Berlin (AFP) – Eintracht Frankfurt captain David Abraham will not play again in 2019 after being banned until December 29 and fined 25,000 euros ($27,530) on Wednesday for barging Freiburg coach Christian Streich during a Bundesliga match. A sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) hit Abraham with the hefty fine and seven-week ban […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has been suspended for one match and fined £50,000 ($64,000) for a tweet he posted comparing teammate Benjamin Mendy with a black cartoon character, the Football Association announced on Wednesday. In September Silva tweeted an image of a young Mendy alongside an image of the character representing […]

Berlin (AFP) – Oliver Bierhoff says Germany want to brush aside minnows Belarus with a display of "power football" in their bid to wrap up Euro 2020 qualification on Saturday and also boost flagging ticket sales. Germany host Belarus in Moenchengladbach on Saturday when main Group C rivals the Netherlands also play a tricky away […]

London (AFP) – Raheem Sterling's altercation with England team-mate Joe Gomez could have been sparked by a delayed reaction to the hatred aimed at the striker by Liverpool fans in their Premier League clash last Sunday said Danny Rose. Sterling — who has been a target for Liverpool fans since his leaving for Manchester City […]

Riyadh (AFP) – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will participate in this month's Gulf Cup football tournament in Qatar, organisers said Wednesday, signalling a thaw in their bitter two-year feud with Doha. The three Gulf states as well as Egypt cut relations with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist […]

London (AFP) – Australian striker Sam Kerr will test herself at the top level of European football after impressing in her homeland and the United States as she joined Chelsea on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Matildas captain — who scored five times in this year's World Cup as the Australians reached the last 16 — signed […]

Riyadh (AFP) – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have said they will participate in this month's Gulf Cup football tournament in Qatar, signalling a thaw in their bitter two-year feud. The three Gulf states as well as Egypt cut relations with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist extremist groups […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Star striker David Villa, Spain's top goalscorer, Wednesday announced he will retire next month, ending a glittering career in which he won the World Cup, European Championships and Champions League. The 37-year-old Vissel Kobe striker said he will call it a day at the end of the 2019 J-League season after a […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Star striker David Villa, Spain's top goal scorer, announced on Wednesday he was quitting professional football at the end of the season. The 37-year-old is currently playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan after a glittering career at international and club level that has included stints at Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. "I'm […]

Baghdad (AFP) – For Iraqis opposed to the Baghdad government and its sponsor Tehran, there is even more than football at stake when Iraq faces Iran in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday. Anti-regime rallies at the epicentre of protests in the capital's Tahrir Square have faded in recent days, following a spree of arrests, […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Nigerian challengers Enyimba and Enugu Rangers were given tough tasks when the CAF Confederation Cup group draw was made in Cairo Tuesday. Enyimba must secure a top-two finish in Group D, where they will meet San Pedro of the Ivory Coast, Hassania Agadir of Morocco and Paradou of Algeria, to reach the […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – A brilliant Teboho Mokoena free-kick goal gave South Africa a 1-0 victory over the Ivory Coast Tuesday in a 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifier in Cairo. Mokoena, a late arrival for the eight-nation competition because SuperSport United refused to free him ahead of the November 10-19 international window, struck on 79 […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has withdrawn from the Croatia squad due to an Achilles injury, his club confirmed on Tuesday. Rakitic will miss Croatia's Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia on Saturday. Croatia sit top of Group E but only two points clear of Hungary with one game left to play. Rakitic will […]

London (AFP) – Raheem Sterling said he allowed his "emotions" to get the better of him leading to a brief altercation with Liverpool's Joe Gomez that resulted in Manchester City player being dropped for Thursday's Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro. Sterling admitted on Instagram on Tuesday he and Gomez "had words" when they met up […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – English Premier League sharpshooters Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah flew to Africa this week, seeking goals as 2021 Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifying kicks off. New Arsenal captain Aubameyang has claimed eight league goals this season and Liverpool duo Mane and Salah seven and six respectively, putting the trio among […]