IN WOMEN’S AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
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Tanzania has caused the first major upset of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a two-one win over Bafana Bafana of South Africa in their first Group B.

Diana Msewa picked up the ball 35 yards from goal and drove towards goal and hit a low strike which deflected off a South African defender Bongeka Gamede.

Thembi Kgatlana was denied by a superb stop from Tanzania goalkeeper but from the resulting corner, Banyana equalised, thanks to Bambanani Mbane headed in from close range.

South Africa will take on Côte d’Ivoire in their second Group B game on 31st July while Tanzania will hope to secure qualification into the quarterfinal when they face Burkina Faso.

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Super Falcons forward, Francisca Ordega has named Ghana’s Black Queens as the Super Falcons main challengers at this year’s Women’s African Cup of Nations.

Ordega stated that there are other teams who will challenge them for the title but singled out Ghana as the main threat.

The Super Falcons will begin the defence of their WAFCON title on Tuesday against Malawi in Group A.

Aside from Malawi, the 10-time African women’s champions will also take on Zambia and Egypt in the first preliminary phase.

The Black Queens are drawn in Group D with Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde.

There is the possibility of the Super Falcons and Ghana clashing in the quarterfinals, as the winner in Group C will face the runners-up in Group D.
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Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu says Nigeria will not underestimate tournament debutants, Malawi, ahead of their opening Group C match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Tuesday.

Madugu made the declaration at the pre-match news conference in Rabat on Monday, stressing that every team that qualified for the tournament deserved respect.

Nigeria, the defending champions and Africa’s most successful women’s national team, will begin their title defence against the Scorchers of Malawi at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat.

The Super Falcons are seeking a record-extending 11th WAFCON title after defeating hosts Morocco 3-2 in a dramatic final at the previous edition.

Although making their tournament debut, Malawi are expected to provide a stern test, with highly-rated sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga leading their attack.

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Malawi head coach, Lovemore Fazili has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete with defending champions Nigeria ahead of their Group C opener at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite being widely regarded as underdogs, Fazili insisted his side is ready for the challenge and determined to give a good account of themselves against the Super Falcons.

Fazili said although Nigeria has a strong history in the competition, football can always produce surprises.

The coach also dismissed concerns over the team’s experience, saying the Scorchers have had enough international exposure over the past two years.

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Moroccan police have arrested an employee in Marriott Hotel in Casablanca on suspicion of stealing money from the rooms of players of Nigeria’s Super Falcons who will take part in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Officers from the judicial police unit in Casablanca’s Anfa security district arrested the suspect, following complaints concerning several separate thefts from the players’ rooms.

According to a police, investigators carried out extensive field inquiries that led them to identify the suspect as an employee of the same hotel where the players were staying.

Police placed the hotel employee in custody pending the completion of a judicial investigation supervised by the competent public prosecutor’s office.

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Defending champions Nigeria’s Flying Eagles has made a winning start to their WAFU B Under-twenty Championship title defence with an entertaining four-two victory over rivals Ghana’s Black Satellites.

Abdu Maikaba’s side came flying out of the blocks, and deservedly took the lead in the sixth minute through Olayemi Ayinla.

Muiz Adeleke scored a brace and Oraro Isaac netted a goal for Flying Eagles, while Ghana’s two goals were scored by Mohammed Zaidan and Kelvin Nkrumah.

The result gives the Flying Eagles a perfect start to their campaign as they continue their quest for a third consecutive WAFU B Under-twenty Championship title.

They will face the Sparrow Hawks of Togo in their next game on Thursday.

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Team Nigeria’s Rafiatu Lawal has successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title with another commanding performance, shattering the Games record to win gold in the women’s fifty-eight kilograms weightlifting event at Glasgow 2026.

Lawal delivered a superb display, lifting a combined total of two hundred and twenty-nine kilograms to claim the gold medal and set a new Commonwealth Games record, finishing well clear of the rest of the field.

Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau settled for silver with a total lift of two hundred and fifteen kilograms, while India’s Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam took bronze after recording one hundred and ninety-nine kilograms.

Also, Edidiong Umoafia clinched gold in the men’s seventy-one kilograms event, while Onome Didih topped the podium in the women’s fifty-three kilograms category with a record-breaking performance of her own.

The triumph marked Team Nigeria’s third gold medal in weightlifting at the Games.

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Favour Ashe and Nicholas Fakorede secured places in the men’s one hundred metres semi-finals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with impressive performances in their respective heats.

