FOOTBALL - The African Mirror

Mar

27

2026

Senegal storms CAS as AFCON crisis lays bare a continent’s fractured football soul

FOOTBALL

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has formally lodged an appeal challenging one of the most convulsive rulings in African football history - the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to retroactively strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and hand the trophy to tournament hosts Morocco. The appeal, registered at CAS's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 25 March 2026, formally asks the global sports arbitration tribunal to set aside CAF's March 17 decision entirely and restore Senegal as the rightful champions of AFCON Morocco 2025. The…

Mar

24

2026

By Jovial Rantao

How Mohamed Salah’s 9 year love affair with Liverpool finally kissed the desert sand

FOOTBALL

WELL, they said it couldn’t happen. They said the love was too deep, the bond too sacred, the goals too numerous. They said Mohamed Salah and Liverpool were written in the stars - a celestial pairing as permanent as the pyramids and as dependable as the Nile in flood season. They were wrong. On Tuesday, 24 March 2026, the sky fell in on Anfield. The Pharaoh announced his departure, and English football stopped breathing. It was not a leaked rumour from some dubious agent in a Dubai hotel lobby. It was not a cryptic Instagram post requiring football’s finest code-breakers…

Mar

20

2026

By The African Mirror

The Pharaoh of Fifty

FOOTBALL

THE pass arrived like a whisper - sublime, perfectly weighted, finding its man in the churning chaos of a Champions League night. Mohamed Salah received it on the left flank, his first touch caressing the ball into space. One defender went. Then another. His body shifted, the threat telegraphed and yet utterly unstoppable: the outside of the boot, curling - curling - curling into the top corner, beyond the desperate reach of the Galatasaray goalkeeper. Anfield erupted. But for Mohamed Salah, this was no ordinary goal. It was goal number fifty. Fifty Champions League goals. Fifty moments of genius, accumulated…

Mar

18

2026

By Mpho Rantao

Morocco handed AFCON title after Senegal are stripped

FOOTBALL

TWO months after they were crowned champions, had a trophy tour in their nation's capital and awarded lucrative bonuses, Senegal have been stripped of their mantle as African football champions. Morocco have been named the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Champions after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeal board made a landmark decision, overturning Senegal's helm as the champions of the 2025 tournament following an appeal made by Morocco. The night in question involved a goal scored by Ismaila Sarr that was disallowed before Morocco were awarded a late penalty following VAR intervention. In protest to the call, Senegal…

Mar

14

2026

By The African Mirror

José Riveiro among candidates if Kaizer Chiefs pull the trigger on coaching change

FOOTBALL

WITH pressure continuing to mount at South Africa’s top team, Kaizer Chiefs, following inconsistent results through different phases of the season, speculation has begun to grow around the future of co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, with reports linking both to a possible exit from the club. Chiefs have struggled to match the pace set by title contenders Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, with frustration among supporters becoming increasingly visible in recent weeks. Although Amakhosi have not signalled any immediate changes, speculation continues that they could pull the trigger, with several candidates reportedly in the mix. José Riveiro One…

Mar

14

2026

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

A digital database of African football talent is coming soon

FOOTBALL

GROWING up in Ghana, Nana Yaw Oppong-Mensah spent countless afternoons playing football in neighbourhood matches where the level of competition was often surprisingly high. He remembers the players he grew up with as technically gifted, fast, and fiercely competitive. Yet years later, many had disappeared from the professional pathway. “In Africa, there is a lot of talent in the communities,” Oppong-Mensah explained in an interview with Bird Story Agency. “You see players who are incredibly good, but many of them never get the visibility they need to move forward.” For Oppong-Mensah, the problem is not a shortage of ability. It…

Feb

20

2026

By LLOYD KAI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Coach Tibu’s female football team is breaking barriers

FOOTBALL

BY 9 am, Fathime Hamisi Omari is standing on a football pitch in the quaint, creekside community of Mnarani. She has already seen her child off to school. Now, she is in full-blown coach mode. Whistle in hand, she commands the technical drills for Moving The Goalposts (MTG) United. Known to her community and peers as "Coach Tibu," the 32-year-old is the head coach of MTG’s football team. Her presence on the sidelines is a deliberate disruption of the status quo in a region where professional sports coaching remains an overwhelmingly male-dominated field. "To be honest, being a female football…

Feb

18

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Nigerian striker Osimhen breaks silence: “I was victim of racist abuse at Napoli”

FOOTBALL

GALATASARAY striker Victor Osimhen has delivered explosive testimony about his acrimonious departure from Napoli, accusing the club of racist treatment and betrayal following a penalty miss last season. In a revealing interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Nigerian international detailed the events that fractured his relationship with the Serie A champions, centring on a controversial TikTok video posted by the club that mocked his penalty miss. "After Napoli posted that TikTok video, something definitely broke," Osimhen told the Italian publication. "Anyone can miss a penalty, anyone can be mocked for it. But Napoli did it only to me —…

Feb

17

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Nigeria awarded 2026 FIFA World Cup spot in boardroom after DR Congo disqualified for fielding ineligible player

FOOTBALL

NIGERIA has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup without kicking another ball, after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruled that the Democratic Republic of Congo fielded an ineligible player during their Best Losers Playoff match. The decision, announced by FIFA's Disciplinary Committee, overturns DR Congo's 2-1 victory and awards the match to Nigeria by forfeit with a 3-0 scoreline, handing the Super Eagles the final African qualification spot for the tournament. The ruling centres on an unnamed player referred to as "Player X" in FIFA's decision, who scored during the playoff match but had not completed the required nationality switch…

Feb

09

2026

By WYCLIFFE W. NJORORAI SIMIYU

East Africa’s dismal football record doesn’t match its passion – what needs to happen

FOOTBALL

EAST Africa loves football. From the streets of Nairobi and the markets of Kampala to the beaches of Dar es Salaam, the passion for soccer is an undeniable current running through the region. Yet, despite fan support, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania haven’t translated this enthusiasm into sustained international success. A new book that draws on the career-long research of Wycliffe W. Njororai Simiyu explores the deep roots of the game in the region. It also examines the structural and gender challenges and the immense opportunities that lie ahead. We asked him about it. How was the modern game introduced? The…