African football: national teams, clubs and diasporas

Football week ahead, 19–25 October: PSG–Barça, Bayern–Arsenal and the Clásico

The week’s selected fixtures, with GMT and Brazzaville times and SNA links to match pages, live coverage, statistics and tables.

Real–Sevilla (4–1): Diomandé and Mbappé set up the Clasico

Mbappé scores twice, Diomandé earns our player-of-the-match vote: statistics, critical analysis and five selected match posts.

Espagne, Côte d’Ivoire

U20 AFCON qualifiers: Congo reach the semi-finals

Congo’s junior Red Devils held DR Congo to a 1–1 draw on Sunday 18 October in the third and final round of group matches at the UNIFFAC U20 tournament, a qualifying competition for the next Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations. The result takes Congo to the top of Group B and into the semi-finals, where they will face the Central African Republic.

Congo, RD Congo, Cameroun, République centrafricaine

Ligue 1: Marseille fight back at Angers to climb to ninth

Olympique de Marseille earned a spectacular 5–2 victory away to Angers on Sunday 18 October after a match full of twists. Having turned the score around before half-time, Marseille pulled clear late on to claim their third league win of the season and climb to ninth in Ligue 1.

France

Leeds–Manchester United (1–1): Mbeumo scores, but United cannot take control

Leeds and Manchester United draw 1–1. Match statistics, SNA analysis and Calvert-Lewin as our player of the match.

Angleterre

Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics: team sports at the heart of Senegal's 136 athletes

Rugby 7s, futsal and beach handball account for 64 of Senegal's 136 selected athletes. What the delegation's make-up tells us about following the Games, from 31 October to 13 November.

Senegal

Elite One: Abong-Mbang twice come from behind to draw with Stade Renard

On their return to the top flight after 27 years away, Union sportive d’Abong-Mbang drew 2–2 in Bertoua in the opening match of the 2026–2027 season.

Cameroon

Génération Foot take early lead in Senegal's Ligue 1 with opening-day rout

Génération Foot beat AS Pikine 3–0 on the opening weekend, on Saturday 17 October. Gorée, Guédiawaye and Diambars also won, while Jaraaf drew.

Senegal

Newcastle–Aston Villa (0–1): Manzambi decides it as Wissa misses his chances

Aston Villa win 1–0 at Newcastle. Match statistics, SNA analysis, Manzambi as player of the match and three standout performers and disappointments.

Angleterre

Bologna–Inter: Carlos Augusto turns the match

Inter come from behind to win 3-1 at Bologna. Carlos Augusto scores and sets up Bonny after Thuram’s equaliser. Stats, analysis and SNA player of the match.

Italie

Betis–Barça: Yamal makes the difference, defensive flaws remain

Barcelona win 5-2 at Betis, led by Yamal. Abde exposed their defence before Bernal’s dismissal. Statistics, critical analysis and SNA player of the match.

Espagne

Bayern–Leipzig: Díaz hat-trick exposes Leipzig’s failings

Bayern beat Leipzig 6-1 with a Luis Díaz hat-trick. Statistics, critical analysis and SNA player of the match: dominance fuelled by the visitors’ turnovers.

Allemagne