Ashe produced a commanding run to win his heat in 10.10 seconds, finishing ahead of Kenya’s Meshack Babu, who clocked 10.21 seconds, while Guyana’s Akeem Stewart placed third in 10.55 seconds.

Fakorede also booked his spot in the last four after finishing second in his heat with a time of 10.21 seconds, Lesotho’s Mojela Koneshe won the race in a national record time of 10.07 seconds, while Singapore’s Marc Brian Louis claimed third place with a season’s best of 10.38 seconds.

Nigeria’s third representative, Kanyinsola Ajayi, progressed directly to the semi-finals after receiving a bye.

The Nigerian trio will now battle for places in Tuesday’s final.

Ashe has been drawn in the first semi-final, Ajayi will compete in the second, while Fakorede lines up in the third semi-final.

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The 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup is set to start at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, Ghana, from Tuesday, 28th to Wednesday, 29th July.

The two-day tournament, has been christened the Babatunde Raji Fashola Cup in honour of the former Lagos State Governor for championing the renaissance of table tennis in Africa with the launch of the Lagos Table Tennis Classics in 2013.

The tournament aims to foster healthy rivalry among players while unearthing new talents that can elevate Africa’s standing on the global stage.

Among the headline contenders is Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, the reigning boys’ U-19 singles champion, who will look to defend his crown.

Organisers have named Essid and Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy as top seeds in the U-19 division, with Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira and Tunisia’s Ela Saidi leading the U-15 rankings.

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Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare is closing in on a move to Dutch giants Ajax from Sky Bet Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ajax have reached a club-to-club agreement with Wolves for the Nigerian striker.

The deal is expected to be a season-long loan with an option to buy worth slightly more than twenty million euros.

Arokodare has also attracted interest from Serie A sides Fiorentina and Genoa in recent weeks, but Ajax have now emerged as the frontrunners for his signature.

The 25-year-old joined Wolves from Belgian Pro League side KRC Genk last summer and made thirty-three Premier League appearances in his debut campaign, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

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IN ENGLAND
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Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso says he has a plan to play club record one hundred and seventeen million pounds signing Morgan Rogers alongside Cole Palmer and believes the England international will make an instant impact.

The midfielder became the most expensive British player of all-time when he moved from Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge last week.

The 24-year-old is on holiday after playing for England at the World Cup, while Chelsea have begun their pre-season tour in Sydney.

Alonso insisted he will be ready, despite not yet taking part in pre-season training, and believes he will be compatible with fellow England international Palmer.

The pair describe each other as being among their best friends in football, with Rogers saying they would love to play together.

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Chelsea is in talks to sign Brentford’s Jordan Henderson and Brighton’s Danny Welbeck.

England midfielder Henderson, has a year left on his Brentford contract but the Bees are willing to let him leave on a free transfer.

Ex-England striker Welbeck, is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge and there is optimism from Chelsea’s side that a deal can be concluded.

The Blues are looking for experience because of an acceptance that their model of signing young players needs a tweak according to influential owner Behdad Eghbali in April.

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England defender John Stones is in advanced talks with Inter Milan about joining the Italian side on a free transfer.

The centre-half is a free agent after leaving Manchester City at the end of June.

Stones has been the subject of major interest from clubs across Europe, including Chelsea and Juventus.

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Tottenham star Micky van de Ven says the team’s record spending highlights a new ambition after an unacceptable season and backed the team to play more enjoyable football under Roberto de Zerbi.

Tottenham have finished 17th in the Premier League in back-to-back years and only narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season.

Under De Zerbi, who was appointed in late March, Spurs have spent a club record two hundred and thirty-seven million pounds this summer.

Defender Van de Ven is in talks over a new contract, having joined Tottenham in 2023 on a six-year deal.

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English football is set to implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season.

The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women’s Super League have agreed on the measure, pending permission from the International Football Association Board, Ifab.

Earlier this year, Ifab decided against changing the law and invited leagues to volunteer for trials.

Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue.

It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the field.

If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, the coach will have ten seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute, telling the fourth official of their choice.

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Fifa president Gianni Infantino has told critics to meditate, pray or watch a football match instead of spreading hate and false rumours about his leadership, the governing body and the World Cup.

In a 15-slide post on his personal Instagram account, Infantino addressed those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens to affirm his belief that, while they were busy planting seeds of hate, Fifa was delivering the greatest event on earth.

