Sports

1, August 2025

Football: prosecutors seek rape trial for PSG football star Achraf Hakimi ⁰

French prosecutors on Friday called for Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023 which the Paris Saint-Germain player denies.

The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court.

“It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the prosecutor’s office told AFP in a statement.

Hakimi, 26, played a major role in PSG’s run to their first Champions League title, the full-back scoring the opener in the 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final in May.

Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic charge to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman.

Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife and children were away on holiday.

PSG, Morocco football star Hakimi placed under formal investigation over rape allegations

He denies the accusations.

In Qatar, Hakimi was a cornerstone of the Morocco team that became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

Source: AFP

25, July 2025

Indomitable Lions: Marc Brys denies he has quit as coach ⁰

Marc Brys has denied he has quit as coach of Cameroon despite the country’s football federation confirming his exit on Wednesday, as the Belgian said his email was likely hacked and his alleged resignation letter did not come from him.

It is the latest twist in a long-running battle between Brys and the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) since his appointment by the country’s sports ministry in April 2024.

A letter dated July 21, supposedly from Brys to the sports ministry and FECAFOOT, said he had made the decision to terminate his contract “due to the non-payment of my remuneration and that of my staff for more than 60 days.”

When the letter came into the public domain on Wednesday, FECAFOOT said in a statement they had noted the resignation and would “implement a coordinated response to mitigate the impact of this vacancy at the head of the national team’s technical staff.”

However, Brys later said in a letter to the sports ministry that his email had likely been hacked, and that he had not resigned.

Cameroon’s sports ministry confirmed that Brys remained in his role. FECAFOOT has not responded to the coach’s denial.

It comes five months before the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco and with Cameroon’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup undecided.

Brys has had a testy relationship with FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o since taking the job last year, but his position is funded by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education.

Cameroon have been drawn in a group with defending champions Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mozambique at the December 21-January 18 finals of the AFCON.

They are currently second in their qualifying pool for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, a point behind Cape Verde with four rounds remaining.

Only the top team automatically earns their place at the finals, with Cameroon set for a crunch tie away against Cape Verde in September.

Source: Reuters

25, July 2025

US wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71 ⁰

Hulk Hogan, one of America’s best-known wrestling stars, has died at the age of 71.

The star, born Terry Gene Bollea and known for his flowing blond hair and iconic handlebar moustache, died at his home in Florida on Thursday.

Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977, but shot to fame after signing for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), as it was known before it became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), in 1983.

He was one of the most prominent characters as the popularity of wrestling exploded, and later became well-known for his reality show, Hogan Knows Best, which aired on VH1 from 2005 to 2007.

Hogan’s manager Chris Volo said the wrestler suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida, and died surrounded by his family.

More recently, Hogan had been a vocal a supporter of US president Donald Trump.

In a post on his social media site Truth Social, Trump wrote that he had “lost a great friend today”, the “Hulkster”.

“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week,” Trump wrote in the post, referencing his slogan, Make America Great Again.

The WWE star had neck surgery in May and heart surgery in June.

In a post on Instagram, his family wrote that they had “lost a legend”.

“May we all take solace in the wonderful memories he left behind for the millions of fans worldwide whose lives he touched for more than four decades,” they wrote. “He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

Police officials said on Thursday that emergency services responded to a medical call at 10:00 EST (15:00 BST), where they found Hogan experiencing a serious medical issue.

He was taken to a hospital where he died at 11:17. There will be an investigation, they said, but there is no suspicious activity surrounding his death.

Source: BBC

12, July 2025

Goalkeeper Andre Onana ruled out of Man Utd’s pre-season ⁰

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been ruled out of playing in the club’s pre-season tour of the United States with a hamstring injury.

The 29-year-old Cameroon international has responded well to initial treatment and will join his team-mates on the flight to America later this month, but he will focus on recovery and will not feature in the Premier League Summer Series.

Altay Bayindir, 27, is expected to deputise during United’s pre-season campaign, which begins with a match against Leeds in Stockholm on July 19 before they head to the US to face West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton in a tournament that takes place from July 27 to August 3.

United’s final pre-season friendly will be a match against Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 9 before they begin the Premier League campaign at home to Arsenal on August 17.

Veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton, 39, signed a new one-year deal to remain with United earlier this week.

Source:Independent.co.uk

11, July 2025

Indomitable Lions falls to 51st in FIFA World Rankings ⁰

Cameroon has dropped to 51st place in the latest FIFA World Ranking, moving down one spot from 50th. The Indomitable Lions now rank eighth among African teams.

The team’s slip comes after two mixed friendly results in June in Morocco. On June 5, coach Marc Brys’s squad beat Uganda 3-0 in Marrakech. Three days later, Cameroon drew 1-1 against Equatorial Guinea, missing a chance to impress.

Cameroon gained 1.25 points in the FIFA system. However, Slovenia surpassed them by collecting 7.1 points with two straight wins over Luxembourg (1-0) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-1). Slovenia reclaimed the 50th spot, pushing Cameroon down.

At the top of the global ranking, Argentina holds first place, with France and Spain following. On the African continent, Morocco remains the top team, a position strengthened by its strong 2022 World Cup performance. Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia follow Morocco in the African rankings.

Ivory Coast, the current African champion, fell four places globally to 45th and dropped to sixth in Africa.

Source: Sbbc

5, July 2025

Footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape ⁰

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said.

The charges involve three women, with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.

The Ghanaian international denies the charges and “welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name”, his lawyer said.

The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape.

The 32-year-old’s contract with Arsenal ended on Monday after playing with the team since 2020.

An Arsenal spokesman said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”

The Football Association and the Premier League declined to comment.

Det Supt Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.

“We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk”

Mr Partey, of Hertfordshire, is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 5 August.

In a statement, his lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him.

“He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation.

“He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.

“Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.”

Mr Partey joined Arsenal for £45.3m from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, made 35 top-flight appearances last season and scored four goals as the London club finished second in the Premier League.

He also played 12 times in the Champions League as the Gunners reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

Overall, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side, scoring nine goals.

Mr Partey has also made more than 50 appearances for Ghana’s national team, and most recently played at World Cup qualification matches in March.

Source: BBC

3, July 2025

Nigerian Goalkeeping Legend Peter Rufai is dead ⁰

According to Radio Nigeria, Nigerian goalkeeping legend, Peter Rufai, is dead. While the family is yet to issue an official statement, the news of his death has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian football community and beyond, as tributes begin to pour in for the iconic goalkeeper who stood tall between the posts for the Super Eagles.

Rufai was a central figure in Nigeria’s golden football era. He was the first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph and represented Nigeria at two FIFA World Cups—USA ’94 and France ’98. Renowned for his leadership, reflexes, and charisma, Rufai earned over 60 caps for the national team and remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated goalkeepers.

Beyond his national team heroics, he had a successful club career across Europe, playing for clubs in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. After retirement, he remained active in football development and youth mentoring through his Staruf Academy in Lagos.

Nicknamed Dodomayana—a nod to his regal heritage as the son of a traditional ruler—Rufai was admired for his discipline, professionalism, and advocacy for education among aspiring athletes.

More details on funeral arrangements are expected from the family in due course.

Source: Sportsvillagesquare

3, July 2025

Football: Liverpool forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash ⁰

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in Spain.

The car left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another car, local police say.

His brother, Andre Silva, also died in the crash.

Jota, 28, married his partner last month – the couple had three children together.

The Portuguese international was a key part of the Liverpool side that won the Premier League last season, and earlier played for Wolves and Porto.

Liverpool FC say they are “devastated” by what they call an “unimaginable loss”, while Cristiano Ronaldo says “it doesn’t make sense.”

The national federation says Jota was “not only a fantastic player” but “an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents.”

Source: BBC

29, June 2025

Football: Pogba signs two-year Monaco deal ⁰

Paul Pogba has signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 side Monaco to return to football after a near two-year absence, the club announced on Saturday.

The 2018 World Cup winner has made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, an 18-month doping ban and an extortion case in which he was the victim.

Pogba failed a drugs test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and has been free to return to football since March, although his contract at the Italian giants had been terminated last year.

The midfielder will now play club football in Ligue 1 for the first time in his professional career.

“I am determined to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it’s just a matter of time,” the 32-year-old told French television last weekend.

Pogba played in the Le Havre youth team before signing for Manchester United in 2009.

He made only a handful of first-team appearances for the three-time European champions before signing for Juventus in 2012.

Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles in Turin before rejoining United for a then-world record 105 million euros ($123 million).

He moved back to Juventus three years ago but struggled with a series of injuries.

In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort 13 million euros from Pogba in 2022.

Pogba has scored 11 goals in 91 appearances for the France national team, playing a starring role and scoring in their World Cup final victory over Croatia seven years ago.

His new club Monaco will play in the Champions League next season after finishing third in Ligue 1 last term.

Source: AFP

27, June 2025

Football: Mbappé files harassment complaint against PSG ⁰

Kylian Mbappé has accused Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday.

The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages.

Mbappé is also unhappy with the way he was treated by the Ligue 1 club when the France captain was sidelined before the 2023-24 season, following his decision not to extend his club contract.

The prosecutor’s office said Mbappé is “denouncing the ‘lofting’ he claimed to have been subjected to at Paris Saint-Germain.” The word lofting is used in France to describe a practice that involves isolating a player from the main squad for sporting, administrative, or disciplinary reasons.

Mbappé joined Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League without him this year.

Mbappé’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions, and some fans booed him in his last home game at Parc des Princes. PSG felt let down by Mbappé after offering him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new contract in 2022.

But Mbappé was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept. When he signed that deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappé was reportedly annoyed because the contract was until 2024 – with a player’s option for an extra season.

Mbappé stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappé to avoid losing him for nothing when the contract expired.

His PSG career could have ended that summer amid a tense transfer standoff.

After telling the club he would not extend, Mbappé was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a 300 million euros move to Saudi Arabia team Al-Hilal.

PSG left Mbappé out of the opening league game of that season but he soon returned to the lineup following talks.

Mbappé’s legal team said in April it would start an action against PSG for harassment because of the way he was treated at the time.

Source: AP