Camerooon club Cotonsport Garoua reached the group phase of the African Champions League for the first time despite losing 2-1 to Jeunesse Sportive Kayblie in Algeria this weekend.
Cotonsport took a three-goal advantage into the second leg of the third round qualifier and advance 4-2 on aggregate to the draw next Saturday in Cameroon which will split the eight survivors into two mini-leagues.
Success was especially sweet for the team from the north-west Cameroon town of Garoua as they were eliminated by Kabylie at the same stage of the 3.5-million-dollar competition last year.
A target of at least a three-goal victory appeared to be just within reach of Kabylie at their stadium in the eastern town of Tizi Ouzou and they made a dream start with Adlene Bensaid …
German newspaper that West Ham have agreed to sign Wolfsburg defender Emanuel Pogatetz.
The Austrian defender has flown to London earlier today to undergo a medical at Boleyn Ground, and if all goes well he will sign a contract with the Hammers.
According to the terms of the deal, West Ham will pay €500,000 for a five-month loan, while they will have the option to purchase the player outright for another €2 million.
Pogatetz, 30, is expected to provide competition for Joey O’Brien at the left-back position after both George McCartney and Daniel Potts have picked up injuries.
The experienced player already has plenty of Premier League experience, having played for Middlesbrough between 2005 and 2010.
Pogatetz only joined Wolfsburg last summ…
Emile Heskey thinks Leicester City are fearing relegation from the Premier League after a poor start to the defence of their title.
Sunday s 2-1 home loss against West Brom left Claudio Ranieri s men only two points clear of the relegation zone in 14th place.
A slow start has seen Leicester win only three of their 11 top-flight matches despite their fine form in the Champions League, which has seen the Foxes pick up 10 points from four games without conceding a goal.
But Heskey, who won the League Cup twice with Leicester in his playing career, thinks avoiding a drop to the Championship is now a priority.
Asked about the possibility of relegation, Heskey told Sky Sports: It s always a fear, especially when you are in the bottom half of the table.
…
Cristiano Ronaldo equalled Ferenc Puskas record for most international goals by a European man with his standout display for Portugal against Spain at the World Cup.
The Real Madrid star s hat-trick helped his team to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Spain in Sochi on Friday.
Ronaldo s treble took him onto 84 international goals, drawing him level with Puskas, who netted the same number for Hungary.
The duo sit second on the all-time list, but remain a long way behind Iran great Ali Daei.
We take a look at the top five.
ALI DAEI (IRAN) 109
Daei was prolific throughout his international career, scoring 109 times in 149 games for Iran. The former Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin forward s international career spanned 13 years, Daei ope…
In Bloodline: Heroes of Lithas, players establish a legacy in a fantasy world where your progeny inherit the abilities that came before them. The player’s goal in the game is to become the leader of the City of Light, the High Guardian, in the world of Lithas. This is done by expanding your influence over various parts of the city with the help of your children and your champions’ children. Come from Sports betting site VPbet
Lithas is filled with unique creatures and races all of whom you can influence to be your champions and allies as they marry and grow through the generations. Developer and publisher Goat Games has revealed there will be Dragonborn, Dark Elves, and Lycans, but it seems there will be other race…
Brighton and Hove Albion s Alexis Mac Allister believes Graham Potter sits among the world s elite, saying he would rather not think about his manager s potential move to Chelsea.
Potter has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge following the German s shock dismissal.
He is reportedly set to meet Chelsea owner Todd Boehly on Wednesday.
Since taking charge at Brighton, Potter has overseen a steady period of growth, culminating in last year s best-ever Premier League finish (ninth).
The start of the new campaign has seen Brighton win four of their opening six league matches, taking 13 points in total.
But Mac Allister hopes Potter will stay put, while hailing him as one of finest managerial minds in the sport.
<…
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard will miss the Supercopa de Espana in Saudi Arabia as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, coach Zinedine Zidane has confirmed.
The Belgium international, who signed from Chelsea ahead of the 2019-20 season, has played only eight times in LaLiga, scoring once.
Hazard s most recent appearance came against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on November 26, subsequently missing a Clasico draw with Barcelona due to a small ankle fracture.
Madrid face Getafe in LaLiga this weekend, before heading to Jeddah for the revamped four-team Supercopa, but Hazard will not travel.
Yes, he s 100 per cent out of the Supercopa, Zidane told a news conference on Friday. He s not travelling.
And, at the moment, he s in…
Blackburn v West Ham
Blackburn were unbeaten in three prior to their 4-0 mauling at Arsenal last week and have put together enough points to escape from the relegation zone, all be it, by only one point. Despite last week s defeat, they do seem to be on an upward spiral.
West Ham are seventh and have lost only two of their last fifteen games. That sounds impressive but their last game, the 0-0 draw at home West Brom on Monday, was one of the worst games of football seen this season.
The statistics suggest an away win but I fancy Big Sam to continue the journey to safety.
SoccerNews prediction: 2-1
Fulham v Manchester United
Just a couple of weeks ago Fulham were thumped 4-0 at home by Manchester United in the FA Cup. That was the second in a row of thre…
Werder Bremen beat Hamburger SV on away goals to advance to the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Hamburg, having won the first leg 0-1, seemed to be on their way to the final when Ivica Olic scored the opener from a counterattack in the 13th minute.
But Werder gained strength and got the equaliser in minute 29. Brazilian forward Diego exchanged passes with Claudio Pizarro and did well to beat keeper Rost for 1-1.
And the visiting side went on to take the lead, and an away goal advantage, when Pizarro himself shot home from about 25 meters six minutes after the hour.
Things were practically decided when Baumann netted a third away goal heading in from close range with seven minutes to go. Olic brought back some tension four minutes lat…
Ryan Bertrand feels like he has found the perfect match after signing a long-term deal at Southampton.
Following a successful loan spell at Southampton, Ryan Bertrand believes he has found the perfect match after agreeing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the high-flying Premier League club.
Bertrand, who completed a permanent move from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, did not have any hesitation in making the switch.
His loan stint at Southampton was the ninth of his career, and he is now looking forward to spending a lengthy period at St Mary s Stadium.
I wanted to sign and commit somewhere instead of carrying on doing loans, Bertrand told Southampton s official YouTube channel. When I had the chance to sign here, it was the perfect match.
…