Shocking

I’m a big fan of superb athletes doing incredible, unexpected things on the field. I particularly love to watch pros pulling off incredible feats without even looking, whether it’s Roberto Firmino’s devilish no-look goals or the NFL’s Patrick Mahomes completing no-look passes.

YAOUNDE — Achraf Hakimi curled in a long-range free kick as Morocco came from behind to beat Malawi 2-1 in the last-16 of the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday and stay on course for their first African title in over 45 years.

ROME — Mario Balotelli was named in the Italy squad for the first time since 2018 on Monday, as the Adana Demirspor striker joined seven uncapped players in Roberto Mancini's 35-man training camp selection.

Balotelli, who worked under Azzurri coach Mancini earlier in his career at Inter Milan and Manchester City, has not featured for the national team since September 2018.

But the 31-year-old earned a recall for this week's three-day training camp after scoring eight goals in 18 league games to fire Adana Demirspor to fourth place in the Turkish Super Lig.

YAOUNDÉ - The Comoros Islands will have to use one of their outfield players in goal against Africa Cup of Nations hosts Cameroon on Monday after being hit by COVID-19 infections.

The Comoros Football Federation reported 12 cases in their camp on Saturday including their only two fit goalkeepers and coach Amir Abdou on Sunday said they would go into the last-16 tie in Yaoundé with a makeshift goalkeeper.

The Women's Asian Cup was thrown into turmoil when hosts India were kicked out of the tournament after a COVID-19 outbreak meant they were unable to field a team for their Group A match against Taiwan on Sunday.

Regulations require coaches to name a minimum 13-player matchday squad for each game and India's inability to do so caused the game at Navi Mumbai's D.Y. Patil Stadium to be cancelled.

Thomas Dennerby's side have been kicked out of the competition with all their results nullified.

The São Paulo state football federation called for tough action on Sunday after the semifinal of its flagship youth tournament was interrupted when fans invaded the pitch and threatened Palmeiras players.

Only São Paulo supporters were allowed inside the ground for Saturday evening’s semifinal between São Paulo and Palmeiras in the hugely popular tournament for Under-20 players that takes place every January.

With their team trailing 1-0 in stoppage time at least two of them invaded the pitch and threatened Palmeiras players before being restrained.

LIVERPOOL — Everton's first match of the post-Rafa Benitez era began with a 1-0 Premier League defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday amid a tense and feisty atmosphere at Goodison Park where the visiting team were hit by missiles thrown from the crowd.

A lively first half ended with Emiliano Buendia scoring with a flicked header that arced over Jordan Pickford in goal and the provocative celebrations led to a bottle being launched from the stands and hitting the Villa players.

Is it too late for Gregg Berhalter to rethink his USMNT roster? Mere minutes after the U.S. roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers was made public — a squad that didn’t include Josh Sargent — the Norwich City forward scored an absurd goal in the Premier League. The Josh Sargent goal vs Watford may just be a Puskás Award-worthy goal for the sheer audacity of it, not to mention the acrobatics and improvisation required to turn the ball into the back of the net.