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[ad_1] BERLIN: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane arrived in Germany on a record-breaking transfer and his sensational goal-scoring run this season has already exceeded expectations and turned him into an instant fan favourite. Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in August for a Bundesliga record 100-million-euro ($106.81-million) fee, with the German champions desperate to bring in a tested scorer to fill the goal-scoring gap created by last year's departure of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. Kane, the England team's top scorer and the Premier League's second all-time scorer, hit the ground running and has already bagged 21 goals in 15 matches in the Bundesliga and Champions League for Bayern. "It is impressive," beamed Bayern sports director Christoph Freund after Saturday's double in their 4-2 victory over Heidenheim. "He is playing away from the UK for the first time and then he scores like that. The team also plays him into positio

[ad_1] LONDON: Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha vowed to lead his club back into the Premier League as the former champions come to terms with their relegation. Leicester were condemned to the second tier on Sunday after Everton's 1-0 win against Bournemouth rendered the Foxes' 2-1 victory over West Ham irrelevant. They are only the second former Premier League champions after Blackburn to be relegated from the top-flight. Leicester's fairytale title success seven years ago seems a distant memory as they face up to a first season in the Championship since 2014. It is a remarkable fall from grace and Srivaddhanaprabha claimed angry fans have sent him offensive messages calling for him to sell the club. But the Thai businessman insisted he would remain in charge and promised to put Leicester back on track next season. "I have received a massive number of messages from our fans, both positive and negative," Srivaddhanaprabha said in a sta

[ad_1] PARIS: Neymar was "in negotiations" on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions. A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar "no longer figures in the club or manager's plans" with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom. Another source in Saudi Arabia said that "direct negotiations" between Neymar's agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing. "If we reach an agreement with him in the coming hours, we would start negotiating with PSG immediately. He would play for Al-Hilal if a deal is sealed," said the source. Neymar joined PSG for a record 220 million euros ($241m) from Barcelona in 2017. Some media reports on Sunday claimed that Al-Hilal would offer in the region of $80 million for the Brazilian. Last month Al-Hilal made a 30

[ad_1] MIAMI: Jamaica must put rows with their federation behind them and get star striker Khadija Shaw firing if they are to win a match at the Women's World Cup for the first time. The disputes, which became very public, emerged after frustration over a lack of friendly games in the build-up to the tournament that begins next week in Australia and New Zealand. The team did though go to a training camp in Amsterdam as they prepare for their second straight World Cup appearance and have received some late assistance from corporate backers. The Reggae Girlz made their tournament debut in France four years ago and, placed in a tough group, returned home after three defeats. The losses to Brazil, Italy and Australia, all with longer histories in the women's game and greater resources, were no disgrace and there are signs that the Caribbean team could do better this time despite the turbulence. Jamaica face Brazil, France and CONCACAF rivals Panama in another demandi

[ad_1] MANCHESTER: The clock is ticking for Chelsea manager Graham Potter to turn unprecedented spending into results, starting against Fulham on Friday, as new Everton manager Sean Dyche prepares for a baptism of fire against Premier League leaders Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool travel to face struggling Wolves, desperate to pull themselves out of a slump that has left them playing catch-up, while Tottenham host champions Manchester City. AFP Sport takes a look at some of the key talking points ahead of the weekend action in the English top flight. British-record signing Enzo Fernandez could make his debut at Stamford Bridge in the west London derby after completing a 121 million euro ($132 million, £107 million) move from Benfica. Mykhailo Mudryk is also in line for his first start since joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in a blockbuster January transfer window for the club for a fee that could rise to 100 million euros. Chelsea's overall spend in their first se

[ad_1] MANCHESTER: Erik ten Hag criticised "inconsistent" officials after Casemiro's second red card this season forced Manchester United to settle for a 0-0 draw against struggling Southampton on Sunday. Casemiro was sent off in the 34th minute at Old Trafford after initially being booked for his high challenge on Southampton's Carlos Alcaraz. VAR official Andre Marriner advised Anthony Taylor to review the Brazil midfielder's foul on the pitchside monitor and the referee upgrading the offence to a red card. Having bounced back from their 7-0 humiliation at Liverpool last weekend by beating Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday, United had to dig deep to avoid a shock defeat against bottom of the table Southampton. United manager ten Hag was furious with the decision to send off Casemiro, who was also dismissed against Crystal Palace in February, and complained about penalty calls that didn't go his team's way. "Well, what I thin

[ad_1] THE HAGUE: Former Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar announced Tuesday he was quitting as Ajax's chief executive, after "an incredibly tough period" of more than a decade at the helm of the Amsterdam powerhouse. Van der Sar's resignation comes on the back of the worst season in 14 years for the top Dutch club which finished third in the Eredivisie after a 3-1 drubbing by FC Twente on Sunday. "After almost 11 years on the board, I am done," Van der Sar, 52, said in a statement. "We have experienced wonderful things together, but it has also been an incredibly tough period," the former Manchester United 'keeper said, who retired from professional football in 2011. Ajax have failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing third in the Eredivisie behind Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. Media reports including the NOS public broadcaster and daily tabloid De Telegraaf said supporters held Van der Sar responsible for

