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FIFA clears 2 recruits for Congo to play in African qualifying playoffs

ZURICH: FIFA approved two soccer players to change national eligibility to Congo from Belgium ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs for Africa starting Thursday. Celtic forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Standard Liege goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo are now available to play for Congo against Cameroon in a playoffs semifinal. Both players have Congolese family ties and were born in Belgium. They represented Belgium at youth and Under-21 level though not the senior national team, which let FIFA approve the changes. FIFA said Epolo’s move was approved Wednesday and Balikwisha was cleared Tuesday. The winner of Congo vs.

Turkiye imposes bans on 102 players in gambling probe

ANKARA: Turkiye’s football federation (TFF) on Thursday imposed bans of various lengths against 102 players from its league’s top two tiers as part of a probe into alleged betting on matches, with Galatasaray’s Eren Elmali and Metehan Baltaci among those sanctioned. Earlier this month, the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an investigation found that officials working in the country’s professional leagues were betting on football matches. The probe widened on Monday with the arrest of eight people, including the chairman of a top-tier club, and the suspension of 1,024 players from all leagues as the investigation continues. Matches in the second and third-tier leagues were also suspended for two weeks. In a statement, the TFF’s Professional Football Disciplinary Council (PFDK) announced the bans that local media said involved 25 players from the top-tier Super Lig and 77 players from the second tier. Under the measure, the PFDK imposed bans of 45 days and nine months on Elmali and Baltaci, respectively.

Bayern battle back to shock Arsenal in Women’s Champions League

PARIS: Bayern Munich overturned a two-goal deficit to stun holders Arsenal 3-2 in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday. Emily Fox’s early header and Mariona Caldentey’s 23rd-minute shot from the edge of the box appeared to have put Arsenal in total control in Munich. But Bayern dug deep in the second half to execute an astonishing turnaround. Alara began the fightback in the 67th minute, with substitute Pernille Harder’s superb strike drawing the Germans level, before Glodis Viggosdottir snatched the winner, prodding home Klara Buehl’s low cross with four minutes left. “To be honest, this is a winning team with a winning mentality,” Bayern coach Jose Barcala told Disney+. “We always believe we can win the game even when we are 2-0 down.

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Belgium Sport News

FIFA clears 2 recruits for Congo to play in African qualifying playoffs

Turkiye imposes bans on 102 players in gambling probe

Bayern battle back to shock Arsenal in Women’s Champions League

Man City winger Jeremy Doku confident he can build on superb Liverpool display

Christian Pulisic returns from injury but Milan squander lead - ESPN

Dominant Sakamoto defends title at final NHK Trophy, books spot in Grand Prix Final

Injury-hit Belgium call-up Ngoy and Vermant for first time

Napoli chairman says team's home stadium is a 'dump'