London (AFP) – Harry Maguire said a 16-day coronavirus break had done Manchester United no favours after they salvaged a 1-1 draw at Premier League strugglers Newcastle, leaving them seven points off the top four. Ralf Rangnick's men needed a 71st-minute equaliser from half-time substitute Edinson Cavani after Allan Saint-Maximin scored a superb early opener, […]

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Edinson Cavani spared Manchester United's blushes on their return from a coronavirus hiatus as the Uruguayan rescued a 1-1 draw at struggling Newcastle on Monday. Ralf Rangnick's side trailed to Allan Saint-Maximin's eye-catching early goal and were out-played for long periods at St James' Park. But Cavani came off the […]

Paris (AFP) – Brazilian international midfielder Rafinha has joined Spanish club Real Sociedad on loan until the end of the season, Paris Saint-Germain said on Monday. Real Sociedad confirmed the news on their website with a photo of the player with a club shirt bearing the name Rafael and with the number 17 on it. […]

Paris (AFP) – France striker Kylian Mbappe believes staging the World Cup every two years instead of every four would render the competition less attractive. The 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward shot to global fame as a teenager as France won the 2018 World Cup, scoring four goals in Russia, a feat heightened he says by […]

Rabat (AFP) – Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic called up three more players on Monday to complete his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6. Defenders Badr Benoun and Mohamed Chibi and striker Soufiane Rahimi were added although the trio were all in action at the recent Arab […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris FC and Lyon were both thrown out of the French Cup on Monday for the hooliganism that forced their December 17 tie to be called off at half-time. The teams were all square at 1-1 in Paris when fans spilled onto the pitch at Charlety Stadium following incidents in the stands. […]

London (AFP) – The Premier League has revealed a record 103 players and staff tested positive for the coronavirus in the period from December 20 to 26. Just a week ago, the English top-flight set a new high since testing began in 2020 with 90 positive cases. That mark has now been beaten as the […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers joined forces to slam the festive fixture schedule ahead of their clubs' Premier League clash on Tuesday. Klopp believes teams should not be made to play on both December 26 and December 28. Liverpool were spared the burden of having to play twice […]

Paris (AFP) – Ski ace Mikaela Shiffrin and tennis star Andrey Rublev tested positive for Covid-19 just weeks from the Winter Olympics and Australian Open respectively as global sport once again felt the chill wind of the coronavirus. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Shiffrin will miss this week's World Cup races in Lienz — but with […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal's clash with Wolves, scheduled for December 28, became the 15th Premier League match postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak in recent weeks on Sunday. "The Premier League Board accepted the postponement application as Wolves do not have the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic coped without a host of first-team regulars due to a coronavirus outbreak to beat St Johnstone 3-1 on Sunday, but remain six points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers, who were 2-0 winners over St. Mirren. Both matches were played in front of crowds limited to just 500 due to fresh coronavirus […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City powered six points clear at the top of the Premier League after quashing Leicester's comeback bid in a pulsating 6-3 win on Sunday. Pep Guardiola's rampant side scored four times in the opening 25 minutes of a Christmas cracker at the Etihad Stadium. Kevin De Bruyne struck first […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City opened up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a first half demolition of Leicester in a thrilling 6-3 win as Arsenal and Tottenham were also comfortable winners on Sunday. Three of the scheduled nine Boxing Day matches were postponed due to coronavirus outbreaks as Britain […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic coped without a host of first-team regulars due to a coronavirus outbreak to beat St Johnstone 3-1 on Sunday in front of a crowd limited to 500. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon capped crowds for outdoor public events at 500 from December 26 for up to three weeks. The new rules […]

Singapore (AFP) – Thailand booked their place in the AFF Suzuki Cup final for a ninth time in 13 attempts after they held defending champions Vietnam to a goalless draw on Sunday in the second leg of the semi-finals to complete a 2-0 aggregate victory. The Vietnamese dominated possession at Singapore's National Stadium but could […]