Suzhou (China) (AFP) – Fans of Wuhan Zall, the Chinese Super League club from the epicentre of the coronavirus, on Sunday attended their first match since the pandemic — and burst into tears as their team fought back to draw 2-2. About 300 Wuhan supporters made the 750-kilometre (450 miles) trip eastwards to Suzhou and saw […]

London (AFP) – Ryan Giggs saluted "fantastic" Neco Williams after the Liverpool defender snatched a last-gasp winner in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Bulgaria. Giggs' side were well below their best for most of the League B, Group 4 tie, but 19-year-old Williams came off the bench to break the deadlock with a header deep into […]

London (AFP) – Scotland coach Steve Clarke accepts there will be added expectation on his side when they take on a second-string Czech Republic team in the Nations League on Monday. The hosts are fielding an entirely new squad of players and coaches due to coronavirus concerns. Two players were told to self-isolate after coming […]

Suzhou (China) (AFP) – Fans of Wuhan Zall, the Chinese Super League club from the epicentre of the coronavirus, on Sunday attended their first match since the pandemic — and were rewarded as their team fought back to draw 2-2. About 300 Wuhan supporters made the 750-kilometre (450 miles) trip eastwards to Suzhou and saw their […]

London (AFP) – Wales extended their perfect start to the Nations League campaign as Liverpool defender Neco Williams snatched a last-gasp winner in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Bulgaria. Ryan Giggs' side were well below their best for most of the League B, Group 4 tie, but 19-year-old Williams came off the bench to break the […]

Suzhou (China) (AFP) – Fans of Wuhan Zall, the Chinese football club from the epicentre of the coronavirus, will Sunday attend their first match since lockdown — and many were so excited they couldn't sleep. For some, like Gao Yajun, it is the first time they have left the central city of Wuhan since the […]

Suzhou (China) (AFP) – Fans of Wuhan Zall, the Chinese football club from the epicentre of the coronavirus, will Sunday attend their first match since lockdown — and were so excited they could not sleep. For some, like Gao Yajun, it is the first time they have left the central Chinese city of Wuhan since […]

Madrid (AFP) – An unexpected winner in 2015 and Barcelona's bad guy in 2020, the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu might feel some satisfaction after winning his showdown with Lionel Messi. The last year has been chaotic for Barca, even more so for their president, and not just because they lost La Liga to Real […]

Paris (AFP) – European heavyweights England, France, holders Portugal and Belgium all enjoyed winning starts to their UEFA Nations League campaigns on Saturday even if there were signs of international rust after the coronavirus shutdown. England needed a stoppage-time penalty to beat Iceland 1-0 while world champions France saw off Sweden by the same scoreline. […]

Solna (Sweden) (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe scored with France's only shot on goal on Saturday in Solna to give the world champions a 1-0 victory over Sweden in the opening round of matches in the Nations League. Mbappe picked up the ball wide of the goal in the 41st minute, squeezed past two defenders, waited […]

Reykjavik (AFP) – Gareth Southgate admitted England "got away with it" after escaping another embarassing result against Iceland as Raheem Sterling's penalty secured a 1-0 win in a dramatic finale to kick off their Nations League campaign on Saturday. After Sterling opened the scoring in the 92nd minute, Birkir Bjarnason missed a spot-kick for the […]

Soweto (South Africa) (AFP) – Lebohang Maboe shrugged off poor form this season to score the hat-trick that gave Mamelodi Sundowns a 3-0 win over Black Leopards Saturday and a third straight South African league title. Kaizer Chiefs, leaders on goal difference entering the final round, could only draw 1-1 with Baroka, leaving the most […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been struggling with an infected toe, was omitted from Portugal's match squad to face Croatia in the first round of the Nations League on Saturday in Porto. The Juventus attacker, a five-time Golden Ball winner, coud be replaced in the starting lineup by Eintracht Frankfurt forward Andre Silva […]

London (AFP) – Wolves signed Portuguese forward Fabio Silva from Porto for a club record fee of 40 million euros ($47 million, £36 million), both clubs confirmed on Saturday. Silva, 18, has scored just three goals in 24 appearances for Porto's first team. "Wolves are delighted to have secured the signing of highly-rated Portuguese youth […]

Miami (AFP) – Luis Robles will never forget his first meeting with a French World Cup winner and is eagerly anticipating another. The Inter Miami captain and goalkeeper welcomes former Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi into the ranks in South Florida after the 33-year-old finally became available following his move to Major League Soccer last month. […]