Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi

South Africa’s national women’s football team, Banyana Banyana, have boycotted training ahead of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title defence in Morocco, citing unpaid allowances and salaries from the South African Football Association (SAFA). The reigning continental champions, who arrived in Morocco on Wednesday in preparation for the tournament set to kick off on July 5, staged a sit-in protest on Friday by refusing to take part in their scheduled training session. This marks the second session they’ve missed, intensifying pressure on SAFA to address the matter swiftly. According to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the players…

Deontay Wilder returned to winning ways on Saturday night, stopping Tyrrell Herndon in the seventh round of a low-profile bout in Wichita, Kansas, that offered more relief than reassurance for the former heavyweight champion. It was Wilder’s first victory since October 2022, ending a streak of three losses in four fights — most recently a punishing fifth-round stoppage at the hands of Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang in June 2024. But this win, against a faded opponent in Herndon, came without the electricity and spectacle once synonymous with the man dubbed the “Bronze Bomber.” There was no glittering entrance, no pay-per-view…

Manchester United have seen their latest bid for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo rejected, as the West London club stand firm on their valuation of the in-demand forward. United’s improved offer, reportedly worth up to £62.5 million – consisting of £55 million upfront and £7.5 million in add-ons – was turned down by Brentford, who are understood to be holding out for a fee similar to what Wolves received for Matheus Cunha earlier this summer. Cunha’s recent move to Old Trafford, also for £62.5 million, has seemingly set a benchmark in the market. Sources close to the negotiations suggest Brentford want…

Gareth Southgate has officially joined football’s most elite ranks after being knighted at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. The former England manager, 54, was honoured for his services to football following his departure from the national team after Euro 2024. The knighthood places Southgate among just six other football managers who have received the distinction: Sir Alf Ramsey, Sir Matt Busby, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Kenny Dalglish, and Sir Walter Winterbottom. Remarkably, like Winterbottom, Southgate is one of the few knights not to have lifted a major trophy as a manager. Despite never capturing international silverware, Southgate’s influence…

Disappointment as Al Ahly, Esperance, Sundowns & Wydad crash out in group stage The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States has ended in bitter disappointment for African football, as none of the four CAF representatives managed to progress beyond the group stage in the tournament’s new 32-team format. A Harsh Reality for African Giants African champions Al Ahly, along with Esperance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Wydad Casablanca, all entered the competition with high hopes and reputations forged across the continent. But by the close of the group phase, the continent’s campaign had been extinguished. Each club…

Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of extending his stay at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, according to local sources who spoke to BBC Sport, despite earlier signs suggesting his time in Riyadh was drawing to a close. The 40-year-old Portuguese icon, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 after a high-profile exit from Manchester United, had initially agreed to a deal running through June 2025. However, talks have progressed significantly over a new two-year extension that would keep him at the club until the summer of 2027. Speculation around Ronaldo’s future intensified last month when he posted cryptically on social media,…

Nigeria international Moses Simon is on the verge of completing a transfer from FC Nantes to Paris FC, with the 29-year-old winger reportedly passing his medical on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The deal, valued at €7 million, marks Paris FC’s first major signing of the summer window and a significant step in their ambitions to strengthen ahead of the new season. Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed the development via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, stating: “Moses Simon has just completed his medical at Paris FC today after deal done with Nantes for €7m.” Simon’s move brings an end…

In a seismic development for French football, Olympique Lyonnais, one of the country’s most decorated clubs, has been officially relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial irregularities. The decision was confirmed on June 24, 2025, by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), following a meeting with the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG), the financial watchdog overseeing professional clubs in France. The ruling marks a significant and historic fall from grace for Lyon, who have won Ligue 1 seven times and enjoyed over two decades of top-flight stability. The DNCG’s verdict follows a period of intense financial scrutiny in which…

Chelsea’s hopes of progressing in the FIFA Club World Cup suffered a blow on Friday after striker Nicolas Jackson was handed a two-match ban following his red card in the 3-1 defeat to Flamengo. The Senegalese forward was sent off just four minutes after coming on as a substitute for a reckless studs-up challenge on Flamengo’s Lucas Ayrton. The incident, initially drawing an automatic one-game suspension, was reviewed by FIFA’s disciplinary committee and upgraded to a two-match ban due to the severity of the foul. This decision rules Jackson out of Chelsea’s crucial final group stage match against African champions…

In one of the most extraordinary matches in UEFA Under-19 Championship history, Spain triumphed 6-5 over Germany after extra time in a semi-final that saw three stoppage-time goals and five more in extra time. Played at the Stadionul Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest, the drama was unrelenting. Pablo García was the hero of the night, netting four goals—including two in stoppage time and the dramatic winner in the dying moments of extra time—to guide Spain to a jaw-dropping victory and a place in Thursday’s final against either hosts Romania or the Netherlands. The match began with Germany asserting early dominance.…