标签： Africa

For a tiny West African island nation of just 500,000 people, what was already set to be a landmark Independence Day celebration turned into a once-in-a-generation moment of national joy this Sunday, as two of its national teams delivered historic achievements that captured global sports attention.

Cape Verde’s men’s national soccer team arrived home to a hero’s welcome after a breakout maiden World Cup run that saw the side advance to the tournament’s round of 32, and push global powerhouse Argentina led by Lionel Messi into a tense extra-time battle. To make the weekend even sweeter, the country’s men’s national basketball team locked in a spot in the second round of 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying over the weekend, wrapping up the milestone with a comfortable win over Libya in a qualifying match hosted in Cameroon on Sunday.

At roughly 4,033 square kilometers of total land area, Cape Verde is the smallest country by land mass to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup — a historic feat that has already cemented this team’s place in global soccer history. Sunday marked the 49th anniversary of the nation’s independence from Portuguese rule, so nationwide celebrations were already planned across the archipelago off West Africa’s coast long before the two teams’ landmark wins. The soccer team’s return from their World Cup campaign in Miami, Florida, only amplified the electric national mood to extraordinary levels.

In footage captured by the team’s starting goalkeeper Vozinha, ground crew workers at the international airport dropped to their knees and bowed in reverence as the team’s plane taxied to its arrival gate, a raw display of how deeply the squad’s run resonated across the small nation. After clearing the terminal, where players spent hours greeting supporters, posing for selfies, exchanging hugs and high-fives with thousands of cheering well-wishers and speaking with local media, the squad was loaded onto the back of an open flatbed truck for a public parade through crowded city streets.

Thousands of fans lined the route, waving the nation’s iconic blue, red and white flag that fluttered in the warm weekend breeze. Local drummers performed traditional rhythms along the parade route, and cultural dance troupes joined the procession to turn the homecoming into a full national street party.

“We gave it all for Cape Verde,” said defender Pico Lopes, summing up the team’s pride in representing the small nation on the world’s biggest soccer stage.

Emanuel Trovoada, head coach of the national basketball team, echoed the celebratory tone after his side locked in their qualifying milestone. The Cape Verde basketball team made their own historic first World Cup appearance in 2023, and are now targeting a second consecutive berth at the 2027 tournament, with their next set of qualifying matches set to kick off in late August.

“Viva Cape Verde,” Trovoada declared after the team’s win over Libya, a statement that summed up the entire nation’s mood over the weekend. “This is historic. This is important. Our soccer team has returned to the country — for a party.”

English Premier League side Newcastle United has finalized a £43 million transfer deal for 20-year-old Ivory Coast international winger Bazoumana Toure, capping off a whirlwind rise for a young player who has long dreamed of competing in England’s top flight. Fresh off an impressive 18-month spell with Bundesliga club Hoffenheim, Toure landed on Tyneside via private jet, bringing with him not just elite attacking statistics, but a relentless positive energy that has left a lasting mark on every former teammate and coach he has worked with.

Former Hammarby teammate Nahir Besara, who shared a dressing room with Toure when the forward first moved to Europe in 2024, highlighted the young winger’s consistent upbeat attitude that sets him apart from other rising prospects. “It doesn’t matter if it is a good day or a bad day, he always goes into the locker room with a smile, ready to work,” Besara explained. Beyond his on-pitch talent, Besara also recalled a heartfelt gesture from Toure ahead of his exit from the Swedish club: Toure sent Besara a monetary gift to thank him for his support early in his European career, a gesture Besara called “amazing” despite returning the money.

Toure’s rapid ascent through European football is one of the most compelling stories in modern transfer markets. He only joined Sweden’s Hammarby in 2024, moved to Hoffenheim a year later, and now steps into the Premier League less than two years after arriving in Europe from Ivorian domestic side ASEC Mimosas. Mikael Hjelmberg, Hammarby’s sporting director who first scouted and signed Toure, said he immediately fell in love with the young winger after watching him play in his home country, singling out his unshakable positivity as a defining trait.

That positive energy translates directly to his performance on the pitch. During the 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign, Toure posted elite numbers among all league forwards: he ranked first for successful crosses with 39, joint-second for assists with nine, joint-third for completed dribbles with 48, and fourth for total chances created at 45, including 11 big scoring chances. Defensively, he also held his own, winning 152 duels and regaining possession 127 times throughout the season, helping Hoffenheim narrowly miss out on a Champions League qualification spot.

Contrary to assumptions that young fast wingers are uncoachable mavericks, former colleagues repeatedly emphasized Toure’s rare adaptability and willingness to implement tactical guidance. Besara recalled an early example during his time at Hammarby: after coach Kim Hellberg instructed Toure to target the first post for headed chances ahead of a match, Toure went on to score two headers that same game, despite never having notched a headed goal prior to that fixture. This ability to quickly adjust to new instructions has been central to his rapid improvement all over the pitch, even in defensive phases of play.

The transfer marks a key breakthrough for Newcastle this summer, coming amid a major squad reshuffle driven by financial fair play rules. The club has been in the market for a left winger ever since Anthony Gordon completed a £69.3m move to Barcelona in June. After missing out on alternative target Victor Munoz, who chose to join Liverpool from Osasuna, Newcastle’s need for a new wide player became even more urgent following the agreed sale of star midfielder Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur for up to £100m. That sale, while the departure of a key player, has opened up critical financial headroom under Premier League financial rules, allowing Newcastle to reinvest in multiple areas of their squad.

Toure fits the exact profile of player the Magpies have targeted throughout this transfer window: he is young, hungry, and has repeatedly expressed his desire to play for the club, a welcome boost for a side that has faced multiple transfer setbacks over the past 12 months. While observers and the Newcastle coaching staff acknowledge that the 20-year-old is still a raw prospect who needs to refine areas of his game – most notably his finishing – and adapt to the greater physicality and intensity of the Premier League, as well as Eddie Howe’s specific system, his track record of rapid adaptation to new environments gives both the club and former colleagues confidence he will succeed. Besara put it simply: “I know he will be really successful. Mark my words.”

The small West African island nation of Cape Verde is celebrating two milestones this weekend: 51 years of independence from Portuguese colonial rule, and the unprecedented World Cup campaign that captured global football fans’ hearts. Tens of thousands of jubilant supporters packed the grounds of Praia’s international airport on Sunday to welcome home their beloved Blue Sharks, the lowest-ranked and second-smallest nation ever to compete at the men’s World Cup, after a historic run that ended just short of the knockout stage.

Cape Verde, ranked 67th in the world heading into the tournament, defied every pre-tournament prediction to hold its own against global powerhouses. The side earned three draws across group stage play, including a stunning 0-0 shutout of European champions Spain in their opening World Cup match ever. Those results set up a dramatic final group clash with defending champions Argentina, where the underdog Blue Sharks pushed the heavily favored side to extra time before a late cruel deflection knocked them out of contention.

In that thrilling match, Lionel Messi put Argentina ahead early, but Cape Verde equalized to level the score at 1-1 by full time. A second Argentina goal put them ahead once again in extra time, only for a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral to level the match for a second time. The game ended 2-2, but a deflection off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges from Cristian Romero’s late header sealed Argentina’s progression to the knockout round, ending Cape Verde’s dream run.

Despite the heartbreaking exit, the mood back home was nothing short of celebratory when the team touched down in Praia. The entire airport area was transformed into a spontaneous carnival, with fans dancing, beating drums, chanting player names, and waving the national blue flag, turning the venue into a solid sea of the country’s signature color. Fans called out for star players including standout goalkeeper Vozinha — whose sharp performances drew global attention — and defender Pico Lopes, who notched several key plays across the tournament. Players, including captain Ryan Mendes, spent hours signing autographs and posing for photos with supporters who lined the arrival area for hours.

Speaking to reporters after arriving, Vozinha, whose full name is Josimar José Évora Dias, said that while the team had hoped to advance further than the group stage, the moment of celebration with fans was not diminished. “We wanted something bigger but we didn’t go to the next stage. Now we just enjoy the moment and celebrate with our people,” he said, wearing a white tee printed with Cape Verde’s name.

One local supporter who joined the homecoming crowd explained that she came to honor the team for what they achieved against far more highly ranked opponents. The Blue Sharks proved that even the second-smallest nation at the tournament, a side making their World Cup debut, could compete with the sport’s biggest names, including Spain and Uruguay, holding their own across 270 minutes of group play.
Head coach Pedro Leitão Brito, widely known by his nickname Bubista, shared that pride, noting the team came within 10 minutes of forcing Argentina into a penalty shootout that could have produced the biggest upset in World Cup history. “We showed that we may be a small country but we can play against the best teams in the world,” he said. “That’s a reason for pride. We made history for our country. They can be proud for representing our country.”

