I can agree, World Cup fever hit me real hard this time round.

Besides the friendly rivalry at work and the momentum Bafana Bafana was building, I happened to be travelling to Morocco for a holiday trip.

I booked this almost a year ago, and as luck would have it, I arrived on the same day Morocco was playing against Canada.

Here’s a crazy idea, why not watch the game with the locals? You know, just for the gees and to see how different things really are from our South African family. Boy, was I in for a treat.

We headed to their fan park, which was located in the Medina Square in Marrakesh. Thousands of fans were standing around, glued to the one available screen in front of us.

It was 6pm in the evening and the temperature was around 36 degrees, with no sign of the sun setting anytime soon.

For every near miss and ball protected, the crowd rallied behind their team the whole way through.

You could hear the oohs and aahs and see hands go up in the air, and then suddenly, just after half-time, the first goal by Morocco was scored.

From the sound of vuvuzelas (see, it’s not just us) to cheering, singing and dancing, the crowd went wild.

There were guys walking around selling cold drinks (with the heat like that, it was much needed) as well as homemade baked goods to keep the masses hydrated and fed.

As the game intensified, you could feel the energy of the crowd and how much they wanted their team to progress to the next round.

Closing in on full time, another goal was scored, which felt like the Moroccans were cementing their place – what a time to be in Morocco!

That last goal scored in extra time was literally the cherry on top to watching such a fun match as everyone celebrated with joyful laughs, breaking out into more song and dance.

I won’t even lie, being there felt just like home, proving to me that if there’s one thing that can unite people together, it’s sports – go sports!

The post Go Sports! Experiencing the World Cup like a Moroccan appeared first on SportsClub.

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will finally be played from 26 July to 16 August when a record 16 teams converge in Morocco for continental glory and a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The tournament was originally scheduled for March and April this year, but was postponed by the hosts in the wake of the men’s tournament which concluded in January and appeared to drain the nation’s energy for another continental finals.

There had been talk that South Africa was ready to step in and take over hosting duties earlier in the year, but that would have meant Morocco’s disqualification and, as such, no place at next year’s World Cup.

So instead, Morocco and the Confederation of African Football reached a compromise that allowed them to retain hosting rights wile shifting the tournament to later in the year, despite the fact that many teams were already in camp and had chosen their squads.

Morocco’s financial muscle, and the fact that it routinely assists other African nations with venues for matches when they cannot play at home, as well as CAF with hosting events no one else wants, gives them plenty of boardroom clout.

It is a case of better late than never, and the fact the tournament will now be played in the summer months is a bonus.

Anyone who endured the winter men’s AFCON will attest to how unpleasant conditions can be.

THE GROUPS

A record 16 teams will take part in the finals, with the draw long completed and the groups set. The teams have been placed into four pools of four, with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Morocco headline Group A as the host nation and are joined by bitter rivals Algeria, Senegal and Kenya.

The game against Senegal will no doubt have some added spice. Kenya are inexperienced at this level, having appeared only once before in 2016, when they lost all three games, conceding 10 goals in the process.

Banyana Banyana have, on the face of it, a kind draw with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania in Group B.

Ivory Coast are making their third WAFCON appearance, but their first since 2014, when they finished with the bronze medal, dashing South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Burkina Faso debuted in 2022 and managed a single point from their three games, going out in the pool stages.

Tanzania have appeared twice before, in 2010 and the 2024 edition, managing a draw and two defeats on each occasion.

Defending champions Nigeria are in the ‘Group of Death’ along with Zambia, Egypt and Malawi. Nigeria will still fancy their chances of advancing with their star quality, but who will join them from Group C is open to question.

Zambia’s greater experience, having played at the last two Olympic Games and the 2023 Women’s World Cup, suggests it will be them, especially with star forward Barbra Banda in their side.

Egypt might not have the explosiveness of other teams in the pool but are workmanlike and organised, while Malawi may be on debut but have shown great improvement in recent years and have the deadly Chawinga sisters, who play at the highest level abroad. Group D is tough to call, with Ghana, who beat Banyana to finish third in the previous edition, up against Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde.

You would think Ghana are overwhelming favourites to win the pool, and they should do so, but none of their opponents will be easy.

Cameroon are three-time runners-up but, surprisingly, did not qualify for the 2024 edition, the first time they had missed out.

Mali reached the quarter-finals in the 2024 edition, with their best finish being fourth in 2018. Cape Verde are on debut and will be something of an unknown quantity for the other teams in the pool.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, which is a major carrot for the teams.

But it is not the end of the road for the losing quarter-finalists. They will play an additional play-off round at this competition to determine two teams that will advance to the intercontinental preliminary stage.

Those play-offs will be staged in February 2027 and feature 10 teams drawn from all six of FIFA’s confederations, with one each from Oceania and Europe.

