Gatti Sports Reports SA

SUNDOWNS BOOSTED BY THE RETURN OF TOP PLAYERS AHEAD CL ENCOUNTER! Betway Premier League side Mamelodi Sundowns will be boosted by the return of highly experienced captain Themba Zwane, Center back Mothobi Mvala and left back Aubrey Modiba ahead of their CAF Champions League match against Elias Mokwana's Esperance de Tunis. Zwane and Mvala have been out for months due to injuries while Modiba was given a paternity leave after him and his partner welcomed  a newborn. Modiba was also forced to be released from the national team camp a few weeks ago before Bafana Bafana played their World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin. Lebogang Mothiba, Siyabonga Mabena and Rivaldo Coetzee are still out of the equation due to their respective injuries. The Champions League encounter between Sundowns and Esperance which is the first leg of their quarterfinals will be played tomorrow at the Loftus Versfield stadium at 15h00. Photo provided Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

ARSENAL AND SPURS TO HAVE A PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY IN HONG-KONG! Some of the two big teams in the United Kingdom Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been confirmed to be on their way to Hong-Kong for their pre-season. Arsenal and Spurs will face each each other for the first time outside of England and the first North London derby in Hong-Kong. Their fixture will be played on the 31st of July 2025 at the Kai Tak stadium. Before the season commenced, Both Arsenal and Spurs were in the United States of America for their pre-season camp.  A win for either one of them will serve as a confidence booster for the next season and their fans and supporters will surely be expecting a thrilling game with a lot of goals. Photo provided Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

KYLIAN MBAPPE A FEW GAMES AWAY FROM SETTING A NEW RECORD! Real Madrid's new main man Kylian Mbappe is close to reaching a new record at the Spanish giants in his first season. Mbappe joined Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer at the beginning of this season. His move was criticized by a lot of the Madrid fans as he struggled a bit in his first 10 games and most thought he would turn out to be one of the worst signing the club could have possibly made. Now 44 games into his first Madrid season, Mbappe managed to score 32 goals and provided 4 assists across all competitions. Which record is Mbappe close to reaching? The French striker is only 5 goals away from setting a new Real Madrid record of most goals in a debut season.  Will Mappe be able to reach that record with a few games left for the season to end?  Photo provided by IMAGO .

BARCELONA TO RETAIN SZCZESNY'S SERVICES BEYOND THIS SEASON! FC Barcelona have been impressed by the performance of former Juventus goalkeeper Wojceich Szczesny has been able to showcase so much in his debut season with the Spanish giants. The 34 year old keeper was called out of retirement at the beginning of the season after Barcelona faced a goalkeeping crisis with their captain Marc Andre Ter Stergen ruled out for the rest of the season due to an injury. According to multiple sources, The Polish player is set to have his contract extended beyond this season as he had signed a one season contract initially. Szczesny will have his stay extended until June 2026. So far Szczesny has play 18 games while keeping 9 clean sheets across all competitions for Barca and has already won his first major trophy after clinching the Spanish Super Cup a few months back. Photo provided by IMAGO .

THOMAS MULLER TO DEPART BAYERN MUNICH! With the season and the contract of Thomas Muller coming to an end, Reports are coming in that the Bayern Munich legend will leave the club after spending 25 years at the club and 17 years as a senior first team player. Age is no longer on Muller's side and Bayern Munich are not looking to hold on to the 35 year old striker any longer. His time at Bayern currently see him with 32 major trophies which includes 12 Bundesliga titles, 2 UEFA Champions League title, 2 FIFA Club World Cup titles, 2 UEFA Super Cup titles, 6 German Cup titles and 8 German Super Cup titles. Nearing the end of the season, Muller has so far played 35 games, Scoring 5 goals and providing 5 assists across all competitions. Photo provided by IMAGO .

