Egypt sack Rui Vitoria after early exit from AFCON
February 5 – Egypt are the latest country to sack their coach following elimination from the African Cup of Nations.
Alves rape trial starts in Barcelona
February 5 – The long-anticipated trial of former Brazilian star Dani Alves got under way today in Barcelona as he faced accusations of raping a woman in a local nightclub.
Iran’s Ghalenoei hits back at media critics after Japan win
February 5 – Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has denounced sections of the country’s media for having previously criticised the team after guiding them to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup.
Qatar keep Asian Cup dream alive with penalty shoot-out win over Uzbekistan
February 3 – In a tight match that was all square at 1-1 after extra time, Qatar beat Uzbekistan 3-2 in the penalty shoot out to keep their dream of retaining the Asian Cup title they won in 2019 alive.
Iran score from the penalty spot in added time to end Japan’s push for 5th title
February 3 – Another goal in added time in this tournament of late match winners, saw Iran overcome Japan in what was very much a game of two halves and grew into a pulsating quarter final.
Drama over? Lyon say they fixed the deal for Benrahma
February 3 – West Ham have confirmed Algerian winger Said Benrahma (pictured) has joined Lyon after all on loan for the remainder of the season.
Korea’s added time goal and Son Heung-min’s masterclass send Aussies down under
February 2 – South Korea dumped Australia out of the Asian Cup 2-1 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah in a match that looked as though it had gone Australia’s way at the 90-minute mark.
Winter chill as Premier League clubs cut transfer spend to £100m in January window
February 2 – Spending by Premier League clubs in January dipped significantly after three successive record-breaking windows – with teams splashing out £715 million less than in same 2023 period.
Lyon accuses West Ham of ‘lack of respect’ over failure to complete Benrahma deal
February 2 – French top-flight club Lyon have accused West Ham United of showing a “profound lack of respect” and “incomprehensible behaviour”, hinting at legal action against the Premier League club after the proposed deadline day move for Said Benrahma collapsed in the final moments of the transfer window.
Russia to attend UEFA Congress but re-integration not on agenda
February 2 – Despite its clubs and national team still being banned from official competition, Russia will be represented at UEFA’s annual congress in Paris next week.
Jordan end Tajikistan’s dream with 1-0 win to secure semi-final slot
February 2 – Jordan became the first team to claim a semi-final berth at the Asian Cup after they bundled debutants Tajikistan out in the quarter finals with a 1-0 win, courtesy of an Abdallah Nasib headed goal.
Textor’s Botafogo break records to bring Luiz Henrique back to Brazil
February 2 – Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo have signed Brazilian winger Luiz Henrique from Real Betis in Spain for a Brazilian record fee, the club said Thursday.
Aussies forced to patch defence after cyber attack
February 2 – Football Australia is investigating reports that the private information of fans and players has been leaked as part of a possible cybersecurity breach.
Added time goals are shaping destiny of the Asian Cup
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
February 2 – The Asian Cup has been characterised by the number of games going down to the wire and in the 44 matches played to the end of the round of 16 a remarkable 18 goals have been scored in added time after the 90 minutes have been played.
FIFA Museum reports record visitor numbers
February 2 – The FIFA Museum in Zurich has released record-breaking numbers for the calendar year 2023, welcoming 230,000 visitors over the course of the year- a record high since its opening eight years ago.