Football

The Spanish coach won 20 trophies during a glittering 10 years as City manager before departing in May.

Former Manchester ‌City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken out ⁠in support ⁠of the Premier League club after they were found guilty of serious ⁠breaches of financial rules.

The Spaniard handed over to former assistant Enzo Maresca at the end ⁠of last season after a decade in charge.

“I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have ‌been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters,” Guardiola said on Wednesday ⁠in a first reaction on his ⁠X account.

“Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

City’s Chief Executive Ferran Soriano addressed staff in a video on Tuesday in which he rejected the independent commission’s findings.

Guardiola ⁠took charge of City in 2016 and under his management, ⁠they won six Premier League titles – ⁠including four in a row – three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League.

The Premier League charges, relating ‌to “sham” commercial contracts used as part of schemes to inflate revenue and understate costs by more ‌than 900 ‌million pounds ($1.2bn) over nearly a decade, cover the period from 2009-18.

In doing so, they concealed the true state of their finances and avoided breaching Premier League and UEFA spending limits during a period in which they won three league titles.

An independent commission found the club guilty on all charges related to breaches of financial rules over the nine-year period.

They have also been found guilty of most of the charges they faced in relation to a failure to cooperate with a Premier League investigation.

City, who continue to deny any wrongdoing, have said they will appeal and have until Friday to do so.

The ruling has sent shockwaves through English football and cast doubt over the future of a club that has become a European giant.

The likely punishment is uncertain but according to Premier League rules, City could face a substantial points deduction, a fine or even expulsion from the top division.

Everton and Nottingham Forest were handed points deductions in the 2023/24 season for single breaches of financial sustainability rules.

On that basis, City would likely face relegation given the sheer weight of the case against them.

There is speculation they could even be stripped of their titles.

“If the appeal fails, Manchester City cannot stay in the league, they have to suffer. And I say that as a supporter and a fan,” said the club’s former chairman, David Bernstein.

Another factor is a potential flood of compensation claims that could cost the club hundreds of millions.

Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow told the BBC that clubs would be “queueing up to seek compensation”.

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL
TUESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section
USC Hybrid 31, South LA College Prep 0

Southern Section
Adelanto 19, Arroyo Valley 0
Agoura 42, Newbury Park 25
Burbank Burroughs 26, Temple City 7
Bonita 51, Claremont 0
California Military Institute 31, Desert Christian Academy 0
Camarillo 34, Royal 14
Castaic 38, Canyon Country Canyon 6
Cate 32, Bishop Diego 25
Channel Islands 12, Buena 6
Chino Hills 12, Rancho Cucamonga 6
Dos Pueblos 6, Ventura 0
Eastside 20, Palmdale 0
Eisenhower 31, Carter 6
Etiwanda 20, Upland 0
Grand Terrace 18, Bloomington 6
Highland 16, Lancaster 6
Hueneme 19, Fillmore 12
JSerra 34, Santa Margarita 20
Jurupa Valley 19, San Bernardino 0
Oaks Christian 24, Thousand Oaks 0
Oxnard 28, San Marcos 18
Oxford Academy 12, Norwalk 6
Mater Dei 23, Orange Lutheran 0
Mission Viejo 33, Dana Hills 0
Moorpark 24, Oak Park 6
Moreno Valley 27, Corona 7
Pacific 40, Rubidoux 0
Paloma Valley 32, Liberty 7
Quartz Hill 12, Antelope Valley 6
Ramona 7, Miller 0
Rancho Verde 19, Heritage 12
Redlands East Valley 39, Redlands 0
Redondo Uniom 46, Windward 6
Rialto 48, Fontana 0
Rim of the World 27, Colton 8
Riverside North 19, Hillcrest 13
Riverside Poly 33, Canyon Springs 6
Santa Barbara 13, Oxnard Pacifica 0
SEED: LA 25, Burbank Providence 20
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 49, Alemany 0
Simi Valley 26, Hart 12
St. Lucy’s 26, Los Osos 24
Summit 24, Jurupa Hills 18
Temecula Prep 27, Indio 0
Temescal Canyon 35, Tahquitz 7
Torrance 13, South Torrance 0
United Christian Academy 45, Calvary Baptist 0
Valencia 13, Saugus 0
Vista del Lago 19, Lakeside 6
Westlake 60, Calabasas 7
Westridge 12, Village Christian 6

MONDAY’S RESULTS

City Section
Birmingham 16, Taft 7
Brio College Prep 46, Belmont 0
Camino Nuevo 19, Animo De La Hoya 0
Carson 49, Gardena 0
Eagle Rock 26, Lincoln 13
El Camino Real 34, Chatsworth 0
Fairfax 16, Los Angeles University 0
Foshay 46, Santee 0
GALA 6, Crenshaw 0
GALA 13, Dorsey 6
Garfield 32, Bell 12
Jefferson 21, Angelou 6
Los Angeles 6, West Adams 0
LACES 13, WISH Academy 8
Los Angeles Hamilton 15, Venice 6
Los Angeles Roosevelt 26, Legacy 6
Los Angeles Wilson 34, Los Angeles Marshall 0
Hawkins 30, Port of Los Angeles 13
Huntington Park 6, South East 0
Manual Arts 26, Diego Rivera 0
Marquez 7, Maywood Academy 6
Maywood CES 24, Elizabeth 12
Narbonne 13, King/Drew 12
Orthopaedic 20, Alliance Levine 8
Palisades 7, Westchester 0
Panorama 39, San Fernando 0
Port of Los Angeles 33, Dymally 0
San Pedro 12, Wilmington Banning 7
Sotomayor 32, Torres 0
Stern 14, Collins Family 12
View Park 13, Stella 6