RB LEIPZIG COACH SACKED! With clubs chopping and changing coaches across the globe, Bundesliga team RB Leipzig became the latest team to fired their head coach. The club announced yesterday on their publications that they've parted ways with head coach Marco Rose, His assistant coaches Alexander Zickler, Marco Kurth, Frank Geideck and Frank Aehlig. Rose and his technical team leave Leipzig in 6th position of the Bundesliga with 42 points from 27 league matches. Zsolt Low has since been appointed as the new head coach until the end of the season and will be assisted by Peter Krawietz. Part of the statement released by Leipzig on their website yesterday is written as follows: "RB Leipzig relieved head coach Marco Rose of his duties with immediate effect this Sunday. His assistant coaches Alexander Zickler, Marco Kurth, Frank Geideck, and Frank Aehlig (Head of Professional Players) have also been released from their duties." "Marco Rose took over RB Leipzig in early Sep...

ANOTHER RECORD REACHED BY ERLING HAALAND! Norwegian striker Erling Haaland reached a new record in Manchester City's FA Cup win over Bournemouth yesterday where they won 2-1 to advance to the semifinals. Haaland scored a single goal while the other one was scored by his teammate Omar Marmoush. Which record was reached by Erling Haaland? For the first time in 21 years, Haaland became the first player to hit 30+ goal contributions in all competitions in each of his first three seasons at a Premier League club since Ruud van Nistelrooy did that in 2001-02 to 2003-04 seasons. Photo provided by IMAGO .

MARCUS RASHFORD OPENS HIS ASTON VILLA ACCOUNT IN FA CUP WIN AGAINST PRESTON! Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford opened his goal scoring tally for Aston Villa in the FA Cup quarterfinal where the English Premier League side hammered EFL Championship side Preston North End 3-0 today at the Deepdale stadium. The 27 year old Manchester United striker scored an open play goal in the 58th minute then a penalty in the 63rd minute. Jacob Ramsey scored the final goal for the Unai Emery side to seal their semifinal spot. So far the teams that have made their way to the semifinals of the English FA Cup are Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.  Villa will now face Crystal Palace while Nottingham Forest will have to await the winner between Bournemouth and Manchester City who lock horns shortly. Photo provided Aston Villa Football Club .

WILL DA GAMA ACTUALLY SAVE MAGESI! Coach Owen Da Gama is slowly becoming the hero for Betway Premier League debutants Magesi FC. The Limpopo based club has now won their last 3 league matches which resulted in them escaping the relegation zone. With the victory they earned against the high flying Stellenbosch FC yesterday at the Seshego stadium, Magesi are now on 26 points after match day 24. Da Gama joined Magesi in January this year taking over from coach Clinton Larsen who resigned live on national television after a few poor results. Besides struggling in the league, Larsen guided the club to their first top flight trophy in their debut season where they hammered Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the Carling Knockout final. With 6 games left to play, Will coach Owen Da Gama surely seal the status of Magesi? Photo provided Magesi Football Club.

PSG OWNERS TO PURCHASE SPANISH CLUB FOR €100M! One of the oldest clubs in Spanish football is currently on the market as it is officially for sale. Malaga CF , A club that used to participate in the Spanish LaLiga now in the Segunda Division is on the market for €100M. Reports coming in are that Qatar Sports Investments who are the owners of Paris Saint-Germain, are set to buy Spanish club Málaga CF. The club is owned by Qatari investor Abdullah ben Nasser Al Thani who has been at the helm since 2010. In the history of club, They were once deadly in LaLiga and also managed to reach Champions League quarterfinal in 2013 but they club struggled to keep up anymore which resulted in them being relegated to the second tier in 2018 and third tier in 2023. They won promotion to the second tier last season via play-offs. This season in the second tier, They are currently in position 15 with 42 points after 32 matches. Photo provided Paris Saint-Germain.

ANOTHER RECORD SET BY HARRY KANE! Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been setting record after record since he joined the Bundesliga last season from English Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur. Kane doesn't just set and break records on club level, He also took the records to the national team. Yesterday Kane scored a goal in his club's 3-0 home win against FC St Pauli in a Bundesliga encounter. The goal Kane scored against St Pauli means that he has now scored against every Bundesliga team which is a similar record he set in the Premier League where he has scored against every Premier League team he had played against. Photo provided by IMAGO .

