Lions boss Van Rooyen makes minor changes to team for Dragons battle

Lions boss Ivan van Rooyen has tweaked his team for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Dragons at Ellis Park (4.30pm).

In all, there are four changes to the side that beat Edinburgh last weekend. Up front, Etienne Oosthuizen slots back into the second row after missing last week’s fixture due to illness and he’ll partner Reinhard Nothnagel, who replaces Darrien Landsburg in the lock pairing.

Also, in the front row, promising young prop RF Schoeman steps in for Springbok Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who is having his doping hearing at the moment.

In the only change at the back, Nico Steyn steps in for Morne van den Berg at scrumhalf, the latter man nursing a leg injury.

With Steyn moving into the starting team talented youngster Haashim Pead gets a chance from the bench. Also set to make an impact later on could be Sebastian Lombard (prop) and Ruan Delport (lock).

Soldiering on without Ntlabakanye

A win by the Lions and some other results going their way could see the Joburg side into third place on the points table.

Scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys said the Lions would miss the power of Ntlabakanye, but that they had sufficient cover up front.

“Asenathi is very important to us. He brings physicality and also leadership to the team,” said Redelinghuys.

“But when he is not here, the other guys have to take advantage of the opportunity they get. That is the only way the young guys grow. RF is a young prop who has played in many matches. He is still learning in every match,” he added.

“The set-pieces are the part of his game in which he still needs to learn the most; in the loose he plays like a wild dog,” the former Bok prop concluded.

The Lions will hope to end this block of fixtures on a high as from next week they’ll be on a two-week break before returning for two crucial home matches against Glasgow Warriors and Connacht.

Lions: Quan Horn, Angelo Davids, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Erich Cronje, Chris Smith, Nico Steyn, Francke Horn (capt), Ruan Venter, Siba Mahashe, Reinhard Nothnagel, Etienne Oosthuizen, RF Schoeman, PJ Botha, SJ Kotze. Bench: Morne Brandon, Eddie Davids, Sebastian Lombard, Ruan Delport, Batho Hlekani, Renzo du Plessis, Haashim Pead, Richard Kriel

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 26 – As Kenyan champions Nairobi City Thunder prepares to take it into the court in the sixth edition of the premier continental showpiece Basketball Africa League (BAL), here is a profile of the team that will do duty in the tip-off slated for Friday evening at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.

Thunder, who are featuring in their second tournament, will tip-off their campaign on Saturday at 4pm EAT against neighbors Dar City of Tanzania, who are making their debut.

The Kenyan champions are skippered by seasoned small forward Tylor Ogwae, and will be hoping to make improvement from last year’s performance, with their target being finishing in the top four to make it to the historic playoffs slated for Kigali.

Team Profile

TYLOR OGWAE

Position: small forward

Jersey Number: 12

Age: 34

Height: 6’7

Country: Kenyan

SHAHEED DAVIS

Position: small forward

Jersey Number: 2

Age: 32

Height: 6’9

Country: American

LANCE THOMAS

Position: power forward

Jersey Number: 24

Age: 37

Height: 6’10

Country: American

JOSH NZEAKOR

Position: power forward

Jersey Number: 11

Age: 28

Height: 6’8

Country: American-Nigerian

POWELL HARGOS

Position: point guard

Jersey Number: 4

Age: 19

Height: 6’1

Country: Kenyan

ALBERT ODERO

Position: shooting guard

Nickname: Kenya Airways

Jersey Number: 20

Age: 28

Height: 6’4

Country: Kenyan

GARANG DIING

Position: Combo guard

Jersey Number: 1

Age: 25

Height: 6’8

Country: South Sudan

ARIEL OKALL

Position: power forward

Jersey Number: 15

Age: 36

Height: 6’8

Country: Kenyan

EUGENE ADERA

Position: point guard

Jersey Number: 11

Age: 29

Height: 6’1

Country: Kenyan

DERRICK OGECHI

Position: shooting guard

Jersey Number: 0

Age: 27

Height: 6’3

Country: Kenyan

MUCHINA BRAMWEL

Position: power forward

Nickname: Debangoo

Jersey Number: 13

Age:

Height: 6’9

Country: Kenyan

FAHEEM JUMA

Position: small foward

Jersey Number: 34

Age:

Height: 6’7

Country: Kenyan

BRAD IBS

Position: Head Coach

Country: American

-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Pretoria, South Africa-

The post Team Profile: Know Your Nairobi City Thunder Team At BAL 6 In Pretoria appeared first on Capital Sports.

PARIS, France, March 26, 2026 – Senegal plan to parade the Africa Cup of Nations trophy before their game against Peru in Paris on Saturday, with the head of the country’s Football Federation vowing a “crusade” against the decision to strip the team of the title.

The Lions of Teranga claimed their second Afcon title on 18 January when they beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in a final which ended in chaotic scenes when the Senegal players walked off the pitch after their opponents were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

But last week the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned that result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.

On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) confirmed receipt of Senegal’s appeal against that decision, promising to rule “as swiftly as possible”.

“Faced with what amounts to the most blatant and unprecedented administrative robbery in the history of our sport, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) refuses to accept this as inevitable,” FSF president Abdoulaye Fall said at a media conference in the French capital.

Shortly before making his comments, FSF social media posted a timetable for events around Saturday’s friendly at the Stade de France which included a trophy parade.

