by admin_em8z1e00 | Jan 28, 2025 | Soccer News
South Africa will face Mohamed Salah-captained Egypt while Ademola Lookman-inspired Nigeria must tackle Tunisia after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group stage draw was made in Rabat on Monday.
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Source: https://www.socceramerica.com/south-africa-to-face-salah-in-afcon-nigeria-draws-tunisia/
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jan 28, 2025 | Soccer News
Jan 27, 2025, 07:01 PM ET
Barcelona are among the clubs Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku has been linked to, while Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford is willing to wait for the Blaugrana. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.
Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s January grades | Women’s January grades
TOP STORIES
– Chelsea loan Veiga to Juventus as Danilo says goodbye
– NYCFC defender McFarlane signs with Manchester City
– Al Hilal, Neymar reach agreement to end contract
– Sources: Spurs to stick with Postecoglou amid sacking calls
Diario Sport. The Blaugrana are considering the proposal of a loan until the end of the season but don’t feel they will have the salary space for the 22-year-old.
– Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is willing to wait as long as it takes for Barcelona as he has his heart set on joining them, reports the Daily Star. The 27-year-old has received interest from across Europe, Saudi Arabia, and MLS but is determined to move to Camp Nou to make his deal permanent in the summer. However, his £350,000-per-week wages are a stumbling block.
Aston Villa are one of many clubs monitoring the situation of Chelsea forward João Félix heading into the final days of the winter transfer window, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 25-year-old’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has been talking to various clubs with the Portugal international having started just nine matches across all competitions for the Blues this season.
– Bayer Leverkusen have reached a complete agreement with Aston Villa to sign attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendía, as reported by Sky Sports Deutschland. The 28-year-old will initially join on loan until the end of the season when Die Werkself will have the option to make the deal permanent.
– Stade Rennais are looking at Lens’ Kevin Danso having prioritised the signing of a key centre-back in the remainder of this transfer window, reports L’Equipe. The move will be expensive for the Ligue 1 club, though, as Lens have already rejected Wolverhampton Wanderers’ offer worth €22m for the 26-year-old and are holding out for €25m.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43589048/transfer-rumors-news-barca-eye-move-man-city-doku
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jan 28, 2025 | Soccer News
Jan 27, 2025, 06:30 PM ET
Al Hilal announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement with Neymar to terminate his contract and open the door for a return to Santos for the Brazil international.
The Saudi Pro League club said on social media that the two sides had agreed to mutually part ways and wished Neymar luck in his future.
That future increasingly looks like it will be in his native Brazil, with ESPN sources saying on Sunday that Neymar would sign a six-month contract with the option of an additional year at Santos, the team with which he came through the youth ranks.
Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million.
The former Barcelona star suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after signing for Al Hilal. He returned to the field last October, but a hamstring injury kept him from making more of a contribution, and manager Jorge Jesus said earlier in January that Neymar was free to pursue other opportunities.
He made just seven league and cup appearances with just one goal scored in an AFC Champions League group stage match against Nassaji Mazandaran on Oct. 3, 2023.
Despite his struggles in Saudi Arabia, Neymar remains one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his exploits alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez while with Barcelona from 2013 to 2017. In that time, he was part of sides that won a UEFA Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles and three Copa del Reys.
He later moved to PSG in 2017 and won five Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and two French League Cups.
Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009, leading them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011, where he scored in the second leg of the final, a 2-1 win over Peñarol.
Santos won the Brazilian Serie B title in 2024 and were promoted to the country’s top flight for the upcoming season.
At the international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil, scoring a Selecao-record 79 goals. He was part of the Brazil side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil hosted.
Information from Jeff Carlisle and Julien Laurens was used in this story.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43589297/al-hilal-neymar-terminate-contract-ahead-santos-move
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jan 27, 2025 | Soccer News
Greek soccer legend Mimis Domazos, the attacking midfielder who captained Panathinaikos in the 1971 European Cup final, was bid farewell at a funeral service held Monday at the capital’s Metropolitan Cathedral, followed by his burial at Athens’ First Cemetery.
Domazos passed away last week, aged 83, two days after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Politicians and prominent figures from Greece’s sports community were among the attendees who filled the Athens church.
A large crowd of admirers who had gathered outside broke into song as soon as Domazos’ coffin emerged after the service, singing the Panathinaikos club anthem.
Before the funeral service, the player’s body lay in repose at the church for four hours.