Southern Section
Alhambra 13, Mountain View 0
Anaheim 31, Orange 6
Anaheim Canyon 20, Esperanza 12
Aquinas 32, Woodcrest Christian 0
Arlington 18, Vista del lago 6
Baldwin Park 26, Azusa 19
Bishop Amat 42, St. Anthony 0
Bishop Montgomery 41, St. Bernard 6
Bolsa Grande 26, Western 25
Burbank Burroughs 32, Gabrielino 7
Camarillo 35, West Ranch 0
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 7, Ramona Convent 0
Canyon Springs 19, Hillcrest 0
Cerritos 25, Artesia 6
Chaffey 12, Ontario 0
Chaparral 32, Murrieta Valley 6
Chino 24, Montclair 0
Chino Hills 18, St. Lucy’s 6
Colony 18, San Dimas 12
Compton 32, Compton Early College 0
Corona 18, Norco 12
Corona Santiago 13, Compton Centennial 6
Costa Mesa 26, Buena Park 0
Covina 24, Hacienda Heights Wilson 6
Cypress 12, Crean Lutheran 6
Downey 28, Gahr 12
Edison 25, Los Alamitos 7
El Modena 27, El Dorado 12
El Monte 13, Arroyo 0
El Rancho 26, Bell Gardens 6
El Toro 28, Beckman 12
Estancia 39, Loara 13
Etiwanda 34, Rancho Cucamonga 6
Fullerton 7, Placentia Valencia 6
Garden Grove 20, Westminster 19
Garden Grove Santiago 12, Saddleback 6
Garey 26, Duarte 6
Glendora 19, Ayala 6
Glenn 21, Norwalk 19
Godinez 26, Ocean View 7
Great Oak 28, Temecula Valley 6
Harvard-Westlake 18, Brentwood 13
Heritage 13, Perris 12
Huntington Beach 40, Fountain Valley 18
Jurupa Valley 31, Entrepreneur 6
Laguna Beach 40, Irvine 6
Laguna Hills 28, Capistrano Valley Christian 19
La Habra 33, Garden Grove Pacifica 6
Lakewood 24, Mayfair 6
Lakewood St. Joseph 25, Gardena Serra 0
La Mirada 28, Santa Fe 24
La Puente 24, Pomona 18
La Serna 36, Bellflower 6
La Sierra 25, Norte Vista 0
Linfield Christian 45, Riverside Notre Dame 13
Loma Linda Academy d. CSDR, forfeit
Long Beach Cabrillo 34, Compton Centennial 0
Long Beach Poly 32, Long Beach Jordan 6
Mater Dei 33, Yorba Linda 20
Millikan 28, Long Beach Wilson 6
Monrovia 35, Temple City 7
Montebello 33, Rosemead 0
Moreno Valley 14, Valley View 0
Murrieta Mesa 12, Vista Murrieta 6
Newport Harbor 54, Marina 0
Northview 21, Rowland 9
Nuview Bridge 32, Desert Christian Academy 6
Ontario Christian 47, Arrowhead Christian 6
Oxford Academy 27, Pioneer 0
Paloma Valley 57, Rancho Christian 6
Patriot 13, Miller 8
Ramona 21, La Sierra 12
Rancho Alamitos 26, Century 6
Rancho Verde 14, Liberty 10
Redlands Adventist Academy 40, Calvary Baptist 6
Riverside King 30, Eastvale Roosevelt 24
Riverside North 12, San Jacinto Valley Academy 6
Riverside Poly 20, Hemet 6
Rosary 13, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 12
Sage Hill 22, Portola 18
San Gabriel 25, Keppel 0
San Marino 39, South Pasadena 0
Santa Ana Foothill 49, Brea Olinda 6
Santa Ana Valley 26, Magnolia 18
Santa Paula 14, St. Bonaventure 6
Schurr 8, South El Monte 6
Segerstrom 26, La Palma Kennedy 6
Sierra Canyon 61, Immaculate Heart 0
Sierra Vista 6, Nogales 0
Sonora 39, Sunny Hills 25
South Hills 33, Alta Loma 8
St. Monica 53, Sacred Heart of Jesus 0
St. Paul 59, Mary Star of the Sea 0
Temescal Canyon 27, Rialto 6
Tesoro 40, San Juan Hills 19
Tustin 18, Katella 12
Upland 12, Los Osos 0
Vasquez 14, Golden Valley 6
Warren 25, California 8
West Covina 25, Charter Oak 14
Western Christian 73, Legacy College Prep 0
Westminster La Quinta 32, Savanna 0
West Valley 18, Banning 13
Whittier 20, Whitney 7
Woodbridge 53, Irvine University 16
Workman 12, Edgewood 6

Intersectional
Castaic 27, SOCES 0
Vistamar 12, St. Mary’s Academy 6

Real Madrid are waiting for Virgil van Dijk to become a free agent, Bayern Munich offer Michael Olise a long-term contract and are eyeing Barcelona’s Jules Kounde.

Real Madrid are considering a move for Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, 35, as the Dutchman will become a free agent at the end of the season. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Bayern Munich are set to offer French striker Michael Olise a new contract until 2032, with the 24-year-old’s current deal expiring in 2029. (Bild – in German), external

However, the German club played down the prospect of signing Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, 32. (TeamTalk), external

Crystal Palace and France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 29, is a target for Manchester United as they look to strengthen their attacking options. (TeamTalk), external

United are also planning to offer new terms for English defender Luke Shaw, 31, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Football Insider), external

Bayern Munich are also eyeing a move for French defender Jules Kounde, 27, with the player starting the season out of favour at Barcelona (Sport – in Spanish, external)

Tottenham Hotspur have expressed an interest in South Korean defender Kim Min-jae, 29, from Bayern Munich. (Sport – in Spanish, external)

Former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian, 36, is set to begin training with Bologna on Wednesday after his release from Inter Milan at the end of last season (Gianluca Di Marzio – in Italian, external)

Lamine Yamal scores twice and assists another as Spain beat Croatia 4-1 in UEFA Nations League Group A3.

Lamine Yamal scored twice as World Cup winners Spain extended their European record unbeaten run to 40 matches.

La Roja maintained their perfect start to UEFA Nations League Group A3 with a 4-1 home win over Croatia on Tuesday, while England overcame 10-man Czech Republic 2-0 in Prague to leapfrog Slaven Bilic’s side into second.

In a repeat of the 2023 Nations League final, which Spain won on penalties, Croatia recovered from conceding an early goal to equalise but were unable to resist a Spanish side fresh from a 3-2 win over England at Wembley on Saturday.

Spain’s first home game since lifting the World Cup in July was preceded by Rodri parading the trophy on the pitch. The celebrations continued in Seville when Lamine, just as he did against England, opened the scoring in the second minute.

Alex Baena’s ball into the area was dummied by Fermin Lopez, and Lamine curled a first-time low shot inside the far post.

Baena then had an effort parried away by Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic as Spain looked set to put the game out of reach early on, but the visitors drew level through Dion Beljo’s 28th-minute header.

Spain took less than three minutes to retake the lead. Lamine whipped a cross into the six-yard box from the right wing and Marc Pubill powered a header beyond Livakovic.

Lamine scored his second and Spain’s third in the 63rd minute, collecting Pedri’s pass in the box before drilling his shot into the net from a tight angle. Substitute Nico Williams wrapped up the win with an 89th-minute goal.

Manchester City say they are ‘disappointed and surprised’ by the verdict and will appeal.

Manchester City have been found guilty of ⁠all charges ⁠of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, the league has said in ⁠a statement.

City were charged in February 2023 with breaches of the league’s financial rules spanning nine seasons following ⁠a four-year investigation.

The club said in a statement it would appeal.

An independent commission found that City “arranged ‘sham’ contracts (which ‌misrepresented the true agreement between the parties) with a number of its commercial partners”, the league said on Tuesday.

The league added that the commission had found City used schemes “to artificially inflate the club’s revenues, and reduce its costs, by more than 900 million pounds during the affected period, to appear to comply with financial rules”.

“The ⁠core decision … details how the club systematically ⁠broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade,” said Richard Masters, the chief executive of the Premier League.

“There are elements of the case that remain to be ⁠decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches.”

City, who deny any wrongdoing, said ⁠they were “disappointed and surprised” by the ⁠commission’s opinion.

“The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its ‌positions, relating to this case,” the club said.

“Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the ‌basis ‌that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.”

Arrests were made over interference with refereeing procedures, among other accusations, Turkish justice minister says.

The head of Turkiye’s football refereeing body and six other people have been arrested over accusations of interference in refereeing procedures, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said.

“Claims regarding interference in the formation of referee classifications, assignments, scoring and appointment processes, as well as rule examinations, have been investigated,” Gurlek wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.