ANTOINE GRIEZMAN OVERTAKES MESSI TO SET A NEW RECORD! Since Lionel Messi departed the Spanish LaLiga for the French Ligue and then the Major League Soccer, His record for the most LaLiga appearances by a foreign player had stood since 2021 but was broken by his former teammate Antoine Griezman yesterday. Messi's record was at 520 LaLiga games by a foreign player which Antoine Griezmann has now surpassed with a single game more after he appeared for the 521st time in Atletico Madrid's 1-1 draw against Espanyol. Setting that new record, Griezman has also been rumoured be heading to the Major League Soccer to join his countryman Olivier Giroud at Los Angeles FC in the upcoming season. Photo provided by IMAGO .

MBAPPE AND BELLINGHAM ON THE SCORESHEET AS MADRID DEFEAT LEGANES! Kylian Mbappe was once again the man of the moment for Real Madrid after scoring a brace in his club's hard fought 3-2 win at home against Leganes last night at the Santiago Bernabeu. Jude Bellingham didn't disappoint as he also managed to write his name on the scoresheet. For Leganes, Dani Raba and Diego Garcia registered the 2 goal. Despite the win, Real Madrid remained in second place level on 63 points with first place Barcelona but Barca has a game in hand and a better goal difference. Leganes also remained 18th with their 27 points in 29 league games. Photo provided Real Madrid C.F.

FOREST MAKES FA CUP SEMIS FOR FIRST TIME IN 33 YEARS! Nottingham Forest made their way to the English FA Cup semifinal after defeating their league mates Brighton and Hove Albion 4-3 on penalties in the quarterfinal played at the American Express stadium last night.  The match ended with a 0-0 stalemate in regular time and extra added time. Forest heading through to the FA Cup semi-final meant they achieved that feat for the first time since 1991. The Nuno Espirito Santo side will have to await the results between Preston North End VS Aston Villa and Bournemouth VS Manchester City today to learn their semifinal opponents. Photo provided Nottingham Forest Football Club.

GOLDEN ARROWS STUN KAIZER CHIEFS TO COLLECT 3 POINTS IN LEAGUE MEETING! Lamontville Golden Arrows collected maximum points against Kaizer Chiefs after managing to defeat them 2-1 in Betway Premier League encounter played at the Moses Mabhida earlier on today. Arrows midfielder Nduduzo Sibiya opened the scoring in the 25th minute taping in home Knox Mutizwa's cross from close range. Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart corrected his earlier penalty miss after he also taped home after receiving a smooth pass from Gaston Sirino in the 29th minute. The match went to the half time break with with a 1-1 scoreline. The Chiefs defence was once again breached in the second half after Knox Mutizwa scored the second goal for the home side and also his 60th goal in the colours of Arrows in the 78th minute. The Nasredine Nabi side failed to get an equalizer or winner from Mutizwa's goal and the points were left in KZN. Photo provided Kaizer Chiefs Football Club .

AL-NASSR TARGETING £85M PRICED STAR! With the season nearing an end, Most clubs are to look at the departments that needs reinforcements and go into the market for new players. Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr are rumoured to be preparing a £85M bid for West Ham star winger Mohammed Kudus. Al-Nassr already forked out more than £60M to land Jhon Duran from Aston Villa in the previous January transfer window. The move would be very lucrative for the 24 year old Ghanaian as he be likely to pocket £400k per week at Al-Nassr. That will be a high pay rise from his current £90k per week at the hammers. Kudus might rub shoulders with one of the best in Cristiano Ronaldo should the move happen and should Ronaldo also extends his contract. Photo provided Al-Nassr Saudi .

COMO 1907 SPORTING DIRECTOR EXTENDS HIS CONTRACT! It seems the owners of the Serie-A returnees Como 1907 are happy with the work their Sporting Director Carlalberto Ludi has put in for the past 5 years. The club extended Ludi's contract with 3 and half years which will take his stay a the Serie-A club until June 2028. Como currently 13th on the Serie-A log with 29 points from 29 matches. Here what Como 1907 wrote on their website after Ludi extended his contract: "Como 1907 is proud to announce the contract extension of Sporting Director Carlalberto ‘Charly’ Ludi, who will remain with the club through to June 2028." "Since joining in May 2019, Ludi has played a central role in the club’s remarkable journey, culminating in a historic return to Serie A after 21 years." President Mirwan Suwarso said: “We’re delighted to extend Charly’s contract at Como. He plays a vital role in connecting all areas of our technical team—from recruitment, development, performance, s...

ZAMBIAN PLAYER SPOTTED AT PIRATES TRAINING GROUNDS! As it was reported yesterday by IDiskiTimes that Zambian international Andrew Phiri was spotted training with Orlando Pirates, In the latest YoutTube episode of Pirates' BucsCamp released on Pirates TV yesterday, The player was also revealed on the video. It is also reported that the 23 year old striker is currently on trial at the Soweto giants and is hoping to land a contract. Phiri is currently contracted to Maestro United FC who participate in the Zambian Premier League and the Buccaneers will have to fork out a transfer fee should the striker impress them. Previously, Pirates also had former Chippa United and Bloemfontein Celtic midfielder Siphelele Luthuli on a 2 months trial but failed to secure a contract. Can Phiri impress the Pirates technical team and eventually earn a contract? Photo provided Orlando Pirates Football Club.

BRAZIL HEAD COACH SACKED! The Brazilian national team has parted ways with head coach Dorival Junior. The sacking of the head coach comes days after Brazil were embarrassed by Argentina with a 4-1 scoreline which resulted in the Argentine national team qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That scoreline was Argentina's biggest win over Brazil in 61 years and it surely prompted the Brazil Football Association to take the necessary steps. The 62 year old mentor was appointed the head coach of Brazil at the beginning of last year and was incharge of 16 matches before he departed the club. The two strong candidates the club is looking for is Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti and Al-Hilal's Jorge Jesus. Photo provided Getty Images.

MARUMO GALLANTS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THE SIGNING OF DINO NDLOVU! As we had reported on Thursday evening that Marumo Gallants had signed former Bafana Bafana international Dino Ndlovu, The Bloemfontein outfit unveiled him yesterday on their social media platforms. Ndlovu who joined as a free agent after being clubless for 9 months has also been confirmed to have signed a short-term deal until the end of the season. Additionally, Gallants have also promoted one of their DSTV Diski Challenge players Obarate Shaun Morgan. Below is statement released by Gallants yesterday announcing the additions to their squad: Photos provided by Veli Nhlapo and Marumo Gallants Football Club.

SOUTHAMPTON PUTS A £100M PRICE TAG ON MANCHESTER CITY TARGET! Southampton may be heading back to the EFL Championship just after one season but they are planning on cashing in on their best players if they really get relegated. The Saints earned promotion to the English Premier League at the end of last season after winning the play-offs. With most clubs sniffing around on their players, The Saints have placed a £100M price tag on winger Tyler Dibling who has been a target for fellow English Premier League mates Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. The 19 year old has a market value of €25M according to transfermarkt. His overall stats for this season currently stands at 30 games with 4 goals and 2 assists across all competitions.  Is the proposed £100M by Southampton for Dibling farfetched or reasonable? Photo provided by IMAGO .

BAYERN TO WEAR A SPECIAL KIT AGAINST ST PAULI TO TACKLE RACISM! Bayern Munich are set to wear a special kit for their Bundesliga encounter against FC St. Pauli tomorrow evening at the Allianz Arena. The kit to be worn by Bayern will have a "Red against racism" printing on the chest of the jersey to raise awareness against racism. Additionally, Corner flags, Captain's armband, Advertising boards and more wil also have the "Red against racism" slogan. Below is part of the statement released by Bayern stating how they plan to tackle racism: "FC Bayern will mark the International Weeks against Racism and the DFL matchday campaign ‘Together! Stop Hate. Be a Team.’ by wearing a special jersey for their home game against FC St. Pauli at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. Main sponsor Deutsche Telekom will take a back seat on the players' chests so that Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Harry Kane and their teammates can walk out sporting the slogan ‘Red against Racis...

