South Africa vs Eritrea in the Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 6 stage in the 2027 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 2027-03-28T16:00:00Z. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for South Africa and Eritrea. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification
South Africa RSARecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
South Africa vs Eritrea in the Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 6 stage in the 2027 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 2027-03-28T16:00:00Z. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for South Africa and Eritrea. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Africa Cup of Nations - QualificationSouth Africa RSARecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Raúl Jiménez marked his return to Wolves with the stoppage-time equaliser that saved them from an embarrassing start to their return to the Championship. The Mexico striker, who scored against England during the World Cup, came off the bench to convert a penalty given for handball by Ryan Alebiosu that would have had VAR questioning whether the defender was in the area when Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross struck his arm.One minor consolation from Wolves’ relegation is that the video assistant referee is no longer their problem. Jiménez, who had bought scarves for all supporters in the South Bank in gratitude for their welcome home, tucked away his first goal in this second spell for the club he graced during their recent heyday before leaving for Fulham. Continue reading...
Kick off the new season in the Championship, League One and League Two with our 16-question quiz By The Football MineThis is a quiz by Richard Foster, who presents the It Started With A Kick podcast and edits The Football Mine. Continue reading...
Manchester United 1-1 Leeds (5-4 on pens)First game between two English clubs at Croke ParkWith blazing sunshine fading over a hot Dublin day, this penultimate friendly for Manchester United and Leeds United felt like a pre-season game on a far continent, not one staged a few hundred miles from the teams’ home across the Irish Sea.The phoney-war element is always present whatever the locale, as players sharpen technique and fitness, so when Joshua Zirkzee’s instant left-foot shot met Diogo Dalot’s zipped-in cross and James Trafford saved low, all involved could be satisfied. Continue reading...
PSG and Aston Villa decide the first champion of the European season at the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final, where Omar Artan will be the match referee. The man in the middle for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup 2026 final between PSG and Aston Villa is Omar Artan, a 34-year-old Somali official who becomes the first non-European referee to take charge of the fixture in its history. Artan was appointed to the match in Salzburg, Austria, in what marks his first assignment on a European pitch. The appointment carries extra weight given what Artan went through just months earlier. He was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with U.S. authorities citing security concerns. The incident forced him out of officiating at the tournament and sparked outrage back home. Reflecting on the experience, Artan told UEFA: “A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging“. On his Super Cup appointment, he added: “I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here and I’m really proud“. Artan’s refereeing record Artan has built one of the most decorated résumés among African officials in recent years. He became the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024, a milestone for a country with limited footballing infrastructure, and was subsequently recognized as Africa’s leading referee for his performances that season. #SuperCup referee Omar Artan has touched down in Salzburg 🇸🇴🛬🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/t4mwbPwFEZ— UEFA (@UEFA) August 10, 2026 His CV also includes the 2025 CAF Champions League final, one of the most prestigious club fixtures on the continent, before FIFA selected him for the 2026 World Cup — an appointment that never materialized due to his U.S. entry denial. Wednesday’s Super Cup final now stands as the biggest match of his career to date, and his first ever in Europe. The full officiating team for PSG vs Aston Villa Artan will be assisted on the touchline by Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti as first assistant referee and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya as second assistant, while Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovič takes charge as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Marco Di Bello of Italy will serve as the Video Assistant Referee, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernández of Spain assisting him as AVAR — rounding out a team that, like Artan himself, reflects just how far UEFA has widened its pool of match officials for its showpiece fixtures.
Ebullient manager takes his side to Salzburg to cross swords with the European champions in the Super CupOne thing was almost instantly detectable as Unai Emery walked into a stuffy room inside the Red Bull Arena on the eve of Wednesday’s Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. After a summer of change, Aston Villa’s manager appeared uber-relaxed, confident his team will absorb a series of headline departures. He cracked a joke about his English improving and poked fun at John McGinn, impersonating his captain while next to him on the auditorium’s top table.Emery was in a jovial mood, then. But he was also switched on, alert to the frequency, the tone of the wave of questions at the beginning of his fourth full season in the job. “You ask about the changes of coaches and players, but McGinn is intelligent and his answer was fantastic,” Emery said with a smile. “When he arrived here [in 2018] they were in the Championship and every year since there have been changes and still the club has moved forward. Continue reading...
