Latest news with #Downs
TimesLIVE
10 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Sundowns unable to scale Pyramids, as Egyptian club crowned kings of Africa
Mamelodi Sundowns were a goal from the glory of being crowned African champions again, but Pyramids FC hung on through a gut-clenching final 15 minutes of the final on Sunday night to lift the trophy as winners of the 2024-25 Caf Champions League trophy. The Egyptian outfit clinched their first Champions League title winning the second leg at Cairo's June 30 Air Defence Stadium 2-1 after earning a last-gasp 1-1 draw at Loftus Versfeld last week. Coach Miguel Cardoso's brave Sundowns, playing their first final since winning their first Champions League in 2016, were left to rue the fractional moments that decide matches at this level. Downs have to rue how agonisingly close they came. In Pretoria two Saturday's ago Walid El Karti's equaliser came seconds from the end. In Cairo, Downs had chances — particularly two saves from the legs of Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy — that could have won it. It was not to be. The chances that did find the back of the net settled 180 minutes and some added time of a spectacularly closely-contested final where the 3-2 aggregate scoreline to Pyramids said a lot of how tight the proceedings were. Fiston Mayele — Pyramids' excellent Democratic Republic of Congo striker, who looks set to be among the favourites for the Confederation of African Football's local-based player of the year award this year — has played a major part in them being such a force in the Champions League. Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić has had his side superbly drilled and Mayele as a huge presence as the spearhead. They had been particularly strong at home, scoring 32 goals and conceding six in seven matches at June 30 Stadium, so Downs were up against it. Mayele opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, profiting from Grant Kekana's defensive error. 🏆 ℂ𝔸𝔽 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕦𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 🏆 ⚽️ ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: The hosts have doubled their lead! 𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬 2⃣➖0⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 (𝗔𝗚𝗚: 3⃣➖1⃣) 📺 SABC Sport | SABC 3 🌐 📱 SABC+ #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesCAFCL — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) June 1, 2025 From there, it was Sundowns' task to aim for an unanswered goal to take the tie to extra time and penalties, or two to win. They had an outstanding chance for that spurned by Tashreeq Matthews seconds before the break. Ahmed Samy made it 3-1 heading in a free-kick in the 56th, and Downs needed two unanswered goals to win. Iqraam Rayners pulled one back in the 75th. Downs could not find another, despite substitute Peter Shalulile coming excruciatingly close. In the opening half, Sundowns paid for being that minute margin loose that can be so costly at the rarefied level of a continental final and went behind from a defensive error. Had the bounce of the ball gone their way, the Brazilians could also have gone to the break level. A cleverly-worked free-kick from the middle by Downs saw Aubrey Modiba chip the ball short into the path of Rayners, who took the ball over his shoulder and volleyed high. At the other end a half-clearance fell to Ahmed Atef on the edge of the box to strike well, but too close to Williams, who took easily. 🏆 ℂ𝔸𝔽 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕦𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 🏆 ⚽️ ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Masandawana have reduced the margin! 𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬 2⃣➖1⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 (𝗔𝗚𝗚: 3⃣➖2⃣) 🚨 LIVE 🥇 2nd Leg 📺 SABC Sport | SABC 3 📱 SABC+ #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesCAFCL — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) June 1, 2025 Pyramids were flexing their muscle and Downs a margin stretched when the Pretoria team conceded. A ball upfield found Mayele on the right, who fed Atef to make ground and cross. Kekana's volley was mis-hit and straight into the path of the grateful Congolese, who needs no second invitation in such situations and picked his spot past Ronwen Williams. Six minutes into added time Lucas Ribeiro took a chip on his chest, turned and expertly fed the sharp run through of Matthews to be one-on-one with El Shenawy, somehow finding the keeper's legs. Sundowns pushed for an equaliser back from the change rooms. They had a decent video assistant referee check — looking to overturn Somalian referee Omar Artan's rejection of a penalty appeal for a push on Iqraam Rayners — overturned in the 51st. When those two good opportunities on either side of the break did not materialise in a goal, the situation seemed ripe for Pyramids to get a second. They did when, after Divine Lunga conceded a free-kick on Downs' left side, right-back Mohamed Chibi's delivery found centreback Samy free of marker Jayden Adams in the box to head past Williams at close range. As Downs sought two goals, Teboho Mokoena's free-kick tested El Shenawy. The Brazilians got one goal when Samy's headed clearance could only go as far as Rayners on the left of the box to volley past El Shenawy. With Sundowns piling on the pressure Ribeiro fed Shaluile who forced a superb stop off the legs of El Shenawy from point blank. Two minutes into a frenetic 10 minutes of added time, Mayele spooned over from in front of the goalmouth. The Egyptian club regained their composure to shut out the last eight minutes.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Motsepe says Sundowns are going to bolster their squad for next season
