Category: Football

Mohamed Salah scored in added time to snatch a 2-1 victory for record seven-time champions Egypt over lowly ranked Zimbabwe in an Africa Cup of Nations Group B thriller in Agadir on Monday.

Salah came to Morocco after not starting in five consecutive Liverpool matches, with his omission leading to an outburst against manager Arne Slot.

But his uncertain future at Anfield was forgotten as he pounced on a loose ball inside the box and beat 40-year-old Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi with a perfectly placed shot into the corner.

What was expected to be a comfortable start for Egypt in Group B proved anything but as Prince Dube gave Zimbabwe a 20th-minute lead, they retained it until Omar Marmoush equalised after 63 minutes.

Victory leaves Egypt level on three points after the first series of group matches with South Africa, who beat Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh earlier.

Egypt were quick to apply pressure, forcing all 11 Zimbabweans to retreat deep into their half at the 40,000-seat stadium in the southern coastal city.

Salah delivered a dangerous cross that did not bear fruit, then had a close-range shot blocked as the Pharaohs laid siege to the Warriors’ goalmouth.

Then, 20 minutes into the first half, Zimbabwe silenced the largely Egypt-supporting crowd by taking the lead.

Emmanuel Jalai crossed into the box, Dube won possession, turned and fired a low shot past veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into the corner of the net.

It could have been even worse for Egypt as the ball ran loose in their six-yard area soon after, before El Shenawy finally grasped it.

Egypt coach and former star Hossam Hassan grew increasingly frustrated on the touchline as he shouted instructions.

There was a moment of hope for the former champions when Marmoush beat an offside trap, but Arubi dashed out of his area, won the race for possession and cleared.

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Marmoush went close as half-time drew near, unleashing a long-range shot that produced a superb finger-tip save from Arubi.

As the frustration of the Egyptians grew, former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan took a dive inside the box and was yellow-carded by the Senegalese referee.

Mohamed Salah was in perpetual motion and had a half-chance in added time at the end of the opening half, but Zimbabwe blocked his attempt.

The second half was a repeat of the first, with endless Egyptian pressure and heroic Zimbabwean defending.

After several near misses, Egypt levelled on 63 minutes when Marmoush got behind the defence, picked up a pass, darted forward and slammed the ball into the net from a tight angle.

Salah found himself one-on-one with a defender 12 minutes from the end of regular time, but his hurried shot flew over. Then came his added-time winner.

Ahead of the match, Salah had shown no signs of being distracted by the uncertainty surrounding his future at Liverpool, according to Hassan, an AFCON winner as a player.

“I feel his motivation is very, very strong. Salah is an icon and will remain so. He is one of the best players in the world, and I support him in everything he does,” said Hassan.

Salah did not start any of the last five Liverpool games before the AFCON, and things came to a head following a Premier League draw at Leeds United when he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by Slot.

That suggested a move away from the troubled league champions during the January transfer window was a real possibility.

Salah wants to lead Egypt to a record-extending eighth AFCON title. He has never won the continental title, coming closest by being part of the teams that were runners-up in 2017 and 2022.

READ: Napoli beat Bologna to lift Italian Super Cup

Napoli won the Italian Super Cup on Monday as David Neres scored twice to secure the reigning Serie A champions a 2-0 win over Bologna in the final in Jeddah.

Brazilian winger Neres curled in a brilliant shot from distance to give Napoli the lead before half-time against last season’s Italian Cup winners.

He struck again in the second half after intercepting a weak pass from Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia as he tried to play out from the back.

Neres finished with three goals in the Super Cup after also scoring in the 2-0 semi-final win over AC Milan last week.

It is the third time Napoli have won the competition, after 1990 and 2014.

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“The lads deserve congratulations,” Napoli coach Antonio Conte told Sport Mediaset.

“They showed how much they wanted this trophy for the fans, and we’ll also have a great Christmas celebration now with a new trophy in the cabinet.”

Traditionally featuring the Serie A and Italian Cup champions, since 2023, the Italian Super Cup has also included the runners-up from league and cup.

The four-team tournament is contracted to be held in Saudi Arabia until 2029.

Napoli, who trail Serie A leaders Inter Milan by two points, return to league action on Sunday away to Cremonese. Bologna are at home to Sassuolo.

READ: Neymar undergoes surgery ahead of 2026 World Cup

Brazil star player Neymar has undergone a successful operation on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus, his club Santos said on Monday.

The 33-year-old endured a difficult season with Santos as he played through the injury to help the club avoid relegation from Brazil’s top flight.

Brazil’s national team doctor performed the arthroscopic surgery, having previously operated on Neymar for a foot fracture as well as the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he suffered against Uruguay in October 2023.

Neymar is expected to require a recovery period of around a month. His Santos contract expires at the end of the year, but he is in talks with the club over a new deal.

