Sports
Pirates Stretch Lead, Sundowns Held In PSL
Orlando Pirates increased their lead at the top of the South African Premiership table to two points yesterday despite being held 0-0 at home by struggling Bidvest Wits. The Buccaneers disappointing performance at Orlando Stadium came a couple of hours after long-time pacesetters Mamelodi Sundowns suffered a second straight loss when going down 1-0 at bottom-half Maritzburg United.
It was the second goalless league draw within four days for title holders Pirates and the second defeat in the same period for record five-time champions Sundowns. SuperSport United, who won three titles in a row before surrendering the crown to Pirates last season, gained most from the front runners’ slip-ups as they climbed to third place with a 2-1 home win over Ajax Cape Town.
Moroka Swallows, Free State Stars and Kaizer Chiefs are also in contention with four rounds left after this weekend. Former African champions Pirates have 48 points, Sundowns 46, SuperSport 45, Swallows 43, Free State 42 and Chiefs 40 with Swallows having one game in hand and Chiefs two games.
With 11 points from their last five matches, Pirates were hot favourites to overcame a Wits side that has taken just one point from the same number of games, but the thrilling title chase took another unexpected turn. Backed by impressive Zimbabwean goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro, Wits defence stood firm with Ugandan Timothy Batabaire shackling former Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United striker Benni McCarthy.
Maritzburg followed up a shock midweek triumph over Chiefs by defeating Sundowns 1-0 in Indian Ocean city Port Elizabeth with Zimbabwean striker Cuthbert Malajila once more the match-winner. He broke Chiefs’ hearts with a late winner and left it even later against Mamelodi, getting behind the defence and beating goalkeeper Calvin Marlin at his near post nine minutes from time at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
SuperSport came from behind to edge Ajax 2-1 in northern city Polokwane with Malawian substitute Atusaye Nyondo grabbing the 84th-minute winner and Rowen Fernandez denying Matthew Booth a late equaliser through an acrobatic save.
Some members of the 2023 and 2025 sets of Nigeria’s men’s U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, have called on the Nigeria Football Federation to settle all their outstanding qualification bonuses and camp allowances for major tournaments over the past three years, Tidesports source reports.
The Tidesports source understands that the two squads, which featured in the WAFU B Cup, U-20 AFCON and the U-20 World Cup in 2023 and 2025, are still owed qualification bonuses for participating in six major tournaments within the period, as well as pre-tournament camp allowances covering about 65 days.
Led by coach Ladan Bosso, the Flying Eagles qualified for the 2023 U-20 AFCON and also beat the Benin Republic in the final of the WAFU B Cup. They finished third at the U-20 AFCON in Egypt and also qualified for the U-20 World Cup in Argentina, where they were beaten by South Korea in the quarter-finals.
Two years later, under coach Aliyu Zubair, the team lost the WAFU B Cup final 1–0 to Ivory Coast but had already done enough to qualify for the U-20 AFCON. They defeated Senegal on penalties to reach the semi-finals and secure a World Cup ticket. They eventually finished fourth at the tournament before being eliminated at the World Cup in Chile after a 4–0 defeat to Argentina in the round of 16.
According to a source within the federation, the promised qualification bonus for each tournament was $5,000 per player and member of the backroom staff, while pre-tournament camp allowances were $100 per day.
The Tidesports source further understands that the NFF promised the teams qualification bonuses after the Amaju Pinnick-led board scrapped match bonuses for all age-grade teams in 2017.
However, some team members claim the NFF is only interested in paying daily allowances and not the qualification bonuses.
“We have information that they don’t want to pay all the money. We are told Tidesports source they only want to pay the outstanding daily allowances, which may mean avoiding the qualification bonuses. In 2023, there are about 25 days of outstanding allowances, which is about $2,500 each, and in 2025, there are about 40 days, amounting to $4,000 each,” one of the members of the team said.
Another source told The PU that the NFF is moving to offset the debts ahead of its elective congress.
“At the last executive meeting, they said it was important to reduce some of the debts, especially at the Flying Eagles level, so it will not be used against them during the elections,” the source said.
In response, the General Secretary of the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, told The Tidesports source that the federation is working to settle the payments accordingly.
“If I were them, I would have waited to see. What evidence do they have that the NFF is planning to neglect part of the money?” Sanusi said.
Asked if the NFF would pay everything soon, he added, “It can’t be all at once, but a substantial amount will be paid. All the matches they took part in were approved, and we are working with that.”
The NFF has also been rocked by bonus issues involving the Super Eagles during the 2025 AFCON and the ill-fated 2026 World Cup playoffs.
In 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports also summoned top NFF officials over the Flying Eagles’ bonuses and allowances.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
-
Sports10 minutes ago
NFF Reacts As Flying Eagles Laments Unpaid N1.5bn Bonuses
-
Business5 minutes ago
IGR Firm Applauds Akpe’s Appointment As New D’Gov
-
Niger Delta5 minutes ago
Tinubu Set To Unveil Projects In Bayelsa, Today
-
Niger Delta5 minutes ago
Okpebholo Urges Edo Youths To Join Nigerian Army Recruitment
-
Niger Delta4 minutes ago
Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River
-
Niger Delta4 minutes ago
Edo Defends 18-month Record, Cites Gains In Other Sectors