Hamari Traore and Lassine Sinayoko struck second-half goals as Mali launched their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa.

Captain Traore tapped his side into a 60th-minute lead in the Group E encounter in Korhogo before striker Sinayoko quickly added a second.

South Africa had the better of the opening period but paid a heavy price for a penalty miss from former Brighton forward Percy Tau.

Following a relatively uneventful start to the match, the 1996 champions were handed a golden chance to edge ahead after Evidence Makgopa was caught in the face by the elbow of Sikou Niakate inside Mali’s box.

Egyptian referee Mohamed Edel pointed to the spot following VAR intervention, only for Tau to wastefully fire his 19th-minute effort high over the crossbar.

Tau, who left the Seagulls to join Egyptian club Al Ahly in 2021, was then twice denied by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra as he sought to make amends.

Mali barely threatened in the opening period but nearly snatched the lead in added time when poor defending from Siyanda Xulu and Mothobi Mvala was almost punished by Auxerre forward Sinayoko.

RB Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara should have put 1972 runners-up Mali in front just four minutes into the second period but he somehow skied over after being slipped clear by Sekou Koita.

Eric Chelle’s side were far better after the restart and grabbed the lead with half an hour remaining.

Koita’s curling left-footed free-kick from the edge of the box was kept out by a combination of South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams and the bar but fell kindly for Real Sociedad defender Traore to poke home.

Sinayoko put the result beyond doubt only six minutes later, escaping Xulu to latch on to Kamory Doumbia’s through ball and jab beyond Bafana Bafana captain Williams.

South Africa never looked like salvaging anything from the game in the closing stages, albeit they did strike the left post through a speculative long-range free-kick deep into added time.

Luton had to come from behind to see off League One Bolton at the second attempt as Rob Edwards’ side just about came through their FA Cup third round replay with a 2-1 win at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

Having held their Premier League opponents goalless nine days ago, Bolton stunned the Hatters when Dion Charles put them ahead 11 minutes in.

But Tahith Chong swiftly equalised before Chiedozie Ogbene’s second-half goal set up a tie against the winners of Wednesday’s replay between Everton and Crystal Palace.

Before kick-off there was a minute’s silence in memory of Iain Purslow, the 71-year-old Bolton supporter who died after being taken ill during Saturday’s League One match against Cheltenham, which was abandoned midway through the first half.

The hosts then snatched an early lead as they hit Luton on the counter-attack.

Will Forrester’s pass forward found the run of Victor Adeboyejo, who skipped away from Teden Mengi before cutting the ball back for Charles, too easily getting goal-side of Reece Burke, to sweep the ball home.

But Luton needed only four minutes to equalise. Ross Barkley, taking his place in a strong Hatters XI which showed five changes from Friday’s 1-1 draw just up the road at Burnley, dispossessed Josh Dacres-Cogley just outside the Bolton box and Luton swiftly moved the ball left.

Jordan Clark played it through to Chong and the former Manchester United player tucked it through the legs of Forrester and into the far corner.

Luton remained on the front foot. Chong saw a shot deflected wide before Carlton Morris, Friday’s goalscorer, blazed wastefully over.

Four-time FA Cup winners Bolton, only two points from the top of League One with three games in hand, came into this replay unbeaten in six and looked confident any time they had a chance to attack.

Adeboyejo went for the audacious just before half-time, spotting Luton’s cup goalkeeper Tim Krul off his line and taking aim from the edge of the centre circle. Krul desperately back-pedalled, doing just enough to stop the ball under his crossbar before gathering at the second attempt.

Both sides went close in a frantic start to the second half. Paris Maghoma stung the palms of Krul before Luton went to the other end. Clark’s bouncing strike struck the post and both Chong and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu were denied by smart saves from Baxter before the danger was cleared.

Bolton responded immediately, and Barkley made a superb block to deny Charles from close range as he tried to turn in Adeboyejo’s cross.

It was Bolton’s best spell of the match but it came to an abrupt end in the 57th minute when Morris fired in a precise low cross from the left and Ogbene could hardly miss as he slammed home his first FA Cup goal.

Bolton thought they had levelled in the 74th minute when Barkley was caught in possession and Charles turned in a low cross from the right, but after a moment’s pause the offside flag went up and Luton safely saw the game out.

Bristol City produced an FA Cup upset as 10-man West Ham were beaten 1-0 in a third-round replay at Ashton Gate.

Tommy Conway’s equaliser at the London Stadium nine days earlier had set up this return tie and the  21-year-old striker was the Robins’ hero again as his early goal proved the difference.

West Ham, sixth in the Premier League, suffered further misery as Said Benrahma was sent off after 51 minutes for reacting stupidly to a strong challenge from Joe Williams.

Bristol City, 14th in the Sky Bet Championship, will again meet top-flight opposition in the fourth round should Nottingham Forest successfully negotiate their replay at Blackpool on Wednesday.

West Ham boss David Moyes was short on attacking options with Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio injured and Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Danny Ings, strongly linked with a move to Wolves this January, started for the first time since November alongside Benrahma and Maxwel Cornet.

West Ham were down on numbers and three current academy players occupied a bench one short of taking up its full allocation of nine substitutes.

Bristol City began with nine of the side that started the 1-1 draw in East London and Conway was on the scoresheet again inside three minutes after West Ham had wasted a golden opening – Cornet overhitting a pass with Ings clean through.

The action immediately switched to the other end where Konstantinos Mavropanos’ mistake allowed Conway to round Lukasz Fabianski and make light of a tight angle by rolling the ball home.

Anis Mehmeti sent a 20-yard effort over but the Hammers gradually asserted authority with Max O’Leary’s goal coming under increasing threat.

Ings was off target from the edge of the box, Mavropanos failed to connect with James Ward-Prowse’s free-kick when contact would surely have levelled matters and Cornet was denied by a last-gasp Cameron Pring challenge.

Cornet, making only his second start of the season, underlined his rustiness further by miskicking in front of goal, while Pring was vigilant to turn away Ings’ effort close to the line.

Bristol City had defended for most of the half, but the hosts burst into life in the final minute.

Mehmeti’s low effort tested Fabianski at his near post and the veteran goalkeeper was called upon from the resulting corner to gather Ross McCrorie’s header.

Life got a lot more difficult within six minutes of the restart when Benrahma kicked out at Williams after being fouled.

Referee Darren England took his time to decide the punishment as Benrahma received treatment, but the Algerian was eventually banished when back on his feet.

Tempers boiled over again as Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Aaron Cresswell were booked after grappling with each other.

West Ham almost equalised after Ings and Emerson combined and Cornet crossed for Tomas Soucek to force O’Leary into an excellent reflex stop from close range.

Substitute Nakhi Wells nearly doubled Bristol City’s lead, but the Robins held on for a famous victory and home fans celebrated as if they had won the cup itself.

Barnsley had to come from behind to win 2-1 against Sky Bet League One strugglers Carlisle.

January signing Luke Armstrong opened the scoring before Devante Cole levelled and Herbie Kane converted from the spot.

The visitors broke the deadlock in the seventh minute. A loose pass from Liam Roberts was intercepted by Armstrong who finished from 30 yards out.

Daniel Butterworth came close in the 12th minute when he met Jack Ellis’ cross, but his header struck the goal frame.

Neill Collins’ side levelled in the 58th minute. Skipper Jordan Williams broke forward and found Cole in the left of the box for him to fire into the bottom right corner.

They almost added a second six minutes later when Kane drove to the edge of the box and flashed an effort just over.

The hosts struck the winner after they were awarded a spot-kick in the 86th minute when Adam Phillips was brought down inside the box.

Kane stepped up and powered it down the middle.

Non-league Eastleigh’s FA Cup run was ended with a 3-1 third-round replay defeat to Newport.

Reaching the third round represented the Vanarama National League side’s joint-best run in the competition and they earned a home replay with a 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade.

But the Sky Bet League Two outfit showed their class to earn a home tie against Manchester United in the fourth round.

The Exiles got off to the perfect start as Aaron Wildig nipped in to pounce on a loose ball in the box to put the visitors ahead in the third minute.

Former Morecambe man Wildig came close to a second, but he could only find the side netting later in the half.

Top scorer Paul McCallum, a former West Ham youngster, levelled shorty after the restart with a thunderous half-volley.

Veteran defender James Clarke, who scored in the first tie, restored County’s lead on the hour-mark.

Newport found the side netting again, this time through Seb Palmer-Houlden.

Will Evans eventually put the game to bed with 10 minutes to go.

Eastleigh stopper Joe McDonnell produced a good save to keep out Byrn Morris late on.

Mount Pleasant Academy announced on Tuesday that winger Devonte Campbell is now at English League One club, Charlton Athletic Football Club for two weeks of extensive training.

This marks the opening action of the newly signed “Mountain to Valley” partnership between the two clubs.

He travelled to Charlton Athletic on Friday January 12, 2024, where he will spend quality time with the South-East London club.

Campbell who attended St. James High before joining MPA at age 14, was amongst the 1^st batch of students to be enrolled at Mount Pleasant Academy in September 2018.

He matriculated to the Mount Pleasant Premier League team in 2020, getting his first goal against Molynes United in the team’s 4-1 triumph. He ended the season with 2 goals including a wonder strike in a 3-1 win against Harbour View.

Campbell received his first call-up to the National Senior Reggae Boys squad in 2021 for a friendly international against Peru in Lima.

He has played 5 times for the national under 20 team and has 2 appearances for the National under 23 team.

Sporting Director, Paul Christie stated that “This will help the player to succeed at local, national and international levels. We anticipate that there will be similar experiences in the near future. This is a win/win for both clubs”

Ali Albulayhi scored in stoppage time as Saudi Arabia came back to beat Oman 2-1 in the Asian Cup on Tuesday.

In a dramatic conclusion to the match at Khalifa International Stadium, Albulayhi's headed winner was first ruled out for offside and then given after a VAR check.