In news that is likely to send chills down the spine of all other Betway Premiership teams, Mamelodi Sundowns chair Tlhopie Motsepe says they are going to venture into the market to bolster their squad. The Brazilians' squad is already notably strong and this was proved by the impressive manner in which they won their eighth successive league Premiership and reached the Champions League final this season. Downs drew 1-1 in the first leg of the final against Pyramids at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, leaving the tie delicately poised. This year, Sundowns made big money moves on the transfer market to sign Jayden Adams, Lucas Suárez, Keanu Cupido and Lebo Mothiba and recalled Matias Esquivel from his loan spell with Club Atlético Talleres in Argentina. Cupido and Esquivel have seen little action since they arrived at Chloorkop, while former Bafana Bafana attacker Mothiba is yet to kick a ball as he continues to work on his fitness after a long injury layoff. In the recent past, Downs have recruited their headline signings mainly in South America, but Motsepe did not go into details about where they are going to find new players and which positions are going to receive attention to help coach Miguel Cardoso. Hlompho Kekana is confident Sundowns will be able to get a good result in Cairo. WATCH full interview ➡️➡️➡️ — Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) May 28, 2025 'We will go into the market to look for the type of players that complement what we are tying to achieve,' he said. 'We have a wonderful sporting director in Flemming Berg, his assistant and our board. We are going to try our best to make sure the Sundowns you see next year is the one that is building for better things to come.' After the Champions League final Sundowns have another international assignment in the expanded, 32-team Fifa Club World Cup in the US in June and July. 'The season is drawing to a close, it is going be a difficult because our preseason is going to be cut short. It is going to be important to find new players and give the coach the preseason he didn't have [arriving in December of the 2024-25 campaign]. 'Last year, the coach came at a time when he didn't have time to pick his players or get to establish his style of football. These are opportunities that coaches get when they have a preseason behind them. 'Taking that into consideration and seeing that we are in the final of the Champions League with the players he found there, it has been an incredible achievement and testament to the character they have.' Mothobi Mvala calls on experienced players to stand up and be counted in Cairo. WATCH full interview ➡️➡️➡️ — Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) May 28, 2025 A win over Pyramids is important for Sundowns as they chase their second continental title, and Motsepe said it would be good to go to the Club World Cup as African champions. 'It will be a bonus to go there as African champions; it is a motivation and something we want to do. We have that opportunity to participate in the Champions League final on Sunday. 'Playing in the final is something we have longed for and we cherish as a football club. It is something we try to achieve every season and something we will continue to strive for. It is a wonderful opportunity and we have faith in the players and technical team.' Motsepe said Downs remain committed to playing the attractive brand of football the club has become renowned for, including next month in the US where they meet South Korea's Ulsan HD (June 17), Borussia Dortmund (June 21) and Fluminense (June 25) in Group F. 'We have a responsibility to play daring and entertaining football, to give people hope through football. We are going there not to limit our ability as a football club, we are going to show the world African excellence. 'When we got there in 2016, we were happy to be there and share our culture and who we were. We have learnt a lot of lessons and we go there wiser, stronger and bolder.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul W. Downs Reveals The Hilarious Way Cher Turned Down A Cameo Appearance On ‘Hacks'
Despite the Hacks creative team's best efforts, it seems Cher did not, ahem, believe in the need for her cameo role on the HBO Max comedic satire. Earlier this week, co-creator Paul W. Downs appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to discuss the fourth season of the Emmy-winning Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder vehicle, which is coming to its season finale on Thursday. As the show finds itself in the world of late-night comedy, Downs along with co-creators Lucia Aniello (to whom Downs is married) and Jen Statsky were able to convince many a famous person to cameo as themselves — Kimmel among them — but there have definitely been some rejections, though perhaps none as brutally honest and funny as from Cher. More from Deadline 'The Pitt's Tracy Ifeachor On Season 2 & Her Character's Romantic Potential With Noah Wyle's Dr. Robby: "Lots Of Surprises To Come" HBO & NFL Films' 'Hard Knocks' To Feature Buffalo Bills In 'Training Camp' & NFC East 'In Season' It Starts On The Page (Drama): Read 'The Pitt' Episode 1 Script "7:00 A.M." With Foreword By R. Scott Gemmill 'Oh, yeah,' Downs replied when asked by the host if anyone had declined an appearance. 'Well, one person in particular we asked to be on the show Seasons 1, 2 and 4 — and that person is Cher.' The Broad City alum went on to explain that Cher's manager advised the team to write in the Grammy-winning singer's ice cream brand Cherlato (a portmanteau of Cher and gelato) into the show, and as a result, the musician would 'probably' agree to the role. 