Inter Miami await the return of Germán Berterame, who — despite being cleared by Guillermo Hoyos as recovered — still needs the green light from the federation. Inter Miami are edging closer to getting German Berterame back on the field, with head coach Guillermo Hoyos offering an encouraging update on the striker’s recovery from the head injury he suffered last month. Speaking in a press conference ahead of the Leagues Cup clash against Club Leon, Hoyos referred to the forward’s situation. “Berterame is recovered, we’re waiting on the timelines the federation determines, but we have a few more days,” the coach explained. Berterame’s injury occurred on July 25 during Inter Miami’s MLS win over CF Montreal, when he collided with defender Efrain Morales while contesting a cross. The Mexican international was knocked unconscious and had to be stretchered off before being taken to a hospital. He missed roughly two weeks of action before returning to training with the club on August 7. According to Hoyos, Berterame has now been cleared physically, but his official return to play still hinges on the federation’s own concussion protocol timeline rather than the club’s internal medical staff. Medics carry German Berterame #19 of Inter Miami CF into an ambulance. (Getty Images) Unlike Lionel Messi‘s uncertain return date, which remains open-ended, Berterame’s case appears to be nearing its final stretch, with Hoyos suggesting the forward could be available again within days rather than weeks. MLS’s concussion protocol: How the league handles head injuries MLS activates a strict set of procedures whenever a player takes a blow to the head during a match. The league runs a Medical Spotter Program, in which trained medical staff monitor live video feeds throughout every game specifically looking for signs of a possible head injury. If a Spotter identifies what the league classifies as a “Mandatory Observable Sign,” they immediately flag the incident to the Venue Medical Director, who is then required to review the footage before conducting an on-field assessment. Crucially, a player cannot return to the match until the Venue Medical Director has both reviewed the available video and cleared them through that on-field evaluation. From there, MLS relies on the HEADCHECK platform — described as the digital backbone of the league’s concussion policy — to track symptom checklists and monitor the player’s return-to-sport progress in the days and weeks that follow, which is the process Berterame has been working through since his collision with Montreal.
Despite leading South Africa to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, Hugo Broos has decided to leave his position. The post South Africa announce Broos exit following historic World Cup campaign appeared first on SoccerNews.
With the MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star Game set to begin on Wednesday, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul are the two most notable absences for the event in Charlotte. The MLS All-Star team is set to square off against the Liga MX All-Stars on Wednesday, July 29, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for the eighth edition of the North American showcase match. As anticipation builds ahead of kickoff, the absence of Inter Miami superstars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul stands out as the most glaring omission from tonight’s rosters. Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will not feature in the 2026 All-Star Game after receiving official load-management clearance from Major League Soccer. The decision stems directly from their grueling summer run at the 2026 World Cup, where the Argentine duo played through the final on July 19, leaving them without an adequate offseason recovery window. Having pushed through to the final against Spain, Inter Miami worked with league officials to coordinate an authorized rest period for the pair. Thanks to this special exemption, neither Messi nor De Paul will face disciplinary action or league-mandated suspensions, avoiding the situation Messi encountered last season following an unsanctioned absence. Having been granted time off from the midsummer exhibition, both Argentine stars received extended downtime following their international duties. Messi officially returned to Inter Miami’s training facility on Wednesday to begin his ramp-up period, while De Paul has yet to rejoin the squad under manager Guillermo Hoyos. POV: Morning greetings with the squad 😁☀️ pic.twitter.com/1ZAodv1BW4— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 29, 2026 With the superstars sitting out, rookie midfielder Yannick Bright will serve as Inter Miami’s sole representative on the MLS All-Star squad. Even without Messi, the roster boasts plenty of star power, headlined by LAFC’s Son Heung-min and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Muller making their All-Star debuts, alongside forwards Sam Surridge (Nashville SC) and Petar Musa (FC Dallas). Noteworthy absences for the MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star Game Messi and De Paul lead a high-profile list of missing marquee names for tonight’s exhibition, particularly notable given that Messi has yet to participate in an All-Star Game since arriving in MLS in 2023. However, several other featured stars from both leagues will also sit out tonight’s contest. On the MLS side, Chicago Fire defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi was ruled out following his World Cup run with South Africa. Liga MX suffered notable hits as well: Pumas UNAM goalkeeper Keylor Navas will miss out due to a knee injury setback, while 17-year-old Tijuana prodigy Gilberto Mora was dropped from the squad without an official explanation from his club or the league.
