Category: Sports

Defending champions Argentina escape Cape Verde upset to reach the last 16
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Defending champions Argentina escape Cape Verde upset to reach the last 16

Cape Verde’s coach, Edro Leitão Brito, known as Bubista, expressed pride after their narrow 3-2 loss to the World Champions, Argentina, in extra time at the Miami Stadium.

“We showed what our country stands for. We drew with the world champions twice and brought the game to extra time. I’m proud of our players who represented us well in the World Cup. We displayed our identity,” said Bubista.

Argentina faced a strong challenge from Cabo Verde in a thrilling match. Despite leading twice, Argentina needed extra time to secure their win, which sends them to face Egypt in the Round of 16.

The match lasted the full 120 minutes, with Argentina taking the lead first through Lionel Messi, who scored after 29 minutes. This was Messi’s 20th World Cup goal, putting him ahead in the race for the adidas Golden Boot.

Cabo Verde responded after halftime. Deroy Duarte scored in the 59th minute, equalising the game. Argentina regained the lead when Lautaro Martinez scored in the 92nd minute. However, Cabo Verde’s Lopes Cabral scored again in the 103rd minute to tie it once more.

The match turned in the 111th minute when a corner kick from Messi led to an own goal by Diney Borges, sealing the victory for Argentina.

Final score: Argentina 3-2 Cabo Verde (AET)

Argentina goals: Messi (29), L. Martinez (92), Borges (OG, 111)

Cabo Verde goals: Duarte (59), Lopes Cabral (103)

England leave it late to beat DR Congo, set up Mexico showdown
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

England leave it late to beat DR Congo, set up Mexico showdown

It’s co-hosts Mexico v England at the great Estadio Azteca on July 5th in the round of sixteen after Harry Kane’s brace rescued Thomas Tuchel’s side at the Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Harry Kane scored a header in the 75th minute, assisted by Anthony Gordon, to equalize for England after DR Congo took the lead with a goal from Brian Cipenga in the 7th minute.

DR Congo defended well and controlled the game until Kane’s equalizer. However, Kane struck again with another perfect shot, giving England a 2-1 lead.

Historically, England’s Three Lions have not come from behind to win a World Cup game after trailing at halftime since the 1966 final against West Germany.

But under coach Thomas Tuchel, things feel different. Kane scored again, hitting the ball into the roof of the net after receiving a pass from Anthony Gordon and moving into the area. This goal marks Kane’s 13th in World Cup finals and his fifth in this North American campaign.

England’s next match is against co-hosts Mexico at the stadium where legends like Pele and Diego Maradona once played.

Bo Rangers Clinch Fourth Sierra Leone Premier League Title
by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Bo Rangers Clinch Fourth Sierra Leone Premier League Title

Sierra Leone’s Southern regional city-based soccer giants, Bo Rangers Football Club, have secured their fourth national top-flight title after edging Diamond Stars FC 1-0 on Sunday at the Southern Arena Mini Stadium in Bo.

It was defender Lamin Kargbo who emerged as the hero for the hosts after scoring the decisive goal in the 75th minute to seal the championship and earn the Man of the Match award.

The victory confirms Bo Rangers as champions of the 2025/26 Leone Rock Premier League with two matches still remaining.

This means, “The Elephants ” now hold an unassailable seven-point lead over the league’s current second-place side, Star Sport Academy FC.

Haven displayed remarkable consistency, team discipline, and resilience throughout the campaign. In five seasons 2021-2026, Bo Rangers FC have once again underlined their dominance in Sierra Leonean football.

Impressively, Head coach Alhaji “Abedi” Foray also etched his name into the club’s history books by guiding the Bo-based side to another league crown, with his tactical discipline and effective squad management proving crucial to the team’s success.

According to League board, Bo Rangers are scheduled to conclude their league campaign against Abacha City FC and Mighty Blackpool FC before being officially presented with the league trophy following their final fixture.

As reigning champions, the Elephants will represent Sierra Leone in the 2026/27 edition of the CAF Champions League, where they will seek to improve on their previous continental campaigns.

Meanwhile, the recent triumph makes Bo Rangers the first club from outside the capital, Freetown, to win Sierra Leone’s top-flight title four times, having previously lifted the trophy in the 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2025/26 seasons.

While their recent achievement further cements their status among Sierra Leone’s most successful clubs, it also shows the ambitious leadership of Bo Rangers Executive Chairman Joe Thomas, under whose stewardship the club has evolved into a dominant force in the national game.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Reaches New Heights
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Reaches New Heights

Record attendance for the first 72 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 reached 4.6 million fans. This tournament, held in Canada, Mexico, and the USA, features 48 teams, the most ever, according to FIFA.