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The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has not played for Brazil in over two years but is hoping to be fit and figure in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar is Brazil’s record goalscorer with 79 goals from 128 matches.

For the unversed, the 2026 World Cup will start on June 11 in Mexico, USA and Canada.

The hosts, Mexico, will play South Africa at the Azteca Stadium — venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals.

READ: Arteta hints at Gabriel Jesus return ahead of League Cup clash

Mikel Arteta has hinted that he is ready to hand Gabriel Jesus his first start in nearly a year in Arsenal’s League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

The Premier League leaders host Oliver Glasner’s side at the Emirates, desperate to end the club’s six-year trophy drought.

Jesus scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s last-eight win against Palace last season before they fell to Newcastle in the semi-finals.

The Brazil international then spent 11 months on the sidelines after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

But, following three substitute appearances, Jesus could be unleashed from the start against Palace, with Arteta set to rotate a side that faces six matches in 20 days.

Arteta said former Manchester City forward Jesus, 28, was ready to start.

“You can see now, not only in games but every day in training how much he wants it so he’s going to deserve a chance soon,” he said.

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“It has been a real intense journey. When he joined us he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the team and he gave something very different to what we already had and was very impressive.

“Then he had some very bad injuries, and that hasn’t allowed him to have the consistency we need from a very important player.

“He is back and his fighting spirit, his desire to always prepare in the best way is unbelievable. The team is together now and we need to use it.”

Jesus could take the place of Viktor Gyokeres, who, despite scoring from the penalty spot in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Everton on Saturday, has not found the back of the net from open play in his past six appearances.

READ: McCullum urges ‘unfinished’ England to show real identity

RABAT: Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi scored second-half goals as hosts Morocco got their Africa Cup of Nations bid off to a winning start by beating minnows Comoros 2-0 in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday.

Soufiane Rahimi had a penalty saved in a frustrating first half for much-fancied Morocco, but Diaz fired home from inside the area 10 minutes after the interval at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Substitute El Kaabi then got the second with a stunning overhead kick, and the victory on a wet and cold night sets the Atlas Lions up for the potentially tougher tests to come in Group A against Mali and Zambia.

The result also allowed Morocco, Africa’s best team in the FIFA rankings in 11th place, to extend their world-record winning run to 19 consecutive matches.

The game was played out before a crowd of 60,180, with Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who appeared on the pitch ahead of kick-off, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino among those in attendance.

Morocco’s star man and captain Achraf Hakimi also ended up watching the entire game from the bench, with Regragui preserving the Paris Saint-Germain full-back, who has not played since suffering an ankle injury with his club at the start of November.

It looked set to be a long night for Comoros when Morocco won a penalty in the 10th minute as playmaker Diaz was tripped inside the box by Iyad Mohamed.

But Rahimi’s spot-kick was kept out by the legs of Yannick Pandor as the Comoros goalkeeper dived to his right, and the visitors then succeeded in thwarting their more illustrious hosts for the remainder of the first half.

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However, Morocco, who also saw veteran centre-back Romain Saiss come off injured early on, succeeded in breaking down their opponents after half-time.

Comoros, the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago who are 108th in the world rankings, had their resistance ended as the opening goal arrived on 55 minutes.

Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui, starting at right-back with Hakimi not yet quite fully fit, picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area and squared for Real Madrid’s Spanish-born number 10 Diaz to score.

Morocco, who had seen Neil El Aynaoui almost break the deadlock just before that, then saw space open up, although Comoros had a chance of their own as Rafiki Said was denied when clean through on goal.

Mazraoui forced a good save from Pandor before El Kaabi, of Greek giants Olympiakos, lit up the occasion by meeting a cross in from the left by Anass Salah-Eddine with a magnificent overhead bicycle kick to make it 2-0.

Morocco’s next game will be on Friday against Mali, who begin their campaign by taking on Zambia in Casablanca on Monday.

Elsewhere on Monday, South Africa face Angola in Marrakesh before Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, the record seven-time African champions chasing a first title since 2010, get their bid up and running against outsiders Zimbabwe in Agadir in Group B.

This latest edition of the Cup of Nations is the first to start in one year and end in another, with the final to take place in Rabat on January 18.

READ: Brendon McCullum admits errors in Ashes preparations

Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo club record for goals in a calendar year, and Jude Bellingham also scored as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga.

French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo’s tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham sent Madrid ahead with a first-half header.

The victory allowed Los Blancos, second, to cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to one point before the Catalans visit Villarreal on Sunday.

“To do like Cristiano did, my idol, the best player in Real Madrid’s history and a world great, it’s an honour for me,” said Mbappe, who turned 27 on Saturday.

Gaining a third consecutive win across all competitions, after managing just two in the previous eight games, marginally eases the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso, even though the performance was still underwhelming.