The intercontinental qualifiers are played in a knockout format with semi-finals and a final, and three teams advance to the World Cup finals.

The post WAFCON: Road To Brazil appeared first on SportsClub.

The new European football season is still weeks away and much remains uncertain.

The transfer market has not settled yet, coaching changes continue and clubs will spend the time after the 2026 World Cup trying to reshape squads and assess players whose reputations have risen or fallen in North America.

That makes long-range predictions difficult. Yet while personnel changes are uncertain, we can look to history for some clues.

Across Europe’s five major leagues, title races are often remarkably similar and the same trends repeat themselves over time. So what should we expect this time round?

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

England continues to offer the most competitive title race among Europe’s leading leagues, but recent history suggests there is a clear benchmark for success.

Premier League champions have averaged 89 points over the last decade and eight of the last 10 winners have earned at least 86.

Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the title in 2025/26, but repeating that achievement may prove more difficult.

Back-to-back champions are comparatively rare in England. Since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, only four clubs have defended the title – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

City’s dominance has shaped the modern era. Before Arsenal’s recent success, they won six successive league crowns and eight of the previous nine.

Defending champions generally remain competitive. Since 2010, only three title holders have finished outside the top two the following season.

Manchester City are again likely to challenge despite the departure of Pep Guardiola after a decade in charge.

Liverpool are expected to improve after an underwhelming campaign, while Manchester United’s progress under Michael Carrick suggests they may enter the conversation.

Chelsea remain harder to assess. Their squad depth suggests potential, but instability has undermined them in recent seasons.

They are, for all intents and purposes, a basket case. Another trend concerns promoted clubs. Of the 15 promoted sides over the last five Premier League seasons, 11 were relegated immediately, highlighting the increasing gap between divisions.

Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will all battle to stay up this season.

SPANISH LALIGA

Spain’s title race has been dominated by familiar names over the last two decades.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are the only clubs to have won LaLiga since 2005, with Barca and Real accounting for 18 of the last 21 championships.

Barcelona begin 2026/27 as defending champions, though history suggests Real Madrid rarely stay down for long.

And with the returning José Mourinho at the helm, there is sure to be a shake-up.

Since 2000, Real have failed to reclaim the title within two seasons of losing it only twice.

Their decision to bring Mourinho back to the club reflects that urgency, though questions remain over whether he can rediscover the consistency that defined earlier periods of his career.

Is he ‘yesterday’s man’, rather than a coach for the present? The average LaLiga-winning points total over the last decade stands at 87, underlining the importance of consistency against lower-ranked opposition.

Barca have also tended to respond well to success, defending the title in five of the last eight opportunities when entering a season as champions.

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

No league in Europe has been shaped by one club to the extent of Bayern Munich in Germany.

Bayern have won 18 of the last 22 Bundesliga titles and secured an 11-season streak between 2013 and 2023.

The average Bundesliga champion over the last decade collected around 80 points, though Bayern have frequently moved beyond that mark with ease.

Their advantage is reflected in attack as well. Bundesliga champions have averaged 84 goals a season in the last 10 years, while Bayern regularly surpass 90 and occasionally exceed 100.

Last year they scored a massive 122 in 34 games, just a staggering number.

Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig have mounted challenges at various stages, but sustaining pressure across a full season has proved difficult.

Harry Kane remains central to Bayern’s attack. Despite operating in deeper positions at times last season, he again produced elite scoring numbers.

The broader trend suggests Bayern remain the side others must catch rather than merely compete with.

ITALIAN SERIE A

Along with the Premier League, Italy offers greater competitive variation than many of Europe’s leading leagues.

Four clubs have shared the last 10 Serie A titles – Juventus (four), Inter Milan (three), Napoli (two) and AC Milan (one).

Inter enter the campaign as defending champions, but retaining the Scudetto has historically been difficult.

Juventus are the only side to defend a Serie A crown in the last decade.

Serie A champions have averaged around 85 points over the last 10 seasons, often with tighter margins than elsewhere in Europe.

Napoli face uncertainty after the departure of Antonio Conte, while Juventus and Milan are rebuilding after disappointing campaigns.

Roma and Como appear to be moving in the right direction but may still lack the depth required for a sustained title challenge.

FRENCH LIGUE 1

France presents perhaps the clearest picture of who will be champions because they have serial winners who can dwarf the rest of the league in spending power.

Paris Saint-Germain have won 11 of the last 13 Ligue 1 titles and have not finished outside the top two since 2011.

Only Monaco in 2016/17 and Lille in 2020/21 interrupted Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance during that period.

The average Ligue 1 champion over the last decade earned about 83 points, though Paris Saint-Germain frequently exceed that figure comfortably.

Financial disparity remains decisive. Paris Saint-Germain’s spending power continues to dwarf domestic rivals, leaving challengers reliant on inconsistency from Paris rather than expecting to outperform them over a season. Lens pushed them closely last year but still finished six points adrift.

