World Cup qualifiers

After bringing in new faces throughout the team Italy won every match in Euro qualification and their first three World Cup qualifiers, often with a more relaxed style than traditionally associated with the discipline-focussed Italians.

Kelechi Iheanacho has described the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying fixture between Nigeria and Ghana as a 'massive game' that is more than a rivalry.

It’s good rivalry.” But I have so much confidence in this Nigeria team and the group of lads we have here. “It's not just a rivalry – it’s way more than that.

Paris - Reigning European champions Italy will miss a second straight World Cup after losing to a dramatic stoppage-time goal against North Macedonia on ...

Scotland and Poland drew 1-1 in a friendly in Glasgow, with Kieran Tierney giving the home side the lead only for Krzysztof Piatek to level with a stoppage-time penalty. Robert Page's team will be at home in the play-off final but must wait until at least June for that, with the ongoing war in Ukraine meaning their tie away to Scotland remains on hold for now. Wales, bidding to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958, then held on after Austria reduced the deficit in the 64th minute when Marcel Sabitzer's shot deflected in off Ben Davies. Italy will again be absent from the World Cup in Qatar after also failing to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia when they lost in a play-off to Sweden. North Macedonia, the Balkan nation of just two million people, held Italy to a draw in Turin in 2018 World Cup qualifying and beat Germany away in this campaign before appearing at their debut European Championship last year. That success for Roberto Mancini's side came during a world record 37-game unbeaten run, but four draws in their last five qualifiers last autumn saw them finish second in their group to Switzerland, exposing them to the dangers of the play-offs again.

Nigeria legend Nwankwo Kanu is pumped up ahead of the Super Eagles' 2022 Fifa World Cup play-off against Ghana, and has issued an emotional pep talk ahead ...

We go in there, we win, we come out and finish it up in Nigeria. World Cup here we come!” Can you believe? You can do this.

Mohamed Salah and his Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane did battle in a World Cup qualifier between Egypt and Senegal in Cairo on Friday evening. The match went ...

Things got worse for Sissoko on 40 minutes as he sloppily gifted possession and in attempting to make up for the error, tripped Saifeddine Jaziri and was shown a straight red card. Sissoko scored a shocking own goal on 36 minutes, as he played the ball back blindly and it beat goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro and went into his own net. It was the former who had the big say in the match, as his shot led to the only goal of the game.

Dieumerci Mbokani has scored four of Congo DR's nine World Cup 2022 qualifying goals, the most of any player from the nation. It is two more than any other ...