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SHANE FERGUSON WONDER STRIKE FIRES NORTHERN IRELAND TO VICTORY IN ESTONIA

Shane Ferguson marked his 50th cap for Northern Ireland with a wonder strike as they edged out Estonia 1-0 in a friendly.

For 75 minutes the two sides played out a largely drab affair in Tallinn but second-half substitute Ferguson changed that when he lashed home a left-footed strike from 30 yards to spark jubilant celebrations.

It made it two wins out of two for Ian Baraclough’s side this week, meaning they will go into Wednesday’s crunch World Cup qualifier against Switzerland full of confidence.

As promised, Baraclough made major changes to rest his main men following the exertions of Thursday’s 4-1 qualifying win over Lithuania, but still sprang one surprise as Jamal Lewis kept his place ahead of Ferguson in the starting line-up.

Paddy McNair, suspended for Wednesday, was the only other player retained but Baraclough still chose a number of experienced players, with Niall McGinn confirmed as captain, Kyle Lafferty leading the line, and Trevor Carson replacing Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal.

They faced an Estonia side featuring seven players from Tallinn’s own FC Flora, including the 37-year-old captain Konstantin Vassiljev, who won his 133rd cap.

The Estonian players’ familiarity with each other was apparent as the hosts made a bright start, with Vassiljev getting away from Ciaron Brown to tee up Maksim Paskosti, but the Spurs youngster fired well over.

Rauna Sappinen then got in front of Tom Flanagan before crumbling to the floor, but the referee correctly waved away appeals.

Northern Ireland gradually grew into the game, with Jordan Jones’ fine volleyed pass releasing Gavin Whyte, but his return ball into the box was cut out for a corner.

Northern Ireland kept the pressure on and Alfie McCalmont picked out Lafferty, but the veteran – without an international goal since November 2016 – could not generate power on the turn as Matvej Igonen comfortably gathered the ball.

Estonia made four changes at the break and looked revitalised as a result. Mattias Kait made a dangerous run down the left before fellow substitute Henri Anier’s low cross from the right found Erik Sorga, but Flanagan did just enough to ensure the VVV-Venlo striker poked wide.

Baraclough responded by replacing Lafferty with Dion Charles and sending on Ferguson in place of Lewis, with the Rotherham man being handed the captain’s armband by McGinn on his landmark appearance.

Northern Ireland were preparing to replace Carson too when the Dundee United goalkeeper got down well to safe Sorga’s shot across goal as Estonia threatened again just after the hour – his last involvement before Conor Hazard took his place.

But the hosts remained on top, with former Dundee United and Motherwell forward Anier sending another chance wide.

The game then changed as Ferguson’s bullet found the top corner, with Igonen unable to do anything more than push it on to the inside of a post on its way in as the 30-year-old got his second international goal.

Northern Ireland tails were up and fellow substitute Conor Bradley, earning his second cap, poked a shot wide from the edge of the area before teeing up Ferguson for another strike which this time sailed over.

Hazard saved smartly from Anier before Markus Poom – son of former Derby and Sunderland goalkeeper Mart – sent a late chance over as Northern Ireland hung on for the win.

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GUINEA-MORROCO WORLD CUP QUALIFIER POSTPONED AFTER CONAKRY COUP D’ETAT

Morocco’s national team have been evacuated from the Guinean capital Conakry and their World Cup qualifier against Guinea has been postponed because of a coup d’etat in the West African country.

The Morocco camp boarded a plane after CAF released a statement confirming that the game will not take place.

Morocco goalkeeper Anas Zniti, who is with the team in Conakry, confirmed that the squad are doing well, although they have witnessed the deteriorating security situation in the city, with midfielder Sofyan Amrabat sharing footage of military forces on the streets in his Instagram story.

The Morocco team have been told to remain inside their residence for the time being, and to stay away from windows and doorways.

“The current political and security situation in Guinea is quite volatile and is being closely monitored by FIFA and CAF,” the Confederation of African Football said in a statement.

“To ensure the safety and security of all players and to protect all match officials, FIFA and CAF have decided to postpone the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match Guinea vs. Morocco, which had scheduled to be hosted in Conakry, Guinea, on Monday Sept. 6 Rescheduling information will be made available at a later date.”

Morocco trained in Guinea on Saturday shortly before the reported coup d’etat began, with hours of gunfire being heard in Conakry — in the vicinity of the presidential palace — according to the BBC.

