A historic World Cup qualifying soccer match in Pyongyang between North Korea and South Korea has been cast into media darkness in the South, with the North keeping out rival reporters and spectators and refusing a live broadcast from Kim Il-sung Stadium.The South Korean soccer association, known as the KFA, sent two staff members to the North Korean capital to watch Tuesday's game, but ruled out live text updates on its website because of uncertainties in internet connection, said association o

North Korea agreed to provide South Korea with a video of an inter-Korean World Cup qualifier to be held Tuesday in Pyongyang, a unification ministry official said, after Seoul's push to televise the match live fell through.The North promised to give the video to the South's delegation before it departs from Pyongyang on Wednesday afternoon after the match to be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The delegation is scheduled to arrive back home via Beijing early Thursday.South Korea had pushed for live b

In one of the most anticipated football matches of the year in Asia, South Korea and North Korea will square off in Pyongyang in a crucial World Cup qualifying match this week.The kickoff for the Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital. It will be the first trip to the North by a South Korea men's national football team since a friendly in October 1990, and this week's ma

The South Korean men's national football team on Sunday began its journey to North Korea for a key World Cup qualifying match, a contest expected to take place under unusual circumstances.Coached by Paulo Bento, South Korea will first travel to Beijing on Sunday to pick up their North Korea visas and fly to Pyongyang on Monday. The much-anticipated Group H showdown between the Koreas is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital.It will be the S

North and South Korea face each other in a World Cup qualifier this week for their first ever competitive men's match in Pyongyang, while talks on the North's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked.The teams -- with Tottenham's star striker Son Heung-min included in the South Korean squad -- are expected to step out onto Kim Il-sung Stadium turf on Tuesday.It comes in the wake of a series of North Korean missile tests and after talks with the US over its weapons programmes broke down, with Pyongyang

An inter-Korean World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang slated for next week is unlikely to be broadcast live amid the North's silence on the issue, a unification ministry official said Thursday. North Korea is set to host the game Tuesday as the two Koreas were placed in the same group for the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, in what will be a rare sports exchange between the two sides. The North, however, has remained silent on South Korea's offer to talk on the issues of sendin

South Korean teenage midfielder Lee Kang-in finally has a goal to his credit in Spain.The 18-year-old scored his first La Liga goal in his first start for Valencia CF in their 3-3 draw with Getafe at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia on Wednesday (local time).Lee's goal in the 39th minute gave Valencia a 3-1 lead, but Getafe rallied with two second-half goals for a draw. At 18 years and 219 days, Lee became the youngest non-Spanish player to score for Valencia. He's also the second South Korean playe

An upcoming World Cup qualifier between South Korea and North Korea will take place in Pyongyang on time, the national football governing body here confirmed Tuesday.The Korea Football Association said Tuesday it has been informed by the Asian Football Confederation that North Korea will host South Korea on Oct. 15, as scheduled, for their Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.According to the KFA, an AFC official and a vice president of the Nor

MILAN (AFP) -- Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award as beaten rival Cristiano Ronaldo stayed away from the star-studded ceremony in Milan's iconic La Scala Opera House on Monday.Barcelona striker Messi's victory was a surprise as he edged out Virgil Van Dijk, who won the UEFA player's award last month after helping Liverpool to the Champions League last season.Juventus forward Ronaldo had also been shortlisted for the award, but did not attend the ceremony as he was named in

South Korea's football and weightlifting governing bodies are attempting to talk to North Korea about a World Cup qualifier and an international weightlifting event to be held in Pyongyang next month, the unification ministry said Monday.Pyongyang is scheduled to host the football match with the South on Oct. 15, and the international junior weightlifting event from Oct. 20-27, in what would be rare sports exchanges between the two sides amid a stall in the reconciliation process. "Consulta

LONDON (AFP) -- Tottenham emphatically allayed concerns about their ability to break down teams at home with a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.Spurs had laboured in their previous home matches this season, having to come from behind to beat newly promoted Aston Villa and then falling to a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle.Tottenham fans may have feared another frustrating afternoon against London rivals Palace.Roy Hodgson's side arrived lying fourth in the league table and boasting the be

With a can't-miss striker coming to the rescue in an otherwise lackluster performance, South Korea managed a 2-2 draw against Georgia in a friendly match in Turkey on Thursday ahead of a World Cup qualifying match.Bordeaux forward Hwang Ui-jo came off the bench in the second half to score both of South Korea's goals at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium in Istanbul. Jano Ananidze opened the scoring for Georgia in the 40th minute, and Giorgi Kvilitaia netted a late equalizer to round out the scoring.

Discussions are under way between South and North Korea through the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) about a World Cup qualifier set to be held in Pyongyang in October, the unification ministry said Monday.Last month, North Korea notified the AFC of its intent to host the rare match between the two Koreas on Oct. 15. The two Koreas were placed in the same group for the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. "South Korea's football foundation is discussing details with its

The competition for a potential joint Korean bid for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup has increased to nine countries.FIFA announced Tuesday that Belgium has joined South Korea and eight other previous candidates in the running to host the showpiece event in women's football.Also in the running are Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.In April, South Korea submitted a sole bid for the tournament, with FIFA noting that South Korea expressed "int

　Arsenal announced the signing of winger Nicolas Pepe from French side Lille in early August for a club-record fee reported to be 80 million euros ($87 million).　　The deal for the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international eclipses the 63.8 million euros spent on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January 2018 as the Gunners add another attacking option to their ranks.　　Pepe becomes the most expensive African player ever and the joint-fourth most expensive signing in Premier League history, after Mancheste