The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday suspended 149 referees accused of betting on matches.

The TFF said in a statement that its disciplinary committee had handed out suspensions ranging from eight to 12 months, the TFF said, adding that investigations are continuing into three other referees.

An investigation by the federation into 571 referees in the Turkish professional leagues revealed on Monday that 371 of them had sports betting accounts and 152 were actively betting.

"Refereeing is a profession of honour," said TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Thursday."

"Anyone who tarnishes that honour...will never again be involved in Turkish football,"

 

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝟏𝟒𝟗 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬https://t.co/mIbHOMxk7h pic.twitter.com/MoVZkfJfNq

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) October 31, 2025

 

The TFF said on Monday that 22 of the officials (seven match referees and 15 assistants) work in the top league.

Ten of the referees listed by the TFF placed more than 10 000 bets, with one of them alone placing 18 227 bets. Forty-two referees each bet on more than 1 000 football matches, the head of Turkish football said on Friday.

However, he did not specify whether any of them were suspected of betting on matches they had officiated.

An investigation has also been launched by the Istanbul public prosecutor's office.

 

🚨🇹🇷It has been discovered that out of the 571 Turkish referees, 371 of them have betting accounts used for football…

42 of them have placed bets on over 1000 matches

A HUGE scandal is about to be unfolded🤯 pic.twitter.com/J3Qei4rST3

— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) October 28, 2025

 

Saudi Arabia declined an offer to sign Lionel Messi for a short-term stint in the Saudi Pro League before next year's World Cup, according to a senior sports official.

"During the last Club World Cup, Messi's team contacted me and offered for him to play in Saudi Arabia because the MLS will stop for nearly four months," Abdullah Hammad, CEO of the Mahd Sports Academy, said during a podcast with Saudi platform Thmanyah.

"The player wanted to remain in shape and prepare himself for the upcoming 2026 World Cup."

"This happened with David Beckham when he was with Los Angeles Galaxy and went to AC Milan (in 2010)," he added.

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023 after being linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia. That followed a two-year spell with Paris Saint-Germain, the club he joined in 2021 after ending his long association with Barcelona.

Hammad explained that he relayed the offer to the minister of sports, who rejected it. "The minister made it clear that the Saudi league would not serve as a preparation platform for other tournaments," he said.

In response to a question about whether Saudi Arabia had rejected Messi, he replied: "That's true."

Since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr after the last World Cup, the Saudi league has attracted numerous stars from major European clubs, including Neymar and Karim Benzema, while the kingdom has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup.

Michelle Agyemang suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament during England's friendly victory over Australia earlier this week, with the injury set to keep the forward sidelined for the rest of the season, her club Arsenal confirmed on Thursday.

England won 3-0 at Derby's Pride Park but the friendly was overshadowed by Agyemang's knee injury as she was carried off the field on a stretcher.

Agyemang had joined Brighton & Hove Albion on loan for the 2025-26 season.

"We can confirm that Michelle Agyemang suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing in England's 3-0 win over Australia in Derby on Tuesday," Arsenal said in a statement.

"The 19-year-old forward... will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season as a result of the injury. We are in close contact with Brighton as we determine a treatment and recovery programme for Michelle."

England's Football Association said she would also have their full support as she starts her rehabilitation.

"Disappointed that results show a torn ACL," Agyemang wrote on Instagram.

"Recovery starts now, I will be back stronger than before."

Mikel Arteta hailed Max Dowman's "special" performance after the 15-year-old prodigy became Arsenal's youngest-ever starter in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Brighton in the League Cup fourth round.

Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka scored in the second half at the Emirates Stadium as Premier League leaders Arsenal earned a quarterfinal at home to Crystal Palace.

But it was Dowman, still two months shy of his 16th birthday, who stole the show with a dazzling display that climaxed when he was given a standing ovation after coming off in the second half.

Gunners boss Arteta was delighted with Dowman's composed performance, which belied his tender years, even if his shy response to being picked was more in keeping with someone still of school age.

"A tiny smile, that's what you get with him," said Arteta when asked how Dowman reacted when he told him he was starting.

"For him everything is natural, for him everything is OK. It's the way he plays and that's the secret, that he doesn't make a big fuss of it.

"He just does what he does best, which is to play football. To play football with a lot of courage and determination and today again, he has shown some incredible skill, some capacity to run past players at that level in the Premier League at 15. It's definitely something special."