[ad_1] BUDAPEST: Jose Mourinho said Tuesday that "history does not play" as he prepares his Roma team to face Europa League specialists Sevilla in the final in Budapest. The Italian side, who can finish no higher than fifth in Serie A, meet the six-time winners at the Puskas Arena, just 12 months after they won the inaugural Europa Conference League. Mourinho said Roma deserved to be in the showpiece match in the Hungarian capital after an arduous journey. "It has been a long journey, different from our opponents, who dropped into this competition from the Champions League," he told his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. Mourinho said he was aware of the Spanish club's perfect record in finals in Europe's second-tier competition – they have won all six they have played. But the Portuguese coach downplayed the relevance of that achievement. "History does not play," he said. "My colleague (Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar)

[ad_1] ALGIERS: Debutants Madagascar produced the first shock of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria by defeating two-time runners-up Ghana 2-1 in chilly Constantine on Sunday. Goals by Solomampionona Razafindranaivo and Tokinantenaina Randriatsiferana after 10 and 61 minutes gave the Indian Ocean nation a two-goal advantage. Augustine Agyapong halved the deficit on 67 minutes, but persistent late pressure from the west Africans failed to deliver an equaliser in the Group C opener. Ghana were awarded a penalty just after the first Malagasy goal and Daniel Afriyie was about to take it when the referee opted to check the VAR touchline monitor, then reversed his decision. Morocco were due to play Sudan in the first match of a double-header, but withdrew from the tournament after being refused permission to fly directly to Constantine. Algeria closed its airspace to all Moroccan flights in September 2021, a month after severing diplomatic ties, accusing its neig

[ad_1] LONDON: David Moyes cannot wait to take on his former club Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio sealed West Ham's 2-0 victory at third tier Derby on Monday. Bowen put West Ham ahead early in the first half and Antonio doubled the lead soon after the interval in the fourth round tie. Moyes' side will head to Old Trafford in late February as they continue their bid to reach the FA Cup final for the first time since 2006. It will be Moyes' latest return to United, who sacked the Scot in 2014 only 10 months after he succeeded Alex Ferguson. "I'm really looking forward to the game. It's a really good game for us." Moyes said. "Maybe at the moment that's the game we need because we've got players who want to play on the big stage. "There's nothing bigger than Old Trafford, so I'm saying to the players, 'Come on, let's go and take it on and challenge

[ad_1] ROME: Serie A top goal-scorer Victor Osimhen said on Monday he dreams of playing in the English Premier League. The Nigeria striker, who was in Rome to collect the award for foreign athlete of the year in Italy from the foreign press association, said he wanted to deliver a league title to Napoli fans but was also looking further ahead. "A lot of people worldwide consider the Premier league as the best and strongest league," said the 24-year-old. "I'm in one the best league of the world, which is the Italian Serie A. "Of course I'm working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in Premier League someday, but it's a process and I just want to keep on this momentum." Osimhen joined Napoli in 2020 from Lille. He has 19 league goals this season as Napoli have built a 15-point lead as they chase a first title since the days of Diego Maradona. "As a football player, when you arrive in Napoli you fall in love e

[ad_1] LONDON: Casemiro scored twice as Manchester United turned on the style to beat 10-man Reading 3-1 and reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as Tottenham forward Son Heung-min ended his recent goal drought. On a day lacking major shocks, there were wins for Premier League strugglers Leeds, Leicester and Southampton but Fulham were held by Championship side Sunderland. United – fourth in the Premier League and within touching distance of a place in the League Cup final – produced more compelling evidence they are back on track under new manager Erik ten Hag . The home side took the lead at Old Trafford in the 54th minute when Anthony produced a defence-splitting pass to find Brazil teammate Casemiro, who lifted the ball over goalkeeper Joe Lumley. Four minutes later United were two up, when Casemiro let fly with a stunning strike from outside the box to find the bottom corner. With the home side brimming with confidence, substitute Fred produced an audacious flic

[ad_1] JOHANNESBURG: Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem equalised on the night as Al Ahly of Egypt drew 1-1 at Wydad Casablanca of Morocco on Sunday to win the CAF Champions League for a record-extending 11th time. His goal cancelled the lead Yahia Attiyat Allah gave the defending champions and earned the Cairo club a 3-2 aggregate victory after building a 2-1 first-leg lead seven days ago. Ahly scored 27 goals in 14 matches en route to continental glory and four of them came from Egypt centre-back Abdelmonem. Defeat for Wydad ended a run of two final victories over Ahly, and they paid the penalty for concentrating on defending their fragile second-leg lead instead of seeking further goals. Unlike Europe, away goals count double in African club competitions when sides finish level on aggregate and Wydad would have retained the trophy had they won 1-0. Ahly pocketed a record four million dollars for winning and Marcel Koller became the first Swiss coach to win the premier African

