Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro is standing by his bullish claim that he will lead the Super Eagles to their first Africa Cup of Nations title since 2013.Peseiro’s men head into their final Group A game against already-eliminated Guinea-Bissau in Abidjan on Monday knowing just a draw will be good enough to secure their place in the knockout stages.But after watching his side shrug off their slu...Full Story »

Ivory Coast coach Jean-Louis Gasset is confident having “destiny in our hands” will help his side secure qualification for the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.Defeat to Nigeria last time out has left the hosts third in Group A and while that could be good enough to secure their progress as the four third-best finishes also get through, Gasset wants to make sure against E...Full Story »

Egypt coach Rui Vitoria has warned his team that Ghana will punish any mistakes ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash on Thursday.Egypt were held to a 2-2 draw by Mozambique in their opening game of the tournament on Sunday.Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah’s penalty claimed a point for his country and Portuguese manager Vitoria has told his side they will need to be on top of t...Full Story »

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi admits beating the Ivory Coast on Thursday night is the only way his Nigeria side will quieten the critics after a lacklustre Africa Cup of Nations opener.The Super Eagles could only manage a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea, a side 46 places below them in FIFA’s global rankings, and next face a tough test in Group A challengers and AFCON hosts Ivory Coast.Su...Full Story »

Midfielder Trezeguet hopes Egypt’s final heartbreak of 2022 can act as motivation for Africa Cup of Nations success this year.Egypt have not won the tournament since 2010 and have fallen at the last hurdle in their last two final appearances, more recently two years ago when they lost on penalties to Senegal.The Pharaohs begin their campaign on Sunday when they take on Mozambique in Group ...Full Story »

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said Lauren James’ mental health has been affected by the latest racist abuse she has received on social media.James was booked in Chelsea’s 4-1 Women’s Super League defeat at Arsenal on Sunday after appearing to stamp on Lia Walti and was withdrawn by Hayes soon after.Chelsea have condemned the online abuse, while Hayes compared the treatment of James t...Full Story »

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti remains confident Jude Bellingham is getting stronger every day from his shoulder problem – but feels surgery cannot be ruled out if the issue flares up again.The England midfielder is enjoying a standout debut campaign with Los Blancos, having scored 15 goals so far in all competitions.Bellingham, 20, had been sidelined ahead of the international break,...Full Story »

Nick Pope has told Newcastle they have to believe they can win every game if they are to be thought of as a top team.The Magpies head into Tuesday night’s crunch Champions League clash with Paris St Germain knowing their first campaign in two decades could be over if they lose.Memories of October’s 4-1 demolition of the French champions at St James’ Park, which took Eddie Howe&...Full Story »

Luis Enrique said Kylian Mbappe is in a good state of mind to return to his Paris Saint Germain side ahead of Saturday’s Ligue 1 meeting with Toulouse.The striker was absent from the squad for the opening-weekend goalless draw with Lorient following a tumultuous summer in which a dispute over his future left him training separately from the first team.The 23-year-old has only a year to run...Full Story »

Captain Millie Bright expects the hostile environment England will encounter against Australia in their World Cup semi-final to feel like well-trodden territory for the European champions.Wednesday’s game is a sell out at the 75,000-plus capacity Stadium Australia in Sydney, with the vast majority issued to home supporters, who have backed their side in rapidly-rising, record-smashing fash...Full Story »