Category sport-news

Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged with making an indecent image of a child.

Coote, 43, was sacked from his officiating role in December after a video showing him making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in 2020 came to light.

READ ALSO: Nottingham Forest Sack Manager Nuno Espirito Santo

The charge of making an indecent image of a child refers to activities such as downloading, sharing, or saving abuse photos or videos.

Coote, who was charged on August 12 and is on conditional bail, is set to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The allegation relates to a video recovered by officers from Nottinghamshire Police in February, the force said.

Coote was also banned from officiating by European governing body UEFA until June 2026 after a different video emerged of him snorting a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for Euro 2024.

In a January interview he came out as gay and said his struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to bad choices.

Bolivia kept their 2026 World Cup dream alive by snatching a play-off place with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in El Alto on Tuesday, taking advantage of Venezuela’s home defeat to Colombia.

Miguel Terceros’s penalty on the stroke of half-time proved to be the difference for Bolivia against the five-time world champions, in a match played 4,150 metres above sea level.

The victory dragged Bolivia above Venezuela into seventh place in the final standings of South American qualifying, earning them a berth in next year’s continental play-offs for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Venezuela, who were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, held a one-point lead over Bolivia heading into the last round of matches, but were beaten 6-3 at home by Colombia.

READ ALSO: Cape Verde Close To World Cup Debut After Beating Cameroon

“We’re very happy, but we need to keep our feet on the ground, knowing that we have to keep fighting,” said Bolivian coach Oscar Villegas.

Two nations will qualify for the World Cup from the six-team play-off tournament to be held next March, reportedly in Mexico.

Bolivia are hoping to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since a group-stage exit from the 1994 edition in the USA.

Their victory on Tuesday sparked wild celebrations on the streets of the major city of La Paz, which neighbours El Alto.

Reigning champions Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay had all already secured automatic tickets to the World Cup.

Elsewhere in the final round of games, Argentina lost 1-0 in Ecuador, Paraguay beat Peru 1-0 in Lima, while Chile and Uruguay played out a goalless draw.

Cape Verde, a west African island nation of fewer than 550,000 inhabitants, beat Cameroon 1-0 on Tuesday to strengthen hopes of playing at the World Cup for the first time.

The Blue Sharks need three points in October from matches away to Libya and at home to Eswatini to win Group D, which eight-time World Cup qualifiers Cameroon had been expected to dominate.

Italy-based Dailon Livramento, a 24-year-old forward born in Rotterdam to Cape Verdean parents, was the hero in Praia, scoring the 54th-minute match winner.

It was his third goal of 2026 World Cup qualifying, following the brace that gave Cape Verde a shock matchday 6 win in Angola last March.

Victory over Cameroon was particularly joyful after the Indomitable Lions won 4-1 when the teams met in Yaounde last year.

Cape Verde have 19 points, four more than Cameroon, who visit Mauritius and host Angola in the final two rounds of a marathon qualifying competition that began in 2023.

Cameroon, whose eight appearances at the global showpiece are an African record, suffered a double blow. The loss puts them fifth among second-placed teams.

Only the top four group runners-up qualify for a mini-tournament. The winner of that advances to the inter-continental play-offs next March with two World Cup slots up for grabs.

Being on the verge of a maiden World Cup appearance marks a dramatic turnaround for Cape Verde, who finished last in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group, winning only one of six matches.

READ ALSO: South Africa Hold Nigeria To 1-1 Draw As Super Eagles’ World Cup Hopes Wane

Dramatic Senegal comeback 

Local Pedro Leitao Brito, a 55-year-old popularly known as Bubista, has been the national coach since 2020. Turkey-based attacker Ryan Mendes, 35, captains the team.

Cape Verde are ranked 73rd in the world, 22 places below five-time African champions Cameroon. Their best international showing was reaching the Cup of Nations quarter-finals last year.

Meanwhile, Senegal overcame a two-goal deficit to beat long-time Group B leaders Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 in Kinshasa and take a two-point advantage.

Cedric Bakambu and Newcastle United signing Yoane Wissa scored for the Congolese before a second-half revival by the Senegalese culminated in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr firing the winner.

