Morocco boss Walid Regragui has told his players to forget about their World Cup heroics as they prepare to launch their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Tanzania.
The Atlas Lions head into the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the trophy after their remarkable performance in Qatar, where they became the first African side to reach the semi-finals before losing 2-0 to eventual runners-up France.
They kick off their latest quest for glory against Group F Tanzania at the Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro on Wednesday, with Regragui taking nothing for granted.
He told a press conference: “Since the start of the competition, there haven’t been any easy matches. Our first match is important for us to enter the competitive atmosphere.”
The sides last met in a World Cup qualifier in November last year when Hakim Ziyech and a Lusajo Mwaikenda own goal secured a 2-0 win for Morocco.
Regragui, who boasts Paris St Germain defender Achraf Hakimi and Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat among his squad, will be without defender Noussair Mazraoui through injury.
The Taifa Stars, who have made the finals for just the third time, have included four players in their squad who are currently plying their trade at non-league level in England.
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Defender Haji Mnoga, who is on loan at Aldershot from Portsmouth, Wealdstone frontman Tarryn Allarakhia and Boreham Wood midfielder Mohammed Sagaf are all playing in the National League, while forward Ben Starkie is on the books at Northern Premier League Premier Division Ilkeston Town.
Head coach Adel Amrouche, who tempered earlier comments criticising the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s influence over the African game, said: “I spoke out a month ago, saying they are one of the best teams in the world. They reached the semi-final.
“They are not a team that win by luck, they win with their abilities. They deserve.”
Bertrand Traore scored a late penalty as Burkina Faso snatched a 1-0 victory over Mauritania in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.
Aston Villa’s Traore, a former Chelsea forward who is currently on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir, netted in added time to decide the Group D game in Bouake.
Mauritania, making their third appearance at the tournament, were denied on two occasions in the first half as Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi kept out efforts from striker Aboubakary Koita.
Mauritania have only scored one goal in the history of the tournament and their goalless run since 2019 continued when Koffi denied Sidi Amar in the second period, before Traore settled the contest late on.
The game’s first chance fell to Koita, who drilled straight into the grasp of Koffi six minutes in.
Burkina Faso produced their first strike on target 10 minutes later when Mohamed Konate rose highest from a free-kick but saw his header comfortably saved by Babacar Niasse.
Mauritania were looking for their first ever win in the competition and came close to the opener half an hour in when Koffi was wrong-footed by a Koita free-kick but recovered to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
Mauritania, ranked 48 places below their opponents in the FIFA rankings, threatened again through Hemeya Tanjy but his effort from outside the area was saved.
Burkina Faso started the second period with a little more zest and had a chance when Stephane Aziz Ki received a ball from Issoufou Dayo and shot just wide.
Mauritania almost snatched the lead in superb fashion with 15 minutes to go when substitute Amar twisted and turned outside the box before unleashing an effort towards goal which was tipped wide by Koffi.
Burkina Faso, who had scored in their previous 14 AFCON matches, were next to threaten when Traore’s curling strike was plucked out of the top corner by goalkeeper Niasse.
They were given the chance to make the decisive breakthrough in added time following a VAR check, after Nouh El Abd brought Issa Kabore down inside the box.
Traore, a 73rd-minute substitute, stepped up and slammed the ball home to ensure a first win in their opening game of the tournament in 13 attempts for Burkina Faso.
Roma have announced former captain Daniele De Rossi as their new head coach after sacking Jose Mourinho earlier on Tuesday.
De Rossi, 40, who spent 18 years as a player at Roma, has agreed a short-term deal until June 2024, his hometown club said on their official website.
Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said: “We were aware of Daniele’s unbreakable bond with the club but his enthusiasm for accepting the position for the next few months convinced us even more of his ability to be a guide for the players and a proud representative of the club’s values. Welcome home, Daniele.”
Roma ended Mourinho’s two-and-a-half-year spell in the role on Tuesday morning following one win in their last five Serie A matches. They are ninth in the table.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss led Roma to the Europa League final last season after winning the Europa Conference League the campaign before.
De Rossi said: “I would like to thank the Friedkin family for entrusting me with the responsibility of Roma’s head coach role.
“The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me.”
Former midfielder De Rossi, who helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup as a player, won the Coppa Italia with Roma in 2007 and 2008 and scored 63 goals in 616 appearances in all competitions for the Giallorossi.
