Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Zimbabwe's forward Knowledge Musona scores the opening goal

AFCON: Zimbabwe exit despite shock win

Ghana's Africa Cup of Nations campaign came to a humiliating end as they were beaten 3-2 by debutants Comoros Islands at Garoua's Roumde Adjia Stadium to finish bottom of Group C with just a single point.

Soccer • 18 Jan 22

It is not clear if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might return for next week's knockout stage.

Aubameyang returns to Arsenal to have heart assessed

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will return to Arsenal for medical tests after cardiac lesions were found in tests conducted in Cameroon after he was positive for Covid-19.

Soccer • 17 Jan 22

Equatorial Guinea players show their delight after the game

AFCON: Equatorial Guinea stun holders, Ivory Coast held

A goalkeeping error handed Sierra Leone a dramatic late equaliser that secured a 2-2 draw with Ivory Coast in their Africa Cup of Nations Group E clash in Douala.

Soccer • 16 Jan 22

AFCON: Salah goals to get Egypt off the mark

Mohamed Salah scored his first goal in six matches for Egypt to give them a 1-0 victory over Guinea Bissau in Garoua on Saturday and their first points of the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Soccer • 15 Jan 22

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was left out of Gabon's AFCON game due to "heart lesions"

Aubameyang misses Gabon tie over 'heart lesions'

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was left out of Gabon's team to play Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday due to a minor heart condition.

Soccer • 14 Jan 22

AFCON: Malawi stun Zimbabwe; Senegal fail to fire

Malawi's Frank Mhango scored twice as they stunned southern African rivals Zimbabwe in Group B at the Africa Cup of Nations to keep their second round hopes alive at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam on Friday.

Soccer • 14 Jan 22

Mohamed Salah's absence is being keenly felt

Klopp looking for solution to Salah and Mane absence

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is determined to find a short-term solution to the absence of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Soccer • 14 Jan 22

Pico Lopes (back centre) impressed in defence, but his side could not get back on terms during the second half

AFCON: Lopes' Cape Verde beaten, Cameroon advance

Roberto Lopes' Cape Verde were beaten in their second group game at the Africa Cup of Nations after Hassane Bande chested home the ball six minutes before half-time to give Burkina Faso victory.

Soccer • 13 Jan 22

Max-Alain Gradel (R) celebrates his goal for the Elephants

AFCON: Ivory Coast and Gambia earn narrow wins

Max-Alain Gradel's early goal was enough to secure the Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Gambia also beat Mauritania by a single goal.

Soccer • 12 Jan 22

Referee Janny Sikazwe made two timekeeping errors

Referee blows full-time whistle early twice as Mali win

The Africa Cup of Nations match between Tunisia and Mali ended in huge controversy after the referee blew for full-time on two occasions before the 90th minute, with the game not restarting following the latter whistle.

Soccer • 12 Jan 22

Sylvain Gbohouo tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication that the World Anti-Doping Agency categorises as a stimulant

Ivory Coast keeper out of AFCON as drugs ban confirmed

Ivory Coast will not be able to use their first choice goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo at the Africa Cup of Nations finals after a drugs ban was confirmed by FIFA, the Ivorian Football Federation said.

Soccer • 12 Jan 22

Lopes and his international team-mates got their AFCON campaign off to a winning start

Lopes making up for lost time with Cape Verde adventure

Roberto Lopes on why he nearly ignored the call to play for Cape Verde, and why eventually answering the call has broadened his football and life experience.

Soccer • 10 Jan 22

Senegal's forward Sadio Mane scored the winner for his side

AFCON: Last-gasp Mane penalty hands Senegal victory

Senegal's Sadio Mane converted a penalty seven minutes into stoppage time to hand the pre-tournament favourites a 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe at the start of their Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Bafoussam.

Soccer • 10 Jan 22

Leicester City v Everton is the latest Premier League game to be postponed

Foxes trip to Everton postponed due to depleted squad

Leicester's trip to Everton on Tuesday has been postponed for a second time after the Foxes successfully applied to the Premier League to have the match rescheduled due to a lack of players.

Soccer • 09 Jan 22

The Dutchamn adds to Liverpool's Covid woes

Liverpool assistant Lijnders tests positive for Covid

Liverpool's assistant manager Pep Lijnders has become the latest positive Covid-19 case with the club closing its training ground amid fears of more cases.

Soccer • 05 Jan 22

Nigeria squad training ahead of their participation for the tournament

Stadium capacity limited at Africa Cup of Nations

Attendances during the Africa Cup of Nations will be capped at 80% for host nation Cameroon's fixtures and 60% for other games due to Covid-19, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed.

Soccer • 05 Jan 22

Mane and Salah will be in action at the tournament in Cameroon

Liverpool assistant urges trio to focus on AFCON glory

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders insists the Reds will be able to cope despite Covid-19 concerns and the departure of key players to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Soccer • 03 Jan 22

Lopes won the SSE Airtricity League title for a second time in a row in 2021

Lopes quietly confident as AFCON kickstarts his year

Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto Lopes speaks to Raf Diallo on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast about how a strong League of Ireland campaign is propelling him towards a first major tournament as the Crumlin native prepares for his Africa Cup of Nations bow with Cape Verde.

Soccer • 06 Jan 22

Ian Wright believes criticism of the Africa Cup of Nations is "tinged with racism"

Wright slams 'disrespect' of Africa Cup of Nations

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright says that media coverage of Europe-based players travelling to the Africa Cup of Nations is "disrespectful" and "tinged with racism".

Soccer • 30 Dec 21

The 24-team Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be held in Cameroon between 9 January and 6 February.

Euro clubs seek FIFA talks over Africa Cup of Nations

The European Club Association's (ECA) board said it is seeking urgent talks with FIFA over the safety of players set to compete in next month's Africa Cup of Nations and in international games early next year.

Soccer • 03 Dec 21

FIFA postpones U20 and U17 World Cups

FIFA has postponed next year's U20 World Cup in Indonesia and U17 tournament in Peru until 2023 due to coronavirus.

Soccer • 25 Dec 20

Jonas Baer-Hoffmann: "Competition organisers and clubs need to come together and talk about load management"

Players stretched to the limit by 'crazy schedule'

Footballers are being pushed to the limit as competition organisers try to squeeze the usual number of fixtures into a shorter period of time in the wake of the Covid-19 stoppage.

Soccer • 20 Nov 20

FIFA forced to implement more calendar changes

FIFA has made further changes to the international calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including moving the Africa Cup of Nations to 2022.

Soccer • 18 Aug 20

Little support so far for the former Chelsea star

Early setback for Drogba in Ivory Coast election bid

Didier Drogba's hopes of becoming the next president of the Ivory Coast's football federation has suffered a serious setback after the failure of his fellow players to support his candidacy.

Soccer • 14 Jul 20

Algeria are the reigning Africa Cup of Nations holders

Africa Cup of Nations rescheduled for 2022

The Africa Cup of Nations has been postponed until January 2022.

Soccer • 30 Jun 20