Football

Tusker FC goalkeeper Brian Opondo has revealed the personal struggles that contributed to a difficult 2025-2026 FKF Premier League campaign, opening up on how his mother’s battle with cancer affected both his mental wellbeing and performances on the pitch.For a goalkeeper who enjoyed a stellar 2024-2025 season and established himself as Tusker’s first-choice custodian, the recently concluded campaign presented a stark contrast.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsOpondo managed just nine league appearances throughout the season as he slipped down the goalkeeping pecking order, struggling to replicate the form that had previously made him one of the club’s most dependable performers.Behind the scenes, however, the 26-year-old was fighting a battle far bigger than football.##NAJAVA_MECA_9814114##Speaking to Mozzart Sport, the former Bidco United shot-stopper disclosed that he spent much of the season worried about his mother’s deteriorating health as she underwent treatment for ca..

Migori Youth captain Kelly Collins Otieno has opened up about the financial challenges the club faced on their way to winning the National Super League (NSL) title and securing promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.The right-back, who played a crucial role in steering the club to a historic campaign, revealed that the team encountered numerous financial difficulties throughout their quest for glory.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsDespite the club securing a Ksh 6 million sponsorship deal with leading gaming firm Mozzart Bet, Otieno disclosed that players largely relied on match allowances rather than monthly salaries as they battled their way to league success.”It is a great feeling to lead my boyhood club to NSL glory and promotion to the top-flight league. We weathered a lot of storms with no salaries, depending mainly on allowances, and it is an honour to have led the team to success.We thank Mozzart Bet for their financial support,” he said.Reflectin..

Kenyan goalkeeper Brian Bwire has quickly found a new home in South Africa after a difficult exit from Polokwane City, with Premier Soccer League side,Chippa United, reportedly securing his signature ahead of the 2026-2027 season.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsBwire’s departure from Polokwane City followed a challenging six-month spell that saw him frozen out of the squad amid a reported contract dispute. The Harambee Stars goalkeeper is said to have rejected a contract extension offer in January, a decision that effectively ended his involvement with the first team.##NAJAVA_MECA_9807356##According to reports from South Africa, Bwire was excluded from matchday squads and full training sessions for months despite continuing to report for duty. His only competitive appearances during that period came for Kenya, featuring in the FIFA Series against Grenada in March and in the recent international friendly against Lesotho.Following his exit from Polokwane City at the end of th..

In a week in which the arrival of Mark Palestra is expected to be finalized — with owners Oaktree having approved a 50 million euro move for the Atalanta player — the duo of Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio are preparing more fireworks in Inter’s transfer window. The Italian champions find themselves in a highly privileged position. They are under no obligation to sell players, meaning no club can pressure them over transfer fees. They already have a competitive squad in place for next season and can afford to wait for bargain opportunities or lucrative transfer openings.Ivory Coast defender on Inter’s radarAt the top of Inter’s wish list are two exceptionally talented players: Curtis Jones of Liverpool and Nico Paz, whose rights are still expected to be repurchased by Real Madrid from Como for 12 million euros. However, signing both players would require close to 100 million, meaning Marotta and Ausilio would likely need to fund the deals through player sales. Inter’s transfer list rep..

The match between Argentina and Austria was always gonna be about Lionel Messi, no matter the final result and everybody knew it. The player himself is responsible for that, as he scored a hat-trick against Algeria and came one goal shy of becoming the World Cup’s best ever goal scorer. So, the pressure was on, the hype was huge and Messi got the chance to re-write the history after only four minutes of the game, when Argentina earned a penalty. But too much pressure affected even the greatest one, and Messi missed the whole goal. But it was to be Lionel’s night after all. In the 38th minute, he got into a scoring position and without overthinking just instinctively took a shot and went into a legend – 17 goals at the World Cups. He surpassed Miroslav Klose (16), but Kylian Mbappe is already closing in with 14 goals. Just to keep the Frenchman at bay (for now), the Argentinian scored another one in the 95th minute and so far has five goals in two games.If somebody is also interested in..

