Sports

Why Cristiano Ronaldo Was Absent From Diogo Jota’s Funeral

Published

2 months ago

July 6, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence at the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva has sparked headlines across Portugal, but sources close to the Al-Nassr forward have revealed that his decision was made out of respect for the grieving family’s need for privacy.

The emotional funeral service was held on Saturday in Gondomar, the hometown of the late Portugal international and his brother, who both passed away in a tragic incident.

While many of Jota’s Portugal teammates made the journey to pay their final respects, Ronaldo remained in Mallorca, choosing to grieve away from the public eye.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo personally reached out to Jota’s partner, Rute Cardoso, and also contacted the Jota family.

The report states that the decision to stay away was mutually understood as “the best option” due to the potential media frenzy his presence could have triggered. It was agreed that his attendance could have drawn “excessive attention” and overshadowed the solemnity of the occasion.

His absence, they noted, was a gesture “meant to show empathy and solidarity without igniting a potential media frenzy that would have been more harmful than beneficial.”

Despite Ronaldo’s absence, several members of the Portugal squad were present. Rúben Neves and João Cancelo travelled from the United States shortly after Al Hilal’s Club World Cup exit.

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot also attended the ceremony held at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, although not physically present, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, “Usually, I post things that make sense, but today, nothing makes sense! Once again, an ocean separates me from ‘saying goodbye’ to someone I love! But I know that I am well represented by my club mates! To you, my friend @rutecfcardoso14, just know that you will never walk alone, we will be with you as soon as possible! In a moment like this, all we can do is bow down before the Sovereignty of God, and receive grace and help in this time! I’ll remember Diogo as a great friend, father and husband!”

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez was also in attendance and delivered a moving tribute, saying,
“Today was a day that we showed we are a very, very large, but close family. We are Portugal, and it was essential for us, Andre Silva and Diogo Jota, that we [were] together.”

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[FULL LIST] 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia Lead Groups

Published

2 days ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

African 2026 World Cup qualifying tables after matches on Friday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Group A

Egypt 7 6 1 0 16 2 19

Burkina Faso 7 4 2 1 19 7 14

Sierra Leone 7 2 3 2 8 8 9

Guinea-Bissau 7 1 4 2 6 8 7

Ethiopia 7 1 3 3 7 9 6

Djibouti 7 0 1 6 4 26 1

Group B

DR Congo 7 5 1 1 11 3 16

Senegal 7 4 3 0 10 1 15

Sudan 7 3 3 1 8 4 12

Mauritania 7 1 2 4 4 9 5

Togo 7 0 4 3 4 9 4

South Sudan 7 0 3 4 3 14 3

Group C

South Africa 7 5 1 1 13 5 16

Benin 7 3 2 2 7 7 11

Rwanda 6 2 2 2 4 4 8

Nigeria 6 1 4 1 7 6 7

Lesotho 7 1 3 3 4 8 6

Zimbabwe 7 0 4 3 5 10 4

Group E

Morocco 6 6 0 0 19 2 18 – qualified

Tanzania 6 3 1 2 6 5 10

Zambia 5 2 0 3 9 7 6

Niger 5 2 0 3 6 9 6

Congo 6 0 1 5 3 20 1

— Eritrea withdrew before matchday 1

Group F

Ivory Coast 7 6 1 0 15 0 19

Gabon 7 6 0 1 16 6 18

Burundi 7 3 1 3 13 8 10

Gambia 7 2 1 4 15 14 7

Kenya 7 1 3 3 12 11 6

Seychelles 7 0 0 7 2 34 0

Group G

Algeria 7 6 0 1 19 7 18

Uganda 7 4 0 3 10 7 12

Mozambique 7 4 0 3 10 15 12

Guinea 7 3 1 3 7 5 10

Botswana 7 3 0 4 10 11 9

Somalia 7 0 1 6 3 14 1

Group H

Tunisia 7 6 1 0 12 0 19

Namibia 7 3 3 1 9 4 12

Liberia 7 3 1 3 7 7 10

Eq. Guinea 7 3 1 3 7 10 10

Malawi 7 3 0 4 6 7 9

Sao Tome 7 0 0 7 4 17 0

Note: Group winners qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The four best-ranked runners-up enter a mini tournament and the winners qualify for the six-nation inter-continental play-offs with two finals places up for grabs

AFP

Sports

[FULL LIST] World Cup: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

As African qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup heats up, Egypt and Morocco are edging closer to sealing their tickets to the global showpiece in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while Nigeria’s hopes hang by a thread.

