Japan international Takefusa Kubo has committed his future to Real Sociedad amid links with a series of potential suitors.

The 22-year-old winger, who has been touted as a potential target for Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Saudi outfit Al Hilal, has signed a contract extension which will keep him at the Reale Arena until the end of the 2028-29 season.

A statement on the LaLiga club’s official website read: “Real Sociedad and Takefusa Kubo have reached an agreement to extend their partnership until the end of the 28-29 season.

“The Japanese, accompanied by the president Jokin Aperribay, signed his new contract, fulfilling both parties’ desire to continue growing together. Take stays at home.”

Kubo joined Real in July 2022 after three years on the books at Real Madrid, who reportedly have a 50 per cent sell-on clause, without making a competitive appearance and loan spells with Real Mallorca twice, Villarreal and Getafe.

He has since made 71 appearances and scored 15 goals and will hope to be involved in Wednesday night’s Champions League last 16 trip to Paris St Germain.

Brighton winger Simon Adingra described Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph as “one of the most beautiful moments of my life”.

Hosts Ivory Coast produced a 2-1 comeback victory over Nigeria on Sunday to become African champions for the third time, with Adingra setting up both goals and being named player of the match.

“We did it together – we’re Africa champions and it’s incredible,” said Adingra.

“I’ve just experienced one of the most beautiful moments of my life and that’s down to the effort of everyone in the team.”

The hosts fell behind in the showpiece when Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong headed in a 38th-minute opener against the run of play.

Second-half goals from Franck Kessie and former West Ham striker Sebastien Haller – who in July 2022 was diagnosed with testicular cancer and returned to action at Borussia Dortmund just over a year ago – sealed what at one stage appeared an improbable victory.

The Elephants suffered a 4-0 group-stage defeat to Equatorial Guinea and sacked head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, squeezing into the knockout rounds after finishing third in their section.

Caretaker boss Emerse Fae said: “When I think about all we went through, the hard times when we almost out and the matches where we came back in last minutes, we have created some miracles.

“We were close to humiliation but when we had a second chance, we were determined not to waste it.”

For Nigeria’s former Watford defender Troost-Ekong, the opening goal was his third of the competition and he was named the tournament’s best player.

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro said: “My team is sad but for me they did what they could.

“I am proud of the way my players performed in this tournament.”

Scotland may be smarting from the injustice of their defeat by France but Ben Earl insists England also have a point to prove in their Calcutta Cup clash.

Replays suggested Scotland had scored a legitimate stoppage-time try at Murrayfield on Saturday but as they failed to show clear grounding, protocol dictated it should not stand and Les Bleus escaped with a 20-16 win.

The decision prevented them from entering round three of the Guinness Six Nations with an unbeaten record to match that of Steve Borthwick’s team, who crept past Italy and Wales to stay in Grand Slam contention.

What was previously a comfortable Six Nations fixture for England has since been turned on its head by losing the three most recent meetings – and Earl wants to see that addressed in Edinburgh on February 24.

“Scotland are a very proud rugby nation, they’ve got some great players, some great individuals,” Earl said.

“We’ve never had an easy game against them and last time we played them at Twickenham, the first game of last year, we lost.

“We’ve got to right some wrongs and so we’re really looking forward to going up there.”

England’s underwhelming performances in the opening two rounds have hardly set the tournament alight, but in coming from behind to dispatch Italy and Wales they are continuing to show a knack for digging themselves out of trouble.

After a 31-point lead had been thrown away against Scotland in 2019, Borthwick’s predecessor Eddie Jones compared the team’s response to pressure to “hand grenades in the back of a jeep” that “go off”.

But in the World Cup warm-up game against Wales at Twickenham in August, and at the tournament itself, they have displayed the ability to roll with the punches – and come back firing.

“We feel we’ve got a good game to fall back on when things are tight. We can squeeze games out and find a way to win. We know we can win from almost any position,” Earl said.