Before the postponement was announced, Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic told French newspaper L’Equipe: “We’re at the hotel, gunshots can be heard nearby all day. We’re waiting for permission to leave for the airport but we’re stranded for now.

“A plane is waiting for us, but we are not allowed to leave. And to get to the airport, it takes between 45 minutes to an hour. When you hear gunshots outside, safety is not 100% guaranteed.”

He added: “I was told there was a possibility that the game would be played in Morocco, but I don’t know. For now we’re stuck there, let’s see how it goes. We wait. I hope we get back to Morocco before the end of the day.”

While Guinea’s defence minister has said that the coup d’etat has not been successful, the fate of President Alpha Conde remains uncertain. Reports have shown verified images from the Guinean capital which depict corpses on the city’s streets.

A statement released to the press issued by the “National Front for the Defence of the Constitution” — the coalition of parties opposing the ongoing presidency — has confirmed that the president has been detained.

Residents in the district of Kaloum have been told to remain indoors, while the military are still present in the streets and have taken control of the country’s land and air borders.

This prompted Air Senegal, which flew some of Guinea’s Europe-based players to Conakry, to cancel Sunday’s proposed flights out of the Guinean capital. The decision may raise concerns about the ability of Liverpool’s Naby Keita — among others — to return to Europe.

Morocco traveled to the country on a special chartered jet.

The four Cameroonian match officials designated to oversee Monday’s fixture are also still in the country, with African football’s governing body yet to confirm how they will exit the country.

Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica’s Adel Taarabt, Wolves defender Romain Saiss and Sevilla duo Yassine Bounou and Youssef En-Nesyri are some of the high-profile players currently in the Morocco camp.

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JESSE LINGARD HITS BRACE AS ENGLAND THRASH ANDORRA 4-0 IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

England cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win over Andorra at Wembley on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of World Cup qualifying Group I.

Jesse Lingard scored twice and goals from Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka helped Gareth Southgate’s side make it five wins from five matches in the group.

It was the first game England played at Wembley since losing the Euro 2020 final on penalties to Italy in July.

Before the match, England supporters unveiled a banner in support of Marcus Rashford, Saka and Jadon Sancho after they suffered racist abuse following missing the penalties in the shootout.

Southgate made 11 changes to the side that secured a 4-0 win at Hungary on Thursday with Patrick Bamford and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone making their international debuts.

England dominated from the start and took the lead after 18 minutes when Saka set up Lingard inside the box to score low into the bottom corner.

Lingard thought he doubled the lead moments later but his goal was disallowed for offside as Andorra failed to pose a threat in the first half.

Four minutes into the second half, England almost grabbed a second when Reece James saw a thunderous shot rattle the crossbar.

The hosts were awarded a penalty after 70 minutes when Mason Mount was fouled in the area and Kane converted from the spot.

Lingard scored his second with a nice curling effort eight minutes later while Saka scored England’s fourth from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quick corner.

“The perfect birthday present for me,” Saka told ITV on the day of his 20th birthday. “I am really happy we got the win and I can celebrate my birthday with this.

“I am really happy with the reception everyone gave me, it shows how proud they are of me and that meant a lot. It means a lot, it really made a difference for me. Even now I can hear fans chanting my name. It means everything to me that I know they support me.

“This is what I dream about, playing at Wembley in front of my family and this crowd.”

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Jamie Carragher expecting Mohamed Salah to sign new Liverpool contract

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher is confident that Mohamed Salah will soon sign a new contract with Jurgen Klopp‘s side.

Salah’s existing deal at Anfield is due to expire in June 2023, and there remains speculation surrounding the Egypt international’s future, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both said to be admirers.

A recent report claimed that the attacker had informed Liverpool that he wants £500,000 a week in wages to commit his future to the Merseyside club.

Carragher is confident that his former team will soon be able to announce a new deal for Salah, who has scored 127 goals and registered 49 assists in 206 appearances for the Reds.

“I think Liverpool have some of the best players in the world, with Alisson signing a six-year deal and Virgil van Djik. I think Mohamed Salah will be the next one to sign,” Carragher told Sky Sports News.

“In years gone by, certainly when I was at the club, if we had players of that quality, they would be going to Real Madrid or Barcelona. We’ve lost so many players over the years, but the club this year hasn’t spent much in the transfer market.