FROM A PROTECTIVE FACE MASK TO A FINE PIECE OF JEWELLERY! Nigerian international Victor Osimhen has been wearing a protective face mask since he broke his nose in a league incident for Napoli a few seasons ago. Osimhen has now made the protective face mask his signature look as he still wears it in every match wherever he plays even if it is no longer required for him to wear it. The Nigerian forward has now had a gold and diamond chain made similar to his face mask which was presented to him a few days ago. Osimhen splashed alot of money on the jewellery piece as the mask chain is reported to priced over $100k.

BUKAYO SAKA RETURNS TO THE GUNNERS TRAINING GROUNDS! Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will surely be delighted to see their best right winger return to full squad training. English international Bukayo Saka made a return to the training grounds after missing 3 months of football due to a hamstring injury. The 23 year old was injured in Arsenal 3-0 win against AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League in December last year and has been watching the game from the sidelines. Saka was dearly missed by the squad which also affected the Gunners as they also slipped from the English Premier League title race. Photo provided Arsenal Football Club.

TWO TRANSFER WINDOWS TO BE IMPOSED BY PL TO ACCOMMODATE CLUB WORLD CUP! The English Premier League has imposed 2 transfer windows to accommodate Manchester City and Chelsea who will be participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup which will be played in June before the official domestic season commence. The first transfer window will open early between Sunday June 1 and Tuesday June 10 for the Club World Cup then the second normal transfer window will open again on Monday June 16 until Deadline Day on Monday September 1. It has also been reported that both Chelsea and Manchester City have agreed to this initiative as it will be beneficial for both English Premier League clubs. Photo provided Manchester City Football Club .

DURBAN CITY FC PARTNERS WITH UKZN! Newly rebranded Motsepe Foundation Championship outfit Durban City FC who were previously  called Maritzburg United before the season started have now partnered with the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The initiative will see Durban City and UKZN enhance in high performance, Facilitate knowledge sharing and explore joint community outreach and marketing opportunities amongst other things. The full memorandum of the Durban City FC and UKZN released yesterday by the Motsepe Foundation Championship side is written as follows: Photo provided Durban City FC.

DINO NDLOVU TO BE UNVEILED BY PSL CLUB! Betway Premier League returnees Marumo Gallants took it upon themselves to snatch former Bafana Bafana international Dino Ndlovu according to IDiskiTimes . It has also been reported that Ndlovu signed a short-term deal with the Bloemfontein outfit which is likely to keep him until June this year. Now 35 years old, Ndlovu has been without a club since the season started after being let go by Sakaryaspor in the Turkish second tier league. The well travelled Dino Ndlovu played for 14 teams before joining Sakaryaspor in 2023/24 season. Bahlabane ba ntwa are yet to announce the signing of Ndlovu but he might be unveiled at anytime from now. Photo provided Veli Nhlapo.

SHREWSBURY APPOINTS FORMER MAN UNITED MIDFIELDER AS THEIR NEW COACH! Just hours after sacking head coach Gareth Ainsworth and his assistant Richard Dobson, EFL League One club Shrewsbury Town FC have appointed former Manchester United midfielder Michael Appleton as their new head coach for the remainder of the season. Appleton will be assisted by Richard O'Donnell whom he previously worked together with at Blackpool and Charlton Athletic. The sacked Gareth Ainsworth has since been appointed as the new head coach of League Two side Gillingham FC. Below is part of the statement released by Shrewsbury Town FC yesterday on their website regarding coaching changes: "Shrewsbury Town are pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Appleton as head coach for the remainder of the 2024/25 season." "A former midfielder with Manchester United, Preston North End, and West Bromwich Albion, Appleton’s most recent managerial role was with Charlton Athletic." "Ov...