“Senegal will not bend the knee and will not compromise its values,” added Fall. “Our fight now transcends the football pitch.”

Who has said what in Afcon row?

Following the controversial final in Rabat – in which Morocco and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz missed a Panenka penalty to win the match in the 114th minute – the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) immediately lodged a complaint with Caf and Fifa, claiming that Senegal leaving the field of play “greatly affected the normal course of the match and the players’ morale”.

Caf’s disciplinary committee initially rejected that appeal, instead issuing sanctions against both sides, including a five-match ban for Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw, on 29 January.

The FRMF said those original penalties did not “reflect the seriousness of the incidents”, and Caf’s appeal board agreed, releasing a statement on 17 March which said Senegal had contravened articles 82 and 84 of competition regulations.

Article 82 states that if a team “leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee”, they are eliminated.

Senegal’s government responded by calling for an investigation into “suspected corruption” at Caf, a claim rebuffed by the governing body’s president, Patrice Motsepe, who has been at pains to point out the appeal board’s independence.

“It is important that the decisions of our Caf disciplinary board and the Caf appeals board are viewed with respect and integrity,” he said.

The final decision on who claims the 2025 Afcon title now rests with Cas, sport’s highest judicial authority.

“To wage this moral and legal crusade, we have appointed a team of seasoned professionals with undeniable expertise,” Fall announced in Paris, flanked by members of the FSF legal team.

One of them, lawyer Seydou Diagne, called the decision to strip Senegal of their title “so blatant, so absurd, so irrational”.

“The decision of the appeals jury cannot even be considered a true decision of sporting justice,” he added.

“It is an unacceptable and intolerable attack on the fundamental rights of our national Football Federation.”

Fellow lawyer Juan Perez said: “A match that was over, whose result had been decided by the referee, now being re-refereed, administratively – that’s unprecedented. You haven’t seen anything like it. It could change the world of football.”

Caf recently updated the Afcon 2025 review on its website to list Morocco as winners, although that page now appears to have been taken down.

With Senegal refusing to relinquish the trophy, and with Saturday’s planned parade a sign of their contempt, the battle to be crowned African champions is far from over.

The post Senegal to parade Afcon trophy despite title being stripped appeared first on Capital Sports.

Orlando Pirates must swiftly move on from a disappointing draw against Siwelele, which leaves them with work to do in the title race.

Orlando Pirates drop points against Siwelele, thump Galaxy

The Sea Robbers had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Siwelele last Saturday, but followed that up with a 6-0 thrashing of TS Galaxy thanks to a Relebohile Mofokeng hat-trick. The Sea Robbers lead the way at the summit of the table, one point ahead of Sundowns, although the Buccaneers have played an extra match. Here’s what remains:

Orlando Pirates’ remaining fixtures

• Tuesday, 7 April vs Golden Arrows, Orlando Stadium – 19:30
• Friday, 10 April vs Richards Bay, Richards Bay Stadium – 19:30
• Saturday, 18 April vs AmaZulu FC, Orlando Stadium – 15:00
• Sunday, 26 April vs Kaizer Chiefs, FNB Stadium – 15:00
• Tuesday, 5 May vs Stellenbosch FC, Athlone Stadium – 19:30
• Saturday, 9 May vs Magesi FC, Seshego Stadium – 20:00
• Saturday, 16 May vs Durban City, Orlando Stadium – 15:00
• Saturday, 23 May vs Orbit College, Royal Bafokeng Stadium – 15:00

Nkota to Benfica or Kaizer Chiefs?

Meanwhile, according to Soccer Laduma, the future of former Orlando Pirates winger Mohao Nkota has taken a fresh new twist with Kaizer Chiefs throwing their name into the hat. Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq were initially keen to loan Nkota back to Orlando Pirates, but they’ve reconsidered. Nkota’s 2025-26 season in the SPL has been underwhelming, with two goals and three assists in 17 outings. Portuguese giants Benfica are also mentioned as a potential destination.

CONAKRY- Si le Premier ministre a impressionné par la démesure des chiffres du programme « Simandou 2040 », une lecture attentive de sa Déclaration de Politique Générale révèle des impasses thématiques majeures.

Entre un secteur sportif passé sous silence et une justice aux contours flous, l’ambition gouvernementale semble, par endroits, déconnectée des urgences sociales immédiates. Le discours d’Amadou Oury Bah hier au CNT était celui d’un bâtisseur de l’an 2040. Mais à force de regarder l’horizon des 152 milliards de dollars de PIB, le chef du gouvernement semble avoir enjambé plusieurs réalités concrètes du quotidien des Guinéens, notamment le sport.

Le Sport : Le grand « hors-jeu »

C’est sans doute l’omission la plus frappante pour une nation où le football est une religion et un vecteur d’unité nationale. Dans un document de 16 pages détaillant 122 mégaprojets, le sport est réduit à une simple « dimension du bien-être ».

• Zéro investissement spécifique : Alors que 100 milliards de dollars sont annoncés pour les transports, aucun budget n’est fléché vers la mise aux normes de nos stades ou la construction d’infrastructures sportives de proximité.

• Jeunesse sans terrains : Le mandat est dédié à la jeunesse, mais le sport n’est nulle part utilisé comme levier d’insertion ou de rayonnement international.

In Guineenews