The highly-rated teenager previously came off the bench in the league against Leeds and Liverpool and the last round of the League Cup at Port Vale.

Having got a taste of starting, Arteta expects Dowman to be pushing for more regular action.

"For sure, if you ask him. That's what we have to manage and not only that, there's a lot of things that are new in his life," he said.

"We have to make sure that he takes the right steps and he needs be able to cope with it, too, because it's happening very, very fast and we all need to be aware of that.

"Let's encourage him to keep going that way, but let's protect him as well."

Harry Kane grabbed a double as Bayern Munich set a European record of 14 successive victories to start a season with their 4-1 win at Cologne in the German Cup second round on Wednesday.

Kane's first, an incredible curling strike on the turn, and a second-half header brought his tally to 22 goals in 14 games this season.

Wingers Luis Diaz and Michael Olise also got on the scoresheet for the 20-time German Cup winners.

Cologne's Ragnar Ache scored the opener, which put Bayern behind for the first time in a match this season.

Bayern's victory bettered the record of 13 wins to start a season in all competitions set by Fabio Capello's AC Milan in 1992-93 – the previous best mark in Europe's top-five leagues.

The in-form England captain Kane has scored two hat-tricks and six braces in Bayern's record-breaking run, only failing to score in two of the 14 matches.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was careful to praise Kane's all-round contribution, as the striker continued to drop deep and create.

"It's funny sometimes – at the end of the game I asked someone if Harry scored today, and he said 'yes, two goals'," Kompany told Germany's ARD.

"Sometimes you don't even notice it, because of all the other stuff he does for the team."

Earlier, Bayer Leverkusen scored two goals after the 120-minute mark to win 4-2 at a 10-man Paderborn.

A frustrating night for the 2024 German domestic double winners looked destined to go to spot-kicks until 19-year-old Ibrahim Maza netted to spare Leverkusen's blushes against their second-division opponents, who had not lost since August.

Aleix Garcia then added gloss to the result with Paderborn pushing for an equaliser.

In regulation time, Alejandro Grimaldo's 60th-minute free-kick for Leverkusen – his fourth dead-ball goal this season – was cancelled out when Paderborn's Stefano Marino scored in the 90th minute.

Then in extra-time, Paderborn, who were reduced to 10 men before the hour for a last-man foul which led to Grimaldo's free-kick, stunningly took the lead through Sven Michel on 96 minutes.

But former Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah made it 2-2 shortly before the extra-time interval.

Winners in 2023-24, Leverkusen will be joined by current cup holders Stuttgart, who won 2-0 at Mainz thanks to goals from Luca Jaquez and captain Atakan Karazor.

Centre-back Jaquez rose high to head in a corner with six minutes gone. With 73 minutes played, Karazor blasted in on the counter after Germany midfielder Angelo Stiller's clever dummy fooled the home defence.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius endured an unhappy night as his Schalke side were thumped 4-0 by fellow second-division side Darmstadt.

Wednesday's other winners Union Berlin, Freiburg, Magdeburg, and Kaiserslautern join Borussia Dortmund, Hertha Berlin, RB Leipzig, Hamburg, St Pauli, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Holstein Kiel and Bochum in the last 16.

Lucy Bronze scored a birthday goal as England's women beat 10-player Australia 3-0 in a friendly in Derby on Tuesday.

Australia hoped to avenge their World Cup semifinal loss to the Lionesses in 2023, but European champions England were on top form in the second game of their 'homecoming tour' at sold-out Pride Park.

England bounced back from their defeat to Brazil three days earlier, taking advantage of Alanna Kennedy's 19th-minute red card.

Sarina Wiegman's side have been accused of starting slowly recently, but first half goals from Aggie Beever-Jones and Bronze, on her 34th birthday, ensured they made a fast opening this time.

🎂 pic.twitter.com/3Hbdo4dBPp

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 28, 2025

A celebratory evening for the hosts was marred by the sight of England striker Michelle Agyemang being stretchered off after she went down clutching her knee.

Georgia Stanway put the seal on England's one-sided victory with a stoppage-time penalty.

Australia have just two wins from their first five games under coach Joe Montemurro.

PUTELLAS SCORES AGAIN TO LEAD SPAIN INTO  NATIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Elsewhere, two-time Ballon D'Or winner Alexia Putellas scored again Tuesday to ensure Spain will defend their women's Uefa Nations League title against the victors of the France-Germany semifinal.

