South African football news

France's World Cup winner Olivier Giroud explains why N'Golo Kante is still an important part of Didier Deschamps' squad, eight years after planning to retire from international football.

• FRA

The Iranian team may want to unite people but what the game with New Zealand revealed is just how divided many Iranians remain, writes BBC North America correspondent Shaimaa Khalil.

• ZEA
• IRA

Fifa president sets gruelling itinerary across tournament World Cup to generate about 9m tons of carbon dioxide Gianni Infantino is planning to attend two World Cup games each day where possible for the rest of the tournament despite the huge distances involved. The Fifa president has access to a private jet provide…

Bobby Robson employed a head of human performance for the World Cup and, despite wariness, the players got on board The eve of Italia 90. Gazza’s tears, England’s heartache, and the cascading emotions of a World Cup that sang and ultimately stung still lie ahead. For now, the sports scientist tasked with acclimatisi…

• ENG

Iran twice come from behind to draw 2-2 with New Zealand at the Los Angeles Stadium in their Group G encounter.

• ZEA
• IRA

As Saudi Arabia earn creditable point against Uruguay, is the money flooding into the Saudi Pro League helping the national team?

• SAU
• URU

What, really, were the emotions flowing through the veins of Iran’s players as they took to the pitch in Los Angeles? A few hours earlier Donald Trump, in France before the G7 summit, said a peace deal had been signed. A penny for the thoughts, too, of the Fifa president up in the VIP seats, Gianni Infantino, who in…

• ZEA
• FRA
• IRA

Elijah Just gives New Zealand an early lead over Iran in their Group G encounter at the Los Angeles Stadium.

• ZEA
• IRA

Saudi Arabia hold firm against relentless pressure to earn a 1-1 draw against two-time world champions Uruguay in their Group H opener at the Miami Stadium.

• SAU
• URU

Fifa’s embrace of rapacious American capitalism may have found its limits in Miami, one of the entertainment capitals of the world. Despite just seven tickets showing as available on their official website at kick-off there were thousands of empty seats – and empty concourses – throughout most of this game, a hard-f…

• SAU
• URU

Maxi Araujo equalises in the 80th minute for Uruguay against Saudi Arabia at the Miami Stadium in their Group H encounter.

• SAU
• URU

⚽️ Kick-off time: 6pm local/11am AEST/2am BST/9pm EDT ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Wallchart | Mail Martin All Whites: 1 Max Crocombe (gk); 13 Liberato Cacace, 16 Finn Surman, 5 Michael Boxall, 2 Tim Payne; 6 Joe Bell, 8 Marko Stamenić; 11 Eli Just, 10 Sarpreet Singh, 20 Callum McCowatt; 9 Chris Wood (c). Chris…

• ZEA
• IRA

No evidence Australian breached Fifa ethics code ‘The movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch’ Fifa’s disciplinary committee has cleared the World Cup video assistant referee Shaun Evans after he was accused of making a hand gesture associated with white supremacists. An investigation found no evidence that…

Images of Merlin, a two-year-old duck, parading on the streets of Mexico City celebrated by fans on social media Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored the goals, but a duck stole the show. As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a two-year-old duck dressed…

• SOU
• MEX

An own goal from Mohamed Hany denies Egypt a first ever victory at the World Cup as they draw 1-1 with Belgium at the Seattle Stadium.

• BEL
• EGY

Video assistant referee Shaun Evans has denied "intentionally" making a hand gesture "to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind" and claimed it was a "an involuntary, subconscious twitch" that he was "unaware" of.

Martin joins Leicester after relegation to League One Ex-Gil Vicente coach Peixoto replaces Rob Edwards Leicester City have confirmed Russell Martin’s appointment as their new manager, on the same day as Wolves unveiled César Peixoto as their head coach, replacing Rob Edwards. The two Midlands clubs were relegated f…

• LEI
• WOL

Bukayo Saka says he will continue gambling with his fitness and is "ready to go" for England's World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday.

• CRO
• ENG

Group G hotted up in earnest with presumptive frontrunners Belgium and Egypt opening their World Cup campaigns with a credible draw. A crowd of 66,775 watched on under the intense sun of the early North American summer, in a contest which warranted the contentious cooling breaks that have been universally adopted fo…

• BEL
• EGY

Tuchel warns forward’s fitness being carefully monitored Saka keen to play but not to ‘go against the manager’ Bukayo Saka has admitted he is continuing to gamble on his fitness to play for England at the World Cup finals but said he “is ready to go” despite a nagging achilles injury. The Arsenal forward came off th…

• ARS
• ENG

Leicester City name former Rangers and Southampton boss Russell Martin as their manager on a three-year contract.

• LEI
• IPS
• RAN