Harambee Stars will not represent the country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and neither will Kenyan international referees take to the field at the tournament. Yet, even in the absence of direct sporting participation, the country will still carry a presence on football’s grandest stage through a landmark administrative appointment that underscores the growing influence of Kenyan professionals in global football governance.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe representation is courtesy of former Harambee Starlets defender, Terry Ouko, who has been appointed by FIFA as the Sustainability and Human Rights Venue Manager at the iconic Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Her appointment places her at the heart of one of the World Cup’s key venues ahead of the tournament set to kick off this week amid global anticipation and high expectations.##NAJAVA_MECA_9789948##Ouko is widely respected within Kenyan football circles not only for her playing career, but also for her evoluti..

FIFA has confirmed that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.Artan, the reigning CAF Men’s Referee of the Year and one of Africa’s most respected match officials, had been selected among the 52 chosen to officiate at the tournament.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. His appointment was set to make him the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup final.##NAJAVA_MECA_9789948##According to Somali authorities, Artan was denied entry upon arrival at Miami International Airport and was subsequently repatriated. He is currently in Turkey. While US immigration authorities have not publicly provided a reason for the decision, Somalia is among the countries affected by travel restrictions introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.In a statement, FIFA confirme..

Of the 20 highest scorers in European league football during the 2025/26 season, 12 will be on display at the World Cup in North America. Interestingly, all 12 represent different national teams. The winner of the European Golden Shoe, Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, will captain England in Group L. Also in the group are Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Notably, Kane will face two fellow members of the top-scorers list: Ante Budimir, who scored 17 goals for Osasuna, and Antoine Semenyo, who also scored 17 league goals while playing for AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City.WC Countdown: Has this World Cup killed the term “Group of Death”?Despite featuring three prolific scorers, bookmakers have not set an especially high total-goals line for the six matches in the group. The threshold is 15.5 goals—only one higher than the totals set for Groups A and C. Fans who enjoy attacking football may find Group I even more appealing. It features Norway and France, led by the second- and third-highest scor..

Lazio supporters are neither giving up nor backing down. Thanks to new forms of communication, the Biancocelesti fans’ protest has taken on a new dimension. The Olimpico will not only be empty next season, but there will also be no season-ticket holders — neither in the stadium nor in front of their television screens. Indeed, since the main source of income for owner Claudio Lotito comes from television rights, Lazio supporters have decided to hit him where it hurts the most: they are cancelling or refusing to renew their TV subscriptions for Lazio and Serie A matches. It is true that Lotito is financially secure until 2029 because broadcasting contracts are already in place until then, but negotiations for the next cycle will begin in a year’s time. If the fans remain committed to their campaign, Lotito could find himself in serious trouble.🚨🇮🇹 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | Lazio ultras will BOYCOTT season tickets for the 2026/27 season and will not attend any home matches in the season. ❌🏟️The only ex..

There is no World Cup without a sense of uncertainty. Uncertainty about the results and the final score, uncertainty about the final standings and the competition winner, but also the uncertainly about the surprises. Can you remember the shock at the last World Cup in Qatar, when Saudi Arabia defeated eventual winners Argentina? Or when Morocco made the biggest results of all African countries ever and finished as fourth? Without a doubt, there will be teams in this year’s World Cup who will beat the odds and make a surprise. But what teams are capable of doing that? Well, if we ignore the cliche that ‘everybody play football today’ and that anyone is capable of winning, we will try to identify the ‘dark horses’ of the 2026 World Cup.Countdown to World Cup – who will be the ruler of football world?After all, we had no less than two dark horses in Qatar – Croatia and Morocco. With so many strong favorites (Spain, France, Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil) and other countries who coul..

Legendary coach Fabio Capello has opened up about the circumstances that led to Ronaldo Nazario’s departure from Real Madrid, admitting that the decision ultimately came down to concerns over the Brazilian’s lifestyle away from football.Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in history, Ronaldo enjoyed memorable spells with Inter and Real Madrid, earning worldwide recognition as “The Phenomenon.” Despite his incredible talent, Capello felt that maintaining discipline within the squad had to come first.”Without a doubt, Ronaldo is the best player I have ever worked with. It is true that he did not like to sacrifice or train, but he had qualities that I have not seen in any other player. He was truly unique,” Capello said during the “Milano Football Week” event.Even with such admiration for the forward’s abilities, the Italian tactician concluded that a separation was necessary. That decision would eventually pave the way for Ronaldo’s move to Milan.”Ronaldo loved to party. You ..

Pavelh Ndzila was far from surprised when he was named Man of the Match after aiding Tusker FC oust KCB FC from the 2026 Mozzart Bet Cup.The Congo Brazzaville goalkeeper produced a moment of brilliance, saving David Sakwa’s penalty as Tusker edged KCB 4-3 in a dramatic shootout during the semifinal clash at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday, 16 May.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsHis heroics not only secured Tusker a place in the final against 2024 champions Kenya Police FC but also earned him the prestigious Mozzart Bet Humanitarian Cheque award, presented to a match’s standout performer.##NAJAVA_MECA_9788882##The accolade was Ndzila’s first since arriving in Kenya back in February following his move to Tusker.By winning it, he became only the third foreign player to claim the award this season, after Bandari’s Cameroonian forward Amza Moubarack and Tanzanian striker Ibrahim Joshua, who is Ndzila’s teammate. While Ndzila did not specifically expect to win the award in the semifina..

Belarus and Burkina Faso are set to meet in an international friendly on Tuesday evening.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe White Wings are unbeaten in their last five matches, while the Stallions have failed to win either of their last two games.After a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign that saw them finish bottom of their group with just two points, they have responded impressively in friendlies.##NAJAVA_MECA_9788871##The White Wings have defeated Cyprus, Armenia and Syria in their last three friendly outings.Across their previous five matches in all competitions, Belarus have scored eight goals and conceded only three, highlighting improvements at both ends of the pitch.Their recent home performances have been particularly encouraging, with confidence growing after a commanding 4-1 victory over Syria.WC Countdown: Has this World Cup killed the term “Group of Death”?Team news suggests head coach Viktor Goncharenko could keep faith with much of the side that imp..

Unfair.That’s the word that captures the essence of how it feels to look at the World Cup stats and see that legendary Chelsea, Manchester City and England midfielder, Frank Lampard, holds the record for most shots in World Cup history without ever scoring a single goal.According to Opta, since 1966, when the stats began their meticulous life among football analysts worldwide, no other player has taken more shots at the FIFA World Cup without finding the back of the net.41 days to go – Since 1966, the player to have the most shots without scoring at the FIFA World Cup is England’s Frank Lampard.He had 41 shots across the 2006, 2010 and 2014 tournaments without success. Unfortunate. #OptaWorldCupCountdown pic.twitter.com/6uchVVM2WP— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 1, 2026 Across the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups, Lampard represented the Three Lions. He registered a staggering 41 attempts, 27 of which were on target. Lampard even missed the penalty in the 2026 quarter-final shootout against Por..