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Kenya Probes Goalkeeper Match-Fixing Allegation

Our Reporters1 week ago1 week ago03 mins

Kenya opened a match-fixing investigation Thursday following allegations that a national team goalkeeper helped rig an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed it was aware of videos circulating online involving goalkeeper Patrick Matasi which raised concern about the possibility of match manipulation. “FKF upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities,” the Kenya football board said in a statement. “We reaffirm our zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and are committed to safeguarding the credibility of our competition.” The secretly filmed online amateur video seen by AFP shows an unnamed man talking to Matasi over a plan to fix a match in return for cash. The former AFC Leopards and Tusker goalkeeper, who also had a playing stint with Ethiopian side Coffee Sports Club, played in Kenya’s 4-1 loss to former African champions Cameroon in a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Yaounde last October. The defeat dimmed Kenya’s hopes of qualifying for the finals in Morocco, and led to the resignation of the team’s coach Engin Firat. Matasi was dropped from the team by the new coach Benni McCarthy and did not feature in the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon. Kenyan football has been hit by the dark shadow of match-fixing malpractices in the recent past with 14 players and two coaches suspended by the FKF in January 2023 following a tip-off about cheating in the national league. In February 2020, FIFA banned four Kenyan-based players — one for life — over an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches. Five Kenyan referees were also later suspended over the same scandal. The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, an independent think tank, warned that match-fixing had infiltrated multiple levels of Kenyan football from grassroots competitions to the professional leagues. “This has left a trail of disillusionment among fans and undermined the integrity of football and could lead to loss of public trust and confidence in the football industry,” the organization said in a January 2024 report.

Zimbabwe peg back Nigeria in 2026 FIFA World Cup race

Our Reporters1 week ago1 week ago03 mins

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals suffered a setback on Tuesday after the Warriors of Zimbabwe scored a last-minute equalizer in their Matchday 6 encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The result meant the Super Eagles are still stuck in fourth place in group C, as leaders South Africa put daylight between themselves and the rest of the pack with a matured 2-0 win over Benin Republic in Abidjan, that took them to 13 points. Benin Republic’s Cheetahs and Rwanda’s Amavubi are both on eight points, one more than the Super Eagles, with four rounds of matches left, to be played over the months of September and October. Usual suspect Victor James Osimhen, playing his 40th match for the Nigeria senior team, scored to put Nigeria in front after 73 minutes, making hay from Olaoluwa Aina’s cross from the left that escaped every Zimbabwean player in the defence. With robust confidence and a positive spirit from their win over Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, Nigeria launched onslaught after onslaught particularly through the left side of the Zimbabwean defence, with Simon Moses always in good flow, but goalkeeper Washington Arubi thwarted their forays and kept his team in the game. Three minutes after Osimhen’s goal, the visitors could have scored as Khama Billiat broke from the left and the Super Eagles were only saved by the crossbar. Substitute Tawanda Chireda would eventually find the leveller on the dot of 90 minutes, as the Warriors swept past the Nigeria rearguard and he cleverly poked past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali from close range.

W/Cup qualifier: Chelle unleashes Osimhen, Lookman on Zimbabwe

Our Reporters1 week ago1 week ago01 mins

Super Eagles’ manager Eric Chelle has unleashed Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookmon in the starting line up for today’s World Cup qualifying tie against the Brave Warriors of Zimbabwe. Stanley Nwabili retains his place in goal while Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Bright Osayi-Samuel with cover. Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon while Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen hunt for goal for the former African Champions. The substitutes are; Amas Obasogie, Kayode Bankole, Igoh Ogbu, Torunigha, Bruno Onyemaechi, Alhasan Yusuf Abdullahi, Frank Onyedika, Joe Aribo, Papa Daniel, Sodiq Sadiq, Tolu Akorodare, Victor Boniface.

World Cup qualifier: Eritrean referees for Nigeria, Zimbabwe clash

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago01 mins

World football-governing body, FIFA has appointed Eritrean official Teklu Mogos Tsegay as referee, with his compatriots as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official. Ghanaian Prosper Harrison Addo will be the commissioner while Paulin Ilboudo from Burkina Faso will serve as referee assessor. Leaders South Africa, on 10 points, square up to second-placed Benin Republic, on eight points, at the Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan in a match starting simultaneously with that of Uyo. Lesotho, now in fifth place following their defeat by South Africa on Friday, will tackle Rwanda’s Amavubi at Kigali’s Amahoro Stadium in the last match of group C.

