Match

The Super Eagles came into the match hoping to go all the way and make amends for the shortcomings that saw them finish second two years ago in the Ivory Coast. However, they were not going to get it easy playing the Atlas Lions, who have enjoyed massive home support since the start of the biennial competition.

Fans were left puzzled after Arsenal's opening goal against Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final was allowed to stand on Wednesday night, despite Manchester City having a strike disallowed the day before for a similar infraction from Erling Haaland against Newcastle United. Robert Sanchez flapped at a corner which allowed Ben White the simplest of headers, but Viktor Gyokeres appeared to be in an offside position as he tangled with Marc Guiu, who was defending on the line. The Gunners ended up claiming a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge, handing Mikel Arteta's side a strong advantage as they bid to reach the final at Wembley.

The Amakhosi starlet becomes another talent from the country to cross the border and join his international counterpart. Coincidentally, the club is owned by an Amakhosi legend, and the move by the youngster represents a connection of some sort between the club and the Soweto giants.

Moises Caicedo was a notable absentee from Chelsea's squad for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal on Wednesday night. The Ecuador international is one of the Blues' most important players in central midfield but new boss Liam Rosenior was forced to deploy Andrey Santos alongside Enzo Fernandez against the Gunners because of his absence. Chelsea have struggled with suspensions so far this season, with five red cards forcing key players to miss out at various stages.

Despite San Diego FC’s sporting director and head coach stating that he no longer fits into the club’s plans - and reported interest from Cruz Azul - Hirving “Chucky” Lozano has no intention of leaving the MLS side. Backed by a long-term contract and a record salary, the Mexican winger reportedly wants to remain with the team and is confident he can earn his place, even as the door appears to be closed.

This is particularly a big blow to Mohamed Salah's individual ambition of winning the international trophy for his country, which has remained an elusive mission in his career so far. For Mane and his teammates, the dream of winning the second AFCON trophy remains very much alive after progressing to the ultimate stage. The win means Senegal have stamped their authority on this fixture, as they have a decent record against the Pharaohs, where they have now won four of their last six games. 

Chris Richards has been named U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year after a standout 2025 calendar year with both Crystal Palace and the U.S. Men's National Team. The central defender's award win comes in the first time he was nominated for the award, as he beat out Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Matt Freese, and Malik Tillman to this year's honors.

Masandawana have made statement signings, sending a clear signal to rivals that they should expect a stronger team. Monnapule Saleng and Brayan Leon are top stars that have been brought on board to strengthen the striking department that already has record breaker Peter Shalulile and Iqraam Rayners, last season's second-best league scorer. But who exactly is influencing these signings? A question has been posed.

The 29-year-old did well for Stellenbosch under the then coach Steve Berker, who has since left Stellies for Simba SC in the Tanzanian Premier League. The attacker is set to help the Buccaneers in their bid to conquer the South African top-flight football, as well as the remaining domestic competitions.

Neymar has revealed that Lionel Messi has expressed an interest in playing in the latter stages of the 2026 Kings League World Cup Nations tournament. The Kings League was set up by Messi and Neymar's former Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique, and has regularly featured some huge stars.

Mason Greenwood produced a clinical display to lead Marseille into the last 16 of the Coupe de France with a stunning hat-trick. The 24-year-old took his season tally to 19 goals as Roberto De Zerbi’s men demolished sixth-tier Bayeux 9-0 in a ruthless performance, with Greenwood even donning the captain's armband during the second half of the one-sided rout.

San Diego FC’s abrupt decision to move on from Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano has raised questions about his future at both club and international level. Once the face of the expansion project, the Mexico international is now weighing his next move as interest grows from MLS and Liga MX. GOAL examines five realistic landing spots as Cruz Azul and Atlanta United lead the race.

Mikel Arteta says he's gunning for glory in the Carabao Cup to make up for previous failures during his time at Arsenal. The Gunners take on Chelsea on Wednesday in the first leg of their semi-final and face a Blues team under new management following the arrival of Liam Rosenior. Arsenal were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season by eventual winners Newcastle and Arteta wants his team to go one better this time around.

Michael Carrick has been officially named caretaker coach of Manchester United after the club decided against bringing back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Carrick, who was Solskjaer's assistant coach and became interim coach for three games when the Norwegian was sacked in November 2021, will take charge of the team until the end of the season following Ruben Amorim's sacking last week.