THE WORLD CUP FACTOR

The season following a World Cup often brings disruption and can mean there are surprises in the title races, not so much the winner but who challenges.

Players return late, injuries increase and clubs reassess recruitment plans after standout performances on the global stage.

Unexpected contenders can emerge, while established sides occasionally struggle for rhythm That uncertainty will shape the opening months of the 2026/27 season.

But while transfers and managerial appointments may alter expectations, historical patterns continue to offer the best clues and the champions in each league will come from those who can hit the average number of points required and go a little beyond it.

The post Title Trends appeared first on SportsClub.

Back in 2016, when the London-born Ayman Ben Mohamed got a surprise call-up to play for Tunisia, his teammate at Dublin club Bohemians, Roberto Lopes, jokingly suggested he too could become an African international.

At the time, he was just kidding, but a decade later, he is about to compete at the World Cup.

Also London-born, Lopes will be helping Cape Verde as they make their World Cup debut after an extraordinary story of discovery.

Lopes qualifies for Cape Verde through his father, Carlos.

“I hope he’s very proud. He’s the reason that I’m playing for the Cape Verde national team, and to represent him and represent my family at the biggest stage in football is just amazing,” Lopes said.

“I can’t put it into words. I know some people would say a ‘boy from Cumlin, playing in the League of Ireland his whole career that played international football when he was 28 to playing at a World Cup’. But I’m 33 now, I’ll be 34 during it.

“It’s been incredible. I’m probably the luckiest person in the world.”

Certainly, the way Cape Verde stumbled upon Lopes makes that statement true. He was playing at Shamrock Rovers, and with the Dublin club competing in both the Champions League and Europa League, Lopes got a message on his LinkedIn profile that set the ball rolling.

“I set up a profile when I was in college but never really looked at it since. I got a message from the then coach Rui Aguas, but he wrote to me in Portuguese. I just thought it was a spam message and I took no notice of it. And then about nine months later, he messaged me back, saying, ‘Hi Roberto, have you had a chance to consider what I said to you?’.

“I felt so rude for not having replied to him months earlier. I copied the message and put it into Google Translate. And it was basically said that, ‘we’re looking at getting new players into the Cape Verde squad and would you be interested in declaring for Cape Verde?’.

“I was absolutely buzzing with that! I was like, ‘yep, 100% I’d love to be a part of the squad’.”
That kicked off a paperwork trail and a first trip to Marseille where the side was playing a friendly in October 2019 and where Lopes could meet his new teammates for the first time.

It was not going to be easy. Lopes knew no Portuguese. They had not spoken it at home growing up.

But it has become a thrilling adventure for the centre back, who has gone on to win 44 caps for his country.

“I wasn’t eligible to play a competitive game for about a year.” Lopes had one substitute appearance for the Republic of Ireland at Under-18 level and had to formally apply to FIFA to declare for Cape Verde.

“I think I played three minutes at Under-19 level, but the paperwork took the longest time.

“Initially when I went over there, I was so nervous as I was going into a place where I didn’t know if anyone spoke English. It’s like ‘how am I going to introduce myself?’ but once I went over, all the doubts and fears just went away because everyone made me feel so welcome,” Lopes recalls.

“A few more players [than I thought] spoke English. Teammates would make the effort to come up to me and say, ‘how are you getting on, doing okay?’ And when you’re on the pitch, football has its own language.”

The island archipelago has a population of just over half a million, but most of the team are, like Lopes, drawn from the diaspora, particularly from Portugal and the Netherlands.

They now look ahead to take on Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia at the finals.

The post Roberto Lopes: A Chance Find appeared first on SportsClub.

GROUP A
Teams: Mexico (15), South Africa (60), South Korea (22), Czech Republic (43)
(April World Ranking in brackets.)
Bafana Bafana must navigate a tricky but not insurmountable group if they are to reach the knockout rounds for the first time.

With the eight best third-placed sides advancing from the 12 groups, one win could well be enough for any team, and Bafana may well be targeting their final game against South Korea for that.

That is not to say the Asian side are not very good – they are – but they have also been out of form of late and may be vulnerable.

Mexico in the opener at the Azteca Stadium will be tough, but there is no reason why South Africa cannot get at least a point against a good but limited Czech Republic side.

GROUP B
Teams: Canada (30), Bosnia & Herzegovina (71), Qatar (56), Switzerland (19)
Canada are probably the weakest of the co-hosts at the finals, but they should still get out of their group, as they do not lose many at home.

The efficient Swiss are favourites to finish top of the pool, while Bosnia & Herzegovina will still be basking in the glory of ousting Italy in the intercontinental play-offs.

Qatar are not expected to make much of an impression, but they might prove spoilers somewhere along the line in the group.