He was a member of Italy’s coaching staff when they won Euro 2020 and his first job as manager ended in the sack in February 2023 after four months at SPAL.
On Mourinho’s departure, the Friedkins added: “We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.
“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.”
Mourinho replaced Paulo Fonseca as Roma’s head coach in May 2021 and guided them to a sixth-placed finish and the Conference League title in his first season.
Roma finished in sixth place in Serie A again last term and reached the Europa League final in Budapest, where they lost 4-1 on penalties to Sevilla after a 1-1 draw.
Mourinho won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups during two spells in charge of Chelsea after winning the Champions League with Porto.
The 60-year-old also won the Champions League as manager of Inter Milan, claimed the LaLiga title with Real Madrid, triumphed in the Europa League with Manchester United and took over at Roma after his departure from Tottenham.
A date has been set for an independent commission to hear Premier League financial charges against Manchester City, the league’s chief executive Richard Masters has told MPs.
Masters did not reveal the date but said the case was “progressing”, as he insisted that all top-flight clubs were being treated equally under the league’s rules.
Everton face the prospect of two points deductions for breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) before any conclusion is reached in the Manchester City case, even though charges were laid in the City case in February last year.
Nottingham Forest also face a sanction after they were referred to an independent commission in relation to PSR on Monday along with Everton. A member of the Toffees’ fan advisory board, Julie Clarke, was sat directly behind Masters during the hearing of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) committee on Tuesday morning wearing an Everton shirt.
Masters was asked by MPs whether he could understand fans’ frustrations on the differing timescales of these financial cases and said: “They are very different charges, that’s all I would say.
“If any club, whether the current champions or otherwise, had been found in breach of the spending rules for year 23, they would be in exactly the same position as Everton or Nottingham Forest, but the volume and character of the charges laid before Manchester City – which I obviously cannot talk about – are being heard in a completely different environment.
“There is a date set for that proceeding, unfortunately I can’t tell you when that is, but that is progressing.”
City were charged with more than 100 rule breaches last year following an investigation which the Premier League said began in December 2018.
Manchester City declined to comment following Masters’ remarks, but at the time the charges were laid the club said they welcomed the review of this matter by an independent commission “to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position”.
“As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all,” City said.
The Premier League declined to comment on whether the commission will consider it this year but it is understood that is the case. It is not known how many days the commission has set aside for the proceedings. The commission sets the timeline for the process in this case.
Everton are already appealing against a 10-point deduction imposed by an independent commission in November over an earlier PSR breach, and said on Monday the fact they now had to defend themselves against a new complaint while the appeal process was ongoing demonstrated a “clear deficiency” in the league’s rules.
Asked about those rules, Masters told the committee: “We take our rulebook very seriously. It’s a handshake between all 20 clubs. All clubs look each other in the eyes and say ‘we will comply with these rules’ and they expect the (Premier League) board – if clubs don’t comply with those rules – to take action.
“We have to balance that Everton are a very important member of the Premier League, an ever-present, and we also have to think about the other 19 clubs and their fan bases.
“I don’t think it’s messy. It’s a very solemn duty – nobody likes enforcing the financial rules. These rules were brought in in 2013-14 with a specific purpose of ensuring that unsustainable spending couldn’t go too far.”
Masters said new rules were under consideration to bring the Premier League into line with UEFA’s financial sustainability regulations. The European governing body is phasing in a system where clubs must not have squad costs higher than 70 per cent of revenue.
Masters said the existing PSR would be in place for at least this season and next, however.
He also said his organisation was “still investigating” Chelsea after the club’s new leadership self-reported information concerning the Blues’ financial conduct under former owner Roman Abramovich.
Masters was also asked when the league would ratify the takeover of Everton by American investment firm 777 Partners.
“As soon as we have completed the process and unfortunately some processes take a matter of weeks. Some, if we haven’t had satisfactory answers to the questions we have asked, take a lot longer,” he said.
Asked how long this one would take, Masters replied: “It’s already been running for a number of weeks. So it’s going to take longer. How much longer I don’t know.”
When asked if he meant days, weeks or months, Masters said: “Hopefully weeks.”
Newcastle are bracing themselves for the prospect of losing key midfielder Joelinton for the remainder of the season if he needs surgery.
The 27-year-old Brazil international damaged a tendon in his thigh during the 3-0 FA Cup third-round victory at Sunderland on January 6 and medics have since been working to assess the extent of the problem.
