London (AFP) – Frank Lampard was appointed Chelsea head coach on Thursday, confirming a dramatic return for one of the club's greatest ever players. Lampard has signed a three-year contract with Chelsea, where he spent 13 years and became the team's all-time leading scorer with 211 goals. The former England midfielder succeeds Maurizio Sarri after […]

Nashville (AFP) – Christian Pulisic scored twice as the United States defeated Jamaica 3-1 to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup final after a weather-disrupted semi-final on Wednesday. The United States will now face fierce regional rivals Mexico in Sunday's final at Soldier Field in Chicago. New Chelsea signing Pulisic bundled home a rebound from Jordan […]

Porto Alegre (Brazil) (AFP) – Peru coach Ricardo Gareca praised his side for overcoming adversity after they reached the Copa America final with a 3-0 win over defending champions Chile. Peru were completely transformed from the meek outfit that was thrashed 5-0 by Brazil in their final group stage match as goals from Edison Flores, […]

Porto Alegre (Brazil) (AFP) – Peru stunned defending champions Chile 3-0 to reach the final of the Copa America for the first time in 44 years on Wednesday. Goals from Edison Flores, Yoshimar Yotun and Paolo Guerrero handed Peru a deserved win which sends them into a final against Brazil at the Maracana Stadium on […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has sealed a deal to join second-tier Chinese club Qingdao Huanghai, the player and the club have announced. The 36-year-old former Ivory Coast international and four-time African footballer of the year had been without a team since December after an unsuccessful three-month spell at […]

London (AFP) – Football dressing rooms are notorious for cut-throat jibes between teammates, but there are few where low marks in an exam are the source of ridicule. However, Cardiff Metropolitan University FC are no ordinary team. They are an educated mix of undergraduate, masters and PhD students who pay to play and now have the […]

Cairo (AFP) – Star forward Sadio Mane goes head-to-head with star goalkeeper Denis Onyango when Senegal meet Uganda on Friday in an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match in Cairo. Senegalese Mane and Ugandan Onyango were included in the 2018 African team of the year chosen by a Confederation of African Football (CAF) panel. They […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil's attacking midfielder Willian will miss Sunday's Copa America final against either champions Chile or Peru after injuring his hamstring, the tournament hosts said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Chelsea player was a second half substitute in Brazil's 2-0 semi-final victory over arch rivals Argentina, coming on for winger Everton. A […]

Lyon (AFP) – Jackie Groenen had not even managed a shot on target before coming up with the goal that took the Netherlands through to their first ever women's World Cup final on Wednesday. The midfielder's long-range strike nine minutes into extra time that gave her team a 1-0 victory over Sweden in the semi-final […]

Lyon (AFP) – The Netherlands' rise as a force in women's football continued on Wednesday as Jackie Groenen's extra-time strike saw them edge out Sweden 1-0 in a gruelling World Cup semi-final in Lyon, taking the European champions through to this weekend's final against the United States. After a goalless 90 minutes, midfielder Groenen — […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – The Argentine Football Association (AFA) on Wednesday lodged a complaint with CONMEBOL over the "serious and gross refereeing errors" in their Copa America semi-final loss to arch rivals and tournament hosts Brazil. Lionel Messi's side were beaten 2-0 as their wait for a first major title since 1993 was extended on […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla announced the club-record signing of French defender Jules Kounde from Bordeaux and the arrival of Marseille winger Lucas Ocampos on Wednesday. Kounde has agreed a five-year contract with Sevilla, who will pay 25 million euros ($28.2 million), according to reports in Spain. An official club statement read: "The defender, who arrived […]

Lyon (AFP) – An extra-time strike by Jackie Groenen saw the Netherlands edge out Sweden 1-0 in a gruelling women's World Cup semi-final in Lyon on Wednesday, taking the European champions through to this weekend's final against the United States. After a goalless 90 minutes, midfielder Groenen — a former judo European Championship bronze medallist […]

Lyon (AFP) – The second women's World Cup semi-final between Sweden and the Netherlands went into extra time on Wednesday after a goalless 90 minutes in Lyon. A disappointing encounter briefly came to life in the second half with both teams hitting the woodwork, a Nilla Fischer shot for Sweden being tipped onto the post […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid on Wednesday signed 19-year-old Portuguese striker Joao Felix from Benfica for 126 million euros ($142 million), the clubs announced. The fee is a record for a Portuguese club and for Atletico Madrid and makes the teenager one of the five most expensive players in history. Atletico tweeted a video of […]