Spain punches UEFA Nations League semifinals ticket

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago04 mins

Spain have made it into the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League after a nervy penalty shoot-out victory over The Netherlands, which came after a 5-5 aggregate scoreline across two legs. In Thursday’s first leg in Rotterdam, Spain found the opening goal inside the opening 10 minutes, and they did so again at the Mestalla. On this occasion, Mikel Oyarzabal was fouled inside the penalty area by Jean Paul van Hecke, and that allowed the Real Sociedad captain to step up and score from 12 yards. La Roja would hold their lead until half time, but on 54 minutes, they were pegged back. Robin Le Normand was adjudged to have fouled Memphis Depay inside Spain’s penalty area, and that gave the opportunity for the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker to score, which he managed to do. 15 minutes later, Spain would find themselves back in front, and it was Oyarzabal that scored again after he was set up following great work in the build-up from Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams on the counter-attack, which ended in the 27-year-old heading home after his initial effort was saved. However, La Roja could not hold on to book their place in the Nations League semi-finals as the Dutch found another equaliser, with defender Ian Maatsen blasting past Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon from inside the penalty area to restore parity on the night and on aggregate. That goal meant that extra time was needed at the Mestalla, and in the first half of the additional 30 minutes, Spain thought that they scored the winning goal in the tie, and it was a special one from Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. It was a wonderful pass over the top from Dean Huijsen, and the 17-year-old controlled brilliantly before firing into the far corner. But again, they were pulled back into a stalemate as Xavi Simons netted a penalty to make it 3-3. That meant penalties were required, and it was Unai Simon that came up clutch at the end to save Donyell Malen’s effort. That gave Pedri the chance to secure the victory for Spain, and he did, with La Roja winning 5-4 in the shoot-out. And it means that they will take on France – who also won a penalty shoot-out in their quarter-final tie against Croatia – in the semi-finals this summer, before a possible final against Portugal or Germany.

South Sudan national team stranded in Libya

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago01 mins

South Sudan national team otherwise known as Bright Star are stranded at the empty Benina International Airport in Benghazi, Libya. South Sudanese were stranded upon arrival for their match against Sudan in the World Cup Qualifier. The South Sudan Football Association reported that the players’ passports were confiscated and they were ordered to exit on Sunday at 4:30pm. The Bright Star are hoping to put the 2026 FIFA World Cup back on track on Tuesday after drawing two and losing three matches in the last five games. They are bottom placed with two points while the host, Sudan leads the group with 11 points.

2026 World Cup Race: Ekong says Eagles feel great to be back in contention

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago04 mins

Sitting quietly at one corner of the departure hall of the Kigali International Airport on Saturday morning, Super Eagles’ captain William Ekong had a relaxed mien about him, and minced no words in saying that Friday’s victory over Rwanda’s Amavubi was just the statement the Eagles needed to put out as the World Cup race reached halfway mark. “It was important to make the statement that we did, and we’re all happy about it, and the way we did it. Of course, we have not qualified and there’s still a lot of work, but we have started the recovery in a good way and we just have to keep working hard. “I don’t want to go into the circumstances that made the first four matches go the way they went. The good thing is we can still recover and revive the campaign, and we have done that.” Ekong’s firm leadership, and Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Simon Moses’ zest at the fore, were all too evident and impactful as the Eagles coasted to a 2-0 win over hosts Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium, throwing up nostalgia of the strong squad that wowed all and came within 23 minutes of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire early last year. As the chartered ValueJet Airline’s CRJ-900 aircraft touched down at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo at exactly 2pm on Saturday, Ekong told thenff.com that he would be rallying the troops ahead of Tuesday’s Day 6 encounter against the Warriors of Zimbabwe. “We read somewhere that the Zimbabweans are being motivated to come to Uyo and get a result. They should forget it. We are hugely motivated by the ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup. Apart from myself and Alex (Iwobi) and perhaps a couple others, who were part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this generation is hungry to play at the highest level. We want to make Nigeria proud and at the same time, do ourselves proud.” Victor Osimhen, whose brace unscrambled the calculations of the Amavubi and made them disappoint the capacity crowd that included President Paul Kagame, said at the Victor Attah Airport. “We are ready. The remaining matches are wars and we must fight them with all that we have to win.” Victory on Tuesday evening will take Nigeria to nine points, and in firm contention for the ticket, especially if Benin Republic and South Africa cancel themselves out inside Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.

Osimhen revives Super Eagles’s World Cup hope in Kigali

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago02 mins

A brace from Galatasaray of Turkey striker, Victor Osimhen were all the Super Eagles needed to revive hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Osimhen broke deadlock in the 11th minute when he tapped in a free kick by his successor and the current African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman. Osimhen broke loose and shipped the ball past the onrushing Rwandan goalkeeper to increase the tally at the close of the first half of the tie. The former African champions now placed fourth with 6 points behind South Africa, who currently the log with 10 points, while the Republic of Benin and Rwanda are on eight and nine points respectively. Nigeria however must consolidate on her winning streak when they host the Warriors of Zimbabwe in Match Day 6 of the Qualifying series in Uyo next week, Tuesday. While Nigeria tackles Zimbabwe in Uyo, The Squirrels of Benin will play host to South Africa, and Lesotho would be Rwanda’s guests.