SPORT - The African Mirror

Oct

25

2022

Racists should be banned from stadiums, Vinicius Jr says

SPORT

FERNANDO KALLAS REAL Madrid forward Vinicius Jr believes that fans found guilty of racist abuse should be banned for life from attending games. The 22-year-old Brazilian was a victim of abuse in September when Atletico Madrid fans were filmed directing racist chants at him outside their Wanda Metropolitano Stadium ahead of their game against Real. "If you hurt other people, you must pay," Vinicius told Brazilian TV Globo on Sunday. "It's hard to say that (racism in soccer) will end with so many people still doing it. But I like to believe that there are more good people than bad.…

Oct

25

2022

By The African Mirror

Alpine protest after Alonso stripped of U.S. points

SPORT

ALPINE'S double world champion Fernando Alonso lost seventh place at the U.S. Grand Prix after stewards upheld a protest from Formula One rivals Haas about the safety of his car. Renault-owned Alpine, who are fighting McLaren for fourth in the constructors' championship with prize money at stake, responded by protesting the admissibility of the Haas protest. Haas, who are eighth and only two points clear of AlphaTauri, had objected post-race to Alonso and Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who finished fourth, being allowed to continue racing at Austin's Circuit of the Americas with loose bodywork. Stewards rejected the protest against Red…

Jul

05

2022

By The African Mirror

South Africa defeat Nigeria in WAFCON opener

SPORT

SOUTH Africa got off to a flying start following a 2-1 win over nine-time record African champions Nigeria in their first Group C encounter at the ongoing 2022 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Desiree Ellis’ outfit scored twice in two minutes thanks to Jermaine Seoposenwe and Hilda Magaia goals in the 60th and 62nd minutes to destabilize their opponents, who were caught off-guard by the quick firing South Africans. Banyana Banyana made their intentions clear right from kickoff, pushing forward with Thembi Kgatlana and Seoposenwe asking the right questions and building momentum, which explained the 61% ball possession they registered at the end of the game.…

Jul

04

2022

By ALAN BALDWIN

Sainz takes his first F1 win in Silverstone thriller

SPORT

FERRARI'S Carlos Sainz claimed his first Formula One victory in a thrilling British Grand Prix halted by a first-lap crash and with the added mayhem of a track invasion by environmental protesters. Red Bull's Mexican Sergio Perez was runner-up, 3.779 seconds behind the Spaniard, with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes in his home race and taking fastest lap for a bonus point. "Yes! We did it! Vamos!" exclaimed a delighted Sainz over the radio after a win that had looked unlikely despite him starting on pole position for the first time and in his 150th race. "I…

Jul

04

2022

By The African Mirror

UEFA steps up fight against online racist abuse of players

SPORT

UEFA is to launch a programme to combat online racist abuse of footballers by working with social media companies to remove harmful content from platforms and raise awareness, it said. Europe's soccer governing body added that the programme, which will start at the July 6-31 Women's European Championship, will work to "actively monitor, report and remedy" cases of online abuse. England's Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were the targets of online racist abuse after they missed penalties in a 3-2 shootout loss to Italy in last year's European Championship final. A report published by FIFA last month revealed…

Jul

03

2022

By SILALEI SHANI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

African basketball: Calls for new narrative in Nigeria, NBA draft action

SPORT

AFRICA continued to play its role as a growing hub for NBA talent in June, with 8 African players drafted in this year’s NBA Draft 2022. The event, on June 23, had wide African representation. Two players who have garnered a lot of attention are Christian Koloko of Cameroon and Khalifa Diop of Senegal. Arizona centre Koloko was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 33rd pick. He is the first Cameroonian player drafted into the NBA since Pascal Siakam, in 2016. Gran Canaria (Spain) forward Diop was selected 39th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers becoming the first Senegalese to…

Jul

09

2022

By The African Mirror

Nigerian soccer joins video game big league as local stars get avatars

SPORT

KAZEEM SANNI A sports fan and computer coder, Nigerian Victor Daniyan became adept at soccer video games at university. But he grew frustrated that they showcased clubs and players from across Europe but not the stars and stripes of his native country. Three years of tinkering and hundreds of lines of code later he remedied that omission, launching what he believes is the first African soccer game - Vikseen Virtual. It's a modified version of Japanese game-maker Konami's copyright-free blockbuster simulation Pro Evolution Soccer and features 50 clubs and more than 1,400 players from Nigeria's top leagues. Though Daniyan's modification…

Jul

08

2022

By The African Mirror

Women’s Afcon final stage is underway with a new challenge – testosterone testing

FOOTBALL

THE 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) opened in Morocco with several storylines that include challenges to perennial giants, broadcast to a global audience, increased monetary payout to the winner and an expanded number of finalists. There are 12 teams left standing. Author CHUKA ONWUMECHILI, Professor of Communications, Howard University The competition is the biggest women’s football tournament on the continent and it has brought excitement before sizeable stadium crowds and those watching via television all over the world. Morocco is one of the teams expected to challenge for the title that Nigeria has dominated since winning the debut…

Apr

03

2022

By The African Mirror

Mali fire coach after World Cup disappointment

SPORT

MALI has fired coach Mohamed Magassouba after their failure to qualify for the World Cup, making him the second casualty this week after the completion of the qualifiers. The 64-year-old coach, who has been in charge of his country’s national team since 2017, was dismissed with all of his staff, the Malian Federation said. Mali was beaten 1-0 over two legs by Tunisia in their World Cup playoff this week, giving away a horror own goal in last Friday’s first leg in Bamako. It was the closest Mali had come to a first-ever World Cup finals appearance, but Magassouba’s firing…

Apr

07

2022

By The African Mirror

Qatar will host a World Cup but not as we know it

SPORT

SIMON EVANS NOVEMBER'S World Cup in Qatar will be unlike any other finals that have previously taken place and the logistical challenges facing organisers, from providing enough accommodation to dealing with unruly fans, will only intensify. The Gulf state will host the first World Cup in the Middle East, the first in a Muslim state, and no other tournament has ever been held in the northern hemisphere winter. Qatar, which is roughly the size of Jamaica, is also the smallest state to have held soccer's biggest event, with fans from the 32 competing nations set to watch games at eight…