Fights

BOUAKE — Hosts Ivory Coast kept up their incredible escape act at the Africa Cup of Nations as they came from behind to beat Mali 2-1 in Saturday’s quarterfinal, scoring a last-gasp goal in extra time to book a semifinal with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Oumar Diakite got a touch to Seko Fofana’s strike to win the game for the Ivorians, who played with 10 men for most of the match after Odilon Kossounou was sent off shortly before halftime.

IVORY COAST ADVANCES

ABIDJAN — An angry supporter attempted to strike Ghana coach Chris Hughton after their upset 2-1 loss at the Africa Cup of Nations finals on Sunday and was taken away by police, team officials confirmed on Monday.

Ghana were beaten by a stoppage time goal by the Cape Verde Islands, the smallest of the 24 teams at the tournament in the Ivory Coast in one of several shock results on Sunday.

Hughton was accosted at the team hotel as Ghana returned from the match but the angry fan was intercepted by security officials.

Napoli’s horrendous season has a new dramatic chapter as star forward Victor Osimhen has called out teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s agent for claiming a rumor about him wanting to leave the club for a Saudi Arabian side.

Kvaratskhelia’s agent, Mamuka Jugeli, spoke on Georgian television saying that he thinks Osimhen plans on leaving Napoli at the end of the season.

Osimhen didn’t let that slide and retorted with a fiery Instagram story directed at Jugeli.

Osimhen Instagram story about Jugeli

All professional soccer leagues in Turkey were suspended earlier in December after the president of Ankaragucu punched a referee in the face. Fast forward a little over a week later and another brawl has taken place at a Turkish soccer game.

The incident with the referee getting punched forced the Turkish Football Federation to suspend all leagues for one week on Dec. 11. 

The Lindsey Horan red card in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Thursday has made the rounds among USWNT fans. The star American was sent off during Lyon’s group stage game vs. Norway’s Brann.

Horan’s red card occurred in the 52nd minute when she was fouled by Brann’s Karoline Haugland. The 29-year-old Colorado native wasn’t pleased about the challenge and gave her opponent a shove.

Tensions continued to rise as words were exchanged with Haugland and then with the referee.

Lindsey Horan red card

ANKARA — The president of top tier Turkish soccer club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on Tuesday for punching a referee in the face at the end of a match, with the official telling police that Koca had threatened to kill him.

The arrest followed an outbreak of violence during Super Lig club Ankaragucu's home match against Rizespor on Monday evening.

Referee Halil Umut Meler, who was also kicked while lying on the pitch, said that Koca had also threatened him and his colleagues, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Argentina captain Lionel Messi accused the Brazilian police of brutality as the start of their World Cup qualifier against Brazil was delayed by half an hour after clashes between police and visiting fans at Maracanã Stadium on Tuesday.

Brazilian and Argentine fans started fighting behind one of the goals during the national anthems, prompting police to charge at the travelling contingent with night sticks drawn.

Chaos erupted after an amateur soccer game in Irvine, California, this past weekend when players and parents got involved in a nasty brawl.

The fight was between two teams that play in the United Premier Soccer League, which is sometimes considered the fourth tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid.

Irvine Zeta FC II was a younger team that upset the undefeated Club Garrafones 2-1. After the final whistle scuffles turned to skirmishes which devolved into an all-out brawl.