Ferhat Gundogdu, the president of the refereeing body, and his deputy were among those arrested.

Gurlek said searches had been carried out at the suspects’ “residences, workplaces and offices”.

“We will steadfastly continue the fight for clean football so that claims undermining trust in Turkish football are clarified, those responsible are held accountable before the law, and football is remembered for the effort, struggle, and sportsmanship on the field,” Gurlek added.

A year ago, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees on charges of involvement in an illegal betting scandal.

The TFF investigation found that 371 out of the country’s 571 referees officiating in the professional leagues had betting accounts and 152 of them actively placed bets.

Some 29 people were arrested in the sprawling scandal, including 14 footballers, one of whom was Fenerbahce’s international midfielder Mert Hakan Yandas.

Authorities suspended more than 1,000 players, including 25 from the first division.

However, Gurlek did not draw any link between last year’s betting scandal and the current investigation.

It’s relatively easy to find USC and UCLA fans in Southern California, but where can proud Georgia, Michigan, Florida or Alabama fans go to watch games in the Los Angeles area with like-minded sports expats?

Look no further than the Los Angeles Times’ ultimate SoCal college football sports bar guide.

If you’re an alum or fan of teams from the Power Four conferences — the ACC and ally Notre Dame, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC — this guide will lead you to your tribe. No longer will you be the only person cheering and clapping at the bar when Oklahoma scores a touchdown or walk into a bar wearing Michigan blue and only seeing others decked out in Ohio State gear.

Find your home away from home on game day.

Scroll down or filter through location to find where fan bases for most Power 4 schools hang out during the game.

FIFA accuses UEFA of attempting to influence its presidential election, in which Gianni Infantino is seeking a fourth term.

FIFA has accused European football’s governing body, UEFA, of waging a “misinformation campaign” and trying to influence the race for its presidency amid a growing governance crisis in the sport.

Football’s global governing body urged a court in the United States on Tuesday to reject UEFA’s ⁠⁠discovery request linked to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s controversial investment proposal for rights to the World Cup.

Last month, UEFA asked a US federal court for permission to obtain testimony and documents for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino over a now-abandoned plan to transfer ⁠⁠World Cup commercial rights into a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

In its response, FIFA said UEFA’s brief contained “numerous false or misleading statements about FIFA and Infantino”.

“With no basis whatsoever, UEFA suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal,” FIFA said in a filing in the Southern District of Florida, opposing UEFA’s motion for discovery.

“As explained, the FFE plan was subject to approval ‌‌by both the FIFA member associations and FIFA Council, and FFE would have been subject to oversight by both groups within FIFA,” it said.

“UEFA’s suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit.”

UEFA alleged Infantino developed the proposal in secret with a small group of advisers and investors, bypassing the global body’s normal governance processes and failing to consult FIFA Council, regional confederations or member associations.

The European body said in the legal ⁠⁠filing that investors would have paid $4.2bn for a stake in FFE, valuing ⁠⁠the business at about $20bn.

It said the valuation significantly undervalued FIFA’s commercial rights and alleged it had not been subjected to an open auction or tested by an independent valuer.

“UEFA, whether deliberately or through ignorance, conflates equity value with enterprise value,” FIFA said.

“It is undisputed that FFE’s ‘initial equity valuation’ — meaning ‘the ⁠⁠value that remains for the shareholders after any debts have been paid off’ — was $20 billion … Materials distributed to FIFA’s member associations reveal that FFE’s total ‘enterprise value’ on the other hand — meaning the ‘entire ⁠⁠value of the business’ — was well over $30 billion.”

“Indeed, FFE’s enterprise value was well ⁠⁠in excess of twice the equity value, and therefore far above the value UEFA says would be fair.”

‘Attempt to influence election’

The FFE project was abandoned in July following opposition from confederations, including UEFA, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football and the Asian Football Confederation, over a lack of consultation, with the dispute fuelling demands for ‌‌changes to FIFA’s governance.

Last week, Infantino wrote to all 211 member associations proposing an independent review of the governing body’s decision-making processes.

The Swiss administrator is up for re-election in March, and FIFA has alleged that UEFA’s legal filings are an attempt ‌‌to ‌‌influence that election.

“Just before FIFA’s election, UEFA filed this 1782 Application (and three others) spreading misinformation regarding Mr Infantino,” FIFA said.

“This court should reject any attempt to influence FIFA’s presidential election based on these grounds.”

Earlier on Monday, Infantino said he was willing ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌to discuss the disbursement of millions of dollars to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠its member associations with the exact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amount of the distributions to individual nations set to be on the agenda of the FIFA Council’s October 15 meeting.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is willing ‌‌‌‌to discuss the disbursement of millions of dollars to ⁠⁠⁠⁠the member associations of football’s global governing body as the Swiss chief seeks re-election to the post he has held for 10 years amid growing opposition.

The ⁠⁠⁠⁠amount of the distributions to individual nations will be on the agenda of the FIFA Council’s October 15 meeting, according to a ⁠⁠⁠⁠letter Infantino sent to the heads of the six regional confederations, as reported by media in the United States on Monday.

“I will not prejudge the amount,” Infantino wrote, according ⁠⁠⁠⁠to one report. “I will support the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered through FIFA’s proper governance process, applied fairly and supported by transparent and auditable arrangements. The ambition is welcome. The financial evidence, governance and implementation must now support ‌‌‌‌it.”

“A single figure can begin the discussion, but it cannot complete a global policy. I have therefore instructed the Secretary General to consolidate all submissions into one integrated assessment for consideration by the FIFA Council.”

The move is seen as Infantino’s latest attempt to placate regional football bodies, as well as their chiefs, in a bid to hold on to his position as the most powerful man in football.

Earlier this month, the 56-year-old confirmed his bid amid widespread criticism of his leadership and the growing threat of legal proceedings.

Infantino has faced stiff opposition since the fallout from his proposed plan to sell approximately 20 percent of a proposed new entity, FIFA ⁠⁠⁠⁠Forward Enterprise (FFE), focused on the commercial and operational facets of the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments.

The Swiss-Italian has been the most powerful man in world football over the past 10 years, but has increasingly lost support from regional football confederations and national associations. Last month, he appeared to be pulling out all the stops in a bid to retain his position, despite growing calls for his ousting and wide-ranging disapproval of his plans.

On Friday, the English Premier League and three other top European leagues called for governance reform of FIFA.

A joint statement with leagues from Spain, Italy and Germany accused Infantino of actively promoting “exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them”.

He is seen as a divisive figure in international football, with his close ties to some of the most powerful global leaders and plans for maximising revenue from football viewed as a threat to the game.

With fewer than six months until the next round of elections for FIFA’s presidency, Infantino appears to be losing ground among his usual backers.

FIFA presidents are limited to three terms, each lasting four years.

However, in 2022, Infantino successfully argued that his first spell in charge, which began when he was elected at an extraordinary FIFA Congress in 2016 following Sepp Blatter’s resignation, should not count towards that limit because it completed an interrupted mandate.

His plans to run for a fourth term have been questioned by critics and rights groups, who have asked FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC) to block the re-election bid.

