Injured Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has accepted criticism of his recent performances as he backed his team-mates to beat Cape Verde without him in their must-win fixture on Monday.

The Liverpool star was hurt in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Ghana, and may have already played his last match in this tournament if Egypt cannot find a way past group leaders Cape Verde.

The 31-year-old attended Sunday’s pre-match press conference alongside coach Rui Vitoria but declined to give an update on his injury, saying there would be a joint statement from Egypt and Liverpool by Monday.

Having been criticised for his displays in Egypt’s opening two matches, draws against Mozambique and Ghana, Salah said: “No worries about that. I accept it openly. I played in one-and-a-half matches only.

“Maybe the performance wasn’t the best in the first match. I’m not here to play individually but as part of the team.

“The positive thing is that despite being behind in the first two matches, we came back and drew. I don’t have a specific explanation for the performance, but football is a team game, and the most important thing is to win the next match.

“This is the Egypt national team, not Salah’s team. I’m a player among the others on the squad…I have already won all possible tournaments at all levels. I want to win the Africa Cup of Nations, and I believe it will happen sooner or later.”

Cape Verde have already secured qualification and top spot by winning their opening two fixtures, but coach Bubista has no plans to take it easy on Egypt.

“Everyone should be ready to contribute,” he said. “We have confidence in all the players, and we will do everything to win against Egypt.

“We have a great responsibility to win in front of our fans, and the group points are not closed yet. We must win against Egypt and we will play in the same way we played against everyone.”

Favourites Morocco missed their chance to seal a place in the next stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after being held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in San Pedro.

The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists grabbed a sixth-minute lead through Achraf Hakimi but rode their luck when Cedric Bakambu hit a post with a 41st-minute penalty.

The visitors pressed forward in the second half and got their reward when substitute Silas swept home a 76th-minute equaliser that keeps Congo’s hopes of qualifying from Group F alive.

Hakimi’s world-class volley from a Hakim Ziyech corner suggested Morocco, who had cruised through their opening match against Tanzania, would have enough to claim a second straight win.

Congo captain Chancel Mbemba almost turned the ball into his own net four minutes later as Morocco pressed, but the underdogs looked dangerous on the counter-attack through Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.

Mbemba was inches from getting the crucial touch to a corner just past the half-hour mark and after lengthy treatment to the injured Henock Inonga, the referee awarded Congo a penalty for handball after a VAR check.

Bakambu’s miss looked set to cost Congo, who were held to a frustrating draw by Zambia in their opening match, but substitutes Meschack Elia and Silas combined to level in the 76th minute when the latter’s deep cross was swept home.

A similar cross from Elia caused chaos two minutes later as Fiston Mayele forced a save out of Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou as Congo pressed for an unlikely winner.

Oli McBurnie’s penalty in the 13th minute of time added on snatched Sheffield United a 2-2 draw against West Ham in a dramatic ending at Bramall Lane.

The Hammers looked to have won it when James Ward-Prowse’s 79th-minute spot-kick put them ahead after Maxwell Cornet’s first goal for the club was cancelled out by a debut effort from new Blades recruit Ben Brereton Diaz.

But referee Michael Salisbury ruled West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had fouled McBurnie in the eighth minute of stoppage time and a further five minutes later, with Areola replaced by Lukasz Fabianski, the Blades striker coolly struck home from 12 yards to earn a point.

Hammers boss David Moyes was raging at the decision as his side dropped two points which would have seen them close the gap on the Premier League’s top four.

It was the culmination of an action-packed end to the game, with Rhian Brewster sent off for Sheffield United and Vladimir Coufal following for West Ham in separate incidents.

A point was celebrated vociferously but Sheffield United need wins as they remain seven points adrift at the foot of the table and no team in Premier League history has survived with so few points at this stage of a season.

Chris Wilder’s men started with bluster but failed to trouble the West Ham goal and the visitors soon began to find holes at the other end.

