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TimesLIVE
27-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Amajita hero Kekana praises teamwork for goal that won SA the U-20 Afcon
Amajita's U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final hero Gomolemo Kekana, 18, is in no rush to play top-flight football, insisting he's still developing. He said his focus is on trying to return to his best shape after a long layoff last year. Kekana is on the books of Mamelodi Sundowns' DStv Diski Challenge team and has trained with the senior Brazilians on a few occasions. He engraved his name in South African football folklore by scoring the goal that saw Amajita beat Morocco 1-0 in the U-20 Afcon final in Cairo this month. 'God's timing is forever perfect, so I won't rush the process,' Kekana said. 'I am trusting the process without putting pressure on myself to say now I must play for the first team. 'I will continue to work hard and it's up to the coaches to decide whether to promote me. I am not in a rush. I've come from a long-term injury last year, so my focus is to accumulate as many minutes as I can to return to my best shape.'
CAF
17-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
MATCH FACTS: Nigeria, Egypt battle for bronze medal at TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON
Nigeria and Egypt meet in the third-place play-off at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, with a clash at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo (18:00 local time / 15:00 GMT). This will be the sixth meeting between the two nations at the U-20 AFCON finals since 1993. Nigeria have won three previous encounters, including group stage victories in 2009 (2-0) and 2023 (1-0), as well as the 2005 final (2-0). Egypt's only win came in the 2013 semi-final, where they triumphed 2-0, while their 2007 group stage clash ended 1-1. This marks the second time Nigeria face Egypt as tournament hosts, having defeated them 1-0 in the 2023 group stage. It will also be the ninth time Nigeria take on the host nation at the tournament. Their record in such fixtures is six wins and two losses from eight previous games. In all eight of those matches, only the winning side has scored, and Nigeria have kept six clean sheets. They have won their last four matches against host nations, beating Senegal twice in 2015 (group stage and final), and overcoming Niger and Egypt in 2019 and 2023 respectively. This is the fourth straight tournament where Nigeria face the hosts. Nigeria's two losses to host nations came in finals: a 1-0 defeat to Ghana in 1999 and a similar scoreline against Congo in 2007. Their 4-0 win over Tunisia in the 2023 third-place play-off remains the largest margin of victory recorded in this fixture. The third-place game has gone to penalties on four occasions: in 2003, 2005, 2019, and 2021. Only twice has it ended 0-0 after regulation time – South Africa's shootout win over Nigeria in 2019 and Gambia's penalty triumph over Tunisia in 2021. NIGERIA FACTS · At the 2025 edition, Nigeria have won only one game in open play – their opening 1-0 victory over Tunisia. They drew their next two group games, 0-0 against Morocco and 2-2 with Kenya. · Their quarter-final clash against Senegal also ended goalless, with Nigeria advancing via penalties, before losing 1-0 to South Africa in the semi-finals. · With just three goals scored, this is Nigeria's lowest goal tally in any U-20 AFCON tournament where they've played at least five matches. · They've failed to score in three of five games but have kept three clean sheets and conceded only two goals – the joint-best defensive record alongside Morocco among the semi-finalists. · Nigeria are contesting their sixth third-place match, having won it four times previously – in 1995, 2009, 2013, and 2023. · They beat Mali 1-0 and 2-1 in 1995 and 2013, defeated South Africa 2-1 in 2009, and crushed Tunisia 4-0 in 2023. Their only defeat in this game came in 2019, when they lost to South Africa on penalties after a 0-0 draw. · This is Nigeria's third consecutive appearance in the third-place match. They have now reached the semi-finals in each of their last eight participations, winning the title in 2005, 2011, and 2015, finishing runners-up in 2007, third in 2009, 2013, and 2023, and fourth in 2019. · A win would mark Nigeria's 14th top-three finish, with a record of seven titles, two runner-up finishes, and four third-place results. EGYPT FACTS · Egypt arrive at the third-place play-off after losing to Morocco in the semi-finals, having edged Ghana on penalties in the quarter-finals. · Of the four semi-finalists, Egypt have conceded the most goals – seven in six matches. They've kept three clean sheets but allowed three goals across their two knockout games. · This is Egypt's fourth appearance in a third-place play-off. They have won all three of their previous matches in this fixture, beating Ethiopia 3-0 in 1993 and 2-0 in 2001, and overcoming Mali 1-0 in 2011. · Egypt have never conceded a goal in a third-place match and have scored six. · They are the fifth host nation to play in a third-place game. In the four previous instances, hosts won twice and lost twice. Nigeria beat Mali 1-0 in 1995, Egypt defeated Ethiopia 3-0 in 2001, Burkina Faso lost on penalties to Mali in 2003 after a 1-1 draw, and Benin beat Morocco on spot kicks in 2005 following a 1-1 draw. Egypt's 3-0 win over Ethiopia in 2001 remains the heaviest defeat for a host in a third-place match. · Egyptian goalkeeper Abdel Monem Tamer has made 18 saves, the second-highest total in the tournament behind South Africa's Fletcher Lowe (24). · Tamer has also conceded the most goals among all goalkeepers at the finals with seven.
