Manchester United's loanees are not having the best of times at the moment.
Jack Moorhouse suffered a serious injury while at Dundee and had to return to Carrington.
Sekou Kone had impressed earlier in the season for Lausanne-Sport, but his red card meant he has been suspended for recent matches.
Jacob Devaney also picked up a red card for Hibernian and has been suspended recently.
Dan Gore was also getting regular game time for Luton Town, but he is currently injured.

#card

Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to record their first Bundesliga win of the season away at Mainz. The hosts sealed a five-star win in Hamburg last week as they currently sit in fifth place in the standings.
In contrast, Adi Hütter's Frankfurt conceded seven goals in the first two weeks of the season. Both teams won the home fixtures in last season's Rhine-Main derby meetups.
Mainz: Zentner; Posch, Gruber, Potulski; Caci, Sano, Mwene; Amiri ©, Lee; Becker, Tietz
Frankfurt: Atubolu; Maluze, Koch ©, Brassier; Baum, Doan, Onyedika, Kosugi; Aseko; Uzun, Burkardt

#first #last #hamburg

Japanese midfielder Tatsuki Seko has left Stoke City to join J1 League side Urawa Reds for an undisclosed fee.
The 28-year-old returns to ***** an after two seasons in the Championship with the Potters, having arrived from Kawasaki Frontale in the summer of 2024.
He played 75 times for Stoke across all competitions, but has not featured in the early weeks of the latest campaign.
"Tatsuki and his family were open to exploring a return home and, after we reached an agreement with Urawa, he leaves with our gratitude for his commitment as a Stoke City player," Stoke's sporting director Jonathan Walters told the club website.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page

#stoke #seko #reds #Japan

Celtic begin our Premier Sports campaign this evening with a difficult task against Jim Goodwin's Dundee United at Tannadice later this afternoon.
It's the venue where Martin O'Neill last experienced the bitter taste of defeat before galvanising the team for a sensational ***** le run in which ended with a spectacular double.
That defeat at Tannadice was played on an atrocious playing surface which will not be the case today and with three of our new signings likely to start with another on the bench, there will certainly be a greater goal threat from Celtic on this occasion.
Celtic Manager Martin O Neill Celtic Training and press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz Football, Lennoxtown Training Ground, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK – 14 Aug 2026East Dumbartonshire Lennoxtown Training Ground United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxGRExMLTxCYPxROUxBULxUAExKSAxCHNxDENxINDxITAxPORxESPxSWExTURxMEXxCOLxVENxPERxECUxBRAxARGxCHIxURUxPARxPANxONLY Copyright: xStuartxWallace/Shutterstockx 17069852cb
Celtic also lost at Tannadice last season during the ill-fated and ill-considered tenure of Wilfried Nancy do we clearly are due a triumph in the City of Discovery where we also lost across the road last term with Brendan Rodgers in charge that afternoon.

#tannadice #last #ground

Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt have reportedly reached an agreement over the transfer of Ellyes Skhiri back to his old Bundesliga club, dramatically reviving a return that appeared to have been abandoned only weeks ago. Sport Bild reports the two Bundesliga clubs have settled the terms of a deal for the 31-year-old midfielder. The remaining obstacle is Skhiri's salary demand. Cologne are reportedly prepared to offer the Tunisia international approximately €1.5m per year. Skhiri currently ranks among Frankfurt's higher earners and has yet to accept the proposed terms.
Get German Football News reported in late July that Skhiri had been granted permission to negotiate a departure from Eintracht Frankfurt. The midfielder was omitted from Adi Hütter's training-camp squad after being informed that he no longer featured prominently in the club's plans. A return to Köln initially appeared one of the most logical solutions. That option subsequently seemed dead, however.
GGFN reported during Köln's pursuit of Wolfsburg midfielder Vinicius Souza that Skhiri was no longer considered an option at the RheinEnergieStadion. Köln had elected to explore alternative solutions for René Wagner's midfield instead. That position was reinforced again only recently when GGFN covered Sevilla's emerging interest in Skhiri. At that stage, Köln were understood to have dropped their pursuit entirely.
Skhiri's return would address an obvious need in Köln's midfield, where Tom Krauß, Ísak Jóhannesson and summer signing Paul Okon-Engstler currently represent Wagner's main central options. The veteran already knows the club exceptionally well. Skhiri joined Köln from Montpellier for approximately €6m in 2019 and developed into one of their most important players. He made 133 competitive appearances for the club and contributed to 28 goals before departing for Frankfurt on a free transfer in 2023.
Skhiri has since made 117 appearances for Eintracht, although his role declined last season. The additions of Raphael Onyedika and Noël Aséko have further reduced his prospects under Hütter. Skhiri also enters the final year of his SGE contract. The RheinMainAdler remain eager to cash in on the 86-times-capped international, who still maintains a €5m estimated market value. The two clubs have ironed out the terms of the transfer. Skhiri will still have to lower his salary expectations in order to facilitate the move.

#eintracht #club #return

Two Bundesliga midfielders could be headed for the Premier League before the transfer window closes, with Crystal Palace showing concrete interest in Eintracht Frankfurt's Farès Chaïbi and Ipswich Town continuing their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios. According to Sport Bild, Crystal Palace are considering a move for Chaïbi. No formal offer has yet arrived in Frankfurt, though one could reportedly follow soon.
A potential departure would pose no significant problems for Eintracht. The RheinMainAdler have built their preferred midfield partnership for the coming season around new additions Noël Aséko and Raphael Onyedika.
Chaïbi's versatility remains one of his major selling points. The Algeria international can work centrally or further forward and has established himself as a regular for his national team since arriving in Frankfurt in 2023.
Interest from England is also nothing new. Aston Villa and Brentford have previously been linked with Chaïbi, while his recent World Cup performances for Algeria further raised his profile.
There has meanwhile been a significant development in Exequiel Palacios's situation at Bayer Leverkusen. According to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, the 27-year-old has now explicitly informed Leverkusen of his desire to leave. Previous reports had suggested that Palacios was considering a transfer without having formally requested one.

#crystal #eintracht #palacios #according

Eintracht Frankfurt enter the 2026/27 Bundesliga season with renewed optimism after an ambitious summer rebuild led by returning head coach Adi Hütter. Having previously guided the Eagles to one of the club's most memorable modern eras between 2018 and 2021, the Austrian returns to Deutsche Bank Park tasked with restoring Die Adler as one of Germany's most competitive sides.
The early signs suggest the club have fully backed him.
One of Frankfurt's headline additions is Germany youth international Noël Aséko Nkili, whose arrival strengthens a midfield that requires greater athleticism and defensive intensity. Aséko is comfortable covering large ******* es, winning duels and progressing possession, qualities that fit naturally into Hütter's aggressive, transition-based style.
The Eagles have also focused on improving the overall balance of the squad rather than simply adding star names. Hütter's teams have historically relied on collective organisation, quick vertical attacks and relentless pressing, meaning every signing must fit the tactical identity instead of relying on individual brilliance.
That philosophy helped Frankfurt reach the Europa League semi-finals during Hütter's first spell and could once again become the foundation of the club's success.

#Eagles #deutsche #adler

Rennes qualified for European football last season, which was a big improvement on the 10th and 12th-place finishes in the two seasons prior. How would you summarise last season and how it went for the club?
Those two seasons you mention were very bad, but the previous six were very good and Rennes were in Europe every time.
The new sporting director Loïc Désiré did a very good job last summer and had very good ideas, like bringing in Esteban Lepaul, who finished as Ligue 1's top goalscorer.
But, last season, there were a few phases; sometimes they were very good, then very bad. It was complicated in the beginning with the coach Habib Beye because some of the players in the squad really did not like him.
Some big names like Brice Samba and Seko Fofana had problems with Beye personally. He struggled, but he had his good moments, too.

#rennes #european

Max Eberl and Bayern Munich have been busy in the summer transfer window through the FIFA World Cup season. As part of the changes to the squad, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye is set to be signed on a long term deal with the club. The Senegalese midfielder is expected to replace out the outgoing veteran and **** tuple champion Leon Goretzka.
Ndiaye had earned his favor from Vincent Kompany and got several opportunities with the first team in the second half of the season. Albeit not as risk taking as the sensational Lennart Karl, Ndiaye proved to be a robust midfielder who could hold his own against high pressing opponents. His awareness, technical skill and physical resilience saw him shuffle the ball smoothly at the back or find an occasional through ball. His one touch short passing is a special highlight of his composure.
Per Kicker's reporter Frank Linkesch, Ndiaye will be behind Joshua Kimmich, Aleksander Pavlović and Tom Bischof in the midfield order. Considering his age and experience, this is a very valuable position for his development. The full details are captured by iMiaSanMia below:
Despite their partnership, money was an important factor in the talks between Bayern and Gambinos Stars over Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Bayern will pay a fee 'significantly under' €5m for the Senegalese international. Bara will take Leon Goretzka's spot in the squad and will be behind Kimmich, Pavlović and Bischof in the pecking order. Bara is highly rated at the club and was also part of the reason Noël Aséko was sold to Frankfurt. He will begin pre-season training with Bayern in the coming days.
Formed in 2023, Bayern Munich tied up with LAFC to form Red&Gold Football, a joint venture to scout and aid in the development of talents from across the globe. Ndiaye's parent club Gambino Stars a renowned football academy became a partner of the joint venture. Per LAFC, the aim of the partnership is "to provide the top players of The Gambia and other West African nations with a controlled, self-determined path to the top European leagues as well as Major League Soccer (USA)."

#season #sapoko #senegalese #leon

After Leon Goretzka's departure, questions were raised over who would take his spot in the midfield. Following an impressive season on loan at Hannover, many thought Noël Aséko Nkili would be the man for the job. However, the 20-year-old midfielder was sold to Eintracht Frankfurt — leaving many scratching their heads.
It seems as though Bayern had Goretzka's replacement lined up since the start of the year.
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye impressed in his cameo appearances towards the end of Bayern's season. So much so that Die Rekordmeister decided to sign the 18-year-old talent from Gambian academy Gambino Stars Africa permanently.
Bayern Munich Sporting Director Christoph Freund confirmed the signing on Saturday, reports two days later confirming that Ndiaye signed a five-year contract.
Now according to Florian Plettenberg (as captured by iMiaSanMia), we know how much Bayern paid for Ndiaye.

#much

According to Bild, Raphael Onyedika is edging closer to a Bundesliga move as Eintracht Frankfurt's latest offer isn't far from Club Brugge's valuation. The Eagles saw their first two offers declined by the Belgian champions
The Champions League regulars are demanding €10 million, while Frankfurt are reportedly working to finalize the transfer for €8 million. Club Brugge were asking €30 million for the defensive midfielder last year, but they had to settle for a third of that sum now with his contract set to run out next summer.
Bild also reported the player has already reached total agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt. Adi Hütter's side completed their first marquee signing of the summer on Saturday with fellow midfielder Noel Aseko joining them from FC Bayern for around €13 million.
Onyedika played 42 games in all competitions for Club Brugge last season. The Nigerian joined the club from FC Midtjylland for a reported €9.5 million back in 2022. His countryman Jay-Jay Okocha is still a fan favorite at Eintracht Frankfurt after his four-year spell at the start of a decorated career.

#midfielder

According to a report from Kicker journalist Georg Holzner (as captured by iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich is about to give fans something they were clamoring for last season — a bigger role for midfielder Tom Bischof.
Bischof, who made the move from Hoffenheim to Bayern Munich last summer, often played out of position at left-back or right-back last season for the Bavarians, as Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Aleksandar Pavlović, and even Raphaël Guerreiro ate up the majority of the midfield minutes.
Now, though, Bischof looks ready to be an important part of the group:
Tom Bischof will play a significantly bigger role under Vincent Kompany in the coming season. The German U21 captain is the player who will benefit the most from the departures of Leon Goretzka and Raphaël Guerreiro. Bischof is to take over Goretzka's role as third midfielder, while also retaining the versatility that made Guerreiro valuable, including the ability to fill in at left-back and in the attacking areas if necessary. In doing so, Bischof will effectively replace two departing players at once and receive plenty of game time.
With Noël Aséko Nkili likely headed to Eintracht Frankfurt and David Santos Daiber unproven and coming off of an injury, Bischof has a much more clear pathway to playing time than he did last season. Kimmich aging up another year and Pavlović's poor World Cup showing could present a good opportunity for Bischof to really take advantage of the situation and prove his mettle.

After Bayern Munich activated a buyback clause to re-sign Noel Aseko from Hannover 96, the central midfielder is now seemingly leaving the club again.
According to Sport1, Bayern have agreed to sell the 20-year-old to Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee in the region of €10-12 million.
Aseko is expected to sign a contract with Frankfurt until 2030, with an option to extend it by a further year.
The Germany U21 international will be hoping the move to Eintracht can provide him with more regular playing time than he would have been able to find at Bayern.
Aseko impressed in the 2. Bundesliga last season, scoring three goals and providing six ******* ists in 32 appearances for Hannover 96.

Eintracht Frankfurt are close to reaching a verbal agreement with 20-year-old midfielder Noël Aséko, according to Bild .
The German youth international, who spent the last two seasons on loan at 2. Bundesliga side Hannover, is of interest to Frankfurt, who believe they can fend off interest from outside of Germany.
The problem for Die Adler is that Bayern are interested in integrating the young player into their squad for next season and are yet to decide whether to sell him. Aséko can play at right midfield and right wing-back in addition to his defensive midfield role, making him an ideal option for the Bavarians.
Bayern would demand between €10m-€12m if they decide to sell the German player. It's reported that the good relationship between Bayern sporting director Max Eberl and his counterpart Markus Krösche at Eintracht can help negotiations between the two clubs go smoothly.
GGFN | Brook Genene

South Africa coach Hugo Broos smiles a lot and snarls a little as he prepares for the biggest match of his 38-year career as a tactician.
Having reached the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time, Bafana Bafana (The Boys) face Canada on Sunday in Los Angeles in the first last-32 fixture.
The joy of the 74-year-old Belgian grandfather stems from succeeding where various coaches, including renowned Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, failed.
A 1-0 midweek victory over higher-ranked South Korea, through a goal from winger Thapelo Maseko, earned South Africa second place in Group A and qualification for the knockout stage.
It was a triumphant end to a mini-league campaign that began badly two weeks ago when Bafana performed poorly in a 2-0 loss to joint hosts Mexico.

South Africa and Canada go head-to-head at SoFi Stadium this Sunday in the World Cup.
Last time out, South Africa triumphed 1-0 against South Korea (World Cup 2026). In their last game, Canada lost 2-1 against Switzerland (World Cup 2026).
South Africa ( vs South Korea 2026-06-25): Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Aubrey Modiba, Yaya Sithole, Thalente Mbatha, Thapelo Maseko, Relebohile ******* keng, Oswin Appollis, Evidence Makgopa
Canada ( vs Switzerland 2026-06-24): Maxime Crépeau, Alistair Johnston, Derek Cornelius, Luc De Fougerolles, Richie Laryea, Tajon Buchanan, Nathan Saliba, Mathieu Choinière, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin

Recent rumors linking Bayern Munich to Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha appear to be wide of the mark. The German record champions are reportedly happy with the current group and Nmecha would be too expensive anyway, according to a report from Sport1 journalist Stefan ****** berger, as captured by iMiaSanMia:
Bayern believe they’re well-equipped in the central midfield area. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović are still planned as the starting double pivot next season. Tom Bischof will be used more often as a backup in the position. In addition, Noël Aséko has ‘influential supporters’ within the club who want him to be a squad player and get appearances as another midfield backup. Bayern want to continue with the strategy of having a small squad, which allows young players to get their chance and prove themselves. The recent links to Felix Nmecha are questionable. The German international is not for sale unless a nine-figure offer were to come in, which is beyond Bayern’s reach. In addition, BVB’s management would prefer to sell abroad [StefanKumberger, SPORT1]
This is good — Bayern probably should not be trying to add positions to spend this summer when it is already investing significant resources in transfers in attack and defense. Moreover, the attacker, Ismael Saibari, is slated to play centrally when Bayern also has a short-term need for reinforcements at wing. And the defender, left-back Nathaniel Brown, will provide cover and competition for Alphonso Davies at left-back while the Bavarians mull their next big center-back signing, which is probably also due next summer at the latest.
Nmecha is having himself a great World Cup and that is going to raise his stock. If there is not a huge need right now, why not see how things shake out with the younger players? Bischof’s future is extremely bright and Aséko might just serve the club better by being the next showcase of academy-to-first team success than by finding a move elsewhere. There is too little clarity right now on what type of midfielder Bayern would need to add to this mix, so if a player already on the roster can do the job — why not? Then hit the market, if necessary, once the need crystallizes.
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Late on Wednesday night, Bayern duo Alphonso Davies and Minjae Kim were in action at the World Cup with Canada and South Korea respectively. Both teams suffered defeats, but it was less painful for the co-hosts. Our round-up has all the details:
With captain Davies still on the bench waiting to make his comeback from a hamstring injury, the Canadians went down 2-1 against Switzerland in Vancouver. After a goalless first half, Ruben Vargas (46th minute) and Johan Manzambi (57’) struck early in the second period, with Promise David’s 76th-minute reply coming too late for the co-hosts, who finish second in Group B behind the Swiss.
Canada now face South Africa in the round of 32 on Sunday evening (21:00 CEST) but will be without home advantage from now on. Davies and Co would’ve played more matches in Vancouver had they won the group, but instead they’ll head to Los Angeles for now.
Kim and South Korea face a nervous wait to see if they make it through to the knockout rounds. The two-time Asian champions suffered an unlucky 1-0 loss to South Africa in Monterrey, Mexico. Thapelo Meseko scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half to fire Bafana Bafana into second place in Group A, behind co-hosts Mexico. South Korea end in third place and must now hope that, as well as Scotland, three other third-placed teams finish with a goal difference worse than theirs of -1.
Follow FC Bayern's players at 2026 World Cup

South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history -- an astonishing turnaround after a dismal opening defeat.
The Bafana Bafana, playing at the tournament for the first time since they hosted it in 2010, were widely written off after their 2-0 loss to Group A winners Mexico.
But they battled to a draw against the Czech Republic and came out on top of what was effectively a shootout with South Korea for second place in Monterrey, thanks to Thapelo Maseko's second-half strike.
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo made a shock call by leaving captain Son Heung-min -- considered by many to be Asia's greatest-ever player -- out of the starting line-up.
The Asian team started strongly, with stand-in captain Kim Min-jae's powerful header blocked on the goalline by Aubrey Modiba before Lee Kang-in flashed wide.

GUADALUPE, Mexico (AP) — South Africa advanced to the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time with a 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday night.
Thapelo Maseko scored in the 63rd minute off a precise cross from Tshepang Moremi and South Africa finished in second place in Group A behind Mexico, which won all three of its group-stage games.
South Africa will take on Canada, the second-place finisher in Group B, in a knockout game Sunday at Inglewood, California.
Bafana Bafana had failed to advance from the group stage in 1998, 2002 and as host in 2010.
South Africa opened its World Cup with a 2-0 loss to Mexico before using a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Czech Republic. It entered its final group-stage game trailing Mexico and favored South Korea before shocking the Taegeuk Warriors.

South Africa is heading to the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time after a 1-0 win over South Korea.
Thapelo Maseko scored a 63rd-minute goal to move South Africa from last to second in Group A. The win means South Africa will play Canada on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in the first Round of 32 game.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for the South Africans after they lost 2-0 to Mexico to open the World Cup and finished that game with nine players thanks to two red cards. After a draw with Czechia, South Africa needed to get a win to have any chance at making the knockout rounds. A tie would do it no good.
Czechia lost 3-0 to Mexico, as Mexico became the first team in the 2026 World Cup to win all three of its group stage games. The multi-goal lead allowed Mexico manager Javier Aguirre to bring on goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 78th minute.
Ochoa, 40, joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo this summer as the only men to be selected for six World Cup squads. Wednesday night’s appearance meant Ochoa has played in four World Cups. He first emerged as a starter for Mexico during the 2014 World Cup.

Germany dispatched Curaçao in their opening World Cup match with a 7-1 win, but that didn’t come easily as the underdogs pushed and pushed and made life hard for the four-time World Cup winners. Joshua Kimmich knows how Les Éléphants will not be pushovers and singled out a player that he is familiar with.
“A year ago, hardly anyone knew him. He’s had an outstanding season, even though RB Leipzig had a few problems,” Kimmich said (as captured by X account iMiaSanMia). “His dribbling is exceptional, a bit like Kingsley Coman at Bayern back in the day. He’s got incredible pace. But there we have to prepare for. They have spectacular attacking players.”
Some of the notable names on the Ivory Coast team include Diomande, Amad Diallo, Ibrahim Sangaré, Seko Fofana, Guéla Doué, and more; Diallo scored a 90th-minute winner against Ecuador in the other Group E match.
Germany takes on Ivory Coast on Saturday in Toronto.

A late penalty from Teboho Mokoena secured South Africa a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic football in Atalanta, which keeps alive both sides’ hopes of qualification from Group A at World Cup 2026.
After Patrik Schick headed an early chance wide at the far post, the Czechs – showing five changes from the 2-1 defeat to South Korea, including West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek dropped to the bench – took the lead in the sixth minute.
Adam Hlozek raced on to a throw-in down the right and cut the ball back to the edge of box where Alexandr Sojka fed Michal Sadilek to clip his finish past South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams for the quickest goal of the tournament so far.
South Africa, who had Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane sent off in their opening 2-0 loss to co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, looked for a response as Oswin Appollis’ 25-yard effort was deflected behind ahead of the first hydration break, which was met by a chorus of boos from fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the roof was closed.
The tempo dropped heading towards half-time before Thapelo Maseko was played into the right side of the Czech penalty area, but his angled effort was cut out at the near post.

Germany and Ivory Coast face off this Saturday at the BMO Field in World Cup. The match will be broadcast live at 21:00 on ITV 1.
In their last game, Germany won 7-1 against Curaçao (World Cup 2026). Last time out, Ivory Coast triumphed 1-0 against Ecuador (World Cup 2026).
Germany ( vs Curaçao 2026-06-14): Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz
Ivory Coast ( vs Ecuador 2026-06-15): Yahia Fofana, Guéla Doué, Emmanuel Agbadou, Wilfried Singo, Ghislain Konan, Yan Diomande, Seko Fofana, Franck Kessié, Bazoumana Touré, Elye Wahi, Nicolas Pépé

Ivory Coast vs Ecuador meet in their World Cup Group E opener in Philadelphia, with Germany having already set the early pace in the group by thrashing Curacao 7-1 earlier today.
Atalanta defender Odilon Kossounou is named among the Ivory Coast substitutes, while Roma’s Evan Ndicka features on the bench also due to a fitness concern.
Inter’s Ange-Yoan Bonny, who switched international allegiances from France ahead of the tournament, is also among the substitutes.
Former Milan midfielder Franck Kessie starts in midfield alongside Seko Fofana, with Elye Wahi and Nicolas Pepe in attack.
Ex Atalanta forward Amad Diallo is also among the substitutes for the African side.

RB Leipzig’s sought-after winger Yan Diomande is in the Ivory Coast starting lineup for their opening World Cup game against Ecuador. The 19-year-old is tipped to replace Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, with the Bundesliga club expecting a record transfer sum.
Emerse Faé’s side also have another Bundesliga prospect in Bazoumana Touré as the Hoffenheim attacker starts on the left wing. Eintracht Frankfurt’s returnee Elye Wahi is one of the two strikers for one of the ten African representatives after his excellent loan spell at OGC Nice.
Ex-Bundesliga defenders Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen) and Willian Pacho (Frankfurt) start for Sebastián Beccacece’s team. Spanish-born Jeremy Arévalo, who has only played 32 Bundesliga minutes for Stuttgart, is on the substitute bench for Ecuador.
German-born John Yeboah, who has played for Wolfsburg and Duisburg early in his career, starts for the South Americans after playing his part in Venezia’s promotion to Serie A.
Ivory Coast: Yahia Fofana; Guela Doué, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Diomande, Seko Fofana, Kessié ©, Touré; Pepé, Wahi

International friendly, 04/06/26
France got the final part of their World Cup preparations underway by hosting Ivory Coast in Nantes. Didier Deschamps, who was serenaded for his return to his former La Beaujoire ground, opted to give PSG’s Champions League winners at his disposal a breather.
With Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé all benched, Rayan Cherki was handed the playmaker role, between left-winger Marcus Thuram and Michael Olise on the other side. Les Bleus captain Kylian Mbappé leads the line.
France dominated possession, but they were far from clinical in the final third. Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki missed big chances in the first half, whereas Ivory Coast’s best chances stemmed from Les Bleus’ unforced errors. Mike Maignan proved alert to save Aurélien Tchouaméni’s blushes after the Real Madrid midfielder was too easily dispossessed by Simon Adingra.
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana was called into action more often than not, but there was nothing he could do to prevent Cherki from opening the scoring. The Manchester City playmaker recovered the ball from Ibrahima Konaté, breezed past Seko Fofana and Yan Diomandé before finding the bottom right corner.