After delays, postponements and date changes aplenty, the Africa Cup of Nations will finally start on Sunday, as hosts Cameroon take on Burkina Faso.
Group A will also pit Ethiopia and Cape Verde against each other on the opening day, with both eyeing up the possibility of staking their claim for a qualification spot behind favourites Cameroon.
But, as may have been expected of a tournament that has had more than its fair share of issues in the build-up, another problem has reared its head on the eve of the big kick-off.
Cameroon v Burkina Faso (16:00 GMT)
Burkina Faso are questioning the validity of the COVID-19 testing that was done on their squad, with "four or five" players and head coach Kamou Malo returning positive results.
They claim an unknown medical team turned up at their hotel to test the team and staff, but they refused to take them after the African Football Confederation (CAF) confirmed the people who had showed up were not sent by tournament organisers.
When the CAF delegation did show up, four positive tests came back and one was inconclusive, with Burkina Faso now demanding new swabs be taken.
Captain Bertrand Traore told reporters: "It's a scandal, we cannot be deprived of first-team players 24 hours before the match.
"The authorities must review the organisation. We cannot accept this decision. We can redo tests of our positive players."
Either way, Cameroon know the pressure is on for them to claim a sixth AFCON title, with this their first tournament as hosts in 50 years.
One to watch: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon)
AFCON has never been short of flair players, and in Zambo Anguissa Cameroon have a player really capable of getting fans off their feet. The Napoli man is a fascinating midfielder to watch due to his ability running with the ball. In Serie A this season, his 65.9 per cent dribble success is bettered by only seven midfielders (min. 25 dribble attempts, 500 minutes played), playing an important role in getting the Partenopei out of tight situations and onto the front foot.
Ethiopia v Cape Verde (19:00 GMT)
Four of the six teams to finish third in their group will go through to the next stage, so while that takes away some of the jeopardy for the best teams, it also provides more of a chance for those nations who would not otherwise expect to get far.
With Ethiopia and Cape Verde avoiding Cameroon on matchday one, both will fancy their chances of getting off to a positive start – and three points could be all they need to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
Cape Verde have been impacted by a COVID-19 outbreak, though, with coach Roberto Lopes among those infected.
Ethiopia are seemingly in better shape, with coach Wubetu Abate keen to show off their gifted young players.
"We respect our opponents, but we are confident in our talent," he said. "Our goal is not to just participate, but to show the world that Ethiopia has young talented players who can surprise."
One to watch: Amanuel Gebremichael (Ethiopia)
Ethiopia lost talisman – and one of just two foreign-based players – Shimelis Bekele to injury, meaning they will need others to step up. Most of the goalscoring burden is on the shoulders of Getaneh Kebede, but Gebremichael has a skillset that should make him a threat, boasting plenty of speed and the ability to get in behind defences.
The rocky start to Newcastle United's new era continued on Saturday as the Premier League strugglers were dumped out of the FA Cup by third-tier Cambridge United.
Newcastle harbour huge ambitions after they were taken over by a Saudi-led consortium in October and were eyeing a long-awaited cup run under recently-appointed boss Eddie Howe.
But the Magpies were embarrassingly beaten 1-0 in the third round by Cambridge, who were on a three-game winless run and are 16th in League One, through Joe Ironside's 56th-minute strike from close range at St James' Park.
The victory was Cambridge's first ever away to a top-flight side in the FA Cup and means the U's have now won as many games against Premier League opposition this season as Newcastle have in 19 matches.
While Newcastle have yet to truly flex their financial muscles, they brought in Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12million this week and the full-back played a full part in front of United's hugely wealthy owners.
Cambridge goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov made nine saves in total, including a sensation stop to deny Joelinton late on, as Mark Bonner's side made it through to the fourth round for just the second time in 21 seasons.
Second-bottom Newcastle must now turn their attention back to the battle to stay in the Premier League, with a huge clash against fellow-strugglers Watford to come next Saturday.
Marcus Rashford has insisted that he has "endless respect" for Manchester United's coaching staff, including interim manager Ralf Rangnick, and reaffirmed his dedication to the club.
Recent reports have suggested that several United players have expressed their displeasure with Rangnick and his coaches and are considering their futures at Old Trafford.
An underwhelming start to the season saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked in November and replaced by the German coach until the end of the current campaign.
Despite a promising start, an insipid 1-1 draw at Newcastle just before the turn of the year and a 1-0 home defeat by Wolves last time out have sparked talk of a crisis at the club.