“When our backs were against the wall against Wales, we got together and said ‘look, it feels like we’re not getting the rub of the green here from the ref and/or the context of the game, so we need to almost bunker down or come out swinging in a way’.

“Other England teams in previous regimes, we might have gone into our shells and reverted to an individual focus, but we were collected and aligned in our messaging and in our next actions, so we were really pleased.

“The Italy game was a step in the right direction and Wales was another step in the right direction, so who knows where we can take it.”

England’s growing resilience has coincided with Earl’s rise to starting number eight and the marauding Saracen, who broke four tackles to cross against Wales, is revelling in the independence he has been given by attack coach Richard Wigglesworth.

“Richard has been really clear with me in terms of giving me a bit of a free role in terms of where I pop up,” Earl said.

“Against Italy I carried a bit more off nine than I did against Wales. But in terms of where I’m at, I’m loving playing for this team.”

Strong Leader is set to continue plying his trade in the staying hurdle division, having been handed a Liverpool Hurdle objective by trainer Olly Murphy.

The seven-year-old has shown smart form at Aintree in the past, winning a novice hurdle by eight lengths last term before ending the campaign by finishing a close-up second to Inthepocket over an extended two miles in the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle.

Since being well beaten over the minimum trip on his return to action, Strong Leader has gone up in distance, first running well in the Ascot Hurdle before excelling in his first try at three miles on Cheltenham Trials day in the Cleeve Hurdle.

On that occasion, only Stayers’ Hurdle-bound Noble Yeats and Paisley Park finished ahead of Strong Leader.

And with Murphy’s charge holding no graded entries for the Cheltenham Festival, he is set to bypass Prestbury Park in favour of another trip to Merseyside for their Grand National day Grade One.

“He’s going straight to Aintree for the three-mile race,” said Murphy.

“I know everyone talked about Paisley Park and Noble Yeats and rightly so, but he was the unlucky loser. He never jumped a hurdle, didn’t come down the hill and yet was only beaten a length and a quarter.

“He relished the step up to three miles. His sectionals were very good over two miles but he’s always worked like a horse who would want a trip.

“He will go straight to Aintree and whether he will be good enough, I’m not sure, but he’s a very good horse on his day – and the one day it all clicks for him, then he could win a big one.”

Ivory Coast brought the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to a dramatic end on Sunday beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final to become champions for the third time.

The Elephants were the story of the competition as they sacked manager Jean-Louis Gasset after a poor group-stage performance and still went on to lift the trophy.

Here, the PA news agency looks at highlights from the latest edition.

Comeback kings Ivory Coast rise from the dead

After a shock 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast looked certain for an early exit. The Ivorian Football Federation sacked French manager Gasset afterwards and brought in former player Emerse Fae. Having scraped through to the knockout rounds, they edged past big favourites and defending champions Senegal on penalties in the round of 16 in Fae’s first game in charge, then beat Mali in extra-time in the quarter-finals and secured a 1-0 victory over DR Congo in the last four. Given the nickname ‘Zombies’, they came back from the dead once again to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final after going behind, proving you should never write off the Ivory Coast.

Much change needed for the Black Stars

It was a tournament to forget for Ghana as they failed to make it out of the group stages with just two draws and a defeat. A team that included West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, Crystal Palace veteran Jordan Ayew and Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams struggled to help Ghana make any progress in the competition. Former Brighton manager Chris Hughton was sacked after less than 12 months in charge and the Black Stars have started their search for a new coach before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

South Africa defy the odds

Not many would have predicted South Africa would reach the semi-finals of the tournament and Bafana Bafana certainly caught the eye. Their biggest challenge came when they took on 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in the round of 16. Goals from Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena sealed a famous 2-0 victory as PSG star Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty late on for the Moroccans.

New heights for Mauritania

Mauritania qualified for AFCON for the first time in their history in 2018 and heading into this year’s competition they had new hopes of improving on their last performance. The Lions of Chinguetti were still searching for their first win heading into the last group game against Algeria and they pulled it off with a shock 1-0 victory to also send them to their first knockout match against Cape Verde. Mauritania could not pull off another upset against Cape Verde but they sealed their place in AFCON history with an impressive performance.

Rise in viewing figures continues

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed more than two billion people worldwide watched the tournament live on TV. Deals with many broadcasters, including Sky and BBC, have helped boost figures for the competition and CAF president Patrice Motsepe predicts the next tournament’s viewing figures will be even better.

Harry Paterson admitted he could never have imagined starting a Guinness Six Nations match for Scotland just months after wondering how he was going to get a game in Edinburgh’s high-calibre back three.

The 22-year-old began the season competing with established internationals like Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and Emiliano Boffelli for a place at club level.

The departure of Kinghorn to Toulouse and injuries to others, however, allowed him to make three starts for Edinburgh in December and he was subsequently named in Gregor Townsend’s squad for the Six Nations.

Incredibly, with just eight senior appearances to his name in total, Paterson was summoned to start Saturday’s showdown with France on the morning of the game after Kyle Steyn’s wife went into labour, further reducing the Scots’ back-three options after injuries to key duo Kinghorn and Graham.

Paterson responded by producing what head coach Townsend described as “one of the the best debuts I’ve ever seen” as Scotland went down to a controversial 20-16 defeat by Les Bleus.

“It certainly was beyond my pre-season expectations,” said Paterson. “Especially with the senior boys in the back three at Edinburgh, it’s unbelievable.

“In November, I was thinking ‘I’m not really getting a look with Edinburgh’, but things can change very quickly and a few guys got injured so I was kind of given an opportunity through that.

“I’ll take a lot of confidence from it. I’ve not played a lot of professional rugby so I need to build up that base of games, stay fit and crack on.”

Paterson was not named in the initial 23-man squad for the France match and only learned at 9am – five hours before kick-off – that he would be starting at full-back.

“I got a call from Gregor when I was having my breakfast and I kind of figured what was happening when I saw who was calling,” he said. “There was about 10 minutes of panic and then I stabilised and cooled down. There was a bit of nerves obviously, but I was really excited.

“Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh and Scotland team-mate) told me beforehand ‘it’s just another game of rugby but it’s also your first cap so make sure you enjoy it’.

“I was alright once I was out there. I got minced off the first ball I caught so that got me into the game. I just kind of went for it.

“I’ve been told I overthink a lot, but when it comes to game time I manage to chill out a bit and not stress as much.”

Paterson had mixed feelings at the end of a debut in which Scotland were controversially denied what would have been a match-winning try when the officials were unable to decide beyond all doubt that Sam Skinner had managed to ground the ball.

“I was a confused boy at the end of the game,” he said. “I didn’t really know how to feel at the end. I was just gutted at the result.”

While Steyn is likely to come back into the mix for the next game at home to England a week on Saturday, it remains to be seen if Graham or Kinghorn – both of whom were initially ruled out of the first two matches of the championship – will be fit enough to return.

Asked if he felt he had played his way into contention for the Calcutta Cup showdown, Paterson said: “I’m not sure. I don’t know who is available. There’s a lot of moving parts so I’m not really sure what will happen there.”

Bukayo Saka hailed Arsenal’s thrashing of West Ham on Sunday as a “statement” win in their title challenge.

Having seen rivals Liverpool and Manchester City win a day earlier, the Gunners ensured the gap at the top remained at two points as they recorded their biggest Premier League away win with a 6-0 victory at the London Stadium.

Saka scored twice, including a penalty having missed a crucial spot-kick in the same game last season, while William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhaes and former West Ham captain Declan Rice completed the rout.

It was one of the most eye-catching performances of Mikel Arteta’s reign as Arsenal boss and Saka feels it also sent a message to those in the title race.

“We knew this was a big game and it was really important for us to win and make a statement,” he said.

“I think we did really well today scoring six and keeping a clean sheet.”

Saka’s penalty saw him move to 50 goals for Arsenal and he now has 10 goals and seven assists in the league this season.

