Libreville (AFP) – Ivory Coast want Crystal Palace flier Wilfried Zaha to replace injured Gervinho as they try to become only the fourth country to successfully defend the Africa Cup of Nations title. Egypt have achieved the feat three times in the 60-year-old African football showcase and Ghana and Cameroon once each. But two of […]

Cairo (AFP) – Egypt return to the African Cup of Nations after a seven-year absence with a new generation looking to rekindle the glory days of three consecutive titles before the 2011 uprising exhausted Egyptian football. Watching football has for decades been a favourite past-time for millions of Egyptians, especially with the national team who […]

Paris (AFP) – Herve Renard is looking to do something in Gabon that no coach has done before and win a third Africa Cup of Nations title with a third different country. The Frenchman leads Morocco into the tournament having won the title with the Ivory Coast two years ago and with Zambia, the last […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he, his players and even the club's supporters will need to raise their game when arch rivals Liverpool visit Old Trafford this weekend. United ground out a 2-0 win against Hull City in Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg and it took an 87th-minute […]

Paris (AFP) – Joao Moutinho struck a late equaliser for Monaco as the Ligue 1 title challengers overcame second-tier Sochaux 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the French League Cup semi-finals. Faneva Andriatsima struck on the quarter hour as hosts Sochaux, who dumped Marseille out in the previous round, grabbed the lead […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United's French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is closing in on a move to Everton, his manager Jose Mourinho confirmed on Tuesday. British media reports claim United have agreed to sell Schneiderlin, who joined the club from Southampton in 2015, for a fee of £22 million ($26.8 million, 25.4 million euros). […]

Madrid (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann struck for the third time in as many games in 2017 as Atletico Madrid secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey 4-3 on aggregate despite losing 3-2 at home to Las Palmas on Tuesday. Griezmann shrugged off the disappointment of finishing third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and […]

Milan (AFP) – A superb second-half volley from Emanuele Giaccherini set Napoli up for an impressive 3-1 win over La Spezia that secured a place in the Italian Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday. Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri and makeshift striker Dries Mertens were notable absences at the San Paolo due to both serving one-match suspensions and […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini struck to give Manchester United a 2-0 victory over injury-ravaged Hull City in Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at Old Trafford. All eyes were on United captain Wayne Rooney, who is chasing a record 250th goal for the club, but it was Mata who […]

Madrid (AFP) – Voro Gonzalez will remain in charge of crisis club Valencia for the rest of the season, the fallen La Liga giants said on Tuesday. Voro was put in temporary charge for the fifth time in his career at Mestalla following former Italy boss Cesare Prandelli's shock resignation last month. "Valencia CF wish […]

The 2017 edition of the African Nations Cup kicks off this Saturday, January 14 in Gabon with Africa’s top 16 teams vying for the Continent’s most sought-after trophy. The Group Stage, which consists of 4 groups of 4 teams goes through January 25 with the Final taking place February 5. In the United States, beIN […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was ruled out of Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at home to Hull City due to illness, his club announced. Ibrahimovic, United's top scorer with 18 goals, has been a virtual ever-present since signing from Paris Saint-Germain, although he was rested for Saturday's 4-0 FA […]

New York (AFP) – The New York Cosmos on Tuesday confirmed that media tycoon Rocco Commisso had bought a majority ownership stake in the club, confirming the franchise's future after weeks of uncertainty. Italy-born Commisso, the chairman of US cable TV provider Mediacom, told reporters on a conference call he hoped to help put the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish top flight side Granada said Tuesday that midfielder Jon Toral has returned to Arsenal after the Londoners activated a recall option in his contract. The 21-year-old, who had been linked to a move to Scottish giants Rangers, joined Granada on a season-long deal in the summer but made just five league […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna was charged with misconduct by the Football Association on Tuesday after appearing to criticise a referee in a social media post. Sagna, 33, posted a picture on Instagram with the caption "10 against 12... but still fighting and winning as a team" after City's 2-1 Premier League […]