Gatti Sports Reports SA

AL-NASSR ELIMINATED FROM THE AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait a bit longer to lift the Asian Champions League after Al-Nassr were eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite yesterday by Japanese side Kwasaki as the match registered a 3-2 scoreline. Kwasaki will be up against Al-Ahli in the final as they also eliminated the defending champions Al-Hilal on Tuesday evening after registering a 3-1 win. The likes of Roberto Firmino, Riyad Marez and Eduardo Mendy who are playing for Al-Ahli will have a chance to lift their first trophy since they joined the Saudi side in over a season ago. The Saudi PRO League season is only left with 5 games left to play for. Al-Nassr are in third place with 60 points which is 8 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. That is now the only silverware for Al-Nassr to try and fight for. Ronaldo will have his contract expires in June this year and according to multiple publication, The 40 years old is keen on staying for 2 more seasons. R...

ALL SQUARE IN THE BARCA AND INTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIRST LEG! Spanish side FC Barcelona and Italian side Inter Milan failed to register a victory in their UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg encounter last night at the Estadi Olympic Luis Companys stadium but surely had goals in it. The match ended with a thrilling 3-3 draw. Denzel Dumfries scored a brace with Marcus Thuram scoring a single goal for Inter. Lamine Yamal marked his 100th appearance for Barca with goal before Feran Torres scored his and Yann Sommer was also unfortunate to chip in an own goal. The return leg will be played next week Tuesday at San Siro which the home of Inter Milan. Who will head to the UEFA Champions League final? RELATED ARTICLE: PSG ONE FOOT INTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL! Photo provided by FC Barcelona .

AMAJITA GETS FIRST WIN OF THE AFCON U-20 GROUP STAGES! South African boys under-20 national team earned their first victory of their Africa Cup of Nations group stages after defeating Tanzania 1-0 earlier on today at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium courtesy of a goal scored by Cape Town City winger Shakeel April. South Africa's first match in the group stages resulted in a 1-0 loss against the hosts Egypt last week. The Raymond Mdaka side had a lot of Betway Premier League first team players with the likes of Asekho Tiwani, Kutlwano Letlhaku, Gomolemo Kekana, Mfundo Vilakazi, Tylon Smith, Patrick Autata, Langelihle Phili, Faiz Abrahams, Jody Lee Ahshene and Neo Rapoo all enjoying minutes. Amajita's next match will be up against Sierra Leone next week Tuesday at the same venue. Photo provided by the South African Football Association.

SUNDOWNS TO PROMOTE DDC PLAYER TO FIRST TEAM! Mamelodi Sundowns DSTV Diski Challenge player Gomolemo Kekana who has been having cameo bench appearances at the Downs first team is close to being offered a first team contract apparently. The 18-year old midfielder who is currently with the South African Under-20 for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament and has been very instrumental for the Raymond Mdaka side throughout their journey in qualifying for the tournament. Kekana will compete with the likes of Bathusi Aubaas, Marcelo Allende, Teboho Mokoena, Neo Maema, Jayden Adams just to name some of the big shot players the Chloorkop based side has in their roster. Photos provided by Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club and SoccerLaduma .

STELLENBOSCH PLAYER TO BE OFFERED A NEW CONTRACT! Stellenbosch FC are looking at retaining most of their best players ahead of the 2025/26 season with the thought of qualifying for CAF interclub competition once again. The Western Cape side had a stellar debut season in the CAF Confederations Cup making it to semifinals but got eliminated Fadlu Davids' Simba SC. Stellenbosch knocked out last season's Confederations Cup winner Zamalek to make it to the semis which came as a major shock and upset for this season. Now reports came in that Kaizer Chiefs target Sihle Nduli is set to get a new two-year contract extension with an option of a third one according to SoccerLaduma. Nduli will have his contract elapse in less than three months having penned an initial three year deal when he joined the Johan Rupet side in 2022 from TS Galaxy. The 28 year old defensive midfielder might still chose to decline a contract extension at Stellies and join Amakhosi on a free transfer should h...

