Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Qatar will host East Zone matches for Asia's Champions League after the West Zone games were successfully staged in the Gulf state following a long coronavirus hiatus, officials said Friday. The East Zone teams, which come from countries including Japan, China and Australia, will play their remaining matches in Doha from […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Lionel Messi put his Barcelona troubles behind him to fire Argentina to an opening 1-0 victory over Ecuador in World Cup qualifying on Thursday. The 33-year-old great has been in open conflict with his club but it had no detrimental effect on his form as his 13th minute penalty was the […]

Washington (AFP) – Major League Soccer doormat DC United relieved Ben Olsen of head coaching duties on Thursday after 10 years in the post, naming assistant coach Chad Ashton as an interim manager. United own the worst record in the 26-team league at 2-9 with five drawn for 11 points, two adrift of FC Cincinnati […]

London (AFP) – Scotland won their first ever penalty shootout to beat Israel in a Euro 2020 semi-final playoff, but there was spot-kick heartbreak for the Republic of Ireland as they lost out to Slovakia. Northern Ireland will host the Slovaks next month for a place at the postponed tournament next summer after they too […]

London (AFP) – In-form Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored on his England debut as Gareth Southgate's experimental side beat Wales 3-0 in Thursday's friendly. Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring at Wembley with his 10th goal this season after netting nine times in six games for Everton. The 23-year-old's first half strike was followed by another maiden […]

London (AFP) – Northern Ireland will be cheered on by 600 fans when they face Austria in a Nations League fixture in Belfast on Sunday, the Irish FA confirmed on Thursday. Plans have been drawn up for 600 supporters to be accommodated, divided between the East, West and North Upper stands of Windsor Park. Irish […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa sported a new French-designed kit, but the old failure to convert possession into goals persisted as they were held 1-1 by lower ranked Namibia in Rustenburg Thursday. The hosts' Luther Singh gave Bafana Bafana a 19th-minute lead that Absalom Iimbondi cancelled 10 minutes into the second half. After a coronavirus-induced […]

Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – Former Strasbourg president Egon Gindorf, who used to watch home matches in the stands with supporters, has died at the age of 89, the Ligue 1 club announced on Thursday. "All our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and all Racing (Strasbourg) fans who have today lost a emblematic and […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Three-time African champions Raja Casablanca are one victory away from clinching the Moroccan league title for the first time since 2013. A midweek win at Olympique Khouribga lifted Raja to 57 points with one round remaining, followed by arch rivals Wydad Casablanca (56) and Renaissance Berkane (54). Raja have home advantage over […]

Rome (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks likely to miss the Milan derby this month after his club AC Milan announced Thursday that the veteran Swede had again tested positive for coronavirus. Ibrahimovic, who went into quarantine two weeks ago when he first tested positive, must test negative twice before he can return to the Milan […]

Paris (AFP) – The French Football League on Thursday announced that it would not grant a delay in a TV rights payment after Mediapro said it wanted to renegotiate its bumper contract following a coronavirus-led downturn. The LFP said that they had "refused" to postpone payment of a tranche due on October 5 reportedly worth […]

Berlin (AFP) – Irritated Germany coach Joachim Loew admits his side has a leadership problem to remedy after three consecutive draws while domestic interest in the national side continues to wane going into back-to-back Nations League matches. Stuttgart-born Kenan Karaman bundled in a 94th-minute equaliser for Turkey in Cologne to seal a 3-3 draw in […]

Geneva (AFP) – Switzerland's Liverpool forward Xherdan Shaqiri has finally returned a negative Covid-19 test, but that of Borussia Dortmund's Manuel Akanji came back positive, the Swiss football federation announced on Thursday. Shaqiri had joined up with the national set-up at the start of the week hoping to make his first appearance for his country […]

London (AFP) – Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has pleaded with the government to rethink its stadium supporter ban, calling for football to be treated "fairly". Matches at the end of last season in the English top-flight and the beginning of the new campaign have been played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus […]

Paris (AFP) – France's 7-1 thrashing of Ukraine was the pick of the European friendlies on Wednesday as Spain clung on for a draw in Lisbon and Turkey saved pride with a late goal against Germany in Cologne. At the Stade de France it was teenager Eduardo Camavinga and veteran Olivier Giroud inflicting much of […]