After putting four goals past Sweden in the first leg of the last-four draw, Spain came away with a 1-0 victory in Gothenburg to advance with a 5-0 aggregate.

The two-legged final will be held on November 28 and December 2.

Putellas, who bagged two goals in the first leg, scored in the 74th minute from only Spain's second strike on target despite dominating possession.

She calmly slotted into the top corner with a classy first-time finish after Claudia Pina, teed up by Aitana Bonmati, played a clever pass.

The best! pic.twitter.com/2nQuq0fhmX

— Team Alexia Putellas (@TeamPutellas) October 28, 2025

Adidas and Orlando Pirates Football Club are proud to unveil the Club’s Third Jersey, a bold new chapter in South African football design and culture.

As the Club continues to excel across multiple competitions, a third kit has become both a necessity of performance and a reflection of creativity - a canvas that blurs the lines between football and fashion, sport and art, and club and culture.

The Orlando Pirates Third Jersey draws inspiration from the iconic Orlando Towers - a landmark that stands as a symbol of Soweto pride, community, and artistic expression.

The design features vibrant brushstroke patterns that flow across the jersey to form the bones of the legendary skull and crossbones, a symbol synonymous with Orlando Pirates’ spirit of pride, resilience, and defiance.

The blue dawn colour highlighted by the light orchid echoes the vibrancy, diversity and beauty of kasi living, and the dynamic energy that unites players, fans, and the township streets.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲

💻 Full Details: https://t.co/KSeHNTZcDg

⚫⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/xMdYDhNd1e

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) October 28, 2025

The kit’s interlock base fabric ensures performance comfort on the pitch, while the crew-neck collar and shell cuffs with subtle tipping details deliver a premium lifestyle aesthetic off it.

Designed for fans who live and express their football identity daily, the jersey becomes both a symbol of pride and a statement of individuality.

As Orlando Pirates chase glory across all competitions, this Third Jersey stands as a testament to evolution - a club unafraid to innovate, express, and celebrate its roots.

The Orlando Pirates Third Jersey will be available from 14 November in limited quantities at adidas stores, select retailers, and online at www.orlandopiratesfc.com and adidas.co.za

A Togolese international footballer who broke his neck during a match in China has made an extraordinary recovery and may return to playing in a matter of months, his agent and club told AFP on Tuesday.

Samuel Asamoah, 31, ploughed head-first into a pitch-side LED advertising panel after being shoved by an opponent while jostling for the ball earlier this month.

The midfielder's club, second-tier Guangxi Pingguo, said at the time he had fractures in his neck and nerve damage and was at risk of "high-level paraplegia" – warning his "career may also be seriously affected".

But Asamoah's agent Avram Marius told AFP in a message that "he is okay" and "doing the recovery".

"In two months he can play normally," he added.

His club was more cautious and put Asamoah's return to football at an estimated "three to six months".

"Currently (Asamoah) is doing some basic strength recovery," a Guangxi representative who wished not to be named told AFP in a separate message.

In a video posted by his team on Friday, Asamoah looked to be walking with ease as he visited a fruit shop.

He shook hands as he met people at an elderly care centre.

"I always thank God for the gift of life," said Asamoah, wearing a neck brace, in the video.

Asamoah spent most of his career in Belgium before moving to China last year.

He has played six times for Togo, according to football statistics website transfermarkt.com.

Lionel Messi wants to play for Argentina in next year's World Cup, but he says he will listen to his body before deciding whether he can make that dream come true.

The 38-year-old striker for Inter Miami of MLS led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and yearns to be on the field when the "Albiceleste" defend the crown next year in North America.

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi told NBC News in an interview broadcast on Monday that he will see next year how his body feels before deciding on whether or not he can play in the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"It's something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup and I would love to," said Messi, who turns 39 next June.

"I would like to be there, to be well and be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there.

"And I'm going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start preseason next year with Inter and see if I can really be 100 per cent, if I can be useful to the group, to the national team, and then make a decision."

Messi, who has been playing professionally since 2004, wants the chance for one more star turn on football's biggest stage.

"I'm really eager because it's a World Cup. We're coming off winning the last World Cup and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it's always a dream to play with the national team, especially in official competitions."

Messi, who debuted with Barcelona in LaLiga at age 17, joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and moved to MLS in 2023.

"The truth is that I like everything about living here," Messi said of Miami.

"I spent a lot of time in Barcelona, which for me is an extraordinary city, where I grew up and had many spectacular moments, and which we miss a lot.

"But Miami is a city that allows us to live very well, that makes us enjoy life, that allows us to be calm, that allows the kids to be themselves and live day to day."

Messi has 195 appearances for the Argentine national team, scoring 114 goals.

Brendan Rodgers has left his role as Celtic manager, the Scottish Premiership club announced on Monday, ending his second spell in charge after a poor start to the season.

"Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation. It has been accepted by the club and Brendan will leave his role with immediate effect,” Celtic said in a statement.

Rodgers' exit comes after mounting pressure over results, including a shock Champions League qualifying defeat by Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty in August and a 3-1 league loss at Hearts on Sunday that left Celtic trailing in the title race.

Celtic's former boss Martin O'Neill, 73, has been appointed interim manager.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor has urged his teammates to accept responsibility for the Scottish champions' lacklustre start to the defence of their title.

Sunday's uninspiring 3-1 loss away to leaders Hearts left Glasgow giants Celtic eight points behind the Edinburgh club.

That defeat meant Celtic have dropped 10 points in their opening nine league outings and while the Hoops board and, more recently, manager Brendan Rodgers have borne the brunt of fans' anger, skipper McGregor insisted: "The players always have to take responsibility, I've been saying it since day one.

"Even with the distraction of the (protests about the) board and (lack of) signings and everything else, I've been the one who has said 'no, no, no, the players have got to take responsibility'.

"The only guys who can fix it are the guys on the pitch. Yes, I understand, we're in a difficult moment, but the only people who are coming to save you is yourself."

He added: "We can't be looking at who is going to take the baton off you - we have to fix it. And what we have to do is learn quicker than we're learning at the minute, or else we won't fix it, it's as simple as that.

"I've been saying it every week since the season started.

"I think the players understand the situation, but we need to turn that into action on the pitch.

"I see it on Thursday night (against Sturm Graz) when we were excellent. But we need to back it up three days later, and then another three days later we've got to do the same."

Celtic last faced an eight-point deficit at the top of the table when arch-rivals Rangers, then under Steven Gerrard, won the Premiership title in the 2020/21 season.

McGregor, asked about the challenge of overhauling Hearts, replied: "They're eight points clear of us, and we're now the team that are chasing. If they're the guys at the top, then of course, we have to try to chase them."

Brentford manager Keith Andrews is happy to do without several first-team regulars as his side look to end Grimsby's giant-killing run in the English League Cup.

Premier League side Brentford travel to Blundell Park on Tuesday for a fourth-round tie, hoping to avoid becoming the Mariners' latest victims.

Grimsby, sixth in English football's fourth division, produced one of the great cup shocks by beating Manchester United in the second round after a marathon penalty shoot-out and followed that up by knocking out Championship crisis club Sheffield Wednesday.

But Brentford head into the last 16 buoyed by their 3-2 win at home to Premier League champions Liverpool on Saturday, with Andrews saying: "The bench has made a huge impact in recent weeks - goals from it, courage, personality and experience - so they need to be rewarded, and the squad will be utilised."

Grimsby's push for promotion has faltered recently, with last weekend's 3-2 loss at Crewe their second defeat in three league matches, but Andrews added: "We're really up to speed on their key players and the system they play.

"To get to this point in the competition is significant for them. They've achieved a lot this season and are a very well-coached team. We have to be very respectful of them, but we'll be ready."

ALL-WELSH CLASH

Wrexham welcome Cardiff in Tuesday's other tie in an all-Welsh clash that will see the two clubs meet for the first time in 21 years.

The Dragons have enjoyed three successive promotions under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with Wrexham aiming to reach quarterfinals for the first time since the 1977/78 season.

"It's a Welsh derby and the chance to get into the quarterfinals for only the third time in our history, so it's an exciting evening ahead," Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson told the BBC.

"I had a chat with the lads about our history in this competition and the rivalry between Wrexham and Cardiff.

"I don't think it needed too much explaining because everywhere I've been going in the last few weeks, supporters have been speaking to me about that and I'm sure the players have been the same."

Cardiff, top of League One, knocked Premier League Burnley out in the previous round.

Hundreds of Turkish football referees, including some officiating at national level, have bet on matches despite not being allowed to do so, the president of the country's football federation said on Monday.

Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said that an investigation into 571 referees showed that "371 have betting accounts and 152 actively bet".

