Top Five Stories From Tuesday You Must Read Today

NAIROBI, Kenya- Only six sides remain in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League after former winners, Manchester United FC and Juventus FC were sent crashing out of the competition at the quarterfinal stage by FC Barcelona and surprise package, Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday night.

Having bloodied his nose in the first leg at Old Trafford, Lionel Messi hit back with another ethereal performance to inspire Barca to a 3-1 victory at Camp Nou to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory over United as Ajax stunned Juventus 1-2 in Turin to end Cristiano Ronaldo's hunt for a fourth Champions League trophy in a row.

Sofapaka FC custodian Justin Ndikumana of Burundi set sights on helping his nation soar the heights at the 2019 AFCON finals after becoming the second player from the SportPesa Premier League (SPL) side to win the SportPesa/Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Player of the Month Award this term after Umaru Kasumba when he claimed the March gong in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Still on the SPL, Bandari FC have the chance to go top with victory over the wounded KCB FC when they welcome the bankers to Mbaraki Stadium in Mombasa.

Searing heat in Japan during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will see the marathon races start in the early morning, mirroring what happened at the Beijing 2008 Olympics to safeguard the welfare of the athletes competing in the ultimate distance competition.

Following the roaring success of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, talks are in an advanced stage to host another Formula 1 round in China in this compilation of the top five stories on SportPesa News from Tuesday you must read today.

Slaughter At Camp Nou: Messi Wipes Floor With Man United

BARCELONA, Spain- Lionel Messi pounced on two Manchester United mistakes to score twice and end their hopes of another Camp Nou comeback as Barcelona breezed into the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday.

After an excellent start, United were undone twice in four minutes by Messi, who first nicked the ball off the careless Ashley Young and then watched as a weak shot from distance squirmed underneath David de Gea. READ MORE

Sofapaka Custodian Ndikumana Ready To Steer Burundi To 2019 AFCON Glory

NAIROBI, Kenya- Sofapaka FC custodian, Justin Ndikumana is ready to lead his country Burundi to lift the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) slated for June 21 to July 19 in Cairo, Egypt.

This was after the hawk-eyed keeper was presented with the SportPesa/Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Player of the Month Award for March in Nairobi on Tuesday. READ MORE

Stifling Japan Heat Pushes Tokyo 2020 Olympics Marathon To Early Morning

TOKYO, Japan- The 2020 Olympic marathons will start at 6:00 am, organisers confirmed Tuesday, after doctors warned a traditional mid-morning start could lead to deadly medical emergencies in Tokyo's stifling summer heat.

The men's 50km race walk will start even earlier, at 5:30 am, with organisers saying they had taken medical advice into account in timetabling the events. READ MORE

Bandari Aiming For SPL Summit As They Tackle KCB In Mbaraki

NAIROBI, Kenya- Third placed Bandari FC will host visiting Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) FC at Mbaraki Stadium in Mombasa where victory will return them to the SportPesa Premier League summit.

Bandari are already  inspired with a 2-1 victory against Western Stima FC last Sunday while ninth placed KCB will be out to redeem their image after a 1-0 loss to Sofapaka FC last weekend. READ MORE

Formula 1 Hits 1000: Talks Ongoing For Another Grand Prix Round In China

SHANGHAI, China- Formula One is in talks with six local governments in China this week about holding a second grand prix in the country, a senior F1 official told AFP, with a Beijing road race said to have been floated.

A second grand prix -- most likely on the streets -- would complement the existing one on the $450 million Shanghai International Circuit. READ MORE