Rio Ferdinand talks online racism in soccer with UK lawmakers

After a long wait, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations has finally kicked off in Cameroon after COVID-19 forced the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone the tournament.

Ivory Coast soccer fans watching the African Cup of Nations are being greeted with rapid tests, masks and COVID-19 vaccines at dedicated fan zones, an initiative of the health ministry to spur vaccination. Officials say dozens of young people have been vaccinated at the Cup of Nations villages.

Brazilian soccer great Pele has returned to hospital for new chemotherapy sessions, sports website ESPN reported on Thursday. The former soccer star will undergo new exams to find other possible cancer spots, ESPN said. It said Pele was in stable condition and could leave hospital on Thursday.

Abdoulaye Bandaogo lost his sight as a teenager, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a sports journalist.

At a sharp whistle from Rwandan soccer coach Egidie Kayitesi, her players change their practice drills: the team splits into pairs, some kicking the ball and others throwing it. Kayitesi, 49, coaches AS Kigali, one of Rwanda's top women's soccer teams.

Former Colombia captain Freddy Rincon was in a critical condition with severe head injuries after being involved in a car crash in the city of Cali, the clinic where he was being treated said.

UEFA has banned Russia from the Women's European Championship in July and from participating in qualifying for next year's World Cup following the country's invasion of Ukraine, European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Rio Ferdinand fronting Amazon documentary series about race, mental health and sexuality in football Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand is reportedly working on a trio of documentaries for Amazon about race, mental health and sexuality in football.

The trial of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and French footballing legend Michel Platini over alleged corrupt payments continued in Switzerland on Thursday.

Sports-loving nuns sometimes meet resistance in the church. That doesn't damper the Vatican's female soccer players' enthusiasm.

After three years of tinkering and writing hundreds of lines of code, Nigerian coder Victor Daniyan has launched what he says is the first African football video game - Vikseen Virtual.

France World Cup winner Paul Pogba has wowed fans in his parents' native country of Guinea. The midfielder flew in to play in a charity match and was even cheekily asked if he might like to join the Guinean government.