Nigeria to face champions Zambia

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 4/5 @

Two sides turning their attention back to League Cup duties on Wednesday night, Sheffield Wednesday will welcome Sunderland to Hillsborough.

Starting with the hosts, while Sheffield Wednesday might have signed off their pre-season preparations with three friendly defeats on the spin, it appears that the Owls have bounced back. After opening the 2022/23 League One campaign with an action-packed 3-3 draw against Portsmouth at Hillsborough, Darren Moore s men also put in an eye-catching display last weekend. Landing a 1-0 victory away at MK Dons, the one-time West Brom boss will be calling on his side to keep up that momentum here. Likewise, once again tipped as a standout pick to clinch another play-off finish this season, W…

Nolito and Alvaro Morata were the star men as Spain made a mockery of South Korea s recent fine form, winning 6-1 on the road to Euro 2016.
Uli Stielike had told his Korean side to play with the belief that they could beat the double-defending European champions, but a national-record run of nine games without conceding was emphatically ended in Salzburg.
David Silva s stunning free-kick brought the match to life on the half-hour, but things soon went from the sublime to the ridiculous as Korean goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon s comical error presented Cesc Fabregas with a tap-in.
Nolito and Alvaro Morata enhanced their chances of a place in Vicente del Bosque s frontline with a pair of goals each, though this week s arrival of Atletico and Real Madrid players none of whom featured here w…

Liverpool went one point clear at the top of the Premier League table despite suffering a frustrating goalless draw at home to West Ham on Monday.

Rafael Benitez s side replaced Chelsea at the summit yet few fans felt like celebrating after watching their side miss an ideal opportunity to open up a healthy lead on their title rivals.

Liverpool were guilty of wasting a string of chances while Yossi Benayoun was denied by a brilliant save from Robert Green.

But their performance raised more questions than answers as they were held at home by mid-table opposition for the second successive home game.

It is eighteen years since the title was last celebrated at Anfield yet Liverpool fans started the final month of 2008 optimistic about their club s prospec…

Serbia sacked head coach Mladen Krstajic following their humiliating loss to Ukraine in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Despite boasting Real Madrid recruit Luka Jovic and Ajax star Dusan Tadic, Serbia were routed 5-0 by Ukraine in Lviv on June 7 as pressure increased on Krstajic.

Serbia eased past Lithuania 4-1 on Monday but that was not enough to save Krstajic, with the country third and six points adrift of leaders Ukraine in Euro 2020 Group B qualifying.

The FSS executive board and coach Mladen Krstajic have terminated cooperation by mutual consent and a decision will be made in the forthcoming period who will take over, the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) said in a statement on Thursday.

We thank Krstajic for his efforts and especially on his Nations Le…

Ryan Giggs has ended his 29-year association with Manchester United, the club has confirmed.

The 42-year-old former star player joined United s coaching staff under David Moyes, taking temporary charge when the Scot was sacked in April 2014, and was made assistant manager by Louis van Gaal.

However, new manager Jose Mourinho is expected to bring in trusted lieutenant Rui Faria to take on the role, with Giggs unable to agree a new position.

It means he will depart Old Trafford after almost 30 years of service, having joined United s academy in 1987.

After 29 seasons at Manchester United as a player and assistant manager, I know winning is in the DNA of this club giving youth a chance, and playing attacking and exciting football, he said in a statement rel…

Hosts South Africa were finding it hard on Monday to get their heads around the reality that they are just one game away from the Confederations Cup final.

And that it is Brazil who are waiting for them in Thursday s semi-final makes it all the sweeter.

This is unknown territory for a side that was knocked out of the African Nations Cup in 2008 and hasn t even qualified for the next edition in January.

Coach Joel Santana gave his first XI the afternoon off aside from a spot of light training with the reserves getting the chance to state their case for inclusion.

The training session at Rand stadium in the Johannesburg suburbs came 48 hours after the Confed Cup hosts went down 2-0 to Spain, but rarely can defeat, have been so eagerly received as they stil…

Where will Lionel Messi land?

Barcelona s shock announcement of his departure set rumours flying.

Will it be Paris, Manchester or somewhere else?

TOP STORY MESSI ON THE MARKET

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are rumoured to be the top suitors for Lionel Messi.

The French giants have already made contact with Messi s representatives, according to Fabrizio Romano, and are seen in many quarters as the favourites to land the Argentine forward.

It remains to be seen wherher PSG can take on Messi after making several major moves during the transfer window, while City may be in a similarly difficult situation after finalising their £100million deal for Jack Grealish on Thursday.

A reunion with Pep Guardiola may stil…

Former champions France s hopes of making the 2010 World Cup finals suffered another blow here on Saturday when the 1998 winners were held to a 1-1 draw by Romania in their Group Seven qualifier.

France, who travel to a must-win qualifier with group leaders Serbia, who they trail by four points on Wednesday, took the lead through veteran captain Thierry Henry early in the second-half only for Julien Escude to put through his own net a few minutes later.

The hosts had several opportunities in the first-half but with no positive results and in fact it was the visitors who had the clearest opportunity to break the deadlock when Ciprian Marica outstripped Escude on the left flank and his pass inside was seized upon by Romeo Sudu.

However, with France goalkeeper Hugo…

Everton manager Roberto Martinez hopes John Stones can retain his focus in the club s Premier League opener against Watford amid constant links to Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to bring Stones to the Premier League champions as he seeks out a potential long-term successor to Chelsea captain John Terry.

Talk of a £30million-plus move has been raised, but Martinez has remained steadfast in his determination to keep the England international – signed from Barnsley in January 2013 – on Merseyside.

The 21-year-old emerged as first choice alongside Phil Jagielka in the heart of Martinez s defence last season and the Spaniard will be keen to see Stones development continue apace.

But, when asked if Chelsea s interest was affectin…

The Congolese defender Chancel Mbemba is one of the first-team players Newcastle United have made available at the end of the 2017/18 season and there seems to be no lack of interest for the former Anderlecht man.

Mbemba largely struggled to break into the first team under Rafa Benitez who blamed the Congolese defender for lack of tactical discipline and inability to learn the language and communicate with the coach and teammates the way Benites would have wanted it.

Rafa Benitez barely used Mbemba last season who was pushed down the pecking order by Florian Lejeune, Ciaran Clark and Jamal Lascelles.

Anderlecht were keen on a reunion with Chancel Mbemba but were eventually priced out of any potential deal for the defender. He will not lack interest, however, …