Sports

A self-proclaimed marabout, or traditional healer, who collected €33,500 by promising Mali’s national football team victory in the Africa Cup of Nations has been arrested for fraud following the team’s defeat. Mali was knocked out of the tournament on Friday after losing 1-0 to Senegal in the quarter-finals. The man, identified only as Mr. Sinayogo, reportedly received over 22 million CFA francs in donations, according to an associate. After the loss, an angry crowd reportedly gathered at his home until police intervened and took him into custody. Sinayogo was arrested in Bamako on Saturday on charges of fraud and was being held at the cybercrime division, according to two videographers who visited him. “Charlatanism is punishable under Malian law,” a division official told ...

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) errors have risen in the first half of the Premier League season, according to figures released by the league’s independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel and analysed by BBC Sport on Tuesday. The panel documented 13 VAR mistakes during the opening half of the campaign, representing a 30 per cent increase compared to the 10 errors recorded at the same stage last season. Despite the increase, the total still marks an improvement on previous seasons, with 20 errors logged at this point in the 2023–24 campaign and 23 during the 2022–23 season. Of the 13 errors recorded this season, 11 were classified as missed interventions—instances where VAR failed to recommend an on-field review despite an incorrect refereeing decision. This is up from seven missed i...

The Angola Football Federation are looking to prize away Malian coach, Eric Chelle from Nigeria. A number of African coaches have reportedly expressed interest in Chelle after the great work he has achieved with Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Eagles have impressed in Morocco with their sublime attacking style of play. According to SCORENigeria, the Angolan Federation are now offering to double Chelle’s salary. Chelle is on $50,000 a month, and has a year left on his contract with the NFF. They want to pay him $100,000 to make him their new head coach. The Palancas Negras endured a poor outing at AFCON 2025 failing to progress beyond the group stage.

Anthony Joshua has paid tribute to his friends who di£d while travelling with him in Nigeria. The boxing star took to his Isntagram Stories to tag his late friends Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele's Instagram accounts as he made a short post directed them. Joshua wrote: "@HEALTHY_MINDSET X @SINA_EVOLVE "THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING MY BROS "BOTH OF YOU REALLY HELPED ME. "I DON'T USE SOCIALS TO VOICE MY FEELINGS BUT I WANT TO SAU I AM THANKFUL FOR THE TIME THE BROS SPENT MITH ME." He added: "I just felt like saying it. If you don't like it, try and do something about it." Sina Ghami was Anthony Joshua's strength and conditioning coach while Latif "Latz" Ayodele was his personal trainer and a trusted part of his inner circle. They both di£d on January 2...

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has reportedly expressed interest in joining the coaching staff under Michael Carrick at the club, according to multiple sources. Rooney, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Manchester United’s history, is said to be keen on beginning the next phase of his football career in coaching. His potential involvement would see him work alongside Carrick, who is currently leading the team in a caretaker capacity following the departure of the previous interim manager. The former England captain has previously hinted at his desire to pursue coaching, having gained experience managing Derby County and taking steps toward completing his UEFA coaching badges. His return to Old Trafford in a coaching role would mark a full-circle moment f...

Arsenal have been drawn against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round, while Chelsea will travel to Hull City in one of the standout ties. The Gunners, who cruised past Portsmouth 4-1 in the third round, will host Wigan at the Emirates Stadium. The tie revives memories of the 2014 FA Cup final, when Arsenal beat the Latics to end a long wait for silverware. Chelsea, meanwhile, head to the MKM Stadium to face Hull in a fixture that carries added intrigue for new head coach Liam Rosenior, who previously played for and managed the Championship side. Macclesfield FC’s reward for dumping out holders Crystal Palace is another home clash, this time against in-form Premier League side Brentford. Keith Andrews’ team will be keen to avoid becoming the latest victims of a cup upset. ...

Super Eagles striker, Terem Moffi, is seeking to terminate his contract with French club OGC Nice. Recall that the 26-year-old was assaulted by Nice fans in November 2024 following the club’s 3-1 defeat to Lorient. According to Truibuna, Moffi and his teammate,  Jeremie Boga were punched, kicked and spat on, with some of the blows said to be to their genitals. They also had racist slurs thrown their way - Moffi played 90 minutes in the game, while Boga came off the bench. Moffi has been on sick leave for six weeks following the incident. The Nigerian has filed a complaint with the Professional Football League’s legal committee seeking the termination of his contract. According to a French news outlet, L’Equipe , his lawyers have validated the request, ref...

Real Madrid have appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as their new first-team head coach following the mutual departure of Xabi Alonso. The announcement was made on January 12, a day after Los Blancos suffered a narrow loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. In an official statement, the club said: “Real Madrid announces Álvaro Arbeloa as the new head coach of the first team.” Alonso’s spell at the Santiago Bernabéu lasted less than eight months, with both parties agreeing to part ways. Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid defender, steps up from managing Real Madrid Castilla, a role he has held since June 2025. His entire coaching career has been within the club’s youth system, starting with the Under-14s in 2020, progressing through the Under-16s and Under-19s. During the 2022–2023...

Xabi Alonso has left his position as Real Madrid manager after only seven months in the role. This was confirmed in an official statement on Monday. “Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach,” the statement from the club read. Alonso was brought in as manager back in June 2025, replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who left for the Brazilian national team. Despite showing positive signs during his time at the club, the 44-year-old tactician has largely found things difficult, especially over the past month or two, with injuries, poor results, and dressing room unrest causing problems. The LaLiga giants have taken the decision less than 24 hours after they lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the...

The Super Eagles will conduct their first training session in Rabat on Monday night, with the workout scheduled to take place behind closed doors. Players and coaching staff are expected to arrive in Rabat from Fès later this afternoon and will lodge at the Rihab Hotel during their stay. Head coach Éric Chelle and his squad will train at the Complexe Mohammed VI, with the session set to begin at 6:00 p.m. local time. The team returned to Fès from Marrakech on Sunday after recording a 2–0 victory over Algeria’s Desert Foxes in the quarter-finals. Media representatives will be granted access to the Super Eagles’ final training session ahead of their semi-final clash against tournament hosts Morocco. The highly anticipated encounter is slated for Wednesday at the Prince Moulay ...