The timing of the homecoming, overlapping with Cape Verde’s annual independence day celebrations, added an extra layer of national pride to the event, turning a regular homecoming into a landmark moment of unity and national celebration for the island nation.

After a historic World Cup run that captured global attention, the Cape Verde men’s national football team has touched back down on home soil, bringing an end to their dream tournament that was cut short by a knockout stage defeat to powerhouse Argentina.

Goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the team’s standout performers throughout their unexpected campaign, opened up about the squad’s emotions in comments made upon arrival. Reflecting on the result, he shared that while the entire group was proud of how far they had come, they still harbored a hunger for more. ‘We wanted something bigger,’ Vozinha said, acknowledging the team’s ambition to progress even deeper into the competition than they ultimately managed. He also expressed gratitude for the widespread support the side received both at home and across the world during their time in the tournament. ‘Very grateful,’ he added of the outpouring of encouragement that carried the team through their World Cup journey.

Widely ranked as one of the tournament’s biggest underdogs before kickoff, Cape Verde defied pre-tournament expectations to earn a spot in the knockout round, pulling off upset results that made them fan favorites among neutral football supporters around the globe. Even in exit, their tenacious style of play and giant-killing spirit has cemented their place in World Cup history, with the side already being remembered as the underdog that the world will not be forgetting anytime soon.

Thousands of jubilant Morocco football supporters have taken to the streets to celebrate their national team’s historic 3-0 victory over Canada, which secured the Atlas Lions a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals and extended their remarkable undefeated streak to 34 consecutive matches.

The stunning win over Canada capped off an impressive group stage campaign for the North African side, which has now emerged as one of the most surprising and dangerous contenders in the tournament. Fans waving red and green flags set off fireworks, cheered, and sang team chants across cities in Morocco as they celebrated the nation’s deep run in the world’s biggest sporting event.

Football analysts have turned their attention to Morocco’s unexpected success this tournament, questioning how the side has managed to maintain such an incredible long-term unbeaten run against top international competition. The team’s solid defensive organization, clinical finishing in attacking moments, and cohesive team chemistry have all been cited as key factors behind their rise from underdog to legitimate title contender. With their spot in the final eight now confirmed, Morocco is set to face off against another major tournament favorite as they continue their push for an unprecedented World Cup title.

The Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet in Eugene delivered a full slate of dramatic upsets, standout performances and unexpected results over the weekend, headlined by a surprise defeat for Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson at the hands of Kenyan world champion Lilian Odira.

Hodgkinson, who entered the race with clear ambitions of challenging the sport’s longest-standing world record – Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1:53.28 mark set back in 1983 – was forced to settle for second place after a hampered performance. The British 24-year-old, who had recently broken her own national 800m record at the Stockholm Diamond League stop last month, took to the track in Oregon with heavy strapping on both knees following a recent hard fall. The injury forced a slow, labored start from Hodgkinson, and she was never able to close the gap on Odira in the closing stages, crossing the finish line in 1:56.73 – far off her June British record of 1:55.17.

Odira, for her part, produced a season-best surge down the home straight to overtake Hodgkinson and claim victory in 1:56.19. This marks the second consecutive Diamond League defeat for Hodgkinson, who has endured an up-and-down 2024 season. Last month, she was forced to withdraw from the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships after experiencing a muscle twinge. Hodgkinson has been competing in the shorter 400m distance this season specifically to build her first-lap speed, a strategic adjustment aimed at finally breaking Kratochvilova’s decades-old world record before the end of the summer.

The women’s mile race brought its own share of surprise results, as American Nikki Hiltz timed a final sprint perfectly to hold off Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi and defending world record holder Faith Kipyegon to take the win. British distance runners struggled to keep pace in the elite field: Georgia Hunter Bell clocked an improved personal best of 4:18.52, but the strong time only earned her eighth place, while Olympic medalist Laura Muir faded badly in the closing laps to finish a distant 10th.

In the women’s 100m, world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden secured a narrow victory, clocking 10.78 seconds to edge out fellow American Sha’Carri Richardson by just one hundredth of a second. British sprint star Dina Asher-Smith finished ninth in the competitive field.