The financial discussion comes in the wake of UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC calling for Infantino to resign over the plan.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF’s Victor Montagliani recently wrote a letter to FIFA, seeking payments such as the one Infantino addressed in his letter. Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, head ⁠⁠⁠⁠of the Asian Football Confederation, made a similar request, per the reports.

Among the investors ⁠⁠⁠⁠in FFE was to be Joshua Kushner, the ⁠⁠⁠⁠brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump is a close ally of Infantino.

Infantino subsequently abandoned the private equity plan, but he has refused to resign, and he plans to run for re-election ‌‌‌‌in March. With seven weeks remaining for candidates to announce their intention to oppose Infantino, no challenger has stepped forward.

Had Infantino’s FFE plan gone through, each ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌member ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌nation would have received at least $20m. The letter from UEFA and CONCACAF asks for every member association to receive a minimum of $10m from FIFA’s reserves, according to the reports.

Democratic Republic of the Congo secure their second straight win in Group E, with striker Yoanne Wissa scoring again.

Yoane Wissa scored the first goal and created the second as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) spoiled a Zimbabwe homecoming by winning a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 2-1 in Harare.

The 30-year-old Newcastle United striker struck in the 30th minute, poking a loose ball into the net after goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze allowed a cross to slip from his grasp in the qualifying match on Monday.

DRC, who secured a historic last-32 finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, went further ahead in first-half added time when a Wissa pass sent Samuel Moutoussamy through to score.

After being outplayed in the opening half by a team 89 places higher in the FIFA world rankings, Zimbabwe improved after half-time, with Marshall Munetsi scoring a 93rd-minute consolation goal.

Zimbabwe last played at home in November 2021 before the Harare venue was deemed unsuitable for international fixtures, leading to lengthy renovations.

DRC, whose second of two AFCON titles came 52 years ago, top Group E with a maximum six points after launching their campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Equatorial Guinea.

Botswana hold Tunisia to draw

Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, who meet twice in November, have three points each, and Sierra Leone are pointless.

A first-minute goal from Loren Zuniga earned Equatorial Guinea a 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde.

Equatorial Guinea are among the 11 of the 48 qualifiers for the AFCON group stage who must host matches at neutral venues as they lack an international-standard stadium.

Central African Republic are another “homeless” nation. They fell 1-0 to Burkina Faso in Group F in the Moroccan commercial hub of Casablanca. Aboubacar Camara netted the second-half winner.

Struggling Tunisia were held at home for the second time in four days, drawing 2-2 with Botswana in Rades near Tunis.

Tunisia looked set for a first competitive win this year when Hazem Mastouri scored either side of half-time after Botswana had taken the lead.

But the minnows from Southern Africa – 90 places below Tunisia in the world rankings – equalised on the hour through a delicate lob from substitute Lebogang Ditsele.

It was the second successive 2-2 draw for Botswana after sharing the points in Libya last week, and they remain top of Group H on goals scored ahead of Tunisia.

According to documents obtained by The Times via the California Public Records Act, Inglewood High School confirmed to the Southern Section that its football coach, Mil’Von James, played three ineligible players during a game in Austin, Texas, last month.

The reason, according to the letter sent to the Southern Section office, was, “The coach stated that he was not aware CIF eligibility rules applied to a game in Texas.”

That raises the question how many more times Inglewood has used ineligible players for out-of-state football games under James, the head coach since 2019. Last season on Sept. 25, 2025, the team played in Midland, Texas, three days before sit-out transfer players became eligible. Inglewood won 43-42. One of the players on the team who had not been cleared to play was Masyn Harvey, a quarterback transfer and holder on PATs.

Harvey, now playing for a prep school team, declined to return a request for comment if he had played.

If Harvey did play, Inglewood should have forfeited its win last season to Midland. Because Inglewood lost to Westlake of Austin on Aug. 28, a forfeit was moot for this season. Inglewood informed the Southern Section that it imposed a two-game suspension as punishment to James, who returned to coach last week in a win over Downey. The school said it would extend the sit-out period by another week to those players who participated while not cleared.

As for corrective action, the school stated, “Going forward, all ineligible players, across all sports, will be in street clothes on the sideline and must check in with the game administrator prior to the start of each game. We will send all coaches, across all sports, a weekly email listing ineligible players and the reasons for their ineligibility.

“At the start of each season, we will re-train all coaches on eligibility criteria and the clearance process and require them to sign an acknowledgment confirming they understand.”

James has a history of using ineligible players. He was dismissed at Hawkins High in 2016. The Los Angeles Unified School District did not share why James was fired, calling it a confidential personnel matter. LAUSD dismissed James soon after the discovery of ineligible players, resulting in Hawkins forfeiting all of its games to finish 0-13. Since then, the City Section established a rule that teams must exchange rosters before games to verify that players are eligible.

The Southern Section declined comment, but according to a letter response from an assistant commissioner, “Based on your self-report, preventative measures and the corrective actions taken, we will consider this matter closed.”

Porto defender Alberto Costa is on the radar of Arsenal and Manchester United, Manchester City will not let Erling Haaland leave on the cheap if they are relegated, Liverpool retain an interest in Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

Manchester United and Arsenal are both keeping a close eye on Porto’s 22-year-old Portuguese right-back Alberto Costa but face competition from Paris St-Germain. (Caughtoffside), external

Manchester City will put a hefty price tag on Norway striker Erling Haaland, 26, if they end up being relegated from the Premier League over financial rule breaches. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the teams interested in Haaland and closely monitoring Manchester City‘s situation amid the possibility of sanctions. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Former Chelsea and Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has been offered to two clubs in France’s Ligue 1, but neither were interested in the 31-year-old Englishman, who is currently a free agent. (Foot Mercato – in French), external

Besiktas president Serdal Adali has vowed to sign Joe Willock, 27, from Newcastle, in January, claiming the English midfielder has already chosen a new home in Turkey. (Talksport), external

Former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will not return to Premier League management with a lower or mid-ranked club such as Crystal Palace or Fulham and would want to take over at an underachieving big club. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Liverpool remain interested in Real Madrid’s France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni – even though the 26-year-old signed a new long-term contract with the La Liga club in the summer. (Teamtalk), external

Repeated incidents of organisational failure at the Asian Games have left athletes frustrated, exhausted and disappointed as rain-delayed matches became the latest headache for host nation Japan.

A glitzy opening ceremony did little to overshadow the growing accommodation crisis, logistical gaffes and scheduling issues that have headlined the Games, which opened on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya.

India’s multiple-Olympic medallist PV Sindhu lamented a badminton schedule that saw her play three matches within 18 hours.

“Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3am, out again at 8:30am. It took a toll,” Sindhu wrote on social media after her quarterfinal exit on Sunday.

Pakistan’s volleyball team was mistakenly taken to the wrong gymnasium an hour before the start of its preliminary round match, forcing its members to change into their kits on the bus and leaving them without enough time for a warm-up.

“Japan has destroyed the dignity and discipline of the Asian Games,” men’s captain Murad Jehan wrote in a now-deleted video on his Instagram account as the team travelled to their match against Uzbekistan, which they won 3-0. “Really disappointing situation.”

He said athletes would often return from training to find their hotel restaurant closed, leaving them unable to eat. “This situation at Asian Games is not acceptable.”

The South Korean men’s basketball team faced a similar incident when they missed a light practice session hours before their final after their shuttle bus did not show up on time. Team officials said they received no explanation.

