News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Hadji Drame (15th minute) and Djemoussa Traore (61st) scored for Mali, while Kudus Mohammed (70th) scored a consolation goal for Ghana.
The neighbourly rivalry and the intriguing prospect of a duel between Real Madrid team mates Sergio Ramos of Spain and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo meant the Group B match was always going to be one of the highlights of the opening round.
Spain defender Dani Carvajal spoke out on Thursday in favour of his side's interim coach Fernando Hierro
Iran are pinning their World Cup hopes on the midfield magic of 27-year-old Ali Karimi.\n
China's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals hang by the thinnest of threads after an injury time goal from Ahmed Al Saleh saw Syria hold Marcello Lippi's team to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening.
Uruguay have one of the best recent records of all 32 World Cup sides, having won all six of their games this year, conceding precisely zero goals.
Female fans from other countries have previously been permitted to attend games at the Azadi Stadium, including Syrian women for a World Cup qualifier in September last year.
Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov was in bullish mood ahead of their final Group A showdown with Uruguay on Monday, dismissing suggestions his men under pressure because of their status as World Cup hosts.
"We have food, wine, cheese from Portugal. We set up a table, share it with people, and talk about our cultures."
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his record-breaking form for Portugal as he grabbed two more goals in his country's 6-0 thrashing of Luxembourg in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday.
Lebanon produced a stunning performance to beat South Korea 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday to keep their fairytale campaign going, while Alberto Zaccheroni's unbeaten run as Japan coach ended in North Korea with a 1-0 defeat.
It will have made uneasy viewing for coach Jorge Sampaoli and emphasised more than ever how reliant his side are on their talisman Messi, who has been struggling with a muscle problem.
Spain's new coach Luis Enrique said on Thursday that his tenure in charge of the 2010 world champions would be all about 'evolution, not revolution' but the former Barcelona manager also promised plenty of surprises in his first squad.
India qualified automatically for the event as hosts. They have prepared well with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) sending the players for training tours in Europe and a tournament in Mexico but the home side are the clear underdogs.
A star-studded England will take on unpredictable Chile in a Group F match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the refurbished Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Nigeria beat Bosnia 1-0 on Saturday to record their first World Cup finals victory since 1998 and condemn the European team to an early exit in their first appearance at the tournament.
Lu Shanglei of China defeated Aleksander Indjic of Serbia and was crowned World junior chess champion at Hotel Hyatt, in Pune, on Sunday. In the girls' section, 16-year-old Alexandra Goryachkina successfully defended her title with a round to spare on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his debut among the world's most powerful people, ranked 15th on the Forbes list topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin who pipped his US counterpart Barack Obama for a second year in a row.
While there is no imminent threat to the AFC Asian Cup participation by the senior men's team in late 2023 or early 2024, some of the games slated for clubs and age-group national teams in the next few months could well be a tricky terrain.
Spain's strong show of unity after the sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui was almost enough to secure victory in their World Cup opener against Portugal on Friday, but Cristiano Ronaldo's late goal took some gloss off a superb performance.
The Manchester United keeper let a tame shot from Cristiano Ronaldo through his arms for Portugal's second goal on Friday and has been criticised in Spain for his badly positioned defensive wall when Ronaldo struck the late equaliser.
All India Football Federation president Praful Patel was elected on Saturday as a FIFA Council member. He is the first Indian to make it to the prestigious panel.
Cristiano Ronaldo has received an offer to leave Real Madrid and join Italian champions Juventus, a source close to the player said.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday.
Hamad Al Montashari won the Asian Football Confederation's Player of the Year award after prominent players from Japan, South Korea and Iran were deemed ineligible.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be in Goa to attend the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Extraordinary Congress on September 27 to elect three additional AFC members to the FIFA council.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The Netherlands finished second after a goalless draw with the South Americans.
Rank-outsiders India may have a 'small percentage' of winning their tournament opener in the FIFA U-17 World Cup against what he expects to be an attacking USA team, coach Luis Norton de Matos said on Thursday.
Indian football team's downward spiral in the FIFA rankings continued as it slipped five places to 172nd in the latest chart, on Thursday.
'All teams are equal, no-one is above average, we are all at the same level,' said the Brazil-born midfielder.
The Indian shooting federation has dropped Italy as a training venue for its shooters and also cancelled plans to set up a pre-Olympic base in South Korea following the coronavirus outbreak, its president said on Thursday. The coronavirus has infected more than 80,000 people and killed nearly 2,800, the majority in China, the source of the outbreak. The rapid spread of the virus in places like Italy, Iran and South Korea in recent days has also wreaked havoc on the sporting landscape.
The fastest-ever World Cup own goal and a typical piece of Lionel Messi brilliance gave Argentina a 2-1 win over tournament debutants Bosnia-Bosnia-Herzegovina in their Group F clash at the Maracana on Sunday.
Indian Grandmasters Vidit Gujarathi and Sahaj Grover maintained a clean slate, defeating Tomas Laurusas of Lithuania and Vyacheslav Lozhnikov of Kazakhstan respectively in the second round of the World Junior Chess Championship in Kocaeli, Turkey.
World champions Germany drew 1-1 with Spain in a high tempo friendly on Friday as they launched their preparations for a title defence in Russia while their opponents had striker Diego Costa making his long-awaited comeback as a substitute.
The long road to Russia 2018 kicks off in the outposts of Asia on Thursday with the world's worst international team, Bhutan, making their World Cup qualifying debut and eyeing a first win of any sorts since 2008.