He said the World Cup celebrated humanity at its best, adding that the 2026 tournament had perfectly safety and security, only joy and happiness.

Infantino downplayed several of the tournament’s high-profile controversies and hailed the involvement of Iran, who featured at the World Cup despite their ongoing conflict with co-hosts the United States, as a success.

He said Fifa worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war, with Iran entering the country without incident or conflict.

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OTHER LEAGUES
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Cape Verde full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral has won the World Cup Goal of the Tournament award for his spectacular strike against Argentina in the round of 32.

The tournament debutants threatened to cause arguably the biggest upset in World Cup history when they took on the 2022 champions and eventual 2026 runners-up in the first knockout round.

Cape Verde’s second equaliser was a stunning effort from Cabral, who recently joined Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor from Benfica in a ten million euro deal.

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Manager Andrea Pirlo says he is no longer a candidate to coach the Italian national side following days of controversy over his ties to a Russian betting company.

His appointment as Italy’s next head coach had not been confirmed by the Italian Football Federation yet was being treated as all but certain.

But over the weekend several Italian politicians criticised the federation’s choice, noting that Pirlo, had taken up a role as global ambassador for Russia’s Fonbet last October.

The betting company has sponsored several sporting events involving veterans of Moscow’s war in Ukraine and has organised events in Russia at which Pirlo appeared alongside pro-Kremlin figures.

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RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid after Paris Saint-Germain withdrew their interest.

The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international was previously a target for Liverpool, who had an initial bid of sixty-nine million pounds rejected in June, as well as PSG.

Liverpool then moved on to other targets, and PSG have now opted against entering a bidding war with Real.

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Slavko Vinčić has officially retired from refereeing just one week after officiating the 2026 World Cup final.

The 46-year-old Slovenian official stepped away at the peak of his career following Spain’s one-nil extra-time victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The Slovenian Football Association confirmed that Vinčić has officially ended his refereeing career following the World Cup held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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OTHER SPORTS
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In Boxing, the long-awaited heavyweight fight between Britons Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has moved a step closer after they won their respective warm-up fights.

Fury was first into the ring on Friday, stopping 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in seven rounds in Pattaya, Thailand.

Facing little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga, Joshua produced a stunning turnaround to stop Prenga in the second.

With both men winning and contracts already agreed, the biggest fight in British boxing remains on course.

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In Formula one, Red Bull have confirmed the appointment of the Mercedes driver scout involved in discovering Kimi Antonelli to head up their young driver programme.

Frenchman Gwen Lagrue’s move was revealed earlier this month.

Red Bull released a statement announcing the 50-year-old’s signing as director of their junior programme, adding he would join the team in 2027.

Lagrue has been recruited essentially as a replacement for Helmut Marko, who retired from his long-time role as Red Bull’s motorsport adviser at the end of last year.

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In the Commonwealth Games, England bounced back from a difficult loss to world number one side Australia with a 73-38 victory over Malawi at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

There was no hangover from the 66-47 loss to Australia as England cruised into a 18-9 lead in the first quarter.

England consistently kept their advantage throughout before stepping it up in the final quarter to allow Malawi just five points to the Roses’ 18.

Goal shooter Eleanor Cardwell proved to be an influential substitution, scoring all of her 21 shots following her introduction in the second half.

The Roses are third in Pool A behind reigning champions Australia and South Africa.

They will next face Tonga on Wednesday before playing South Africa their rivals for a place in the semi-finals on Thursday.

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The identical Roper twins created a slice of Wales team history as the gymnasts both won Commonwealth Games bronze in Glasgow within a couple of hours of each other.

Abigail secured third place in the women’s vault, one place ahead of sister Emily, who then claimed her own medal later in the afternoon by finishing third in the uneven bars.

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In Athletics, Keely Hodgkinson, Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson have been named in Great Britain’s 98-strong squad for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The trio were among a number of high-profile British athletes who skipped the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Olympic champion Hodgkinson eight hundred metres and Asher-Smith one hundred metres will look to defend their European titles at Alexander Stadium next month, when Britain hosts the championships for the first time.

Johnson-Thompson, who was forced to withdraw from the 2024 edition with an injury, will return to compete in the heptathlon, having claimed silver at the Paris Olympics.

Birmingham-born Matt Hudson-Smith, the four hundred metres Olympic silver medallist and a four-time European champion, will take part in the men’s four hundred metres at the venue where he has a stand named after him.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too….words from Mark Twain.