'So we wrote a commercial for Cherlato,' Downs explained to audience laughs. 'Deborah [Smart] was gonna go to the Cherlato factory, she was gonna taste all the Cherlato, she was gonna love the Cherlato, and then when it came down to shoot, we got a pass.' He continued, 'Now, people usually say, 'I love the show, but respectfully, I don't have time.' Once, Javier Bardem said, 'I cannot say yes right now,' which is Spanish for 'no.' And so we said, 'Is there any feedback? Can we change the script?' And her manager said, 'Well, this is the quote from Cher: I don't want to do it.'' 'Well, at least she's honest,' Kimmel said amid laughs. Later on in the interview, the two discussed Kimmel's brief appearance in Season 4, with Downs affirming that 'we would love more of you on the show,' to which the host replied, 'I don't believe that, is that true? Well, no one's called. I mean, I have a gelato coming out, I'd love you to…' Downs even brought some outtakes of Kimmel's scenes, in which he got up-close-and-personal with Smart's comedienne, unwittingly prompting the actress to momentarily break character. As Hacks looks forward to its Season 4 conclusion, it'll pick up from the implosion of 'Late Night With Deborah Vance'; the penultimate episode saw Deborah forced into a moral and professional quandary, in which altruism prevailed as she revealed live on the air the censorship and forced firing of her head writer Ava (Einbinder), leading Tony Goldwyn's Bob Lipka to pull the plug on the hard-fought show — before dropping the bomb that Deborah's noncompete clause will oust her out of her livelihood for the next 18 months. Watch the interview below: Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Hacks' Renewed For Season 5 By Max
Hacks is returning for a fifth season. Max renewed the Emmy-winning comedy series ahead of the season four finale this Thursday. The series has garnered 48 Emmy nominations during its run, including a season three win for Outstanding Comedy Series. More from Deadline 'Hacks' Season 4 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far Paul W. Downs Reveals The Hilarious Way Cher Turned Down A Cameo Appearance On 'Hacks' Hacks has been a top five series on Max since its season four debut in the U.S. and a top 10 series globally. Season four has been pacing as the series' best season yet, the streamer reports. Starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, Hacks was created and is run by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky. It is executive produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, as well as Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment, Morgan Sackett, and Joe Mande. The studio is Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. 'Like Deborah Vance herself, Hacks only gets bolder, sharper, and more iconic with time,' said Universal TV President Erin Underhill in a statement. 'We're beyond thrilled to keep the laughter rolling with Jen, Paul, Lucia, our extraordinary cast and crew, and our partners at Max.' The fourth season also starred Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo, along with Dan Bucatinsky, Helen Hunt, Tony Goldwyn, Kaitlin Olson, Jane Adams, Lauren Weedman, Christopher McDonald, Poppy Liu, Lorenza Izzo, Johnny Sibilly, Paul Felder, Polly Draper, Luenell, and Aristotle Athari. Also joining the cast in season four are Julianne Nicholson, Michaela Watkins, Bresha Webb, Robby Hoffman, Eric Balfour, Danny Jolles, Gavin Matts, Grover Whitmore, III, Holmes, Jasmine Ashanti, Katy Sullivan, Matt Oberg, Sandy Honig, and Jake Shane. Best of Deadline TV Cancellations Photo Gallery: Series Ending In 2024 & Beyond 2024 TV Series Renewals Photo Gallery Broadcast TV Cancellations For 2024-25: Photo Gallery
North Wales Chronicle
5 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Epsom's undulations causing Burrows plenty to think about with Falakeyah
The daughter of New Bay wowed at Newmarket in the Pretty Polly Stakes to enter Classic reckoning, and after electing against dropping back in trip for a shot at the Irish 1,000 Guineas, connections are still weighing up the pros and cons of an Epsom bid, with the undulations of the famous Downs giving Burrows cause for thought. 'Possibly by the end of the week we will have an answer,' he said. 'The trip and track are the question marks and if Epsom was a bit more of a conventional track maybe it wouldn't be so much a decision. 'Just with the undulations of Epsom, and she's a big girl who who likes to get on with it, we have plenty to think about, even though I'm adamant she'll relax up behind something as long as they are going a nice gallop.' Of course a shot at the Oaks would see Falakeyah step up an extra two furlongs from the mile-and-a-quarter distance she dazzled over on the Rowley Mile, while a trip to Chantilly on June 15 for the French equivalent would see her remain at the trip she excelled first time out this season. This is eyecatching 👀 FALAKEYAH follows in the footsteps of future Oaks winner Taghrooda winning the @Betfred Pretty Polly Stakes in sparkling fashion ✨ — Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) May 4, 2025 Also factored into the decision making process will be the Epsom credentials of Saeed bin Suroor's 1000 Guineas fourth Elwateen who could well be added into the mix by owners Shadwell at Saturday's supplementary stage. Burrows added: 'You have then got to think New Bays, do they stay? There is numerous things to consider and people adding in their opinion as such and it's an important decision so we just want to get it right. 'The owners also have Saeed's horse and she might well be supplemented and that may free us up to go elsewhere, but we will see.'
