SPORT - The African Mirror

Jul

18

2025

WAFCON2024: The Golden Boot inferno: A blazing battle for Africa’s crown

WAFCON

THE dust has settled on the group stage of the CAF TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024, but the real fireworks are just beginning. As eight nations prepare for knockout warfare, a spectacular duel for the Golden Boot Award has erupted into the most captivating storyline of Africa's premier women's football showcase. The Crown Jewel Contenders At the summit of this goal-scoring volcano stand two magnificent markswomen, locked in a deadly dance of precision and power. Ghizlane Chebbak, Morocco's talismanic captain and defending Golden Boot champion, has unleashed a four-goal fury that has opponents trembling. The Atlas Lionesses'…

Jul

17

2025

By CHUKA ONWUMECHILI

WAFCON: 3 signs that African women’s football is finally starting to thrive

WAFCON

WOMEN’S football in Africa has been through radical changes over the past few years. From small beginnings in the late 1990s, it has grown to the point that its biggest competition is receiving considerable global attention. The 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) is heading into its quarter-final matches, with eight countries still in competition. So far, the tournament, held every two years, has delivered the promised competitiveness. The days of wide gulfs between competing teams appear to have receded, the prize money has increased, and the tournament is finding willing audiences globally. As a scholar of sports communication…

Jul

15

2025

By The African Mirror

Hearts of Lions: Four nations exit WAFCON 2025 with honour intact

WAFCON

THE quarterfinal gates of the 2025 CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations have closed on four dreams, but not before the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia, Tanzania, and Botswana wrote their names in tournament folklore with performances that transcended mere results. In Casablanca's sweltering heat on July 14, Botswana's Mares experienced the beautiful agony of football's cruel arithmetic. Their 2-1 victory over Tunisia should have been a celebration - a testament to their fighting spirit as they clawed back from a halftime deficit with the kind of resilience that defines champions. Instead, it became a lesson in how dreams can…

Jul

15

2025

By Jovial Rantao

WAFCON2025: Champions assert dominance as knockout stage takes shape

WAFCON

THE defending champions sent a thunderous message to the rest of the continent as South Africa demolished Mali 4-0 in a masterclass performance that sealed their place atop Group C and announced their serious intent to retain the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations crown. Banyana Banyana were ruthless from the opening whistle, with Lebohang Ramalepe striking a psychological blow just five minutes in. The forward's composed right-footed finish into the top right corner immediately established South Africa's dominance and left Mali's defence scrambling for answers that would never come. The champions' clinical edge was on full display when…

Jul

15

2025

By The African Mirror

SA: Orlando Pirates sensation Mohau Nkota seals historic R52 million Saudi Pro League move

FOOTBALL

A 20-year-old striker has become the youngest South African to secure mega-money transfer to Al-Ettifaq in landmark three-year deal Orlando Pirates sent shockwaves through South African football on Sunday with the confirmation of their rising star Mohau Nkota's blockbuster transfer to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ettifaq, in a deal worth approximately R52 million that rewrites the record books for South African football. The 20-year-old sensation, who took local football by storm in his debut professional season, has secured a historic three-year contract with the Saudi Arabian powerhouse, where he will line up alongside European heavyweights Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Dembélé.…

Jul

14

2025

By The African Mirror

WAFCON2025: STUNNING UPSET! Botswana breaks hearts in Casablanca with last-gasp victory

WAFCON

IN one of the most dramatic finishes in recent WAFCON history, Botswana delivered a crushing blow to host nation Morocco with a heart-stopping 2-1 victory that will be remembered for years to come at the Stade Père Jégo on Sunday. The Southern African minnows, written off by many before the tournament began, saved their best for last with an injury-time thunderbolt that left the passionate Moroccan crowd stunned into silence and sent the small but vocal Botswana contingent into absolute delirium. Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse will wake up Monday morning as a national hero after her 95th-minute winner capped off one of…

Jul

12

2025

By Jovial Rantao

Tanzania stun defending champions in WAFCON thriller as Group C hangs in balance

WAFCON

TANZANIA delivered a stunning performance to hold defending champions South Africa to a dramatic 1-1 draw in the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations, throwing Group C wide open with just one round of fixtures remaining. The result leaves South Africa and Mali deadlocked on four points each at the top of the group, while Tanzania and Ghana remain tied on one point apiece in a group where any of the four teams could still advance to the quarterfinals. Tanzania shocked Banyana Banyana in the 24th minute when Opah Clement rose unmarked to power home a header from close…

Jul

13

2025

By Mpho Rantao

Mitch Evans take victory in Berlin E-Prix

MOTORSPORT

MITCH Evans surged to his second win after 11 races at the Berlin E-Prix this weekend, steering clear of the on-track chaos to clinch a crucial win ahead of reigning Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein and third-place finisher Edoardo Mortara. Starting from pole position and battling poor visibility throughout the race, Evans stayed cool and put on a commanding display to lead every lap. Jaguar’s strategic gamble finally paid off for the New Zealander, who rebounded from a string of retirements and low-grid finishes that had dulled the momentum of his season-opening victory in São Paulo. "[It was] tricky conditions,…

Jul

12

2025

By The African Mirror

Nigeria into quarter-finals as Ihezuo sinks battling Botswana

WAFCON

A late goal from Chinwendu Ihezuo was enough to secure Nigeria’s place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as the Super Falcons edged past a spirited Botswana side 1-0 in Casablanca. In a tightly contested encounter at the Stade Larbi Zaouli, Ihezuo’s composed 89th-minute finish finally broke the resistance of the Mares, who had frustrated the nine-time champions for much of the game with a disciplined defensive display and outstanding goalkeeping from captain Sedilame Boseja. Nigeria, who had thumped Tunisia 3-0 in their opener, were made to work far harder by a Botswana…

Jul

11

2025

By The African Mirror

Two champions, Two battles: The fight for fair competition in women’s sports

ATHLETICS

IN the world of elite athletics, where fractions of seconds and millimetres can determine victory or defeat, two African champions have found themselves fighting battles that extend far beyond the track and ring. Their stories, separated by sport but united by struggle, illuminate a complex intersection of human rights, scientific integrity, and the evolving definition of fair competition in women's sports. Caster Semenya's Pyrrhic Victory On Thursday, July 10, 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights delivered what could be considered both a victory and a reminder of justice delayed. The court ruled that Caster Semenya,…