Expect Canada and Switzerland to finish in the top two, with the Bosnians perhaps taking third place and also advancing.

GROUP C
Teams: Brazil (7), Morocco (8), Haiti (83), Scotland (40)
There are two stand-out teams in the race for the top two places in this pool, with Brazil and Morocco both ranked in the top eight in the world. No other group has two teams from the top 10, let alone the top eight, so this is something of an anomaly.

Haiti are the second-lowest-ranked side in the competition and are expected to be cannon fodder, while Scotland could spring a surprise but do not have the weaponry to match the top teams.

Their goal will be not to lose too heavily to the big guns and to hope for a big win over Haiti to boost their chances of finishing third with a decent goal difference.

GROUP D
Teams: USA (16), Paraguay (38), Australia (27), Turkey (24)
This is a tough group to call in many ways, with all four teams ranked between 16 and 38, meaning there is not all that much between them.

You get the feeling that in this pool anyone can beat anyone else on their day, so there may not be a clear winner.

It is not helped by the fact that the United States, the top-ranked team with home advantage, have not been in great form in the build-up to the finals.

Australia are probably not quite as good as their position in the FIFA rankings suggests, and Paraguay may be a bit better. It will be highly contested.

GROUP E
Teams: Germany (10), Curaçao (81), Ivory Coast (35), Ecuador (23)
Germany will be delighted with this draw. They face debutants and minnows Curaçao, and will feel they have the beating of both Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

The decisive game in the race for second place will be the fixture between those two, which is their first match in the pool on 15 June.

Curaçao, with all of their Dutch influence, will be a curiosity, but are unlikely to have the quality to trouble the other members of the pool.

GROUP F
Teams: Netherlands (6), Japan (18), Sweden (41), Tunisia (44)
This is another close group and, while the Netherlands are ranked sixth in the world, they have a habit of dropping points when you do not expect them to. All three of the other teams in this pool are capable of taking points off them.

Sweden were, in many ways, surprise qualifiers, having finished bottom of their preliminary group but been gifted a path into the intercontinental play-offs by winning their Nations League pool. There they beat Poland.

Japan are a very structured and organised side, while Tunisia can be equally tough to beat. This is one of the more difficult pools to call.

GROUP G
Teams: Belgium (9), Egypt (29), Iran (21), New Zealand (85)
New Zealand are the lowest-ranked side at the World Cup and are unlikely to feature much, though this will be a great platform for the likes of Orlando Pirates’ Andre de Jong.

Belgium will be desperate to make up for their 2022 failure, while Egypt and Iran have a gritty feel to them, with a few good individuals. Mo Salah will likely be playing in his final World Cup for the Pharaohs.

How Iran handle being in the United States after the political tensions between those two countries in 2026, and before that, remains to be seen. Belgium and Egypt should finish in the top two.

GROUP H
Teams: Spain (3), Cape Verde (67), Saudi Arabia (61), Uruguay (17)
Spain will believe they can repeat their 2010 success with a young team packed with promise, though they are probably not yet the finished article. That said, they are the current European champions.

Uruguay are always difficult opponents and technically very good, and then there is a big drop-off to the next two teams, both of whom are ranked lower than Bafana Bafana.

Saudi Arabia have had a difficult build-up, while Cape Verde are on debut and this will be a huge step up for a side that did not even qualify for the last 24-team Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

GROUP I
Teams: France (2), Iraq (58), Senegal (14), Norway (31)
France will want to make up for their final defeat four years ago and should get out of this group with ease, though their meeting with Senegal is a reminder of the 2002 opener when the African side stunned the then champions.

Norway have Erling Haaland, and that makes them dangerous regardless of who they are playing, while Iraq will appear at the finals for the first time since their debut in 1986 but could struggle to make an impression.

GROUP J
Teams: Argentina (4), Algeria (28), Austria (25), Jordan (64)
Champions Argentina will hope to give Lionel Messi a World Cup swansong – surely he cannot play another? – to remember as they seek to defend their title.

Algeria and Austria are probably quite closely matched, as the world rankings suggest, and then there is a drop-off to Jordan, who are on debut.

The key clash for second place will be between the “A-teams” – Algeria and Austria.

GROUP K
Teams: Portugal (5), DR Congo (47), Uzbekistan (48), Colombia (13)
Portugal and Colombia will be red-hot favourites in this pool, with the Congolese and Uzbekistan looking to do more than just make up the numbers.

Uzbekistan are one of those teams who have benefited from the expanded World Cup; they would have had very little chance of qualifying otherwise.

DR Congo have come close before and appeared in 1974 under the name Zaire.

GROUP L
Teams: England (4), Croatia (11), Ghana (72), Panama (34)
This is a tough pool in which England and Croatia look like the favourites for the top two places, but, as Bafana Bafana know all too well, Ghana and Panama are no easy opponents.

