SPORT - The African Mirror

Mar

24

2026

110 delegates, 38 nations: Special Olympics Africa opens landmark Johannesburg summit

SPORT

THE 22nd Special Olympics Africa Leadership Conference opened in Johannesburg on Monday, drawing 110 delegates from 38 countries across the continent in what organisers have called the largest gathering of inclusive sport leadership in the region's history. The four-day summit - running from 23 to 26 March - assembles national directors, sports directors, and athlete leaders to shape the future of para-inclusive athletics on the continent, with programme sessions spanning sports development, leadership, partnerships, and programme quality. A centrepiece of the summit is a Unified Basketball demonstration event hosted by Special Olympics South Africa at 3 Square Sports Stadium in…

Mar

20

2026

By The African Mirror

The Pharaoh of Fifty

FOOTBALL

THE pass arrived like a whisper - sublime, perfectly weighted, finding its man in the churning chaos of a Champions League night. Mohamed Salah received it on the left flank, his first touch caressing the ball into space. One defender went. Then another. His body shifted, the threat telegraphed and yet utterly unstoppable: the outside of the boot, curling - curling - curling into the top corner, beyond the desperate reach of the Galatasaray goalkeeper. Anfield erupted. But for Mohamed Salah, this was no ordinary goal. It was goal number fifty. Fifty Champions League goals. Fifty moments of genius, accumulated…

Mar

18

2026

By Mpho Rantao

Morocco handed AFCON title after Senegal are stripped

FOOTBALL

TWO months after they were crowned champions, had a trophy tour in their nation's capital and awarded lucrative bonuses, Senegal have been stripped of their mantle as African football champions. Morocco have been named the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Champions after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeal board made a landmark decision, overturning Senegal's helm as the champions of the 2025 tournament following an appeal made by Morocco. The night in question involved a goal scored by Ismaila Sarr that was disallowed before Morocco were awarded a late penalty following VAR intervention. In protest to the call, Senegal…

Mar

16

2026

By JOVIAL RANTAO

The day the Rainbow Nation owned New York City

ATHLETICS

THE city that never sleeps rubbed its eyes on Sunday morning and found South Africa standing at the top of the world - not once, but twice. By the time the last whistle blew in Lower Manhattan and the gold medals cooled against the skin of the victors, New York had become, briefly, magnificently, a province of the Rainbow Nation. It began on the sun-warmed ribbon of asphalt that winds through the streets of Manhattan, and it ended on a patch of synthetic grass beside the Hudson River. Twenty-one point one kilometres of road running. Fourteen minutes of sevens rugby.…

Mar

16

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Crash, bang, wallop – and a star is born

MOTORSPORT

LET us be blunt: if you slept through the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, please hand in your motorsport credentials at the door, collect your consolation prize, and go watch paint dry instead. Because Shanghai - glorious, dramatic, wheel-banging Shanghai - delivered the kind of afternoon that reminds you exactly why Formula One is the greatest sport on the planet. There was a teenage prodigy winning his maiden race through sheer composure. There was a seven-time world champion finally cracking open his Ferrari account. There were the reigning world champions stuck in the garage - both of them - staring at…

Mar

14

2026

By The African Mirror

José Riveiro among candidates if Kaizer Chiefs pull the trigger on coaching change

FOOTBALL

WITH pressure continuing to mount at South Africa’s top team, Kaizer Chiefs, following inconsistent results through different phases of the season, speculation has begun to grow around the future of co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, with reports linking both to a possible exit from the club. Chiefs have struggled to match the pace set by title contenders Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, with frustration among supporters becoming increasingly visible in recent weeks. Although Amakhosi have not signalled any immediate changes, speculation continues that they could pull the trigger, with several candidates reportedly in the mix. José Riveiro One…

Mar

14

2026

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

A digital database of African football talent is coming soon

FOOTBALL

GROWING up in Ghana, Nana Yaw Oppong-Mensah spent countless afternoons playing football in neighbourhood matches where the level of competition was often surprisingly high. He remembers the players he grew up with as technically gifted, fast, and fiercely competitive. Yet years later, many had disappeared from the professional pathway. “In Africa, there is a lot of talent in the communities,” Oppong-Mensah explained in an interview with Bird Story Agency. “You see players who are incredibly good, but many of them never get the visibility they need to move forward.” For Oppong-Mensah, the problem is not a shortage of ability. It…

Mar

09

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

F1 2026: The Silver Arrows are back, baby and everyone else is eating dust

MOTORSPORT

THEY said Formula 1 was entering a brave new world. What they didn't mention was that, in this brave new world, George Russell would be standing on the top step of the podium with a grin wider than the Flemington straight, while the rest of the paddock stood around in varying states of bewilderment, blaming their batteries, their power units, and, in one particularly spectacular case, a kerb. Welcome to 2026. The Silver Arrows are back. God help us all. Under a mild Melbourne sky - the weather, mercifully, being one of the few things that behaved normally this weekend…

Mar

07

2026

By The African Mirror

How Hamilton’s vow to Mandela may yet reshape Formula One

MOTORSPORT

THERE are promises made in boardrooms, sealed with NDAs and handshake deals over mineral water. And then there are promises made in the presence of giants — the kind that lodge themselves somewhere between the conscience and the soul, and refuse to be filed away under 'pending'. Lewis Hamilton, it turns out, made the second kind. It was June 2008. A fresh-faced, one-time world champion — barely a year into his career at the pinnacle of motor racing — found himself seated at a birthday table in London alongside Bill Clinton, Denzel Washington, and one Oprah Winfrey, celebrating a man…

Feb

28

2026

By SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Basketball Africa League expands to 12 nations for landmark 2026 season

BASKETBALL

THE Basketball Africa League is heading into its sixth season with its biggest and most geographically diverse field yet, announcing Thursday a 12-team lineup that includes first-ever representation from Tanzania and fresh entries from Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia. The 2026 season tips off March 27 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria — marking the first time South Africa has hosted BAL opening play — with tickets already on sale at Ticketmaster.co.za. The 42-game schedule will then move to Rabat, Morocco, before culminating with the Playoffs and Finals from May 22-31 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. "Welcoming…