Johannesburg (AFP) – A Hussein el Shahat hat-trick helped Al Ahly of Egypt overwhelm Atlabara of South Sudan 9-0 Friday and equal the record for a CAF Champions League aggregate winning margin. The Cairo Red Devils won the preliminary tie 13-0 overall to match the margin achieved by Young Africans of Tanzania 10 years ago. […]

Berlin (AFP) – Jadon Sancho inspired a late comeback as a sluggish Borussia Dortmund beat promoted side Cologne 3-1 in their second Bundesliga game of the season on Friday. England international Sancho, 19, brought Dortmund to life in the second half, driving home a much-needed equaliser before grabbing an injury-time assist to seal Dortmund's comeback. […]

London (AFP) – Bury F.C.'s proud 134-year history could come to an end on Saturday if the League One side cannot prove they are financially viable to the English Football League (EFL). The EFL set a deadline of midnight on Friday for owner Steve Dale to accept an offer to buy the club or pay […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino has warned Tottenham's stars he won't pick players out of "charity" if they don't meet his standards. Pochettino has frozen out Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen for the opening two games of the Premier League season, while Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama is reportedly set to be sold. Both players have been […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard insists Chelsea's misfiring strikers will rediscover their touch in front of goal. Lampard's forwards are still waiting for their first Premier League goal this season after midfielder Mason Mount netted in last weekend's draw with Leicester. Neither Tammy Abraham or Olivier Giroud scored in the opening defeat at Manchester United, […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is hopeful he will not have to cope without his commanding goalkeeper Alisson Becker for much longer with the Brazilian nursing a torn calf muscle. Alisson made a huge difference to Liverpool's defence after a £67 million ($81 million) move from Roma last season as Klopp's men won […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – David Silva is in line to make the 400th appearance of his extraordinary Manchester City career with manager Pep Guardiola admitting he never expected his star playmaker to survive in the English game. The 33-year-old will reach the landmark should he play in City’s visit to Bournemouth on Sunday at […]

Paris (AFP) – The long mooted takeover of Nice by English petrochemical billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is all but complete, and the question now is whether he can turn the club into regular challengers in Ligue 1. The 66-year-old Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos, bought the Sky cycling team earlier this year before rebranding it as Team […]

London (AFP) – Rangers have been ordered to close a section of Ibrox for their Europa League playoff, second leg with Legia Warsaw next week due to "racist behaviour" of fans earlier in the competition. "UEFA has ruled that a group of Rangers supporters were guilty of racist behaviour — which includes sectarian singing — […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane has challenged Gareth Bale to show why he is still one of the world's best players as he continues his reintegration at Real Madrid. Bale, 30, was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up against Celta Vigo last weekend, when Madrid opened with an impressive 3-1 win in La Liga […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Bayern Munich's unsettled Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches is set to sign a five-year contract with Ligue 1 side Lille, a source close to the French club said on Friday. The 22-year-old was expected to arrive in northern France on Friday to undergo a medical before closing the deal with a club […]

Milan (AFP) – Mexican international Hirving Lozano on Thursday completed his move to Serie A runners-up Napoli on a deal reported to be worth 42 million euros ($46 million). The 24-year-old winger arrives from PSV Eindhoven where he won the Dutch title in 2018. "Welcome Hirving," Napoli club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis wrote on Twitter […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has refused to name a Manchester United penalty taker despite the furore that followed Paul Pogba’s miss from the spot against Wolves on Monday that cost the Red Devils top spot in the Premier League. The United manager was criticised after Pogba failed to convert a penalty […]

Shanghai (AFP) – China could soon be able to field a national team made up almost entirely of players born elsewhere after authorities said nine foreign footballers were switching allegiance. On Wednesday Brazil-born striker Elkeson became the first player without Chinese heritage to be named in the national squad, as China attempts to reach the […]

Berlin (AFP) – New loan signings Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho both hope to make their Bundesliga debuts as champions Bayern Munich attempt to reboot a rocky start to the season at Schalke on Saturday. Perisic and Coutinho, both of whom arrived in Munich on loan this month, will be in the squad for the […]