England are hoping to end their tortuous 60-year wait for the title, while Croatia were losing finalists in 2018.

They should have too much technical quality for the Ghanaians and Panama, but you never know…

The post World Cup Guide appeared first on SportsClub.

Mbokazi is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting young talents in South African football, earning growing attention for his composure, defensive awareness, and rapid rise through the ranks.

1) HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Mbekezeli Mbokazi was born in Hluhluwe in northern KwaZulu-Natal, near the famous Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park where visitors from all over the world come to look for the ‘Big 5’. His first club was a KwaZulu-Natal fourthtier side, Makhasa FC, before he joined the Langalibalele Sports Academy in Durban. From there he was scouted for Orlando Pirates’ Diski Challenge team.

2) SOUTH AFRICA U20 STAR

Mbokazi first came to the attention of many when he was a star player at the COSAFA Under-20 Championships in Mozambique in 2024. He partnered centrally in defence with Tylon Smith, and South Africa did not concede a single goal in the competition as they went on to lift the trophy. Club commitments meant he was not released for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2025, which South Africa also won, or the Under-20 World Cup later that year.

3) PROFESSIONAL DEBUT

Mbokazi made his professional debut for Pirates against Chippa United on 5 March 2025, where the Buccaneers won 1-0. Just 11 days later, he claimed the Man of the Match award in a 2-1 win against Mamelodi Sundowns. By then he had already scored his first senior goal, which came in a penalty shoot-out victory over SuperSport United in the Nedbank Cup. He was a regular starter from his debut until he left Pirates in January this year. His only other goal was a screamer for the Buccaneers against Siwelele in the Carling Knockout.

4) BAFANA DEBUT

Just 93 days after making his Pirates debut, Mbokazi earned his first cap for Bafana Bafana in a 0-0 draw with Tanzania. He has largely been a fixture in the side ever since, barring when he was suspended after a red card against Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifiers. He has nine caps to date and played every minute of Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco.

5) PASSING RANGE

Mbokazi’s passing range has been described as his ‘superpower’ by respected football publication FourFourTwo. His ability to set the tempo from centre-back with both short or long passes makes him a highly valuable player. Tactical intelligence, ball carrying and physicality are also among his strong points.

The post Did you know? Mbekezeli Mbokazi appeared first on SportsClub.

CANADA

BC PLACE (VANCOUVER)
Capacity: 48 821
BC Place is a downtown stadium featuring a retractable roof added during a major overhaul. Opened in 1983, it staged marquee matches at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, including the final. The venue is home to Vancouver Whitecaps and the BC Lions and it’s flexible “event mode” layouts allow rapid transitions between football, concerts, and other shows.

BMO FIELD (TORONTO)
Capacity: 44 315
Opened in 2007 at Exhibition Place, BMO Field is best known as the home of Toronto FC. It has also hosted Canada internationals and major rugby fixtures. The venue has been expanded and upgraded over time, including pitch and seating improvements to meet big-event requirements. Its lakeside location and steep stands create an intimate and intense strong atmosphere for football.

MEXICO
GUADALAJARA STADIUM (ESTADIO AKRON)
CAPACITY: 44 330
Estadio Akron is the modern home of Chivas Guadalajara in Zapopan, designed as a football-first venue with a clean bowl and excellent sightlines. Opened in 2010, it has already hosted major international events, including 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup matches. The stadium has carried different commercial names over the years but remains one of Mexico’s elite grounds.

MEXICO CITY STADIUM (ESTADIO AZTECA/ESTADIO BANORTE)
CAPACITY: 72 766
This is one of world football’s most iconic venues and is set to become the first stadium to host men’s World Cup matches at three tournaments. It famously staged the 1970 and 1986 finals and remains a major home for big Mexico matches. Opened in 1966, its high altitude is also a defining factor in the matchday experience.

MONTERREY STADIUM (ESTADIO BBVA)
CAPACITY: 50 113
Estadio BBVA is home to C.F. Monterrey and is known for its striking architecture and mountain backdrop. It has quickly become a showpiece venue in Mexico, hosting high-profile club and international fixtures. Opened in 2015, it was built for modern broadcast and hospitality standards, it is well-suited to FIFA tournament operations, with wide concourses and a contemporary match presentation feel.

UNITED STATES
ATLANTA STADIUM (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM)
Capacity: 67 382
This downtown venue features a retractable roof and a distinctive oculus-style video board. Home to the NFL’s Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United, the stadium is built for rapid reconfiguration between sports. Opened in 2017, it is renowned for spectacle, premium spaces, and routinely draws huge football crowds.

KANSAS CITY STADIUM (GEHA FIELD AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM)
CAPACITY: 67 513
Long-time home of the Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead is legendary for crowd noise and atmosphere. Opened in 1972, it has been modernised through major renovation phases and remains an elite event venue. For the World Cup, it will be adapted to FIFA pitch and operational standards while keeping its famed intensity intact.

