SPORT - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Disputed cup tie awarded to Moroccan side after kit confiscated

MOROCCAN club Renaissance Berkane have been awarded a 3-0 win over hosts USM Alger (USMA) in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup semi-final despite refusing to play when their kit was confiscated by Algerian customs. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Thursday that Sunday's second leg in Morocco would go ahead as scheduled. CAF added that USMA, who are the defending champions, would face further sanctions. Berkane went to the stadium in Algiers last Sunday for the first leg but did not leave the changing rooms at kick off time after their kit had been confiscated by Algerian…

Apr

2024

By MWARV KIRUBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

The unsung participants at the 2024 World Rally Championship Safari Rally Kenya

MOTORSPORT, MULTIMEDIA

WHEN Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen emerged as top finishers at the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally Kenya and stepped onto the podium at Hell’s Gate National Park to freely spray champagne over colleagues and rally officials, one might have been forgiven for presuming that this was an all-mens' event. One would have presumed wrong. Apart from four all-womens' teams participating in the race, four Kenyan women made crucial contributions to the event. Here, bird story agency sheds light on these four women. Charlene Tuja, Rally PhotographerIn the male-dominated field of rally photography, Charlene Tuja stands out as…

Apr

2024

By Mpho Rantao

Zambia Football President Kamanga arrested for laundering

FOOTBALL

THE President of the Zambian Football Association (FAZ), Andrew Kamanga, has been arrested and charged with offences related to money laundering. The country’s Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) announced the joint arrest and charging of FAZ President Andrew Kamanga and his deputy Reuben Kamanga and two other individuals for money laundering offences. In violation of Zambia's Penal Code, the DEC has charged the arrested individuals with conspiring to defraud, collecting money via false pretence, and acquiring financial advantage through false pretence. Kamanga is accused of using the money to fund trips for associates linked to him to the 2023 Africa Cup…

Apr

2024

By ESTHER MUSEMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

A passionate voice in African sports journalism

SPORT

IN a colourfully decorated broadcast studio, two men talk sports. Joining them is a young woman who fuels the debate by throwing in news of a kit debacle that has stirred Kenyans. Knowledgeable and opinionated, she points out what’s wrong with the kit and what might be done as a fix. The conversation then swings to the English Premier League and then on to a much-anticipated track event, dipping into social media commentary along the way. Mukami Wambora is one of the country's few female sports journalists, guest-hosting the popular radio show #SportOn with Bernand Ndong’ and James Wokabi, on…

Apr

2024

By SILALEI SHANI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Petro de Luanda fires head coach Jose Neto, African players continue to shine at the annual Nike Hoop Summit, and Rwandese national Bella Murekatete is named to the 2024 Women’s College All-Star game

BASKETBALL

AFTER disappointing results in the conference stage of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Angolan side Petro de Luanda have fired head coach Jose Neto. The Brazilian head coach has been with Petro for four seasons and is a former BAL Coach of the Year. However, he experienced tensions with Petro de Luanda’s front office and multiple players on the squad leading up to their most recent outing in the Kalahari Conference. While the decision to part ways with Neto may have surprised some fans, the latest outcome following a fourth-place finish in the 2023 season and a second-place finish in…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

African club semi-final fails to take place following dispute over Moroccan club’s jersey

FOOTBALL

ALGERIAN side USM Alger's African Confederation Cup semi-final first-leg tie against Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane did not go ahead because of a political dispute over the visiting team’s jersey, leaving the outcome of the tie in doubt. The Berkane shirt features an expansive map of Morocco, including the disputed Western Sahara which has been a bone of contention between Rabat and Algiers, with the border between the neighbouring North African countries closed since the 1990s. When the Moroccan side arrived in Algeria on Friday, their kit was confiscated by customs and the team detained at the airport for several hours before…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Jepchirchir crushes women’s-only world record in winning London Marathon

ATHLETICS

REIGNING Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir crushed the women's-only world record in winning the 44th London Marathon, while Kenyan compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao pulled away from Ethiopian distance great Kenenisa Bekele to win the men's race. The 30-year-old Jepchirchir crossed the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace in two hours 16 minutes 16 seconds to break Mary Keitany's mark of 2:17:01 set in a women-only race at the 2017 London event. Jepchirchir pulled away from a group of four in a sprint finish before collapsing to her knees in tears having beaten the fastest field of women ever assembled. "I…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Premier League talking points

FOOTBALL

TALKING points from the latest round of Premier League games. ARSENAL SHOW GRIT TO PROVE DOUBTERS WRONG Defeats by Aston Villa and Bayern Munich in their last two matches called Arsenal's backbone into question but Mikel Arteta's side answered the doubters with a gritty 2-0 win at Wolves to show that their title challenge is not over yet. It was a dour affair and though the statistics might suggest that Arsenal had it easy, they had to grind it out, scoring late in each half to show a different side of themselves that might prove vital as the title race…

Apr

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Basketball’s influence in Africa is growing, latest NBA data shows

BASKETBALL

FROM growing live game viewerships to a surge in social media numbers and an increase in merchandise sales, a new NBA Africa report shows a growth in the number of Africans interested in basketball. According to Silalei Shani, a basketball commentator and former Kenya basketball team captain, “What is happening now is that the basketball audience is connecting more and can be measured because of central areas of interest and at large scale basketball events that have come up in recent years, such as the BAL.” “Credit has to go to social media, marketing and content creators. Basketball content is…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Everton grab 2-0 victory over Forest to boost survival hopes

FOOTBALL

EVERTON secured three crucial points when they beat relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Goodison Park to improve their own Premier League survival hopes and move five points clear of the drop zone. With Everton and Forest being docked eight and four points respectively for financial breaches, Everton is 16th in the standings with 30 points, having played one game fewer than Forest, who sit four points below in 17th place. Forest was furious at being denied three penalty claims and issued a strongly worded complaint on social media immediately after the game. There was little to separate the two sides…