“We’ve bought [Ibrahima] Konate in for £36m and we’ve certainly recouped that through the sales. I think the money and expenditure this pre-season was going to go on new contracts, so that those players can stay at Liverpool for the rest of their careers.”

Liverpool will resume their 2021-22 Premier League season away to Leeds United on September 12.

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BRAZIL-ARGENTINA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER SUSPENDED AFTER HEALTH OFFICIALS INTERVENE

A World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was suspended after Brazilian health officials objected to the participation of three Argentine players they say broke quarantine rules.

Just minutes after kickoff on Sunday at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, officials entered the pitch to stop the game, prompting players from Argentina to walk off the pitch.

“The referee and the match official will take a report to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and they will decide what steps to take,” said a statement issued by CONMEBOL.

In a subsequent statement, FIFA said it “confirm that following a decision by the match officials, the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match Brazil vs. Argentina has been suspended. Further details will follow in due course.”

The players went to the dressing room, although the two coaches, along with Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Brazilian players, gathered at the side of the pitch a few moments later to discuss the stoppage.

“Why did they start the game and stop it after five minutes?” Messi said in comments heard on television. “We’ve been here at the stadium for an hour, they could have told us.”

Messi then returned to the dressing room, and at 5 p.m. local time, an hour after the game kicked off, the match was officially suspended.

Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said he was “indignant” with the scenes that reverberated around the football world.

He criticised Brazilian health regulator Anvisa and said officials told him the Argentines who breached the country’s COVID-19 rules could have been deported after the game.

“I feel sorry for all the sports fans who wanted to watch the game on television,” he told Brazil’s Sportv. “With all due respect to Anvisa, they could have resolved this earlier and not waited for the game to start.”

Argentina’s FA expressed its “discomfort” over the situation, adding that “football should not have to go through these type of incidents that go against the sporting spirit of such an important competition.”

A shellshocked Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni agreed.

“It makes me so sad, I am not looking for guilty parties, whatever happened or didn’t happen, this wasn’t the time to do it,” he told Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports.

“We wanted to enjoy a game between the best in the world and it ends up like this.”

“As a coach I am going to defend my players. If people come and say we want to take this guy or deport this guy there was no chance of that,” he said. “Because at no time were we told we couldn’t play the game.”

The incident occurred just hours after Brazil’s health regulator, Anvisa, said four Argentine players must isolate and could not play in the match. The four Argentine players — Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa, and Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur — play in England’s Premier League.

Under Brazilian rules, visitors who have been in the U.K. in the 14 days before entering the country must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

Anvisa was tipped off that the four did not state that information on their immigration forms, and on Sunday said they confirmed the details given were “false.”

“Anvisa considers the situation a serious health risk and so has asked local health authorities to determine the immediate quarantine of the players, who are stopped from participating in any activity and should be prevented from remaining on Brazilian soil,” Anvisa said in a statement.

Nevertheless, no action was taken and the four players were allowed to travel with the Argentine team from the hotel to the stadium. Martinez, Lo Celso and Romero were in the starting lineup.

The confusion comes amid continuing anger in South America over rules that have disallowed several teams from using key players for this month’s three World Cup qualifiers.

Brazil are without nine key men for the Argentina game, and other South American sides have also lost players due to a decision by some European clubs not to let their players travel to the continent.

They would have to quarantine on return, and the clubs do not want to lose their players for subsequent league games.

Aston Villa said Buendia and Martinez had agreed to return to their club after the Brazil game and will miss Argentina’s game against Bolivia on Tuesday. Martinez and Romero had also played in Argentina’s 3-1 win over Venezuela last week.

Brazil currently lead the South American qualifying group for Qatar 2022, six points ahead of second-place Argentina. The top four qualify automatically for Qatar.

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FORMER FRANCE DEFENDER JEAN-PIERRE ADAMS DIES AFTER 39 YEARS IN COMA

Former France defender Jean-Pierre Adams has died at the age of 73, almost 40 years after falling into a coma following a medical error, his former clubs announced on Monday.

In 1982, Adams was administered a near-fatal dose of anaesthetic ahead of a routine knee operation, which caused brain damage.

On the day of Adams’ operation to repair a damaged tendon – suffered while on a coaching training camp – many staff at the hospital in Lyon were on strike.

Born in Senegal, the defender made more than 140 appearances for Nice and also played for Paris Saint-Germain.

In a statement, PSG said Adams’ “joie de vivre, charisma and experience commanded respect”.