"We are determined to clean football of any trace of corruption. We will make no exception," Haciosmanoglu said, vowing that "necessary sanctions" would be taken immediately.

He said, 22 of the 371 referees (seven match referees and 15 assistants) officiate at the national level.

Neither the identities of the referees nor whether they had bet on their matches were revealed.

Each of the three Turkish footballing giants – Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas – released a statement urging the federation to name and shame the referees and the matches on which they had bet.

Issues of referee partiality are not new in Turkey. The federation has used foreign officials to operate VAR in the Super Lig.

In February, a foreign referee was handed the whistle for the high-profile Istanbul derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

Ashraf Hakimi scored a brace of goals for Paris St Germain and Mo Salah ended a four-game goal drought but the pair had contrasting results this past weekend as African players continue to excel in the best leagues in the world.

Here is a round-up of the top performers.

ACHRAF HAKIMI (MOROCCO & PSG)

Next fixtures: Lorient (a) & Nice (h)

For a player who features at right-back, Hakimi gets his fair share of goals and he netted twice in a 10-minute spell to help Paris St Germain to a 3-0 win at Brest on the weekend to stay top of Ligue 1.

The Morocco international now has 60 goals for club and country in his career, and is arguably the best in his position in the world. His first was a lovely volley after a ball over the Brest defence, before he finished into the roof of the net from close range following a scramble in the box. Those were his first goals of the Ligue 1 campaign.

MOHAMMED SALISU (GHANA & MONACO)

Next fixtures: Nantes (a) & Paris FC (h)

Salisu scored the only goal of the game as Monaco won at Toulouse and although they find themselves in sixth in the Ligue 1 table, they are only three points behind leaders PSG. The Ghana defender netted inside three minutes as he powered in a header from a corner. It is just a fourth goal of his league career for a player who has also featured in LaLiga and the Premier League, so a rare but welcome event.

MOHAMED SALAH (EGYPT & LIVERPOOL)

Next fixture: Aston Villa (h)

This season has been a struggle for Salah as he has failed to reach the heady heights of then last campaign, but he broke a four-game scoring drought with a goal against Brentford. The Reds suffered a fourth Premier League loss in a row though as they went down 3-2, piling on the misery for Salah.

He took his goal superbly, controlling a difficult high ball before smashing it into the top corner. That is his third goal of the campaign to go with two assists in nine starts, which for any other player would be perfectly acceptable, but salah has set such high standards in recent years.

DANGO OUATTARA (BURKINA FASO & BRENTFORD)

Next fixture: Crystal Palace (a)

The winger has been superb for Brentford since joining them from Bournemouth and netted the opener in their 3-2 win over Liverpool. It was a superb finish as he hooked the ball into the net on the volley, showing all of his excellent technique. It was his second goal of the campaign but surely there are more to come from a very fine attacking player.

LYLE FOSTER (SOUTH AFRICA & BURNLEY)

Next fixture: Arsenal (h)

Foster had to settle for a place on the bench after he had been a starter this season, but came on to score a dramatic 95th minute winner for Burnley at fellow strugglers Wolves. He was slipped in behind the home defence and showed great composure to lift the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net for his second goal of the campaign to go with an assist. It was a big win for Burnley, who claim back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since 2022.

MARSHALL MUNETSI (ZIMBABWE & WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS)

Next fixture: Fulham (a)

Munetsi has been one of the stand-out performers for Wolves this season in what has been a horror run of form that leaves them bottom of the Premier League table with without a win. In fact, if you stretch it back to last season, they have taken three of the last 39 points available.

But Munetsi has been a constant threat for opponents and scored his side’s second goal to level the game at 2-2 just before halftime with a neat flick into the net. He now has a goal and an assist in the Premier League, but has also stood out for his work-rate.

CHEMSDINE TALBI (MOROCCO & SUNDERLAND)

Next fixture: Everton (h)

It has been a dream start to the season for promoted Sunderland and they capped that with victory at Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 success against Chelsea. Their winner came very late on through Talbi, who scored his first goal for the club since a move from Club Brugge in Belgium. Brian Brobbey held the ball up well and laid it off for Talbi, who side-footed low into the far corner of the net. He also has an assist this season.