The Hammers went ahead with their next meaningful attack in the 28th minute.

Ings fed Coufal on the right and then got the ball back when he found a pocket of space on the edge of the area. His shot was blocked by Jack Robinson but it fell perfectly for Cornet to slash home at the far post.

It was a moment to remember for the Ivorian, who finally broke his duck at the 31st attempt.

The Hammers smelled blood and were only denied a second by a brave block from Jayden Bogle to deny Ings.

That proved important as Brereton Diaz got his first Premier League goal to pull the hosts level in the 44th minute.

Aaron Trusty’s hopeful header into the box found Will Osula at the far post and his diving header was palmed away by Areola, straight into the path of the Chile striker, who thrashed home from six yards.

He should have been celebrating a second 12 minutes after the restart but produced a bad miss at a golden moment.

James McAtee set him clear and as he closed in on goal with no one else around him he seemed destined to score, but dragged his shot wastefully wide.

There was a sense that that could be pivotal and so it proved as the visitors were awarded a penalty with 11 minutes of normal time remaining when Gus Hamer tripped Ings.

Ward-Prowse was never going to do anything other than ripple the back of the net as he sent his effort straight down the middle.

The hosts’ chances of getting back into the game appeared to be severely hampered in time added on as Brewster was shown a red card for a tackle on Emerson Palmieri after a VAR check.

But that was just the start of the drama as Coufal picked up his second yellow card in less than four minutes and the foul led to the Blades being awarded a penalty.

They recycled the set-piece, with McAtee curling in an inviting cross which Areola came for but did not get to, instead clattering into McBurnie.

The referee pointed to the spot and after a long delay where Areola went off injured, McBurnie scored from the spot.

Leeds head coach Daniel Farke described his side’s last-gasp 2-1 Sky Bet Championship win against Preston at Elland Road as “season-defining”.

Substitute Joel Piroe converted a stoppage-time penalty to clinch Leeds three vital points in the race for automatic promotion after Dan James had cancelled out Will Keane’s early opener for Preston.

Leeds closed the gap on the top two to four points and remain the only English Football League club not to lose at home this season.

“These are the best wins of the season. We’ve had many electrifying home performances with many goals,” said Farke, whose side are unbeaten in 14 league games at Elland Road.

“These are the best moments, the season-defining moments for the mood and the confidence and the belief in the dressing room.

“I love creating chance after chance and champagne football and scoring goal after goal, but these types of games and these types of wins are still the most enjoyable.”

Leeds’ players wore black armbands in tribute to on-loan Bournemouth winger Jaidon Anthony’s mother, Donna, who died earlier this week and Farke dedicated victory over Preston to the player and his family.

Farke also said his team had been determined to avenge their 2-1 defeat to Preston at Deepdale on Boxing Day when goalkeeper Illan Meslier was controversially sent off.

The German added: “The lads today – we didn’t want to mention during the week too much – they wanted to win this game also for Jaidon and his family because he had a tough time this week and we’re like a family here at Leeds United.

“We wanted to present him and his family and dedicate this win to him and this is why it meant so much to the players.”

Preston boss Ryan Lowe was furious with referee David Webb’s penalty decision.

Webb did not hesitate in pointing to the spot after the ball had caught substitute Ryan Ledson’s outstretched arm following Joe Rodon’s header.

Lowe claimed the penalty would not have been given in the Premier League by a video assistant referee as the ball hit Ledson’s torso first.

“Gutted is an understatement,” Lowe said. “I’m gutted for the boys, I thought they were terrific in everything they did – coming to Elland Road and going toe-to-toe, when not many people would’ve expected us to do that, or win.

“We were in the ascendency for getting a result, until a decision which has baffled me. Some of the decisions all game baffled me really, because they were very inconsistent.”

Lowe said his dogged players deserved at least a point and added: “I’ve been to Elland Road as a fan, I know what it’s like.

“I know what the pressures are like. Decisions have been made at Elland Road for many, many years and this is just another.”