However, Rashford took to Twitter on Saturday to reassure United fans that he backs the former RB Leipzig boss and is determined to help the team turn things around.
"We've all been disappointed with recent performances," the England international posted. "We've been as disappointed with the news coverage questioning our commitment to not only the manager and the coaching staff, but the club.
"I have endless respect for both and I'm looking forward to bettering my game under the staff at Manchester United.
"I'm not sulking, I'm not unhappy. Am I disappointed in some of my recent performances? Of course I am. I'm my own biggest critic. It's been a tough start but I'm determined to prove my worth.
"My dedication and my desire to be here should never be in question. I love this club."
Rashford has managed just four goal involvements - three goals, one assist - in 14 appearances for United in all competitions this season.
The Red Devils host Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Monday.
Antoine Griezmann is hoping to see out the remainder of his career with Atletico Madrid after conceding that his spell with Barcelona did not pan out as he had hoped.
The France international re-joined Atletico in August on an initial loan with an obligation to buy after spending just two years at Camp Nou.
Barcelona spent €120million to sign Griezmann from LaLiga rivals Atleti in 2019, but the 30-year-old never managed to recapture his best form in Catalonia.
He made 102 appearances for Barca in all competitions – six more than any other player during his time at the club – and was directly involved in 51 goals.
Only Lionel Messi (106), who himself departed for Paris Saint-Germain in the last transfer window, scored and assisted more goals for Barca over that period.
However, it was at Atletico where Griezmann had the most prolific spell of his career when scoring 133 goals in 257 games between 2014 and 2019.
The Real Sociedad academy product has scored eight goals and assisted two more in 19 games since returning to the Wanda Metropolitano – no Atleti player has been involved in more goals.
Back playing where he feels most comfortable, Griezmann sees no reason to move away from the Spanish capital for a second time.
"The truth is that I performed well at Real Sociedad, then I grew athletically and also privately at Atleti, with my wife, with my children... That helps you be more relaxed and enjoy everything," he told Transfermarkt.
"Then I went to Barcelona. Because of the circumstances, things didn't go as well as I had hoped. That's why I wanted to come back, to play for Cholo [Diego Simeone] and Atleti again.
"That's what I wanted the most, and the truth is that I'm really enjoying it here and I hope I can continue like this.
"I hope Atleti want me as long as I can keep up with the pace of the games and the demanded level, and that we can write another beautiful story."
Griezmann has been linked with an array of European heavyweights in the past, including Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, but he has not considered a move to Germany.
"I've never thought about it, because since my time at Real Sociedad I've always felt comfortable where I was, and in the end, I feel most comfortable and happy here at Atleti now," he said. "I don't want to move again."
This week marks 10 years since Simeone took charge of his first Atletico match and no player has scored more goals under the Argentinian coach.
Indeed, Griezmann's 141 goals is the fourth-most in Atleti history and the forward credits Simeone with getting the most out of him.
Asked which of the coaches he has worked under has impressed him most, Griezmann said: "I would say it's Cholo. I think he's the coach who knows me best.
"I have an incredible relationship with him, and also on a sporting level he has always fought with the best, in the Spanish league or in Europe. He has taken the club to the highest level possible."
Barcelona have completed the signing of teenage winger Fabio Blanco from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Spain under-19 international will link up with the club’s B side under Sergi Barjuan.
The 17-year-old has signed a contract at Camp Nou until June 2024 with a release clause of €100million.
"It's a very important day for me,” he said. “I'm looking forward to giving everything to the team. I am very proud to be part of this great club."
Part of the academy ranks at Valencia since the age of 12, Blanco left Spain for Germany when he joined Frankfurt in July.
He made eight league appearances for the club’s under-19s side this season, scoring two goals and registering one assist.
Blanco could make his Barca B debut against Betis Deportivo on Sunday.
Krzysztof Piatek touched down at Fiorentina to face questions about in-demand striker Dusan Vlahovic, as the club distanced themselves from links to Real Madrid midfielder Isco.
PIatek, who has joined on loan from Hertha Berlin for the rest of the season with an option to buy, returns to Serie A after previous spells at Genoa and Milan.
The 26-year-old has a solid track record in the Italian top flight, and his arrival has inevitably added to speculation that Vlahovic may not be with Fiorentina for much longer.
Vlahovic's record of 35 goals in 46 games in 2021 has drawn the attention of many of Europe's elite teams, and he has also been linked to Newcastle United.
It has been reported in Italy that Fiorentina consider Piatek as a player to strengthen their squad, rather than as a replacement for 21-year-old Vlahovic.