BRYAN MBEUMO (CAMEROON & MANCHESTER UNITED)

Next fixture: Nottingham Forest (a)

Things look to be turning around for Manchester United this season as they completed a third win in a row to bring relief for manager Ruben Amorim. Part of their upturn in form has been thanks to Mbeumo, and he scored two more goals in a 4-2 success at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

He took a pass from Benjamin Šeško for his first goal and cooly slotted the ball into the goal, before sealing the points late on with a first-time finish from the edge of the box. He now has four goals and an assist in nine Premier League games since moving to Old Trafford from Brentford.

ETTA EYONG (CAMEROON & LEVANTE)

Next fixture: Celta Vigo (h)

Eying moved to joint second in the LaLiga scoring charts with his sixth goal of the campaign as Levante played to a 1-1 draw with Mallorca. Only Kylian Mbappe (11) has managed more goals in the Spanish top flight this season than the Cameroon star.

His goal came after 22 minutes as the ball fell fortuitously to him in the box and he showed great composure to finish from close range. His side could not hold onto the advantage, but he continues to be excellent this season.

ANDRE-FRANK ZAMBO ANGUISSA (CAMEROON & NAPOLI)

Next fixtures: Lecce (a) & Como (h)

Defending champions Napoli picked up what could be a massive victory come the end of the season when they defeated title rivals Inter Milan 3-1 on Saturday and Anguissa got his name on the scoresheet.

He does love a goal against Inter and made the points safe with the third goal as he picked up the ball 35 yards from goal, burst towards the edge of the box and fired in a thunderous strike for his third goal of the campaign to go with an assist.

M’BALA NZOLA (ANGOLA & PISA)

Next fixtures: Lazio (h) & Torina (a)

Nzola thought he had given his Pisa side a famous win at the San Siro against AC Milan when he netted in the 86th minute to make it 2-1 to the visitors, but an injury-time equaliser from Milan meant they had to settle for a point. It was still a good result for Pisa, who are second bottom in the table.

Nzola beat the offside trap, but still needed a magical first touch to create the shooting chance, which he got before burying the ball into the bottom corner of the net. It is his second goal of the season.

An Afghan women's refugee team lost 6-1 to Chad in a FIFA-organised tournament in Morocco on Sunday but for the players the match itself represented a victory after being denied the chance to play the sport they love back home.

Women's sport has been banned in Afghanistan since the Taliban government took over in 2021, prompting players to flee the country fearing persecution.

Prior to the Taliban's takeover, Afghanistan had 25 women players under contract, most of whom now live in Australia.

The women's national team last played an international match in 2021, losing 5-0 to Qatar, but in May world soccer's governing body approved the creation of an Afghan women's refugee team, with Pauline Hamill named as coach.

The team chose "Afghan Women United" as their official name following consultations with FIFA ahead of their loss to Chad, their first match of the four-team FIFA Unites: Women's Series tournament, which also features Tunisia and Libya.

"That's all we wanted all these years after trying so hard to get what we truly deserve as a woman. Our right to play and to represent our country," captain Fatima Haidari said in the lead-up to the match.

"We are profoundly grateful that FIFA gave us this opportunity and this privilege to represent what women are capable of."

Afghan Women United opened the scoring through Melbourne-based striker Manozh Noori's penalty on Sunday, sparking wild celebrations among her teammates and on the sidelines.

But Chad, who played their first match in 2019 and competed in qualifying for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, recovered quickly and went on to record the comfortable win in Berrechid, 40km from Casablanca.

Afghan Women United's next game is against Tunisia on Wednesday before they take on Libya on Saturday.

The tournament was scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates but was moved to Morocco last week.

Bradley Carnell’s Philadelphia Union came through the first hurdle in the Major League Soccer playoffs on Sunday, but they had to scramble to win the first of three playoff clashes against Chicago Fire.

The former Bafana Bafana left back took Philadelphia to top place in the regular season in his first year in charge of the club and his side are top seeds for the playoffs, which began last Wednesday.

Union meet Chicago in a best of three matches play-off series and went 2-0 up on Sunday after winning 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 home draw.

“We put on a really good display of what we try to do. We broke in transition, we showed what we can do, created chaos moments, and took opportunities when they came,” Carnell said after the match.

“It was a contrast of two styles: one team trying to waste every second and trying to get out of here and get what they wanted, penalties. Glad we came out on the other side.”

 

Game one, WON! 🙌#DOOP | @PennMedicine pic.twitter.com/rKD0RIZTuf

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) October 27, 2025

 

Philadelphia were on their way to victory after scoring twice in five minutes during the second half with Indiana Vassilev (70th minute) and Milan Iloski (75th minute) netting.

