London (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino vowed player welfare will be a top priority as the world governing body reshapes the international fixture schedule. FIFA's proposal for a biennial World Cup drew widespread criticism last year amid concern over burn-out due to the increased demands placed on players. Infantino discussed the issue in Manchester […]

Milan (AFP) – Tammy Abraham put Roma into an Italian Cup quarter-final with Inter Milan on Thursday, pulling his team out of the mire against second-tier Lecce with the crucial goal and assist in a 3-1 win. England international Abraham put Roma ahead in the 54th minute with a smart turn and low drive which […]

Limbe (Cameroon) (AFP) – Forward Ablie Jallow and goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye starred as Gambia snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win over Tunisia on Thursday to finish second in Group E of the Africa Cup of Nations. Jallow came off the bench to score the 93rd-minute winner for the Scorpions, who are debuting in the flagship African […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has agreed a new contract with the Premier League club, according to British media reports on Thursday. The France goalkeeper's existing deal was due to expire at the end of this season, sparking speculation he could be on the move. But the 35-year-old is reported to have signed […]

Douala (AFP) – Reigning champions Algeria were dumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations after an abject 3-1 defeat against the Ivory Coast as the group stage came to a conclusion on Thursday with Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and tiny tournament debutants the Comoros all securing places in the last 16. Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare […]

Madrid (AFP) – Eden Hazard scored his first Real Madrid goal in eight months on Thursday as La Liga’s leaders staged a dramatic comeback with 10 men to scrape past Elche in the Copa del Rey. Madrid needed extra-time to win 2-1 at the Martinez Valero and were given a scare by Elche, whose Gonzalo […]

Douala (AFP) – Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi hit back at criticism of star man Riyad Mahrez but admitted his team would need to improve drastically to qualify for the World Cup after the reigning African champions were dumped out of the Cup of Nations on Thursday. The 2019 champions needed to beat the Ivory Coast […]

Paris (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has moved to Doha on a temporary basis to oversee the build-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later his year, world football governing body confirmed on Thursday. "As communicated in October 2021, the FIFA President informed the FIFA Council that he would divide his presence between Zurich, […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang insists he is "absolutely fine" after the Gabon star was forced to leave the Africa Cup of Nations following a heart scare. Aubameyang was sent back to Arsenal this week after his national team's medical staff said he had "cardiac lesions". The 32-year-old did not feature in either […]

Douala (AFP) – The Ivory Coast crushed an abject Algeria 4-1 on Thursday with Nicolas Pepe among the scorers as the reigning champions crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the group stage. Franck Kessie and Ibrahim Sangare scored in the first half for the Elephants in Douala, while Pepe and Sebastien Haller […]

Madrid (AFP) – Ousmane Dembele hit back at Barcelona on Thursday by saying he "won't give in to blackmail" after the club's director of football Mateu Alemany said the winger must leave before the end of January. Dembele's contract expires in the summer and talks over a new deal have broken down. Alemany said on […]

Paris (AFP) – Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux have won a combined 16 French league titles, but two of French football's most successful clubs find themselves rooted in a deep malaise and facing the grim prospect of relegation this season. Beset by financial difficulties aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic and accusations of mismanagement, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux occupy […]

Berlin (AFP) – Rivals St Pauli and Hamburg clash on Friday in historically one of the fiercest derbies in German football, with the two sides fresh from knocking Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and Cologne out of the German Cup. The near-neighbours will meet in a second-division clash fuelled by memories of violent ideological battles in […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany said Ousmane Dembele must leave before the end of January after the French international made it clear he does not want to stay at the club. Dembele, who joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 in a deal worth 140 million euros ($158.9 million), will be able […]

Madrid (AFP) – A depleted Sevilla were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia on Wednesday, leaving Real Madrid four points clear at the top of La Liga. Sevilla had the chance to close the gap to two points by winning their game in hand at Mestalla but Goncalo Guedes' equaliser on the stroke of […]