Polish frontman Piatek is relishing the chance to play alongside the young Serbian when the chance arises, saying on Saturday: "Vlahovic is an excellent striker, he has scored many goals.
"I think I also showed my worth with Genoa and Milan. I think we can also play together when necessary. In any case, I'm at the coach's disposal, even starting from the bench."
Fiorentina sit sixth in Serie A heading into Sunday's trip to Torino, with coach Vincenzo Italiano hoping Piatek can rediscover the form that saw him score 30 goals in the 2018-19 season.
He began that campaign at Genoa before heading to Milan in mid-season, typically marking his goals with finger pistol celebrations.
"I'm ready to be a gunslinger. I want to show that my guns are ready to shoot at the Franchi. I'm really very happy to be here."
Fiorentina have also signed forward Jonathan Ikone from Lille for a reported €15million fee this month, so they would be well stocked if Vlahovic did move on.
There seems little prospect of Isco joining the Viola ranks, however, with sporting director Daniele Prade distancing the club from reports linking them to the 29-year-old.
Isco has been at Madrid since 2013, making over 300 appearances for Los Blancos, but he has become a fringe member of Carlo Ancelotti's squad, leading to rumours of a move.
Prade told a news conference: "In recent days there have been many rumours about Isco, but we don't even know the agents, so we are not interested, even though we recognise his value."
Napoli have confirmed the loan signing of Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe for the rest of the season.
Tuanzebe made 11 appearances during a loan spell with Aston Villa this season, but was recently recalled by the Red Devils.
The 24-year-old central defender is on the move again after agreeing to join Serie A side Napoli.
Tuanzebe had spent two previous loan spells at Villa Park in 2018 and 2019, when the club was in the Championship, and has made 37 appearances for United.
Tuanzebe could be available to make his debut for Luciano Spalletti's side against Sampdoria on Sunday, with the club struggling depleted due to injuries, COVID-19 cases, and Africa Cup of Nations call-ups.
Third-placed Napoli have the joint-best defensive record in Serie A this season, conceding just 15 goals in 20 games, from just 16.36 expected goals against, the lowest tally in the Italian top-flight.
They have, however, struggled in the absence of influential defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who missed a month through injury before jetting off to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Spalletti's team have kept just one clean sheet since Koulibaly's last appearance, a 2-2 draw with Sassuolo in early December, and will now hope that Tuanzebe, who has represented England at three youth levels, can provide valuable cover in the heart of their backline.
Arsenal utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles has joined Serie A side Roma on loan until the end of the season.
The 24-year-old will link up with fellow England internationals Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham under Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico.
Maitland-Niles has made eight appearances for Arsenal this season but has not featured since coming off the bench in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in November.
Mourinho has reportedly been seeking reinforcements at full-back, with Italy international Leonardo Spinazzola missing since suffering an Achilles injury at Euro 2020.
Maitland-Niles, who can play at full-back or in midfield, spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom, where he made 15 appearances for the ultimately relegated Baggies.
The player appeared to try and force a move away from the Gunners in August when he took to Instagram to say: "All I want to do is go where I'm wanted and where I'm going to play."
However, a reported move to Everton failed to materialise and Maitland-Niles eventually agreed to stay at the north London club until January.
Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has compared Rafael Leao to a young Thierry Henry following his impressive 26-minute cameo against Roma, insisting the sky is the limit for the forward.
After a month on the sidelines with a thigh injury, the Portugal international returned as a substitute during Milan’s 3-1 win at San Siro.
The 22-year-old wasted no time in making a telling impact; demonstrating tremendous pace to break away from the visiting defence and score the third goal to wrap up the points.
Leao also earned a penalty for the hosts in the dying moments following another blistering run, although Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to convert from the spot.
The former Lille forward has now netted five goals in Serie A this season, with only Ibrahimovic (seven) doing so more often for the Rossoneri.
He has also attempted 69 dribbles in the Italian top-flight this term; a tally only bettered by Nicolo Zaniolo (78) and Felipe Anderson (77).
His style of play has drawn comparisons from his coach with former Juventus forward Henry, who won the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and a further five domestic titles during a glittering career.
"Leao reminds me so much of Henry at the beginning of his career, when he started from the left," Pioli said.
"He has the talent to get to the top of the world, but talent alone is not enough.
"He's getting close to 100 per cent, he still can't be [fully fit] and will need minutes.
"He has to work with a lot of ambition; he can get to be a really strong player on the European and world scene."