PYRAMIDS POSTPONE DOMESTIC CUP FINAL PUTTING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL FIRST! Pyramid FC have been granted the postponement of their Kings Cup final against Zamalek which was supposed to be played on the 20th of next month. Pyramids will be afforded a chance to avoid traveling hurdles ahead of their CAF Champions League final first leg which has to be played on the 24th of next month at the Loftus Versfield stadium before the final leg at the Cairo International stadium on the 1st of June. Venues for both final legs are still to be confirmed and might be changed. Pyramid made history by making way to final of the Champions League in their debut season of competing in it knocking out the 1995 champions Orlando Pirates with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline last week Friday. Sundowns also knocked out the defending champions Al-Ahly with a 1-1 draw and progressing on the away goal rule also last Friday to advance. Can the the fixture postponement work out for Pyramids FC? Photo provided by Pyram...

MIHLALI MAYAMBELA CELEBRATED FOR REACHING A MAJOR MILESTONE IN CYPRUS! Bafana Bafana international Mihlali Mayambela was celebrated yesterday by his Cypriot club Aris Limassol for reaching 100 appearances in all competitions. The South African native joined the side in 2022 from Portuguese side Farense. Mayambela has been a very key player for the Cyprus side helping them win two trophies thurs far. This what Limassol wrote yesterday on their social media platforms after Mayambela unlocked 100 appearances: "A league title, a Super Cup, Europa League club membership, countless great efforts and fantastic goals. This is how Michlali Mayabela's first 100 games with Aris jersey were! "Congratulations on the milestone number and we are sure that the best is yet to come. Photo provided by BackpagePix .

RUDIGER WRITES A POST AFTER UNDERGOING SURGERY! IMAGO Real Madrid left-back and left-center back Antonio Rudiger went to social media to express how he felt after having a successful surgery yesterday. Rudiger mentioned that he had been playing with an injury for over seven months which caused him severe pain. The German national was also heavily strapped on both thighs this past Sunday where Madrid played their longtime rivals Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey final but unfortunately lost 3-2. Rudiger will be out for 4-6 weeks max and will miss the remainder of the season for Madrid. He noted that he wants to play the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Nations League in June. Will Rudiger be fit for Madrid before the upcoming tournaments kick-off or will he be forced to wait until the 2025/26 season commence? Below is the tweet Rudiger posted on X(Twitter) as compiled by oneFootball : RELATED ARTICLE: MIDDLE EAST CLUB TRYING TO LURE ANTONIO RUDIGER WITH A €100M PACKAGE!

FIRMINO AND TONEY SCORE TO CRASH AL-HILAL OUT OF THE AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! Al-Ahli eliminated Al-Hilal from the AFC Champions League Elite yesterday at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium where the sides met for their semifinal encounter.  Al-Ahli came out victorious winning by a 3-1 scoreline with goals coming from former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, Former Brentford FC striker Ivan Toney and al-Buraikan with the consolation goal on the Al-Hilal side coming from Salem Aldawsari. The home side Al-Hilal played the remainder of the match with 10 players after former Chelsea player Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off after receiving a second booking in the 59th minute. Al-Ahli will either face Al-Nassr or Kawasaki who face each other in their semifinal today at the same venue as the Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli's encounter took place. Cristiano Ronaldo will be eagerly waiting to lift his first trophy at Al-Nassr and the AFC Champions League might be the final straw for this season as they ...

PSG ONE FOOT INTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL! French Ligue champions Paris Saint-Germain earned a slim advantage over English Premier League side Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. The Luis Enrique side won with a 1-0 scoreline last night at the Emirates stadium in the first leg via a goal scored by former Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in the 4th minute. The Mikel Arteta side will now plan ahead of their second leg meeting which will be played next week Wednesday at the Parc des Princes. The clubs are looking to go all the way to the final and actually winning the title for the first time in histories. Today, Spanish LaLiga side Barcelona will be up against Italian Serie-A side Inter Milan later on at the Estadi Olympic Luis Companys stadium for their semifinal first leg.  Hansi Flick and his players will be highly motivated by the Copa Del Rey trophy they just won this past weekend putting Real Madrid to the sword after a 3-2 win. Inter on the other ...

WILL MAELA FANCY A MOVE ELSEWHERE OR TAKE AN EARLY RETIREMENT? Orlando Pirates first choice club captain Innocent Maela will have his contract expire in June this year since his last contract extension. It has been rumoured that the Soweto giants are not prepared to offer Maela another extension as they are lining up a new role for him within the club. Maela has been in the first team since the beginning of the 2017/18 season after he managed to steer the now-defunct Thando Royal Zulu to their first tier on loan at the end of the 2016/17 season which saw the club selling their status to Amazulu for R70M. He has been playing majority of the Pirates games since making his debut which saw him surpass 200 appearances. The Witbank born defender is now finding it hard to earn a starting place in the Pirates left-back set-up as Deon Hotto, Paseka Mako and now recently Mbekezeli Mbokazi being preferred ahead of him. Maela has managed to play just 11 matches across all competitions since t...

