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booked in Chelsea’s 4-1 Women’s Super League defeat at Arsenal on Sunday after appearing to stamp on Lia Walti and was withdrawn by Hayes soon after.Chelsea have condemned the online abuse, while Hayes compared the treatment of James t...Full Story »

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 »

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy is expecting a “real tough game” when his side come up against Rosenborg in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round first-leg in Norway.The Jambos will be looking to make it to the group stage for the second consecutive year but need to beat the 26-time Norwegian champions and would then meet either Hajduk Split or PAOK if they are to...Full Story »

Keira Walsh could make a stunning return for England’s last-16 World Cup clash against Nigeria.Walsh was carried off on a stretcher late in the first half of the Lionesses’ 28 July victory over Denmark, with fears that the influential midfielder’s tournament could be over, but scans revealed her knee injury was not as serious as first suspected.The 26-year-old took another step...Full Story »