However, the PA news agency understands he may need an operation and if that proves to be the case, he would be out of action for months rather than the “minimum of six weeks” for which head coach Eddie Howe revealed he could be sidelined on Friday.
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Howe said: “Joey’s injury is another freak injury one where he’s off-balance trying to switch play. He gets pushed in the back, his leg goes to an awkward angle and ends up with an injury.
“Unfortunately for us any injury we’ve picked up this year hasn’t been a one or two-week injury, it’s been six to eight weeks at a time where we can’t afford it.
“We’re really stretched in the attacking and midfield areas and we have been for a long time.
“It’s inhibited our ability to rest players and also change the flow of games by bringing players on who can make a difference.”
Joelinton, a £40million signing from Hoffenheim during the summer of 2019, was one of 11 senior players unavailable for Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat by Manchester City with 10 of them missing through injury or illness.
Howe hopes to have Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy back from toe and shoulder problems respectively within the next few weeks, but the depth of his squad has been severely tested in recent months and the demands on those who have played throughout a gruelling schedule have taken their toll.
A prolonged absence for the Brazilian, who has become a key member of the Newcastle team since he was converted from a struggling striker to a powerhouse midfielder, coupled with Sandro Tonali’s 10-month suspension for betting breaches, would represent a further blow.
Howe has drafted 17-year-old Lewis Miley into his preferred 4-3-3 formation when more senior players have been unavailable, but is acutely aware of the responsibility he has heaped on the shoulders of such a young player.
The 46-year-old would dearly love to bolster his resources during the winter transfer window, but both he and chief executive Darren Eales admitted last week that the restrictions imposed by Premier League profit and sustainability rules mean that significant investment was unlikely.
Newcastle had hoped to clinch a loan deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, but are understood to have baulked at both the fee involved and a purchase clause and their hunt for reinforcements on a budget continues.
Tottenham new boy Radu Dragusin believes “the sky is the limit” after turning down Bayern Munich to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Having completed the loan signing of Germany forward Timo Werner last week, the north London club won the race to sign the Romania defender from under the noses of the Bundesliga giants.
Dragusin signed a six-and-a-half-year deal at Spurs after rejecting Bayern’s advances in a move that could eventually see Genoa receive up to £25million.
Asked if it was correct he had spurned Bayern, the 21-year-old said: “Yes, that is right.
“I chose Tottenham because I felt it was the right step for me and I had a really good conversation with the coach.
“I saw that they wanted me from a long time ago, like one month before the transfer window, so I thought this is the right choice for me.
“I really believe in this team and that it is a good environment for me to continue my career and to progress in this incredible stadium and team-mates.”
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Dragusin said it was an “incredible feeling” to make his debut as a substitute in Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Manchester United and believes exciting things are happening at Spurs.
“My dream was to play in the Premier League, so that was part of it,” he said of the decision to join Tottenham.
“I think the team here, the guys here, are on a good trajectory. I felt joining them can help me a lot.
“The sky is the limit. We hope we will be as high as possible in the league and we can then see from there.”
Dragusin says he likes “the physicality, intensity, speed and aggression” of the Premier League and is proud to be the fourth Romanian to represent Spurs.
He knows there is competition at centre-back from the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven but reckons that “can make each other progress and grow”.
There is certainly no chance of Dragusin being overawed by the challenge, having earned his big-money move to Tottenham after taking a step back by leaving Juventus.
The defender moved to Turin aged 16 and went on to make four first-team appearances, before being farmed out to Sampdoria, Salernitana and then Genoa in Serie B.
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The latter turned their loan into a permanent move as they were promoted last season, before the Rossoblu sold him to Spurs last week.
“I have believed in myself since the beginning and I wanted to play football,” Dragusin said.
“I understand there are a lot of sacrifices to be made and a lot of days I will be on my own training, developing, but this is my dream and I won’t stop until I reach the highest level possible in my career.”
Incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Manchester United supporter groups he is there to help take the club back to the top rather than make money.
After a frustrating, prolonged 13-month process, it was announced on Christmas Eve that the Ineos chairman had agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake from the Glazer family.
Ratcliffe receives control of football operations at the Premier League club under the terms of a deal that he told reporters he expects to be approved by mid-February.
The 71-year-old watched Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham at Old Trafford, where he returned the following day to engage with fan representatives and local leaders.
Ratcliffe met members of the club’s Fans’ Advisory Board and leaders of the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST), before holding a video meeting with the larger Fans’ Forum.