RHULANI MOKWENA SIDELINED BY WYDAD! South African mentor Rhulani Mokwena won't be finishing off the games left to play for at Wydad Athletic Club as the Moroccan giants have released a statement on their publication stating that the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates coach has been granted an exceptional leave upon his request. Mokwena was reported by multiple publication for the past few months to be on his way out of Wydad due to unpaid wages but Wydad came out to rubbish the rumours but confirmed his eminent departure. Below is the statement released by Wydad Athletic Club earlier on today on their social media platform as translated by FARPost : “The board of directors of Wydad Athletic Club announces, at the request of the first-team coach, Rulani Mokwena, that he has been granted an exceptional leave extending beyond the team’s last match in the professional championship, due to the great psychological pressures he has experienced recently,” reads the club statement...

LEHLOHONOLO SEEMA LANDS A NEW COACHING GIG! Former Bloemfontein Celtics, Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United coach Lehlohonolo Seema has been appointed as the new head of Bantu FC which participates in the Lesotho Premier League. Seema has been at the side for over a month since he was fired by Sekhukhune United last month.  Below is the statement released by Bantu FC today announcing the appointment of Seema: "The club is pleased to announce the decision to appoint Mr. Lehlohonolo Seema as Senior Coach for the senior team, effective immediately. Mr. Seema will collaborate with Head Coach Mr. Charles Manda in steering the team for the remaining six games of the current season." "A highly qualified and accomplished coach, Mr. Seema has a successful track record, having coached prominent clubs in the South African Premier League. We are confident that his appointment will yield positive results for the team." "Please join us in welcoming him to the club." R...

CONFIRMED: CARLO ANCELOTTI TO LEAVE REAL MADRID FOR BRAZILIAN NATIONAL TEAM! It has been reported that Carlo Ancelotti will finally leave Real Madrid at the end of the season to join the Brazilian national team. Ancelotti only managed to win the UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Cup this season with the other major titles evading him.  The former Everton coach was keen on staying at Madrid until his contract expires in June next year but with him being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, Copa Del Rey and falling out a bit of the Spanish LaLiga title race was below the standards of Madrid which has now resulted in the club wanting to part ways with him. Ancelotti had a verbal agreement with Brazil on taking over the head coach position and the Brazilian Federation is expecting Carlo Ancelotti to be on the touchline already on the first week of June representing them. Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso will be the more likely coach to take over from Ancelotti when he departs but that ...

MASON GREENWOOD EQUAL DROGBA'S RECORD AT MARSEILLE! Former English international Mason Greenwood is having a debut season to remember in the French Ligue 1 with Olympique de Marseille. The 23 year old joined on a €26M transfer from Manchester United at the beginning of the campaign after coming back from a loan move at Spanish LaLiga side Getafe the previous campaign. United were no longer interested in the services of Greenwood due to his 2022 rape and assault allegations which saw him being out of action for months and subsequently being loaned to Getafe. His loan move at Getafe produced him 10 goals and 6 assists across all competitions in 36 appearances. This season at Marseille, 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 has managed to score 19 Ligue 1 goals in 31 games which is now joint-2nd with 𝗗𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗯𝗮 for most league goals in a debut Olympique Marseille season in the 21st century and one goal behind 𝗕𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗶 𝗚𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀. Will Greenwood break the club record?

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO KALVIN PHILLIPS AFTER THE RELEGATION OF IPSWICH? Ipswich Town learnt their fate on Saturday evening in their 3-0 English Premier League loss to Newcastle United at St James' Park. The club were relegated back to the EFL Championship following Leicester City FC and Southampton FC who learnt their fate in the previous weeks. All the teams that won promotion to the English Premier League last season now head to the second tier. Ipswich made a return to English Premier League after decades of playing in lower leagues. The side made a marquee signing at the beginning of the season bringing former Leed United midfielder Kalvin Phillips on loan until the end of the season from Manchester City. Phillips failed to make an impression at the club making only 21 appearances and scoring 1 goal across all competitions since the season started. He is now sidelined due to an injury.  Since Ipswich were relegated, Phillips will not be staying on permanent basis and will have to ...

