London (AFP) – Tottenham will be without forward Son Heung-min for a series of key matches due to a muscle injury, manager Antonio Conte revealed on Friday. The South Korean was substituted by the Italian towards the end of Tottenham's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday. […]

Paris (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah were named on Friday as the three finalists for the FIFA Best Men's Player award, while Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas was nominated for the women's prize. Poland star Lewandowski won last year's FIFA award but had to settle for second in the 2021 Ballon […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has downplayed reports of dressing room discontent at Old Trafford, saying unrest is inevitable with a deep squad. The German has suggested the squad he inherited is too big, with many players unhappy at their lack of playing time. United suffered a demoralising 1-0 […]

London (AFP) – Jamie Vardy faces eight weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring problem as Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers struggles to juggle his resources in an injury-ravaged season. Vardy, 34, suffered the injury in a 1-0 win over Liverpool on December 28 and scans have revealed the problem is worse than first feared. "Jamie […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – The wait is finally over for Cameroon, which from Sunday hosts the Africa Cup of Nations three years later than initially planned as its own Indomitable Lions measure up to the likes of reigning champions Algeria, the Senegal of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah's Egypt. Cameroon was initially supposed to be the […]

Chester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City and France international footballer Benjamin Mendy, who has been charged with seven counts of rape, was on Friday freed on bail by a court in northwest England. Judge Patrick Thompson granted bail to the 27-year-old defender at a hearing at Chester Crown Court subject to "stringent" conditions, including the […]

London (AFP) – Everton manager Rafael Benitez revealed on Friday that out-of-favour France defender Lucas Digne has told him he wants to leave the Premier League club. The full-back has not played since the Merseyside derby defeat at home to Liverpool on December 1 after a fall-out with the Spaniard over tactics and his role […]

London (AFP) – Kieran Trippier became Newcastle's first signing under the club's new Saudi-led ownership on Friday, with manager Eddie Howe saying he hoped his arrival would pave the way for further additions to his relegation-threatened squad. The 31-year-old full-back has returned to the Premier League from Atletico Madrid for an undisclosed fee, understood to […]

London (AFP) – Philippe Coutinho is joining Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season from Barcelona, the Premier League club announced on Friday. "Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park," Villa said in a brief statement. […]

London (AFP) – Newcastle announced on Friday they had signed Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid, with the England international becoming the first arrival under the club's new Saudi-led ownership. The 31-year-old full-back has moved back to the Premier League for an undisclosed fee, understood to be in the region of £12 million ($16 million) plus […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Workers are applying final touches to the fan zones in Yaounde ahead of the long-awaited launch this weekend of Africa's biggest sporting event. Beset by months of problems and uncertainty, the month-long Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) gets under way on Sunday when host nation Cameroon play Burkina Faso. Preparations to get […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain return to Ligue 1 action this weekend at struggling Lyon, with Mauricio Pochettino's men building towards their Champions League clash against Real Madrid. But most of the spotlight at the capital giants is focused off the pitch, with Kylian Mbappe's future more uncertain than ever, Lionel Messi still returning from […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona could return to La Liga’s Champions League spots for the first time in four months on Saturday as the beginnings of a recovery under Xavi Hernandez appear finally to be taking shape. Barca are unbeaten in five games ahead of their trip to Granada this weekend, even if the 15-point gap […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Cameroon on Sunday with the continent's top-ranked side Senegal seen as the team to beat alongside reigning champions Algeria. AFP Sport picks out six stars to watch at the tournament: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich and Cameroon Choupo-Moting was dismissed at times during his two-year […]

Berlin (AFP) – The Bundesliga resumes Friday after the winter break with the clubs trailing Covid-hit league leaders Bayern Munich looking to narrow the huge points gap in the table. Bayern hold a nine-point lead ahead of Friday's home match against Borussia Moenchengladbach, but the coronavirus has decimated the Munich squad. Winger Alphonso Davies on […]