To add to the chaotic scenes, Oman initially thought the offside call had been upheld and tried to restart the game with a free-kick.

But when referee Shaun Evans pointed to the centre spot, it sparked a mass celebration among the Saudi players and substitutes in front of fans as it appeared they believed the full-time whistle had blown, causing an extended delay before the match could resume.

Oman had led through Salaah Al Yahyaei’s 14th-minute penalty and withstood sustained pressure from Saudi Arabia until Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored three minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.

His brilliant individual goal in the 78th minute spared Saudi coach Roberto Mancini defeat in his team's opening Group F game.

Starting a run from outside the box, he showed speed to burst away from Oman captain Harib Al Saadi and then dancing feet to beat two players and sweep a low shot past goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini.

Albulayhi's winner came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Ali Lajami flicked on a corner for him to head in from close range.

In the other Group F game, Supachai Chaided scored both of Thailand's goals in a 2-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan.

Thailand dominated at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium and could have scored twice early on when Supachok Sarachat hit the post and Suphanat Mueanta had an effort cannon off the crossbar.

Supachai made his team's superiority count in the 26th minute when he converted on the rebound after Bordin Phala's shot was saved by Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev.

He scored his second three minutes after the break with another close-range finish as Kyrgyzstan struggled to deal with a cross into the box.

Rangers midfielder Kieran Dowell could be out “quite a long time” after sustaining an injury at the Ibrox club’s January training camp in Spain.

The 26-year-old has made just 11 appearances for the Light Blues since joining on a free transfer from Norwich this summer.

Speaking ahead of the friendly against FC Copenhagen at Ibrox on Tuesday night, Gers boss Philippe Clement told Rangers TV: “Kieran was really unlucky that he stuck in the grass on a bad pitch in La Manga so he will be out quite a long time normally.

“We need to make a good assessment on that, how many weeks, but he will not be back in the next couple of weeks, that’s for sure.”

Utility player Dujon Sterling missed the game against the Danish side with a knock but should be fit for the Scottish Cup tie against Dumbarton at the weekend.

Clement said: “Dujon just got a knock in a duel and he was not fit for today but I expect him back at the end of the week.”

Tunisia fell to a shock 1-0 defeat against Namibia in their Africa Cup of Nations opener in Korhogo.

Deon Hotto stole in to head the winner in the 88th minute for the side ranked 115 in the world, getting on the end of substitute Bethuel Muzeu’s cross.

It leaves Tunisia facing a challenge to make it to the last 16, with matches against South Africa and Mali to come in the group stage.

For Namibia, it was a first-ever win at the tournament at their 10th attempt across four finals.

Peter Shalulile had the chance after 10 minutes to give them a surprise early lead but fired straight at Bechir Ben Said after the ball reached him inside the box, striking first time when he had space to take a touch.

Yousef Msakni tested goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua with a header from a corner seconds after the break as Tunisia looked to finally make their supposed superiority count.

Shalulile, making his 50th international appearance, had an even better opportunity minutes later, meeting a low cross with his toe and seeing his effort diverted behind from the foot of the post by defender Montassar Talbi.

Talbi put a header wide from a free-kick after 70 minutes with the goalkeeper having committed himself. Kazapua redeemed himself in Tunisia’s next attack, saving with his legs from Elias Achouri after coming out and narrowing the angle well.

Ben Said punched Hotto’s free-kick from the right over the bar in the final five minutes as Namibia sought an unlikely win.

And with two minutes of normal time to play, the goal that stunned Tunisia arrived, Hotto appearing inside the six-yard box to nod home and cause the shock of the tournament so far.

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt has suffered a knee injury at the club’s training camp in Faro, Portugal.

It is unknown how long De Ligt will be out of action but Bayern confirmed he will not be able to train with the squad as they prepare for their match with Werder Bremen on Sunday.

A club statement read: “Matthijs de Ligt has suffered a capsular injury in his left knee during the training camp in Faro, Portugal. The diagnosis was confirmed by FC Bayern’s medical department following an MRI scan.”

The Dutchman missed the training session on Tuesday alongside fellow defenders Dayot Upamecano and new signing Eric Dier, who left the camp ahead of the birth of his first child.

Bayern will continue preparations in Portugal before returning to Germany for the weekend’s fixture as they look to close the gap on league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Sean Dyche says Everton remain focused on their appeal against the points deduction they were given in November after it emerged they could be hit with another sanction.

The Premier League on Monday said Everton and Nottingham Forest had confirmed that they had breached profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) for the assessment period up to and including the 2022-23 season, with separate commissions set to determine sanctions.

Everton are already appealing against a 10-point penalty imposed two months ago relating to a PSR breach in the period ending in 2021-22.

Asked at a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s FA Cup third-round replay against Crystal Palace how concerned he was about the prospect of another points deduction, Toffees boss Dyche said: “Because of the first situation, I think we’re all wondering.

“I don’t know what the outcome is going to be. The appeal is the first thing, our focus remains on the appeal from the last part of it, and see where that takes us. I think that’s all we can do.”

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.”