Wrexham took a trip to Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon for a friendly clash at the Premier League champions' AXA Training Centre. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side faced an Under-21 Liverpool team and returned home after a 1-1 draw. Club legend Paul Mullin, who has been recalled to Wrexham after a loan spell with Wigan Athletic, featured along with former Red Conor Coady and ex-Burnley man Jay Rodriguez.

The South Africa international has established himself as one of the elite forwards in the Premier Soccer League, but in the 2025/26 campaign, he has struggled for game time owing to stiff competition at Bucs, coupled with preferences by coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. The 29-year-old might have played his last game for the Soweto giants.

The Buccaneers are showing no intention of slowing down as they have made three signings in the short January transfer window, as they work on achieving their target of winning all the domestic competitions. Already, they have secured the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout, which happened before the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break.

The 21-year-old has been a target for the defending Premier Soccer League champions, Masandawana, and the reigning Nedbank Cup winners, Amakhosi, owing to his strong display while with TS Galaxy, a team he joined three seasons ago. However, the duo has missed out after the Major League Soccer side acted swiftly to seal the deal.

Liverpool’s passage to the fourth round of the FA Cup was marred by a moment of controversial flair from Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been fiercely criticised by Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane for a "disrespectful" piece of skill inside his own penalty area. The Hungarian’s casual backheel gifted the visitors a route back into the game, sparking anger from the opposition dugout and earning a stern rebuke from his own manager, Arne Slot.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has refused to criticise his players despite suffering a shock elimination from the Coupe de France at the hands of local rivals Paris FC on Monday night. The Spaniard insisted the 1-0 defeat was "unfair" given his side's dominance, though the result has officially ended the capital club's hopes of securing a historic back-to-back treble this season.

The Premier Soccer League's transfer window has hit top gear with clubs strengthening from all angles as they work on meeting their set targets. Babina Noko, who did well before the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break, are showing signs of going all the way with quality additions to their already impressive squad.

Cristiano Ronaldo is facing another trophy-less season at Al-Nassr after his team threw away a one-goal lead in their 3-1 loss to title rivals Al-Hilal. The Portugal international put his side ahead shortly before half time but a second half to forget may have again ended their hopes of winning the league title. The former Real Madrid man is yet to win any major silverware since moving to the Middle East three years ago and now they are seven points behind Al-Hilal after 14 games.

The 38-year-old has been doing relatively well since his exit from the defending Premier Soccer League champions two seasons ago. He has since been serving in North Africa, initially with the Botola Pro League outfit Wydad Athletic Club, followed by MC Alger of Algerian Ligue 1, who took him in at the start of the ongoing campaign.

Minnesota United have named Cam Knowles as their new head coach, opting for continuity as Eric Ramsay prepares to return to Europe to take over West Brom. With preseason set to begin, the Loons moved quickly to reward a trusted figure within the club and maintain stability after a successful MLS campaign. Knowles has been in MLS for two decades as a player and coach.

The 21-year-old has been a hot cake in the transfer market owing to his exploits for the Rockets since his unceremonious move from the Glamour Boys a couple of years ago. Apart from Masandawana and Amakhosi, the creative South African international has been linked with a move to Europe, where speculations have it that several clubs have interest in his services.

Macclesfield boss John Rooney is hoping to upset more Premier League opposition after dumping FA Cup holders Crystal Palace out of the competition. The non-league side produced arguably the biggest upset in FA Cup history with their 2-1 win over Oliver Glasner's team at the weekend. The National League North club are 117 places below the Eagles but were more than a match for them, and now Wayne Rooney's brother wants another eye-catching tie in the fourth round.

Nine days after their Ligue 1 clash, PSG and Paris FC meet again for a highly anticipated French Cup derby.

By strengthening their playing unit, the Brazilians are sending a clear message to their rivals that they mean business. So far, the Tshwane giants have confirmed the signing of Brayan Leon from Colombia and Monnapule Saleng from Orlando Pirates. The signing of the Bafana defender means there will be no void left in the defensive department after Lucas Suarez's exit.

The forward's move from one Premier Soccer League title contender to another remains the biggest move so far in the January transfer window. After an impressive outing for Orbit College in the first round of the campaign, Saleng will have to prove himself in another club, bigger and more competitive than the PSL debutants. His signing comes at a time when there are rumours Masandawana are set to make changes to their technical bench.