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Raúl Jiménez marked his return to Wolves with the stoppage-time equaliser that saved them from an embarrassing start to their return to the Championship. The Mexico striker, who scored against England during the World Cup, came off the bench to convert a penalty given for handball by Ryan Alebiosu that would have had VAR questioning whether the defender was in the area when Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross struck his arm.One minor consolation from Wolves’ relegation is that the video assistant referee is no longer their problem. Jiménez, who had bought scarves for all supporters in the South Bank in gratitude for their welcome home, tucked away his first goal in this second spell for the club he graced during their recent heyday before leaving for Fulham. Continue reading...
Kick off the new season in the Championship, League One and League Two with our 16-question quiz By The Football MineThis is a quiz by Richard Foster, who presents the It Started With A Kick podcast and edits The Football Mine. Continue reading...
Manchester United 1-1 Leeds (5-4 on pens)First game between two English clubs at Croke ParkWith blazing sunshine fading over a hot Dublin day, this penultimate friendly for Manchester United and Leeds United felt like a pre-season game on a far continent, not one staged a few hundred miles from the teams’ home across the Irish Sea.The phoney-war element is always present whatever the locale, as players sharpen technique and fitness, so when Joshua Zirkzee’s instant left-foot shot met Diogo Dalot’s zipped-in cross and James Trafford saved low, all involved could be satisfied. Continue reading...
PSG and Aston Villa decide the first champion of the European season at the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final, where Omar Artan will be the match referee. The man in the middle for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup 2026 final between PSG and Aston Villa is Omar Artan, a 34-year-old Somali official who becomes the first non-European referee to take charge of the fixture in its history. Artan was appointed to the match in Salzburg, Austria, in what marks his first assignment on a European pitch. The appointment carries extra weight given what Artan went through just months earlier. He was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with U.S. authorities citing security concerns. The incident forced him out of officiating at the tournament and sparked outrage back home. Reflecting on the experience, Artan told UEFA: “A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging“. On his Super Cup appointment, he added: “I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here and I’m really proud“. Artan’s refereeing record Artan has built one of the most decorated résumés among African officials in recent years. He became the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024, a milestone for a country with limited footballing infrastructure, and was subsequently recognized as Africa’s leading referee for his performances that season. #SuperCup referee Omar Artan has touched down in Salzburg 🇸🇴🛬🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/t4mwbPwFEZ— UEFA (@UEFA) August 10, 2026 His CV also includes the 2025 CAF Champions League final, one of the most prestigious club fixtures on the continent, before FIFA selected him for the 2026 World Cup — an appointment that never materialized due to his U.S. entry denial. Wednesday’s Super Cup final now stands as the biggest match of his career to date, and his first ever in Europe. The full officiating team for PSG vs Aston Villa Artan will be assisted on the touchline by Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti as first assistant referee and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya as second assistant, while Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovič takes charge as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Marco Di Bello of Italy will serve as the Video Assistant Referee, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernández of Spain assisting him as AVAR — rounding out a team that, like Artan himself, reflects just how far UEFA has widened its pool of match officials for its showpiece fixtures.
Ebullient manager takes his side to Salzburg to cross swords with the European champions in the Super CupOne thing was almost instantly detectable as Unai Emery walked into a stuffy room inside the Red Bull Arena on the eve of Wednesday’s Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. After a summer of change, Aston Villa’s manager appeared uber-relaxed, confident his team will absorb a series of headline departures. He cracked a joke about his English improving and poked fun at John McGinn, impersonating his captain while next to him on the auditorium’s top table.Emery was in a jovial mood, then. But he was also switched on, alert to the frequency, the tone of the wave of questions at the beginning of his fourth full season in the job. “You ask about the changes of coaches and players, but McGinn is intelligent and his answer was fantastic,” Emery said with a smile. “When he arrived here [in 2018] they were in the Championship and every year since there have been changes and still the club has moved forward. Continue reading...
