Category: International Sports

SC Freiburg head coach Christian Streich has offered a hopeful update on Ghanaian midfielder Daniel Kofi Kyereh, who has been sidelined for nearly two years due to recurring injuries.

The 29-year-old playmaker suffered his second cruciate ligament tear in February 2023. Despite steady progress, Kyereh faced another setback in July 2024, undergoing surgery after aggravating the same injury.

Speaking to the media, Streich shared his optimism about the player’s recovery journey.

“Kofi has been suffering for a long time. Two years is a really long time. Nevertheless, there have been positive moments recently,” the coach said.

He added, “He’s mostly been playing individually. Nevertheless, he’s already participated in some of our training sessions at the start. These are moments that make us feel positive.”

Kyereh, who has 18 caps for Ghana’s national team, is yet to feature for Freiburg this season.

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool.

His previous deal was scheduled to run out in the summer, and there had been doubts he would stay with the Reds following comments from the 32-year-old during the season as well as speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia.

However, he will now have the chance to add to his 243 goals and 109 assists for Liverpool in 393 appearances.

“Of course I’m very excited – we have a great team now,” said Salah.

“Before we also had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.

“I have played eight years here, hopefully it’s going to be 10. I’m enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I have had the best years of my career here.”

Salah has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season, including 27 in the Premier League as the Reds chase a 20th top-flight title. Liverpool are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with seven games remaining.

Salah, who joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017, has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Fifa Club World Cup with the Reds.

He was one of three key Liverpool players who will be out of contract this summer, along with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

Netherlands defender Van Dijk has said there has been progress on talks over a new deal, but Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has labelled Andre Onana as “one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history”.

Serbian Matic, 36, was asked about Onana’s comments from earlier this week that United were “way better” than French club Lyon as the two sides prepare to meet in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Speaking at Wednesday’s news conference Matic, who played for United from 2017-2022, said: “You know, I respect everyone but to say that then you need to give the answer.

“If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history, you need to take care what you’re talking about.

“If it was [Edwin] Van der Sar, [Peter] Schmeichel or [David] De Gea saying that, then I would question myself. But you need to have cover to say something like that.”

In reply to Matic, Onana then posted on social media to deny he was being disrespectful.

“I would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent,” Onana said on X.

“We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud.

“At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”

Matic made 128 appearances for the Red Devils and joined Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2024 after spells at Rennes and Roma. He won the Premier League twice, plus the FA Cup and EFL Cup in a four-year spell at Chelsea.

Onana signed for £47.2m from Inter Milan in 2023 and has won the FA Cup at Old Trafford, keeping 23 clean sheets in 93 appearances.

The Europa League is the final opportunity for Ruben Amorim’s side – currently 13th in the Premier League – to save a disappointing season.

Cameroon international Onana’s initial comments came after Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Manchester City, when he was confident despite describing Lyon as a “very good team”.

“Of course, it’s not going to be easy but I think we are way better than them,” Onana said.

“We all know the importance of this game, we will go there with the winning mentality. It’s not our best season but we still have something to win and we will go for it.”

The first leg of the Europa League quarter-final takes place in Lyon at 20:00 BST on Thursday.

‘Just a misunderstanding’ – Amorim

United head coach Ruben Amorim has played down the situation and does not expect the comments from either player to impact Thursday’s match.

“Tomorrow it will not matter,” he said. “If you see the full quote of Andre Onana, it’s quite different.

“The first sentence is Lyon is a very, very good team, so I think sometimes the players or coaches don’t listen to the full quotes.

“Sometimes it’s just a misunderstanding and I know Matic also. He’s a great guy. Tomorrow is going to be a normal game.”

Amorim confirmed Onana will start at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium and reiterated that he did not believe the goalkeeper meant to disparage the Ligue 1 side.

“It’s really hard to deal with that,” he said. “Again, if you look at the quotes, you cannot see disrespect there. Just respect, but trying to give confidence and to show confidence in his team, especially in this year.

“Everybody can talk bad things about Manchester United. Sometimes our group as a player, as a coach, as a staff, has to show some confidence in our team.

“I know really well Nemanja Matic and how good a guy he is. He hears some things by half, not the whole story. That for me is clear in this situation.”

How does Onana compare?