With four rounds of matches left, the race across the nine African groups is intensifying, leaving several giants at risk of missing out.

Below is the state of play across all groups:

Group A – Egypt in Command

Standings: Egypt lead Burkina Faso by five points.

Key Matches: Egypt vs Ethiopia; Burkina Faso vs Djibouti.

Outlook: Two wins could seal Egypt’s qualification.

Group B – Three-Way Battle

Standings: DR Congo, Senegal, and Sudan are split by one point.

Key Matches: Senegal host Sudan and face DR Congo; Sudan visit Togo.

Outlook: Sudan chase a maiden World Cup amid conflict at home.

Group C – Nigeria in Trouble

Standings: South Africa top with 13 points; Nigeria sit fourth with seven.

Key Matches: Nigeria host Rwanda, then face South Africa away.

Outlook: Nigeria must win both to stay alive. A ruling on South Africa’s alleged ineligible player could impact standings.

Group D – Cape Verde vs Cameroon

Standings: Cape Verde lead Cameroon by one point.

Key Matches: Cape Verde host Cameroon, then travel to Mauritius; Cameroon face Eswatini.

Outlook: Cape Verde eye historic qualification; Libya and Angola still lurking.

Group E – Morocco Poised for History

Standings: Morocco boast a perfect record (5 wins in 5).

Key Matches: Morocco play Niger and Zambia; Tanzania face Congo-Brazzaville.

Outlook: Atlas Lions could become Africa’s first confirmed qualifiers.

Group F – Ivory Coast vs Gabon

Standings: Ivory Coast one point ahead of Gabon.

Key Matches: Gabon host Ivory Coast; Ivory Coast face Burundi and Seychelles.

Outlook: A tight race between two resurgent sides.

Group G – Algeria Closing In

Standings: Algeria three points clear of Mozambique.

Key Matches: Algeria host Botswana, travel to Guinea; Mozambique meet Uganda and Botswana.

Outlook: Algeria well-placed but can’t slip up.

Group H – Tunisia in Control

Standings: Tunisia four points ahead of Namibia.

Key Matches: Tunisia vs Liberia; Tunisia vs Equatorial Guinea; Namibia face Malawi and Sao Tome.

Outlook: Tunisia could qualify early, but an Equatorial Guinea appeal looms.

Group I – Ghana Push for Redemption

Standings: Ghana lead by three points over Comoros; Mali trailing.

Key Matches: Ghana face Chad and Comoros; Comoros travel to Mali.

Outlook: Ghana could book qualification at home, making up for their AFCON 2025 failure.

Sports

13 Super Eagles Players Arrive Camp For World Cup Qualifiers

Published

5 days ago

September 2, 2025

Editor

The number of players in the Super Eagles’ camp has increased to 13, as Nigeria intensifies preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.

This follows the arrival of nine more players at the team’s camp in Ikot Ikpene on Tuesday, according to Promise Efoghe, the team’s media officer.

The new arrivals include Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Moses Simon, Chidozie Awaziem, Adebayo Adeleye, and Benjamin Fredericks.

They joined the quartet of William Troost-Ekong, Amas Obasogie, Felix Agu, and Raphael Onyedika, who checked into camp on Monday.

Efoghe confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that out of the 23 players who were invited for the double-header fixtures, only 13 had arrived, with 10 more players still being expected.

“A total of 13 players are currently in camp, and we are expecting the rest of the squad to arrive later today and early tomorrow,” Efoghe said.

He also shared details of the team’s upcoming media engagements.

“There will be a press conference with the coaching staff and selected players on Wednesday at the training pitch of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium,” Efoghe stated.

“For Friday, the pre-match press conference will holbe held the same venue, and the first 15 minutes of the team’s training session will be open to media coverage.”

Players still beiexpected to be included arealkeeper Stanley Nwabali; defender Bruno Onyemaechi; midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka; and forwards Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Cyriel Dessers, Christantus Uche, and Tolu Arokodare.

Nigeria will host Rwanda on Friday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, in a Matchday 7 fixture. They will then travel to Bloemfontein to face South Africa on Monday, in a Matchday 8 encounter.

The Super Eagles currently sit third in Group C of the African qualifiers with two points from two matches, behind leaders South Africa (four points) and Rwanda (also four points but with an inferior goal difference).

Only the top team in the group will qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Full 23-Man Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa);

Amas Obasogie (Singida Black Stars, Tanzania);

Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece).

Defenders:

William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia);

Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England);

Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England);

Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England);

Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece);