The Confederation of African Football starts investigation after the post-Nigeria-Algeria match violence
The Confederation of African Football said Monday it had opened an investigation and warned of possible disciplinary action after “potentially unacceptable behavior” as players clashed on the pitch at the end of the Cup of Nations quarter-final between Algeria and Nigeria. “CAF has referred the matters to the disciplinary board for investigation and has called for appropriate action to be taken if the identified persons were to be found guilty of any wrongdoing,” said African football’s governing body in a statement. Tensions spilled over on the pitch at the end of Saturday’s game in Marrakesh, which Nigeria won 2-0 thanks to second-half goals by Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams. Any disciplinary action could have an impact on the Super Eagles as they prepare for their semi-final showdown on Wednesday against Morocco. However, CAF said it was also investigating incidents in Friday’s last-eight tie between the hosts and Cameroon. Morocco won that game 2-0 in Rabat, and the Indomitable Lions were notably unhappy at the officiating, in particular the refusal to award them a penalty for a challenge on Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo in the second half.
Odisha FC confirms participation; Four Clubs reportedly plan to select a neutral venue!
Odisha FC has confirmed its participation in the ISL this season, which means all the 14 clubs have given consent to take part in the shorter format of the League. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has already announced that the ISL will start on 14th February. It has also been heard that now the clubs that have given consent are in a discussion process on venues. A few clubs want to play away, while some clubs are reportedly preferring to play home venues only. Mohammedan Sporting has confirmed Kishore Bharati Krirangan as their home venue, but it remains to be seen how many matches they will actually play there. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giants have already confirmed that they want to play at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Four clubs that have given consents have reportedly revealed in the last meeting that they lack proper venues to play home matches. It is heard that these four clubs will be choosing a neutral venue to take part in their home matches. It is believed that the debutant in the ISL, Inter Kashi, has chosen Kalyani Stadium or Barasat Stadium as the venue to play their home matches.
‘Footballers lack mental strength,’ says Manchester United interim coach Fletcher after FA Cup exit
Manchester United interim manager Darren Fletcher said Sunday’s FA Cup defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford exposed the fragile nature of the squad. Near silence greeted the final whistle as the 1-2 third-round loss ended United’s hopes of silverware, while some boos rang out as the players trudged off the pitch. Former United midfielder Fletcher stepped up from his role as the club’s Under-18s coach to take charge of the first team after the sacking of Ruben Amorim last week. But after a 2-2 draw away to Burnley in the Premier League, his hopes of providing a boost at Old Trafford were frustrated as former United player Danny Welbeck scored for the visiting side after Brajan Gruda put it in front early on. “It was mixed, really. We started okay, but the goal knocked the stuffing out of us,” Fletcher said. “Our passing was quite slow, so I challenged them at halftime. It was similar to the game in the week; we needed to move the ball with more tempo. “When we got back to 2-1, I thought here we go, the crowd was up, the energy was up, but ultimately we couldn’t get the equalizer. I think you can see the players are fragile and need to build themselves up. It’s up to them to respond.” United is expected to announce a caretaker manager for the rest of the season next week, but Fletcher said that whoever that is, it is up to the players to dig deep. “Confidence is the most powerful thing in football, but when you don’t have it, you have to dig deep, battle, grind, and work and work to win games, then the confidence comes back.” United has failed to survive a round in either of the domestic cup competitions for the first time since 1981-82, and with no European football, the season threatens to fizzle out. It is seventh in the Premier League, however, and only a point behind fifth place, which is likely to be a Champions League qualification spot. “They are experienced players. They’ve got to make sure they have a lot to play for this season,” he said. “This team is still good enough to achieve success this season, but they have to dig deep.”
Churchill Brothers does not want to play the I-League! Waits for entry in the ISL
Sudeep Pakrashi: Churchill Brothers will not play in the I-League this season, says the club’s founder and president, Churchill Alemao. When asked about their preparation for the I-League this season, Alemao told Parallel Sports, No, we will not play in the I-League. Why should we play? We are already the I-League champions. Our team is now playing in the Goa Professional League. We are busy with that.” When asked whether the club has been asked to make a debut in the ISL this season, Alemao commented, “We have not yet received any such intimation. So, if we get the intimation, then we can take part. But to date, we have not made any preparation for the ISL.” Odisha FC had given two days to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) about the team’s confirmation in the ISL this season. It is believed that the AIFF has selected the Goan team for the ISL if Odisha FC finally pulls out of the League. But at the same time, the reality shows a different scenario, in which not only Odisha FC, but six more clubs have not yet confirmed their team’s participation in the country’s top-tier league. They have adopted a delaying tactic by raising three fresh queries. Those are the relaxation of the participation fee, confirmation of the promotion-relegation issue, and the cost of respective stadiums while staging the home matches.
Fans excited with Kylian Mbappe’s arrival in Saudi Arabia before the El Clásico Super Cup final
Kylian Mbappe has arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final. Mbappe made a brief post on the social media platform X, greeting fans with a “Salam Alaikoum” as Madrid landed in Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup final, scheduled for 12th January at King Abdullah Sports City. While the French forward has been nursing a knee injury for several weeks, his presence in Saudi Arabia has fuelled speculation that he could still play a role in the final. The football fans are excited with Mbappe’s arrival as millions revelled in welcoming him for the El Clásico final and requested him to play the match. The Real Madrid forward’s fitness has been a major issue as the forward has been sidelined since late December after suffering a ligament sprain in his left knee, an injury confirmed by the club on the final day of 2025. He subsequently missed Madrid’s recent competitive fixtures, including the semi-final against Atletico, as he followed a carefully managed recovery programme in the Spanish capital. However, Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso struck an optimistic note after the derby win, revealing that Mbappe has trained and is responding well. Alonso suggested that the forward will be assessed like any other squad member ahead of the final, leaving the door open for a potential return on the biggest stage. “He is much better, he has trained, and the sensations are good. The options for him to play are the same as everyone else who is available,” Xabi said. In Mbappe’s absence against Atletico, Madrid found inspiration elsewhere. Federico Valverde delivered the decisive moment, unleashing a thunderous strike just two minutes into the match to break the deadlock. His energy, intensity and all-round influence proved vital in a contest decided by narrow margins, earning high praise from Alonso afterwards. Whether Mbappe features or not, his arrival has already added an extra layer of intrigue to the Super Cup final. With silverware at stake and El Clásico bragging rights on the line, all eyes will now be on Madrid’s final team call, and on whether their star forward is ready to make his return.
Spirited Sribhumi FC lose to NITA; Kickstart FC beat Sesa Goa
Sribhumi FC, despite a spirited show, lost to NITA FA in their concluding group league match of the first phase of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) at Kalyani Stadium on Friday morning. The scoreline was 3-2 in NITA FA’s favor. Karishma Shirvoikar scored a sameside goal for Sribhunmi FC in the 25th minute. Then India international Pyari Xaxa struck twice after the break in the 55th and 90th minutes. Sribhumi, despite trailing by a first-half suicide goal, leveled the score line in the 47th minute when Anju Tamang scored for the Kolkata side. Karishma Shirvoikar compensated for her suicide goal, equalizing the scoreline again with a strike in the 67th minute. However, in another match on the day, Kickstart FC of Karnataka defeated debutant Sesa FA by 3-1 at the NCE. Emem Pis Esien scored a hat-trick for the winners while Aniela Bareto scored for Sesa FA.
Vinicius Jr and Simeone exchange ‘heat’ during Super Cup semi-final!
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr and Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone were involved in a heated exchange during the closing stages of the Super Cup semi-final on Thursday night. As the Brazilian was being substituted off in the 81st minute, Simeone appeared to gesture boos coming from the crowd towards Vinicius. The duo were then involved in a war of words that saw even Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso get involved, while Vinicius had to be held back by teammate Antonio Rudiger. “Vini, Florentino Perez will kick you out,” Simeone had said to the player during the match, according to multiple reports from Spanish outlets. When Vinicius was being substituted, Simeone appeared to refer to the same thing, whilst also pointing out the whistles being made by certain fans towards Real Madrid’s No. 7. Simeone defended his actions in the media later on, stating that “what happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch. “I have nothing to say. Ever since my playing career, I’ve said that what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch,” he said. On the other hand, Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso wasn’t best pleased with Simeone’s actions. “I heard what Simeone said to Vini, and I didn’t like it. You can’t talk like that. Some things cross the line,” Alonso stated after the game. Meanwhile, Vinicius took to social media to take another pop at Diego Simeone after Real Madrid defeated Atletico 2-1. “He has lost another qualifier match,” commented Vinicius on an Instagram post after the match. Real Madrid will take on arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.
