Tag Archives: 2018

Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | Russia was banned Tuesday from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee over its state-orchestrated doping programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag. The sanction was the toughest ever levelled by the IOC for drug cheating and …

Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | The International Olympic Committee meets from Tuesday to decide whether to bar Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics for doping violations, in one of the weightiest decisions ever faced by the Olympic movement. The build-up to the high-stakes summit in Lausanne just 66 days before the …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | England manager Gareth Southgate is not fazed at the prospect of having to travel thousands of kilometres across Russia during the group stage of next year’s World Cup. His side came out in Group G in Friday’s draw ceremony at the Kremlin State Palace in …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | They may not be a top seed for Friday’s World Cup draw in Moscow, but the fresh blood added by coach Julen Lopetegui has put Spain back among the favourites for glory next July. Early exits at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 appeared …

Paris, France | AFP | With a potent attack featuring teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe and Atletico Madrid hotshot Antoine Griezmann and a midfield stuffed with talent, France should be among the World Cup favourites. With Alexandre Lacazette offering yet another attacking threat, a top-class goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris and depth …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic promised to avenge his side’s humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Colombia at the 2014 World Cup following Friday’s draw for next summer’s finals in Russia. The firebrand Franco-Bosnian admitted “it could have been worse” after the Blue Samurai were drawn alongside the …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday after avoiding Spain and looking like favourites to make it out of their group in their first home World Cup. “The ideal group,” the government-run R-Sport news agency shouted in a banner headline on its website …

How does it feel to be on the outside looking in? Moscow, Russia | AFP | Football fans visiting Yekaterinburg in the Russian Urals for the 2018 World Cup will find out when they get seated in one of two temporary stands that fill empty plots of land next to …

Milan, Italy | AFP | Gian Piero Ventura’s reign as Italy coach ended on Wednesday after a World Cup qualifying fiasco during which the four-time champions failed to reach next year’s finals in Russia. The 69-year-old’s fate was sealed after a crisis meeting of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Rome, …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reached an agreement with the national team over earnings for the World Cup in Russia on Tuesday, hoping to avoid a pay strike similar to the one in Brazil in 2014. It did not disclose the various fees agreed with the …