Kane: England Must Use Win over Serbia as a Template for World Cup

England's Harry Kane celebrates winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers Group K soccer match between Serbia and England in Belgrade, Serbia, 09 September 2025.  EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC
England's Harry Kane celebrates winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers Group K soccer match between Serbia and England in Belgrade, Serbia, 09 September 2025. EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC
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Kane: England Must Use Win over Serbia as a Template for World Cup

England's Harry Kane celebrates winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers Group K soccer match between Serbia and England in Belgrade, Serbia, 09 September 2025.  EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC
England's Harry Kane celebrates winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers Group K soccer match between Serbia and England in Belgrade, Serbia, 09 September 2025. EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC

England captain Harry Kane said their 5-0 demolition of Serbia on Tuesday in World Cup qualifying should be the template for how they want to play following criticism of their start to coach Thomas Tuchel's tenure.

England had won all four of their Group K qualifiers coming into the match in Belgrade but Tuchel's tactics and team selections came in for scrutiny following labored wins over Andorra, Albania and Latvia.

Tuchel's side were much more impressive on Tuesday, however, with Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marcus Rashford and Marc Guehi all getting on the scoresheet.

"There's been a lot of noise around the outside, but we've been happy with what we've been doing," Kane told broadcaster ITV.

"It's not always been easy against opposition who are sitting in a block of 11 when we have to break them down and be patient.

"We knew tonight would be a really big test against better opposition and better players, we said we wanted to show what we can do especially without the ball with the high pressure and make it difficult for them."

England are now within touching distance of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals in North America and Kane said they must use the win over the Serbs as a template, Reuters reported.

"This is the time when the competition starts, the formation and the way we play and the style is going to be set in stone," he added.

"Of course, there might be a few games where we have to change a little bit depending on opposition, but we want to play our way – we want to be on the front foot and win the ball back quick and when we lose the ball, recover well...

"You could say today was the perfect template and we're going to have difficult games from now until the World Cup but we'll use this as a starting point and the standard's been really high."

England next face Wales in a friendly on October 9 before taking on Latvia in a qualifier five days later.



Osimhen Leads Nigeria Past Algeria into AFCON Semi-finals

 Soccer Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Quarter Final - Algeria v Nigeria - Grand Stadium of Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco - January 10, 2026 Nigeria's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal with Ademola Lookman. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Quarter Final - Algeria v Nigeria - Grand Stadium of Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco - January 10, 2026 Nigeria's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal with Ademola Lookman. (Reuters)
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Osimhen Leads Nigeria Past Algeria into AFCON Semi-finals

 Soccer Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Quarter Final - Algeria v Nigeria - Grand Stadium of Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco - January 10, 2026 Nigeria's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal with Ademola Lookman. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Quarter Final - Algeria v Nigeria - Grand Stadium of Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco - January 10, 2026 Nigeria's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal with Ademola Lookman. (Reuters)

Victor Osimhen scored one goal and set up another as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final on Saturday to set up a last-four showdown with hosts Morocco.

Nigeria dominated the first half in Marrakech without scoring before getting the breakthrough within two minutes of the restart as Osimhen headed in.

The 2023 African player of the year then turned provider for the second goal just before the hour mark, setting up Akor Adams to put the Super Eagles out of sight.

Runners-up at the last AFCON two years ago in Ivory Coast, Nigeria came to Morocco still smarting from their failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup but are dreaming of winning a fourth continental title here.

They were not intimidated by a Marrakech crowd of 32,452 which was almost entirely given over to the Algerian cause, but the atmosphere is likely to be far more hostile for Wednesday's semi-final in Rabat.

Algeria had beaten Nigeria en route to winning their last Cup of Nations title in Egypt in 2019 and this has been by far their best campaign at the tournament since then.

Their large support which descended on a stadium set against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains was full of optimism after Vladimir Petkovic's side had impressed in the group stage and edged out the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 16.

Yet a team featuring a formidable front three of Riyad Mahrez, Ibrahim Maza and Mohamed Amoura failed to muster a single shot in the first half and were lucky to be level at half-time.

Nigeria almost scored just before the half-hour mark, when 'keeper Luca Zidane got nowhere near an Ademola Lookman free-kick delivery and Calvin Bassey turned the ball towards goal.

However, Ramy Bensebaini got there just in time to hook it away from the line.

- Four in four -

They then should certainly have scored in the 37th minute as Adams found himself clean through but blazed his shot over the bar.

However, Eric Chelle's half-time team-talk clearly worked as his Nigeria side wasted no time getting their noses in front at the start of the second half.

Alex Iwobi found Bruno Onyemaechi on the left and his deep cross to the back post was headed low into the net by Osimhen for the opener.

The masked Galatasaray striker had gone seven Cup of Nations matches without finding the net before scoring against Tunisia in the group stage. He now has four in his last four matches.

