Sofia (AFP) – Italy kept their World Cup qualifying campaign on track with a 2-0 Group C win over Bulgaria who fell to their second consecutive defeat on Sunday. Andrea Belotti got the first goal from the penalty spot just before the break with Manuel Locatelli sealing the win with his first 'Azzurri' goal with […]

Bucharest (AFP) – A first-half goal by Serge Gnabry was enough to seal a tight 1-0 away win for Germany against Romania on Sunday in their World Cup qualifier. The Bayern Munich winger has scored 15 goals in just 19 appearances for the Mannschaft. Germany out-muscled their hosts with 18 shots on goal, twice as […]

Paris (AFP) – Dani Olmo's injury-time strike saved Spain a 2-1 win in Georgia on Sunday, while France also rebounded from an opening draw in World Cup qualifying by beating Kazakhstan. Elsewhere, Harry Kane lifted England to a stodgy victory in Albania and Denmark made a double statement as they protested the treatment of migrant […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 to Sudan on Sunday in their final Group C match in Omdurman. Saifeldin Malik gave the hosts a fifth-minute lead in a clash of former African champions by heading past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams off a free- kick. […]

Belfast (AFP) – Giovanni Reyna and Christian Pulisic scored as the United States won 2-1 in their friendly against Northern Ireland in Belfast on Sunday. Borussia Dortmund's Reyna, born in England while his father Claudio played for Sunderland, opened the scoring with a deflected strike at Windsor Park. Chelsea winger Pulisic doubled the lead with […]

Tbilisi (AFP) – Dani Olmo's injury-time strike gave Spain a 2-1 win in Georgia on Sunday as the 2010 world champions got their campaign to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar up and running. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Loria could only help Olmo's rasping strike from 25 metres on its way into the top […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 to Sudan Sunday in a final-round Group C match in Omdurman. Saifeldin Malik gave the hosts a fifth-minute lead in a clash of former African champions by heading past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams off a free- kick. Mohammed […]

Tirana (AFP) – Harry Kane ended his six-game England goal drought as he inspired a 2-0 win in Albania in Sunday's World Cup qualifier. Gareth Southgate's side struggled to break down the well-organised underdogs until the Tottenham striker netted late in the first half at the Air Albania Stadium in Tirana. It was the England […]

Paris (AFP) – Denmark on Sunday joined Norway and other European national teams in a growing movement protesting against the treatment of migrant workers involved in building venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Danish players wore jerseys with the slogan "Football supports CHANGE" as they lined up for a photograph before their World […]

Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Ousmane Dembele scored the opening goal as holders France beat Kazakhstan 2-0 away on Sunday to claim the first victory in their campaign to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Sergei Maliy put through his own net for France's second goal before half-time but Kylian Mbappe had a second-half […]

London (AFP) – Facebook has removed the Instagram accounts with which Welsh internationals Rabbi Matondo and Ben Cabango were racially abused following the 1-0 win over Mexico on Saturday. Facebook owns Instagram and acted a few hours after Matondo had slammed the social media platform, accusing Instagram of doing nothing about racist abuse. The Stoke […]

London (AFP) – Rabbi Matondo slammed social media platform Instagram after he and fellow Welsh international Ben Cabango were racially abused following the 1-0 win over Mexico on Saturday. Matondo said it was ludicrous Instagram did nothing about racist abuse yet copyright restrictions meant he would have his account taken down if he posted images […]

Dublin (AFP) – Ireland must pick themselves up and "keep going through the storm" said captain Seamus Coleman after minnows Luxembourg inflicted a humiliating 1-0 defeat on them in their 2022 World Cup qualifier. Whatever the end destination is after coming through the storm it is pretty much certain it won't be Qatar for the […]

Paris (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo threw his captain's armband to the ground in anger after being controversially denied an injury-time winner as Portugal blew a two-goal lead against Serbia in World Cup qualifying on Saturday, while Romelu Lukaku's 59th international goal salvaged Belgium a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic. The Netherlands saw off Latvia […]

Dublin (AFP) – The Republic of Ireland fell to a shock 1-0 defeat by minnows Luxembourg in their 2022 World Cup qualifier in Dublin on Saturday with the home team described as "embarrassing" by their own captain. Dynamo Kiev midfielder Gerson Rodrigues condemned the Irish to their second defeat in as many Group A games […]