Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, forced out as head of world football’s governing body amid a corruption scandal in 2015, admitted on Sunday he regretted not stepping down earlier. The 81-year-old was banned over ethics breaches, bringing an end to his 17-year reign as FIFA …
Read More »Football: Portugal beat Mexico to finish third at Confed Cup
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Adrien Silva scored an extra-time penalty as Portugal recovered from a goal down to beat Mexico 2-1 in Sunday’s third-place play-off at the Confederations Cup in Moscow. Luis Neto bundled into his own net to hand Mexico a 54th-minute lead, but Pepe stabbed home a …
Read More »Football star Messi weds childhood sweetheart
Rosario, Argentina | AFP | Lionel Messi said “I do” to childhood sweetheart and mother of their two children Antonella Roccuzzo on Friday in his Argentine hometown Rosario, where footballers and celebrities gathered for the “wedding of the century.” Following the private ceremony, the couple appeared happy and relaxed as …
Read More »Tanzania court charges football chief with embezzlement
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Tanzanian football chief Jamal Malinzi was on Thursday charged with embezzlement for falsifying invoices to pocket cash given by sponsors, court documents showed. Malinzi, who was arrested Wednesday, was charged alongside the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) secretary general Celestine Mwesigwa. Malinzi became head of the …
Read More »Gulf crisis could hit Qatar 2022
Doha, Qatar | AFP | The diplomatic crisis sweeping the Gulf could invigorate a campaign by critics of Qatar to strip Doha of the 2022 World Cup, experts said Monday. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen were among those to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on …
Read More »Things get Messi for Iranian lookalike
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iranian student Reza Parastesh looks so much like his sporting hero Lionel Messi that it almost landed him in jail for disrupting public order this week. So many people came out to take selfies with Parastesh in the western city of Hamedan over the weekend …
Read More »Muntari vows to walk off again if racially abused
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Pescara’s Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari has promised to walk off the pitch again if he has to endure any more racial abuse during a match. Muntari was sent off last week for leaving the field after claiming he was racially abused during a Serie …
Read More »Lanzini leaves Spurs’ title bid in tatters
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manuel Lanzini left Tottenham’s Premier League title challenge in tatters as the West Ham forward sealed a 1-0 win that put Chelsea within touching distance of being crowned champions. Mauricio Pochettino’s side paid the price for a lethargic display at the London Stadium and …
Read More »Hard work the key to ‘human’ Ronaldo’s record feats
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Cristiano Ronaldo is human after all, or so he claims, despite sealing another “special” Champions League night with a hat-trick to put Real Madrid on the verge of the final once more. Ronaldo’s treble sealed a commanding 3-0 semi-final, first leg lead over Atletico Madrid …
Read More »FOOTBALL: ‘Enough’ as Muntari walks off after racial abuse
Milan, Italy | AFP | Ghana’s Sulley Muntari dramatically walked off the pitch while playing for Pescara at Cagliari on Sunday after his complaints of racist abuse were met with a yellow card. The former AC Milan and Inter midfielder, who claimed the abuse also came from children, angrily confronted …
Read More »