London (AFP) – Nottingham Forest dumped 14-time winners Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Sunday after Tottenham and Liverpool both survived third-round scares against lower-league opposition. West Ham saw off Leeds 2-0 in the day's only match featuring two Premier League teams while Wolves defeated Sheffield United 3-0. Championship side Forest and Mikel Arteta's […]

Berlin (AFP) – The German referee, whose appointment to handle the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich last month was strongly criticised by England midfielder Jude Bellingham, is not currently active, it was revealed Sunday. Felix Zwayer, 40, has "put himself on holiday since his last match" which took place five days after […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Captain Vincent Aboubakar scored a brace of penalties as hosts Cameroon came from behind to beat Covid-ravaged Burkina Faso 2-1 in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations in Yaounde on Sunday. Gustavo Sangare had given Burkina Faso the lead in the Group A match at the Olembe Stadium, but […]

Milan (AFP) – Andrea Petagna kept Napoli's faltering Serie A title hopes alive with the only goal in Sunday's 1-0 win over Sampdoria, while Atalanta hammered 6-2 an Udinese team cut to the bone by Covid-19 cases. Burly forward Petagna struck the winner with an uncharacteristically acrobatic bicycle kick just before half-time to keep Napoli […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla stayed in touch with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Sunday after Rafa Mir's goal sealed a 1-0 win at home to Getafe. Mir's flicked finish in the 22nd minute squirmed past David Soria and was enough for Sevilla to cut the gap to Madrid to five points, […]

Paris (AFP) – Nice retook second place in Ligue 1 on Sunday with a 3-0 victory at Brest, despite playing the majority of the match with 10 men. Christophe Galtier's men move back above Marseille, who won at Bordeaux on Friday, on goal difference. But they are still 10 points adrift of runaway leaders Paris […]

Venice (AFP) – Theo Hernandez struck twice in AC Milan's 3-0 Sunday stroll at Venezia to help push his team top of Serie A and put pressure on champions Inter Milan. France full-back Hernandez rammed home Milan's second shortly after the break when slid through by the impressive Rafael Leao before making absolutely sure of […]

London (AFP) – Harry Maguire admits Manchester United deserve criticism for their sub-standard performances this season but has played down rumours of disharmony in the dressing room. Ralf Rangnick suffered his first defeat as interim manager against Wolves last week, which was followed by reports of unrest among the players. Maguire said United — seventh […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Gay Australian footballer Josh Cavallo vowed Sunday that "hate will never win" after being subjected to homophobic abuse from fans during a weekend game. The 22-year-old, who plays for Adelaide United in Australia's A-League, came out in October as the only known gay men's footballer playing in a top-flight league. His decision […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Fifty years after last hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon kick off the continental showpiece on Sunday targeting a sixth title while hoping the spectre of the coronavirus does not overshadow the tournament. Cameroon, who play 2013 runners-up Burkina Faso in their opening Group A match at the vast new 60,000-seat […]

Madrid (AFP) – Karim Benzema passed 300 goals for Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior produced another moment of magic as La Liga's run-away leaders sailed past Valencia 4-1 on Saturday. Benzema and Vinicius both scored twice at the Santiago Bernabeu to send Madrid eight points clear of second-placed Sevilla, who have two games in hand, […]

Madrid (AFP) – Karim Benzema passed 300 goals for Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior produced another moment of magic as La Liga's run-away leaders sailed past Valencia 4-1 on Saturday. Benzema and Vinicius both scored twice at the Santiago Bernabeu to send Madrid eight points clear of second-placed Sevilla, who have two games in hand, […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona squandered the chance to climb back into La Liga's top four on Saturday as Granada scored a late equaliser to seal a 1-1 draw after Barca midfielder Gavi was sent off. Luuk de Jong put the Catalans in front at Los Carmenes, heading in a cross from 38-year-old Dani Alves, who […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona squandered the chance to climb back into La Liga's top four on Saturday as Granada scored a late equaliser to seal a 1-1 draw after Barca midfielder Gavi was sent off. Luuk de Jong put the Catalans in front at Los Carmenes, heading in a cross from 38-year-old Dani Alves, who […]

Berlin (AFP) – Jude Bellingham and Mahmoud Dahoud scored late goals as Borussia Dortmund came from behind to seal a dramatic 3-2 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and cut Covid-hit Bayern Munich's lead to six points at the top of the Bundesliga. With nine players sidelined by Covid, a makeshift Bayern side lost 2-1 at […]