Lauren James hit a hat-trick as Chelsea defeated Manchester United 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to regain their three-point advantage at the top of the Women’s Super League.

Emma Hayes’ reigning champions, without the services of Australia striker Sam Kerr for the rest of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, took the lead in the fifth minute when James fired past England team-mate Mary Earps.

Nathalie Bjorn, making her first WSL start for Chelsea since signing from Everton this month, produced a lovely ball over the top for James to double the hosts’ advantage with a neat low finish in the 23rd minute.

Hayley Ladd pulled one back just before half-time to give Marc Skinner’s visitors hope, but – to the delight of the majority of the 20,473 crowd – James made the points safe in the 85th minute when she broke clear one on one with Earps and made no mistake.

Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi is aware of the potential pitfalls facing his team in their Supercoppa Italiana final showdown with Napoli in Riyadh as the Nerazzurri look to make a statement with a mid-season trophy.

Inzaghi’s went into the weekend leading the Serie A table by two points from Juventus and they breezed into Monday’s cup tournament decider in the Saudi Arabian capital by dispatching Lazio 3-0 on Friday.

Standing in their way are Scudetto holders Napoli, who also won 3-0 – against Fiorentina – to give themselves a confidence boost with their league form desperately poor compared to their swashbuckling final season under Luciano Spalletti.

The more pragmatic Walter Mazzarri is now in charge of the Azzurri and there will be a definite clash of styles in Riyadh as attack-minded Inzaghi looks to secure Inter their eighth Super Cup and third in succession.

“A final is often decided in a few moments – you have to be very careful,” the Nerazzurri boss told inter.it. “We’re playing against the Italian champions who won 3-0 in their own semi-final.

“They’ve had some problems in the league but they have a lot of quality, with a deep squad.

“Napoli have changed their formation, before they were a possession team but now they are less so. If Mazzarri keeps his line-up from the semi-final then we’ll be ready for that. Beyond formation and tactics, though, motivation is vital.”

On Inter’s and his own fine record in the Super Cup – he has won five overall as player and coach – Inzaghi added: “Winning it three times in a row has only happened once before. We won it in a derby (against AC Milan) last year, two years ago against Juve, and now we would like to beat Napoli to it.

“I care more about Inter than my own record. It would be nice to win it of course. The boys have been putting Inter before their own interests since the summer and that’s the secret to a good team.”

Napoli boss Mazzarri hopes winning the Super Cup will give his players an incentive to revive their ailing domestic campaign and qualify for the Champions League.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “This is a bunch of good young guys who need to understand that an opportunity like this might not happen again – and that should drive them on.

“I believe we will face an Inter team who are currently at their best. It will be very tough but, also for that reason, winning would give us even more confidence for the future.”

Jens Cajuste and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are both suspended for Napoli, who are also missing star striker Victor Osimhen due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments.

Inter are in better shape with only Taty Castellanos sitting the fixture out due to injury.

Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi is aware of the potential pitfalls facing his team in their Supercoppa Italiana final showdown with Napoli in Riyadh as the Nerazzurri look to make a statement with a mid-season trophy.

Inzaghi’s went into the weekend leading the Serie A table by two points from Juventus and they breezed into Monday’s cup tournament decider in the Saudi Arabian capital by dispatching Lazio 3-0 on Friday.

Standing in their way are Scudetto holders Napoli, who also won 3-0 – against Fiorentina – to give themselves a confidence boost with their league form desperately poor compared to their swashbuckling final season under Luciano Spalletti.

The more pragmatic Walter Mazzarri is now in charge of the Azzurri and there will be a definite clash of styles in Riyadh as attack-minded Inzaghi looks to secure Inter their eighth Super Cup and third in succession.

“A final is often decided in a few moments – you have to be very careful,” the Nerazzurri boss told inter.it. “We’re playing against the Italian champions who won 3-0 in their own semi-final.

