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Ghana and South Africa have discovered their opponents in the preliminary phase of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Play-Off Tournament following Thursday’s draw in Zurich, Switzerland.

The two African nations are among six teams that will compete in the preliminary phase for places in the final phase of the intercontinental playoffs. The others are Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea and Chinese Taipei.

The draw, sighted on FIFA’s website on Sunday, was held at the body’s headquarters in Zurich on August 20, 2026.

There are three groups of two teams, with each team scheduled to play three matches.

Full draw
Group A

Uzbekistan
South Africa

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Georgina Rodríguez has initiated legal proceedings to formally adopt her husband, football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s, three older children.

The step comes shortly after the couple officially tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony.

According to reports from Portuguese media, Rodríguez is completing the necessary legal paperwork out of the public eye to be officially recognized as the mother of the children.

Before the couple began their relationship in 2016, Ronaldo welcomed his first son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., in 2010, followed by twins Eva Maria and Mateo in June 2017.

Rodríguez later gave birth to their first shared biological child, Alana Martina, in late 2017, and their daughter Bella Esmeralda in 2022. She has long maintained a close relationship with all the children, raising them alongside her own.

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Big-spending Tottenham Hotspur made a nightmare start to the new Premier League season after Brentford swept them aside in a convincing 3-0 win at the Gtech Community Stadium earlier today, August 22.

Spurs, who spent about £237 million this summer and broke their transfer record twice in a bid to avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles, handed debuts to four new signings in west London. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and club-record £100m signing Sandro Tonali all started.

However, Brentford tore through Roberto De Zerbi’s side from the opening stages.

Keane Lewis-Potter gave the home side the lead in the 12th minute after Mamadou Sangare picked him out unmarked inside the area. Brentford’s club-record summer signing continued to impress as the hosts controlled the match.

The Bees doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when Vitaly Janelt tapped home after Antonin Kinsky had saved Mathias Jensen’s effort.

Tottenham failed to register a shot on target in the first half, prompting De Zerbi to make a double change in the second half. He introduced £85m signing Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur for Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall.

The changes failed to alter the pattern of the game as Michael Kayode added Brentford’s third after Sangare’s effort fell into his path following a save by Kinsky.

Brentford almost made it four when Michael Oliver awarded a penalty for Bentancur’s foul on Kevin Schade. Igor Thiago, however, struck the post from the spot.

Earlier in the day, Everton recovered from an early scare to beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, securing their first opening-day Premier League win in five years.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scored either side of half-time to give David Moyes’ side their earliest win in a new campaign since August 2021. The win also ended a seven-match winless run from the end of last season.

Crystal Palace began life under new manager Pierre Sage without last season’s top scorer Ismaila Sarr, who missed the travelling squad amid links with Galatasaray.

The visitors created early chances through Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while both players later struck the woodwork.

Everton made Palace pay three minutes before half-time when Dewsbury-Hall fired into the far corner. Barry doubled the lead eight minutes after the restart, heading in Iliman Ndiaye’s cross from close range.

Palace’s difficult afternoon worsened when defender Chadi Riad left the pitch on a stretcher with an apparent serious knee injury.

At the City Ground, Oliver Glasner’s reign as Nottingham Forest manager began with a 1-0 defeat to Leeds United.

Anton Stach scored the decisive goal directly from a free-kick with two minutes remaining after Nikola Milenkovic fouled him.

The match remained finely balanced for much of the afternoon, with set-pieces creating most of the danger. Harry Wilson had a Leeds goal ruled out for offside, while Forest defender Jair Cunha hit the post before half-time.

Igor Jesus headed wide for the hosts after the break, while Matz Sels denied Tarik Muharemovic as Leeds pushed for a breakthrough.

Stach finally delivered it in the closing stages, beating Sels at the near post to give Leeds a winning start to the campaign and hand Glasner a painful opening defeat.

Ipswich Town also celebrated a winning return to the Premier League as substitute Jack Clarke struck a 90th-minute winner against his former club Sunderland at Portman Road.

Ipswich took the lead in the 24th minute when Julio Enciso intercepted a pass, carried the ball forward and squared for summer signing Emersonn to score.

Sunderland hit back six minutes before half-time through Nilson Angulo, whose curling free-kick struck the crossbar before going in.

With the game heading towards a draw, former Sunderland winger Clarke curled the ball into the far bottom corner to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory for Ipswich.