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Morocco talisman Brahim Diaz missed a 114th-minute penalty against Senegal in the AFCON final after inexplicably trying a Panenka chip, which was easily saved by opposition goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The Real Madrid ace blew the chance to win the trophy for his country after the Senegal squad had stormed off in protest against the initial award of the penalty.

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal left four Real Sociedad players for dead during a dazzling dribbling sequence at the Anoeta on Sunday night. The teenage star embarked on the scintillating run after picking the ball up in his own half, before playing a delightful pass through to Fermin Lopez.

Arne Slot reportedly still has the backing of Liverpool owners FSG despite a downturn in results. The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday afternoon, which extended their winless run to four matches. The pressure continues to mount on Slot, with the defending Premier League champions now 14 points off league leaders Arsenal.

Shaqueel van Persie, the son of legendary Dutch striker Robin van Persie, scored his first professional goals as Feyenoord played out a seven-goal thriller with Rotterdam rivals Sparta on Sunday. Van Persie junior made just his third career appearance as he replaced Casper Tengstedt midway through the second half in the Rotterdam Derby, and almost salvaged a draw for his team.

The Brazilians are back from the 2025 AFCON break and resume their bid to win the Premier Soccer League title when they host Mswenko Boys at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Monday. Starting the year part of the chasing pack seeking to dislodge Orlando Pirates from the top of the table, Masandawana need nothing short of victory in their backyard amid some pressure on coach Miguel Cardoso.

Vinicius Junior making a move to Chelsea remains a ”fairytale shout”, says former Blues midfielder Jody Morris, with the Real Madrid superstar considered to be “too old” for owners at Stamford Bridge that prefer to focus on youth and potential. A ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu is, however, generating talk of a Premier League transfer being made in 2026.

Unai Emery has explained why Jadon Sancho was not included in Aston Villa's squad to face Everton on Sunday evening. Sancho joined the Villans on loan from Manchester United in September but has struggled for regular game time at Villa Park. Indeed, he has started just two league matches this season, with the majority of his minutes coming in the Europa League.

The former Amakhosi tactician is hoping to strengthen his new squad with tried and tested players. Both Mabasa and the winger have faced similar situations this season: reduced playtime, and to get a solution, they need to find new clubs. Now, the experienced South African tactician is reportedly ready to welcome them at his new club.

Neymar to Inter Miami could still happen, former MLS star Kleberson has exclusively told GOAL, with Lionel Messi looking to bring “everyone” to the United States as he forms his own “private league”. Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul have already joined the Argentine GOAT in Florida, with more marquee transfer deals - including Cristiano Ronaldo - being lined up.

Patrice Evra has called out Manchester City star Rayan Cherki for "not respecting" Manchester United following Saturday's derby clash at Old Trafford. In their first game under Michael Carrick, United eased to a 2-0 home win over the Cityzens to further derail their rivals' Premier League title bid. Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu both netted in the second half to wrap up the victory.

Masandadawana have been dominant in this fixture, but Amakhosi were on another level and delivered a display that their rivals did not match. The victory also means the defending champions have extended their winning run to five games. Although Chiefs will celebrate their win, deep down, they know the victory hands their Soweto rivals a huge advantage in the title race.

Cristiano Ronaldo would be prepared to join “the lowest professional league” in order to reach 1,000 competitive goals, claims former Manchester United team-mate Nani, but is not expected to be forced down that path. Instead, the Portuguese GOAT, who is still going strong in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, is being backed to grace Euro 2028.

The 20-year-old defender has now scored twice for his club as he continues to stamp his authority as a first-team player. Amakhosi loaned him out with the specific reason of helping him earn more playtime, something that he would not have had were he to stay put at Naturena.

Chelsea have taken a major step forward in their bid to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, having agreed personal terms with the defender. Jacquet is reportedly close to joining the Blues, who are looking to bring in a new centre-back during the January transfer window. The 20-year-old has also been linked with Liverpool, but Chelsea are now in pole position to secure his signature.

Gerard Pique has addressed the possibility of former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi playing in the Kings League at some stage. Neymar, another iconic performer with ties to Camp Nou, has hinted that the Argentine GOAT would like to grace small-sided competition. Pique is leaving the door open for Messi, but is reluctant to speculate on whether the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will ever walk through it.