HOUSTON STADIUM (NRG STADIUM)
CAPACITY: 68 311
Opened in 2002, NRG was the NFL’s first retractable-roof football stadium and is part of the larger NRG Park campus, which supports large fan zones and event overlays. It hosts the Houston Texans and major annual events like rodeo week, proving its ability to handle large footfall operations. The roofed design is a key asset for summer scheduling and protection from the elements.

DALLAS STADIUM (AT&T STADIUM, ARLINGTON)
CAPACITY: 70 122
Opened in 2009, AT&T Stadium is a colossal, retractable-roof arena built for the biggest occasions, with enormous internal video displays and world-class hospitality. Home of the Dallas Cowboys, it regularly stages major boxing, college football and global exhibition matches. Its scale and infrastructure make it one of the tournament’s most logistically capable venues for media and fans.

SEATTLE STADIUM (LUMEN FIELD)
CAPACITY: 65 123
Lumen Field, which hosts the Seahawks and Sounders, is famed for its steep stands and crowd volume. It has an established track record with high-level football, including major international matches, and the stadium’s urban location supports walk-up energy and strong transit links. Tournament overlays (including pitch requirements) are familiar territory here, thanks to frequent event conversions. It opened in 2002.

PHILADELPHIA STADIUM (LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD)
CAPACITY: 65 827
“The Linc” sits in South Philadelphia’s sports complex and is known for intense crowds. Home of the Eagles, it has also staged major international football and concerts. A modern bowl and continual upgrades help it meet tournament requirements. Its location also offers strong transport and event infrastructure around match days, including large-scale crowd management experience. It opened in 2003.

BOSTON STADIUM (GILLETTE STADIUM, FOXBOROUGH)
CAPACITY: 63 815
Home to the New England Patriots and New England Revolution, the venue has long hosted international football and mega concerts. Opened in 2002, the stadium sits within a larger entertainment district at Patriot Place, making it a ready-made tournament hub. Its bowl design has been refined through upgrades to improve fan comfort and modern event operations.

LOS ANGELES STADIUM (SOFI STADIUM, INGLEWOOD)
CAPACITY: 69 650
SoFi is a next-generation venue with a translucent ETFE canopy roof and the massive dual-sided “Infinity Screen.” It is home to the Rams and Chargers and has already hosted global-scale events. Opened in 2020, it will undergo football-specific modifications (including pitch requirements), reinforcing its reputation as an adaptable mega-stadium built for world audiences.

MIAMI STADIUM (HARD ROCK STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS)
CAPACITY: 64 091
Hard Rock is one of the most versatile stadiums in the US, hosting the Dolphins, major college football, global concerts, and even the Miami Open tennis complex within its broader site. Opened in 1987, its frequent reinventions and upgrades have kept it current for modern broadcast and hospitality needs, while its location supports a major festival-style matchday footprint.

NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM (METLIFE STADIUM, EAST RUTHERFORD)
CAPACITY: 78 576 48
MetLife is the shared home of the NFL’s Giants and Jets and is built for massive crowds and global events. Opened in 2010, it draws major international football crowds and is set to be the tournament’s showpiece stadium in the region, with a large footprint for media, security and hospitality overlays. Its scale makes it ideal for showcasing knockout matches.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA STADIUM (LEVI’S STADIUM, SANTA CLARA)
CAPACITY: 69 391
Opened in 2014 in Silicon Valley, Levi’s is home to the 49ers and is a regular host of major sports and entertainment events. Designed with modern premium spaces and tournament-grade operations in mind, it has already handled huge global audiences. Its setting and infrastructure make it a natural hub for a World Cup fan base from across the Bay Area.

The post Global Stage appeared first on SportsClub.

In their search for a clinical striker, Kaizer Chiefs instead found a wide attacker they simply could not ignore in Glody Lilepo.

The reported transfer fee paid by the Soweto giants was believed to be around R9.6 million – a figure some observers felt was on the high side for a foreign player from the third division of French football at the time.

Nearly two years into his stay at Naturena, the question remains: has Lilepo delivered? The answer is not entirely straightforward.

The DRC international has produced flashes of genuine quality, including several breathtaking goals this season that have reminded supporters exactly why the club invested in him.

Yet, like the team he represents, Lilepo’s performances have at times arrived in bursts rather than in a steady stream, leaving the jury still out on his overall impact.

There is little doubt that when the 28-year-old is at his best, he is capable of influencing matches in spectacular fashion. But consistency has remained the biggest talking point surrounding his contributions.

Lilepo has blown hot and cold in AmaKhosi colours, although his standout displays continue to be something to marvel at when he is fully fit and confident.

Injuries, however, have played their part in disrupting his rhythm.

According to Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze, Lilepo had to overcome an unfamiliar challenge during his time at the club – a spell on the sidelines that halted his early progress.

“I’d say that a player like Lilepo doesn’t need extra motivation,” Kaze explained.

“I would say that he’s had a tough, tough period because he is a player that never had injuries and all of a sudden in a game that we played in the CAF Confederation Cup against Simba SC this happened.”

The injury forced Lilepo out for more than four weeks, an absence that disrupted the momentum he had begun to build.

“He was injured and he was out for more than four weeks,” Kaze added.

“And that takes a toll on someone that has never had any kind of injury. The doubt comes with the injury and soon after that there was the long Christmas break because of Africa Cup of Nations.”

The timing could hardly have been worse, effectively halting what appeared to be a steady rise in form.

But there have been encouraging signs since. Lilepo has responded with important goals for Chiefs in both the Confederation Cup and the Betway Premiership, offering glimpses of the attacking threat the club hoped he would become.

He can hardly be singled out for the team’s difficult moments either.

Following Chiefs’ heavy 3–0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby late in February, sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr was quick to emphasise that the struggles were a collective responsibility rather than the fault of any individual player.

For Kaze, Lilepo’s uneven form has a simple explanation.

“He had almost two months without playing very consistently, which is why when we came back he was a little bit slow to pick up the pace,” the coach said.

“But now I believe that he has picked up the pace.”

If that upward trajectory continues, Lilepo may yet prove that Chiefs’ sizeable investment was money well spent.

The post Glody Lilepo: Return On Investment appeared first on SportsClub.

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is convinced there are unmistakable signs of growth in Relebohile Mofokeng’s game, the kind that points to a player steadily climbing toward his full potential.

Having worked with the attacker for several months, Ouaddou has developed a clear blueprint for how to sharpen one of South Africa’s brightest talents.

His method is neither indulgent nor cautious. It is demanding.

“The only way to see him improve is to put him under pressure,” the Moroccan tactician said when asked whether there was still another level Mofokeng could reach, particularly with the World Cup on the horizon.

“With this kind of player, you need to create situations in training where he is under pressure. This is the only way to develop him,” Ouaddou explained.

“Because that is what you do with a player of his quality. He has a very low centre of gravity and needs to get used to making quick decisions.”

For Ouaddou, pressure is not punishment, it is preparation. Mofokeng’s slight frame makes him elusive in tight spaces, but modern football demands more than flair. It requires speed of thought.

By compressing space in training sessions and forcing rapid decision-making, the coach believes he is conditioning the 21-year-old for the unforgiving tempo of elite competition.

The timing could not be more significant. Earlier this season, Mofokeng appeared to be wobbling.

A dip in form, compounded by minor surgery to address a lingering injury, saw him briefly fall out of rhythm and his struggles did not go unnoticed.

Hugo Broos publicly challenged the young attacker to raise his standards or risk missing out on the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco at the time.

A stern warning but one that seemed to ignite a response. Mofokeng regained momentum at just the right moment, doing enough to convince the Bafana mentor he remained integral to the national setup.

And when he returned from continental duty, he did so with renewed authority.

With the World Cup looming, the forward has picked up where he left off, named Player of the Month for January and February after delivering a string of influential performances, scoring, assisting and dictating play as Pirates pushed to stay in contention in the Betway Premiership title race.

What has also caught the eye is Ouaddou’s tactical tweak.

Under former coach José Riveiro, who handed Mofokeng his debut in January 2023, the youngster operated primarily from wide areas.

Ouaddou, however, has increasingly deployed him in a more central No.10 role.

“He is a clever player,” the coach said.

“Rele can play two or three positions in modern football and cannot only be used on the side. I believe he is very efficient when he plays as a 10 because he has 360 degrees of possibilities to play. But when we put him on the side he has only 160 degrees of possibility because there is the touchline.”

It is a simple but revealing assessment.

In central spaces, Mofokeng is liberated, free to turn, combine and slip passes in any direction while geometry limits him on the flanks.

The positional shift has added layers to his game meaning he is no longer just a dribbler isolating full-backs, he has become a conductor between the lines, knitting phases together and drifting into pockets where defenders hesitate to follow.

Yet Ouaddou is mindful of balance. “But we have to manage the team and we have to manage the players as well,” he cautioned.

“There are impact players on the bench, so sometimes you make combinations.”

The message is clear: Mofokeng may be central to the project, but he is not the entire project. Pirates cannot afford to overload a youngster with excessive responsibility, particularly with a demanding domestic and international calendar ahead.

There is also the risk of overcomplicating his role.

“We have moved him around sometimes and when you do that, a player can get a little bit unsettled because it is too many times,” Ouaddou admitted.

“Maybe we have to think and stabilise him in at least one position during the game, even though I allow him to move around when he plays with Oswin Appollis.”

Mobility remains one of Mofokeng’s strongest assets.

He can drift wide, drop deep or dart behind the defensive line.

That unpredictability makes him difficult to mark, and invaluable in high-stakes matches.

It also explains why he has quickly become one of the poster figures of Bafana’s World Cup campaign, where South Africa will face co-hosts Mexico, South Korea and the winner of the European play-off.

The global stage will bring exactly the kind of pressure Ouaddou believes is necessary for growth.

The post Relebohile Mofokeng: New Mission appeared first on SportsClub.

It is now more than three decades since South Africa began to compete in the various African club competitions, but despite a superior professional structure and much better facilities than most of the other countries, Premier Soccer League clubs have not exactly set African football alight.

Since 1993, when South African sides first entered the African Champions Cup, African Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup, only three clubs have won a trophy.

Orlando Pirates took the Champions Cup in 1995, on the eve of the country’s success in the African Nations Cup, and in 2001, their arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, got their hands on the African Cup Winners’ Cup.

Since then, Mamelodi Sundowns have become the country’s best performer in CAF competitions but have only one Champions League trophy success in 2016 to show for it.

They can boast some remarkable consistency in the group campaigns after this season, setting the record, along with Al Ahly of Egypt, of 11th successive appearances in the group competition.

What makes Sundowns’ achievement even better is that in nine of the 10 previous group competitions, they have made it past the group phase and into the last eight.

But they have often not been able to reach the final, failing to do so in eight of the past ten, when they won in 2016 and then again last season when they lost to the Pyramids of Egypt over two legs.

Too often, Sundowns have been the top-form team in the group phase only to be bundled out in the knockout stage.

It took 23 years between Pirates’ victory in the continent’s premier competition until the Sundowns matched the feat and were also able to put a star on their jersey as African champions.

That must have been seen as something of a failure for the South African professional game.

Winning a continental club title is the highest honour for any South African club, although they have not always seen it that way.

For decades, sides from the country have attached little importance to gaining success in Africa.

Some teams have not even entered the events they have qualified for, concerned over costs and financial setbacks.

It was a shortsighted policy that even big-name clubs like Chiefs have been guilty of.

But that has changed rapidly with the much improved rewards.

Not only has the prize money for the continental club competitions been dramatically hiked, the Champions League is the only route to the vastly more lucrative Club World Cup.

When Sundowns won the Champions League in 2016, they took home a purse of US $1.5 million, which in those days was worth just over R20 million – by far the single biggest sum any South African club has ever earned from a single competition, double what the PSL league champions earned the same season.

This season’s Champions League winner will get $6 million in a substantial rise over the last decade.

The winners of the Champions League for 2025 (Pyramids of Egypt), 2026, 2027, and 2028 will qualify for the Club World Cup in 2029.

It will be the second edition of FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s pet project.

Sundowns played in the first Club World Cup, in the U.S last year, and amassed four points in their three group games, earning US $3 million on top of the US $9.55 million (approx. R162 million) they got just for participating in the new-look 32-team tournament.

World football’s governing body threw money at the event in an effort to win over sceptical European clubs with a total prize money pot of $1 billion, with $525 million dished out to teams just for competing and another $475 million given out based on how they got on during the tournament.

There is expected to be even more money for the next edition, the kind of riches that almost all African clubs previously could only dream of. Pirates lost $600 000 or around R10.4 million when they were eliminated from the Champions League before the group stage in a hefty blow to the club’s finances.

But even then they did receive $100 000 for participating.

This is only the second year that clubs eliminated from African club competition before the group phase receive money.

It has been increased 100% from $50 000 last season but is still markedly less than the lucrative spoils for the 16 clubs who advance to the group phase.

Competing in the rigours of continental club competition – and in Africa it is really rigorous given the travel, poor conditions and hostile reception – builds players’ mental strength and character.

They all become better footballers after journeys to hostile confines in places like Cameroon or Congo.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HISTORY

Starting life as the African Champions Cup in 1964, the first team to lift the trophy was the Cameroonian side Oryx Douala, who beat Stade Malien of Mali 2–1 in a one-off final. There was no tournament held the following year, but the action resumed in 1966, when the two-legged ‘home and away’ final was introduced, which saw another Malian team, Real Bamako, take on Stade Abidjan of the Ivory Coast. Bamako won the home leg 3–1, but it all came apart for them in the away game in Abidjan as the Ivorians went on to win 4–1 to take the title 5–4 on aggregate. Egyptian clubs have the highest number of victories (19 titles), followed by Morocco with seven. Egypt also has the largest number of winning teams, with four clubs having won the title. The competition has been won by 26 clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once. Al Ahly is the most successful club in the competition’s history, having won it a record 12 times.

The post CAF Champions League: The Toughest Road appeared first on SportsClub.