“His main message was that everything at United needs to be ruthlessly focused on creating winning teams on the field – something we are sure all fans will agree on,” MUST said.
“He also expressed the view that he views our club as a ‘community asset’ and stressed that his purpose in taking a share in United is not to make money.
“We were able to set out to Sir Jim what we think the key priorities are – a clear plan to get back to the top, putting in place a football structure with the right people in the right roles; an investment plan in both the teams and the stadium; and building a genuine and strong partnership with fans that supports success.
“We hope today’s discussion is the start of an ongoing dialogue both with Sir Jim and his team.
“We all know the journey back for our club is not a short one – and the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. But most fans agree that the signals Ineos has sent in the last few weeks are encouraging.”
The meeting with MUST lasted more than an hour, with Ratcliffe joined by Sir Dave Brailsford, the director of sport at Ineos, Jean Claude Blanc, Ineos Sport chief executive, and senior United officials.
Certain topics were off the table as the deal awaits approval, but MUST “felt he was as open as he could be within those rules”.
The trust’s chair JD Deitch posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was a good meeting and that Ratcliffe’s team “get it” but “proof will be action, not words”.
A fan representative at one of the meetings told the PA news agency that Ineos made it clear the immediate priority is fixing things on the field during “really positive discussions”.
There was a sense that Ratcliffe’s team will be “able to hit the ground running” once the deal is ratified, with player trading pinpointed by Ineos as an area requiring improvement.
“I think the impression of everybody in all the meetings was it was actually amazing and unprecedented for us at Manchester United that the owner of the club spent that much time,” the fan representative said.
“More fan engagement in one day than the Glazers have done in 20 years. That’s just a fact.
“I’m sure it’s not accidental. It’s a very clear signal of a change in how the club will be and I get the sense that they are not waiting for the details of the deal to go through.
“I get the sense that the work has started already.”
After speaking to fan representatives, Ratcliffe and his team met a range of local leaders to discuss United’s role in the community and potential development of Old Trafford.
Among those in attendance were senior representatives from Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, including mayor Andy Burnham.
England head coach Sarina Wiegman has signed a contract extension that runs through to the 2027 World Cup, the Football Association has announced.
The Dutch boss has enjoyed great success since taking charge of the Lionesses in September 2021, leading them to Euro glory the following summer.
She also took England to last summer’s World Cup final, where the team lost 1-0 to Spain, and on Monday night won the 2023 FIFA award for the best women’s coach.
Wiegman said: “I am so happy to have the chance to lead England through to 2027 after an incredible two and a half years. Looking forward, we have unfinished business and I know we are capable of even more, although nothing will come easy.”
Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Roma, the Serie A club have announced.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss, who led Roma to the Europa League final last season after winning the Europa Conference League the campaign before, will leave them “with immediate effect”.
Roma, who have won only one of their last five Serie A matches to slip to ninth in the table, said on their official website: “AS Roma can confirm that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff will leave the club with immediate effect.”
Club owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin added: “We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.
“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.
“We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”
Mourinho replaced Paulo Fonseca as Roma’s head coach in May 2021 and guided them to a sixth-placed finish and the Conference League title in his first season.
Roma finished in sixth place in Serie A again last term and reached the Europa League final in Budapest, where they lost 4-1 on penalties to Sevilla after a 1-1 draw.
Mourinho won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups during two spells in charge of Chelsea after winning the Champions League with Porto.
The 60-year-old also won the Champions League as manager of Inter Milan, claimed the LaLiga title with Real Madrid, triumphed in the Europa League with Manchester United and took over at Roma after his departure from Tottenham.
Everton and Nottingham Forest face the threat of points deductions this season after the Premier League said the clubs had confirmed they were in breach of the competition’s financial rules.
Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look.
What has happened?
The Premier League says Everton and Forest have confirmed to it that they are in breach of the competition’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), having incurred losses above permitted levels for the assessment period up to the end of last season. Independent commissions will now be appointed to determine the appropriate sanctions, the league said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
What are the PSR?
The intention of these regulations is to ensure clubs are run sustainably. They have been in place for over a decade. Clubs are in breach of PSR if their losses over the assessment period – usually three seasons but in this case 2022-23, 2021-22 and an average of the two Covid-affected seasons before that – exceed £105m. Losses related to investment in infrastructure spending and other areas such as youth and women’s football are “added back” and not included within the calculation of loss. Forest’s maximum permitted loss was £61m, with the threshold reduced by £22m for each season that they were in the Championship during the assessment period. Critics of PSR say the rules lock in advantage for the bigger clubs with higher revenues and prevent ambitious clubs from challenging the elite.