ATLETICO MADRID WANTS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S KEY PLAYER! Atletico Madrid are reportedly preparing a blockbuster move for Tottenham Hotspur right back Cristian Romero ahead of the 2025/26 season. The FIFA World Cup winner might also fancy a chance of playing the UEFA Champions League once again as Atletico Madrid guarantee him the Champions League. Spurs have been falling to secure Champions League football since losing it to Chelsea a few seasons ago. Romero who is currently valued at €55M according Transfermarkt and doesn't have a release clause on his Tottenham Hotspur contract. The 27 years old Argentine player has graced Spurs with over 120 appearances across all competitions since he made a permanent transfer in 2022. Will Atletico get their man? Photo provided by IMAGO .

THE BELIEF WAS THERE FOR THE WHOLE SEASON: SAID ARNE SLOT! Liverpool FC were officially crowned the 2024/25 season English Premier League champions yesterday after thumping Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield. The win saw Liverpool currently have a point tally of 82 with 4 games left to play for. Arne Slot has now managed to clinch the league title in his first season joining from Feyenoord. In his post match interview, Arne Slot said the following as reported by Sky Sports News : "For the whole season we were on top of the league but you also know how hard the Premier League is," he said. "The belief for us to win it was here throughout the season." "It's difficult to put into words. You can feel how important it was for the fans to be here. We always come back, we always find a way to win. I don't think we could have lost today. "Our main focus was to win this game, if you are a part of it you still feel the pressure of getting the points ove...

GYOKERES ENROUTE TO BREAKING A RECORD THAT STOOD FOR OVER 20 YEARS! Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres is edging closer to a Liga Portugal record that has stood for over two decades. The 26-year old scored four goals last night as Sporting hammered Boavista 5-0 in the league. The four goals last night saw him becoming the leader in the race for the Golden Boot by a far far margin. The Swedish striker is currently on 42 goals in the league and his overall tally for the season is at 57 across all competitions. Gyokeres has already surpassed his last season's tally of 42 which was his debut season with Sporting. He could be the first global top scorer winner outside of the European top five leagues since Mário Jardel in 2001/2002 . No player this season in all the European leagues has scored more goals that Gyokeres. Clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all rumoured to be looking to sign him in the upcoming transfer ...

LIVERPOOL OFFICIALLY BECOMES THIS SEASON'S PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! Liverpool FC have been confirmed as the winners of this season's English Premier League title after they delivered a 5-1 thumping to Tottenham Hotspur earlier on today at Anfield. On Liverpool's side Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Destiny Udogie (Own goal) were registered on the scoresheet while Dominic Solanke had the consolation goal for Spurs.  Mo Salah also broke the record by becoming the international player with more English Premier League goals (185) overtaking Sergio Aguero. The Arne Slot side have wrapped up the league with 82 points after 34 matches and have a chance to finish with a point tally of 94 should they win their remaining four fixtures. Photo provided by Liverpool Football Club.

SIMBA SC THROUGH TO THE CONFED CUP FINAL PUTTING STELLIES TO THE SWORD! Fadlu Davids' Simba SC made their way to the CAF Confederations Cup final after edging Steve Barker's  Stellenbosch FC 1-0 on aggregate in the second leg of their semifinals played at the Moses Mabhida stadium today. No goals were scored today but the last week 1-0 win at the Amaan stadium carried over to today's encounter which saw Simba progressing. Simba are now likely to face RS Berkane in the final who are currently leading CS Constantine 4-0 on aggregate. Stellenbosch will not shift their focus on the Betway Premier League and aim to make a top three or four finish and head to CAF interclub competition next season. Photo provided by SIMBA SC.

MANCITY OR FOREST? WHO WILL JOIN PALACE IN THE FA CUP FINAL! Crystal Palace will be fully focused on today's FA Cup semifinal encounter between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest to see who they will face in the final. Palace booked a ticket to the FA Cup final yesterday after defeating the in form Aston Villa 3-0 at the Wembley stadium to progress.  The Citizens and Forest will lock horns at the same venue as of the Palace and Villa later on today to see who will progress to the final. Manchester City are now left with this FA Cup as silverware for this season while Forest would want to win a major trophy for the first time in over decades. Photo provided by Manchester City Football Club .