“They’ve had some problems in the league but they have a lot of quality, with a deep squad.

“Napoli have changed their formation, before they were a possession team but now they are less so. If Mazzarri keeps his line-up from the semi-final then we’ll be ready for that. Beyond formation and tactics, though, motivation is vital.”

On Inter’s and his own fine record in the Super Cup – he has won five overall as player and coach – Inzaghi added: “Winning it three times in a row has only happened once before. We won it in a derby (against AC Milan) last year, two years ago against Juve, and now we would like to beat Napoli to it.

“I care more about Inter than my own record. It would be nice to win it of course. The boys have been putting Inter before their own interests since the summer and that’s the secret to a good team.”

Napoli boss Mazzarri hopes winning the Super Cup will give his players an incentive to revive their ailing domestic campaign and qualify for the Champions League.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “This is a bunch of good young guys who need to understand that an opportunity like this might not happen again – and that should drive them on.

“I believe we will face an Inter team who are currently at their best. It will be very tough but, also for that reason, winning would give us even more confidence for the future.”

Jens Cajuste and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are both suspended for Napoli, who are also missing star striker Victor Osimhen due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments.

Inter are in better shape with only Taty Castellanos sitting the fixture out due to injury.

Ivory Coast coach Jean-Louis Gasset is confident having “destiny in our hands” will help his side secure qualification for the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Defeat to Nigeria last time out has left the hosts third in Group A and while that could be good enough to secure their progress as the four third-best finishes also get through, Gasset wants to make sure against Equatorial Guinea.

The 2015 AFCON champions play the Group A leaders in Abidjan on Monday.

“Like all matches, we will attack to win. Today we are third but we have our destiny in hand. We know that if we win we will qualify,” Gasset told a press conference.

“We have to have confidence, we are playing in front of our public, you have to believe in it.”

Ivory Coast’s chances against Equatorial Guinea have been boosted by the return from injury of Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller and Brighton winger Simon Adingra.

“We have confidence in the group and little by little we are recovering major players like Haller and Adingra,” added Gasset.

“We knew we were going to do without Haller and Adingra at the start. The return of Haller will do the group good.

“But if everyone is talking about Haller, I would like to add Simon Adingra. Both will be in the group (for training).”

Equatorial Guinea need just a point to confirm their place in the last 16 after drawing against Nigeria and beating Guinea-Bissau.

“We have no pressure, the players know what they have to do. They have to run a lot,” said coach Juan Micha.

“We are not yet qualified. We know that we have played two matches, we have four points but it is not over.”

Joel Piroe scored a stoppage-time penalty as Leeds boosted their automatic promotion challenge with a 2-1 home win against Preston.

Second-half substitute Piroe converted from the spot in the third minute of added time after Ryan Ledson was adjudged to have handled and Leeds’ last-gasp victory saw them close the gap on the top two back to four points.

Will Keane gave Preston a second-minute lead and although Dan James equalised four minutes later it proved a frustrating afternoon for Leeds against dogged opponents.

Preston were without Duane Holmes, Freddie Woodman and Milutin Osmajic due to illness, but they made a flying start.

Ben Whiteman’s free-kick into the penalty area was headed back across goal by Liam Lindsay and, after Leeds failed to clear, Liam Millar’s mis-cued shot was turned home by Keane.

Preston’s lead was short-lived though. Junior Firpo raced on to Crysencio Summerville’s ball down the left and clipped a brilliant cross to the far post on the overlap for James to head Leeds level.

The visitors appeared undeterred and it needed a flying save from Illan Meslier to keep out a goalbound effort from Millar, Preston’s match-winner when they beat Leeds 2-1 at Deepdale on Boxing Day.

Patrick Bamford headed James’ excellent cross straight at Preston goalkeeper Dai Cornell and Georginio Rutter was off target from Ilia Gruev’s corner, but despite stepping it up before the break the home side were kept at bay.