“We’ve got some time now to analyse and reflect where we are now,” Alonso told reporters ahead of the winter break.

“We want to do better, we’re self-critical, we got the three points and now we’ll use this time and try to start the year better.”

Sevilla, who thrashed champions Barcelona 4-1 in October, started strongly with veteran Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez heavily involved.

Odysseas Vlachodimos made a fine save to thwart Fran Garcia at the other end, and as the minutes ticked by, Madrid began to find more of a foothold.

Bellingham headed the hosts in front at the Santiago Bernabeu after Rodrygo Goes whipped in a dangerous free-kick.

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The Brazilian forward was booked for diving before the break as he tumbled in the box under little pressure.

Sanchez landed the ball on the roof of Thibaut Courtois’s net before the break with an acrobatic effort.

Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda was sent off at half-time for dissent, but his team plugged away in search of an equaliser regardless.

Courtois twice denied Isaac Romero early in the second half, while Mbappe intensified his search to emulate Ronaldo’s record.

Mbappe headed against the crossbar and whipped a shot narrowly wide, while Vlachodimos fended off another effort from the forward.

Sevilla defender Marcao clumsily slid in to foul Bellingham after 67 minutes and was sent off for a second yellow card, hampering his side’s chances of adding to Alonso’s struggles.

Madrid almost scored a second when Mbappe teed up Rodrygo, who lifted the ball into the air and then lashed it towards goal, but Vlachodimos superbly tipped it onto the crossbar.

Eventually, Mbappe got the goal he craved from the penalty spot after Juanlu clumsily brought down Rodrygo.

The forward sent Vlachodimos the wrong way as he stroked in his 59th of the year, to match Ronaldo’s record.

Mbappe copied Ronaldo’s trademark celebration and said it was a nod to the Portuguese great, Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

“I wanted to give him a wink because he’s always been kind to me,” said Mbappe.

“He was my idol as a kid, I have a very good relationship with him, he’s a friend now.”

Madrid were awarded another penalty when Bellingham went down in the box, but it was ruled out after a VAR review showed Sevilla defender Oso got the ball.

The referee then gave Madrid another penalty as Sow fouled Rodrygo on the edge of the box, but the offence was just outside the area and it was again scrapped.

Mbappe whipped the free-kick narrowly over the top corner as he battled in vain to go beyond Ronaldo’s mark, but he will have to try again in 2026.

“Scoring 59 goals is not easy, he’s got quality and talent — it’s hard to stop him in training,” said Courtois, who called on the whole team to take a step forward next year.

“Hopefully 2026 comes with trophies, but for that we have to improve our level,” he added.

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo rose to seventh even though they could only draw 0-0 at struggling Real Oviedo, while Levante held Real Sociedad 1-1. Osasuna thrashed Alaves 3-0 to go 12th.

READ: Dominant Australia outplay England to retain Ashes

Ruben Amorim said provocative social media posts from two of Manchester United’s academy stars showed a damaging “feeling of entitlement” at the Premier League club.

The United boss last week said Harry Amass was “struggling” at Sheffield Wednesday, bottom of the Championship, and pointed out that Chido Obi was not always a starter in United’s under-21s.

The 18-year-olds both uploaded and subsequently deleted Instagram story posts.

Amass posted a photo of himself holding the Sheffield Wednesday’s player of the month award for November with a grinning emoji.

Obi’s post showed him with arms out celebrating a goal for the Under-21s against Manchester City in August.

But Amorim defended his direct approach at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I think it’s a little bit the feeling of entitlement that we have in our club,” the Portuguese said when asked if he had seen the posts.

“Sometimes strong words are not bad words. Sometimes difficult moments are not bad things for the kids. We don’t need to be always with accolades in everything, in every situation.”

The United boss called for a change of culture at the club, who are sixth in the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s visit to high-flying Aston Villa.

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“The players sometimes forget about what it means to play for Manchester United. We as a club sometimes forget who we are,” he said.

“And that’s the feeling that I have. So I understand everything. It’s the environment, it’s the moment of the players, the kids.

“They feel entitled. They feel free to respond the manager with a picture.”

Amorim said his office door was open if players wanted to discuss issues.

“Nobody is coming to talk to me,” he said. “And that is the way we can solve things. So I think we need to change first as a club. And then everything is going to change.”

The United boss was also asked about a T-shirt worn by Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother earlier this week that carried the message “Free Kobbie Mainoo”.

England international Mainoo, 20, is still waiting for his first Premier League start of the season, with his lack of game time a major talking point.

“It was not Kobbie who wore the T-shirt,” said Amorim. “He is not going to start because of the T-shirt but he is not going to the bench because of the T-shirt.

“He’s going to play if we feel that he is the right guy. That is not an issue.”