STELLIES TO BE OUT OR MAKE HISTORY? South African Betway Premier League side Stellenbosch FC will have a final chance of making their way to the CAF Confederations Cup final as they will be against Fadlu Davids' Simba SC later today at the Moses Mabhida stadium for their second leg. The first leg resulted in Simba getting a narrow 1-0 win last week Sunday at the Amaan stadium.  The Western Cape side is in their debut season in the CAF interclub competition and have done really well so far. They also managed to eliminate the defending champions Zamalek at the beginning of the month to make it this far.  Stellies will throw whatever they have in their power to come out victorious and make another club history by reaching the final of the tournament but the mountain is steep to climb. Photo provided by Stellenbosch Football Club .

RYAN REYNOLDS CLUB PROMOTED TO THE EFL CHAMPIONSHIP AND MAKES HISTORY! Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds' co-owned club Wrexham AFC managed to secure promotion to the EFL Championship. The promotion came in their comfortable 3-0 win at home against Charlton Athletic yesterday to seal their place in the second tier of English Football. In doing so, Wrexham became the first team to get three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Sky Bet Championship. Wrexham will close of their season with an away encounter against Lincoln City FC. Photo provided by Wrexham AFC .

MARCEL KOLLER SACKED BY AL-AHLY! Following their elimination from the CAF Champions League semifinal a few days by Mamelodi Sundowns, Al-Ahly have taken a decision to relieve head coach Marcel Koller of his duties with immediate effect. Koller had already been falling back off the Egyptian Premier League title race as the club is behind Pyramids FC in the Premier League table. Pyramids also made history by making their way to the CAF Champions League final after beating Orlando Pirates the same day Al-Ahly were eliminated by Sundowns. Pyramids will now face Masandawana in the final. Since joining the club in September 2022, Koller has won the CAF Champions League twice, Egyptian League twice, Egyptian Cup twice, Egyptian Super Cup four times and got the Club World Cup bronze medal. He also Achieved the best consecutive win streak in the history of the Egyptian League, and the best unbeaten streak in CAF Champions League history.  Photo provided by BackpagePix .

BARCELONA CROWNED THE COPA DEL REY CHAMPIONS! FC Barcelona were crowned the Copa Del Rey champions of this season after hacking their arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in the early hours of today at the Estadio de La Cartuja. Young Pedri opened the scoring in the 28th minute giving Barca the lead. Madrid replied in the second half with goals from Kylian Mbappe in the 70th minute and Aurelien Tchouameni in the 77th minute. Feran Torres replied and got the equalizer for Barcelona in the 84th minute. Both sides couldn't be separated in regular time and were forced to go to extra time. Jules Kounde stole the show scoring the winner in the 114th minute.  Barcelona have now won their second trophy this season having already won the Spanish Super Cup where they also thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 to lift the trophy. The Hansi Flick side are also enroute to a quadruple as they stand a high chance of winning the UEFA Champions League and Spanish LaLiga title. Real Madrid on the other hand might as well...

CRYSTAL PALACE BEAT ASTON VILLA TO HEAD TO THE FA CUP FINAL! Crystal Palace booked their place in this season's FA Cup final after thrashing Aston Villa with a clean 3-0 scoreline at Wembley stadium in their semifinal played earlier on today. The home side which was Palace got their goals from Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Saar. Sarr netted a brace in the encounter.  Palace have now reached their third FA Cup final in the history of the club having previously done that in 1989-90 and 2015-16 seasons. The club will now await the winner between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest who will play their semifinal encounter tomorrow also at Wembley stadium. Will there be a final between Palace and City or Palace with Forest? Photo provided by Crystal Palace Football Club.

