Sports
Mahrez Penalty Takes Algeria To AFCON Last 16
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Algeria secured their place in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after a Riyad Mahrez penalty gave them a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso on Sunday.
Captain Mahrez converted from the spot midway through the first half at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat and Algeria then held on to win a bruising contest against a determined Burkina outfit.
Algeria, African champions in 1990 and in 2019, have the maximum six points after two games in Group E and are yet to concede a goal, with Vladimir Petkovic’s side living up to their billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Burkina Faso and Sudan come next on three points each and play each other in the final round of group games on Wednesday.
Having beaten both of them, Algeria are guaranteed to finish first even if they lose their final outing against currently pointless Equatorial Guinea — they will therefore play a last-16 tie in Rabat on January 6.
“We were expecting a very tough match. We fought very hard and the most important thing is that we won the game. Now we are qualified and that was the main goal,” said Algeria’s Bayer Leverkusen forward Ibrahim Maza, the man of the match.
“We knew before that they would be very tough but we said we would have to fight against it, also be dirty, tackle very hard and we did that well today,” he added of the physical nature of the encounter.
Algeria had to come from two goals down to draw 2-2 with the Stallions when the teams met at the last AFCON in the Ivory Coast, a result which contributed to their group-stage elimination.
This time, they claimed all three points, with the penalty that decided the game awarded when Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri was bundled over inside the box.
Mahrez made no mistake with his 23rd-minute kick as he followed his brace in the opening 3-0 defeat of Sudan to take his tally at this Cup of Nations to three goals.
The former Leicester City and Manchester City winger, appearing at his sixth AFCON, now has nine goals at the tournament, an Algerian record.
Sports
Ex – Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is expected to leave Monaco amid talks over a possible contract termination.
The former World Cup winner joined the Ligue 1 side last summer after he was permitted to return to professional football after a doping suspension.
Pogba signed a two-year contract that was set to run until the end of the upcoming season, but a new injury setback has disrupted his plans.
The French midfielder collapsed in severe pain in his leg during a training session, accelerating Monaco’s decision to terminate his contract, according to L’Equipe and Nicemartin.com.
Pogba only returned to training last week but sustained the thigh injury in a small-sided game and was scheduled for an MRI this week.
The club will now try to reach an agreement with Pogba and his representatives over paying out his deal, which expires next summer.
Pogba was allowed back into football in March 2025 after his doping ban was reduced on appeal.
He had already left Juventus after having that contract terminated by mutual consent in December 2024.
Monaco was his route back into the game but he only managed to play in six matches last term due to persistent injury problems.
Katsina State was thrown into mourning on Tuesday after the tragic death of Katsina United Football Club player, Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a pre-season friendly match against Niger Tornadoes FC at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.
The promising footballer, who recently joined Katsina United from Kano Pillars FC, reportedly suffered a medical emergency during the encounter and was rushed to K-Dara Specialist Hospital, Katsina, where he was confirmed dead in the early hours of Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Reacting to the heartbreaking incident, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, expressed profound shock and sadness over the untimely passing of the young player, describing the loss as a devastating blow to the football community and the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday night by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, Governor Radda said the tragedy was especially painful as Ozor had been preparing to begin a new chapter of his career with Katsina United.
“The sudden death of Ozoh Chinedu is deeply shocking and heartbreaking. It is particularly painful that a young footballer with a promising career has lost his life at such a time,” the Governor said.
Governor Radda extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, Katsina United Football Club, the player’s teammates, coaches, management, supporters, his former club Kano Pillars FC, and the wider Nigerian football community.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Katsina State, I extend our condolences to the family of Ozoh Chinedu, Katsina United FC, his teammates, coaches, management, supporters, Kano Pillars FC and the entire football community,” he added.
The tragic incident has sent shockwaves across the country’s football fraternity, with tributes expected to pour in for the late midfielder, whose career was widely regarded as one of great promise.
Ozoh’s sudden passing has once again highlighted concerns over player health and emergency medical preparedness in competitive football, as the football community mourns the loss of a talented athlete whose life and career were cut short.
Sports
Countries That Qualified For 2027 Women’s World Cup As Cameroon Beat Nigeria In Quarter- Final
Cameroon on Sunday secured their place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after edging Nigeria’s Super Falcons 1-0 in their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final encounter.
The victory also sent the Indomitable Lionesses into the WAFCON semi-finals, securing their qualification for next year’s global tournament in Brazil.
The 2026 WAFCON doubles as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists earning the continent’s automatic tickets to the tournament.
Cameroon join Algeria and Morocco, who had already sealed their places after reaching the semi-finals on Saturday.
Brazil will host the 2027 tournament, while the remaining qualifying places are being determined through continental competitions across the various confederations.
See full list of countries that qualified:
Host:
Brazil
AFC:
Australia
China PR
Japan
Korea DPR
Korea Republic
Philippines
CAF:
Algeria
Cameroon
Morocco
Concacaf:
None yet
CONMEBOL:
Argentina
Colombia
OFC:
New Zealand
UEFA:
Denmark
France
Germany
Spain
More teams are expected to secure qualification as the various continental qualification campaigns conclude.
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will feature 32 teams.
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