TODAY

Golf, Sky Sports 3, 8am Final round of the Dubai Desert Classic, in which Tiger Woods continues kicking sand in the faces of his rivals.

Rugby union, BBC1, 2.30pm, kick-off 3pm Scotland take on France at Murrayfield, with the whiff of a shock in the air.

Football, African Cup of Nations, British Eurosport, 4.30pm, kick-off 5pm The first quarter-final from Accra sees hosts Ghana play Nigeria, followed at 7.45pm by the second, Ivory Coast against Guinea. There are two more tomorrow.

Ice skating, ITV1, 6.15pm This is your final warning . . . Greg Rusedski and Steve Backley will never make ice dancers as long as they live. Vote one of them off this week. You know it makes sense.

Ski Sunday, BBC2, 6.45pm World Cup highlights from Val d’Isere, and all-action TV presenter Ben Fogle tries his luck on the slopes.

Million Dollar Baby, C4, 9.15pm Superior boxing movie starring a not-in-the-least-little-bit-typecast Clint Eastwood as a gnarled, bad-tempered old trainer and Hilary Swank as the waitress he turns into a world-class boxer.

American football, Super Bowl XLII, Sky Sports 1, 10pm; BBC2, 10.50pm, kick-off 11.20pm American football’s showpiece brings together New England Patriots and New York Giants. The Patriots are unbeaten, and in quarterback Tom Brady have a man going for his fourth Super Bowl. As if that weren’t enough, he also has a model girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen. Life’s a bitch.

MONDAY

Football, Sky Sports 1, 7.30pm, kick-off 7.45pm It could be argued that Newry City v Coleraine has limited appeal.

TUESDAY

Cricket, Sky Sports 1, 6am They’re off! New Zealand face England in the first of two Twenty20 matches. They meet again on Thursday.

Tennis, British Eurosport, 1pm, 5.15pm The WTA Open Gaz de France. Remember the days when women’s tennis tournaments were won by genteel types such as Sue Barker? Hold the thought as you watch defending champion Nadia Petrova.

WEDNESDAY

Football, internationals, Sky Sports 1, 7pm, kick-off 7.45pm Okay, so here’s the choice – the Republic of Ireland take on Brazil, including the likes of Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho, while over on Sky Sports 2, Wales face Norway. It’s a tough one.

Football, international, BBC1, 7.30pm, kick-off 8pm Fabio Capello’s long-awaited first match as coach sees England take on Switzerland in a meaningless friendly at Wembley. If nothing else, at least it gives the Italian the chance to try out his “vee ease over zee moon” or “vee ease seek as parrot” in postmatch interviews.

ONE Life, BBC1, 10.40pm It’s the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, when a plane carrying the Manchester United team crashed on a slush-covered runway. Harry Gregg, United’s goalkeeper at the time, makes an emotional return to the scene.

THURSDAY
Golf, Sky Sports 2, 8am The European Tour reaches parts that other tours don’t, and the Indian Masters, at Delhi Golf Club, is a first.

Football, British Eurosport, 4.45pm, kick-off 5pm First semi-final in the African Cup of Nations, followed at 7.55pm by the second.

FRIDAY

Tennis, BBC2, 1.30pm Argentina face a Great Britain side that had a mountain to climb even with Andy Murray in the squad. He has withdrawn with a knee injury, so now it’s mission impossible in Buenos Aires.

Cricket, Sky Sports 2, 12.30am New Zealand take on England in Wellington in the first of five one-day internationals. On paper, Paul Collingwood’s side should have few problems; on grass, it may be a different story.

SATURDAY

Rugby union, BBC1, 1pm, kick-off 2pm Wales v Scotland, followed at 3.50pm by France v Ireland. The Welsh expect passion from their players against Scotland, while with Ireland on the crest of a slump, the fans back home will be happy with anything other than capitulation.

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