Teenage sprint talent Tate Taylor made a memorable Diamond League debut in the men’s 200m, claiming gold and breaking his own personal best with a blistering 19.75-second finish that outpaced Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who took second. In the men’s 100m, Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi pulled off a major upset, defeating world champion Oblique Seville to win in 9.84 seconds, with American sprint star Christian Coleman rounding out the podium in third.

In a gritty, hard-fought 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 clash in Houston, Morocco earned a 3-0 victory over co-host Canada to punch their ticket to the quarter-finals, extending one of the most remarkable unbeaten runs in international men’s football and cementing their status as genuine title contenders. Unlike the dramatic, dreamlike run that carried them to a historic semi-final finish in Qatar 2022, this win was far from a display of free-flowing attacking beauty – it was a masterclass in winning when not at their best, a hallmark of championship-caliber sides.

Morocco managed to secure the three-goal win despite registering only five total shots on target, the lowest number recorded by any winning side in a men’s World Cup knockout match in tournament history. To add to the game’s unusual dynamic, the opening 45 minutes became the first half in World Cup history to see more yellow cards issued than shots on goal. The North African side spent the opening 15 minutes without even registering a touch inside Canada’s 18-yard box, the second consecutive match where they have started slowly in that regard.

Canada, fielding one of the most talented generations in their men’s football history, made the most of Morocco’s slow start, earning two early clear scoring opportunities. Star forward Jonathan David saw a low shot saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, and striker Tani Oluwaseyi also failed to convert his follow-up chance. Injured star Alphonso Davies could only watch from the sidelines, unable to impact the game, and Morocco’s organized defense quickly shut down Canada’s key playmakers: neutralizing playmaker Stephen Eustaquio’s dangerous distribution and cutting off all service to David, leaving the Canadian attack stagnant for the rest of the match.

Once Morocco found their rhythm, they never relinquished control. Their captain Achraf Hakimi, widely regarded as the best right-back in world football, was a constant threat both going forward and in pressing, disrupting Canada’s build-up at every turn. Playmaker Brahim Diaz delivered a standout performance, notching two assists to bring his total World Cup assist tally to four – the most of any African men’s player in tournament history.

Speaking after the match, Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi emphasized the team’s resilience and commitment to their core identity through tough stretches. “The first half was very intense. There were a few adjustments to be made at half-time. We were never safe from pressure,” Ouahbi told reporters. “What matters is we didn’t change our identity, we didn’t change our game philosophy. We are playing the World Cup which means there will be difficult moments. What matters is when we are not at our best, we have to be resilient. We have to remember who we are playing for and what we are playing for.”

The result pushes Morocco into its second consecutive men’s World Cup quarter-final, matching the five-match progression they achieved in Qatar 2022. With four total knockout stage wins across the last two World Cups, Morocco has now matched the total number of knockout wins earned by every other African men’s national team combined. One more win will see them equal their historic 2022 run, when they became the first African men’s side ever to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Morocco’s current run extends their remarkable unbeaten streak to 34 matches across all competitions, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Kenya in the 2025 African Nations Championship, a tournament limited to domestic league players. While the streak carries a minor asterisk, due to a retroactively awarded 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final win over Senegal that is currently being challenged in court, the run’s consistency remains unprecedented for an African side.

Analysts and pundits have noted that Morocco has yet to face a full 90-minute test of their capabilities at this tournament. They opened with an impressive draw against Brazil, secured a hard-fought win over Scotland after scoring inside two minutes, and beat an already eliminated Haiti side 4-2 in the final group stage match. In the round of 32, they outplayed Netherlands but needed a stoppage-time header to avoid elimination. Their performance against Canada, while ultimately comfortable, did little to quiet doubters ahead of a potential quarter-final clash with defending champions France.

BBC 5 Live pundit Chris Sutton pointed out Morocco’s slow start and lethargy in the first half, warning that a repeat performance against top opposition would end their run. “Morocco were just not at their very best, and there are tougher tests to come. They surprised me with their lethargy at the start. I don’t know whether there was a bit of arrogance in dismissing the Canada team. Something was amiss with their performance,” Sutton said. “They are devastating on the counterattack. But if France get through and Morocco perform like they did in the first half against a team like France, they will be crushed.”

Even with questions over their form, no one can deny that Morocco has a better chance of becoming the first African men’s team to win the World Cup than any side in history. This success is no overnight fairytale: it is the product of more than 15 years of deliberate, heavy investment backed by King Mohammed VI. A national academy opened in 2009 and a $65 million training facility opened in 2019, both named for the king, have laid the foundation for Morocco’s rise to the top of African football. After 20 years of failing to qualify for the World Cup between 1998 and 2018, the infrastructure overhaul turned the program around, and also allowed the federation to recruit top talent from the Moroccan diaspora in Europe – including Hakimi and Diaz, both born in Spain.

Ouahbi emphasized that this long-term investment is the backbone of the team’s current success. “Everything that is happening right now in Moroccan football is thanks to Mohammed VI. He has invested a lot in the last few years, especially this academy,” he said. The coach added that Morocco is no longer seen as a surprise underdog, and the program’s growth is a source of national pride. “It’s not a surprise, we are no longer a surprise as of today. When people talk about Morocco they talk about a real contender, a major footballing nation and it’s a great source of pride. It’s only the beginning and I hope we can continue to have similar World Cup runs for many years. We want to keep going, we don’t want to stop.”

Morocco will face their next test in the quarter-finals on Thursday, 9 July, with kickoff scheduled for 21:00 BST in Boston.

The Nations Championship clash at Johannesburg’s iconic Ellis Park delivered a stunning demonstration of rugby power on Saturday, as double world champion South Africa cruised to a convincing 45-21 victory over England, marking their fourth consecutive win over the European side. The match, played in front of a crowd of nearly 53,000 passionate fans, was dominated by the Springboks from the opening whistle, despite late disruptions to both teams’ starting line-ups.

Both sides faced last-minute setbacks ahead of kick-off: England lost starting full-back George Furbank to a sudden appendicitis, while South Africa was forced to pull two of their forward pack cornerstones, captain Siya Kolisi and lock Eben Etzebeth, due to pre-match injuries. England, who had arrived in the high-altitude city 10 days early to acclimatize, had hoped to catch the undercooked Springboks — who had not played a serious competitive match in seven months — off guard. But the defending champions shrugged off the late lineup changes to produce a blistering opening that left Steve Borthwick’s visitors reeling.

Within 12 minutes, South Africa had crossed the try line three times to build an insurmountable 17-0 lead. Prop Thomas du Toit, who is set to leave Bath to return to South Africa this summer, powered through England defenders Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum to score the opening try inside three minutes. Just two minutes later, speedster Cheslin Kolbe outpaced opposite winger Cadan Murley with a sharp side-step to add a second, before Kurt-Lee Arendse held off England’s Marcus Smith to dive over for a third. A packed Ellis Park, boosted by last-minute ticket price cuts that filled most of the 62,000-seat venue, erupted in celebration as England struggled to find any rhythm.

England’s first half looked to be heading for a rout, until a turning point just before the break. Arendse was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, giving England a 10-minute numerical advantage that the visitors capitalized on. Genge barged over from a quick tap penalty to get England on the scoreboard, and on the final play of the half, George Martin — playing his first test since the 2025 Six Nations — powered through the Springbok defense to score a second converted try, cutting South Africa’s lead to just 17-14 at halftime. For a brief moment, an upset seemed possible.

But any hopes of an England comeback were snuffed out quickly in the second half. The Springboks tightened their grip, scoring two tries inside the first 15 minutes after the restart: scrum-half Grant Williams sniped through a tiny gap to break a 20-phase England defensive stand, before center Jesse Kriel crossed after a clever offload from Damian Willemse, stretching the home side’s lead to 31-14.

England’s challenge was undermined by poor discipline, with referee James Doleman penalizing the visitors nine times in the second half alone, and constant pressure on their front row at the scrum. A late England surge saw replacement Henry Slade set up a try for Alex Coles, cutting the deficit back to 10 points, but two quick yellow cards for Tommy Freeman (high tackle) and Guy Pepper (early tackle) left England down to 13 players. The Springboks made their numerical advantage count, with Malcolm Marx and Ben-Jason Dixon adding two late tries to bring the home side’s final try count to seven. Kolbe converted five of the seven tries to seal the 24-point victory.

The result extends South Africa’s winning streak over England to four matches, and reinforces the Springboks’ status as one of the top-ranked sides in global rugby. For England, the defeat continues a troubling pattern of disciplinary issues that plagued their 2025 Six Nations campaign, where the side picked up eight cards across five matches. England will look to bounce back in their next Nations Championship fixture, hosting Fiji at Liverpool’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, before traveling to face Argentina on July 18.