London (AFP) – Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been given a three-match ban after admitting a Football Association charge of violent conduct. Mitrovic appeared to catch West Ham's Manuel Lanzini with an elbow during Newcastle's 3-0 win on Saturday in an incident that was not seen by referee Neil Swarbrick or his assistants. The FA's […]

Abuja (AFP) – Nigeria goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi will miss Friday's World Cup qualifier against Cameroon in Uyo with injury, coach Gernot Rohr said on Wednesday. Ikechukwu Ezenwa from Nigerian club FC Ifeanyi Ubah will now start the game, while Dele Ajiboye from Plateau United has been handed a late invitation to the squad in the […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier is nearing a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur after the Ivorian was granted a work permit, a source close to the player told AFP on Wednesday. The 24-year-old had been strongly linked with a move away from the French capital but a suspended two-month prison sentence he received […]

Athens (AFP) – Mali international midfielder Yacouba Sylla has joined Panathinaikos on loan from French side Rennes, the Greek Super League club announced Wednesday. The 26-year-old, who has made 28 international appearances, spent last season on loan at Montpellier. Sylla had two years in the English Premier League with Aston Villa between 2013-2015. "I am […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool have agreed a £35 million ($46 million, 38 million euros) deal with Arsenal to sign England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, according to reports on Wednesday. Oxlade-Chamberlain appeared set to join Chelsea earlier this week after the Premier League champions had a bid accepted for the 24-year-old. But Liverpool appear to have won […]

Paris (AFP) – France coach Didier Deschamps must ensure any distractions caused by the impending transfer deadline are put to one side as his team face the Netherlands in a crunch World Cup qualifier on Thursday. The build-up to the game at the Stade de France has been overshadowed by talk of striker Kylian Mbappe's […]

Brussels (AFP) – Chelsea winger Eden Hazard will make his first appearance of the season in Belgium's 2018 World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar on Thursday after recovering from a fractured ankle. The 26-year-old has been out of first-team action since the start of June, but did play 74 minutes for the Chelsea under-23 side last […]

Berlin (AFP) – Australia goalkeeper Mitch Langerak signed for Spanish side UD Levante on Wednesday, quitting Stuttgart following the arrival of Germany international Ron-Robert Zieler. Langerak, who has made eight appearances for the Socceroos, helped Stuttgart earn promotion back into the Bundesliga last season by winning the second division title. However, he found himself on […]

London (AFP) – England international left-back Kieran Gibbs has joined West Bromwich Albion from Arsenal on a four-year contract, his new club announced on Wednesday. West Brom did not reveal how much they paid for the 27-year-old, but British media reports put the fee at around £7 million ($9 million, 7.6 million euros). Gibbs came […]

Saitama (Japan) (AFP) – Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic called on his players to fight like samurai warriors in Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Australia after being tipped to win — by a "psychic" parrot. Local media reported Wednesday that an avian tipster called Olivia had predicted a win for the home side, which would book […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany's World Cup winner Benedikt Hoewedes is set to join Italian champions Juventus on Wednesday in a hastily arranged transfer after being stripped of the captaincy at Schalke. Juventus confirmed via the club's official Twitter account that Hoewedes was in Turin for a medical check. According to German media reports, the 29-year-old […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Three Chinese boys have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi after Barcelona hand-picked the trio to train at the Spanish giants' famous La Masia youth academy, organisers said Wednesday. Two boys aged eight and another aged 10 were plucked from more than 1,000 children who attended the first […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Cameroon coach Hugo Broos admits their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign is doomed if they do not take at least four points off Nigeria in back-to-back clashes. The Group B rivals meet in southeastern Nigerian city Uyo this Friday and in Cameroonian capital Yaounde three days later. Nigeria top the African […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Brazilian star Oscar labelled him "the best Chinese player" and for most of his career he has carried the burden of being called "China's Maradona". Wu Lei will need to show why on Thursday if China are to keep their wafer-thin World Cup 2018 hopes alive in a must-win encounter with Uzbekistan […]

Montevideo (AFP) – Luis Suarez could yet line up against Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi on Thursday as South America's battle for 2018 World Cup places resumes with Argentina's trip to Uruguay the pick of the fixtures. With leaders Brazil already locking up their place at next year's tournament, attention turns to the tussle for the […]