What have the affected clubs said?
Forest say they intend to “continue to co-operate fully with the Premier League” and that they are “confident of a speedy and fair resolution”. Everton, who are already appealing against a 10-point penalty imposed by an independent commission in November in relation to an earlier PSR breach, released a much more bullish statement which highlighted what they see as “a clear deficiency” in the league’s rules. The club are understood to feel they are the subject of ‘double jeopardy’, and that league rules do not prevent a club being sanctioned for breaches which have already been subject to punishment.
What happens now?
Clubs agreed a new expedited process to deal with PSR breaches at their most recent annual general meeting in summer 2023. Under that process, Everton and Forest have 14 days to respond to Monday’s complaint from the Premier League, and hearings must conclude within 12 weeks of the complaint being issued. The commission’s decision must be handed down within seven days of the hearing’s conclusion to allow time for the appeal process, which must be complete no later than June 1 – the point at which promoted clubs gain their Premier League ‘shares’. In Everton’s case, they say the ‘in-season’ process means they must defend the league’s complaint before the appeal against the November sanction has even been heard.
If Everton and Forest’s cases will be dealt with this season, why is the Manchester City case still rumbling on?
In simple terms, because the City case is so much more complex. Although the league announced City had been referred to an independent commission last February, the size and scope of the case means it will take much longer to resolve. Sources close to the league point out that even if a case of an equivalent magnitude happened now, since the adoption of the ‘in-season’ process, it could not be dealt with under an expedited process.
What the papers say
Newcastle have dropped out of the fight for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips due to his loan fee being too expensive, the Telegraph reports. The England international’s proposed move to the Magpies reportedly does not make sense financially. Sky Sports says Juventus, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton are all interested in the 28-year-old.
Chelsea are going to demand the £35million release clause for any club who wants to sign their 21-year-old Dutch defender Ian Maatsen, who recently joined Borussia Dortmund on loan, the Telegraph says.
Jesse Lingard could be on the move to the United States with MLS team the Portland Timbers interested in the 31-year-old free agent’s services, the Daily Mail says.
Celtic have got Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher on their radar, the Daily Mail says, but there is also interest from Wolves, Brighton and Brentford for the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Jhon Duran: Chelsea are reportedly interested in a short loan deal for the 20-year-old Aston Villa forward who has scored two goals in 14 Premier League games this season, Metro reports.
Bruno Guimaraes: Talksport says Paris St Germain are interested in the Newcastle midfielder, who has a £100million release clause.
Gary Cahill insisted he was never going to turn down the chance to join Chelsea after finally completing his £7million move from Bolton on this day in 2012.
Cahill put the finishing touches to a reported five-and-a-half-year contract, having spent more than a fortnight wrangling over personal terms that threatened to scupper the deal.
But the England defender suggested he had no intention of walking away from the protracted negotiations between his representatives and Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay.
“Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in, season out and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that,” Cahill told the Blues’ official website at the time.
“Opportunities like this, you can’t turn down.”
Cahill reportedly settled on wages of £80,000-per-week – £20,000 less than the player was said to have demanded during initial talks.
He then travelled to London to undergo a medical and watched his new club’s 1-0 Premier League win over Sunderland.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas said: “He has good technical abilities, which is important in the way we want to play and to implement our philosophy.
“Competition will be tight for him, but we brought him in to become better as a team.”
There were no shortage of admirers for Cahill, with Arsenal seeing a bid rejected and Tottenham also going close to landing him.
But Chelsea were the only serious January transfer window bidders, with Bolton opting to cash in on a player in the final six months of his contract.
Cahill spent seven-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge, making almost 300 appearances in all competitions and winning the Premier League twice, the Champions League, two FA Cups, two Europa League titles and the EFL Cup.
Derby head coach Paul Warne reckoned his team cost him “three weeks off his life” after it took a stoppage-time winner to beat Burton.
Warne saw his players throw away a two-goal lead, only for skipper Conor Hourihane to score deep into added time.
Derby looked to be cruising to victory when Tom Barkhuizen scored at the back post in the 29th minute and James Collins headed a second four minutes after the break.
But Burton hit back in the 54th minute through Steve Seddon, who drove a low 20-yard shot past Josh Vickers.