HIGH POSSIBILITY OF RONALDO AND MESSI BECOMING TEAMMATES! Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo is entering the last 3 months of his contract at the Saudi PRO League club and it looks that there might be not extension being penned by the Portuguese star and Al-Nassr. With the FIFA Club World Cup nearing, It is reported that Ronaldo might be looking for a short-term deal with a team that will be heading to the Club World Cup in June this year then return to Al-Nassr after the tournament according to talkSPORT. The British publication talkSPORT also stated that Lionel Messi's Major League Soccer employers Inter Miami might emerge as one of the suitors to land Ronaldo in the United States of America ahead of the prestigious tournament. Ronaldo and Messi have been rivals for almost their entire football careers due to them competiting for the number 1 spot in everything concerning the game of football. The rivalry might be put to bed should Miami actually sign Ronaldo ahead of the Club Wo...

BRIGHTON TO BUILD A STADIUM FOR THEIR WOMEN'S TEAM! With the men and women teams using the same America Express stadium for both English Premier League and Women's Super League fixtures, Brighton and Hove Albion are now planning on building a new stadium for their women's team. Brighton's CEO Paul Barber mentioned the key factor behind the reason for the plans of constructing a stadium for the women's team is to respect to female athletes just like they respect male athletes. Below is what Paul Barber said as reported by BBC Sport: First photo provided by Wikipedia

BARCELONA EYEING NEWCASTLE UNITED DUO! Looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2025/26 season, Spanish giants FC Barcelona are trying to pull all stops to land Newcastle United duo in midfielder Sandro Tonali and striker Alexander Isak. Isak might be highly promoted to move should Newcastle fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League but if they do it's going to be a challenge for teams to get him to move from the English Premier League club. Isak is also deemed the best replacement for the 36 year old polish striker Robert Lewandoski whose contract ends next year June at the Catalan giants. Tonali will be added to compete with the club's highly ranked midfielders in Pedri, Gavi, Frankie de Jong, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo and Pablo Traore.

PIRATES PLAYER SOUGHT AFTER EVEN IN ENGLAND! News have emerged that the past season's PSL top goal scorer and Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa is wanted by Al-Ahly, A Saudi Arabian club and an unnamed club in the EFL Championship according Peter Du Toit who disclosed this information on the Soccerbeat YouTube channel. The Free State born player is in his final months of his contract at Pirates as it is due to expire in June. Mabasa is also a few goals alway from beating Benedict Vilakazi's Pirates all-time goal scoring record of 58 goals. Currently Mabasa is on 44 goals across all competitions since he joined Pirates. Mabasa might extend his stay at Pirates due to the record he wants to break of being the top goal scorer of all-time but there are also high possibilities of him having penned a pre-contract with the above mentioned teams if they had contact with him in the January transfer window. Photo provided Orlando Pirates Football Club.

ANOTHER ABC MOTSEPE MATCH ABANDONED DUE TO BAD WEATHER! Since the current year started, South Africa has been battling with bad weather where official league matches gets disrupted and abandoned due to heavy rains. Yesterday, A North West ABC Motsepe League match between Thaba Tshwane FC and VS Kgositlile FC was called off after the weather disrupted their match at the Brits Sports Complex. Taking to their social media to announce the fixture abandonment, Thaba Tshwane FC wrote the following: "The match officials have officially called off the game due to inclement weather conditions." "The game was abandoned with Thaba Tshwane leading 2-0 through goals from Ayanda Jwara & Odirile Shikwambane." "We will wait for SAFA North West to provide us with a new date." Photo provided Thaba Tshwane Football Club .

SUNDOWNS STANDS A CHANCE OF WALKING AWAY WITH 2 BILLION RAND CHEQUE IN CWC! Betway Premier League side Mamelodi Sundowns who are the first South African side to be called to the FIFA Club World Cup will be heading to the United States of America for biggest inter-club competition. FIFA confirmed that the winner of the tournament will walk away with $125M which is R2.3B. Bafana ba style have already secure  R900M just for qualifying for the tournament and could take home up to over R3B should they win the tournament. Sundowns are in the same group as Brazil's Fluminense, Germany's Borussia Dortmund, and South Korea's Ulsan HD. Photo provided FIFA Club World Cup .