It was a repeat of what the men’s football team faced when the bus did not arrive at the team’s hotel. A day earlier, the bus took the athletes to a baseball ground instead of the Mizuho Rugby Stadium, causing a 30-minute delay.

‘Rain has ruined everything’

On Monday, persistent rain became the organisers’ latest headache when it disrupted several competitions, including tennis, surfing and cricket.

Both the men’s cricket quarterfinals between Pakistan-Hong Kong and India-Afghanistan were washed out after the playing field was drenched at Korogi Athletic Park on the outskirts of Nagoya.

With no contingency built into the schedule for rained-off matches, Pakistan and India advanced to the semifinals of the T20 tournament by virtue of their higher rankings.

It was a bitter pill for Afghanistan, who saw the gold medal go to India due to the rankings rule three years ago when their Hangzhou Games final was abandoned due to rain.

“The rain started yesterday, so hard luck for us,” Afghanistan opener Mohammed Akram said.

“We would have been happy to play here with India. Our players are in form.

“But unfortunately the rain has ruined everything.”

Typhoon Surigae lashed southern Japan’s Okinawa prefecture on Monday and was projected to track northeast towards central Japan and the Tokyo region by midweek, raising the prospect of strong winds and heavy rain further disrupting the Games.

Typhoon Dujuan hit the Games early in week one, causing equestrian events in Tokyo to be suspended although most competitions were unaffected.

The continental sporting showpiece is mainly based in the city of Nagoya and Aichi prefecture, but Tokyo is also hosting diving events while Osaka is hosting football matches.

The rain saw several tennis matches scrapped on Sunday and caused match delays on Monday.

Fans hoping to catch Filipino headliner Alex Eala’s opening match against Thai opponent Patcharin Cheapchandej were repeatedly frustrated at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Centre.

Eala, the women’s top seed, had her match shifted off centre court amid the scheduling logjam and wrapped it up in 55 minutes with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Patcharin.

Poor wave conditions saw the surfing called off early at the Long Beach venue southeast of Nagoya with medal finals having already been pushed to Tuesday.

India’s Kishore Kumar Anbarasu was able to complete his heat before it was abandoned, beating China’s Ma Wensong to make it into the quarterfinals on the sport’s Asian Games debut.

“It was not the easiest conditions. It was very hard to find the good waves,” Anbarasu said.

Organisers apologise for logistical chaos at ‘sad’ games

Organisers on Saturday apologised for logistical glitches at the Games that left thousands of athletes with cramped housing conditions and undersized beds that forced several countries to house their athletes elsewhere.

Satoshi Murate, secretary-general of the local organising committee, said a late influx of about 2,000 additional athletes and officials had stretched resources.

“There have been mistakes in accommodation and transport for various reasons,” Murate said.

“Whatever the cause, AINAGOC [the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games Organising Committee] is responsible for providing the service, and I frankly apologise for the mistakes.

“Our staff work every day to identify the causes of each mistake and make sure they don’t happen again. I think you can see that accommodation and transport have improved greatly compared with the early days.”

Organisers chose not to build a traditional athletes village in a bid to save money. Competitors instead are staying in hotels, temporary wooden units and on a cruise ship.

India’s multiple badminton medallist HS Prannoy said that made for a disappointing experience.

“It was sad,” the 34-year-old, who won team bronze, said in a YouTube video published by the Badminton Association of India.

“It never felt like we were playing in an Asian Games, to be honest.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. League play begins this week in high school football for the best of the best. That means get ready for some great matchups in the Trinity League, the Mission League, the Alpha League, the Marine League and many others.

League play begins

Coach Carson Palmer of Santa Margarita will try to help his team win a Trinity League title.

(Craig Weston)

St. John Bosco’s Koa Malau’ulu looks to pass while pressured against Bishop Gorman.

(Ian Maule/ LA Times)

It’s time for a dose of reality. Lots of teams are off to great starts with nonleague schedules designed to get them enough early wins to be able to get an at-large playoff berth in case they stumble in league play.

League play begins, so some of the unbeaten teams are about to be no longer unbeaten.

Santa Margarita was the best team in the state in 2025, but the Eagles didn’t win the Trinity League. St. John Bosco was the champion, and with league play beginning Friday, both schools have ambitions to finish on top.

Santa Margarita (5-0) plays Mater De (3-2) in its opener at Saddleback College and St. John Bosco (4-1) hosts JSerra (4-1). The other league game is Servite (3-2) facing Orange Lutheran (3-2) at Orange Coast College.

What’s different this season is that any of the six Trinity teams look capable of winning on a given night. But some of the teams are about to be strengthened by the addition of sit-out period transfer students that become eligible effective Monday.

The Mission League is all about which team will finish second to unbeaten Sierra Canyon (5-0). A good Friday opener has Chaminade (5-0) hosting Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (5-0).

The new Alpha League will feature weekly battles with Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Edison, Yorba Linda, Los Alamitos and San Juan Hills. The likely title decider on Oct. 16 has Mission Viejo at San Clemente.

Harvard-Westlake has started 5-0, but the Wolverines receive their first major test with a Del Rey League opener against Salesian on Friday.

In the City Section, Birmingham, which has won every West Valley League title since 2018, faces unbeaten Cleveland on Friday at home in a West Valley League opener. San Pedro and Banning have their annual Marine League rivalry game Friday at Banning.

Marshall takes a 5-0 record into the start of Northern League play at Franklin.

Freedom day arrives

It’s freedom day on Monday for Southern Section football players who have been sitting out the first half of the season after transferring without moving.

St. John Bosco can’t wait to insert offensive tackle Elisha Mueller, a transfer from Servite and one of the top prospects from the Class of 2028. Also becoming available is sophomore defensive back Kingston Fatu, a transfer from Tustin who will help a secondary that has been struggling in trying to deny big plays.

Santa Margarita adds 6-foot-3, 285-pound sophomore transfer Karras Vandermade, a defensive lineman. Servite has six players who could compete for major roles, with four on defense that will add much needed depth. Orange Lutheran gains 6-5 tight end Hudson Ploog and linebacker Jamaal Fay, who started for two years at Leuzinger. JSerra adds 6-7, 315-pound offensive lineman Wyatt Martin.

Other schools are also about to be strengthened. Unbeaten Sierra Canyon adds physical wingback/linebacker Fletcher Thomas. Unbeaten Chaminade, hoping to challenge the Trailblazers in the Mission League, picks up sophomore receiver Champ Ross and junior cornerback Jayden Woods.

Long Beach Poly fans will get their first look at Mater Dei transfer Trevor Scott, a sophomore quarterback. Quarterback Daniel Mielke becomes eligible at Chino Hills. Corona Centennial gains Brody Black, an offensive lineman from Servite. San Clemente picks up receiver Titus King, a speedster from Santa Margarita. Amir Morton, a junior running back who transferred from Sierra Canyon, is expected to provide immediate help for Crespi.

Cornerback Tadd Mitchell, a Montana commit, joins Oxnard Pacifica along with lineman Miguel Macias Santiago.

Matix Frithsmith demonstrated his versatility in Hart’s 34-17 Foothill League win over Saugus. He rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns, including a 91-yard run. Here’s the report.

