Port-Gentil (Gabon) (AFP) – Andre Ayew converted a first-half penalty as Ghana started their latest bid to reclaim the Africa Cup of Nations title with a hard-earned 1-0 victory against Uganda in Port-Gentil on Tuesday. The West Ham United star's 32nd-minute conversion from the spot was all that separated the sides on an awful pitch […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Tuesday he could not understand why "retired" Cameroon defender Joel Matip was currently unavailable to the Reds because of the African Nations Cup.Klopp had to pull Matip out of Sunday's Premier League draw with Manchester United because of confusion over the player's international status. Both Matip and […]

Beijing (AFP) – China's clampdown on big-spending football clubs has scuppered a bid by Tianjin to buy Diego Costa and a host of other Europe-based stars, its chairman said. Tianjin had Chelsea striker Costa, Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao at Monaco and Raul Jimenez at Benfica in their sights until the authorities imposed limits […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna was fined £40,000 ($49,439, 46,214 euros) and warned about his future conduct by the Football Association on Tuesday after making an Instagram post that questioned referee Lee Mason's impartiality. Sagna, 32, posted a photo with the caption "10 against 12.. but still fighting and winning as a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he has no reason to panic and will once again use the depths of his squad against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday looking to bounce back from a first defeat in 40 games. Madrid conceded twice in the final five minutes in […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says a global ambassador's role will be offered to Diego Maradona — if the former club legend settles his score with the Italian tax man. Maradona was served with a tax bill of around 39 million euros (£33m) four years ago when he returned to Italy, where […]

Libreville (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and hosts Gabon vowed to put a poor start to their Africa Cup of Nations behind them and beat Burkina Faso on Wednesday in the second series of Group A matches. A "Panthers" team captained by the Borussia Dortmund star striker conceded a last-minute goal to only draw 1-1 with […]

Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) – Scotland's Oliver Burke plans to fly his mum over to Germany to supply a taste of home cooking as he seeks to cement his future at RB Leipzig. A Scotland international at just 19, the pacy teenage winger was told to forget everything he had learned tactically at Nottingham Forest after […]

London (AFP) – Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahmovic says the pressure on him that comes from outside is like a kindergarten compared to the pressure he places on himself every time he trains or plays for Manchester United. The 35-year-old striker — who has defied the sceptics who thought he was too old to flourish at […]

Milan (AFP) – AC Milan battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Torino on Monday keeping their bid for Europe alive by moving fifth in the Serie A table. Andrea Belotti had put Torino ahead after 21 minutes with his 14th league goal of the season and Marco Benassi adding a second […]

Oyem (Gabon) (AFP) – Junior Kabananga pounced on a goalkeeping error to give the Democratic Republic of Congo a 1-0 win over Morocco in an Africa Cup of Nations upset on Monday in Gabon. Success came two days after the central Africans refused to train over a bonuses row and a red card and an […]

Zurich (AFP) – FIFA warned Liverpool on Monday they cannot play Joel Matip unless Africa Cup of Nations participants Cameroon give the Premier League title-chasers permission. The key central defender missed Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday amid a disagreement over his international status and he could be unavailable for the next month. […]

Port-Gentil (Gabon) (AFP) – If he plays in Egypt's opening Africa Cup of Nations fixture against Mali in Port-Gentil on Tuesday, goalkeeper Essam El Hadary will smash the record for the oldest player ever at the tournament. El Hadary turned 44 on Sunday, leaving him poised to beat the previous mark set by his fellow […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russian Premier League table-toppers Spartak Moscow have signed Brazilian international forward Luiz Adriano from AC Milan, the Moscow club said on Monday. No financial details of the deal were disclosed but Russian media reported a fee of one million euros ($1.06 million) for the 29-year-old striker. "I'm very happy with a move […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez on Monday admitted defrauding Spanish tax authorities of 983,443 euros ($1 million) while playing for Barcelona. The 28-year-old Chile international's confession could see him receive a fine and possibly a non-custodial prison sentence. Giving evidence via video link from London, Sanchez "recognised a tax error which he has […]