“Of course I have my own targets,” he added.

“I know these days the media like to compare players. I just stay in my own lane and stay focused on what I want to achieve and what I wanted to achieve at the start of the season. I’m still going and I’ve got quite a few more to go.”

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard may not have been among the scorers but he was arguably the best player on the pitch, setting up two goals and running the show in midfield.

“It was a really good game and strong performance,” he said.

“I think coming from a big game, a big win, and to come here and back it up with this performance is a brilliant sign.

“When you go three or four nil up, it’s easy to drop a little bit, but we just kept on going and wanted more. That’s why I really liked (the performance).”

For West Ham, this was a record home Premier League defeat and means they are without a victory since beating Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in December.

Swathes of supporters made for the exits before half-time on Sunday and midfielder James Ward-Prowse admits the Hammers were not at the required level and need to bounce back.

“We can all accept losing a game, that happens in football, but I think the way you lose is important and the most disappointing thing is the way we lost the game,” he told the club’s official website.

“I don’t feel like we competed anywhere near the level you need to in the Premier League.

“Of course, they’re a top team who are challenging for the title, but I think they showed us today the level and the detail that you need to win games.

“I can stand here and give a message and try and say something, but I’ve been a football fan myself and no words could rectify the performance.

“I think it’s all about showing, competing, and giving a bit more than what we did today. I can stand here and say something, but I know as a fan you want to see something on the pitch.”

Theatre Man has Cheltenham Festival handicaps on his agenda, having picked up a silver medal at Prestbury Park on Trials day.

Richard Bandey’s eight-year-old won two of his four starts over hurdles last term and, although yet to open his account over fences, has not been too far out of the picture in all three novice chase starts.

Despite blundering four from home, he finished less than three lengths adrift of Paul Nicholls’ Turners hope Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham on Trials day, a performance that suggests he is more than worth his place at the Festival.

Connections now need to choose between the Trustatrader Plate over the same track and trip as that most recent outing, or step up to three miles for a shot at the Ultima Handicap Chase, with ground conditions nearer the time set to be a crucial determining factor in the decision.

“We were very pleased with the run at Cheltenham,” said Bandey.

“He finished very strongly, but we’ve always felt he is a strong-finishing two-and-a-half-mile horse rather than a definite three-miler.

“I think after his mistake four out (at Cheltenham), he just got swallowed up a bit and didn’t go through the gaps as fast as Harry (Bannister, jockey) would have liked, but he ran on strongly and we were delighted with the run.”

He went on: “All roads will lead back to Cheltenham now, all being well, with both the Plate and the Ultima being his options – and determined by the ground and shape of the races really.

“If the ground was soft, I think we would see a better horse – I think softer ground helps him rather than what we saw on Trials day, when it was good to soft. If it was similar ground or drier than it was on Trials day, then we might consider the three-mile race.

“It’s a lovely problem to have and Mr Syder and Mr Burke (owners), Harry and I will all put our heads together and work out a plan. We’re a small yard and he’s definitely the flagbearer for us this year, so we’re very lucky to have him.”

Louis Rees-Zammit says his American Football dream is “alive” after starting out on the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) following his switch from rugby union.

The Gloucester, Wales and British and Irish Lions wing stunned the world of rugby last month by quitting the sport in an attempt to secure a contract with an NFL team in 2024.

Rees-Zammit has joined the NFL’s intensive 10-week IPP programme in Florida, where he has been training as a wide receiver while also doing some running back drills.

“There’s a lot of transferable skills over from rugby,” Rees-Zammit, 23, told BBC Wales’ Scrum V programme.

“I’m absolutely loving training. My pursuit to be in the NFL is alive and I’m excited to see what the next 10 weeks holds.

“It’s tough to get your head around it a little bit at the start but, as with everything, you get used to it.

“The vision out of the sides (of the helmet) kind of effects things. But I’m getting used to it now and I’ll see what happens.”

Rees-Zammit says 10 international players have joined the IPP, with a pro day held at the end of the programme to determine whether individuals are good enough to make the NFL grade.