Massimiliano Allegri says he will need "a year or two" to make Juventus Serie A title contenders ahead of Sunday's crunch clash at Roma.
Juve boss Allegri won five consecutive league titles during his previous spell at the club, but took on a rebuilding job when he returned to Turin last May.
The Bianconeri are fifth in the table ahead of their trip to the Eternal City, 11 points adrift of leaders Inter and the champions have a game in hand.
Allegri reiterated that he will need time to make Juve a huge force once again.
"I came here knowing that this year we needed to start changing the team, [in order to] be back challenging for the title in a year or two," Allegri said.
"We could have done better so far, but it's a matter of experience, it's normal to pay for our mistakes.
"In football, things don't miraculously change in a short time."
Juve are three points ahead of Roma and Allegri is expecting a huge battle with Jose Mourinho's side.
"Tomorrow will be an important match," he continued. "Roma have excellent individuals and a coach capable of preparing them in the best possible way. Competitiveness and technique will be key.
"Against Napoli we expected to win and get within two points of them, coming from a positive period, but we still kept the gap unchanged. We need to improve the quality of our passes, but we are growing. January will be important.
"We are working to improve our game. We want to reach our Champions League goal, and then there are still many other ambitions.
"To win, you need to have quality as well as technique, and it is only with experience that you learn that."
Allegri will be absent from the touchline for the encounter with Roma, after being handed a one-match ban and a €10,000 fine by the Italian Football Federation following a furious outburst at referee Simone Sozza at the end of the 1-1 draw with Napoli on Thursday.
Juve have the opportunity to win three consecutive league games against the Giallorossi for the first time since 2014.
Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri is keen to avoid a return to Serie A matches being played behind closed doors, insisting it cannot only be football that is locked down amid rising COVID-19 cases in Italy.
Like much of Europe, Italy is now in the midst of another wave of coronavirus infections.
Games in some regions of Germany have been played behind closed doors since late last year, while Scotland has also introduced similar measures to limit social interaction.
So far, matches in Europe's other major leagues apart from the Bundesliga have been able to be played in front of crowds.
Italy's spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached unprecedented levels in the country, with 219,430 new cases confirmed on Friday, surpassing records set on both Wednesday and Thursday, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Italian prime minister Mario Draghi has reportedly expressed his concerns to Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina, with the government worried about a lack of adhering to safety and social distancing measures within stadiums.
According to widespread reports in Italy, Serie A chiefs will be meeting this weekend to discuss their options, with Corriere dello Sport reporting that the issue will then be discussed in Wednesday's meeting between the FIGC and the government.
Sarri, however, believes it would be unfair to play matches behind closed doors once again, suggesting that if the situation in the country is so serious, then the entire nation must be once again placed into lockdown, not just football.
"COVID affects everyone's life, not just sport. If this pandemic is dangerous there should be a total lockdown, otherwise it will be downgraded to a flu and people will stay at home with a fever," he told a news conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with Inter, who had their game against Bologna postponed at the last minute on Thursday due to a decision by local health authorities.
"I just hope that we don't end up with a closed stadium – it makes people who are as passionate as I am lose the desire to go on the pitch."
Sarri's side are eighth in Serie A following Thursday's 3-3 draw with his former club Empoli.
Lazio's meeting with Inter represents the second time they have gone up against their ex-coach Simone Inzaghi this season, with Sarri's team having come out on top 3-1 in October.
Jurgen Klopp is feeling fine after recently contracting coronavirus and could return to the dugout for Liverpool's FA Cup third-round tie against Shrewsbury Town on Sunday.
The Reds boss missed the 2-2 Premier League draw with Chelsea last weekend after testing positive for COVID-19.
Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders also tested positive on Wednesday amid an "escalating number" of suspected COVID-19 cases that forced the club to shut their training centre.
The Reds' EFL Cup semi-final with Arsenal on Thursday was subsequently postponed, but this weekend's clash with third-tier Shrewsbury will go ahead.
And one of Klopp's other right-hand men, Peter Krawietz, is hopeful the 54-year-old will be able to take charge of the match at Anfield.
"We hope he will be involved," Krawietz said. "He is fine. He has to do tests, but we hope he will be fine for tomorrow."
Alisson, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip missed the draw with Chelsea after testing positive for coronavirus.
Krawietz was unwilling to divulge how many players Liverpool are without for the Shrewsbury tie, but admitted it has been tough to prepare for the game given the circumstances.
