SPORT - The African Mirror

Apr

11

2024

Nigeria, Zambia women win playoffs to take last two Olympic spots

FOOTBALL

ZAMBIA and Nigeria locked up the last two spots in the women's soccer tournament at the Paris Olympics after winning two-legged playoffs in the fourth round of African qualifying. Zambia needed extra time to get past Morocco in Rabat as the Copper Queens turned a 2-1 first-leg deficit into a 3-2 aggregate triumph with a 2-0 win at Moulay Hassan Stadium. Captain and Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda opened the scoring for Zambia in the 38th minute and secured the ticket to the Olympics when she converted a penalty in the 105th minute. The Zambians will be in a tough…

Apr

11

2024

By JACQUELINE MUCHAZOREKA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Boxing champion’s daughter is next in line

SPORT

ON a March morning in Rusape town's Fitness 4_U Gym, Candice Motsi and her father are going through their regular routine. Arms held outward, they jump sideways across the gym floor, warming up for a strength-building session. The two could not be more different; Anesu Motsi is an imposing heavyweight while his daughter Candice is a slight girl of six. Both, however, are boxers. Candice’s involvement in boxing started early. At nine months, she attended her first boxing match and after clearly enjoying the experience was soon back for more. As soon as she could walk, she would follow her…

Apr

11

2024

By The African Mirror

Champions League host nations tighten security after Islamic State threats

FOOTBALL

FRANCE and Spain will step up security ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals in Madrid and Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, top officials said, as Islamic State threatened drone attacks on Europe's top club soccer tournament. British police said they were aware of reports of threats and had a robust policing plan in place ahead of Arsenal's match against Bayern Munich in London on Tuesday night. The threats against some of the world's most-watched soccer matches underline the resurgence of Islamic State after several deadly attacks this year, including in Iran and Moscow. They also point to the complex geopolitical backdrop to…

Apr

09

2024

By The African Mirror

Ethopia’s double delight at Paris marathon

ATHLETICS

MULUGETA Uma and Mestawut Fikir won the Paris Marathon men's and women's races to give Ethiopia a double in the event for the first time in five years. On a course that was different from the Olympic event in August, Uma won with a time of 2:05:33, beating Kenyans Titus Kipruto and Elisha Rotich. Kipruto finished 15 seconds behind Uma while Rotich was more than a minute behind. Rotich was the pre-race favourite going into the event having set the course record in 2021. In the women's race, Fikir finished with a time of 2:20:45 in her first marathon, pipping…

Apr

10

2024

By Mpho Rantao

Formula E double-header arrives at Misano Circuit.

MOTORSPORT

Formula E is set for a double dose of action in Italy this weekend. The series is set to take place at the Misano Circuit, in Rimini, for an exhilarating double-header racing weekend. Get ready for back-to-back races as the championship stages its sixth and seventh rounds following a competitive Tokyo Eprix. While Formula E has held races in Italy since its inception, this marks the series' inaugural visit to the Misano circuit, which is a stone's throw from Imola's iconic track used in Formula One (Emilia Romagna Grand Prix). Past Formula E races in Italy were held at the Circuito Cittadino…

Apr

09

2024

By BIRD NEWSROOM

Africans are triumphing in trail running; here are the 2023 African Trail Runners of the Year

ATHLETICS

FROM distance running and cross-country to short races, there is a long list of African athletes who have staged record-breaking performances in running. Today, the world’s fastest sprinters have their origins in West Africa, while the world’s greatest distance athletes live at high altitudes in the Great Rift Valley to the east of the continent. The continent is now producing some of the biggest names on the world stage in trail and mountain running—running on paths that are not surfaced, paved, sealed or asphalt roads. It involves running on rugged terrain. In particular, African athletes from the north and east…

Apr

08

2024

By LORI EWING

Liverpool need late goal from Salah to draw 2-2 with Manchester United

FOOTBALL

MOHAMED Salah scored a late equaliser from a penalty kick as Liverpool escaped Old Trafford with a single point in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United to climb to even on points with Premier League leaders Arsenal. Salah stroked home in the 84th minute for his sixth league goal at Old Trafford, the most of any visiting player in the league's history, overtaking Steven Gerrard's five. With seven games remaining in the neck-and-neck title race, Liverpool and Arsenal have 71 points with the Gunners leading on goal difference. Holders Manchester City are third with 70 points, while United are sixth…

Apr

08

2024

By The African Mirror

Napoli’s rapid goal blitz gives them a 4-2 win at Monza

FOOTBALL

NAPOLI scored three goals within six second-half minutes as they clinched a 4-2 victory at Monza to keep alive their slim hopes of a top-four finish in Serie A. The defending champions are seventh in the table with 48 points, 10 points behind fourth-placed Bologna, who played out a goalless draw at Frosinone earlier on Sunday. Monza is 11th with 42 points. Napoli still finds themselves in a challenging position in the table, trailing both AS Roma and Atalanta who sit in fifth and sixth place with 55 and 50 points respectively. Atalanta have two matches in hand before their…

Apr

07

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER, SPNA

Africans showcase the continent’s athletic supremacy at the World Cross-Country Championships

ATHLETICS

IF you want to get a sense of the level to which African runners dominate distance running right now, look no further than the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, held this year in Belgrade, Serbia. From Kenya to South Africa, Uganda to Ethiopia, different cross-country athletes from the continent recorded remarkable performances. Formerly known as the International Cross Country Championships, the annual event is the most important competition in international cross-country running. This year’s edition was held in Belgrade on March 30. East African athletes continued their dominance in international cross-country, claiming all team and individual medals, bar one. Apart…

Apr

04

2024

By The African Mirror

Cameroon federation surprised at naming of new national coach Brys

FOOTBALL

CAMEROON'S football federation (FECAFOOT) did not know about the appointment of a new national team coach and was surprised by the sports ministry announcement naming Belgian Marc Brys. Cameroon Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said 61-year-old Brys was taking over as coach of the Indomitable Lions following the dismissal of Rigobert Song in February. But the federation said on Wednesday it was taken aback by the news, setting up the potential of conflict between the sports ministry and soccer federation which could lead to a ban for one of Africa's footballing heavyweights. “The Cameroonian Football Federation has learned, at the same time as…