded doubtful he will have striker Hugo Ekitike for Thursday's Premier League trip to leaders Arsenal, with the Frenchman yet ​to return to training following a hamstring issue.

Ekitike, who has eight league goals this season, missed Sunday's 2-2 draw at Fulham due to what Slot described as a slight injury, and the Dutchman said time was running out for the forward to be ready as Liverpool face a quick turnaround.

"He hasn't trained ‌with us up ‌until now," Slot said. "Let's see ‌if ⁠he ​can ‌train with us today. Two or three days ago, when we played against Fulham, I said he wouldn't be out for long but it's hard because the games come so fast.

"He is in-between maybe training with the team or it maybe taking him one or two days extra."

Ekitike's ⁠potential absence would be another blow for Slot, who is already ‌without Alexander Isak due to a ‍leg fracture and Mohamed Salah ‍because of Africa Cup of Nations duty.

In the ‍absence of Ekitike, Slot may again turn to Cody Gakpo as his most advanced attacker.
The Netherlands forward has scored five Premier League goals and provided three assists this season and ​could lead the line as holders Liverpool attempt to derail Arsenal's title charge.

Slot's fourth-placed team trail ⁠Arsenal by 14 points.

Despite their injury concerns, Liverpool head to north London on a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions, though Slot lamented that not all those games have been wins.

"It is nine games unbeaten but we have definitely had two draws too many," Slot said. "Where are we? I think I've said so many times that the answer to that question is we aren't where we want to be, but I feel we have a ‌very talented squad.

"If everyone's available and ready, then I think we can do special things."