He said: “You basically come here and work the game of football on and off the field, in the classroom and training six days a week.

“Ten weeks of intense training to see if your dream becomes a reality.

“It was the hardest decision of my life (to leave rugby), but it was always something I wanted to do, since a young age, and I thought it was the right time.

“If it works out, I have 10 years to try to play the sport I have loved growing up watching or I can come back to rugby and play the sport I love playing.”

Wales have lost their opening two Guinness Six Nations games in Rees-Zammit’s absence, narrow 27-26 and 16-14 defeats to Scotland and England respectively.

“I was jealous of the boys playing and it was in my mind that I was pretty gutted I did not play,” Rees-Zammit said of Wales’ defeat at Twickenham on Saturday.

“The boys put a shift in and just managed to lose, which was tough. They gave it their all.

“Gats (Warren Gatland, Wales head coach) was unbelievable with me when I told him of my decision.

“He asked if it (American Football) did not work what I would be doing and I said obviously I would be coming back to rugby.”

The Kansas City Chiefs were crowned back-to-back Super Bowl champions after a 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best images from the showpiece event.

Big-money buys Imagine and Mollys Mango could both head to the Cheltenham Festival having been picked up by Harry Derham at the Andy and Gemma Brown dispersal last week.

Over €5million was spent across 29 lots offered by Tattersalls Ireland, with Derham’s former boss Paul Nicholls set to train the top lot Caldwell Potter and Gordon Elliott pulling out all the stops to retain the next four highest-earning offerings at his Cullentra House base.

However, there was a statement of intent by Derham and owner Ian Barratt to bring the hammer down at lofty six-figure fees for Imagine and Mollys Mango, who have both impressed this term.

Imagine – who was sent off favourite for the Martin Pipe at last year’s Cheltenham Festival – created a taking impression in his first two chasing starts for Elliott, including winning the Grade Two Craddockstown Novice Chase in November, before a below-par effort back at Punchestown.

It took €320,000 to bring Imagine back to Berkshire, while Mollys Mango commanded €170,000 having won two of her three starts over hurdles, romping to a 17-length success at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day.

“They are two very nice horses bought for Ian Barratt, who is a very nice man and also a relatively new owner to me,” said Derham.

“If they are both OK, they will both run at Cheltenham – Molly in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and Imagine in the Golden Miller (Turners Novices’ Chase).

“They have to be OK and Ian and his family know it’s quite an interesting time to buy a horse and there isn’t that long to Cheltenham, so if they are OK, then they will run.

“But we know the more we get to know them, and my team get to know them and they get time in a new regime, then they will obviously be better.”

In just his second season with a trainer’s license, the acquisitions add a touch of quality to Derham’s ever-expanding string, with the young handler already closing in on a half-century of winners.

He added: “It’s obviously nice to get two very smart horses like that. It’s never nice in those circumstances, where you are taking them from another trainer, but they were there for sale and are two to look forward to.

“Monday’s sales results show how serious the owner is and they are two nice horses, but as I said to my team, it’s irrelevant and it doesn’t matter how much they cost, once they are in the yard, they will get the same care as everybody else.

“It’s lovely to get horses of that quality into the yard and hopefully we get some luck.”

If both Imagine and Mollys Mango make it to the Cheltenham Festival, they will take their place on a small but select Prestbury Park team Derham is assembling, as he tries to add success in the training ranks to the victory he enjoyed at the Festival aboard Salubrious during his time as a jockey.

The current ace in the trainer’s Cheltenham pack is unbeaten hurdler Queens Gamble, who Derham feels has more in her locker and is as short as 10-1 with Paddy Power for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

“Queens Gamble will run in the Mares’ Novices’ and that has been the plan all season,” said Derham.

“I’m very excited about her and it’s a really good race but I believe there is plenty more to come from her.

“If I think my horses have realistic prospects of running nice races, then I will get involved, but I’m not really into going for a day out.”