football - The African Mirror

Mar

2021

COVID-19 chaos looms over World Cup qualifiers

SIMON EVANS NEXT week's World Cup qualifying games in Europe and beyond are set to be heavily affected by clubs refusing to release players for international duty, COVID-19 quarantines and travel restrictions. Inter Milan announced on Thursday that all of their players will be pulled out of international duty after two more positive COVID-19 cases at the club. German Bundesliga clubs are unlikely to release Austrian players for their country's qualifier in Scotland on March 25 although the game is scheduled to go ahead with the visitors fielding a weakened side. French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs will not…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

South African makes debut for Leicester City

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THERE were Nigerian and South African touches in British Premier League’s Leicester City’s 5-0 mauling of Sheffield United. Nigerian star forward Kelechi Iheanacho scored a stunning hat trick in the game and South African midfielder Khanya Leshabela made his debut for Leicester and made his first touch in one of the best football leagues in the world. The win saw Leicester move second in the British Premier League table. SA soccer fans took to the social media networks to mark Leshabela’s historic moment and to heap praise on his manager Brandon Rogers. Leicester marked Leshabela’s debut by…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Ghana end 12-year long drought

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER GHANA'S Black Satellites, the junior team to the senior Black Stars, sealed their fourth Under-20 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title defeating tournament debutants Uganda 2-0. The west African giants clashed against their east African counterparts in the Mauritanian capital and had their captain Daniel Barneih, who was named man of the match after scoring two goals in the matchup, to thank after a hard fought affair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHH_cGpEAy0 https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1368335586617090049 Ghana were made to wait 12 years to become four-time AFCON U20 champions, claiming the honour in 1993, 1999, 2009, and recently in 2021. Rising to the throne…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Approaching 80, Pelé gives thanks for his lucid mental state

SPORT

DAYS before his 80th birthday, Brazilian football great Pelé told his fans he was happy and healthy and pleased to be reaching the landmark with his lucid mental state. Pelé has been shielding at home in Brazil for most of the COVID-19 pandemic but in a jovial recorded message ahead of his landmark birthday on Friday he looked ahead not back. "Now that I am 80, I need to thank God for giving me the health to get this far, and lucidly, although not always intelligently," he said with a laugh in a short video sent to the media to…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

MADE IN AFRICA

SPORT

THIS first of a two-part series tells the story of Lucas ‘the Chief’ Radebe, who was just one of many players from Africa who changed the face of English and European football. "The Chief" Try as he might, Lucas Radebe could not hold back the tears. Almost 40 years to the day since Albert Johanneson’s historic appearance in the FA Cup final, nearly 38 000 supporters crammed into Elland Road on 2 May 2005 to say goodbye to one of Leeds United’s most iconic players at his testimonial. It was difficult to underestimate the impact “The Chief” had made in the…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerian striker makes Champions League history

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO NIGERIAN striker Emuidzhi Oghiabekhva has become the first African player to top the goal-scoring charts in the UEFA Women’s champions league. The 30-year-old striker, who currently plays football for FC Minsk in the Belarus Premier League, netted 10 goals in seven appearances during the 2019/2020 Champions League season. She will, however, share the UEFA golden boot award with two other players who scored the same number of goals. Arsenal’s Vivian Miedema and Breidablik’s Bjorg Borvaldsdottir recorded the same goalscoring feat at the conclusion of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, which was won by French team Lyon. Oghiabekhva has…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Dream debut for top striker

SPORT

SOUTH AFRICAN top striker Percy Tau has had a dream kick-off of his stint at top Belgian side Anderlecht, contributing a goal in his side’s 3-1 victory over St Truiden. Tau, the Bafana Bafana and ex Mamelodi Sundowns striker joined Anderlecht on loan from a similar stint with rivals Club Brugge. He is on loan from English club Brighton and Hove. He came on in the 64th minute and half an hour later, in stoppage time, received a sublime pass, trapped it magnificently and lobbed the ball past an advancing St Truiden keeper. His goal added to those from his…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Italian club Napoli sign Nigerian star

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO ITALIAN giants Napoli have confirmed the signing of Nigerian international Victor Osimhen from French club Lille. The 21-year old striker had been linked with several top European clubs after netting 18 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions for Lille, securing him a permanent transfer to Naples. The deal, worth €80m including add-ons and bonuses to Lille, makes Osimhen Napoli’s record club signing and Africa’s joint most expensive signing. Said Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis: "Napoli are the right club for him to achieve important results, and Osimhen will always give his best. I’ll say it now: Victor…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Banyana Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana moves to Spain

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African star forward Thembi Kgatlana has joined Spanish La Liga Iberdrola team SD Eibar from Portuguese outfit SL Benfica. Kgatlana, the Banyana Banyana striker, joins Iberdrola for the duration of the 2020-2021 season. The 24-year-old established herself after scoring South Africa’s first Women’s World Cup goal in France in 2019. She joins Eibar on a free transfer after a short spell in Portugal. Following her debut for Benfica on 1 February 2020, she made three appearances and scored three goals. The 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations top scorer and player of the tournament is coming…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa soccer legend celebrates Leeds United’s promotion

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African football legend Lucas Radebe has celebrated the return of Leeds United to the English Premier League after 16 years Radebe, who played Leeds for 11 years - 1994 and 2005 - ended as captain. Years after retirement, he remains hugely popular in the English town. Known as “The Chief”, he has a beer, a bar and bus named after him. There are also many youngsters in Leeds who were named after the Leeds legend. Reacting to Leeds promotion, Radebe wrote on Twitter: “After 16 years, finally the wait is over. Our dreams have come true.…