8 January 2010 Terrorist gunmen in Angola – host nation for the 2010 Africa Nations Cup, which starts on Sunday – today shot and wounded members of Togo’s team and their support staff, two of them “seriously”, as they travelled by coach through the host country. The central defender Serge Akakpo, 22, who plays in […]

29 December 2009 It’s never to early to get a steer on what your rivals are planning ahead of an Olympic Games. So it’s worth noting this little snippet of news from Beijing today about where the Chinese are focussing their athletic resources ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London – on race walking. There […]

27 December 2009 Pim Verbeek, the head coach of Australia’s football team, has hinted heavily that any player wanting to make it into his 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup finals will need to be playing club football at a decent level in Europe between January and the summer. “On May 11, I will […]

Exclusive By Nick Harris 26 December 2009 The VIP guest list for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will include a pioneering player who played for Coventry City, Cardiff and Barnsley among many stops in a colourful, controversial career that has also included fierce criticism of his native South African FA. Steve Mokone was […]

7 December 2009 South African police have this evening complained that they are unhappy with reports that ex-SAS soldiers will help protect some top teams at the World Cup next summer. Police spokesperson Sally de Beer described the media reports as “absurd”. Yet some Fifa officials and sponsors will also use private security, according to sources, although […]