Sports

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the postponement of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, shifting the tournament from its original March schedule to a new window between July and August. CAF confirmed the decision on Thursday, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding the competition. According to the revised schedule, the tournament will now be held from July 25 to August 16, 2026, following consultations between CAF, FIFA, and other stakeholders involved in organising the event. The competition had earlier been slated to take place from March 17 to April 3. CAF explained that the change was made to ensure the smooth organisation of Africa’s premier women’s football tournament. In a statement, the football governing bo...

Clubs in the English Football League (EFL) have approved plans to expand the promotion play-offs in the EFL Championship, with the new format set to take effect from the 2026–2027 season. Under the revised system, teams finishing between third and eighth position will compete for promotion to the Premier League. The structure is similar to the format currently used in the National League. Teams that finish third and fourth in the Championship standings will automatically qualify for the semi-finals. Meanwhile, clubs placed fifth to eighth will play one-legged quarter-final matches, with the fifth-placed team hosting the side in eighth position, while the sixth-placed team will face the seventh-placed side at home. The semi-finals will remain two-legged ties, while the play-off fin...

Anthony Joshua is currently receiving intensive rib treatment as part of his rehabilitation months after a tragic car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of his close associates. The two-time world heavyweight champion, 36, was involved in the crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 29, just 10 days after defeating Jake Paul by knockout in six rounds in Miami. The accident led to the deaths of Joshua’s personal trainer, Kevin “Latz” Ayodele, and his long-time recovery therapist, Sina Ghami. Joshua sustained minor injuries and was discharged from hospital two days later before returning to the United Kingdom to attend the funerals of the deceased. The boxer recently posted images on Snapchat showing his rib therapy sessions as he continues his recovery. In th...

Michael Carrick has urged his Manchester United players to bounce back quickly after their 2–1 loss to Newcastle United at St James’ Park. The defeat proved frustrating for United, who were unable to capitalize on their numerical advantage after Newcastle were reduced to 10 men. Carrick admitted he was disappointed not only with the result but also with how the game unfolded. “We are bitterly disappointed. It hurts,” Carrick said, noting that his side arrived in good form but failed to deliver the expected performance. The loss halted an impressive run since Carrick assumed managerial duties at Old Trafford following the exit of Ruben Amorim. Under Carrick, United had previously recorded six wins and a draw in his first seven matches. Despite those results, some recent performa...

Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler has slammed Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, saying he will never be his type of coach. Hurzeler criticised his counterpart after Arsenal defeated his side 1-0 to open a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table on Wednesday. Arsenal’s title rivals, Manchester City, played out a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad. The Gunners’ goal came from the boots of Bukayo Saka who forced home a low effort in the first half. Mikel Arteta’s men managed to hold on for all three points. Addressing the press after the game, Hurzeler said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, “There was only one team who tried to play football today. “I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way”.

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, is expected to make a pronouncement on the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in the next 48 hours. Morocco is scheduled to host the tournament later this month. There are speculations that the WAFCON 2026 finals will be postponed. CAF Communications Director, Luxolo September, posted on X today that the continent’s soccer governing body is giving the WAFCON situation “urgent and high-level attention.” Morocco also hosted the delayed 2024 edition of the competition. This edition of the tournament will run from March 17 and end on April 3, 2026. The semifinalists will advance to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA has ended the Super Eagles’ dreams of playing at the 2026 World Cup, after confirming the final line-up for this month’s inter-confederation play-off tournament. The world football governing body has picked DR Congo as Africa’s representative. This was contained in an accreditation notice circulated to the media on Wednesday. In the notice, FIFA provided details of the tournament format and listed the six countries that would be involved. DR Congo’s inclusion leaves no room for Nigeria, whose football federation had challenged the result of their defeat in the CAF play-offs in November 2025. The Nigeria Football Federation lodged a formal protest, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the decisive tie, which ended 1-1 and went to penalties, where Nige...

Supporters of Galatasaray S.K. will not be permitted to attend their Champions League round of 16 second-leg fixture against Liverpool F.C. at Anfield after UEFA upheld disciplinary sanctions stemming from crowd disturbances in Turin. European football’s governing body announced that the Turkish champions are prohibited from selling tickets to away fans for the March 18 encounter on Merseyside and have also been fined €40,000. The sanctions relate to incidents during the second leg of their play-off tie against Juventus F.C. on February 25. UEFA stated that visiting supporters threw objects and ignited fireworks during the match in Turin. Italian media reported that a man and his daughter were injured after a firework was allegedly directed toward home supporters. Despite a 3-2 de...

FC Barcelona will be without defenders Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde for their Champions League round of 16 clash against Newcastle United after both players sustained hamstring injuries on March 4. The duo were substituted during Tuesday’s 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid. Despite the win on the night, Barcelona were eliminated from the competition following a 4-3 aggregate defeat. In a statement, the club confirmed that Balde is expected to be sidelined for four weeks. No official recovery timeline was provided for Kounde, though reports in Spain indicate he could face a similar spell out. Their injuries rule them out of the crucial European encounter with Newcastle, as well as important La Liga fixtures against Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla FC, and Rayo Va...

Francis Uzoho has been reinstated as the first-choice goalkeeper of the Super Eagles by head coach Eric Chelle, following the current inactivity of Stanley Nwabali. Uzoho plays as a goalkeeper for Cypriot First Division club Omonia Nwabali is presently without a club after ending his deal with Chippa United, creating uncertainty ahead of the national team’s return to action later this month. With preparations underway, Chelle moved quickly to name Uzoho as his preferred option between the posts. Uzoho previously served as second-choice goalkeeper during the last Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria secured a third-place finish. Meanwhile, Chelle appears unconvinced about Maduka Okoye, who reportedly declined a call-up for the tournament after being informed he would not be gu...