ONLY BAROKA FC PICKS UP MAXIMUM POINTS IN MATCH DAY 27 OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Photo provided by Baroka Football Club Baroka FC were the only team who managed to collect maximum points in match day 27 of today's Motsepe Foundation Championship. The Daniel Malesela side hammered the newbies Highbury FC 3-1 at the Global stadium.  Casric Stars and Cape Town Spurs shared the points at the Solomon Mahlangu stadium after a 0-0 draw.  Leruma United also registered the same scoreline against the University of Pretoria at the Lucas Masterpiece Moripe stadium. Hungry Lions and JDR Stars played a 1-1 draw at the Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs stadium. Venda FC and Upington City also played a 1-1 draw at the Thohoyandou stadium. Tomorrow Milford FC will up against Black Leopards at the Princess Magogo stadium while Orbit College will be up against Kruger United at the Olympia Park stadium. Below is how the Motsepe Foundation Championship log took shape after today's results:

CHIEFS SUFFER A HOME DEFEAT AHEAD OF THE SOWETO DERBY! Kaizer Chiefs were defeated at home in their Betway Premier League encounter against Marumo Gallants today at the FNB stadium. The match ended with a 2-1 scoreline in favour of the visitors Marumo Gallants. Matome Mathiane and Daniel Msendami score the two goals for Gallants while Glody Lilepo got the only goal for Chiefs. Coach Nasreddine Nabi made a lot of changes in today's encounter playing the likes of Zitha Kwinika and Happy Mashiane at the back instead of his usual defenders. The reason for most players being dropped might be because of the upcoming Betway Premier League Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates next week Saturday at the same venue they used today. The sides will also meet once again after next week in the Nedbank Cup final which will be played at the Moses Mabhida stadium. Other Betway Premier League results for today saw Polokwane City and Supersport United settling for a 1-1 draw at the New Peter Mokaba st...

XHERDAN SHAQIRI ENROUTE TO LIFTING LEAGUE TITLE WITH BOYHOOD CLUB! Former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan striker Xherdan Shaqiri's move to his former side FC Basel may end up to be one of the blessings the club has ever received. Shaqiri returned to Basel at the beginning of the currently campaign after spending the last 13 years traveling between England, Germany, France and the United States of America. His return to Swiss first tier saw him taking the club out of the relegation spot to being title contenders for the Swiss league. Shaqiri is currently on 16 goals and 18 assists across all competitions in 32 matches. Basel are currently in first place of the Swiss Super League regular season with 61 points in 33 games. Photo provided by IMAGO .

THE UNLUCKIEST PLAYER TO BE RELEGATED WITH 3 DIFFERENT TEAMS IN 4 CONSECUTIVE SEASONS! Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will not be the only player or one of the few players to make an unwanted top flight history across the European top five leagues. Ramsdale suffered relegation from the English Premier League with Southampton a few weeks ago which resulted in the Saints making history by becoming the earliest team to be relegated from the Premier League with 10 games left to play for. In that relegation, Ramsdale added another relegation record to his name having already been relegated with Bournemouth and Sheffield United combining with Southampton in the last five seasons. Now we shift our focus to another player who is Darwin Machis who suffered relegation from the Spanish LaLiga with Real Valladolid a few days ago. This latest relegation meant Machis has now been relegated in four consecutive seasons with three different teams. Machis has been relegated from the Spanish ...

AL-HILAL TRYING TO LURE BARCELONA PLAYER WITH A $200M PACKAGE! Saudi Arabian side are now trying to pull all the stops to bring best European players to the Middle East and avoid bringing player who are old and not in their prime.  The club has already signed the quality of Alexander Mitrovic from Fulham, Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Joao Cancelo from Manchester City, Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea, Sergej Milinković-Savić from Lazio and Neymar Jr from Paris Saint-Germain but had his contract terminated in January this year. Al-Hilal are now plotting a twist to sign one of Barcelona's in form wingers in Raphinha for the upcoming transfer window. The Saudi side are trying to lure him with a $200M package on a four-year contract excluding bonuses. The club has already submitted a €100M bid to Barcelona on their man whose contract is ending in June 2027. The 28 year old Raphinha is still keen on staying at Barca a bit longer and win more trophies but the Saudi figures mig...

YOUNG WITBOOI ATTRACTS A NEW EUROPEAN TEAM! Cape Town City winger and midfielder Emile Witbooi might not be staying in the Betway Premier League for that long as the 17 year old has been the talk of the town and attracting clubs across the globe. The son of the former Cape Town City midfielder Surprise Rhalani is in his debut season with the Citizens's first team having been promoted from the club's DSTV Diski Challenge side where he also didn't stay that much long after being snatched from the Transnet School of Excellence. Witbooi once got invited for a month long trial by the Chelsea Under-18 a few months back but that move failed to materialize. Now, According to SoccerLaduma Eredivisie side Ajax Amsterdam have been the latest team to show interest in the South African Under-17 international. Will the youngster complete a European move in the upcoming transfer window or will he still be around in the Betway Premier League a bit longer? RELATED ARTICLE: EMILE WITBOOI SI...