Irish Independent
07-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
New gravestones in Kinsale mark today's 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania in World War 1
Ship stewards George Cranston and Richard Chamberlain, interred in a double grave, have new stones. The former was previously buried under the misnomer 'Craduck'. Newlywed passenger Margaret Shineman is buried in the same graveyard. The remains of her husband of only two weeks, James, washed up in Co Clare months after the sinking and were interred in Carrigaholt. The Cunard Line passenger vessel was about 20km off the Old Head of Kinsale when it was torpedoed without warning by the German submarine U-20, commanded by Walther Schwieger, on Friday, May 7, 1915. A total of 1,198 people died in the tragedy, with justification for the act of war heavily disputed. The German embassy in the US had taken out adverts proclaiming that passenger ships of belligerent countries were liable to attack in a zone drawn around these islands. Few believed the threat would be carried out and there were only a handful of cancellations before the Lusitania – an Atlantic liner which could easily outrun any U-boat on the surface – left New York for Liverpool on its final voyage. However, it was struck by Schwieger's last remaining torpedo as the U-boat headed home to Germany after a long patrol. The ship sank in only 18 minutes, compared with the two hours and 40 minutes it took the Titanic to sink three years earlier after hitting an iceberg in the mid-Atlantic. Last night, associates of the Signal Tower group, who administer a museum dedicated to the disaster, met at the Old Head to mark 10 years in existence, in the company of some relatives of victims and survivors. There will be a further ceremony today from 2pm, marking the hour of the attack.
The 42
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Prendergast hoping Boyd's Northampton stardust can rub off on Munster
MUNSTER'S MIKE PRENDERGAST has hailed the steadying impact of Kiwi coach Chris Boyd as a performance consultant with the province during a turbulent season off the field. And Prendergast is hopeful that Munster will see the influence of the experienced 66-year old former New Zealand U-20 and Hurricanes coach the same way another of his former sides Northampton Saints did at the weekend when they stunned Leinster at the Aviva Stadium. Boyd laid the foundation for that squad during his four years as director of rugby there and Prendergast is hopeful that Munster can reap a similar reward for his involvement in Munster. He was brought in last December following the departure of head coach Graham Rowntree in October and worked with interim boss Ian Costello and his management team. Advertisement 'He's been very good. He's been very good to bounce things off,' said attack coach Prendergast. Just the experience. The man has a huge amount of experience. He has experiences in different hemispheres, different environments, different competitions. 'He was great to sit down and shoot the breeze. Very easy guy to approach, to talk to. And he assessed a lot as well. He wasn't there coming in, talking in every meeting or anything. He was more in the background, assessing, looking. I suppose giving you the right direction, both to players and equally as much to coaches as well.' Boyd has returned to New Zealand and coming in the opposite direction this summer will be another Kiwi Clayton McMillan who will be taking charge of Munster for the next three seasons. Prendergast, who had been a contender for that top job, is looking forward to the new boss and is appreciative of the help he and the rest of the coaching team received from Boyd during his short-term deal. 'I had some really good, deep chats to him as a coach to a coach. Just through his experiences that he's lived, you could relate to an awful lot of them. I suppose we saw a lot of the fruit of his works with Northampton. 'We saw it last weekend in many ways. He would have been heavily involved in an awful lot of the set-up of that. And you even look at some of the players that came through his system. When he was there, some of those players were in the academy. 'I suppose how he exposed them to top-level rugby along with, respectfully, to the coaches that are there as well who have done a fantastic job and play a great brand of rugby. 'Chris has that kind of, I suppose for myself, his DNA in terms of attack, etc. It's very similar. There was great little nuggets and great conversations to have around that. 'He's left his imprint in Northampton. Hopefully that'll be the story for us as well going forward, ' added Prendergast whose side are preparing for Friday's crunch URC clash with Ulster.
CAF
30-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Shakeel April strike hands South Africa vital win over Tanzania at TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON
Published: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 South Africa reignited their hopes of progressing at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025 with a hard-fought 1-0 win over tournament debutants Tanzania at the Suez Canal Stadium on Wednesday. After losing their opening Group A match 1-0 to hosts Egypt, the Amajita responded with determination, securing all three points thanks to a 27th-minute winner from Shakeel April, who was a constant threat throughout the contest. The victory lifts South Africa back into contention in the group, while Tanzania, making their first appearance in the tournament since 2021, were left to rue missed chances in a spirited second-half display. South Africa began the match with urgency, creating early opportunities through Langelihle Phili and Faiz Abrahams, before finally breaking the deadlock midway through the first half. April latched onto a well-weighted through ball from Abrahams, calmly slotting past goalkeeper Ibrahim Nindi to give the Amajita a deserved lead. Tanzania, who had a bye in the opening round, struggled to find rhythm early on but grew into the match after the break. Forward Bakari Msimu was at the heart of their fightback, forcing two saves and coming close with a header in the dying minutes, while Ashrafu Kibeku and Said Naushad also tested the South African defence with long-range efforts. Despite a flurry of late chances, including a string of corners and shots narrowly off target, Tanzania could not find an equaliser. South Africa held firm during seven minutes of added time to preserve their lead and secure a crucial three points in Group A. The result marks South Africa's first victory in a second group-stage game at the U-20 AFCON since 2019 and keeps their knockout hopes alive. For Tanzania, it was a frustrating return to the tournament, having shown promise in their CECAFA U-20 Championship triumph but lacking the finishing touch at this level. South Africa now prepare for a decisive final group match against Zambia, while Tanzania face the daunting task of playing the hosts Egypt in their next fixture.