Jonathan Bamba pulled one back for Chicago in the 84th minute before former Philadelphia centre back Jack Elliott equalised with a long-range shot that forced penalties.

Philadelphia are now one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they would meet Charlotte or New York City.

They can punch their ticket on Saturday, when they visit Chicago, but if they lose then the two sides will play a decisive third game in Philadelphia on 8 November.

Cameroon striker Bryan Mbeumo took his Premier League goal tally to five this season after scoring twice for Manchester United in a 4-2 win over Brighton at the weekend.

His first goal gave United a three-goal lead and the second sealed a third consecutive league win for the first time under manager Ruben Amorim.

Mbeumo, 26, joined United from Brentford in the close season after launching his professional career with Troyes. He represented France at age-limit levels before switching his allegiance to Cameroon.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

BRYAN MBEUMO (Manchester United)

Mbeumo scored his first goal in the 61st minute, squeezing a low shot through Brighton defender Lewis Dunk's legs and past 'keeper Bart Verbruggen at his near post. His second arrived in stoppage-time when he finished off Ayden Heaven's pass.

 

Bryan Mbeumo was too hot to handle 🥵 pic.twitter.com/Ux9JT3bxCX

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 25, 2025

 

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The Egypt forward ended his goal drought but still couldn't stop the troubled champions slumping to a 3-2 defeat at Brentford. Salah grabbed his first goal in seven matches to make it four for the season. It was a sweetly-struck finish from Dominic Szoboszlai's 89th-minute cross.

PAPE SARR (Tottenham)

The Senegal midfielder put the seal on his third-placed team's 3-0 win at Everton with the final goal. Sarr netted with a close-range header after Richarlison nodded the ball into his path in the 89th minute.

LYLE FOSTER (Burnley)

The South Africa striker scored for the first time since August to seal Burnley's dramatic 3-2 win at Wolves. The Clarets had blown a two-goal lead when Foster struck with a cool finish from Tunisian Hannibal Mejbri's pass in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

 

(1) new message from Lyle Foster 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/MyX7cQAbGv

— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) October 26, 2025

 

SPAIN

DAVID CARMO (Real Oviedo)

The Angolan centre-back blasted home from close range in the 97th minute to rescue Oviedo a point on the road against Girona in a crunch LaLiga relegation clash between the two teams at the bottom. Carmo, on loan at Oviedo from Nottingham Forest, was able to celebrate only the third top flight goal of his career to seal a 3-3 draw.

AZZEDINE OUNAHI (Girona)

Morocco midfielder Ounahi joined Girona in the close-season and has two goals in his last three games for the club after scoring off the bench against Real Oviedo. The 25-year-old was sidelined for the previous match against Athletic Bilbao and the team missed him, but he made a quick impact on his return with a fine strike from outside the area.

 

𝗔𝗭𝗭𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗛𝗜. 🇲🇦@GironaFC | LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/cJUeI3e4wx

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) October 25, 2025

 

GERMANY

YAN DIOMANDE (RB Leipzig)

Leipzig winger Diomande was the first of six scorers in a 6-0 Bundesliga romp at Augsburg, while laying on two assists. With 10 minutes gone, the 18-year-old Ivorian collected a pass from Romulo and squeezing the ball inside the near post for his first Bundesliga goal.

EDMOND TAPSOBA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Centre-back Tapsoba scored in the second half as Leverkusen cruised to a 2-0 home win over Freiburg. With Leverkusen leading, the Burkina Faso international rose to nod an Alejandro Grimaldo cross into the net.

FRANCE

ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain)

African Player of the Year contender Hakimi scored twice as PSG won 3-0 at Brest to regain first place in Ligue 1. The Morocco captain and defender has been included in a 10-man shortlist for the award and he and Livepool forward Mohamed Salah are the favourites. Hakimi scored with a low shot on 29 minutes and struck again before halftime with a shot into the roof of the net.

 

𝗔𝗭𝗭𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗛𝗜. 🇲🇦@GironaFC | LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/cJUeI3e4wx

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) October 25, 2025

 

Tanzanian football giants Young Africans Sports Club (Yanga SC) have appointed former Angola football team coach Pedro Goncalves as their new man in charge, replacing Romain Folz.

The Portuguese mentor has taken over the mantle from interim coach Patrick Mabedi, who was holding the fort following the sacking of the former Mamelodi Sundowns assistant trainer.

