Nigeria Professional Football League side Wikki Tourists had a lucky escape when the team bus carrying them to their away fixture against Dakkada in Uyo burst into flames and burnt to the ground, officials said.

All players, coaches and team officials survived unscathed in the incident on Saturday, but they lost the team kit and many of their belongings as the blaze moved quickly through the vehicle.

The bus in which Wikki Tourists players and officials were travelling, burst into flames this morning.

It’s been 10 years since Lille OSC captured its last Ligue 1 title, but one look at the table sees the club from northern France setting the pace ahead of last season’s Champions League semifinalist Lyon and, of course, three-time defending champion Paris Saint-Germain. 

If it’s a position that Lille didn’t anticipate being in with just 14 matches remaining, 20-year-old American forward Timothy Weah isn’t letting on to any sense of disbelief. 

BERLIN - Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp will not be able to attend his mother's funeral in Germany's Black Forest region due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he said on Wednesday.

Klopp, who led Liverpool to the English league title as well as the Champions League crown in the past few seasons, said due to the restrictions and quarantine rules in England and Germany he would not be able to attend the funeral.

His mother Elisabeth had passed away last month.

AL RAYYAN, Qatar - Bayern Munich will face Mexican club Tigres UANL in Thursday's Club World Cup final without experienced central defender Jérôme Boateng, coach Hansi Flick said on Wednesday.

The 2014 World Cup winner will return home for personal reasons, following news reports from Germany of the death of a former partner.

Referee Mike Dean has decided not to officiate at any Premier League games this weekend after he and his family received death threats following recent controversial red card decisions, British media reported on Monday.

Dean was criticized after he sent off Southampton defender Jan Bednarek during their 9-0 defeat at Manchester United last Tuesday and West Ham United midfielder Tomáš Souček during Saturday's 0-0 draw away to Fulham.

French police in Marseille were holding 18 people in custody on Sunday after hundreds of fans stormed the training ground of soccer club Olympique de Marseille a day earlier, the local prosecutor said.

The hardcore Ultras were demonstrating against the club's leadership and a poor run of results. The supporters forced their way into the Commanderie training ground, hurling flares and firecrackers.

Manchester United on Thursday condemned the racial abuse of some of their players following Wednesday's shock 2-1 Premier League home defeat by Sheffield United.

Sky Sports reported that former England under-21 defender Axel Tuanzebe and France forward Anthony Martial were targeted on Instagram, with several users posting racist comments and symbols on their pictures. Tuanzebe also suffered abuse on Twitter, the report added.