SPORT - The African Mirror

Jun

18

2026

Africa marks record World Cup as referee row sustains solidarity wave

FOOTBALL

CÔTE D'IVOIRE has secured Africa's first victory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving the continent an encouraging start at its largest-ever participation in the tournament as competition gathers pace across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The Elephants edged Ecuador 1-0 in Philadelphia thanks to a stoppage-time strike from substitute Amad Diallo, who guided a composed finish into the bottom corner in the 90th minute after a sustained period of pressure from the South Americans. The result lifted Côte d’Ivoire level with Germany at the top of Group E and delivered Africa’s first three points of the expanded 48-team…

Jun

15

2026

By The African Mirror

Ivory Coast’s historic win ignites continental pride at 2026 FIFA World Cup

FOOTBALL

AFRICA has finally written its name in the 2026 FIFA World Cup history books — and it came wrapped in dramatic, heart-stopping fashion. In a match that will echo through continental football for generations, Ivory Coast struck in the 90th minute to beat Ecuador 1-0, securing Africa's first-ever victory at this tournament. Substitute Amad Diallo delivered the clinical finish, steering Wilfried Singo's cross into the far corner to end Ecuador's 19-match unbeaten run and give the Elephants their first World Cup win since 2014. This wasn't just a win - it was Africa's liberation from the curse that had haunted…

Jun

11

2026

By RUUD GULLIT

EXCLUSIVE: Ruud Gullit calls on Gianni Infantino to resign amid growing World Cup controversy

FOOTBALL

I have stayed quiet for a long time because I wanted to judge this World Cup on football matters. But the deeper we get into the preparations, the more it becomes clear that football is no longer the main story. For that reason, I believe Gianni Infantino should seriously consider stepping down as FIFA President. A World Cup should unite people. Instead, this tournament is becoming a symbol of division, political disputes, travel restrictions, and administrative failures. We are hearing reports that Iranian supporters have had their ticket allocations withdrawn. We have seen the case of Somali referee Omar Artan,…

Jun

10

2026

By The African Mirror

Kagisho Dikgacoi backs Bafana to shock hosts Mexico in World Cup opener

FOOTBALL

FORMER Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi believes the weight of expectation on Mexico could play into South Africa’s hands when the two nations meet in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament kicks off on Thursday, 11 June 2026, at the iconic Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium) in Mexico, with a Group A clash between the hosts and South Africa, a repeat of the 2010 opening game at Soccer City, Johannesburg, where Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thunderbolt opener was cancelled out by Rafael Márquez in a 1-1 draw. Dikgacoi, who provided the assist for Tshabalala’s famous strike, says…

Jun

09

2026

By GUSTAVO MORELLO

What the tattoos of World Cup players say about their love, life and religious beliefs

FOOTBALL

AS the 2026 FIFA World Cup starts on June 11, 2026, traditional news and social media channels will be full of pictures of the players. Many of them will be showing their tattoos. Body art has become increasingly part of international soccer, although its prevalence can vary across geographical regions. A study of athletes participating in the 2018 World Cup found that Latin American players were the most heavily tattooed, followed by those from Oceania and Europe. African and Asian players are the least tattooed. I have been studying tattoos and their spiritual and religious roles since 2018. Tattoos are…

Jun

09

2026

By STEVE GEORGAKIS

From ‘USA94’ to now: how soccer has changed since the last American World Cup

FOOTBALL

THE United States hosted its first World Cup in 1994. Soccer has changed dramatically in many ways since then – on and off the pitch. As the US (with Mexico and Canada) gets set to host the mega-event once again, more than anything, the tournament’s defining change since 1994 is its sheer scale-up. The scale-up This scale-up can be clearly quantified. The 1994 tournament featured 52 matches across 32 days with 24 teams. By contrast, the 2026 event (the first three-nation World Cup) will involve 78 matches in the US alone, over 39 days. The competition’s 48 teams are divided…

Jun

09

2026

By JOHN N. TREY ROGERS; JACKIE LYN A. GUEVARA; JOHN SOROCHAN, and RYAN BEARSS

We designed the turf for soccer’s biggest World Cup ever – here’s how we created the same playing experience across 3 countries

FOOTBALL

WIDTH 104 matches in 16 stadiums across Canada, the United States and Mexico, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be soccer’s biggest event ever. It’s our job as turfgrass researchers hired by FIFA, the game’s governing body, to make sure those pitches feel the same for players and that the grass thrives. That’s not so simple. In fact, it seemed like an impossible challenge at first. Picking the right turf The scale of this job was unprecedented: three distinct climatic zones, over 3,100 miles between the farthest stadiums, and venues ranging from stadiums open to the heat of Mexico City…

Jun

02

2026

By The African Mirror

RSSB Tigers roar to historic BAL title

BASKETBALL

THE RSSB Tigers have done it, and they did it with just enough drama to keep the BK Arena roof from floating away. Rwanda’s pride outlasted Petro de Luanda 90-88 in a final that felt less like a basketball game and more like a tightrope act performed in sneakers, making the Tigers the first team from Rwanda to lift the Basketball Africa League crown. Craig Randall II was the man with the hot hand and the cold stare, dropping 36.1 points per game on the season and earning the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as BAL MVP. On a night when every…

Jun

02

2026

By WYCLIFFE W. NJORORAI SIMIYU

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…