The visitors were level 11 minutes later when Manchester United’s on-loan striker Joe Hugill broke away to score on his Burton debut.
But Albion’s brave resistance was broken in the third minute of stoppage time as Hourihane found the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Warne said:” I thought we were good for 50 minutes and then we had a wobble. We were on a roller-coaster a little bit and that’s what disappointed me a bit about the performance.
“I thought we lost a bit of our character, we’d gone from complete control, although fair play to Burton, they made it really difficult for us.
“So for the captain to score late on was great and if nothing else it was entertaining for the neutrals, but I’ve lost at least three weeks off my life with that!
“Hopefully next time if we go 2-0 up we’ll have a little bit more control and keep trying to do the right things because tonight I felt we got away with it.
“We need to be better, if you want to go up and you want to win you have to be good in all the moments in most of the games.”
Burton manager Martin Paterson said: “The boys are disappointed, so am I. I’ve said many times to them in my first couple of days it’s a results-based business, we are here to win games and get points.
“So when we don’t we have to be disappointed. I’ve told them results are on me, that’s my job, their job is performance, so when you lose like that emotional control is key for me.
“You feel terrible, but the positives you take from it are it’s Derby, it’s a packed house and they are absolutely delighted. You saw how they celebrated a last-minute goal and my group have pushed them to the point where it’s euphoria.
“No disrespect to a really good football club, the manager’s good, the players are good, but there’s a little bit in me that thinks second half probably wasn’t a fair result.”
Algeria endured more Africa Cup of Nations frustration as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola in their opening match in Bouake.
Baghdad Bounedjah gave the Algerians the lead, but a second-half equaliser from Mabululu, who converted the rebound after his penalty hit the bar, salvaged a point for Angola in the Group D clash.
The Algerians are looking to avoid a similar fate to 2022 when they entered as defending champions but crashed out in the group stages after failing to win a game.
They made a positive start when Bounedjah latched on to a ball over the top and fired home with a clinical finish to put his side in front after just 18 minutes.
And it could have been even better for the favourites when Bounedjah found the net with a spectacular overhead kick shortly afterwards, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
Algeria became increasingly frustrated as they failed to create further chances to trouble the Angolans, who went into the match on the back of four consecutive goalless draws.
Angola drew level in the 65th minute when Mabululu was brought down by Nabil Bentaleb in the box before stepping up to bundle the ball home after his initial spot-kick hit the underside of the bar.
It took a late spell of pressure for the Algerians to really test the Angola rearguard, with Riyad Mahrez in particular proving a constant threat at set-plays.
But, after surviving a succession of corners in injury-time, the 117th-ranked Angolans clung on for a point to continue Algeria’s recent struggles in the competition.
Thomas Frank is increasingly confident of Ivan Toney remaining a Brentford player for the rest of the season as he prepares to make his long-awaited comeback from suspension.
The striker’s eight-month ban for breaching Football Association gambling rules ends on Wednesday, making him available for the team’s next Premier League fixture at home to Nottingham Forest.
Before that he will sit out Brentford’s FA Cup third-round replay against Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday.
There have been reports linking Toney, who made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March, with a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea during the January transfer window.
However, with the Bees struggling in the league having lost their last five games and seven of their last eight, the manager thinks he has seen enough from Toney to indicate he intends to see out the campaign before seeking a move.
“If Ivan can write it his way, no doubt he would like to come back and do fantastically well, and give something back,” said Frank.
“He missed playing football, missed being part of the team. He will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday.
“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans.
“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.
“It’s turning out to be what I would like to say is the right outcome. I’d like to keep him for as long as possible, but that’s not up to me.”
Toney has not played competitively since Brentford’s 1-0 defeat away to Liverpool on May 6, but has been permitted to train with his teammates since September.
Frank is hopeful the striker can recover his sharpness quickly in order to help the team avoid being sucked into a relegation fight during the second half of the season.
They currently enjoy a three-point gap to Luton in 18th place.
“I hope we prepared him that well that he’ll hit the ground running,” he said. “I think it’s important to remember he’s not been injured, so he’s been training and he’s very fit and ready to go.
“I’m not saying that it can’t take a little bit of time to hit the absolute max, but I’m pretty sure he’ll come in on a high level.
“Plus, the excitement and enthusiasm of finally being able to play. I think we all, no matter what low-level sport we have done, finally to do something you’re very excited about, you find some extra energy, you find an extra level and motivation.
“He’s got plenty of motivation in him, no doubt about that.”
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