Nigeria are also the tournament's top scorers overall with 14 goals in total after Adams made it 2-0 -- Osimhen was released in behind and unselfishly squared for the Sevilla striker to round Zidane and finish for his second goal in as many games.

Adams could have had another as he headed off the post when Osimhen held the ball up for him from the line, while Algeria never really looked coming back.

Tensions spilled over between the teams on the pitch at full-time, but it is next stop Rabat for the Super Eagles.


Real Madrid Not ‘Kamikaze’ with Mbappe Health, Says Alonso

Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - Real Madrid Press Conference - King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2026 Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso during the press conference. (Reuters)
Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - Real Madrid Press Conference - King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2026 Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso during the press conference. (Reuters)
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Real Madrid Not ‘Kamikaze’ with Mbappe Health, Says Alonso

Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - Real Madrid Press Conference - King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2026 Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso during the press conference. (Reuters)
Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - Real Madrid Press Conference - King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2026 Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso during the press conference. (Reuters)

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said he could take a controlled risk with Kylian Mbappe's fitness ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday against Barcelona, but would not be "kamikaze".

French superstar Mbappe missed the semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid on Thursday but flew out to Saudi Arabia on Friday to join the squad before the Clasico in Jeddah.

Mbappe is recovering from a knee sprain he suffered at the end of December, which was expected to take three weeks to heal.

Asked if the forward, Madrid's top goalscorer this season with 29 strikes across all competitions, could play with pain-killing injections, Alonso said Madrid would be careful.

"It's a decision that we have to take between the staff, the players and the doctors," Alonso told a news conference.

"We have to measure the risk, to know the moment we're in, what we're playing for, and then take the decisions we take. But we are not kamikaze when we take decisions. It's a controlled risk."

Alonso explained that Mbappe was feeling a lot better after missing last weekend's win over Real Betis in La Liga and the derby clash against Atletico.

"He's doing a lot better, he wouldn't have been quite ready to face Atletico and we decided not to accelerate (his return)," said the coach.

"We had in mind that if we got to the final, according to how he felt, we could see about him coming here.

"When he trains today we'll have all the information we need and see if he's ready to start or to play a bit less."

Winning the Super Cup would be Alonso's first piece of silverware since joining Madrid last June and would ease the pressure on his shoulders.

The Spaniard appeared close to the sack towards the end of 2025 after a poor run of form, but Madrid have won their last five matches.

"Projects take time... we're evolving in terms of football, emotionally, the team's spirit," said Alonso.

"We feel connected with the players. These types of matches could have a big impact on the rest of the season."

- Mbappe the 'best' -

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Mbappe is the man of the moment but backed his team to succeed despite his arrival in Saudi Arabia.

"At the moment Mbappe is the best striker... he's scored many, many goals, and he's a world-class player, that's what I can say," admitted Flick.

However, the German coach was keen to point out that last season his side beat Mbappe's Madrid on all four occasions they met.

Barca thrashed them 5-2 in last season's Spanish Super Cup final, as well as winning both La Liga Clasicos and the Copa del Rey final.

In their one meeting with Alonso's side this season, Madrid secured a 2-1 league win.

"How many Clasicos have we played in the last year and a half? And how many did we win? We lost one," said Flick.

"I know he's a fantastic player and for him with space behind the (defense) he's really great...

"We will adapt something, like we always do, but it's not especially about Mbappe, it's about Real Madrid, it's about how we want to play and how we expect they want to."


Bayern Still without Musiala and Kimmich but Neuer Back for Bundesliga Restart

Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)
Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)
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Bayern Still without Musiala and Kimmich but Neuer Back for Bundesliga Restart

Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)
Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)

Bayern Munich will be missing several players including Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala but will have keeper Manuel Neuer back for their Bundesliga restart against visitors VfL Wolfsburg following the winter break, coach Vincent Kompany said on Saturday.

The Bavarians, undefeated this season in the league, will also be without Sacha Boey and Alphonso Davies on Sunday as they ‌look to ‌extend their eight-point lead ‌at ⁠the top ‌of the table.

Kompany said Germany international Musiala, who sustained a fibula fracture and a broken ankle in the Club World Cup in July last year, was on the verge of a comeback but Sunday's match was ⁠still too soon.

"He will not be available yet for ‌this game," Kompany told a ‍press conference on ‍Saturday. "We are close but we don't want ‍to take the last step too quickly. This week was good for him. He did the full training sessions."

Bayern are in top spot on 41 points, eight ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who needed a ⁠stoppage-time goal to rescue a 3-3 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday. They will increase their lead with a win.

"I want to see our strengths, no matter the opponent," Kompany said. "I want to see us at home being Bayern Munich and even against tough opponents play our game."

Bayern have never lost in Munich against Wolfsburg in 28 ‌league matches, having won 26 of them and drawn two.