In just 17 days, the tournament turned 72 matches in 16 host cities into a global celebration of football. According to FIFA, 4,644,549 fans attended, and a staggering 300,000 hot dogs were sold. If you lined up those hot dogs, they’d stretch about 28 miles (45 kilometres) from New York New Jersey Stadium to JFK International Airport.

The tournament has seen 1,248 players from 48 nations, with 999 participating in the group stage. The first 17 days set a strong tone for the rest of the event. Here are some key facts and figures from this historic World Cup.

Tickets

The most requested matches included Portugal vs. Colombia (Miami, June 27), the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final (New York/New Jersey, July 19), and Mexico vs. Korea Republic (Guadalajara, June 18). The top countries buying tickets were the USA, Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and France.

FIFA Fan Festivals™

Over 5.5 million fans attended FIFA Fan Festivals across the three host countries during the group stage. They consumed nearly 2 million soft drinks and water and over 2 million alcoholic beverages. On June 24, a record 527,402 people attended the festivals, with Mexico City’s festival seeing a single-day high of 201,500 on June 18. Kansas City’s festival attracted fans from 157 different countries, and on the day Scotland played Brazil in Miami, festival-goers drank 32,000 beers.

Canada Celebrates the FIFA World Cup 2026™

Canada’s passion for football is evident in the Canada Celebrates program, which welcomed 94,250 fans across 22 of its 40 stops. From coast to coast, Canadians have come together for live match screenings, football activities, music, and local culture. By the end of the celebration, Canada Celebrates will have reached every province and one territory, showcasing football’s power to unite Canadians.

Music and Entertainment

The Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Album has achieved great success with 374 million streams by June 22. The Official Song, ‘Dai Dai’ by Shakira and Burna Boy, ranks 2nd on Spotify’s Top 50 Global Chart and 5th on Shazam’s Global Top 200. This album is also at number 152 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, a first for a FIFA soundtrack.

This week, ‘Dai Dai’ and ‘Champions’ by IShowSpeed rank one and 14 on YouTube’s Top 100 Music Videos Global chart. The FIFA YouTube channel now has 30 million subscribers and has received 459 million views of the album songs.

In addition to the official music program, there are over 750 music features at the stadiums. These include more than 350 approved tracks for team warm-ups, goal celebrations, and post-match moments.

Broadcast

More than 50 million viewers tuned in to the opening matches featuring the host nations across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The Mexico vs. South Africa match had 7.2 million viewers on Fox, the highest for a FIFA Men’s World Cup opening match ever broadcast in English in the US.

10 million viewers watched Brazil vs. Morocco on Fox, setting a new record for the most-watched non-USMNT group stage match in English-language US television history.

Canada’s first FIFA World Cup victory drew an average audience of 5.3 million, making it the country’s most-watched group-stage match and the highest-rated national team broadcast.

Brazil’s match against Morocco recorded the highest ratings of the tournament with an average of 28.9 million viewers. Globo reached 49.9 million unique viewers for this match across its platforms.

In China, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has already attracted 205 million unique viewers on CCTV channels after 41 games. The match with the highest number of unique viewers was Tunisia vs. Japan.

SLFA Announces New Domestic Football Season Calendar; League to Kick Off This October
by Ibrahim Sesay

SLFA Announces New Domestic Football Season Calendar; League to Kick Off This October

Important dates for the next football season have been formally revealed by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), therefore thrilling both supporters and players.

The SLFA has released a thorough schedule outlining the start of the next season as the present league draws to a close in the next two weeks.

Among the main features of the forthcoming football schedule are:

1. Starting Division One will feature both male and female leagues that highlight developing talent and create fierce competition.

2. The National Play-Offs, these eagerly awaited games will highlight male and female teams competing for domination and provide an exciting finish to the season.

3. This vital procedure will be necessary for male and female Premier League players to guarantee that all athletes are duly registered and qualified to play.

4. Club registration: Every male and female club has to finish their registration to be eligible for the next season.

These important dates should be noted by players, clubs, and stakeholders; they should plan appropriately.

The SLFA is excited to welcome another season of exciting football activity, sure to feature the best Sierra Leonean talent and provide supporters with close games.

Important dates for the next football season have been formally revealed by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), therefore thrilling both supporters and players. SLFA Announces Domestic Football Season Calendar for October Kick-Off
SLFA Announces Domestic Football Season Calendar for October Kick-Off