SPORTS

African football outsiders Sao Tome e Principe and Guinea-Bissau achieved rare Cup of Nations victories Wednesday as seven days of qualifying kicked off. A couple of late goals gave Sao Tome a dramatic 2-1 triumph over Libya while Guinea-Bissau spoilt the debut of Kenya coach Samuel Okumbi with a 1-0 win. New Fifa president Gianni Infantino saw South Sudan fall ...

  George Lwandamina is aiming for a six-pointer in the 2017 Africa Cup Group E doubleheader qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville. The two sides’ meet in a top two clash on Wednesday with both sides tied on four points heading into match-day-three at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. Leaders Congo beat second placed Zambia to top spot in Group E on goal ...

Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will make a long-awaited return to World Cup duty this week when South America’s marathon qualifying competition for the 2018 finals in Russia resumes. Suarez has not kicked a ball for Uruguay since he was slapped with a global ban after chomping on the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 ...

Collins Mbesuma is among the first of five foreign-based players to arrive in the Zambia camp on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s 2017 Africa Cup Group E qualifier at home against Congo Brazzaville. The Mpumalanga Black Aces striker together with defender Davies Nkausu of Free State Stars arrived at midday in Ndola where the top-of-the-log Group E match will be played ...

Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur won 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday to cut Premier League leaders Leicester City’s advantage back to five points. But Manchester City’s title ambitions were dealt a likely fatal blow in a 1-0 home defeat by Manchester United in which Manuel Pellegrini’s side lost both Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling to injury. ...

Andrew Kamanga has been elected as president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) replacing Kalusha Bwalya after polling 163 out of 324 votes cast. The announcement by Chairman of the Electoral Commission Sikwana Lukangaba was met with jubilation at Moba Hotel, as Kamanga prepares to be at the helm of Zambia’s football governing body for four years. Kalusha, was ...

Jose Mourinho has signed a pre-contract agreement with Manchester United with a view to replacing Louis van Gaal as manager of the English giants next season, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Sunday. Citing sources from Gestifute, the agency company owned by Mourinho’s representative Jorge Mendes, El Pais suggest a deal has been struck that could see the former Chelsea ...

Zesco United assistant coach Tenant Chembo says he is humbled to have been given temporal reins by his boss George Lwandamina, to lead the team in Sunday’s 2016 Caf Champions League away clash in Guinea. Lwandamina will miss Sunday’s first round, final leg tie against Horoya AC while he presides over Zambia’s preparations for Wednesday’s 2017 Africa Cup Group E ...

Chelsea will be without Spain striker Diego Costa and Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard for the home derby with West Ham United on Saturday because of suspension and injury respectively. Costa is banned after being sent off in last weekend’s FA Cup quarterfinal defeat by Everton. Hazard, who missed the game at Everton with a thigh problem, is again sidelined for ...

Holders Barcelona and their feared attacking trident drew fellow Spaniards and 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last eight on Friday. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, Barcelona’s feared attacking trio, will seek revenge for their 2-1 aggregate quarterfinals exit at the hands of Diego Simeone’s formidable charges two seasons ago. “With Atletico Madrid everything is complicated,” said ...