FOOTBALL - The African Mirror

Jun

02

2026

Africa at the World Cup: 10 teams, local coaches and tactical depth usher in a new era

FOOTBALL

THE 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup marks a seismic shift in the global football landscape. The decision to expand the final stage of the tournament from 32 teams to 48 has significantly benefited the Confederation of African Football (Caf). In 2018 and 2022, Africa was represented by five nations; this year, a record 10 teams will take the stage. They are, in order of their FIFA world ranking: Morocco (ranked 8), Senegal (14), Algeria (28), Egypt (29), Côte d'Ivoire (34), Tunisia (44), Democratic Republic of Congo (46), South Africa (60), Cape Verde (69) and Ghana (74). As a sport scientist…

May

29

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Ten lions roar: Africa’s historic World Cup armies named

FOOTBALL

THE squads have been named, the kits laid out, and the dreams of a continent crystallised into 26-man rosters. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup prepares to kick off on 11 June in Mexico City, Africa stands at a historic crossroads: for the first time in the tournament's 96-year history, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will send ten nations to football's grandest stage. The expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams has opened a door that African football's advocates, coaches, and players have long agitated for. The result is a continental roll call of extraordinary breadth…

May

25

2026

By The African Mirror

KINGS OF AFRICA: Sundowns seize CAF championship in Rabat’s Lion Den

FOOTBALL

THERE are football nights that merely settle a title. Then there are football nights that write myths. Sunday evening at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat was emphatically the latter - a contest of suffocating tension, heart-stopping reversals and, ultimately, sublime South African defiance that buried a decade of continental near-misses under a cascade of gold and navy confetti. Mamelodi Sundowns are, once again, kings of Africa. The Brazilians from Chloorkop claimed the 2025-26 CAF Champions League title with a 1-1 draw on the night, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory over hosts AS FAR - and in doing so,…

Apr

18

2026

By The African Mirror

Agent confirms uncertainty over Pule Mmodi’s future at Kaizer Chiefs

FOOTBALL

KAIZER Chiefs winger Pule Mmodi is facing an uncertain future at the club, with his representatives confirming that discussions regarding his future have been placed on hold for now. Despite enjoying one of their most promising campaigns in recent years, Amakhosi are dealing with uncertainty surrounding several key players, with a number of contracts set to expire at the end of the current campaign. Among those in a similar position to Mmodi are defender Dillan Solomons, goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma, former Stellenbosch FC midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa, as well as Gaston Sirino. Having featured in 25 matches across all competitions, registering one…

Apr

18

2026

By The African Mirror

Stanley Nwabali tipped for lucrative Kaizer Chiefs switch over Europe dream

FOOTBALL

FORMER Nigerian and Moroka Swallows goalkeeper Peterside Idah says he would have no problem seeing Stanley Nwabali join Kaizer Chiefs, but believes the Super Eagles shot-stopper is good enough to secure a move to Europe. Nwabali is expected to decide on his future this summer after spending the last few months without a club. The 29-year-old has never played outside Africa, having started his career in the Nigerian Premier Football League before moving to South Africa. In the past, he was linked with English side Crystal Palace and a host of Saudi Arabian clubs, but those speculations have since cooled without…

Apr

16

2026

By ABDOULAYE SAKHO

Afcon controversy: what a sports law specialist says about Senegal being stripped of the title

FOOTBALL

TWO months after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final, which was won by Senegal in January 2026, the appeal board of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) decided to strip them of the title and give it instead to their opponents, Morocco. This was because the Senegalese team had walked off the pitch for about 10 minutes. CAF’s ruling is based on Articles 82 and 84 of the African football body’s regulations. It goes against the referee’s decision to resume play and see the match through to its conclusion. What does sports law say on this matter? And…

Apr

15

2026

By The African Mirror

Keagan Dolly tipped for shock Kaizer Chiefs return

FOOTBALL

CAPE Town City FC and Bafana Bafana forward Keagan Dolly is likely to return to Kaizer Chiefs at the conclusion of the ongoing 2025/26 domestic season. Dolly to Chiefs? SportsBoom.co.za has learned that former Kaizer Chiefs captain Keagan Dolly is likely to return to Naturena next season, to bolster the team's ambitious turnaround. Dolly spent three seasons in the gold and black colours of Kaizer Chiefs between July 2021 and June 2024, where he carved a big name for himself. During those three seasons, Dolly managed to become the highest earning footballer in the country, as he became an important…

Apr

03

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Roar of the Leopards: Congo back on football’s biggest stage after 52-year exile

FOOTBALL

IT came in the 100th minute, in the rain-drenched dark just west of Guadalajara, and it landed like thunder across 100 million souls. When Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe bundled a corner over the line at Estadio Akron, and the referee's whistle confirmed what the VAR screen had taken an agonising 60 seconds to ratify, the Democratic Republic of Congo - the Leopards, the giants of Central Africa - were going back to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years. The final score was 1-0 over Jamaica in the intercontinental playoff. The meaning was immeasurable. In the…

Apr

01

2026

By SPORT CORRESPONDENTS

Life in prison, now FIFA’s crosshairs: Congress football boss, two officials face ethics hammer

FOOTBALL

FIFA has moved to compound the legal ruin of the Republic of Congo’s football’s disgraced leadership, opening formal ethics proceedings against the head of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) and two of his senior officials - both of whom had already been sentenced to five years in a criminal court before the world governing body acted. The investigatory chamber of FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee confirmed on Wednesday that it has initiated disciplinary proceedings against FECOFOOT president Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, General Secretary Wantete Badji, and Finance Director Raoul Kanda — all in connection with alleged financial misconduct involving FIFA funds. FIFA’s…

Mar

30

2026

By The African Mirror

CAF pledges referee and judicial overhaul after AFCON final scandal

FOOTBALL

THE Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced sweeping reforms to its statutes and regulations governing referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies, in a direct acknowledgement that the incidents surrounding the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 final exposed critical institutional failures. CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed on Sunday that the reforms - described as "far-reaching" - would be implemented immediately, with the explicit aim of ensuring the final's controversies are never repeated. "These changes and improvements to the CAF Statutes and Regulations will also ensure that the unacceptable incidents that took place at the TotalEnergies…