Football

As honest as it gets. Tijjani Reijnders has openly admitted that money was a major reason behind his decision to swap the Premier League for Saudi Arabia – and he has absolutely no regrets about it.”Me a money grabber? I can’t deny that,” the former Manchester City midfielder told NOS.”Once my playing career is over, I don’t want to have to work anymore.”##LINKED_NEWS_68079##The Netherlands international left City after just one season, completing a £52 million move to Al-Qadsiah after arriving from AC Milan for £46.5m.But while Reijnders initially spoke about Al-Qadsiah’s ambition to become the “biggest in Asia”, he has now offered a considerably more straightforward explanation.The 28-year-old is reportedly set to earn around £86m over the course of his multi-year contract, money he says will secure not only his own future, but that of generations of his family.##LINKED_NEWS_46971##”Of course, I probably wouldn’t have needed to work anymore after my contract at Manchester City either..

Harambee Starlets captain Mwanalima Adam Jereko became only the third Kenyan to feature in the UEFA Women’s Champions League after starting for HB Køge against Arsenal on Tuesday night.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsJereko lined up for the Danish side in their opening league-phase fixture at Meadow Park, where HB Køge pushed Arsenal all the way before suffering a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty.##NAJAVA_MECA_9978907##The 29-year-old Kenyan was named in HB Køge’s starting XI and played for 80 minutes before being substituted as the visitors continued to frustrate the two-time European champions.Arsenal dominated possession but struggled to break down a well-organised HB Køge defense. The hosts thought they had taken the lead earlier in the match, only for the goal to be ruled out following a VAR review for offside.With the game heading towards a draw, Arsenal were awarded a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time after Selina Cerci was brought down insid..

Sudan produced a remarkable comeback to stun Uganda 3-2 and book their place at next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Ghana after a frantic semi-final at Uhuru Stadium.Uganda started brightly and looked in control of the opening stages, taking the lead after just six minutes. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsElvis Opakrwoth cut the ball back from the byline for Isima Magala, who found Richard Okello. The Uganda captain made no mistake, drilling his effort into the bottom right corner beyond Moustafa Fahoud.Sudan responded almost immediately.##NAJAVA_MECA_9978981##Three minutes later, Osama Monzal raced down the right before finding Rudwan Yahya, who directed the ball beyond Adrian Isabirye to level the contest at 1-1.Uganda continued to dominate possession and territory, with Isima delivering a dangerous free kick that Sudan cleared, before Ocen Odiya’s cutback created another opening for Magala, whose effort sailed over.Hakim Wandera then forced Fahoud into action with a..

The Madrid derby came and went, and it had everything football fans around the world wanted: goals, chances, bust-ups, even a red card, and of course, referee’s controversies. Jose Mourinho made a spectacle by arriving at his post-match press conference with a printed image of the incidents he believed should have resulted in red cards during Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid. He surely got support from Real’s fans across the globe, as they are already used to blaming the referees for every single loss, but there is one man who is not buying that. In fact, he may or may not agree with the refereeing but he decided to concentrate solely on Real Madrid’s performance, and his main theme is – nothing!##LINKED_NEWS_69186##Claude Makelele has some big clubs in his CV like PSG and Chelsea, but he also played for Real Madrid. In three years at the Bernabeu, the former French international won two La Liga’s and one Champions League and was a TV pundit for ESPN on Sunday. When asked ab..

A strange selection of players, poor tactical choices at key moments, conservative and outdated ideas, questionable substitutions, unconvincing performances… Thomas Tuchel faced plenty of criticism after the World Cup and England’s semi-final elimination by Argentina, yet the German managed to survive in the England dugout. To be fair, none of the serious media outlets ever really questioned his position, but given the immense and mounting dissatisfaction (from all three sides — the fans, the FA and the manager), many believed that Tuchel himself might eventually decide to walk away. That ultimately did not happen, and a few days ago the experienced coach began a new cycle with the Three Lions.##LINKED_NEWS_69094##New squad — same old complaints. Some wounds have yet to heal, while new ones seem to be opening. The atmosphere around the national team is far from ideal, something that was already apparent at the first press conference, when the squad was announced. Tuchel issued severa..