Careless RFYS: Jangalmahal Academy forced to pull out in the midway!
Sudeep Pakrashi: Following utmost carelessness from the organisers of Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS), a debutant football academy from Jangalmahal, Purulia, has been forced to withdraw in the middle of the ongoing RFYS youth league across West Bengal. It is Manbazar Vibekananda Sports Academy, which has been running for the last five years at Bandowan, Purulia district. The academy returned to Bari village, Manbajar travelling for almost 7-8 hours after taking part in their last group league match on 7th January. The academy president, Prashanta Mahato, when asked about the issue, explained, “I received a WhatsApp message from the organisers on 7th late night and then around 11 in the morning on the 8th January afternoon, despite the fact that these boys had travelled almost eight hours by bus and returned home at around 11 in the night on the day before! So, how could it be possible? I requested them to spare at least a day for us. In reply, they asked me to give a walkover in our first group league match on 9th January!” More importantly, the academy had already spent nearly Rs 1 lakh to participate in their last round matches. According to Mahato, it would not have been easy to accommodate the hotels for around 25 boys within 24 hours. RFYS people were not available for their reaction. Signioficantly, Vibekananda Sports Academy had an excellent performance in their outing in the last group league matches. In their seven matches, the academy won in five, drew in one, and lost in one each.
‘King Kev’ diagnosed with cancer!
Former England forward and manager Kevin Keegan has been diagnosed with cancer, as revealed by his old club Newcastle United on Wednesday. “Kevin Keegan was recently admitted to the hospital for further evaluation of ongoing abdominal symptoms. These investigations revealed a cancer diagnosis, and Kevin will undergo treatment,” the Premier League side, where Keegan both played and managed, said in a statement. Keegan, 74, enjoyed a stellar playing career with trophy-laden spells at Liverpool and Hamburg. As a manager, he narrowly missed out on the Premier League title with Newcastle before a challenging time in charge of England. As a player, he won three First Division titles at Liverpool as well as a European Cup, two UEFA Cups, and an FA Cup. He then moved to Germany and won the Bundesliga with Hamburg and was twice crowned European Footballer of the Year, before returning to England with Southampton and then Newcastle. Nicknamed “King Kev”, Keegan scored 204 goals in 592 league appearances during his club career. He earned 63 caps for England, netting 21 goals, and captained the national side on 31 occasions. As a manager, he had two spells in charge at Newcastle and finished Premier League runner-up in 1995-96 to Manchester United, having led the table for much of the campaign. He succeeded Glenn Hoddle as England manager in 1999 but could not lead it beyond the group stage at Euro 2000 and left the job later that year after losing to Germany in the final game ever played at the old Wembley Stadium.
Bengaluru FC owner urges ‘financial sacrifice’ from players to support ISL resumption!
Bengaluru FC owner has sought ‘sacrifice’ from Bengaluru FC footballers, including the iconic Sunil Chhetri! The club owner has mentioned that the resumption of the league will not be viable without “sacrifice” from the players. The Indian Super League is set to return to action next month, on 14th February, and it will be organised by the All India Football Federation. Parth Jindal, the club owner, has made a kind of dictum that players will need to “make sacrifices” in order to bear the “financial burden” that clubs will have to shoulder in order to get the Indian top-flight competition up and running next month. Jindal, however, did not specify what kind of sacrifice he was expecting from players for the upcoming season. It was implied that players – including iconic forward Sunil Chhetri and star goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – would have to take a pay cut, the club would have to “shut shop for good. “Tremendous sacrifice from all clubs is being asked for to play the ISL in its current format. Repercussions if we don’t have a league are very worrying,” Jindal wrote on ‘X’. “Truly hope the players understand the additional financial burden on the clubs and agree to also sacrifice as we are all in this together. We are in this for the love of football and to see our country play the beautiful game and be good at it.” Meanwhile, it is learnt that East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting will be playing their home matches of the ISL this season in Kolkata. All the three Kolkata giants will be able to gather more revenue from gate-sale if their respective home-matches take place at Yuba Bharati Kriranghan. Significantly, the AIFF has also sent a letter to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), seeking slot for participation in the AFC Champions League qualifiers. The AIFF has reportedly mentioned that each team will get scope of taking part in 13 matches in the ISL and each of them has participated in three matches in the Super Cup this season already. So, AIFF wants AFC slots for the teams who all will be playing 16 matches this season.