[ad_1] LONDON: Newly installed Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard dismissed suggestions he should be fearing a trip to face Real Madrid on Wednesday after seeing his side beaten 1-0 at Wolves in his first game back at the club.  Lampard was put in charge of the Blues until the end of the season on Thursday, just over two years since his first spell as manager at Stamford Bridge ended.  The defeat at Molineux left Chelsea still languishing 11th in the Premier League table despite spending a world record amount of over £500 million on new players in one season.  But they have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they face holders Real in the first leg in Spain.  Madrid were in sparkling form as they thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in midweek to reach the Copa del Rey final and made light work of Premier League opposition in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 6-2 aggregate win over Liverpool.  "If you are worried, don't come. The player

[ad_1] LONDON: Barcelona will be aiming to clinch their second Women's Champions League title in three years on Saturday, but will be up against a steely VfL Wolfsburg side desperate to get their hands on a trophy they last won in 2014. There is no doubting the quality in the Spanish side who successfully defended their league title this season with 28 wins, one draw and one defeat which came in the final game. They also will be boosted by the presence of two-times Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas. The Spain midfielder made her long-awaited return to action at the end of April after recovering from an ACL injury suffered last year. "I'm lucky enough to live close to Alexia and be able to learn from her every day. Just watching her, seeing what she transmits to you in training makes you learn and become a better player," teammate Claudia Pina told Reuters in a Zoom interview. "I've always noticed her because she scores a lot of goals. She'

[ad_1] MILAN: Inter Milan secured their place in next season's Champions League with a 3-2 win over Atalanta which showed some fine form heading into the final of Europe's top club competition next month. Simone Inzaghi's side rose to second in Serie A after winning the Italian Cup on Wednesday with an entertaining win over Atalanta after an early blitz from Romelu Lukaku and Nicolo Barella followed by Lautaro Martinez's simple finish in the 77th minute. Inter are eight points ahead of fifth-placed Atalanta, whose top-four hopes are now over for the season, and looked in fine fettle with English champions Manchester City awaiting them in Istanbul on June 10. Their win also means that fourth-placed AC Milan only need to avoid defeat at troubled Juventus to ensure their return to the Champions League after being knocked out in the semi-finals by their local rivals last week. "I knew what this match meant for the club, I'm really happy... The boys so

[ad_1] BERLIN: A number of newcomers will feature in the Germany squad for the international matches against Peru and Belgium in March, coach Hansi Flick said on Tuesday as the team rebuild with an eye on the Euro 2024 tournament on home soil. The Germans, who suffered their second consecutive group-stage World Cup exit in Qatar in December, will be hoping to lay the foundations this year for a successful tournament in Germany in 2024. "We will make sure to have some new players with us," Flick said. "It will be interesting to see some of the youngsters." "We want to use the team from now until the Euros to test young players," he said. Germany host Peru on March 25 and then Belgium three days later. Several young players have already earned their Germany caps and are almost certain of a spot in the 2024 squad, including Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Karim Adeyemi and Youssoufa Moukoko among others. Many more are expected to showcase their

[ad_1] MIAMI: United States women's team star Megan Rapinoe announced on social media on Saturday that she would be retiring from football at the end of this season. "It is with a deep sense of peace & gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game," the 38-year-old posted. "I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape and change my life forever," she added. The two-time World Cup winner, well known for her activism, is part of the USA squad for the upcoming women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Rapinoe plays in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) for Seattle-based OL Reign – their season concludes in November. The winger currently has 199 caps over a span of 17 years playing for her country and also won an Olympic gold medal in London in 2012. She was awarded the Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019 but her fame came as much for her espousal of causes and her

[ad_1] LONDON: Graham Potter pleaded with his Chelsea players to "stay together" after a shock 2-1 defeat at Fulham that saw Blues forward Joao Felix sent off on his debut before a decisive blunder from Kepa Arrizabalaga. Potter's troubled side crashed to a seventh defeat in their last 10 games in all competitions after another spluttering display. Chelsea fell behind to a goal from their former winger Willian in the first half at Craven Cottage on Thursday. Kalidou Koulibaly equalised after the break but Felix was dismissed for a reckless studs-up lunge on Kenny Tete. Fulham were gifted their late winner by Chelsea keeper Kepa, who made a hash of dealing with a cross that Carlos Vinicius converted to leave Potter facing renewed talk of the sack just four months after he replaced the axed Thomas Tuchel. "We made a couple of mistakes for their first goal, then the red card changes the game. Disappointed with the second goal because I think we could do bet

[ad_1] AUSTRALIA: Germany are set to start their Women's World Cup campaign on Monday without key players Marina Hegering and Lena Oberdorf through injury, as they chase a third title. The 2003 and 2007 champions open their World Cup, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, against Morocco in Melbourne. Germany also face Colombia and South Korea in Group H. Hegering is the cornerstone of the German defence but is struggling with an ankle injury, while midfield dynamo Oberdorf has a thigh strain. "It looks like we won't be able to rely on either of them in the first match," said Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Hegering and Oberdorf, who both play for Champions League finalists Wolfsburg, were key members of the Germany team beaten by England in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley. They are likely to be replaced by Chelsea players Sjoeke Nuesken and Melanie Leupolz against World Cup debutants Morocco. Germany lost 3-2 at home to Zambia in a warm-up f