German national football is in a result crisis for a long time now. It’s not just the quality of the players, as Bundesliga has more and more foreign stars, just like the Premier League, but also the lack of a proper manager. It was a great surprise when a serial winner and former assistant in the national team Hansi Flick failed miserably. Julian Nagelsmann fairly looked like a desperate solution and it showed at the World Cup. Finally, the German football federation got the one they were looking for all this time – Jurgen Klopp. Former Liverpool and Dortmund boss got the keys of the national team and the power to do almost everything he wants. And he already did one unusual thing which was followed by another one today.##LINKED_NEWS_69055##Klopp’s initial list for UEFA Nations League consisted of 44 names certainly got everybody’s attention. He basically split those players into two teams, with one set to play the first two Nations League games and the other the remaining two. And wh..

Former Harambee Stars striker Taiwo Leo Atieno, 41, has announced that he is set to return to professional football in Kenya for the 2026/27 season, 12 years after stepping away from the game.Atieno is currently undergoing an intensive return-to-play programme as he prepares to compete in the Kenyan Premier League.##NAJAVA_MECA_9968865##“For the last four weeks I’ve been training five hours a day across isometrics, speed work, strength, conditioning and recovery, and I’m genuinely surprised by how good I feel. I feel stronger and fresher at 41 than I did at 29. I was fortunate not to suffer major injuries during my career.But the game asks different questions. Can you repeat high-intensity runs, react quickly, deal with contact and still make the right decision when you’re tired? That is the level I have to get back to.”Atieno stepped away from professional football after losing both his parents and later focused on his family, law and business.Wafalme Stars out of World Championships ..

Kenya’s Junior Stars will know their opponents in the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2027 CECAFA qualifiers on Wednesday, 23 September, when the zonal draw takes place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.The draw will take place at the Azam TV studios, with CECAFA Competitions Manager Yusuf Mossi confirming that 10 Member Associations have registered for the qualifiers.##NAJAVA_MECA_9968865##Kenya will be joined by defending champions Tanzania, hosts Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan.The qualifiers will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 10-20 October, with the top three teams qualifying for the 2027 U-17 AFCON.The Junior Stars will be looking to improve on their performance in the 2025 CECAFA U-17 qualifiers in Addis Ababa, where they finished fourth.Wobbling Gor Mahia lose again to Tusker in pre-season friendlyKenya progressed to the semi-finals after finishing second in their group. They drew 1-1 with Somalia, beat Rwanda 2-1, and South Sudan 2-0 before..

Kenyan goalkeeper Ian Otieno is set to work under a new coach at Richards Bay following the departure of Ronnie Gabriel, with the urgency for the South African club to appoint his successor growing after another defeat on Saturday.Richards Bay lost 3-2 at home to Sekhukhune United, extending their winless start to the 2026/27 Premiership season.##NAJAVA_MECA_9968580##The Natal Rich Boyz have now collected just three points from their opening seven league matches, with three draws and four defeats leaving them still searching for their first victory of the campaign.Gabriel parted ways with the club earlier this week after the difficult start, bringing an end to his spell in charge and leaving Richards Bay without a permanent head coach.The club is closing in on the appointment of Bulgarian coach Dimitar Pantev, who has agreed terms with Richards Bay, with the remaining details of his arrival being finalised.Motsepe reveals when CAF will step in to mediate FKF leadership wranglesPantev i..

Premier League heavyweights will have a tough time at Brentford this season – tonight, it was Chelsea who were comfortably beaten 3-0. After a rather uneventful first half, the hosts found the key to the game after the break and dealt a heavy blow to Xabi Alonso’s side.There was very little to get excited about during a largely uneventful first half between Brentford and Chelsea, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut opportunities.Chelsea came closest early on, with some lovely football in the ninth minute allowing them to play their way out before Chavarria delivered a cross towards Welbeck. Brentford failed to clear their lines, giving Neto the chance to shoot, but his effort was saved. Rogers then tried his luck from the loose ball, only to see his attempt blocked as Chelsea continued to pile on the pressure.##NAJAVA_MECA_9968560##After that bright opening, the game settled into a much slower rhythm, and we saw almost nothing in the way of attacking football until the 30th ..