Corona Centennial traveled to Northern California to take on De La Salle and what a game it was. De La Salle won 35-32 behind Duece Jones-Drew, who rushed for 211 yards. Here’s the report.

Centennial has lost three close games to Santa Margarita, Mater Dei and De La Salle. As soon the Huskies get back to full strength with the return of standout safety/kicker Jaden Walk-Green and others, beware.

Cleveland High running back Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi gives the thumbs-up after the Cavaliers defeated Crenshaw on the road.

(Joel Beers / For The Times)

Cleveland pulled off the upset of the week in going on the road to improve to 5-0 and beat Crenshaw. Here’s the report.

Also here’s a look at how 34-year-old Cleveland head coach Mario Guzman came up with one of the biggest wins in school history.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The TImes.

Here’s top individual performances from the past week.

Here’s the the Week 6 schedule.

Midseason report

Receiver Andrew Cordero (left) and quarterback Jeremy Mellalieu have led Chaminade to a 5-0 start.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

It’s midseason in high school football, so it’s a good time to check who has lived up to expectations or come out of nowhere to be a major contributor.

Here’s a look.

Is CIF powerless?

When a coach takes his team out of state and plays two players who are listed on the Southern Section transfer portal as not being cleared to play and are also missing from the team’s MaxPreps roster to possibly prevent others from knowing who’s playing, is a two-game coach suspension adequate punishment?

That’s the scenario involving Inglewood football coach Mil’von James, who missed two games after the Southern Section alerted the school that James played two ineligible players during a game in Texas last month. Since Inglewood lost, forcing the school to forfeit was moot. James returned to coaching the team on Friday and told the Daily Breeze that it was an “administrative decision” for him to sit out two games.

The Southern Section has no power to discipline James, but schools and districts are expected to impose appropriate punishment for violating CIF rules.

Here’s a look at what’s at stake.

Oxnard quarterback Ryanna Harris has scored 33 touchdowns and thrown for 13 more in 16 games.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

JSerra is 19-0 with few teams being able to give the Lions much competition these days.

Here’s a look at this week’s top 10 flag football rankings by The Times.

Huntington Beach won its own tournament championship.

Los Angeles Wilson is off to a 9-1 start and could be the favorite in the City Section. Wilson at defending City Section Open Division champion Marshall on Monday is a big Northern League opener.

Carson is 8-3 and has handed the only loss to Wilson.

Girls golf

Santa Margarita keeps producing low scores in girls golf.

The defending Southern Section Division 1 champions are stronger than ever. The team is 6-0 and 3-0 in the Trinity League.

All-female officiating crew

An all-female officiating crew for Orange County game on Thursday: Kristi Wilson (left, head linesman), Sarita Stamps (back judge), Mary Margaret Montgomery (referee), MaryAnne Menlove (umpire), Nina Berbiglia (line judge).

(Orange County Officials Assn.)

An all-female officiating crew is set to become a first for the Orange County Football Officials Assn. when they work a Thursday game between La Quinta and Garden Grove Santiago on Thursday night at Garden Grove High.

Notes . . .

There’s trouble brewing at Van Nuys High, where the baseball coach has been removed for building an unauthorized batting cage during the summer. Also the softball field had a protective fence demolished earlier this week that was a safety measure to protect fans and dugouts could be next demolished. Here’s the report.

Here’s the latest Southern Section girls volleyball rankings….

El Camino Real’s boys’ soccer team, going for a third straight City Section championship, has three players committed to Cal State Northridge. Here’s the report….

In girls’ tennis, Corona del Mar defeated Portola in a rematch of last year’s Division 1 final. Here’s a report….

Orange Lutheran baseball player Evan Dugdale has committed to Oklahoma….

Junior catcher Jordan Lindsay of Birmingham has committed to Wake Forrest….

Junior pitcher Eli Martinez of Aquinas has committed to UC Santa Barbara….

Jaylen Maroney of Edison has committed to Sacramento State for women’s soccer….

Junior pitcher Julian Pardinas of La Mirada has committed to UCLA….

Junior pitcher Jayden Singer of Calabasas has committed to USC….

Junior outfielder/pitcher Noah Esquival of South Hills has committed to St. Mary’s….

Left-handed pitcher Charlie Hoye of Palos Verdes has committed to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo….

Standout guard Davey Smith from Windward has committed to San Diego State….

Shooting guard Jeremiah Profit from Rancho Christian has committed to Northwestern….

Junior softball player Bailey Holder from Long Beach Poly has committed to Washington….

Junior slapper Makayla Encinas of Chino Hills has committed to UCLA….

Devon Richardson is the new basketball coach at Sun Valley Poly, replacing Joe Wyatt, who’s now the coach at North Hollywood. He was an assistant coach at L.A. Valley College and former head coach at Blair….

Joe Heinz, the commissioner of the CIF San Diego Section, has died. He was 56….

The Southern Section has announced its playoff schedule for fall sports. Here’s the link.…

Southern Section schools are required to pick a 14-day dead period each summer that all their sports teams have to follow. Now there’s a proposal to allow basketball players participate in CIF-approved recruiting events known as Section 7 and CaliLive. It will be voted on next year by the Southern Section Council….

Sophomore quarterback Marcus Washington of Cajon has committed to Kentucky….

Offensive lineman Kaden Franco of St. John Bosco has committed to Brown….

From the archives: Vernon Adams

Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. in 2014.

(Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)

After being a star quarterback at Bishop Alemany, Vernon Adams went on to play quarterback at Eastern Washington and Oregon and has made a strong career in the Canadian Football League. They season playing for the Calgary Stampeders, he has passed for 3,261 yards and 27 touchdowns.

He’s 33 and has been playing in Canada since 2016.

Here’s a story from 2010 about his talent against Crespi.

Here’s a story from 2014 when he was putting up big numbers for Eastern Washington.

Recommendations

From Frontofficesports, a story on how private equity can be helpful for youth sports.

From San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a story looking at USC-bound Gavin Williams of Damien.

From The Times, a look at Orange junior quarterback Star Thomas III.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

On Friday night at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, there was a gathering of coaching royalty on the Hart sideline. Mike Herrington (Hart), Jon Mack (St. Bonaventure) and Kevin Rooney (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) were providing support to Hawks coach Jake Goossen.

Combined, the three head coaches have won 20 Southern Section championships, with Herrington at nine, Mack at seven and Rooney at four. Goossen played for Rooney at Notre Dame, became friends with Mack, who helped him at Hueneme, and is grateful for Herrington and his brother, Rick, former Hart head coaches.

“It’s great to have support of three great coaches,” Goossen said. “I don’t think any other coach has that kind of support.”

Herrington and Rooney are in the California High School Football Hall of Fame with each winning more than 300 games in their career.

When Goossen went upstairs at halftime to the locker room in a game against Saugus on Friday, Mack was running up the stairs with him telling him to use more power rushing plays.

Hart defeated Saugus 34-17. Asked what would have happened if his team had lost, Goossen joked, “They would have claimed they didn’t know me.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

The Houston Texans’ linebacker wore eye black with the names of slain sisters Lana, 12, and Bana, eight.

American football player Azeez Al-Shaair has once again honoured Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, despite previous fines and the threat of being removed from games, this time wearing the names of sisters Lana and Bana Ahmad on his eye black during his latest National Football League (NFL) game.