Niclas Fullkrug's nightmare start to life in Italy continued last week after the striker had €500k worth of valuables stolen from his hotel room. The German moved to the Rossoneri on loan for the rest of the season at the start of January, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Premier League side West Ham.

The experienced coach has been without a job for the past year since leaving his position at Esteghlal FC in the Iranian Pro League. During his time unattached, he has been linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs and, more recently, a possible return to Chloorkop. The coach himself has admitted that several clubs have approached him, but none of the offers met his expectations.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has reacted to jeers from the home support at Anfield by stating that he “doesn’t like boos”. The Reds have not faced too many of those in recent times, with Jurgen Klopp building them into perennial challengers for the most prestigious of honours. Arne Slot has delivered another Premier League title, but the 2025-26 campaign has tested collective patience on Merseyside.

Arsenal dominated Aston Villa in their Women's FA Cup fourth round meeting at Meadow Park on Sunday afternoon as they progressed with a 2-0 win over the Midlands side. It took until the second half for the Gunners to find the breakthrough, but the result was never really in doubt once they went ahead shortly after the interval.

Alvaro Arbeloa has hit out at Real Madrid fans for chanting against club president Florentino Perez in the team's 2-0 home win over Levante. Second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio saw Arbeloa mark his first home game as Real Madrid boss with victory, having succeeded Xabi Alonso in the Spanish capital last week.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is being offered a route out of his Nottingham Forest nightmare, with Arsenal sanctioning a fresh loan switch for the Ukraine international. He moved to the City Ground in the summer of 2025, but has struggled for form under three different managers. It is now being reported that the Premier League title-winning ex-Manchester City star will link up with Eredivisie giants Ajax.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice could not hide his frustration at seeing his team held to a disappointing draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday in the Premier League. The Gunners missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points after failing to break down a determined home side. Rice was seen to be fuming after the game and indulged in an X-rated rant.

Sadio Mane has been urged to reverse his retirement decision ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday. Mane will captain Senegal against tournament hosts Morocco tonight as the Lions of Teranga seek to win the competition for just the second time in their history, and the ex-Liverpool man has been vital in their pursuit of glory.

Harry Kane has revealed that he was told by Vincent Kompany, during his first conversation with the Bayern Munich head coach, that he would become “merciless” in the Belgian’s philosophy of football. Kompany succeeded Thoams Tuchel at the Allianz Arena in 2025 and helped prolific striker Kane to lift his fabled trophy curse when becoming a Bundesliga title winner.

Cristian Romero admits that Tottenham find themselves in a “difficult” and “disaster moment”, but has called for “silence” amid the noise that continues to engulf the club. Spurs boss Thomas Frank is reported to be fighting for his job after suffering another disappointing defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham. Romero is calling for a united front in north London.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka is dealing with a "niggle" after leaving the England star on the bench for Saturday's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Saka did appear as a second-half substitute but could not conjure up a goal as the Gunners missed the chance to go nine points clear at the top of the table.

The former Orlando Pirates coach has gone on to create history beyond Mzansi borders, with the 39-year-old tactician once again underlining his pedigree. Having already shown his capability during his spells at Mayfair and Chloorkop, the latest cup triumph with his current side came as no surprise to Pitso Mosimane, who had long foreseen Mokwena’s success and publicly backed him when he appointed him as his assistant at Sundowns.

Crystal Palace have made a decision on Oliver Glasner’s future as the club’s manager, with sack talk being played down at Selhurst Park. Glasner has revealed that he intends to sever ties with the Eagles when reaching the end of his contract in the summer. He has spoken of feeling “abandoned” after seeing club captain Marc Guehi sold to Manchester City and transfer speculation rage around Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Stockport's League One clash with Rotherham delivered some remarkable scenes as goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe delivered a simply calamitous own goal in the first half. The stopper attempted to get his side on the front foot by attempting a quick kick upfield but blasted the ball straight at team-mate Joe Olowu and could only watch in horror as the ball rebounded and ended up in the back of his own net.