Johannesburg (AFP) – Hosts Cameroon and title-holders Algeria are among the six top seeds confirmed this weekend for the 24-team Africa Cup of Nations draw in Yaounde on Tuesday. Cameroon, who last hosted the biennial competition in 1972 when only eight sides participated, have been champions five times and Algeria twice. Senegal, currently the top […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick and Paul Pogba provided four assists as Manchester United thrashed Leeds 5-1 at a packed Old Trafford on Saturday to get their Premier League season off to a flying start. In front of 73,000, the biggest football crowd in the United Kingdom since March 2020, […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Mali, ranked 10th in Africa, are among eight countries who have been barred from hosting 2022 World Cup qualifiers next month after failing Confederation of African Football (CAF) venue inspections. Other nations who must use a neutral ground for a home fixture between September 1-8 are Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Djibouti, […]

Kigali (AFP) – Rwanda's leader Paul Kagame on Saturday unloaded on his beloved Arsenal after they opened the Premier League season with a loss to newcomers Brentford, saying Gunners fans deserve better than "mediocrity". The veteran president and long-time Arsenal supporter tweeted a tirade after Brentford returned to their first English top-flight season for 74 […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Raphael Varane was paraded as a new Manchester United player ahead of Saturday's Premier League opener against Leeds after signing a four-year contract with the Red Devils on Saturday. "Manchester United is delighted to announce the signing of Raphael Varane, keeping him at the club until June 2025," United said […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said on Saturday that he was "excited about the team" and urged them to avoid "living in the past" ahead of the first Liga match of the post-Lionel Messi era on Sunday against Real Sociedad. The departure of Messi "has been painful for all the Blaugrana fans, for […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday omitted superstars Neymar and Lionel Messi from their squad for the Ligue 1 meeting with Strasbourg in the evening. For the second game of the season, coach Mauricio Pochettino has again not selected any of the players who returned to the club late from the Euros or the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City's defence of the Premier League title gets underway on Sunday away to Tottenham with both clubs still in limbo over the future of Harry Kane. The England captain returned to training with his Spurs teammates for the first time on Friday after arriving back late from his holidays in the […]

Lorient (France) (AFP) – Lorient, who just escaped relegation last season, upset visiting Monaco 1-0 on Friday as Nigerian striker Terem Moffi converted a penalty he had won. Lorient made the most of opening the fixtures on the second weekend of the season by jumping to the top of the table with four points. Monaco, who finished third […]

Madrid (AFP) – Valencia overcame a third-minute red card to beat Getafe 1-0 in a bruising opening game in Spain's La Liga on Friday. Defender Hugo Guillamon was given a straight red for a dangerous tackle on Getafe's Serbian midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic. After the referee consulted a video replay, it was the fastest sending off […]

London (AFP) – Brentford made a blistering start to their first English top-flight season for 74 years as goals from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard earned a 2-0 win over Arsenal in front of a first-ever full house at the Brentford Community Stadium on Friday. The Bees spent the first season at their new home […]

Mönchengladbach (Germany) (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski equalised as defending champions Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach in a hard-fought opening game of the new Bundesliga season on Friday. "It wasn't perfect football from us," Lewandowski told broadcaster Sat1. "We made a lot of mistakes, but the first game is over, […]

Mönchengladbach (Germany) (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski equalised as defending champions Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach in a hard-fought opening game of the new Bundesliga season on Friday. Gladbach deservedly took the lead when French striker Alassane Plea fired past Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with just ten minutes gone. Lewandowski […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Enyimba should be happier than Bayelsa United after the Nigerian contenders for the CAF Confederation Cup discovered on Friday who they will face in the qualifying rounds. The draws for the preliminary and first rounds in Cairo were kind to Enyimba, who received a bye into the round of 32, where they […]

Berlin (AFP) – World Cup winner Thomas Mueller has said he has no intention of hanging up his boots for Germany and is eager to play on under new national head coach Hansi Flick. The Bayern Munich star, who turns 32 next month, was recalled for the Euro 2020 finals, along with Mats Hummels, after […]