SPORT - The African Mirror

Jun

11

2024

Valencia fans convicted for racist abuse against Vinicius Jr

FOOTBALL

THREE Valencia football fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Real Madrid's Brazil player Vinicius Jr, the first conviction for racist insults in a soccer stadium in Spain, the court announced. "The ruling handed down today, which is final, establishes as proven that the three defendants insulted Vinicius with shouts, gestures and chants referring to the colour of his skin," the Magistrate's Court of Valencia said in a statement. "These shouts and gestures of a racist nature, consisting among other things in the repetition of the sounds and imitating the movements of monkeys, caused the…

Jun

11

2024

By The African Mirror

Political turmoil won’t derail Games, IOC and Paris 2024 say

SPORT

POLITICAL upheaval in France won't affect preparations for the Olympics, IOC President Thomas Bach and Paris 2024 organisers said after President Emmanuel Macron shocked France with his call for new parliamentary elections. Macron called the snap election to try to reassert his authority after the far-right National Rally (RN) trounced his own party in Sunday's European Parliament vote. Voting rounds will be held on June 30 and July 7, the latter coming less than three weeks before the July 26-Aug 11 Olympics begin in Paris. "France is used to holding elections, they will do it one more time, there will be…

Jun

09

2024

By The African Mirror

Cameroon put turmoil behind them with emphatic win

FOOTBALL

CAPTAIN Vincent Aboubakar scored twice as Cameroon put weeks of turmoil around their national team behind them to beat the Cape Verde Islands 4-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Yaounde. They moved level with Libya at the top of Group D on seven points from three matches. In Saturday’s other qualifier in Africa, Gambia hammered the Seychelles 5-1 in Group F, a winning start for their new Irish coach Johnny McKinstry. Centre-back Michael Ngadeu marked his return to the team after a two-year absence to put Cameroon into a 13th-minute lead, rising to power home Nicolas Ngamaleu’s corner. The…

Jun

09

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Important wins for Ivory Coast, Morocco in World Cup qualification

FOOTBALL

AFRICAN champions Ivory Coast and World Cup semi-finalists Morocco both won important points in World Cup qualification but Nigeria were held at home by South Africa and is still to win a match in the 2026 preliminaries. Seko Fofana’s 36th-minute strike marked a successful homecoming for the Ivorians, playing their first home match since winning the Africa Cup of Nations in February, as they beat Gabon 1-0 in Korhogo to go clear at the top of Group F. A soft-looking penalty saw Hakim Ziyech put Morocco ahead after six minutes against Zambia in Agadir in Group E but there was…

Jun

07

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Penalty hands Tunisia victory as Africa’s World Cup qualifiers resume

FOOTBALL

TUNISIA needed a late penalty to beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 and move to the top of the standings in their World Cup qualifying group as Africa’s preliminaries for the 2026 finals resumed. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane struck the 81st-minute spot kick to deny Equatorial Guinea a deserved point as they looked to shrug off the FIFA sanctions that stripped them of the six points from their opening two qualifiers in November. FIFA found striker Emilio Nsue, a former Spanish junior international, was ineligible to play for the small central African nation despite being in the team over the past 11…

Jun

07

2024

By ROHITH NAIR

Amnesty urges FIFA to assess human rights risks before awarding World Cups

FOOTBALL

FIFA and countries bidding to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups should agree to binding commitments and legal reforms to prevent human rights violations connected to the tournament, Amnesty International said. In October, soccer's world governing body awarded the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Spain and Portugal while Saudi Arabia is the lone bidder for the 2034 edition, with Amnesty saying there are "serious human rights" risks that must be addressed. "FIFA should ensure a rigorous and transparent bidding process, based on meaningful stakeholder participation, including genuinely independent human rights risk assessments and comprehensive human rights strategies," human rights organisation Amnesty…

Jun

06

2024

By The African Mirror

Kenyan Kipruto banned for six years

ATHLETICS

RHONEX Kipruto has been banned for six years for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said, with the Kenyan set to lose his 10-kilometre road race world record and a world championship bronze medal. Kipruto, 24, who won 10,000 metres bronze in the 2019 world championships, had been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping violation in May last year. He is now banned until May 2029. Kipruto broke the 10km road race world record in 2020 in Valencia and won the 10,000 metres at the 2019 Stockholm Diamond League -- results which will now be annulled. A Disciplinary Tribunal ruled that…

Jun

06

2024

By The African Mirror

Africa Cup of Nations put back six months to early 2026

FOOTBALL

THE next Africa Cup of Nations finals will be put back six months to the start of 2026, the Confederation of African Football said . The 2025 finals in Morocco were due to be played next June but that clashed with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the U.S. from June 15-July 13. Africa will have four teams at the Club World Cup and many of those players are likely to be picked for the Cup of Nations. CAF was repeatedly asked about the obvious clash but failed to offer a solution until General Secretary…

Jun

06

2024

By GIULIA PARAVICINI

Somaliland’s first all-girls basketball team shoot for recognition

BASKETBALL

WRAPPED in the tricolour flag of her homeland, 21-year-old captain Hafsa Omer bounces the basketball between her legs, dribbles lays it up off the backboard, and watches it clatter into the hoop. Her dream is to one day play for her nation, but there is a catch - Somaliland is not a country. The breakaway territory has struggled to gain international recognition from any foreign government, despite governing itself and enjoying comparative peace and stability since declaring independence in 1991. Omer and her two sisters, who also play for Hargeisa Girls Basketball, the first all-girls team in the incipient country,…

Jun

05

2024

By OLIVER OCHIENG AND BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird TenX: 10 African players who dominated European leagues in the 2023/24 season

FOOTBALL

THE 2023/2024 Champions League final pitting Spanish giants Real Madrid against German Bundesliga side, Borussia Dortmund, at the Wembley Stadium in London on June 1 marked the end of an eventful 2023/2024 season in major European leagues and tournaments. From England to Germany; from Spain to Italy to France, players of African descent played huge roles in aiding their clubs to silverware. The following is a list of ten African players who had a significant impact on clubs across Europe in the 2023/24 season. 1. Amad Diallo - Ivory Coast - The 21-year-old Ivorian winger, was key to Manchester United…