Real Madrid have confirmed coach Zinedine Zidane’s brother Farid has died at the age of 54.

Zidane left the club’s training camp in Montreal on Friday due to personal reasons, with Madrid announcing he was to be absent for an unspecified period.

His son Luca, a goalkeeper at Madrid now playing on loan at Racing Santander, also left received permission to depart training from his new club after receiving the news.

The Madrid squad held a minute’s silence ahead of training on Saturday after being made aware of Farid’s death, which followed a lengthy battle with illness.

Real Madrid confirmed Farid’s passing on their website, with a statement announcing the minute of silence.

Zidane’s assistant David Bettoni will be in charge of the first team until the head coach’s return. Bettoni and Zidane are close friends, having first met when the pair were in the youth team together at French side Cannes.

Welcome to our comprehensive coverage of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Watch all the matches live on SuperSport or live stream them through DStv Now. You can also follow the matches through our live text commentary and interact with us through the live blog.

LIVE STREAMING

Senegal v Tunisia – 18:00

Algeria v Nigeria – 21:00

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY

Senegal v Tunisia

– 18:00

Algeria v Nigeria – 21:00

Algeria boss Djamel Belmadi said his players are “two very difficult steps” away from writing history as they prepare to face Nigeria in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations semifinals.

The Desert Foxes are through to the last four of the tournament for the first time since 2010 and have looked the strongest side in Egypt, having defeated title favourites Senegal in the group phase.

Following an early exit in Gabon in 2017 and a dreadful World Cup qualifying campaign, Belmadi has revived Algerian fortunes as they bid to end a 29-year wait for a second continental crown.

“The one that we won was in 1990, a long time ago when it was at home. We’ve never won since. This is away from home, it’s more difficult of course,” said Belmadi.

Algeria beat Nigeria twice, including 1-0 in the final, to lift the trophy in Algiers in 1990 to follow on from the likes of Lakhdar Belloumi and Salah Assad, who helped put the country on the footballing map a few years earlier.

“Those players mentioned are great players, they made history for our football. They played at the World Cup in 1982 and 1986 and some great games, but even those players didn’t win it in 1990. They were different players,” recalled Belmadi.

“This is our target, we want to write our history and the players want to write their history as well. It’s not far – two more steps, but two very difficult steps to this great achievement. We will try our best.”

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has called on Real Madrid to join his club in making “sacrifices” in order to complete a move for James Rodriguez.

James is in limbo after his two-year loan with Bayern Munich came to an end without the Bundesliga champions exercising their purchase option for the Colombian attacker.

Reports suggest James has no place in the plans of Zinedine Zidane, while Napoli head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who coached James at Madrid and Bayern, and De Laurentiis have both been open about their desire to bring him to Italy.

However, De Laurentiis claimed Thursday that Real Madrid were making unjust demands of Napoli and the Serie A club were under no pressure to complete a deal.

Friday, De Laurentiis again called on Madrid to lessen their demands, suggesting Napoli are ready to meet them part way, if Los Blancos are willing.

“We are all prepared to make sacrifices for James Rodriguez, but we ask Real Madrid to make them too,” De Laurentiis told Sky Sport Italia.

“We’ve not given up, but in order to break the ice we need Madrid to consider that rather than have an unhappy player sitting around, they should send him out to play. Perhaps on loan.”

Griezmann⚡ Explains Barcelona U-Turn🤔

Antoine Griezmann has said the time was right to join Barcelona after completing a long-awaited switch from Atletico Madrid.

The France forward has signed a five-year deal after Barca agreed to trigger his €120 million (£107m/$134m) release clause.

Griezmann was seemingly set to join Barca in the summer of 2018 only to confirm during a television documentary he was staying at Atletico.

The 28-year-old forward signed a new contract with Atletico soon after, but reports surfaced in the second half of the 2018-19 campaign that he was hoping for another chance to join the Liga champions.

And the attacker acknowledged that U-turn in his first public comments since becoming a Barca player on Friday, saying he was taught as a child that opportunities can come around again.

“When I was a boy, my dad taught me that trains don’t come around just once,” Griezmann said in a video posted on Twitter by Barcelona.

“Now it’s time to take on the challenge of a new destination. Finally, our paths cross.

“I’ll defend the Barca colours with all my determination and commitment. It’s our time.”

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Barcelona have officially announced the signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid, with the French forward putting pen-to-paper after the Blaugrana paid his full €120m (£107m/$134m) release clause.

The former Real Sociedad forward and 2018 World Cup winner has signed at the Camp Nou for the next five seasons through to June 2024 – a contract that includes a buyout clause of €800m.

The move has not been without drama, as Atleti recently hit out at both Barca and Griezmann himself for their conduct after it was revealed that the two parties had been in negotiations and reached an agreement in March – a time during which Diego Simeone’s side were still fighting in La Liga and the Champions League.

With the deal now completed, however, Griezmann will link up with Lionel Messi and co as the current Spanish champions aim to win the Liga title for a third consecutive season.

Nigeria’s footballers are in line for a minimum $75,000 windfall if they score against Algeria in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Cairo.

The continent’s richest man Aliko Dangote has promised to pay the Super Eagles $50,000 for each goal they score against the Algerians.

According to Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigerian oil mogul Femi Otedola has also promised to reward the team with $25,000 for every goal beginning from the encounter with Algeria.

Several other wealthy Nigerians have showered the Eagles with huge cash donations after they reached the last four of the tournament.

Officials said that each player has so far received at least $72,000 in bonuses and donations.

The team received cash gifts and plots of land from the Nigerian government when they won the competition for the third time in South Africa in 2013.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Eagles to remain focused in order to win the tournament for a fourth time.