Summerville’s brilliant run to the by-line and cut back should have resulted in a second goal for Leeds soon after the restart, but Rutter’s effort hit a post.

Bamford fired wide after being played in by Rutter and saw another effort blocked before James’ clever chip narrowly cleared the crossbar as Leeds picked up where they left off.

But Preston were proving dogged opponents and the home fans’ frustration turned to cheers when Cornell was booked by referee David Webb for time wasting in the 82nd minute.

Ledson became the fifth Preston yellow card after his trip on Gruev, which sparked a mass melee in midfield and also resulted in a booking for Bamford.

Rutter and substitute Joel Piroe squandered further chances for Leeds and Preston substitute Robbie Brady’s last-ditch tackle on Bamford was celebrated by the visiting players.

But in added time Ledson’s outstretched arm made contact with the ball in the area following Joe Rodon’s header and Piroe held his nerve to bury his penalty and raise the roof at Elland Road.

Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro is standing by his bullish claim that he will lead the Super Eagles to their first Africa Cup of Nations title since 2013.

Peseiro’s men head into their final Group A game against already-eliminated Guinea-Bissau in Abidjan on Monday knowing just a draw will be good enough to secure their place in the knockout stages.

But after watching his side shrug off their sluggish start against Equatorial Guinea by beating hosts Ivory Coast last time out, Peseiro is demanding his side maintain their belated momentum.

Peseiro told a press conference: “I have said I want to win AFCON even though my contract says I should get to the final.

“It would be better to protect myself and not create expectations because if I don’t win, it is worse for me. But I put my mind and the mind of my players that we want to win.”

Peseiro is expected to pick between Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Joe Aribo of Southampton for a midfield berth with Alhassan Yusuf set to miss out again.

Guinea-Bissau will go into the game at full strength despite their elimination after their second consecutive defeat against Equatorial Guinea last time out.

Head coach Baciro Cande is determined that his side bow out on a high note, admitting: “I feel sad.

“We wanted to win (against Equatorial Guinea) but did not succeed. Before their goal, we had four chances plus a penalty that was refused.

“We worked hard to be ready and football is sometimes like that. We have one game left to close the group stage, and we hope to win.”

NB: You can watch the Africa Cup of Nations on Sportsmax.

Ivan Toney may have been the centre of attention for Brentford but boss Thomas Frank was eager to single out another striker after the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest.

Toney’s cheeky free-kick, on his return from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules, set the Bees on their way to a first win in five matches.

But it was Neal Maupay’s well-taken turn and shot which secured a much-needed three points after Forest had made it 2-2.

“No one can do anything on their own in life, if you want to achieve something big, you can’t be alone,” said Frank.

“Ivan is one 11th of the team and if the 10 others are not performing, it doesn’t help. We need them all to perform together.

“Another one to highlight is Neal Maupay. The way he took his winning goal was very good. And the way he has come into the club is fantastic. We know what he is capable of, but five goals and three assists is impressive.

“It’s clear that they have got an eye for each other and they connect well. I like it.”

Toney’s strike, after rolling the ball from its original spot to find a gap between the wall and the near post, cancelled out a fine volley from Danilo.

Ben Mee then headed Brentford in front and Chris Wood responded in kind for Forest before Maupay’s 68th-minute winner.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who felt Toney’s goal should have been disallowed, said: “The boys were organised, we scored and had good momentum. The attitude was excellent, with fighting spirit and togetherness.

“But mistakes dictate the result. The result is frustrating, but the performance was good.

“I think we played well. We must be proud of the way we did things, even though we lost the game. We are short of offensive options.”

Steven Naismith was impressed with the “intensity” that debutant substitute Dexter Lembikisa brought to Hearts’ play as they eked out a 2-1 victory over spirited fourth-tier side Spartans in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth round on Saturday.

The Jamaica international right-back – who spent the first half of the campaign with Rotherham – joined the Jambos on loan from Wolves until the end of the season and the Jambos support got their first sight of him at Ainslie Park when he entered the fray just before the hour mark.