Onana makes the most saves per game

Man Utd goalkeepers with 900+ Premier League mins in last 20 years

Onana succeeded David de Gea at Old Trafford after the Spaniard ended his 12-year stay at the club in July 2023.

De Gea, who is now at Fiorentina, was four-time United player of the year and twice won the Premier League Golden Glove, which is given to the keeper with most clean sheets.

He is fourth in the all-time Premier League clean sheet list with 147.

In total, he kept 190 clean sheets in 545 games and won the Premier League, FA Cup, two EFL Cups and Europa League.

His predecessor was Dutchman Edwin van der Sar who in a six-year spell at United won the Champions League, four Premier Leagues, Club World Cup and two League Cups.

He had a record of 135 clean sheets in 266 games and is tied for eighth on the Premier League’s all-time clean sheet list with 132.

Prior to signing Van der Sar in 2005, United went through a number of goalkeepers as they searched for a long-term replacement for Peter Schmeichel.

Fabian Barthez, Tim Howard, Roy Carroll and Mark Bosnich all had stints as number one but while United won three league titles between 1999 and 2005, none of these fully convinced.

They had a very hard act to follow given Schmeichel’s legendary status at a club where he played 398 times over eight seasons.

The Dane won five Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, one League Cup and a European Super Cup before signing off with the Champions League as part of a then unprecedented treble.

Onana did not make a list of the top goalkeepers in the world, published on Wednesday by the CIES Football Observatory Index.

CIES uses methodology to take into account the level of games played, the results of matches and the deviation in the percentage of saves at domestic league level compared to the expected value.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed a hamstring injury will rule centre-back Wesley Fofana out for the rest of the season.

On Saturday, the club confirmed the 24-year-old France defender had undergone “successful surgery”.

While Chelsea will have to do without Fofana, Maresca is hopeful midfielder Romeo Lavia and striker Marc Guiu could play again before the end of the campaign.

“Unfortunately, Wes will be out for the rest of the season,” said the Blues boss, before Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg in Poland against Legia Warsaw.

“Hopefully we can get [back] Romeo very soon. I don’t know if for the next game, but he looks quite good in terms of being back soon.

“We need to support both and then at the end of the season we will see.

“We have good news on Marc. From today he looks quite good, much better, and he can be back before the season finishes.”

Lavia, 21, has also been struggling with a hamstring problem and suffered a setback during his comeback as a substitute against Arsenal last month, while 19-year-old Spanish forward Guiu’s last appearance was against West Ham in February.

Liverpool are moving closer to agreeing a new contract with forward Mohamed Salah.

Talks between all parties are ongoing and a final agreement is yet to be reached, but sources have indicated the club have made positive progress in their efforts and are hopeful a deal will be done.

Salah’s deal expires at the end of the season and there has been some uncertainty over his future, with clubs in Saudi Arabia keen to land the Egypt international.

But the recent progress has raised hope at Anfield that Salah will extend his stay at the Premier League club.

Salah has been a key player for Liverpool since his arrival in the summer of 2017 and has been central to the team’s title charge this season, scoring 32 goals across all competitions.

Earlier this week, captain Virgil van Dijk – whose deal also expires in the summer – provided a positive update on his own contract talks.

“There is progress, yes,” said the defender.

“These are internal discussions and we’ll see. I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again [at Fulham].”

There is less certainty about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future, however, with the right-back in talks with Real Madrid over a free transfer move to Spain before next season.

LeBron James, one of the most iconic figures in modern sports, has made history once again – this time in the toy aisle.

Mattel has announced the release of a new Barbie in Mr James’ likeness, making him the first professional male athlete to be honoured as a Ken doll.

“We are excited to bring fans a new presentation of Ken,” said Krista Berger, Mattel’s senior vice president of Barbie. She said the doll celebrates “LeBron as a role model,” his ability as an icon to transcend culture and set a “positive example for the next generation.”

The doll features the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player in his pre-game fashion and reflects his height – it’s an inch taller than the standard Ken doll.

In reality, the athlete is 6ft 9in tall.

The new doll comes as the company is facing financial uncertainty amid President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with China, where just under 40% of Mattel’s production is based.

Trump announced on Wednesday that tariffs on goods from China would increase to 125%. He accused Beijing of a “lack of respect” after it retaliated and said it would impose tariffs of 84% on US imports.

