World Cup hosts Qatar are staring down the barrel of an early exit from the tournament after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.
Beaten 2-0 by Ecuador in their opening Group A match, a late push on Friday at Al Thumama Stadium was not enough for Qatar to claim a much-needed result.
With Boulaye Dia and Famara Diedhiou having put Senegal in control, Qatar had hope when Mohammed Muntari scored their first World Cup goal.
However, it was too little too late for the hosts, with substitute Bamba Dieng rounding off Senegal s victory six minutes from time.
After a bright start from Senegal, the lively Qatar fans gathered behind Edouard Mendy s goal were furious in the 34th minute, when Akram Afif was bundled over by Ismaila Sarr, but referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz w…
Luka Modric has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Real Madrid until June 2025.
The 38-year-old s previous contract expired at the end of June, but he has reached an agreement to play a 13th season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Modric signed for Madrid from Tottenham in 2012 and has since made 534 appearances in all competitions, scoring 39 goals and providing 83 assists.
He boasts a club-record 26 trophies, including six Champions League, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups and four LaLiga titles.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
In 46 appearances last season, with many of those off the bench, he scored twice and assisted six goals.
The announcement also confirmed that Modric will be the new club cap…
England manager Roy Hodgson should consider experienced Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe for next month s Euro 2016 in France, according to Sam Allardyce.
Defoe has been Sunderland s saviour this season, scoring 15 Premier League goals to almost singlehandedly haul the strugglers out of the relegation zone.
The 33-year-old with 55 international caps to his name but has not played since November 2013 scored a 70th-minute winner as Sunderland stunned Chelsea 3-2, which lifted the club out of the drop zone by a point with two games remaining.
Sunderland manager Allardyce heaped praise on Defoe, who left Toronto FC last year as Jozy Altidore moved in the opposite direction, while offering Hodgson some advice.
Having just been reminded that he was swapped for…
Paolo Maldini is glad that Milan can now plan for the future after confirming he has reached an agreement with the Serie A champions to stay on as technical director.
Club legend Maldini was considered one of the main architects behind Milan s first Scudetto success in 11 years last season thanks to his work behind the scenes.
He has held a boardroom position for the past four years, three of those in his current role, and helped sign the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and Mike Maignan.
The 54-year-old was due to be out of contract come the end of Thursday, but he announced shortly ahead of that deal expiring that he will remain in the job.
Everything is sorted. We renewed at the last minute, but we did it, Maldini told reporters outside Milan s he…
Edin Terzic praised his team s defensive fortitude after Borussia Dortmund equalled a club record by securing an eighth consecutive Bundesliga victory with a 2-1 win over title rivals RB Leipzig, and a 10th overall.
Dortmund headed into Friday s game second to Bayern Munich only on goal difference after an imperious run of form since the return of domestic football following the Qatar World Cup.
Meanwhile, Leipzig, led by former Dortmund boss Marco Rose, were four points off top spot themselves and looking to move within striking distance of the top two.
After Julian Brandt had seen a goal ruled out for offside for the hosts, captain Marco Reus scored from the spot after being felled by Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich to put Dortmund ahead and move into second …
Frank Lampard is back at Chelsea.
The club s record goalscorer and former boss has taken on an interim position in the dugout until the end of the season, when Chelsea will bring in their long-term choice.
Of course, should Lampard do well enough, he could put his own name into consideration, but either way he still has plenty to do over the next two months.
Graham Potter was hired to give the team an identity, but Lampard will have no such responsibility given his short-term deal and the fact that someone like Julian Nagelsmann or Luis Enrique would bring their own ideas should they ultimately be hired ahead of next season.
Lampard was sacked by Chelsea in January 2021, before suffering the same demise at Everton two years later, but his continued legend…
Rob Page has called on his Wales team to give their supporters the chance to enjoy the Euro 2024 experience.
Wales are still two wins away from qualification but now know that if they can make it to the tournament they face mouthwatering matches against the Netherlands, Austria and France in Group D.
Page and his team will have home backing from the ‘Red Wall’ for their play-off semi against Finland on March 21 and the final against either Poland or Estonia on March 26 should they progress.
He wants his players to be buoyed on by the thought of setting up a Welsh party in Germany after challenging assignments for the fans at the last two major tournaments.
“Off the back of 2016 we’ve had Euro 2020, but because of Covid we were limited with travel,…
The top two sides in Group D of Euro 2012 qualifying meet when France travel to Minsk to battle Belarus on Friday.
France have won four of their five fixtures in the group so far and hold a four-point lead over their opponents, who have been the only side to defeat them in qualifying so far.
That result came back in September, as midfielder Sergey Kislyak made himself a national hero and stunned more than 76,000 fans in the Stade de France with his late goal.
Belarus won that match 1-0 and revenge will surely be on the mind of Laurent Blanc s squad as they look to book their fifth successive victory in qualifying.
We didn t play well (against Belarus), Blanc said.
We were too sluggish and lacked bite against a team that defended well and scored…
Day six saw Euro 2016 enter its second matchday, in which host nation France snatched victory from the jaws of a stalemate and England and Russia fans clashed with French police. Deja vu, anyone?
Joachim Low on that scratch, the bravest beer-sellers in France and the latest fashion trend to hit the south coast all brought smiles to our faces. Hopefully they do to yours, too.
A FRESH MESH OF QELESHE
If you took a walk through the streets of Marseille on Wednesday you would have been greeted by the sight of hundreds of men in unique headwear.
The Albanians were in town ahead of their game against France at the Stade Velodrome and their choice of hat caused quite a stir.
The Qeleshe: the must-have fashion item on the streets of Marseille …
Scotland must topple world champions Spain if they are to guarantee a place in the Euro 2012 qualifying playoffs.
Craig Levein s Scotland, who defeated Lichtenstein 1-0 away from home on Saturday, are second in Euro qualifying Group I with 11 points.
They are 10 points back from group winners Spain, who have already secured a place at next year s finals in Poland and the Ukraine.
The Czech Republic are third, one point behind Scotland following a 2-0 loss at home to Spain on Friday.
Michal Bilek s side must win their final match on Tuesday if it is to finish second, but will be reasonably confident of doing so given their last outing is an away tie against fourth-placed Lithuania.
While hardly a guaranteed three points, it is an easier prospect t…