Paris (AFP) – Belgium ended England's hopes of reaching the Nations League finals with a 2-0 win on Sunday while Italy edged closer to next year's title shake-up. Belgium where just five minutes from joining world champions France at next October's finals when Iceland pulled level at 1-1 with group rivals Denmark in Copenhagen. However, […]

Reggio Emilia (Italy) (AFP) – Italy brushed off the absences of several players and coach Roberto Mancini with an impressive 2-0 victory over a toothless Poland outfit on Sunday to close in on a UEFA Nations League finals place. The Azzurri took top spot in Group A1 from the Netherlands, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina […]

Leuven (Belgium) (AFP) – Belgium ended England's hopes of reaching the Nations League finals as goals from Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens earned the world's number one ranked side a 2-0 win in Leuven on Sunday. A second consecutive defeat in Group A2 leaves England down in third, five points adrift of Belgium, with just […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Liverpool star Sadio Mane scored as Senegal won 1-0 in Guinea-Bissau Sunday to become the second qualifiers for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals after hosts Cameroon. The reigning African Footballer of the Year struck after 82 minutes against opponents reduced to 10 men by the red-carding of Jorge 'Bura' Nogueira […]

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Wales winger David Brooks sealed a 1-0 Nations League win that left Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny still waiting for his first win after seven games in charge. Bournemouth's Brooks struck in the second half at the rain-lashed Cardiff City Stadium as Wales won for the fourth time in […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Frank de Boer won his first match as Netherlands coach on Sunday after a Georginio Wijnaldum double in a 3-1 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina shot the Dutch top of their Nations League group. Liverpool midfielder Wijnaldum struck his goals early in the first half to help new coach De Boer's break […]

Trnava (Slovakia) (AFP) – Scotland failed to follow up their heroics of reaching a first major tournament for 22 years as Steve Clarke's men were beaten 1-0 by Slovakia on Sunday, their first defeat in 10 games. Jan Gregus's deflected strike on 32 minutes separated the meeting of two teams who qualified for Euro 2020 […]

London (AFP) – Former Liverpool and England goalkeeper Ray Clemence, a key member of three European Cup-winning teams, has died aged 72, his family said on Sunday. Clemence, who was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2005, was one of the finest 'keepers of his generation, winning a host of trophies during 14 glittering years […]

Basel (Switzerland) (AFP) – Sergio Ramos missed two penalties as Spain needed a late equaliser from Gerard Moreno to draw 1-1 with Switzerland in the Nations League on Saturday but coach Luis Enrique backed his veteran star, saying: "If there had been a third penalty, he'd have taken that as well". Ramos was making his […]

Paris (AFP) – World champions France and Germany rode on the influence of their Chelsea stars to rack up Nations League wins on Saturday while Spain's Sergio Ramos missed two penalties on the night he celebrated a record-setting 177th international appearance. Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante scored just his second international goal as France defeated European […]

Lisbon (AFP) – N'Golo Kante scored just his second international goal as World Cup holders France defeated European champions Portugal 1-0 in Lisbon on Saturday to secure a place in the Nations League finals. Chelsea midfielder Kante was quickest to react to a rebound as he netted the winner on 53 minutes that clinched France […]

Basel (Switzerland) (AFP) – Sergio Ramos missed two penalties as Spain needed a late equaliser from Gerard Moreno to draw 1-1 with Switzerland in the Nations League on Saturday. Ramos was making his 177th appearance for Spain to break the international appearances record for a European player, pulling clear of Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, who has […]

Lisbon (AFP) – N'Golo Kante scored just his second international goal as World Cup holders France defeated European champions Portugal 1-0 in Lisbon on Saturday to secure a place in the Nations League finals. Chelsea midfielder Kante was quickest to react to a rebound as he netted the winner on 54 minutes that clinched France […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Mohamed Salah-less Egypt scored through defender Mahmoud el Wensh to edge Togo 1-0 in Cairo Saturday and kick-start a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Prolific Liverpool scorer Salah tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Cairo for international duty and a subsequent test produced a similar result. Apart from missing […]

Berlin (AFP) – Chelsea striker Timo Werner scored twice on his return to Leipzig Saturday as Germany went top of their Nations League group with a convincing 3-1 win over Ukraine. Having joined the Premier League side last July after four years with RB Leipzig, Werner played a starring role behind closed doors at the […]