ARGENTINA BOOK WOLRD CUP PLACE AFTER DEFEATING BRAZIL! Argentina became the latest national team to book a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating record breaking Brazil 4-1 earlier today in their qualifiers match. This was Argentina's biggest win over Brazilian in a period of 61 years. Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Guiliano Simeone netted the goals for the Argentine side while Matheus Cunha got the solitary goal for the Brazilians. The teams that have booked their spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament so far are: Japan, New Zealand, Argentina and the hosts which are United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Photo provided Getty Images.

FORMER SUPERSPORT UNITED PLAYER ROPED IN AS PART OF COACHING STAFF! Just a week after head coach Gavin Hunt was shown the exit door by Supersport United, Matsatsantsa have roped in club's former captain Onismor Bhasera as part of the new technical team. United are currently led by Andre Arendse and Grant Johnson in the interim basis until the end of the season. Matsatsantsa are floating in the relegation zone as they lie 15 on the Betway Premier League log with just 21 points in 21 matches. Bhasera joining United for a coaching stint, He will be faced with a tough task of getting the team out of the danger zone. Photo provided Supersport United.

ZIMBABWEAN INTERNATIONAL GOALKEEPER SIGNS FOR USL CLUB! Former Cape Town City FC goalkeeper Tatenda Mkuruva has found a new home at Detroit City FC who participate in the USL Championship. The 29 year old shot stopper signed a 2 year deal but with the 2025 season guaranteed and the 2026 season optional. Mkuruva joins the club after parting was with Michigan Stars FC where he spent over 4 season. Detroit issued a statement yesterday announcing Mkuruva and is written as follows: "Detroit City Football Club announced the signing of Zimbabwean goalkeeper Tatenda Mkuruva to a two-year deal with 2025 guaranteed and an option in place for the 2026 season. Mkuruva will wear #16 for Le Rouge this season and has been training with the squad since pre-season." "Mkuruva has been local to the metro-Detroit area since signing with the Michigan Stars in September 2019 before the inaugural NPSL Members Cup campaign, where he would appear twice against Detroit City FC in his first s...

WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA RANKED THE BEST WORLD CUP OF ALL-TIME! The FIFA World Cup has been going on for decades and in each of everyone of it, A new country gets a chance to host the prestigious tournament after a space of 4 years. The tournament was founded in 1930 which is 95 years ago. A total number of 32 teams partake in it after going through the stages of qualification. Brazil holds the record for most World Cup titles with 5 recorded followed by Germany and Italy with 4, Argentina with 3, France and Uruguay with 2, England, Spain and Belgium have won it on 1 occasion each. The FIFA World Cup tournament that was held in South African in 2010 has been ranked the best World Cup tournament of all-time according to SPORT BIBLE . Below is the top 10 FIFA World Cup tournament of all-time compiled by SPORT BIBLE : Photo provided by Soccer Club.

SANTOS UPGRADE STADIUM AFTER PARTNERING WITH NEW SPONSOR! Brazilian first tier club Santo FC has secured a new sponsorship with Future media who will help the club in upgrading the Vila Belmiro stadium with a few LED screens. The club released a short statement on their publications yesterday and is written as follows: "Santos FC in partnership with Future Media, has started a new project for the construction of two new screens in Vila Belmiro. The current curtain has 11m, and the new ones will be 35m long, being one of the largest screens in Brazil." "In addition, the project provides for 269 linear meters of LEDS, for sponsored vehicles. The two new curtains will be behind every stadium goal." Photo provided Santos FC .

