The Sea Robbers were once again lethal as they managed a Premier Soccer League win over Durban City on Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Meanwhile, there was a palpable sigh of relief for Pirates fans who saw Mbekezile Mbokazi back into the starting line-up again. For a week now, the centre-back has been a subject of intense debate, as reports had indicated he was closer to the exit door, reportedly on his way to Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.
Manchester United are falling behind their rivals at academy level due to poor facilities and trouble recruiting staff, according to a new report. The club is renowned for developing young talent but that reputation is at risk amid a lack of players pushing for places in Ruben Amorim's first-team squad at the moment, while there is concern among staff about the direction the academy is heading in.
Amakhosi welcomed their Egyptian opponents to the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, 29 November, marking their first home clash in the continental competition’s group stages. The Soweto giants sought redemption after opening their campaign with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Al Masry last weekend.
Keira Walsh has explains that her leadership will be a change from England team-mate Leah Williamson as she prepares to captain her country against China. The Lionesses will entertain the Steel Roses on Saturday at a sold-out Wembley Stadium, with Walsh set to skipper the side. Ahead of this encounter, the Chelsea ace admits she has had to adjust to this new role in Williamson's absence.
Arne Slot's days at Liverpool are numbered, according to former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann. The Dutchman guided the Merseyside giants to the Premier League title in his debut season at Anfield but Liverpool's title defence lies in tatters with six defeats in the opening 12 league games of the season. And on a dire run of form, it's perhaps only a matter of time before Slot is shown the exit.
Former Spain star Gaizka Mendieta believes that Martin Zubimendi is becoming just as important to Arsenal as Rodri has been for years at Manchester City. The Gunners completed a £52 million move for the Real Sociedad midfielder over the summer, despite stiff competition from Real Madrid. Now, only being at the club for a few months, he is already being hailed as a vital component to their success.
Wrexham, owned by Hollywood icons Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been boosted by a public grant from the government of Wales worth an astonishing £18 million. The funding is set to help the club in their ambitions to rebuild StoK Cae Ras into a world-class arena that meets UEFA's stadium requirements, with the goal of hosting prominent international fixtures in the future.
Neymar went against advice from doctors to play through on for Santos as they secured a crucial win in their bid to beat the drop from Brazil's top flight. Santos hosted Brasileirao footers Sport Recife and secured what could prove to be a vital three points as they look to stave off the threat of relegation. And Neymar was key in a 3-0 victory that may have ended the forward's season.
The 23-year-old centre-back has been unfortunate to suffer a long-term injury just when he had established himself as a key figure for both club and country. As a result, his continental ambitions for this year have taken a heavy knock, halting what had been some steady progress. Still, he remains determined to fully recover and represent his country on the global stage.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Gabriel Jesus is nearing a first-team return after 10 months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Brazilian has been working his way back to fitness but hasn't featured for the Gunners since January. However, after playing in a behind-closed-doors match this week, he is inching nearer to becoming available once again.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the reason that Carlo Ancelotti never wanted to be Manchester United manager. Solskjaer was United boss between 2018 and 2021, a period in which Ancelotti was head coach of Everton. Solskjaer has admitted why the legendary Italian boss would never take on the United job, explaining what happened in a game between United and the Toffees.
Brighton have been forced to issue an apology after winger Kaoru Mitoma and an academy talent posed for a picture with an image of an infamous Japanese WWII soldier. The post sparked huge backlash on social media, particularly in China, as the Premier League side 'sincerely apologised' for any offence caused by the post in question, uploaded as part of the academy's participation in the Premier League Christmas Truce Tournament.
Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller has received an apology after his appearance was mocked by a Go Ahead Eagles player in their Europa League game on Thursday. Second-half substitute Victor Edvardsen was booked shortly after gesturing at the German international's nose during the 4-0 defeat. The Swede was heavily criticised on social media and, after the Dutch club also handed him a fine, he issued an apology.
While Sundowns dropped points for the first time at the group stage, MC Alger gained a point after an initial loss to Al Hilal. This was a crucial match for both Downs and Mokwena, as they met for the first time since parting ways over one year ago. Masandawana remain at the top of the table, but that could change depending on the result of the other group games.
Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lifted the lid on a single appearance that changed the course of his entire career. The striker moved to United in July 1996, joining from Norwegian side Molde for just £1.5m, winning the Champions League three years later. But it could have been so different, revealing the Manchester giants weren't the only English side interested in securing his services almost three decades ago.