Nice said the club would pay tribute to Adams – who won 22 caps for France between 1972-1976 – before their next home game against Monaco on 19 September.

Adams also made 84 appearances for Nimes, who said they were sending their “most sincere condolences to his loved ones and his family”.

Since the accident, Adams has been cared for by his wife, Bernadette.

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Eduardo Camavinga “very happy and proud” to join Real Madrid

French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has said that he has realised a childhood dream by joining Real Madrid.

The 18-year-old’s future was the subject of much speculation over the summer transfer window, with a number of clubs said to be interested in signing him from Rennes.

Real Madrid completed a move for the France international just before the deadline, though, with the midfielder penning a six-year contract at the Bernabeu.

Camavinga, who made 88 appearances during his time at Rennes, has said that he is “very happy and proud” to have made the move to the Spanish capital.

“My move to Real Madrid was done very quickly. I am very happy and proud,” Camavinga told reporters. “But I don’t want this announcement to change my work with [France’s] under-21s. Whether I play at Rennes or at Real Madrid I will continue to give my best, and of course I dream of the senior team, but step by step.

“Now I’ll go to Rennes to pack my bags, I’ll move to Madrid and I’ll continue on my journey. It’s a dream I had when I was a kid. I can’t wait to discover the stadium, which is very impressive. I hope to play there as soon as the building work is finished.”

Camavinga could make his debut for Los Blancos against Celta Vigo on September 12.

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Cristiano Ronaldo in line to train with Manchester United on Thursday

Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly train with his new Manchester United teammates on Thursday ahead of making his second debut for the club against Newcastle United on September 11.

The 36-year-old became the all-time highest international men’s goalscorer on Wednesday night when he scored his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal in their 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland, but a booking in the latter stages of the contest means that he is suspended for the clash with Azerbaijan, which saw him released from international duty early.

Ronaldo flew into Manchester Airport on Thursday evening but was immediately forced to isolate for five days in line with government regulations.

Providing that Ronaldo returns two negative coronavirus tests then he will be able to link up with his new teammates next week, and according to journalist Tom McDermott, the former Sporting Lisbon youngster will begin training at Carrington on Thursday.

McDermott has also claimed, via Twitter, that the former Juventus attacker will be in the starting XI for Man United’s clash with Newcastle on September 11.

The Portuguese, who will again wear the number seven shirt for the Red Devils, has penned a two-year deal at Old Trafford, returning to the club that he previously represented between 2003 and 2009.

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Manchester City set to quadruple Phil Foden’s wages

Manchester City are reportedly prepared to offer Phil Foden a new deal which would see him almost quadruple his wages at the Etihad.

The 21-year-old burst onto the scene under Pep Guardiola and starred in the 2020-21 season, banking 16 goals and 10 assists from 50 appearances across all competitions.

Foden’s deal with the Premier League champions is not due to expire until the summer of 2024, but City supposedly want to reward the youngster’s stellar performances with a bumper new contract.

According to the Daily Star, Foden currently pockets a modest £40k per week in Manchester, but Guardiola’s side are keen to up his wages to £150k per week following his rapid rise.

The report adds that City are aiming to tie the England international down for the next six years, which would see him follow Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, John Stones and Ruben Dias in signing new long-term deals.

Foden – who is yet to make an appearance this season due to a foot injury – already has 124 appearances for Man City under his belt, with 31 goals and 22 assists to boot.

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Arsenal reach preliminary agreement with Antonio Conte

Arsenal have allegedly reached a ‘preliminary agreement’ with Antonio Conte to take over from Mikel Arteta next month.

The Gunners have made an abysmal start to the 2021-22 Premier League season, collecting zero points and zero goals from clashes with Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Arteta did deliver an FA Cup in his first half-season in charge, though, and the Gunners board are believed to retain faith in the Spaniard to turn Arsenal’s fortunes around.

However, Todofichajes reports that Arsenal director Edu has reached a ‘preliminary agreement’ with Conte to take control of the reins from October, and Arteta must make a ‘radical’ change in the next few weeks to save his job.

The report claims that Conte has agreed to become Arsenal’s next head coach so long as he does not take charge any later than October, and he was initially contacted by the Gunners following their loss to Chelsea.

Conte has been out of the game since leaving Inter Milan following their triumphant 2020-21 Serie A campaign, and he previously won 70 of his 106 games in charge of Chelsea between 2016 and 2018.