COMO PROVIDES AN INJURY UPDATE ON DIAO! Italian Serie-A side COMO 1907 have reported that their winger Assane Diao will miss the remainder of the season after he got injured during a training session  on Thursday.  The 19-year old underwent a successful osteosynthesis on his fifth metatarsal of his right foot as the club report.  Assane contributed a lot for the Cesc Fabregas side since joining them in January from Spanish LaLiga side Real Betis Balompie. He scored 8 goals and provided 1 assist in the 15 Serie-A games he has played thurs far. Below is the statement released by COMO 1907 website yesterday provided the injury update of Diao: "Como 1907 confirms that Assane Diao sustained an injury to his right foot during training yesterday. Following medical evaluation, he successfully underwent osteosynthesis surgery on the fifth metatarsal of his right foot." "Unfortunately, this means Assane will be unavailable for the remainder of the season as he begins his recovery ...

DURBAN CITY SECURES BIG WIN POST ZONDI'S PASSING! Durban City FC secured a big win in their Motsepe Foundation Championship title race fixture last night just days after the passing of their defender Sinamandla Zondi.  City chose to not postpone their fixture yesterday and decided to play it in honor of Zondi which they subsequently won 3-0 against the struggling Pretoria Callies at the Chartsworth stadium. The win saw City increase their point tally from 46 points to 49 points with 4 games left to play for and they lead second place Orbit College with 6 points now. Zondi passed away this past Tuesday evening after he collapsed on the field while warming up before the City and Milford FC played their Motsepe Foundation Championship encounter.  The 22 year old was rushed to the hospital but was unfortunately pronounced dead on arrival. The match between City and Milford was abandoned at the halftime break after the clubs learnt about the passing of Zondi. Photo provided by...

PIRATES BOW OUT OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AFTER BEING THRASHED BY PYRAMIDS! Orlando Pirates crashed out of the CAF Champions League after losing 3-2 against Pyramids FC earlier on today at the 30 June stadium.  The Buccaneers led the game twice but the home side came back from behind to make their own history. The Egyptian side have made it to the final of the tournament in their debut season. Pyramids will meet Mamelodi Sundowns in the final who defeated Al-Ahly earlier on today at the Cairo International stadium where their match ended with 1-1 draw but Downs progressed via the away goal rule.  Sundowns will be looking to make history by becoming the first South African side to win the Champions League twice while Pyramids will be looking to make their own little history by winning it for the first time in their existence. RELATED ARTICLE: SUNDOWNS THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL AFTER BEATING AL-AHLY! Photo provided by Orlando Pirates Football Club.

SUNDOWNS THROUGH TO THE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL AFTER BEATING AL-AHLY! The final CAF Champions League semifinal leg fixture between Al-Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns that took place at the Cairo International stadium today resulted in a 1-1 aggregate scoreline ruling in favour of the visitor via the away goal. This tied avoided last week's barren scoreline at the Loftus Versfield stadium. Coach Miguel Cardoso has now succeeded in his revenge plot against coach Marcel Koller as he lost the final while at Esperance de Tunis to Al-Ahly last season. Up next Pyramids FC will be up against Orlando Pirates at the 30 June stadium. They are also on a current 0-0 aggregate scoreline having failed to score in the first leg last week at the FNB stadium. Who will join Sundowns in the final. Will it be Pyramids or will it be Pirates. Photo provided by Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club .

SALARY CAPS FOR ALL SOUTH AFRICAN FOOTBALL TIERS! Football can sometimes be a lucrative sport and career should one go through the right the channels. In the South African football spaces, The professional ranks would mostly start at the Local Football Association (LFA), The Hollywoodbet Regional League (Formerly SAB League), The ABC Motsepe League, The Motsepe Foundation Championship (NFD/Mvela) and lastly the Betway Premier League if we were to exclude development leagues within clubs themselves. Many wanting to play football in South African professionally are sometimes wondering how much players get paid from the lower ranks all to the top. The last or fifth (Local Football Association) and fourth (Hollywoodbets Regional League) tiers in most cases players can sometimes play without getting paid or might get paid via match bonuses ranging from R100 to R300 per win. Players sometimes get compensated for finishing first in their streams and winning the play-offs but apart from tha...