Ahead of Manchester United's Premier League against an in-form Crystal Palace side on Sunday, head coach Ruben Amorim has publicly voiced his desire to bolster his squad with more wing-backs who can offer the same attacking punch as Amad Diallo. The 23-year-old is now the first-choice right wing-back at Old Trafford, although onookers have often criticised Amorim for limiting his potential by playing him out of position.
Former Manchester United stars Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have revealed their first impressions of Juan Sebastian Veron. The mercurial Argentine moved to Old Trafford for a British record transfer fee in 2001 after shining for Parma and Lazio in Italy, but the midfielder struggled to adjust to the rigours of English football with both United and later Chelsea.
The Bafana Bafana legend arrived in the East African country in March 2025 fresh from a stint at three-time European champions Manchester United. Taking charge of the Harambee Stars marked his first venture into national team management. However, a disastrous result earlier in November has placed him under intense scrutiny. Now, the Cape Town-born football great faces growing pressure to steady the team and prove he can thrive in international coaching.
Ellie Roebuck has returned to the England squad for meetings with China and Ghana, the FA has confirmed. The Aston Villa stopper replaces Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating due to injury, her first time being selected by the Lionesses since shortly after the 2023 World Cup. In the intervening years, Roebuck's health issues had put her entire career in severe jeopardy.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed that the intense protests and backlash over the summer signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea sparked a fierce determination in the 23-year-old. Having only just returned from an extended injury layoff, Madueke is beginning to win over the Arsenal faithful, with Arteta admitting he made it his personal mission to support the winger through the challenging period.
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is in contention to face Crystal Palace on Sunday having returned to full fitness following a lengthy injury layoff. The Argentine suffered an ACL injury against Palace at Old Trafford back in February. Having made the matchday squad against Everton on Monday, Ruben Amorim has confirmed that signals his availability moving forward.
Marc Cucurella has helped Estevao along massively since the teenager arrived at Chelsea, contributing to his explosion of form. The Blues agreed a deal with Brazilian side Palmeiras to sign the youngster last year but he was unable to move to Stamford Bridge until after his 18th birthday back in April. Estevao has since made a huge impact in west London, quickly established as a fan favourite.
Voices have been raised from within the Liverpool dressing room during the club's alarming ongoing slump, according to a report on Saturday morning. The Red have lost nine of their last 12 games, and a handful of players have seemingly had enough. Pressure is continuing to mount on head coach Arne Slot as Liverpool struggle in the Dutchman's second season.
GOAL gives you the details to follow Amakhosi's CAF Champions League hosting of the Egyptian giants at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday. The Soweto giants opted to take this Group D match to Limpopo instead of their home in Gauteng. They are coming from 2-1 defeat by Al Masry in their first group game and their opponents Zamalek are on a high after edging ZESCO United 1-0.
Durban City are gearing up for a fierce showdown when they host a ruthless Soweto outfit at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. The Durban side will be hoping to sign off their final home match of the first half of the 2025/26 campaign in style and, with a bit of luck, push themselves up into fourth place.
Meanwhile, Pirates will arrive intent on guarding their winning streak and ensuring their momentum doesn’t take a knock.
Former Manchester United forward Louis Saha believes that although Viktor Gyokeres "has done well so far" since making a big-money move to Arsenal from Sporting CP over the summer, he "has had it easy in some ways." Saha has urged the Swedish international to prove his mettle "when the pressure in on", claiming that he "needs to be the final piece of the puzzle" for Mikel Arteta and co.
Peter Crouch has hit out at Liverpool' defensive frailty after they lost another game in midweek. The Reds fell to a disappointing 4-1 home loss to PSV in the Champions League to extend their losing streak by three-goal margins to three matches. In that time, Liverpool have conceded 10 goals, and Crouch took aim at the defending champions as they look to rescue their season this weekend.
When Gian Piero Gasperini was unveiled as Roma's new coach back in June, he made a point of repeatedly stating that his first objective was getting the fans onside. The former Atalanta coach may have worked miracles in Bergamo but he's always been a bit of a divisive figure, so his appointment certainly wasn't met with universal approval among the supporters.
Ruben Amorim complained earlier this season that his 3-4-3 formation is always to blame whenever Manchester United lose but on the rare occasion they win, his tactics are not credited. The coach's system has been the No. 1 talking point since he took charge of the Red Devils, with many believing it cannot work in the Premier League. But Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is proving otherwise.
As Curtis Jones admitted on Wednesday, Liverpool are "in the sh*t" right now. The humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat at home to PSV means the ragged Reds have now lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions and the common consensus is that Arne Slot is only still in a job because he won the Premier League last season. But how have Liverpool gone from champs to chumps in just six months?