Bolton's FA Cup rematch against Tottenham Tuesday is set to be as much a celebration of Fabrice Muamba's remarkable recovery as a battle to reach the semifinals of the world's oldest club knockout competition. The teams are set for an emotional reunion in the rearranged quarterfinal at White Hart Lane, where Muamba collapsed on the pitch after suffering a mid-game cardiac arrest on March 17. Muamba — whose heart stopped beating on its own for 78 minutes — remains in intensive care but is making encouraging progress at London Chest Hospital, where he will be visited by members of the Bolton squad ahead of the match. “When we saw him go down that tunnel, we thought he might not make it to hospital,” Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said. “We're so pleased with what's happened. It's a miracle.” After postponing its midweek Premier League match against Aston Villa out of respect for Muamba, Bolton returned to action Saturday in a 2-1 home victory over Blackburn, lifting the team out of the relegation zone. Fans paid tribute to the former England under-21 midfielder in emotional scenes at the Reebok Stadium that are set to be repeated Tuesday at the scene of the incident, which left players and spectators horrorstruck. “It will give us a chance to thank the Tottenham fans because last Saturday it was almost like a sixth sense had taken over,” Bolton manager Owen Coyle said. “Is it going to be tough? Yes.” Tottenham says match shirts worn by players from both teams in the rematch will be signed and auctioned, with proceeds going to the London Chest Hospital, the London Ambulance Service, the British Heart Foundation, Pan Africa Heart Foundation and Cardiac Risk in the Young. Messages of support from all over the world continue to pour in and the latest update on Muamba provides further encouragement, with the hospital saying he was able to “sit out of bed for a short time, watch television and has begun to eat” over the weekend. The winner of the match will play Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in the last four on April 15. Sunderland hosts Everton Tuesday in a quarterfinal replay, with a semi against Liverpool the prize for the winning team. Venues for 2013 Cup The host cities and stadiums for next year's African Cup of Nations will be announced on April 4. The South African Football Association said the match venues will be made public during a visit by Confederation of African Football officials. Representatives from eight bidding venues were presenting their cases to SAFA Monday. South Africa could use seven stadiums for the 16-team event in January and February next year, the most ever at a Cup of Nations. Organizers say those built for the 2010 World Cup will be preferred.
