Dublin (AFP) – Republic of Ireland are still waiting for their first win in the Nations League after being held to a dour 0-0 draw by Denmark on Saturday. Martin O'Neill's side are bottom of their three-team group, with this tepid stalemate at Dublin's Aviva Stadium following a 4-1 thrashing by Wales in their first […]

Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi "is not a leader," said Diego Maradona of the current Argentina talisman in an interview in Mexico. "It's useless to try and make a leader out of someone who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a game," Maradona said on Fox Sports. "Before speaking to the coach and players […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City have rubbished claims they made a failed bid to sign Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. Messi has been linked with City several times since former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola was appointed manager of the Premier League club in 2016. City chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak was quoted in Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo […]

Paris (AFP) – Little Gibraltar finally won their first competitive match after 22 defeats on Saturday when they beat Armenia — who featured Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan — 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. A penalty in the 50th minute by captain Roy Chipolina gave Gibraltar the three points in Yerevan. It was just the […]

Abuja (AFP) – Nigeria beat Libya 4-0 with Odion Ighalo grabbing a hat-trick as the Super Eagles got their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign firmly back on track in Uyo on Saturday. Nigeria are now second in Group E with six points from three matches, a point behind new leaders South Africa, who […]

Milan (AFP) – Roberto Mancini insisted Saturday that it would not be a drama if Italy flop in the Nations League as his objective remains being competitive for the 2020 European championships. Mancini took over as Italy coach last May after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. But […]

Belgrade (AFP) – Red Star Belgrade have consulted French lawyers with a view to launching defamation proceedings after L'Equipe daily alleged the Serbian club had fixed the result of a Champions League match with Paris Saint-Germain. French investigators have launched a probe following suspicions that a senior Red Star official bet large sums of money […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa achieved their biggest victory when they hammered the Seychelles 6-0 Saturday in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier before a tiny rain-soaked crowd in Johannesburg. The previous widest winning margin by 'Bafana Bafana' (The Boys) was 5-0 at home to Guatemala in a friendly match as the republic prepared to […]

Milan (AFP) – Veteran former Real Madrid and AC Milan forward Antonio Cassano on Saturday announced his retirement for the third time just days after the ex-Italian international returned to training. "The day has come, the day when you decide it really is over," said Cassano, who had returned to training with Serie C side […]

Milan (AFP) – Genoa director Giorgio Perinetti said Saturday there was "no chance" the Serie A club would cash in on Polish ace Krzysztof Piatek by selling him during the January transfer window. The 23-year-old Poland international has scored a league-topping nine goals in seven Serie A games after his move from Cravovia last summer […]

Monaco (AFP) – Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry was on Saturday named as Monaco coach, taking his first job in club management after leaving his position with the Belgium national team. The 41-year-old French World Cup winner, who had been working as an assistant to Belgium coach Roberto Martinez since 2016, returns to the club […]

Berlin (AFP) – Burly defender Jonathan Tah was a late call-up to the Germany squad on Saturday ahead of their Nations League matches against the Netherlands and France. Tah captained Germany Under-21s to a 2-1 win over Norway on Friday, securing qualification for the junior European championships next year in Italy, then joined the senior […]

Paris (AFP) – Having left France as a young World Cup winner in 1999, Thierry Henry returns almost two decades later hoping his appointment by Monaco can mark the start of a successful coaching career. Now 41, Henry was named as the new coach of the Ligue 1 side on Saturday, replacing Leonardo Jardim, who […]

Rijeka (Croatia) (AFP) – "Football without fans is nothing," Celtic's European Cup-winning manager Jock Stein famously opined many years ago. If a reminder of Stein's comment was required, it came during England's 0-0 draw in Croatia, that did neither side's chances of progressing in the Nations League much good. A goalless draw was fitting of […]

Monaco (AFP) – Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry was on Saturday named as Monaco coach, the struggling Ligue 1 club announced. The 41-year-old French World Cup winner, who had been working as an assistant coach for the Belgian national team since 2016, signed a contract with Monaco through until June 2021. The former striker will […]