In the same announcement, Trump announced a 90-day pause for countries hit by higher US tariffs and authorised a universal “lowered reciprocal tariff of 10%” as negotiations continued with roughly 60 countries.

Mattel has said it may have to increase prices and possibly implement changes to its supply chain. Consumer and business groups in the US have warned that the tariffs may disrupt supply chains and lead to higher prices.

The new Ken doll doesn’t show the athlete in his basketball uniform. Instead, he’s dressed in a varsity jacket adorned with “LJ” on the front.

It includes an Ohio patch and a crown patch on one sleeve and the number 23 – his basketball jersey number – on the other. On the back, “LeBron” is boldly printed along with the phrase, “Just a kid from Akron” – the Ohio city where he was born.

Under the jacket, the doll wears a shirt that reads “We Are Family,” a nod to the star’s foundation. The doll includes accessories like a basketball, headphones and sneakers.

In a promotional video released by Mattel, Mr James reacted to see the doll for the first time. “Oh, he dope!” he says as he’s given the figurine. “That’s so cool!”

As he toyed with the doll’s accessories, he joked the LeBron Ken doll “might have to do a little lifting, legs are looking skinny”.

The move is a significant moment for the 65-year-old Barbie brand, which has made a push in recent years to diversify its dolls and reflect a broader range of careers, body types and backgrounds.

Though Barbie has previously honoured athletes like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Megan Rapinoe, Mr James is the first male sports figure – and the first male figure not from the entertainment industry – to join the lineup.

Even with four NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, and a scoring record to his name, Mr James says his new title of “Kenbassador” hits differently—because it’s about more than basketball.

“It’s an opportunity to recognize the powerful impact of role models who instill confidence, inspire dreams, and show kids that they, too, can achieve greatness.”

An emotional Luka Doncic helped the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a seeded play-off spot as he hit 45 points during a 112-97 win against former side Dallas Mavericks.

The Slovenian completed a mid-season trade to the Lakers from the Mavericks in February in one of the most surprising moves in NBA history.

T-shirts with the message “Hvala za vse”, which is Slovenian for “Thank you for everything”, were given to fans in the American Airlines Center in recognition of Doncic’s six and a half seasons in Texas.

Doncic was reduced to tears as the Mavericks played a pre-game video tribute to the 26-year-old, while his every touch was cheered by the home fans during the opening minutes of the contest.

He quickly put sentiment aside, putting up 13 points in the first quarter and 31 by half-time.

He finished with eight rebounds, six assists and four steals in his 38 minutes on court.

“Everybody saw me, the way I reacted to the video,” Doncic told ESPN.

“All these fans, I really appreciate it, man. All the team-mates I had, everybody had my back. I’m just happy.

“I love these fans, I love this city, but it’s time to move on.”

LeBron James, 40, hit 27 points, including 13 in the final quarter.

The win means the Lakers are guaranteed a top six seed in the Western Conference play-offs, and they can seal the third-seed spot with a win in either of their two remaining matches.

Dan Ndoye’s wonder goal denied Napoli the chance to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan as they hung on for a point away at Bologna on Monday evening.

The visitors were looking to capitalise on Inter’s 2-2 draw with Parma on Saturday, knowing a win would have reduced the deficit to a single point with seven games remaining.

Despite the absence of suspended manager Antonio Conte, Napoli looked like doing just that when Andre-Frank Anguissa produced a mazy run before going round Lukasz Skorupski and finishing in the 18th minute.

Mateo Politano almost doubled the visitors’ lead after rounding replacement keeper Federico Ravaglia – on for the injured Skorupski – but the substitute recovered well to block.

Bologna dominated the second half as Napoli sat back, and their pressure told when Ndoye equalised with a remarkable finish in the 64th minute.

The Switzerland forward ran across the six-yard box to meet Jens Odgaard’s low left-wing cross at the near post, flicking the ball with his left heel and sending it over Napoli goalkeeper Simone Scuffet and in off the crossbar.

Bologna could have snatched all three points in the 90th minute when Scuffet palmed Emil Holm’s header straight to Santiago Castro, but the substitute somehow bundled wide from two yards out.

Napoli then almost won the game themselves when Amir Rrahmani’s stoppage-time effort across the face of goal evaded Romelu Lukaku and Anguissa.

The draw means Napoli remain second in the table and trail Inter by three points, while in-form Bologna miss the chance to leapfrog Atalanta in third.