Funeral speeches were delivered by Popi Domazou, one of Domazos’ two daughters; Panathinaikos president and owner Giannis Alafouzos; current team captain Fotis Ioannidis; and former club player Nikos Karoulias, from the 1980s, representing legendary striker Antonis Antoniadis, a longtime teammate of Domazos who was unable to attend due to hospitalization with pneumonia.
“Today we say goodbye to a driven, passionate boy who never wanted to lose, who became the symbol of Panathinaikos and Greek soccer,” Domazou, Domazos’ daughter, noted. “Today, all of Greece mourns and feels this pain. Your messages are endless. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ from all of us.”
Alafouzos, Panathinaikos’ owner and president, stated: “The presence of the country’s political and sporting leadership, along with thousands of ordinary citizens, reflects the immense recognition and honor Greece bestows upon Mimi Domazos, the greatest Greek soccer player, for his invaluable contribution. ‘The General’ – a nickname that perfectly embodies his entire presence both on and off the pitch.”
Domazos played an extraordinary 20 seasons with Panathinaikos, serving as captain for 13 of them and securing nine league titles. He famously led the team, under Hungarian coach Ferenc Puskás, to Wembley Stadium in 1971 for the European Cup final – the only time a Greek club reached a European competition final until Olympiakos claimed the Europa Conference League title last season.
Domazos also captained Greece during an international career spanning from 1959 to 1977, earning 50 caps, including a farewell appearance in 1980.
He was married to the late and renowned Greek singer Vicky Moscholiou from 1967 to 1978. They had two daughters.
Source: https://www.ekathimerini.com/in-depth/society-in-depth/1259886/soccer-legend-mimis-domazos-the-general-bid-farewell/
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jan 27, 2025 | Soccer News
Jan 27, 2025, 03:42 PM ET
Ivory Coast will begin the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title against Mozambique, while hosts and World Cup semifinalists Morocco open the 2025 tournament against the Comoros Islands in Rabat on Dec. 21.
The Dec. 21-Jan. 18 tournament will be the biggest soccer event in Morocco before co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal — the teams they eliminated at the 2022 World Cup to become the first African nation ever to reach the semifinals. Morocco then lost to France.
At the last Africa Cup, one year ago, Morocco was surprisingly ousted in the round of 16 by South Africa.
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Ivory Coast won that Africa Cup as the host nation and will begin the defense of their title in a group with Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique.
Nigeria, the beaten finalist last year with star strikers Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, is in a group with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
Egypt, with Mohamed Salah still seeking a first Africa Cup title at age 33 when games start in December, was drawn into a group with South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.
Senegal, the 2021 champion, will face Congo, Benin and Botswana.
Of the top seeds, Algeria look to have drawn the most favourable section in Group E with Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.
Games will be played in six cities: Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tangier.
The top two finishers in each group plus the four best third-placed finishers advance to the round of 16.
The tournament has an earlier scheduled start in mid-December and will finish in time for players with European clubs to return for the Champions League resuming in late January. Less than six months later, many of those players will be at the 2026 World Cup co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Africa will have nine direct entries at the first 48-team World Cup.
FULL DRAW:
Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43587514/afcon-draw-hosts-morocco-champs-ivory-coast-learn-groups
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jan 27, 2025 | Soccer News
South Africa’s midfielder Teboho Mokoena celebrates after scoring a goal during the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 football match between Morocco and South Africa at the Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro on 30 January 2024.
(Photo by SIA KAMBOU / AFP)
Bafana Bafana’s opponents for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have been confirmed, with Hugo Broos men in a tricky group that will need them to be at their best to progress.
Bafana finished third at the AFCON last year in Ivory Coast and will go into the competition this year as one of the countries people look at as a darkhorse to go all the way and clinch it.
READ: SA Coach Opens Up On AFCON: It’s Only The Beginning”
Expectations in South Africa, after the performance in Ivory Coast last year, have certainly risen and the big challenge for the team this time round will be to better the third place finish.
The draw for the competition was held in Rabat, Morocco, on Monday evening and Broos’ side was drawn into Group B with Egypt, as well as fellow Southern African countries Angola and Zimbabwe
Bafana finished the qualifying campaign unbeaten and that’s the type of form they will need to ensure they get through the group which could be tricky.
READ: Lorch Exit Looming? Where Downs & Chiefs Stand
The 24 teams at AFCON have been divided into six groups, with the top two countries guaranteed to qualify for the knockout phase, before the best third placed sides follow suit to the last 16.
Source: https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/local/bafana/bafana-bafana-drawn-into-tough-africa-cup-of-nations-group-20250127
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