Last-gasp Anguissa Fires Napoli Past Cagliari, Roma Keep Pace

Napoli players celebrates teammate Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Cagliari at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, southern Italy, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (LaPresse via AP)
Napoli players celebrates teammate Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Cagliari at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, southern Italy, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (LaPresse via AP)
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Last-gasp Anguissa Fires Napoli Past Cagliari, Roma Keep Pace

Napoli players celebrates teammate Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Cagliari at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, southern Italy, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (LaPresse via AP)
Napoli players celebrates teammate Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Cagliari at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, southern Italy, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (LaPresse via AP)

Andre-Frank Anguissa was the hero for Napoli on Saturday with the last-gasp winner which gave the Serie A champions a 1-0 success over Cagliari, while Roma saw off promoted Pisa by the same score.

Cameroon midfielder Anguissa struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time just as it looked like Antonio Conte's team would fail to break down dogged Cagliari.

Just moments before, Scott McTominay had wasted a golden opportunity to snatch the points at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona where the hosts had few clear chances on goal.

"It was a hard match because they defended really well but we didn't leave anything out there, we pushed and in the end we won," said Anguissa to DAZN.

A year ago almost to the day Anguissa netted a winner in added time against Parma, but he scoffed at suggestions Saturday's strike was a good omen for Napoli's bid to successfully defend the Scudetto for the first time.

"The most important thing is winning, we played as a team and that's how it should be," Anguissa said.

The closest Napoli came to breaking the deadlock before stoppage time came in the 57th minute when Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile pulled off a one-handed save to stop Leonardo Spinazzola's low drive fizzing in at the near post.

Stars Kevin De Bruyne and McTominay were subdued, while Lorenzo Lucca was again ineffective as a replacement for injured Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku.

Napoli are set to sign Rasmus Hojland from Manchester United with the Denmark striker landing in Italy on Saturday ahead of an initial loan move with obligation to buy.

Roma continued their positive start to life under Gian Piero Gasperini with their narrow win in Tuscany, Matias Soule deciding a tough contest nine minutes after half-time.

Soule stroked home Evan Ferguson's lay-off to give Roma a perfect six points, level with Napoli -- who lead on goal difference -- and Cremonese.

The Argentine had the ball in the net for a second time shortly after opening the scoring, but he was denied a brace from the raucous Arena Garibaldi when he was spotted handling the ball before shooting past Adrian Semper.

"Every day that I'm here with the faith that is shown in me I feel better, but I can still give more," said Soule, who shone alongside countryman Paulo Dybala.

"I'm always with him, so we have a connection off the field as well. When he's on the pitch he gives us something more."

Riccardo Orsolino celebrated his selection by new Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso by guiding home the only goal of Bologna's 1-0 win over Como.

Winger Orsolini met Santiago Castro's low cross just before the hour to give Bologna their first win of the season, suggesting he is set to carry on with the fine form which helped Vincenzo Italiano's team win the Italian Cup last season.

The 28-year-old struggled for playing time with Italy under former coach Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked in June following a troubled start to the Azzurri's World Cup qualifying campaign.

"I need to get to know the coach (Gattuso) but I'm there for him and the rest of the lads. I'm always ready," said Orsolini.

Atalanta are without a win under Ivan Juric after Patrick Cutrone gave Parma a 1-1 draw.

Cutrone's 85th-minute strike cancelled out a fine finish six minutes earlier from Mario Pasalic who was playing 300th match for Atalanta and was a key figure in the team which won the Europa League under Gasperini last year.



Veteran Monfils Exits to Standing Ovation on Australian Open Farewell

Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)
Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)
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Veteran Monfils Exits to Standing Ovation on Australian Open Farewell

Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)
Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)

French entertainer Gael Monfils was bundled out of the Australian Open in the first round on Tuesday in a brave farewell to a tournament he has lit up so many times.

The 39-year-old, one of the most colorful and popular players in men's tennis, battled all the way but Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny prevailed 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 in an epic lasting nearly four hours.

There was an on-court presentation and standing ovation afterwards for Monfils, who said: "Somehow it is the finish line, but thank you so much for an amazing ride.

"I have a lot of great memories here."

Monfils, who has won 13 ATP titles in a career stretching back to 2004, said in October that this year would be his last in tennis.

Launching his 20th Australian Open campaign, Monfils outlasted Sweeny, who is 15 years his junior, in an attritional first set.

Roared on by a partisan full house at Melbourne Park, Sweeny fought back to seize the second set and level an enthralling match.

Monfils, now ranked 110 but who rose to six in the world in his pomp, looked to be struggling physically in glaring sunshine.

The French veteran was frequently bent over double between points, one hand on his left knee and the other using his racquet to stay upright.

He alternately grimaced and grinned.

Monfils saw a trainer after losing the second set but still trudged out for the third, and was soon broken on the way to losing the set.

In a raucous party atmosphere, Monfils summoned reserves of energy from somewhere to race into a 4-1 lead in the fourth set, only for Sweeny to peg him back.

Sweeny clinched on his first match point before collapsing to the court.

He faces American eighth seed Ben Shelton in round two.

Paris-born Monfils has never won a Grand Slam but he has frequently gone deep in the biggest tournaments, including making the quarter-finals in Melbourne in 2016 and 2022.

Monfils married Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina in 2021 and they welcomed a daughter, Skai, a year later.


Morocco's Igamane Suffers ACL Injury

Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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Morocco's Igamane Suffers ACL Injury

Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Lille striker Hamza Igamane suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, the Ligue 1 side announced on Monday, casting doubt over his participation in this year's World Cup.

The 23-year-old was on the bench ‌for the ‌final, which Senegal ‌won ⁠1-0, before ‌coming on in extra time as the sixth substitute. He lasted seven minutes before going off injured, leaving Walid Regragui's side to finish the match with ⁠10 men.

"Tests carried out on the ‌player have unfortunately confirmed ‍a serious ‍injury. Hamza Igamane has indeed ‍suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee," Reuters quoted Lille as saying in a statement.

"Hamza will be unavailable for several months," it added, with ⁠the injury coming five months before the 2026 World Cup, where Morocco will face Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in Group C.

Igamane, who joined Lille from Rangers in the close season, has scored nine goals in 21 games for the French ‌side in all competitions.


Precision-Serving Former Finalist Rybakina Powers on in Melbourne

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Precision-Serving Former Finalist Rybakina Powers on in Melbourne

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)

Former finalist Elena Rybakina warned Tuesday if her serve was firing she would be a threat at the Australian Open, after reinforcing her title credentials with a comfortable first-round victory.

The fifth seed, who lost the 2023 final in three tough sets to Aryna Sabalenka, sent Slovenia's Kaja Juvan packing 6-4, 6-3 with her serve proving a potent weapon.

Rybakina won 83 percent of her first-serve points to keep up her record of safely negotiating the first hurdle at every Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open.

"No matter who is on the other side, if the serve is going, then it's perfect," she said after routinely racing to 40-0 leads and holding to love three times.

"Of course, little things (to work on) on the serve. Maybe adjust, be better in the first few shots of the rally, then we will see how it's going to go.

"But I'm happy with the serve, it really worked today."

It was her second serve that truly separated her from Juvan, winning 10 of 18 points behind it and not facing a break point until the final game of the match.

Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, faces France's Varvara Gracheva next.