CRISTIAN ROMERO ATTRACTS SPANISH GIANTS! A Spanish LaLiga move might be on the cards for Tottenham Hotspur  defender Cristian Romero as it's  reported that Atletico Madrid are keen on adding him to their squad according to Sky Sports. The 26 year old was bought with a hefty €52M transfer fee from Italian Serie-A club Atalanta in 2022 and has gone to make 115 appearances for Spurs across all competitions. Romero doesn't have a release clause on his Spurs contract however, The English Premier League club wouldn't want to let him go on with a fee less than the one they paid for Romero's service from Atalanta. The Argentine defender still has over 2 years left on his Tottenham contract as his deal end in June 2027. Photo provided by IMAGO .

BAFANA BAFANA REPEATS LAST WEEK SCORELINE BY BEATING BENIN! South Africa repeated their previous week scoreline by beating Benin 2-0 earlier on today in match day 6 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Lyle Foster and Jayden Adams had JDR Stars goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou scrambling as he was found fetching the ball behind the net due to the South African duo scoring the goals of the day. Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al-Ahly winger Percy Tau was also honoured for reaching 50 Bafana Bafana appearances since making his debut 9 years ago. Now Bafana Bafana face a new problem as they stand a chance of being deducted 3 points after they fielded Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 win against Lesotho on Friday. Mokoena was supposed to serve a match suspension after collecting 2 yellow cards in Bafana's 2 previous matches before the Lesotho match. The Hugo Broos side remain in the number 1 spot with 13 points from 6 matches and Benin are third with 8 points from 6 matches. Photo provided the So...

ORBIT COLLEGE GOALIE ON THE RADAR OF BETWAY SIDES AFTER MATCH AGAINST BAFANA! The match Orbit College FC goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers last week where his national team Lesotho unfortunately lost 2-0 to South Africa at the Peter Mokaba stadium did not go unnoticed. Beside conceding 2 goals which were scored by Orlando Pirates winger Relebohile Mofokeng and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams, Moerane made a couple of good save to avoid having a scary scoreline. According to the SoccerLaduma publication, Two Betway Premier League outfits in Sekhukhune United and Chippa United are the current teams who are interested in the 27 year old Lesotho international. The Motsepe Foundation Championship and the Betway Premier League seasons are only left with just 2 months to conclude, Will Moerane complete a mega money move to the South African first tier? Photo provided FARpost

BAFANA VS BENIN: TALKING POINTS! The stage will be set for Bafana Bafana and Benin later on today at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny where both side will tussle it all out in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Both sides have registered 1 loss each in this qualifiers. South Africa is in first place with a point tally of 10 after match day 5 while Benin follow suit with a point tally of 8 after match day 5 also. The side's previous meeting saw Bafana walking out of the encounter with all 3 points in match day 1 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers played in 2023 the 18th of November at the Moses Mabhida stadium.  Will South Africa complete a double or will Benin get their revenge? The match is scheduled to kick-off at 18h00 South African time. Photo provided the South African national team

MANCHESTER UNITED JOIN PL SIDE FOR OSIMHEN'S SIGNATURE! It seem Victor Osimhen's English Premier League dream might actually become a reality. His continued form at Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray has once again caught the attention of some of the best teams in Europe. Manchester United have joined Chelsea in the race to land the Nigerian forward in the English Premier League. It's also been reported that Osimhen's preferred club would be Chelsea as it is the club he grew up supporting. However, all will depend on who submit the bid close to the €70M-€80M demanded by Osimhen's parent club Napoli. Tottenham Hotspur were also rumoured suitors before the 26 year old completed a loan move to Galatasaray. Photo provided Galatasaray

FORMER NIGERIAN INTERNATIONAL SET TO PURCHASE ENGLISH CLUB! Victor Anichebe, A former Everton and AFC Sunderland striker is reported to be closed to being named the new owner of English Nation League (5th tier football) club Gateshead FC after agreeing the takeover from Neil Pinkerton. The club is doing well as they won the FA Trophy last season and are in 6th position of the National League table but 18 points behind log leaders Barnet. The fans and supporters of Gateshead will be hoping that the new ownership of the club will help steer them to greater heights. Photo provided Getty Images.