"I can't tell you exact numbers but obviously the situation is like that for the game tomorrow," he said. "We have a squad, we have a team and will try to win this game.
"It's a difficult situation out there. We had a couple of injuries, illness, COVID cases. This is the situation we have to deal with.
"We're still waiting on a few results with players who are not here today. They have to do their test before they can join the building. This is why I cannot give exact numbers.
"The training ground being shut means nobody could come here. We tried to stay in contact with our players during this period, just like we did in lockdown.
"Everyone is on their own and, thanks to our great working department, we were able to find solutions for the players."
However, Krawietz did go on to confirm that centre-back Matip is now back in training after returning a negative test and may feature against Shrewsbury, fitness depending.
Liverpool have progressed from nine of their last 10 FA Cup third-round ties, losing the other 2-1 against Wolves in 2018-19.
The Reds have only lost two home games in the competition against sides outside the top-two tiers since joining the Football League in 1893 – Norwich City in 1908-09 and Bolton Wanderers in 1992-93.
But Krawietz, who will be the third different person to manage Liverpool in their last three games if Klopp and Lijnders are absent, is taking nothing for granted.
"Shrewsbury will tough because of their quality," he said. "They're a team who play proper football, want to attack, have strong strikers and a compact defensive formation.
"They are a team that is well-managed, you can see that. They will have targets, and our situation is not ideal."
Rafael Nadal fended off a battling Emil Ruusuvuori to reach the Melbourne Summer Set final as the Spanish veteran bids to land the 89th singles title of his stellar career.
Nadal, who has won at least one ATP Tour tournament in every season from 2004 onwards, will look to extend that streak into a 19th year after scoring a 6-4 7-5 win on Rod Laver Arena.
He has not captured a title in Australia since 2009, when he landed his only Australian Open triumph to date by beating Roger Federer.
Nadal will be a strong favourite against American qualifier Maxime Cressy in Sunday's final, despite being made to work hard to see out victory over 22-year-old Ruusuvuori.
The 35-year-old Mallorcan looked set for a routine win but dropped serve at 5-3 in the second set, allowing world number 95 Ruusuvuori a path back into the contest.
It provided Nadal with a test of resolve that he came through, tying up victory in an hour and 56 minutes, an encouraging sign as he continues to battle for full sharpness after a near five-month absence.
Nadal acknowledges he may not have long left in tennis, and he wants to make the most of the opportunities that remain.
"I just love what I'm doing," he said in an on-court interview. "I always feel passionate about the sport in general and I feel a very lucky person that I can live from one of my hobbies, tennis.
"I know it's not forever and it's not a job I'm going to do for 50 years, but I want to enjoy it as much as I can while I still have the chance."
The foot injury that caused the 20-time grand slam winner to curtail his 2021 season in August has not prevented him finding winning form this week and now Paris-born Cressy awaits, with the 24-year-old world number 112 enjoying a remarkable week.
Cressy was a 7-5 7-6 (11-9) winner on Saturday against Bulgarian third seed Grigor Dimitrov, serving 17 aces on the way through to his first ATP Tour final.
At the Adelaide International 1 event, Gael Monfils will face Karen Khachanov for the trophy.
Top seed Monfils ended the spirited run of Australian wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis, earning a 7-5 6-0 semi-final win, while second seed Khachanov battled past former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
Paris Saint-Germain will be without Lionel Messi for Sunday's Ligue 1 trip to Lyon.
Messi tested positive for COVID-19 while back home in Argentina and subsequently missed PSG’s 4-0 victory over Vannes in the Coupe de France on Monday.
However, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner returned a negative test on Wednesday and was set to be available to face Lyon.
Yet Ligue 1 leaders confirmed on Saturday that the 34-year-old will "continue his post-COVID individual recovery protocol for the next few days."
PSG also revealed that Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Danilo Pereira, Layvin Kurzawa and Gianluigi Donnarumma remain in isolation after recently returning positive tests.
Meanwhile, Neymar is resuming his rehabilitation and is scheduled to return to training in three weeks' time.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledges that PSG must adapt in the absence of players, but insists that every team is in the same boat.
During his pre-match press conference, he said: "All teams have absent players; so do we. We have to adapt to everyday life. Sometimes, we have to change our plans.
"It's the same every game, we always have to make choices. We have to put the players in the best conditions."
On the prospect of facing Peter Bosz's Lyon side, he added: "They are one of the best teams in France.
"There is a very great coach. In the end, they will be fighting for the first places.
"It will be difficult, but we are optimistic."
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