Football

World's richest league starts another season

The 2020 edition of the money-spinning league and the second half of the 2021 tournament took place in the United Arab Emirates as India battled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year's expanded 10-team event was held mostly in Mumbai and Pune.

The League is now estimated to be worth $16 billion.

Ahmedabad side Gujarat, one of the two expansion teams along with Lucknow, capped a fairytale debut season by defeating inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals in front of around 100,000 fans in the final at home.

British police apologise for Hillsborough failings

On behalf of all 43 forces, police chiefs have promised "cultural change".

They admitted "policing got it badly wrong" in the aftermath of the fatal stadium crush and said a range of key lessons had been learned.

BBC reports ninety-seven Liverpool supporters died as a result of the April 1989 disaster at Sheffield's Hillsborough ground.

The National Police Chiefs Council and the College of Policing published a joint response to a report published in 2017, which consulted the families.

England manager embarrassed to be playing behind closed doors

England were ordered to play their next two home games in UEFA competition without supporters present after disturbances during their Euro 2020 final last year.

Southgate's side host Italy in the Nations League on June 11, in a rematch of that final, behind closed doors. The ban on fans attending the second game has been suspended for a probationary period of two years.

"We're on a yellow card and we've got the embarrassment now of playing behind closed doors at home," Southgate said.

Fiji beat Vanuatu in international friendly

With Fiji failing to advance out of Group B at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Oceania Qualifiers, and Vanuatu having to withdraw due to COVID-19, the match offered an opportunity for both sides to get more game time under their belts and for the winner to accumulate FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking points.

Fiji coach Flemming Serritslev made a handful of changes to the starting 11 which lost 2-1 to Papua New Guinea days earlier, while Vanuatu were missing Australia-based star Mitch Cooper, who had already returned home.

Vanuatu's national football team will be without three internationalists

The Vanuatu Football Federation said Azariah Solomon, Alex Saniel and John Alick are all unable to get to Qatar for the matches.

The federation is due to announce its 23-player squad list tomorrow.

A larger playing party is currently training at the VFF Teouma Academy.

Team Manager, George Amos, said the unit is well prepared for the group matches being held in the second half of March against Tahiti, Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.

 

Photo VFF/Facebook  Caption: Vanuatu national team training 

     

Mohamed Salah could face Leicester but Sadio Mane will not

Mane's Senegal beat Salah's Egypt on penalties on Sunday in Cameroon.

Salah is back in Merseyside but Mane is due to fly back on Wednesday night having been allowed to go to Senegal to celebrate their first major trophy.

"Pretty much the first thing Mo told me was 'I'm ready'," said Jurgen Klopp.

"He is an experienced player, he is a physical monster. He had a little recovery session on Tuesday and we will see how he feels on Wednesday."

Oceania Home of Football completed

The complex will house OFC's New Zealand staff and serve as a base for visiting personnel and teams from the confederation's 11 Member Associations and two Associate Members.

In addition to the administration space, it will feature two artificial pitches and dressing rooms suitable for hosting elite matches.

OFC General Secretary Franck Castillo said the complex will play a crucial part in the confederation's goal of seeing two Oceania nations competing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027.

     

Solomon Islands thrashed 6-0 by Morocco

The Kurukuru conceded three goals in each half against the African champions.

Soufiane El-Mesrar opened the scoring in just the second minute before Achraf Souad doubled their advantage a minutes later.

Idriss Raiss El-Fenni made it 3-0 close to half-time, while Bilal Bakkali, Otmane Boumezou and Soufiane Borite all found the back of the net in the second spell.

Solomon Islands, who are competing in their fourth consecutive World Cup, are back in action on Friday morning against Portugal, who outclassed Thailand 4-1 in the other Group C clash.

 

VFF to dispatch officers to register all football players

VFF’s Competition manager, Bong Shem said the purpose of this registrations is to ensure that an individual player gets compensated from the time a soccer player commences his/her soccer career as well.

“VFF will review all player registrations in country and at the same time upload and update all player registrations as well for this year 2021.

The comet registration is in line with the FIFA regulation stating for all players from 12 years old up to senior level within all MAs which affiliate with FIFA, must register within this system.

Six dead after plane carrying players and president of Brazilian football club crashes

The accident occurred when the plane suddenly plunged to the ground at the end of the runway while on take-off, the club reported in a statement.

The players were on their way to Goiania, in the central region of the country, to play a match against Vila Nova.

Brazilian media reported that the players were travelling in a private plane because they had tested positive for Covid-19, that Sunday would be their last day of isolation, and the rest of the players would travel on a commercial flight.