Egypt Draw Angola in AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

Egypt have been drawn in Group B of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers alongside Angola, Malawi, and South Sudan.

Hossam Hassan’s side will compete for one of the group’s two qualification spots. CAF will split the 48 teams into 12 groups, with the top two sides in each group qualifying for the finals. hilogame.news

The draw took place at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters. The qualifying campaign will run across three international windows, with matchdays one and two scheduled from September 21 to October 6, 2026. Matchdays three and four will follow from November 9 to 17, before the group stage ends from March 22 to 30, 2027.

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will co-host the tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027. The three host nations will also take part in qualifying, but they have already secured places at the finals.

Egypt enter the qualifiers as the most successful team in AFCON history, with seven titles. Angola will provide the main challenge in the group. South Sudan reached the group stage through the preliminary round and continues their attempt to qualify for the tournament for the first time.

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Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd SC dominated the Qatar Swimming Cup for the 2025/2026 season, capturing the championship title after securing the highest cumulative points across multi-club domestic competitions.

The victory caps a highly successful season for Al Sadd, which also claimed the 2025 General Excellence Shield -- an accolade highlighting the club's robust developmental pipeline and administrative stability across youth and senior echelons.

The closing ceremony was attended by Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) Secretary-General Ibrahim Youssef Al Buainain alongside National Teams Director Rashid Khalid Al Mohannadi.

Al Buainain presented the championship trophies and the General Excellence Shield to the victors.

Following the presentation, Al Buainain stated that this edition had met all technical and organizational benchmarks, serving as a critical platform for identifying promising national talent.

He also reaffirmed the QSA's commitment to reinforcing domestic competitions as the foundation for international development.

Al Sadd officials credited the dual victory to structured, long-term strategic planning and integrated technical oversight.

The championship concluded with a comprehensive distribution of age-group titles, where Al Sadd secured dominance in the 13-14 and 15-16 divisions, while Al Wakrah claimed the 11-12 category title alongside the Junior Swimming Festival Cup.

Additionally, Al Ahli captured the 17-18 division title, and Al Shamal won the Men's General Category.

The event drew widespread industry praise for its execution, underscoring the QSA's operational capacity in elevating the standards of domestic aquatic sports.

Lisbon: Veteran Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo will lead his country into the 2026 World Cup this summer after coach Roberto Martinez named the 41-year-old in his squad on Tuesday.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star, now at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, is set to appear at a record sixth World Cup.

Portugal and Ronaldo, the all-time leading men's international goalscorer with 143 goals, have never won the competition.

Ronaldo could face former Barcelona rival Lionel Messi, who is also set to play at a sixth World Cup after leading Argentina to glory four years ago in Qatar.

The Portuguese forward avoided a three-match ban despite being sent off against the Republic of Ireland in their last qualifying match for an elbow.

Spanish coach Martinez selected a 27-man squad with no major surprises, including Ronaldo's Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix.

Paris Saint-Germain stars Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos are also included, along with Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes and a contingent from Manchester City, including Bernardo Silva.

In the run-up to the tournament Portugal will face Chile and Nigeria in friendlies, before their World Cup campaign begins against DR Congo on June 17.

Portugal will also face Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K on June 23 and 27 respectively.

Portugal 27-man squad list:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi/TUR)
Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce/TUR), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona/ESP), Nuno Mendes (PSG/FRA), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villareal/ESP), Tomas Araujo (Benfica)
Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA), Samu Costa (Mallorca/ESP), Joao Neves, Vitinha (PSG/FRA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG)
Attackers: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix (Al Nassr/KSA), Francisco Trincao (Sporting Lisbon), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus /ITA), Pedro Neto (Chelsea/ENG), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad/ESP), Goncalo Ramos (PSG/FRA)

Mohamed Salah made comments on the Reds’ dip in form, sparking reaction from Liverpool teammates, pundits, and supporters.

Mohamed Salah has sparked a major reaction around Liverpool after he criticised the team’s form. He called for the club to restore the high-intensity identity that defined its success under Jurgen Klopp.

The Egyptian forward posted the statement after the Reds lost to Aston Villa, a result that left Arne Slot’s side fifth in the Premier League. The loss leaves Champions League qualification hopes still unresolved before the final match against Brentford.

In his statement, Salah said Liverpool’s latest defeat was “very painful” and called for the team to return to being a “heavy metal attacking team” that opponents fear. He also said Liverpool’s identity “cannot be negotiable” and that every player who joins the club must adapt to it.

Salah also said Champions League qualification remains the “bare minimum” for Liverpool this season. The club host Brentford in their final league match, with Salah and Andy Robertson set to receive farewell tributes at Anfield. Liverpool confirmed that the Kop will display a mosaic for Salah before kick-off.

The post drew public backing from several Liverpool players. Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson, Hugo Ekitike, Curtis Jones, and Wataru Endo were among those who supported the Egyptian’s comments, while Ekitike and Jones also commented on it.

The reaction from former players and pundits was more divided. Wayne Rooney criticised Salah and urged Slot to leave him out of the Brentford match, calling the statement selfish and disrespectful toward the manager. While Rio Ferdinand said the statement was “raw,” and that he “love[d] it.”

Gary Neville also criticised the timing of the comments, while former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol described what Mohamed said as “complete and utter madness,” adding that Salah had shown a lack of class. As for Jamie Carragher, who is perhaps the forward’s most vocal critic, he falsely accused Salah of not apologizing to his Liverpool teammates following previous comments he made in December 2025.

Others viewed the statement as a sign of deeper problems at Liverpool. Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant backed the substance of the criticism, arguing that the club’s issues go beyond the squad and that Salah was only “stating the obvious.”

Slot had previously said Salah deserved “a big send-off” before the forward returned from injury. The latest controversy now leaves Liverpool balancing his farewell, the reaction to his public criticism, and the need to secure Champions League football in their final match.

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Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City after the final Premier League match, with Enzo Maresca lined up as his successor.

Pep Guardiola is set to leave Manchester City after their final Premier League match against Aston Villa, with Enzo Maresca lined up to replace him.

Enzo Maresca, who previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City, is expected to take the job on a three-year deal.

Guardiola joined City from Bayern Munich in 2016 and has overseen the most successful period in the club’s history. His record includes six Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, three FA Cups, and five League Cups.

The expected change comes while City remain in the Premier League title race. They won the FA Cup final against Chelsea, adding another trophy to Guardiola’s final days in charge.

Omar Marmoush will be among the City players affected by the managerial change. The forward recently scored in league wins over Brentford and Crystal Palace, helping City keep pressure on Arsenal before the final stretch of the season.

Marmoush has had a smaller role than several of City’s other attackers this season, but Guardiola recently backed him to contribute during the run-in after his stoppage-time goal against Brentford.

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