Xabi Alonso is the new manager of Spanish club, Real Madrid. Los Blancos confirmed the appointment of their former midfielder on Sunday. “Real Madrid C. F. confirms that Xabi Alonso will be the Real Madrid coach for the next three seasons, from 1 June 2025, until 30 June 2028,” reads the club’s statement. “Xabi Alonso is a Real Madrid legend and one of the greatest players in world football history. He made 236 appearances for our team between 2009 and…

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched a brand new trophy for the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup ahead of Sunday’s final at the Amaan Stadium, Zanzibar. Tanzanian club Simba will host Morocco’s RS Berkane, who are leading 2-0 from the first leg played a week ago. The new trophy is essentially a rebrand of the old one. “The trophy has been re-imagined into a stunning new design that is befitting of the rich history of the prestigious tournament,” stated…

“If we have a striker, maybe I’m number three this season.” With these words, Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has explained the team’s missing link. Chiefs have failed to make the top eight for a second successive season, and while there are no guarantees Nabi would be staying, he’s not in two minds about what needs to be fixed. Nabi said Chiefs needed a potent striker, and their top scorer in the league is Wandile Duba, who scored five goals…

South Africa’s sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza is getting better and better. The 19-year-old has broken his own South African record, running a new personal best (PB) of 9.94s (-0.3) to win the men’s 100m at the Zagreb Meeting in Croatia on Saturday. Walaza broke the national U20 record two months ago in Pretoria in March, becoming the ninth South African to dip under 10 seconds, clocking 9.99. In Croatia, he improved it. He’s now the second fastest African U20 of…

Simba FC head coach Fadlu Davids has not thrown in the towel in the CAF Confederation Cup final. The Tanzanians have a mountain to climb after a 2-0 loss to Moroccan club RS Berkane a week ago. The return leg is today, 25 May, at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. Kickoff has been set for 15H00, and the match will be live on SABC 1. The South African coach has insisted that it is not over for his side. “The…

Liverpool marksman Mohamed Salah has been named the 2024/25 Premier League Player of the Season. Salah, 32, was instrumental in the Reds’ league title-winning campaign, setting the record for the most goal involvements ever recorded in a 38-game Premier League campaign. He has scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists, totalling 46. Salah joins the exclusive club, being just the fifth player to win the award twice after Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, and Kevin De Bruyne. Oh, he…

Kaizer Chiefs have finished outside of the top eight for the second season in a row. Amakhosi had their last chance to move up the Betway Premiership standings when they faced Polokwane City at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. But as witnessed this season—more often than not—Chiefs fired blanks, as the match ended goalless. The Phefeni Glamour Boys are currently placed ninth after their last game of the season but could finish as lowly as 11th depending on other results.…

Mamelodi Sundowns conceded at the death to settle for a 1-1 draw against Pyramids in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final on Saturday. The Brazilians were on the brink of a win at Loftus Stadium, Pretoria, but the visitors fought to the end to salvage a draw. Lucas Ribeiro Costa was on the scoresheet for Sundowns early in the second half. Pyramids had the last say with Walid El Karti’s stoppage-time header silencing the home crowd. The…

North Africa’s dominance in CAF club competitions has been unsettling for those down south and indeed other regions. The big question is: can Mamelodi Sundowns put a stop to it in the CAF Champions League? Sundowns will be home to Egyptian side Pyramids at the Loftus Stadium on Saturday, 24 May. This is the first leg of the final, and after the clash in Pretoria, Pyramids will host the second leg in Cairo on Sunday, 1 June. North Africa’s stranglehold…

Croatian midfielder Luka Modric was named the worst transfer in Spanish La Liga when he arrived at Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012. Fast forward to 2025, and Modric, who had played 590 games for Los Blancos, will leave the club at the end of the season as the club’s most decorated player in history with 28 titles to his name. “Modrić arrived at Real Madrid back in 2012 and has gone on to be a key component of…