The Houston Texans linebacker took the field against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday wearing the names of Lana, 12, and her sister Bana, eight, who were killed along with their family in an Israeli air attack earlier this month.

Hours before the game, Al-Shaair posted about the sisters on his Instagram account and followed it with a photo of the black tape bearing their names that he would later wear during the game. The image also showed part of Al-Shaair’s black shoes with flags of Palestine and Sudan stitched on them.

Al-Shaair, a Black American Muslim player, has repeatedly spoken about the plight of Palestinians. On September 13, he wore the name of Hind Rajab, the five-year-old girl who was killed in Gaza after Israeli soldiers opened fire on her family’s stranded car on January 29, 2024.

The NFL fined him $11,491 for breaching the league’s code of conduct on players’ clothing and equipment during a match against the Buffalo Bills.

However, basketball player Kyrie Irving stepped in and offered to pay the fine for Al-Shaair, who later confirmed that he had been in touch with the nine-time NBA All-Star.

Al-Shaair brushed off talk of the fine while speaking to reporters last week. “It’s bigger to me; what’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? No, I think it’s priceless,” he said.

In his subsequent game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Al-Shaair then wore an eye black — a sticker or paint frequently used by NFL players to reduce glare — with the name of Wafa Akila, an eight-year-old who was killed along with her father in an Israeli attack in western Gaza as they were making their way home.

He was also fined in January, during the NFL’s last season, for displaying the message “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape. While it did not specifically refer to a particular conflict, it was widely understood to be about Gaza and Sudan.

Following his NFL outing in which he wore the name of Rajab, Al-Shaair was informed he would have to remove the eye black or he would not be permitted to continue playing in the game, according to reports in US media.

US Democratic politician Isaiah Martin condemned the NFL’s reported reaction to Al-Shaair wearing eye black with the names of slain Palestinian children.

“This harms no one by letting him do this,” Martin said in a post on X. “I think it’s absurd they were fining him, but those were the ‘rules’ and he agreed to pay the fine. Removal from the game is INSANE. This shouldn’t stand!”

The Israeli genocide in Gaza has severely limited education for the Strip’s 660,000 children, with 90 percent of schools left damaged or destroyed.

Israel has killed at least 21,500 children since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Barcelona are monitoring Estevao, Erling Haaland attracts interests amid Man City uncertainty and Joao Felix could return to Europe.

Brazil winger Estevao Willian is becoming frustrated at his lack of game time at Chelsea, and Barcelona are keeping tabs on the 19-year-old’s situation. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Al-Nassr and Portugal forward Joao Felix is interested in a return to European football but the 26-year-old does not name a prospective club. (AS – in Spanish), external

Norway striker Erling Haaland, 26, is attracting interest from Arsenal and Real Madrid amid the uncertainty at Manchester City. (Football Insider), external

Newcastle United are keeping an eye on Rennes and Morocco defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, 20, but face competition from Everton, Brentford and Hull. (Teamtalk), external

Arsenal and Tottenham are monitoring Bayer Leverkusen’s Algeria midfielder Ibrahim Maza, 20. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea are monitoring Crystal Palace‘s England left-back Tyrick Mitchell, 27, but may face competition from Manchester United and Liverpool. (Caught Offside), external

Leeds United have no plans to sell Wales defender Ethan Ampadu, 26, despite links with his former club Chelsea. (Football Insider), external

Ireland’s players wore black armbands in support of Palestinians, bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem, and refused pre-match handshakes.

The Republic of Ireland has won the first of two football matches against Israel at the UEFA Nations League, defeating the Israeli team 3-0 after calls to boycott the match drew international attention.

Ireland’s players wore black armbands at the game in Hungary on Sunday in support of Palestinians killed during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Irish players also bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem and did not shake the hands of the Israeli team. Ireland’s captain, Dara O’Shea, has also pledged to donate all of his earnings from the match to aid Gaza.

On Saturday, Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive David Courell said the players would wear black armbands “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict” as he confirmed that the match would take place after hours of talks and a vote among the team. Israel was informed in advance by the FAI that Ireland’s players would not shake hands, and UEFA accepted the arrangement.

After the FAI confirmed that it would participate in the match, the Republic of Ireland’s first-choice goalkeeper, Gavin Bazunu, became the only player to publicly opt out of the fixture.

Bazunu posted a statement on social media on Saturday, saying he felt “it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel”.

He withdrew from both legs of the fixture, including the next match set to take place on October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia.

The match on Sunday proceeded despite months-long pressure on the FAI to boycott the match due to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Since May, leading Irish footballers have joined a campaign run by Irish Sport for Palestine, urging Ireland to boycott the match against Israel. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider its decision to proceed with the games.

The campaign says Israel has breached UEFA and FIFA statutes by allowing teams to play on occupied Palestinian land and should be stripped of its membership at both football bodies.

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Valley Mission League

Canoga Park at Reseda

SOUTHERN SECTION

Big West League

Corona Centennial at Vista Murrieta

Great Oak at Eastvale Roosevelt

Murrieta Valley at Chaparral

Temecula Valley at Corona Santiago

Cottonwood League

Vasquez at Webb

Delta League

Dana Hills at Western

Laguna Beach at Troy

Foothill League

Hart vs. Golden Valley at Canyon Country Canyon

Foxtrot League

El Toro at Beckman

Golden League

Littlerock at Lancaster

Inland Valley League

Arlington at Citrus Hill

Kappa League

St. Margaret’s at Anaheim Canyon

Lambda League

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Woodbridge

Westminster at Placentia Valencia

Miramonte League

Bassett at Garey

Workman at Pomona

Mojave River League

Serrano at Oak Hills

Mountain Pass League

San Jacinto at Temescal Canyon

Mountain Valley League

Rubidoux at San Bernardino

Omicron League

Estancia at Buena Park

Pioneer League

West Torrance at North Torrance

River Valley League

Miller at Ramona

Sierra League

Colony at Bonita

Glendora at Northview

Charter Oak at Ayala

South Valley League

San Jacinto Valley Academy at Temecula Prep

Skyline League

Bloomington at Carter

Fontana at Arroyo Valley

Indian Springs at San Gorgonio

Tango League

Loara at Century

Magnolia at Bolsa Grande

Santa Ana Valley at Savanna, 6:30 p.m.

Westminster La Quinta at Garden Grove Santiago

Nonleague

Maranatha at Santa Rosa Academy

South El Monte at El Rancho

Whittier at Lynwood

INTERSECTIONAL

King/Drew at Santa Fe Christian, 4 p.m.

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

Valley League

East Valley at South LA College Prep

SOUTHERN SECTION

Noneague

Desert at Milken

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Central League

Bernstein at Contreras

Hollywood at Roybal

Coliseum League

Dorsey at Washington Prep

Marquez at Crenshaw

Eastern League

Bell at Garfield

Legacy at Los Angeles Roosevelt

South East at Huntington Park

East Valley League

Fulton at Grant

North Hollywood at Arleta, 3:30 p.m.