At that point Hearts were leading through Kenneth Vargas’ third goal in as many games but they were pegged back by a stunning equaliser from Spartans midfielder James Craigen before Frankie Kent spared the cinch Premiership side from ignominy when he headed the winner in stoppage time.

When asked about Lembikisa’s encouraging start, Naismith said: “That urgency and intensity I speak about, he gave us it.

“First time he gets the ball, he takes his man on, beats him and puts it in the box. He was also in at the back post a couple of times.

“He’s a good addition for us and that’s why we got him in as early as we could.

“The level he has played at and in the last year, in terms of becoming an international, he’s a good player to have in our squad. And it’s one where you will probably see the best of him as he goes on.”

On the day when 41-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon made his first start in 13 months following a double leg-break, another Hearts debutant against Spartans was 16-year-old attacker James Wilson, who came on at the same time as Lembikisa.

Japanese forwards Yutaro Oda and Kyosuke Tagawa were the two players who went off at that point after they failed to shine in the absence of talismanic striker Lawrence Shankland who missed out through illness.

Wilson signed a new contract with Hearts last summer amid interest from several clubs, including Manchester United and Aston Villa, and Naismith felt the teenager merited the chance to go on and help his team find a second goal.

“James came on because we needed him,” said Naismith. “He is somebody who is very intelligent with his movement and he’s a goal threat.

“I didn’t think we had enough goal threat at times and that’s why we put him on.

“He’s somebody who has come in full-time and has to learn and work on the aspects of physically where he is at compared to who he is coming up against. He’s definitely got the intelligence for it.”

Newcastle are preparing themselves for a series of big decisions over the final 10 days of the January transfer window as suitors attempt to take advantage of their spending restrictions.

The PA news agency understands the Magpies have rejected a loan offer from Bayern Munich for key defender Kieran Trippier and have received and rebuffed a similar approach from Atletico Madrid for striker Callum Wilson.

However, they are bracing themselves for follow-ups which could present the kind of dilemmas chief executive Darren Eales suggested might arise in the wake of the £400million-plus spending spree on which the club have embarked since their Saudi-backed owners took charge in October 2021 as a result of profit and sustainability rules.

Eales’ comments came earlier this month as Newcastle reported a loss after tax of £73.4m in their latest financial figures, after which he admitted that every player in Eddie Howe’s squad had their price as the club attempt to balance their books.

If that sparked fears that one of their most saleable assets – defender Sven Botman, midfielder Bruno Guimaraes or striker Alexander Isak – could be vulnerable, it appears to have prompted potential European buyers to test the water elsewhere.

Newcastle have not commented on the situation.

England full-back Trippier, 33, was the new regime’s first signing in January 2022 when he arrived at St James’ Park from Atletico in what has proved to be a bargain £12m move.

He has been the flagbearer for the progress which has been made since and has 18 months left on his existing contract.

While there is no particular desire to sell him, he is one of the club’s higher earners and a substantial cash offer would leave Newcastle with a decision to make, although that could be eased in part by Tino Livramento’s summer capture.

Similarly 31-year-old Wilson, who has nine England caps, has 18 months to run on his current deal as he works his way back from a calf injury.

Fitness problems have limited the frontman, who joined the club in a £20m move from Bournemouth in September 2020, in recent months, but he currently represents the only back-up to the in-form Isak in attack and the Magpies would need to have a replacement lined up before they could even consider allowing him to leave.

Robby McCrorie got his first Rangers start of the season against Dumbarton on Saturday and admits he wants more action.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper has played second fiddle to Jack Butland this season but was given his chance by Philippe Clement in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at a wet and wild Dumbarton stadium.

McCrorie, whose last start before this weekend was away to St Mirren in May 2023, made a good save in the first half from Michael Ruth but in the end the cinch Premiership side ran out easy 4-1 winners.

