Gabon fell to a 1-0 defeat to Mozambique in Maputo as they suffered without injured star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Aubameyang, 26, has already scored 22 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund since the start of 2015-16, but was ruled out with a muscular injury prior to kick-off in a major blow for Jorge Costa s side.

Mozambique took advantage by keeping a clean sheet, with Helder Pelembe scoring the only goal of the game on 54 minutes.

The two teams meet again in Gabon on Saturday, with the winners over two legs progressing to the final CAF group stage for the 2018 World Cup in Russia as 40 African teams are cut down to 20.

In Wednesday s other first-leg game, Zambia battled to a 1-0 away win over Sudan in Karima.

Winston Kalengo…

Brazil s 100 per cent record in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup was finally ended on Sunday as they were held to an underwhelming 0-0 draw away to Colombia.

Tite s men had won all of their first nine matches in the qualification group before coming unstuck in what was a bruising, albeit disappointing, contest in Barranquilla.

Both sides created chances during an even first half, but the finishing was of a low standard as the score remained goalless at the interval.

Even fewer clear-cut opportunities were created after the break

15 Neymar has failed to complete 15 passes against Colombia; his highest tally in a game in the South American WCQ. Sloppy.

— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao)

Yerry Mina wasted a glorious chance to give Colombia an early …

Trent Alexander-Arnold s participation in Euro 2020 appears to be in huge doubt after the England full-back sustained an apparent muscular injury against Austria.

England won 1-0 on Wednesday thanks to Bukayo Saka s first international goal, but a late injury for Alexander-Arnold may have spoiled the night.

Alexander-Arnold was left out of a previous England squad in March, but has made the 26-man cut for Euro 2020, with Gareth Southgate taking four right-backs.

Two of those right-backs – Kyle Walker and Reece James – were unavailable in Middlesbrough following their Champions League final exploits, so the Liverpool star got the nod.

However, in the closing stages, Alexander-Arnold pulled up after making a clearance with his left foot, and appeared t…

(GSM) Former Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce has backed Andy Carroll to shine for England if he is called up by Fabio Capello against France next week.

Carroll, who played under Allardyce during the Blackburn Rovers manager s short time in charge of the Magpies, has reinforced his credentials for a possible call up at the national stage following a series of spectacular performances for the Magpies.

Allardyce, who will return to St James Park for the first time as a manager on Wednesday night, has also warned that if Carroll does get the call by Capello he must not let it go to his head.

Allardyce said: I had Andy as a young man at Newcastle when I was there, and you could see the raw talent.

They love a number nine there and it s a big ask to live …

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed he spent the evening of his 52nd birthday watching football with his coaching staff as they sought to “heal” from Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Brentford.

The Argentinian opted for Valencia v Real Madrid and a glass of wine over time with his family, hours after his team were booed by their own supporters at the Gtech Stadium.

Chelsea’s faint hopes of qualifying for Europe are rapidly diminishing, ahead of Monday’s Premier League game at home to Newcastle.

Putting the work in!

Cobham.

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

The meeting with Eddie Howe’s side at Stamford Bride will be the first league outing in front of their own fans since the team were jeered off at the end of a 4-2 loss to Wolves more than a…

Vicente del Bosque said he was surprised to see not one Atletico Madrid player make the 2015 FIFPro World XI.

In every year since 2005, over 40,000 professional footballers worldwide pick one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards to decide who makes the best team of the year. 

The best 11 are then announced at the Ballon d Or ceremony in January.

This year, eight out of the 11 were from La Liga, but featured no Atletico players.

Only one Atletico player has made the XI in recent years – Radamel Falcao in 2012 despite the club winning La Liga and making the Champions League final in 2013-14. 

And Del Bosque said he could not believe Atletico were snubbed once again, especially with the likes of Diego Godin and Anto…

West Bromwich Albion have completed the loan signing of Queens Park Rangers midfielder Sandro.

The Premier League club confirmed on Friday that the Brazil international, who last played for his country in 2012, has undergone a successful medical and joined them until the end of the season.

West Brom have the option to make the move a permanent one at the end of the campaign.

Sandro, who has been given the number 30 shirt, was delighted to make a return to Premier League football after spending the first half of the season with QPR in the Championship.

He said: I spoke to the manager and was impressed. This is a big club and I feel happy to be here and very happy to be back in the Premier League.

I believe I have a lot to offer. It was my first da…

As for the visitors, also ending their own losing run by snatching a 1-0 win over a resurging Newcastle last weekend, Burnley find themselves in almost an identical position to Saturday s hosts. With their victories over the Magpies now seeing Sean Dyche s side sit just a single point adrift of breaking into the top half, fans around Turf Moor will be calling on leading marksman Chris Wood to lead their charge on the South Coast. Bagging the winner against Newcastle last weekend, the New Zealand international ended his three-match barron run and has seven Premier League goals in his last 10 appearances. More impressive, the 27-year-old has found the net in three of his last four matches outside of Lancashire. If the Clarets are to land back-to-back victories and pile more pressure onto …

This was not a European performance that will live long in the memory, but Liverpool s 1-0 win over Napoli provided further evidence they can challenge for honours without needing to be at their swashbuckling best.

Faced with needing a 1-0 result or a victory by two clear goals in their final fixture in Group C, it seemed somewhat implausible that the first possible outcome would be achieved by a Liverpool side renowned as much for their attacking brilliance as their defensive fragility in recent years.

In both the quarter-final and semi-final last year, Manchester City and Roma left Anfield flummoxed by first-leg flurries, overwhelmed by the intense approach which led Jurgen Klopp s side all the way to the final in Kiev.

Yet this year s squad feel somewhat d…

England Under-21s got their Euro 2023 finals campaign off to the perfect start with a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Georgia.

Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey broke the deadlock at the start of the second half, with substitute Emile Smith Rowe adding another in stoppage time to seal victory.

There was a lively start to the Group C opener at the Batumi Arena, with Chelsea forward Noni Madueke seeing his early effort from the edge of the penalty area clip the crossbar, while at the other end Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford saved from Vasil Kusej.

…