Monroe at Verdugo Hills

Exposition League

Santee at Manual Arts

Marine League

Gardena at Carson

San Pedro at Wilmington Banning

Metro league

Locke at Los Angeles Jordan

Northern League

Eagle Rock at Lincoln

Los Angeles Marshall at Franklin

Valley Mission League

Granada Hills Kennedy at Panorama

Van Nuys at Sylmar

Western League

Fairfax at Westchester

Los Angeles University at Los Angeles Hamilton

Venice at Palisades

West Valley League

Chatsworth at Taft, 7:15 p.m.

Cleveland at Birmingham

Granada Hills at El Camino Real

Nonleague

Belmont at Diego Rivera

Dymally at Rancho Dominguez

Hawkins at West Adams, 4 p.m.

Jefferson at Fremont

Maywood CES at Mendez

Sotomayor at USC Hybrid, 3 p.m.

Torres at Los Angeles, 3:30 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alpha League

Edison at Mission Viejo

Los Alamitos at San Juan Hills

Yorba Linda at San Clemente

Angelus League

St. Francis at Cathedral

St. Paul at Paraclete

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy at Bishop Montgomery

Baseline League

Chino Hills at Damien

Upland at Etiwanda

Bay League

Leuzinger at Redondo Union

Mira Costa at Inglewood

Big West

Murrieta Mesa at Norco

Riverside King at Corona

Boulder League

Gabrielino at Pasadena

San Marino at Crescenta Valley

South Pasadena at Burbank Burroughs

Bravo League

Corona del Mar at Villa Park

Crean Lutheran at Tustin

La Habra at Capistrano Valley

Camino Real League

Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Bosco Tech

Mary Star of the Sea at St. Monica

Channel League

Moorpark at Santa Barbara

Ventura at Thousand Oaks

Westlake at Rio Mesa

Citrus Belt League

Cajon at Citrus Valley

Redlands at Yucaipa

Redlands East Valley at Beaumont

Citrus Coast League

Carpinteria at Channel Islands

Grace and Santa Clara

Nordhoff at Del Sol

Coastal 101 League

Agoura at Buena

Calabasas at Oak Park

Oxnard at Camarillo

Cottonwood League

Riverside Prep at Arrowhead Christian

Riverside Notre Dame at Whittier Christian

Del Rey League

Alemany at St. Anthony

Harvard-Westlake at Salesian

La Salle at Crespi

Delta League

El Modena at Huntington Beach

Desert Empire League

La Quinta at Shadow Hills

Palm Desert at Rancho Mirage

Palm Springs at Xavier Prep

Desert Sky League

Granite Hills at Adelanto

Victor Valley at Barstow

Epsilon League

Brea Olinda at Trabuco Hills

Santa Ana Foothill at Newport Harbor

Tesoro at Aliso Niguel

Foothill League

Castaic at Canyon Country Canyon

Valencia vs. Saugus at College of the Canyons

Foxtrot League

Irvine at Segerstrom

Orange at El Dorado

Gano League

Chaffey at Walnut

Montclair at Nogales

Rowland at Don Lugo

Gateway League

Cerritos at La Mirada

La Serna at Warren

Mayfair at Downey

Golden League

Antelope Valley at Highland

Palmdale at Eastside

Quartz Hill at Knight

Hacienda League

Baldwin Park at Diamond Bar

Covina at South Hills

West Covina at Los Altos

Hub City League

Compton Early College at Compton Centennial

Dominguez at Compton

Inland Valley League

Heritage at Canyon Springs

Lakeside at Hemet

Iota League

Cypress at Garden Grove Pacifica

Laguna Hills at La Palma Kennedy

Northwood at Marina

Ironwood League

Cerritos Valley Christian at Capistrano Valley Christian

Village Christian at Heritage Christian

Western Christian at Aquinas

Ivy League

Rancho Verde at Rancho Christian

Riverside Poly at Orange Vista

Vista del Lago at Liberty

Kappa League

Esperanza at Fullerton

Portola at Sunny Hills

Lambda League

Fountain Valley at Sonora

Manzanita League

Nuview Bridge at Desert Chapel

Marmonte League

Bishop Diego at Newbury Park

Oaks Christian at Oxnard Pacifica

Simi Valley at St. Bonaventure

Mesquite League

Ontario Christian at Desert Christian Academy

Mid-Cities League

Bellflowet at Santa Fe

Norwalk at California

Paramount at Gahr

Mission League

Bishop Amat at Gardena Serra

Loyola at Sierra Canyon

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Chaminade

Mojave River League

Hesperia at Apple Valley

Sultana at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Montview League

Duarte at Ontario

Hacienda Heights Wilson at Sierra Vista

La Puente at Azusa

Moore League

Lakewood at Long Beach Poly

Long Beach Wilson at Long Beach Jordan

Mountain Pass League

West Valley at Tahquitz

Mountain Valley League

La Sierra at Jurupa Valley

Ocean League

Beverly Hills at Lawndale

Peninsula at Hawthorne

Omicron League

Los Amigos at Garden Grove

Santa Ana at Irvine University

Pioneer League

Culver City at El Segundo

Torrance at Santa Monica

River Valley League

Big Bear at Pacific

Norte Vista at Patriot

Sigma League

Anaheim at Katella

Ocean View at Costa Mesa

Rancho Alamitos at Saddleback

605 League

Glenn at Firebaugh

Pioneer at Artesia

Sunbelt League

Hillcrest at Moreno Valley

Perris at Paloma Valley

Riverside North at Valley View

Tri-County League

Dos Pueblos at Hueneme

Fillmore at San Marcos

Santa Paula at Royal

Trinity League

JSerra at St. John Bosco

Mater Dei vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College

Servite vs. Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College

Valle Vista League

Diamond Ranch at Claremont

Los Osos at Chino

San Dimas at Alta Loma

Nonleague

Arroyo at Arcadia

California Military Institute at Silver Valley

Cathedral City at Yucca Valley

Desert Hot Springs at Indio

Millikan at Palos Verdes

Monrovia at Kaiser

Rialto at Bell Gardens

Rosemead at Alhambra

San Gabriel at Mountain View

Schurr at La Canada

St. Genevieve at Brentwood

St. Jeanne de Lestonnac at Rim of the World

INTERSECTIONAL

Angelou at Keppel

Brawley at Linfield Christian

Coachella Valley at Southwest EC

Desert Mirage at Calipatria

Sunnyvale King’s Academy at Rio Hondo Prep

Rosamond vs. Viewpoint at Calabasas

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

City League

Stella at New Designs University Park

Valley League

East Valley at South LA College Prep

Sherman Oaks CES at TEACH Tech

SOUTHERN SECTION

Express League

Downey Calvary Chapel at Magnolia Science Academy

Frontier League

Laguna Blanca at Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian

Heritage League

Santa Clarita Christian at Faith Baptist, 4 p.m.

Majestic League

United Christian Academy at Calvary Baptist

Nonleague

Avalon at Vista Meridian

California School for the Deaf Riverside at Hesperia Christian

Trinity Classical Academy at Chadwick, 3:45 p.m.

INTERSECTIONAL

Entrepreneur at Bakersfield Valley Oaks Charter

Maricopa at Laton

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

California Lutheran at ACE, 5 p.m.

Flintridge Prep at Thacher, 2 p.m.

INTERSECTIONAL

Orcutt Academy at Cate, 2 p.m.