Inter Miami await the return of Germán Berterame, who — despite being cleared by Guillermo Hoyos as recovered — still needs the green light from the federation. Inter Miami are edging closer to getting German Berterame back on the field, with head coach Guillermo Hoyos offering an encouraging update on the striker’s recovery from the head injury he suffered last month. Speaking in a press conference ahead of the Leagues Cup clash against Club Leon, Hoyos referred to the forward’s situation. “Berterame is recovered, we’re waiting on the timelines the federation determines, but we have a few more days,” the coach explained. Berterame’s injury occurred on July 25 during Inter Miami’s MLS win over CF Montreal, when he collided with defender Efrain Morales while contesting a cross. The Mexican international was knocked unconscious and had to be stretchered off before being taken to a hospital. He missed roughly two weeks of action before returning to training with the club on August 7. According to Hoyos, Berterame has now been cleared physically, but his official return to play still hinges on the federation’s own concussion protocol timeline rather than the club’s internal medical staff. Medics carry German Berterame #19 of Inter Miami CF into an ambulance. (Getty Images) Unlike Lionel Messi‘s uncertain return date, which remains open-ended, Berterame’s case appears to be nearing its final stretch, with Hoyos suggesting the forward could be available again within days rather than weeks. MLS’s concussion protocol: How the league handles head injuries MLS activates a strict set of procedures whenever a player takes a blow to the head during a match. The league runs a Medical Spotter Program, in which trained medical staff monitor live video feeds throughout every game specifically looking for signs of a possible head injury. If a Spotter identifies what the league classifies as a “Mandatory Observable Sign,” they immediately flag the incident to the Venue Medical Director, who is then required to review the footage before conducting an on-field assessment. Crucially, a player cannot return to the match until the Venue Medical Director has both reviewed the available video and cleared them through that on-field evaluation. From there, MLS relies on the HEADCHECK platform — described as the digital backbone of the league’s concussion policy — to track symptom checklists and monitor the player’s return-to-sport progress in the days and weeks that follow, which is the process Berterame has been working through since his collision with Montreal.
Despite leading South Africa to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, Hugo Broos has decided to leave his position. The post South Africa announce Broos exit following historic World Cup campaign appeared first on SoccerNews.
With the MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star Game set to begin on Wednesday, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul are the two most notable absences for the event in Charlotte. The MLS All-Star team is set to square off against the Liga MX All-Stars on Wednesday, July 29, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for the eighth edition of the North American showcase match. As anticipation builds ahead of kickoff, the absence of Inter Miami superstars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul stands out as the most glaring omission from tonight’s rosters. Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will not feature in the 2026 All-Star Game after receiving official load-management clearance from Major League Soccer. The decision stems directly from their grueling summer run at the 2026 World Cup, where the Argentine duo played through the final on July 19, leaving them without an adequate offseason recovery window. Having pushed through to the final against Spain, Inter Miami worked with league officials to coordinate an authorized rest period for the pair. Thanks to this special exemption, neither Messi nor De Paul will face disciplinary action or league-mandated suspensions, avoiding the situation Messi encountered last season following an unsanctioned absence. Having been granted time off from the midsummer exhibition, both Argentine stars received extended downtime following their international duties. Messi officially returned to Inter Miami’s training facility on Wednesday to begin his ramp-up period, while De Paul has yet to rejoin the squad under manager Guillermo Hoyos. POV: Morning greetings with the squad 😁☀️ pic.twitter.com/1ZAodv1BW4— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 29, 2026 With the superstars sitting out, rookie midfielder Yannick Bright will serve as Inter Miami’s sole representative on the MLS All-Star squad. Even without Messi, the roster boasts plenty of star power, headlined by LAFC’s Son Heung-min and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Muller making their All-Star debuts, alongside forwards Sam Surridge (Nashville SC) and Petar Musa (FC Dallas). Noteworthy absences for the MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star Game Messi and De Paul lead a high-profile list of missing marquee names for tonight’s exhibition, particularly notable given that Messi has yet to participate in an All-Star Game since arriving in MLS in 2023. However, several other featured stars from both leagues will also sit out tonight’s contest. On the MLS side, Chicago Fire defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi was ruled out following his World Cup run with South Africa. Liga MX suffered notable hits as well: Pumas UNAM goalkeeper Keylor Navas will miss out due to a knee injury setback, while 17-year-old Tijuana prodigy Gilberto Mora was dropped from the squad without an official explanation from his club or the league.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