The initial fears proved to be correct — unfortunately for Germany and Nico Schlotterbeck. He underwent an MRI scan, which confirmed a tear of the medial ligament in his ankle. As originally suspected, the defender’s World Cup is over. Schlotterbeck started both against Curacao and in Germany’s clash with Ivory Coast. During the latter match, he felt a sharp pain in the first half. Medical staff treated him and applied ice, but he quickly realized he would be unable to continue. Julian Nagelsmann substituted him at halftime and admitted afterward that the situation did not look promising. The German camp waited for the final diagnosis, and the news was as bad as expected. It will not be welcomed in Dortmund either. The Borussia Dortmund center-back faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines and is expected to be out for at least two months while recovering from the injury.Germany’s Joker topples Elephants – Undav took Germany through in half an hourThe damage to his left ankle has ruled Sc..

Tusker FC chairman Charles Gacheru has revealed the three key areas that require strengthening ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup (CAF CC) campaign.The Brewers booked a place in the continental tourney following their 2-1 Mozzart Bet Cup final win over Kenya Police FC.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsContinental football certainly comes with the demand for quality players, something that the experienced administrator is well aware of.##NAJAVA_MECA_9811617##Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Gacheru disclosed the positions that the team will be shopping for in the current transfer window.“Ian Simiyu is good upfront, but we probably need a good striker to combine with him. We also need someone to help strengthen Erambo (Chris) in midfield, while Momanyi (Charles) may also need another strong partner at the back,” said Gacheru. Tusker enters the market, a confident lot, knowing that their participation in continental football gives them an edge over teams that will only be playing lo..

The meteoric rise in the number of Instagram followers of Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha, which rose from 40,000 before the opening World Cup game against Spain to more than 15,000,000 at the moment, perfectly encapsulates how the Blue Sharks captured everyone’s attention.After a sensational 0-0 draw against Spain in their first-ever World Cup game, Cape Verde won another point against favourites and two-time winners Uruguay (2-2), and are in contention for the Round of 32. For a population of under 525,000 people spread across 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago, that would be not just a dream come true, but much more than that.Dark horses strike again as Cape Verde frustrate UruguayAt the moment, they’re third in Group H, level with Uruguay on two points. They will face Saudi Arabia on Saturday in their final group-stage game (3 am). A victory against Saudis will be enough for them to seal progression.Even a draw could be enough in theory, as eight of the 12 best third-plac..

Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their pursuit of Sandro Tonali by opening talks with Newcastle United over a potential blockbuster move for the Italian midfielder.Spurs have admired Tonali for some time, but direct club-to-club contact signals a significant escalation in their efforts to bring the 26-year-old to north London. It also serves as a clear statement of intent from Roberto De Zerbi, who has identified the Newcastle star as one of his priority targets.The race for Tonali’s signature is far from straightforward.Life after Rodri and Bernardo: City step up interest in TonaliManchester City remain firmly in contention and continue to monitor the situation closely, while discussions between the player’s representatives and both clubs are ongoing as they attempt to find common ground on personal terms.Newcastle, meanwhile, are under no pressure to sell.Tonali remains under contract until 2029, with the club also holding an option to extend his deal by a further year. As a result,..

AFC Leopards and Ulinzi Stars are reportedly locked in a transfer battle for former Kenya junior international midfielder Teddy Osok, who is seeking a full return to competitive football after a lengthy spell away from the top level.Osok is understood to be weighing his options as both FKF Premier League sides have expressed strong interest in securing his signature ahead of the new campaign.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsOsok says he hasn’t agreed to any terms yet but is confident the new week will have him in new colours for the 2026/27 season.‘’I cannot say I have committed to anyone yet but I will in the coming few days. I am fit now, and have been for a while as I prepare to get back to what I love doing,’’ says the midfielder.##NAJAVA_MECA_9807192##Sources close to Leopards say they had Osok involved in training sessions before the season ended, although no formal agreement has been reached yet between the two parties.“Nothing has been finalized at the moment. He had..