Goals from John Lundstram, Cyriel Dessers, skipper James Tavernier – from the spot – and substitute Scott Wright rendered Matthew Shiels’ goal a consolation for Stevie Farrell’s League Two side.

McCrorie, who has had loan spells at Berwick Rangers, Morton, Queen of the South and Livingston, told Rangers’ YouTube channel: “It feels like a long time. Obviously I want to be playing a lot more than I am.

“I just like the feeling that you’ve contributed, being a part of it, just playing 90 minutes.

“It’s just something I always want to do. I think everybody is the same, that’s all you want to do in football, play games so I just make sure I’m ready for whenever I’m called upon.

“I’m not going to lie, I don’t enjoy not playing.

“I do want to be playing every week but you can’t go in a huff, you do need to be ready all the time.

“So I take a lot of pride in working hard every day, giving everything in training because I think when you do that and you come into games, you’re more comfortable and you’re ready for it.”

Rangers return to cinch Premiership duty against Hibernian at Easter Road on Wednesday night.

The Light Blues, who had a January training camp in Spain, are eight points behind league leaders Celtic but have two games in hand.

McCrorie said: “The last couple of weeks we’ve got in a lot of training but it is to set us up for the next few months.

“It will be relentless, it will be non-stop, there will be games every three days again and there is a lot to look forward to.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for the implementation of an automatic forfeit of games for teams whose fans commit racist abuse after the “totally abhorrent” incidents at Udinese and Sheffield Wednesday.

AC Milan’s players walked off the pitch after France international goalkeeper Mike Maignan reported hearing monkey noises coming from a section of the crowd at the Stadio Friuli.

Coventry’s Kasey Palmer said he received similar abuse similar abuse at Hillsborough and their 2-1 win was stopped for several minutes while the match officials spoke to both managers.

Milan’s players eventually returned to secure a 3-2 victory in added time but Infantino said there should be harsher punishments.

“As well as the three-step process (match stopped, match re-stopped, match abandoned), we have to implement an automatic forfeit for the team whose fans have committed racism and caused the match to be abandoned, as well as worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for racists,” he said in a FIFA post on X.

“FIFA and football shows full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. Once and for all: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!

“The events that took place in Udine and Sheffield on Saturday are totally abhorrent and completely unacceptable. The players affected by Saturday’s events have my undivided support.

“We need ALL the relevant stakeholders to take action, starting with education in schools so that future generations understand that this is not part of football or society.”

Maignan said something had to change as racist abuse has been part of football for too long.

“This shouldn’t exist in the world of football, but unfortunately for many years this is a recurrence,” he told Milan TV after confirming he heard fans making monkey noises.

“With all the cameras present and sanctions for these things, something must be done to change things.

“We all have to react, we must do something because you can’t play like this.”

Milan and city rivals Inter have both publicly supported Maignan, Serie A said it “condemns all forms of racism”, while France striker Kylian Mbappe said “enough is enough”.

“You are very far from being alone Mike Maignan. We are all with you. Still the same problems and still NO solution. Enough is enough. NO TO RACISM,” Mbappe posted on X.

Former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright applauded the “solidarity” in the Milan side and urged teams to “keep walking off” when they hear abuse and called for stronger sanctions.

He wrote on X: “We did ‘playing through it’ and nothing has changed. Points deductions needed, the fines are pointless.”

However, Coventry midfielder Palmer admitted he was sceptical things would change in the game, also writing on X: “Racism is a disgrace… it has no place in the world, let alone football.

“I’m black and proud and I am raising my three kids to be the exact same. I’ll be honest, it feels like things will never change, no matter how hard we try.

“Couple fans doing monkey chants don’t define a fan base – I appreciate all the love and support I’ve received.”

Coventry owner Doug King and manager Mark Robins condemned the abuse and offered their full support to Palmer, while Sheffield Wednesday said they were “shocked and saddened” by the alleged incident and anyone found culpable will face “the strictest possible sanctions from both Sheffield Wednesday and the law”.