Being favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations has become a common theme for Ivory Coast and 2017 is no different.
The Elephants were perennial contenders when captained by Didier Drogba, but it was not until after the iconic striker s international retirement that they got their hands on the trophy for the second time in their history.
A 9-8 penalty shootout victory over Ghana following a goalless 120 minutes in the 2015 final ended a 23-year wait for another taste of continental glory, and they will be aiming to make it back-to-back triumphs in Gabon.
Ivory Coast are without another star player this year with Yaya Toure having stepped away from the international stage, but the likes of exciting Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie and Manchester United defen…
Manchester United could be set to sell Adnan Januzaj this summer, .
The Belgium international has struggled to fulfil his potential with the Red Devils, and also struggled to make an impact at Sunderland where he has been playing on loan this summer.
The twenty-two year old has just one year remaining on his current deal at Old Trafford and manager Jose Mourinho is considering cashing in with France and Italy among his likely destinations.
Januzaj has played twenty-four times for the Black Cats so far this season, with his one and only goal for the club coming in a 1-0 League Cup victory over League One side Shrewsbury Town back in August.
In total, he has made sixty-three appearances for his parent club scoring five goals, two of which came on his d…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to keep Sergio Aguero but the Argentina striker and club captain Vincent Kompany face futures where they must adjust to no longer being the main men at the Etihad Stadium.
Kompany and Aguero will forever be symbols of the first flushes of City success under Sheikh Mansour s ownership, with the centre-back lifting every major honour in English football – most memorably the club s first top-flight title for 44 years on the back of Aguero s thrilling final-day winner against QPR in 2012.
Muscular injuries have hindered both men frequently thereafter, with Kompany suffering a particularly debilitating run over the past two years, although their positions as guaranteed starters if fit have rarely been up for debate.
Howe…
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We re back to the Premier League this weekend with a fun set of fixtures that lie ahead of us. There s a pretty good chance we re going to see some really fun encounters, and one place in which you re going to see that will be at Carrow Road as Norwich City host Manchester United. Neither side is in a particularly great spot at this moment in time, and it s going to take an almighty effort for them to drag themselves out of this rut and into a more positive position in the top flight.
Norwich
Norwich are a do or die kind of team and it certainly seems as if they re going to live by the sword and die by the sword this season. Regardless of whether or not they head straight back down into the Championship, y…
Alexandre Lacazette says the international break has come at the right time for an Arsenal side devoid of confidence.
The Gunners lost 2-0 at Leicester City on Saturday as their winless run stretched to five matches in all competitions.
Rumours concerning the future of head coach Unai Emery continue to circulate but the under-pressure Spaniard insists he has recovered from criticism before and intends to do so again.
France forward Lacazette, who is not in the squad for this month s final Euro 2020 qualifying matches, hopes the two-week break before Arsenal s next Premier League game allows them to refresh psychologically.
We miss confidence and we need the international break, Lacazette said, as quoted by the Mirror.
I hope we are going to come…
The Spanish government will push for the suspension of under-fire national football federation president Luis Rubiales after he refused to resign.
Victor Francos, head of the state-run National Sports Council, said the government wants this to be “the ‘Me Too’ of Spanish football” in reference to the movement seeking to highlight and prevent sexual violence towards women.
Rubiales has been widely criticised for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the medal and trophy presentation following Spain’s World Cup victory, something she later said on social media she “didn’t like”.
The game, the Spanish players deserve more, no players should have to endure this. It’s unacceptable, and also laughable that these men still are allowed so much…
Assistant boss Juanma Lillo admitted he did not enjoy standing in for Pep Guardiola after Manchester City’s hard-fought 2-1 win at Sheffield United.
Guardiola watched his side extend their 100 per cent start to go top of the Premier League from Barcelona, where he is recovering from back surgery.
City turned in a dominant display at a sold-out Bramall Lane, but went close to letting two points slip when Blades substitute Jayden Bogle fired an 85th-minute equaliser.
Rodrigo shares his post-match thoughts after our third win in a row in the !
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
Bogle cancelled out Erling Haaland’s second-half header – the Norway striker had missed a penalty before the break – only for Rodri to rescue City by smashing home an 88…
Sam Allardyce insists Sunderland will have to be on top of their game to claim an away win over Arsenal despite the injury problems that have ravaged the hosts.
Sunderland have pulled out of the Premier League relegation zone with a run of three wins in five matches, as Allardyce has started to make his mark on his new side.
The Wearsiders have not beaten Arsenal away from home in the league since 1983, but would appear to have a strong chance of ending that drought given the number of players absent from Arsenal s squad owing to injury.
Arsene Wenger without Jack Wilshere (ankle), Danny Welbeck (knee) and Alexis Sanchez (hamstring), while Francis Coquelin and Santiago Cazorla (both knee) are also unavailable along with Mikel Arteta (calf).
Tomas Rosi…
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has spoken of his satisfaction after securing a spot in next season s UEFA Champions League.
Atletico s 3-1 triumph at Celta de Vigo on Wednesday, powered by goals from Diego Costa, Juanfran and Radamel Falcao, confirmed a berth in Europe s elite club competition next season.
Simeone paid tribute to everyone at the club, who will now prepare for their first taste of Champions League football since 2009/10.
To be in the Champions League, it was one of the objectives of the season, he said.
I want to thank all the good work of the people of Atletico de Madrid. Since we have arrived, in December 2011, we have tried to be in this position.
The first year we finished very close, but we won the Europa League and th…
LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane claims Premier League stars are desperate to make the move to MLS.
MLS has become home to some of the world s biggest starts since Keane followed David Beckham to Los Angeles in 2011, with Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Kaka among a host of high-profile players swapping Europe for the United States.
Former Premier League winners Ashley Cole and Nigel de Jong have also arrived in MLS, linking up with Keane at the Galaxy, while former Juventus attacker Sebastian Giovinco was last season s MLS MVP with Toronto FC.
Keane revealed players are now queuing up to get a taste of the USA s growing competition.
There has been a massive difference between 2011 and now, the 35-year-old Republic of Ireland i…