London (AFP) – Manchester United and Liverpool have each lost an important player, but in the Premier League it is Leicester City for whom the Africa Cup of Nations is the biggest inconvenience. While United centre-back Eric Bailly has been called up by the Ivory Coast and Liverpool have lost Senegalese flier Sadio Mane, Leicester […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to make amends for their FA Cup flop by delivering a dominant display in Wednesday's League Cup semi-final first leg against Southampton. Klopp fielded Liverpool's youngest ever line-up against Plymouth in the FA Cup third round on Sunday and the raw rookies failed to impress […]

London (AFP) – Holders Manchester United and Premier League leaders Chelsea were both handed favourable home draws on Monday against second-tier opposition in the fourth round of the FA Cup. United host nearby Wigan Athletic, the 2012-13 FA Cup winners, at Old Trafford while Chelsea will also be strong favourites to go through when they […]

Zurich (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo claimed FIFA's inaugural best player of the year award on Monday, the latest prize for the Real Madrid and Portugal star after a glittering 2016 for club and country. Leicester City's Claudio Ranieri received the best men's coach award following his side's fairytale Premier League triumph. But the night again […]

Zurich (AFP) – Claudio Ranieri was named FIFA's best men's coach of 2016 on Monday, after leading Leicester City to a fairytale Premier League title triumph. The Italian beat out France's Zinedine Zidane, who steered Real Madrid to the Champions League title in his first year as manager and Fernando Santos, Portugal's manager for the […]

London (AFP) – Southampton's unsettled Portuguese centre-back Jose Fonte will not be selected for Wednesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at home to Liverpool, manager Claude Puel said on Monday. Fonte, the Southampton captain, is reported to have tabled a transfer request and with his future uncertain, Puel has decided to leave him out of […]

London (AFP) – Heavy squad rotation and dwindling attendances over the third-round weekend suggested the FA Cup, once the jewel in the crown of English football, is locked in a downward spiral. The FA Cup is the game's oldest knockout competition, dating back 146 years, and boasts a history rich with famous upsets and unforgettable […]

While many soccer fans are already dreaming of a Manchester United against Liverpool final in the 2016/17 League Cup, both the Red Devils and Reds face tough opposition over the course of two legs as they face Hull City and Southampton respectively. The first step on the journey to Wembley Stadium will begin on Tuesday […]

Tunis (AFP) – Tunisian international midfielder Wahbi Khazri has been given the green light for the Africa Cup of Nations despite an ankle sprain, team doctors said Monday. The 25-year-old Sunderland player picked up the knock during a 1-0 friendly loss Sunday against Egypt in Cairo and was stretchered off with his head in his […]

Today's broadcast of The Best FIFA Football Awards will be shown live on US television and streaming. If you live in the United States, the Spanish-language broadcast will be live on Telemundo and NBC Universo from 12:30pm ET. Telemundo is also available via Sling Blue. Telemundo Deportes presenters Andrés Cantor, Miguel Gurwitz and Ana Jurka […]

London (AFP) – Philippe Coutinho is in line to make his comeback from a seven-week injury lay-off in Wednesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at Southampton, manager Jurgen Klopp said on Monday. The Brazil playmaker, 24, has not played since sustaining ankle ligament damage in the first half of Liverpool's 2-0 Premier League win at […]

Zurich (AFP) – Diego Maradona on Monday backed controversial plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, a day before world football's powerful governing council faces a key decision on the issue. "It sounds like a fantastic idea to me," the 56-year-old, who inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, told reporters at […]

Berlin (AFP) – Arsenal's German international Mesut Ozil says he is waiting to learn the fate of manager Arsene Wenger before agreeing to sign a new contract with the London club. Wenger's contract at Arsenal expires at the end of the season and Ozil's decision hinges on whether it is renewed or not, he told […]

Libreville (AFP) – A new-look Ivory Coast will defend their Africa Cup of Nations title while the hosts' lightning-quick striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the cast of superstar names as the 2017 tournament begins in Gabon on Saturday. As Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang prepares to carry the hopes of the small central African nation on his […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has pledged to bring out the heavy artillery for Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at home to Premier League basement club Hull City. United cruised into the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday after registering an eighth consecutive win by crushing second-tier Reading 4-0 at Old […]