U-21s to play in new regional tournament

The Singapore Under-21 football team will play in a new regional tournament in June.

Dubbed the Nations Cup, the quadrangular also features Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam and will be held in Malacca on June 3 and 5.

It is organised by media rights firm MP & Silva and aims to be an annual affair.

Holders Evergrande on the verge of exit

SAITAMA (Japan) • Yuki Muto's second-half winner left title-holders Guangzhou Evergrande teetering on the brink of a shock AFC Champions League exit as they went down 0-1 to Urawa Red Diamonds yesterday.

It was the super-rich Chinese football champions' second defeat in four games and left them at the bottom of Group H.

With two games to go, they are five points off second place and a spot in the last 16.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Messi's family dismiss accusations

BARCELONA • The family of Lionel Messi denied on Monday that he was involved in tax evasion after the Barcelona football star emerged as one of many personalities accused of shady offshore dealings in the Panama Papers scandal.

"The Messi family wants to make clear that Lionel Messi has not carried out any of the acts attributed to him, and accusations he created a tax evasion plot, including a network of money-laundering, are false and insulting," it said in a statement.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Napoli suffer Higuain setback

MILAN • Napoli's bid for Italian football's Serie A title suffered a setback yesterday after striker Gonzalo Higuain was banned for four matches for reacting angrily to being shown a red card during his team's 1-3 defeat by Udinese on Sunday.

Higuain, Serie A's top scorer with 30 goals, pushed the referee and loudly argued with the official before being removed from the pitch. He was also slapped with a €20,000 ($30,800) fine.

Second-placed Napoli trail leaders Juventus by six points.

REUTERS

Jenkins provides the wildest finish

LOS ANGELES • The Villanova Wildcats won the United States college basketball's championship game on Monday after junior guard Kris Jenkins sunk a buzzer-beating three-pointer to cement a 77-74 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The final appeared to be heading to overtime after North Carolina guard Marcus Paige hit a three-pointer to tie it at 74-all moments earlier.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE