Bafana legend Makalakalane happy with Mosimane’s approach

Bafana Bafana legend Augustine Makalakalane has praised Pitso Mosimane for maintaining continuity in the squad following back-to-back victories over Guinea and Eritrea in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Mosimane largely stuck with the core of the team that featured at the FIFA World Cup in June, despite injuries to regulars such as Khuliso Mudau, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Thalente Mbatha and the loss of Jayden Adams. milkshakeslot.lat

The decision to avoid wholesale changes has been welcomed by Makalakalane, who believes Mosimane was right to build on the work done by former coach Hugo Broos.

“It’s easy, I can’t just come into your house and start making new rules without knowing what you were doing and how you kept everything in order,” Makalakalane said on Radio 2000.

“Coach Pitso has done an excellent job by keeping most of the players from the World Cup who have experience and are competitive. They still have that euphoria of reaching the next round after progressing from the group stages.”

What Pitso needs to say to players

Makalakalane also stressed the importance of building on the back Bafana’s historic World Cup campaign, where they reached the knockout stages for the first time.

He believes the momentum from that historic run can give the team an added boost as they forge ahead under the guidance of Mosimane.

“That euphoria is reminiscent of what we went through in 1996 with Bafana Bafana after Nelson Mandela came out of prison and became president,” he added.

“There was euphoria, and it wins games. That’s what coach Pitso has to rely on at the moment. In such a short space of time since taking the job, these players are playing all over the world, and you need to be meticulous and efficient.

“You need to say, ‘Let me not reinvent the wheel first, but let me pull together players who have experience and can bring a winning mentality, players who understand each other.’ And that was a good approach from the coach.”

Makalakalane knows all about the importance of momentum and continuity, having been part of the Bafana squad that won the 1996 AFCON on home soil under the late Clive Barker.

EMBU, Kenya, Oct 1 – Sixteen teams will square it out for the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Eastern region supremacy, with eight boys and eight girls teams battling for titles and a ticket to the national finals.

The three-day tournament, running from Friday to Sunday, will bring together teams from the region’s eight counties.

The quarterfinals will kick off on Friday across four venues: Nembure Grounds, Kamiu Grounds, Embu Showgrounds, and the University of Embu Grounds.

The action will then move to the semi-finals on Saturday, before the two category finals take place on Sunday at Moi Stadium, Embu, where the Eastern Region champions will be crowned.

In the girls’ category, defending regional champions Syomunyu Queens from Kitui will begin their title defence against hosts Royal Queens Academy from Embu at the University of Embu Grounds, with kick-off scheduled for 9:00 a.m.

Syomunyu Queens head coach Amos Mulwa said his side is prepared for the challenge ahead, acknowledging the increased pressure that comes with being the defending champions.

“First, I want to congratulate my girls for making it to this stage. The competition has been fierce, with every team fighting for a place in the regionals. We are here to defend our title, and while we expect a tough challenge, we are ready for it,” Mulwa said.

Every team wants to beat the defending champions, but our opponents should know that it will not be a walk in the park. We are determined to retain our crown, and our focus is to stick to our playing system, take each match as it comes, and fight to the very end,” added Mulwa.

The other girls’ quarter-finals will see Dakabaricha from Marsabit take on Bridge Starlets from Isiolo at Embu Showgrounds, while Meru’s Akuune Queens face MCF Starlets from Machakos at Nembure Grounds. At Kamiu Grounds, AIC Sultan Queens from Makueni will face Mugona Girls from Tharaka-Nithi.

The boys’ quarterfinals will follow at 11:00 a.m., with the region’s emerging football talent also seeking a place in the last four.

Meru’s Makinduri Rockstars will face SMPI Academy from Kitui at Embu Showgrounds, while MAFA Academy from Isiolo will take on Kajiunduthi High School from Tharaka-Nithi at Kamiu Grounds.

At Nembure Grounds, hosts Black Cats Football Academy will face Mbuthani Secondary School from Makueni, while Golden Football Academy from Machakos will take on Abdary FC from Marsabit at the University of Embu Grounds.

For Black Cats Football Academy head coach Sammy Githinji, playing on home ground provides added motivation as the team seeks to secure the regional title.

“It is exciting to reach this stage. Safaricom Chapa Dimba is highly competitive, and every team dreams of making it to the regional finals, if not the nationals. There is pressure that comes with playing at home, but we are prepared for the task ahead. Our goal is to compete for the regional title and ensure the trophy stays in Embu,” said Githinji.

Beyond the pitch, players and coaches will participate in development clinics later in the afternoon, covering areas including financial literacy, data privacy, mental health, and AI-powered vests.

The quarter-final winners will advance to Saturday’s semi-finals, with the successful teams progressing to Sunday’s finals at Moi Stadium.

The boys’ and girls’ regional champions will each pocket Sh250,000 and earn the opportunity to represent the Eastern Region at the Safaricom Chapa Dimba National Finals scheduled for early next year. The runners-up in both categories will each receive Sh150,000.

Individual awards will also be contested, with the Best Goalkeeper and Top Scorer in each category each receiving Sh30,000.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) will also receive Sh30,000, alongside a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future Programme.

The Eastern Region tournament continues to provide a competitive platform for young footballers to showcase their talent, with 382 teams registering for this season’s campaign.

The registrations comprised 272 boys’ teams and 110 girls’ teams, highlighting the growing participation in grassroots football across the region.

Meru recorded the highest number of registrations with 81 teams, followed by Machakos with 79.

Marsabit registered 51 teams, Isiolo 50, Kitui 47, Makueni 35, Tharaka-Nithi 21, and Embu 18.

Krépin Diatta connaît désormais sa nouvelle destination. Libre depuis son départ de l’AS Monaco, l’international sénégalais s’est officiellement engagé avec Watford, pensionnaire de Championship, jusqu’à la fin de la saison.

Watford mise sur l’expérience de Diatta

Après plusieurs mois d’incertitude autour de son avenir, Krépin Diatta va finalement poursuivre sa carrière en Angleterre. Le joueur de 27 ans a choisi de rejoindre Watford, qui évolue actuellement en deuxième division anglaise et nourrit des ambitions de remontée en Premier League.

Plusieurs clubs s’étaient intéressés à sa situation ces derniers mois, notamment Everton, Crystal Palace et l’Olympique de Marseille, tandis que des formations turques comme Trabzonspor et Beşiktaş avaient également été citées. Resté sans club après la fermeture du mercato estival, Diatta pouvait néanmoins s’engager librement avec une nouvelle équipe.

À Watford, le Sénégalais apportera notamment son expérience du haut niveau et sa polyvalence sur le flanc droit.

Une nouvelle page après Monaco

Cette arrivée marque la fin d’une période d’attente pour l’ancien joueur du Club Bruges. Diatta quitte l’AS Monaco après cinq saisons passées sur le Rocher et plus de 140 apparitions sous le maillot monégasque.

Son passage en Principauté aura été marqué par plusieurs moments importants, mais aussi par une grave blessure au genou qui avait freiné sa progression. Malgré cette période difficile, l’ailier sénégalais a progressivement retrouvé une place régulière au sein de l’effectif monégasque.

Un nouveau Sénégalais à Watford

En rejoignant les Hornets, Krépin Diatta s’inscrit également dans la continuité de la présence sénégalaise au club. Il y retrouvera une formation qui a notamment compté dans ses rangs Ismaïla Sarr, devenu l’une des figures récentes du club.

Watford espère désormais profiter de la vitesse, de la percussion et de la polyvalence de Diatta pour renforcer son secteur offensif et jouer un rôle important dans la course aux premières places de Championship.

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LONDON, United Kingdom, Oct 1 – A Michael Jordan jersey from his ‘Last Dance’ season has sold for Sh1.6 billion ($12.3m), a record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia.

The jersey was worn in game three of the 1998 NBA Finals in his last season with the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan helped the Bulls win the series 4-2 for his sixth and final NBA Championship. He was named Finals’ Most Valuable Player in all six.

The previous record for a piece of Jordan memorabilia was Sh1.3 billion ($10.1m) for his jersey from game one of the 1998 Finals.

The jersey was put up for sale by entrepreneur Ryan Gough and sold at Joopiter, Pharrell Williams’ digital auction house, which gave it an estimated price of $10-15m (£7.5-£11.3m).

Jordan’s 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello was sold for Sh350 million ($2.7m) (£2m), four times the auction record for that model.

“Few objects in the history of sport embody greatness as completely as Michael Jordan’s game three jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals,” Joopiter said in the auction posting.

“Worn during the Last Dance… it marks the culmination of an era that transformed basketball into a global cultural phenomenon.

“Today it stands among the most important game-worn sports artifacts ever to come to market.”

The record price for a piece of game-worn sports memorabilia is the jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth when he “called the shot” during the 1932 World Series, which was sold for $24.1m (£18.2m) in 2024.

La série de meurtres de femmes à l'est de Johannesburg scandalise l'Afrique du Sud, et citoyens comme associations demandent désormais des réponses. Mardi 29 septembre, le président Cyril Ramaphosa a reconnu les échecs de son gouvernement dans la lutte contre les violences basées sur le genre. Il réclame un audit des affaires non traitées par la justice et un plan d'ici trois mois pour les faire progresser. Mais pour les associations, c'est une réforme en profondeur du système judiciaire qui est nécessaire.