The ex-Kaizer Chiefs legend Mabedi presided over Yanga’s passage to the Caf Champions’ League group phase after overcoming Silver Strikers from Malawi 2-0 on Saturday and 2-1 on aggregate.

Yanga have also appointed Filipe Pedro as an assistant coach. It remains to be seen if Mabedi will still be in the same coaching panel. The former Malawi coach joined the Tanzania Mainland Premier League side two weeks ago.

Frank Lampard hailed Coventry's clinical finishing as the Championship leaders beat 10-man Watford 3-1 on Saturday.

Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jamie Allen set the Sky Blues on their way inside the first seven minutes before Tatsuhiro Sakamoto effectively wrapped up their sixth successive league win before the interval.

Watford's James Abankwah was sent off for a professional foul before halftime, while Imran Louza's second half penalty was little consolation for the out-classed visitors.

"At the minute we're clinical and we're dangerous, and we've been more dangerous than today," Lampard said.

"It was a tricky game for us and I thought we did the job and we did it well."

Hayden Hackney's first goal since August preserved second-placed Middlesbrough's unbeaten home record by securing a 1-1 draw with Wrexham at the Riverside Stadium.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was impressed with his players' character in their gritty 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Portman Road.

Jack Clarke netted in the 83rd minute as Ipswich got back to winning ways after successive Championship defeats.

"To be fair it was a good win in that if I could have picked the type of win that would really benefit the group today, I think it would be one where we have a clean sheet, we have a really stable performance and give nothing away," McKenna said.

Millwall boss Alex Neil ranked the 1-0 victory against Leicester at The Den as a key step in his side's development.

Femi Azeez produced a fine finish from Casper De Norre's sublime pass late in the first half.

The win could have been more comfortable had Mihailo Ivanovic not had a penalty saved in the second half, but third-placed Millwall are now just two points behind Middlesbrough.

"It felt like a big win because, in this narrative, I think - because this has happened at a lot of clubs, it's not the first time it's happened to me - there's always 'oh, we've won a few, we're going to lose the next one'," Neil said.

"Then when you win the next one, the feeling changes, doesn't it?"

Sheffield Wednesday's 2-1 defeat against Oxford added to the club's woes after they were placed in administration this week.

Bottom of the table Wednesday received a 12-point deduction as a result of the administration, leaving them on -6 points.

Goals from Will Lankshear and Cameron Brannagan gave Oxford a two-goal lead at the break before Sean Fusire pulled one back for Wednesday early in the second half.

The game was played amid a backdrop of renewed optimism among Wednesday supporters following the news that the appointment of administrators had seen controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri relinquish control of the club.

Swansea piled the pressure on beleaguered Norwich boss Liam Manning as Zan Vipotnik's double secured a 2-1 win for the Welsh club.

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker says competing in African club competitions must be seen as a privilege and his club’s nomination for the Club of the Year at the Confederation of African Football Awards is special.

Stellenbosch are one of the 10 finalists for the award after reaching last season’s African Confederation Cup semifinal in their first season of continental competition.

They are back in the competition this season and on Sunday host 15 de Agosto from Equatorial Guinea in the second leg of their second round tie, having forced a goalless draw away last weekend.

“It's a privilege to play on the continent and then to be nominated for Club of the Year in CAF, when you look how many teams there are on the continent, is just really special.

“We want to be playing in Africa, and we don't mind where we play. I do think it builds a bit of resilience in a team. I mean, we’ve had to spend five days together, whether it's on a plane, in an airport, on a bus, at a hotel, and I think that brings the team together.

“We've brought in a number of new players, and I think actually enduring a little bit of hardship might in the long run be good for team morale.”

Stellenbosch will be looking for a spot in the group phase, which carries considerable prize money, but had to play midweek when they beat Lamontville Golden Arrows 4-3 in the league.

Asked whether clubs flying the South African flag should be playing playing games on a Wednesday before a continental competition game, Barker said: “I do think that should be a big consideration, but I do know, obviously, seasons when you have Afcon and the amount of Fifa breaks we had leading up to the World Cup qualification, that if you don't play these games, eventually it catches up to you.

“We initially tried to get the game against Arrows postponed but we were unable to. So now having played and got the positive result, then I think it plays in our favour. I think playing regularly is not a bad thing. It's just managing players and their workload and just making sure everybody's as fresh as they can be.”