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Sundowns, Pirates dominate South Africa World Cup squad

PRETORIA: Recent major trophy winners Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates dominated the South Africa 2026 World Cup squad named in Pretoria on Wednesday with eight players each. Sundowns won the CAF Champions League a second time last Sunday, defeating Moroccan rivals FAR Rabat 2-1 on aggregate in the final. A day earlier, Pirates were crowned South African Premiership champions for the first time since 2012, ending a run of eight consecutive league titles by Sundowns. A surprise omission was Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen, whose outstanding form helped his club finish third behind Pirates and Sundowns in the Premiership. He was set to be called up for World Cup warm-up matches against Panama two months ago, only to be sidelined by appendix surgery. Belgian coach Hugo Broos included 19 local players in his 26-man squad, five play in Europe and two in the United States. Among the 10 African qualifiers, Egypt are the only other nation that will rely largely on home-based stars. There were 18 in a preliminary squad of 27 chosen by coach Hossam Hassan. Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams will captain South Africa, who face co-hosts Mexico in the World Cup opener on June 11, then tackle the Czech Republic and South Korea. Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 32 in a tournament boasting a record 48 teams.

South Africa name two uncapped players in World Cup squad

May 27 : South Africa named uncapped defenders Olwethu Makhanya and Bradley Cross in their final squad for the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday, while there is also a place for 36-year-old playmaker Themba Zwane.

Morocco’s Hakimi among 9 picked for World Cup returning from historic 2022 squad

RABAT: Paris Saint-Germain standout Achraf Hakimi was among nine players from Morocco’s history-making 2022 World Cup squad picked Tuesday for the 2026 tournament in North America. Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who was hired only in March, drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe where the majority of the 26 players he selected were born. Ouahbi was himself born in Belgium while Hakimi and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz are among five players in the squad born in Spain and whose family ties make them eligible for Morocco. Three of Morocco’s squad — Fulham defender Issa Diop, PSV Eindhoven defender Anass Salah-Eddine and 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi — had their change of national eligibility approved by FIFA in the past nine months. Diaz has played for Morocco since 2024 after previously representing Spain. Morocco will be based in New Jersey where they open against Brazil on June 13 in East Rutherford. Morocco then play Scotland in Massachusetts and finish Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.

De Minaur faces rising star Blockx at French Open, Svitolina downplays title talk

PARIS, May 26 : The French Open second round gets under way on Wednesday with a mouth-watering lineup featuring four-times champion Iga Swiatek and 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic.

After AFCON drama, Morocco head to World Cup with big ambitions

PARIS, France: Morocco produced a historic best performance for an African and Arab nation at the 2022 World Cup, but their hopes of another run to the latter stages this time may not have been helped by a turbulent few months. The Atlas Lions reached the semifinals in Qatar, eliminating Spain on penalties in the last 16 and knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals. Their remarkable run ended in defeat to France, before they lost the third-place play-off against Croatia. Morocco were a surprise package then, having only previously made the knockout stage of a World Cup once, when they reached the last 16 in Mexico in 1986. This time is different: they are ranked eighth in the world, in between the Netherlands and Belgium, and two places above Germany. At home, supporters want to see their side play more expansive football than the largely defensive style which proved so effective in 2022. Walid Regragui was the mastermind of Morocco’s run in Qatar, but he left the coaching job in March, six weeks after his side lost a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal. With home advantage, Morocco were favorites to win that competition but appeared to blow it when Brahim Diaz — their outstanding performer — failed to score a penalty deep in injury time in the final in Rabat. Senegal were so furious at the decision to give the spot-kick that most of their players stormed off the pitch. They eventually came back on, an unsettled Diaz had his kick saved, and Morocco lost 1-0 in extra time. Having faced criticism from a demanding public and media, Regragui departed to be replaced by Mohamed Ouahbi. Born and raised in Brussels, Ouahbi was promoted to the top coaching role after overseeing Morocco’s triumph

Iran's national soccer team to commute to U.S.-hosted World Cup games from Mexico

Iran's national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the U.S. on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament, Mexican President ‌Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.

Mexico’s president sees ‘no issue’ with her country hosting Iran’s World Cup team during tournament

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that she has “no issue” with her country hosting Iran’s World Cup team after its training base was moved from the United States to Mexico for the summer soccer competition.

Iran to commute to World Cup games from Mexico after US refusal, Sheinbaum says

MEXICO CITY, May 25 : Iran's national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the U.S. on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.

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Belgium Sport News

Sundowns, Pirates dominate South Africa World Cup squad

South Africa name two uncapped players in World Cup squad

Morocco’s Hakimi among 9 picked for World Cup returning from historic 2022 squad

De Minaur faces rising star Blockx at French Open, Svitolina downplays title talk

After AFCON drama, Morocco head to World Cup with big ambitions

Iran's national soccer team to commute to U.S.-hosted World Cup games from Mexico

Mexico’s president sees ‘no issue’ with her country hosting Iran’s World Cup team during tournament

Iran to commute to World Cup games from Mexico after US refusal, Sheinbaum says