BAFANA BAFANA STAR ON A BRINK OF A CONTRACT EXTENSION AT DOWNS! Following the contract extension of one of the longest serving player last week in Themba Zwane, Mamelodi Sundowns is now looking to tie another national team treasure in Aubrey Modiba with a new contract. The former Supersport United player is set to have his contract expire in June this year and according to SoccerLaduma , Masandawana have prepared a new improved three year contract. The competition in the left-back position at Downs is starting to be stiff with Devine Lunga and Asekho Tiwani also being given a fair chance but that doesn't seem to be a problem for a man known as 'Dibadiba'.  A couple of players like loaned out Thembinkosi Lorch, Sipho Mbule, Lebohang Maboe, Rushine De Reuek, Thabang Sibanyoni together with players like Rivaldo Coetzee, Siphele Mkhulise and Lebohang Mothiba will have their futures decided in June on what happens next. RELATED ARTICLE: THEMBA ZWANE EXTENDS HIS STAY AT SUNDOWNS!...

LEBOGANG PHIRI'S CONTRACT ENDING AT FRENCH LIGUE 2 CLUB, WILL ANY SA CLUB SIGN HIM? Former Bafana Bafana international  Lebohang Phiri who is currently in the books of French Ligue 2 club EA Guingamp will have his contract elapse in less than three months.  Phiri who is now in his second stint at Guingamp rejoined last year February from Paris FC and had his contract extended in June the same year but now it's also going to an expire again shortly and many are wondering if the club will still be keen on having him beyond the current season. Since moving abroad in 2013 from the development of the now-defunct Bidvest Wits, Phiri had a spell in Denmark playing for Brondby IF and Turkey playing for Rizespor apart from Paris FC and Guingamp. In all of the above mentioned clubs, The South African native has represented them on 297 occasions and is now short of 3 matches to make 300 top flight appearances. With his contract expiring soon, Will  any Betway Premier League team try...

CAN TEBZA MOKOENA FINALLY MOVE THIS TIME AROUND? Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena  has been a wanted player across the world since impressing in the previous edition of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament that took place last year in Ivory Coast.  Mokoena and Bafana Bafana managed to get a third place finish in the tournament bringing back the bronze medal. The 28 years old player failed to secure a move before the season started as Sundowns were rumoured to be looking for €5M which is over R100M to release him.  Mokoena's growing performance across all competitions is getting better to a point whereby he has seen his makert value rise to now being at €2.30M/R49M making him the most valuable player in the Betway Premier League. News are coming in that the Free State born player is highly sought  in France by an unnamed club. Looking at how Mokoena has been a very key player for Downs and his current market value, A team looking to get th...

LAST STRAW FOR BOTH SUNDOWNS AND PIRATES! South African giants Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will be marching to their CAF Champions League semifinals second legs with history looming on top of their heads.  Sundowns are set to be hosted by the tournament's defending champions Al-Ahly this evening at the Cairo International stadium while Pirates are set to be hosted by Pyramids FC at the 30 June stadium. All the four clubs failed to score in the first legs last week in South Africa and the aggregate scorelines are currently on 0-0 in both fixtures. The South African sides have already made history by becoming the first Mzansi sides to play the CAF Champions League semifinal in the same season. They are now looking to make history by becoming the first South African sides to face each other in the final of the Champions League. The Sundowns and Al-Ahly fixture will play at 18h00 while the Pirates and Pyramids fixtures plays at 20h00 all in South African time. All the matches...

JAMIE VARDY LEAVING LEICESTER CITY: CONFIRMED! EFL Championship bound Leicester City FC have confirmed that their current club captain Jamie Vardy will depart the club in June this year when his contract expires. Leicester were relegated from the English Premier League last week and are now starting to prepare for life in the second tier. Current coach Ruud van Nistelrooy is also earmarked to on a brink of a departure after he failed to save the status of the club. He was appointed last year November taking over from Steve Cooper who was unable to keep up with the English Premier League after promoting the club the previous campaign. 38 year old Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester after 13 years of trials and tribulations having been there when the club won their first ever English Premier League title in the 2015/16 season, The 2020/21 FA Cup title and The 2021/22 FA Community Shield title. His overall stats for Leicester since joining in 2012 currently stands at 496 matches, 198 ...