Johannesburg (AFP) – Title-holders Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa produced one of their finest CAF Champions League performances to upset V Club 3-1 Wednesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Liberian Anthony Laffor, Ivorian Yannick Zakri and Sibusiso Vilakazi scored in wet Kinshasa for a Sundowns side that struggled recently in domestic and African […]

Stockholm (AFP) – A group of fans in red Manchester United jerseys kick a football around in a Stockholm park ahead of Wednesday's Europa League final, excited about the match but jittery after the Manchester terror attack earlier this week that left 22 people dead. "Goal!" shouts Aqeel Kareem as one of his friends volleys […]

London (AFP) – World Cup-winning central defender Per Mertesacker says he is fit to make his first start in more than a year when Arsenal take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The 32-year-old German, who retired from international football a month after winning the 2014 World Cup, will arrive at Wembley […]

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ghanaian international midfielder Christian Atsu's performances for Newcastle United in regaining their Premier League status earned him a permanent move from champions Chelsea on Wednesday. The 25-year-old — who scored five goals in 32 Championship appearances as the Rafael Benitez-coached Magpies topped the table — signed a four-year contract for […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Brazilian forward Hulk scored one goal and set up another as Shanghai SIPG won a megabucks all-Chinese clash 2-1 against Jiangsu Suning in the AFC Champions League's last 16 on Wednesday. Hulk made his muscular presence felt with a bustling performance which terrorised the Jiangsu defence and put Andre Villas-Boas's SIPG in […]

Cobham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Defiant Chelsea captain John Terry on Wednesday brushed off criticism of his controversial farewell substitution at Stamford Bridge which caused a furore in the English media. The 36-year-old central defender — who will leave Chelsea in the close season after 22 years at the club — was given a guard […]

Madrid (AFP) – Ernesto Valverde said Wednesday there were clubs chasing him but refused to say if one of them was Barcelona, amid reports he is poised to be appointed head coach at the Camp Nou. The 53-year-old Spaniard resigned as Athletic Bilbao boss on Tuesday and Spanish media reports he should be named as […]

London (AFP) – Champions Chelsea cancelled Sunday's Premier League victory parade saying it was "inappropriate" after the Manchester suicide bombing that left 22 dead and over 60 wounded. "Everyone associated with Chelsea Football Club offers our heartfelt condolences to those affected by Monday’s terror attack in Manchester," said a statement. "Our thoughts go out to […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spain's Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed a 21-month jail sentence and 2.09-million-euro ($2.25 million) fine imposed on Lionel Messi for tax fraud, months after the Barcelona football star lodged an appeal. The Argentina international and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were in July 2016 found guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, […]

London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger insists that Saturday's FA Cup final is about much more than him and his future, and revolves instead around Arsenal's drive to beat Premier League champions Chelsea and end a troubled season on a high note. The 67-year-old Frenchman has constantly refused to give a definitive answer on whether his […]

The Hague (AFP) – Police in Amsterdam are on high alert after the Manchester attack with large crowds set to gather outdoors to watch Wednesday's Europa League final between Ajax and Manchester United. The match will be screened live from the Stockholm Friends Arena on a giant screen set up in Amsterdam's famous Museum Square, […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United legend Eric Cantona issued an emotional video tribute to the 22 people killed in Monday's suicide bombing at a pop concert in the city he called home for five years. The 51-year-old Frenchman, who has turned his hand to acting since retiring from football aged just 30, earned the nickname […]

Shanghai (AFP) – China's Tianjin Quanjin appear to have shut the door on a rumoured megamoney swoop for Chelsea's Diego Costa or any other "excessive" spending, amid a government crackdown on high-priced foreign imports. The Brazilian-born Spain striker has since January been the subject of repeated speculation that he could join Super League club Tianjin […]

Stockholm (AFP) – Manchester United will attempt to put aside their grief on Wednesday in a Europa League final against Ajax scarred by the deadly terror attack in their home city. What should have been a showpiece occasion will instead carry a sombre tone, with players joining together for a pre-match minute's silence in memory […]

Moscow (AFP) – The new World Cup stadium in Saint Petersburg was meant to boast a state-of-the-art pitch and be a showcase for Vladimir Putin's Russia when it hosts the 2018 football bonanza. Instead the $800 million venue, which took a decade to build, has caused more embarrassment than pride as Russian authorities scramble to […]