Brazil midfielder Casemiro is suspended for the Villa game, giving a potential opening for Mainoo.

Defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are still injured while Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo are all on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

READ: Pandya blitz powers India to T20 series win over South Africa

Arne Slot said Liverpool have “moved on” from the furore caused by Mohamed Salah’s explosive outburst at being dropped and are showing signs of growing into the side he wants to see.

The Reds begin what could be up to a month without Salah, who is representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), away at Tottenham on Saturday.

After a run of nine defeats in 12 games, Slot has steadied the ship in a five-game unbeaten run, during which Salah did not start a single game.

“Actions speak louder than words. We moved on,” Slot told reporters on Friday, referring to his decision to bring Salah on as a substitute in last week’s 2-0 victory over Brighton.

“Now he’s at the AFCON playing big games for himself and the country. All the focus for him is over there and there should not be any distraction of me saying anything because we moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton.”

Despite a difficult second season for Slot in England, Liverpool sit seventh in the Premier League and would move into the top four with victory against struggling Spurs.

The English champions transformed their squad over the summer transfer window, spending nearly £450 million ($602 million) to bring in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez.

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Apart from the impressive Ekitike, all the new signings have struggled, and Slot conceded he had been overly optimistic over how long it would take for his new-look squad to perform consistently.

“I think we are getting closer and closer to the team I want us to be and that has gone with ups and downs,” said the Dutchman.

“But for me, that makes complete sense because all the changes we’ve made during the summer, and we made them on purpose because we thought we needed to.

“If I’m completely honest, maybe I didn’t expect it to take maybe as long as it did, but, looking back on it, reflecting on it now, I think I’ve been too positive because if you go with a new group where not all of them are completely ready to play every single game, 90 minutes in this intensity, you have to adapt.

“Sometimes he can play, then he cannot play. So it takes maybe a bit of time, and we’ve been very unlucky.”

Joe Gomez and Cody Gakpo will miss the trip to Tottenham due to injury, but Slot is hopeful that Dominik Szoboszlai will be fit to start. Frimpong returns after a two-month absence.

READ: India thump Sri Lanka to reach U19 Asia Cup final

Ecuadoran footballer Mario Pineida was shot and killed in the port city of Guayaquil on Wednesday, his team said.

Guayaquil has become a hotspot for gang violence linked to drug trafficking, and several football players in Ecuador have been targeted in recent months.

Pineida, 33, was part of Ecuador’s national team for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers, but was not selected for the squad for the 2022 finals in Qatar. He also played for Fluminense in 2022.

In a post on X, his club, Barcelona SC, said it “regrets to inform, with deep sorrow, that it has been officially notified of the death of our player Mario Pineida, an event that occurred following an attack against him” in Guayaquil.

Pineida’s death was confirmed by the interior ministry, which said it has assigned a special police unit to the case.

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Digital news outlet Primicias reported Pineida was attacked by two people riding motorcycles, who opened fire on him, his mother, and another woman.

In September, three players from Ecuador’s second division were killed, with one of them allegedly being linked to sports betting. A month later, local footballer Bryan Angula was wounded in a shooting.

Ecuador, once one of Latin America’s safest countries, has become a key cocaine transit hub between top producers Colombia and Peru, and consumers around the world.

Car bombings, shootings, and extortion have been on the rise in Guayaquil, which recorded 1,900 murders between January and September — the highest toll in Ecuador.

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Lionel Messi has voted in favour of former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele for the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, it has been revealed following the release of official voting details by world football’s governing body.

FIFA published the ballots of national team captains, coaches and selected media representatives from each member association after the awards ceremony in Doha, where Dembele was crowned the 2025 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year.

The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France forward finished ahead of Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, with Kylian Mbappe placing third.

Messi, who had previously won the award, named Mbappe as his second choice, while opting for Yamal, the teenager who had inherited his iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt, as his third pick.

Dembele’s triumph capped a remarkable season in which he played a pivotal role in PSG’s historic campaign.

Under Luis Enrique, the French winger enjoyed the most prolific spell of his career, scoring 35 goals across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as the league’s top scorer.

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His standout performances were central to PSG’s maiden UEFA Champions League title, highlighted by a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final.

The Paris club also completed a historic continental treble, becoming the first French side to win the Champions League, domestic league and main domestic cup in the same season, before going on to reach the Club World Cup final.

Dembele’s stellar year had already been recognised earlier when he won the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, edging out Yamal, who finished second, while PSG midfielder Vitinha placed third.

The award made Dembele the first French player to claim the Ballon d’Or since Karim Benzema in 2022.

Lionel Messi was among those to publicly congratulate Ousmane Dembele following his Ballon d’Or success, further underlining the respect he commands among football’s elite.

READ: England Ashes dreams on life-support as Australia rip through batting