Wins for Senegal away to South Sudan and at home to Mauritania during October will clinch a third straight World Cup appearance.

Nigeria are in danger of missing a second successive World Cup after drawing 1-1 away to Group C leaders South Africa in Bloemfontein.

Super Eagles defenders scored both goals in the first half, with captain William Troost-Ekong diverting a cross into his own net and Calvin Bassey nodding the equaliser off a cross.

Nigeria trail South Africa by six points. Their hopes of making it the 2026 tournament in North America probably hinge on finishing second and securing a play-offs slot.

A win would have qualified Egypt for the World Cup from Group A, but they had to settle for a 0-0 draw away to second-placed Burkina Faso. The Pharaohs need two more points to seal a fourth qualification.

An own goal by Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong and an equalizer from Calvin Bassey saw Nigeria held to a 1-1 draw in a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

Captain William Troost-Ekong was named in Nigeria’s starting lineup for the crunch 2026 World Cup qualifiers with South Africa after he was omitted from the team that started in the lone goal win over Rwanda over the weekend. 

Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, instead, named a twenty-year-old Benjamin Frederick in his stead.

Frederick, himself, also retained his place in the starting team.

However, against the Bafana Bafana, Chelle decided to go with the experienced defender for the must-win clash in Bloemfontein.

READ ALSO: [PREVIEW] Nigeria Clash With South Africa In Crucial World Cup Qualifier

Our lineup to face South Africa

3 changes from coach Chelle
©️ Troost-Ekong leads as captain
Iwobi runs the midfield
Dessers spearheads the attack

Time to get the job done, Eagles! #SoarSuperEagles #Naija4theWin pic.twitter.com/j7zNxIKF6E

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Cyriel Dessers were handed a starting berth for the match. Both players came on as substitutes in the defeat of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Dessers will be supported in the attack by Paris FC winger Moses Simon and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.

Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi are also part of the midfield alongside Dele-Bashiru.

Stanley Nwabali retained his goalkeeping spot while Calvin Bassey and Ola Aina completed the defensive setup.

Nottingham Forest appointed Ange Postecoglou as manager on Tuesday to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked following a dispute with club owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Nuno led Forest to European qualification for the first time in 30 years last season by finishing seventh in the Premier League.

But he became the first Premier League manager to lose his job this season after publicly stating that his relationship with Greek billionaire Marinakis had deteriorated.

Postecoglou himself was sacked by Tottenham in June just days after winning the Europa League.

READ ALSO: PSG Call For Change After Dembele, Doue International Duty Injuries

Despite ending Spurs’ 17-year wait to win a trophy, the Australian was dismissed due to Tottenham’s worst league season since 1976/77 as they finished 17th.

However, Marinakis backed the 60-year-old to continue his record of winning trophies at Tottenham, Celtic, Yokohama Marinos and during his spell in charge of Australia.

“We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies,” said Marinakis.

“His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions.”

Greek-born Postecoglou will take charge of Forest, who sit 10th in the Premier League on four points after three games, for the first time in Saturday’s daunting trip to Arsenal

Marinakis is hoping he can repeat his Europa League success, with Forest among the favourites to win the competition.

But Postecoglou’s attacking style is vastly different to the cautious approach that reaped rewards for Nuno at the City Ground.

“After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies,” added Marinakis.

“Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.”

Relationship ‘changed’

Nuno took charge in December 2023 after Steve Cooper was sacked and went on to save the club from relegation.

Forest surpassed all expectations last season, but cracks in the relationship between Nuno and Marinakis began to show after they let slip a promising opportunity to qualify for the Champions League.

Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw against Leicester in May, although the club claimed that was due to the decision to let striker Taiwo Awoniyi play on following an 88th-minute injury that later required urgent abdominal surgery.

Nuno was then publicly critical of Forest’s transfer activity before the season began, saying that he was “worried” about their prospects and his squad had been left “unbalanced”.

Forest eventually brought in 13 players as new sporting director Edu Gaspar took a more hands-on role in signings.

“Following recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach,” Forest said in a statement released just after midnight on Tuesday morning.

“The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club.”