Confederation of African Football and UEFA have signed a new agreement to improve football development in Africa and Europe.
The agreement was signed by CAF President Patrice Motsepe and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
The partnership will focus on important areas such as coaching education, referee training, youth football, and the growth of women’s football.
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The agreement is also expected to help improve football leagues and strengthen football administration across Africa.
Motsepe described the deal as an important moment for African football. He said the partnership would allow CAF to learn from UEFA’s experience and help improve football development on the continent.
Both organisations also plan to share knowledge, improve football facilities, and create better opportunities for players, coaches, and officials.
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The new agreement is seen as a long-term partnership that could help raise football standards and build stronger ties between Africa and Europe.
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has had his say after watching Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible
England and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes was left star-struck after he was acknowledged by Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible. The ex-midfielder also insists he has no regrets about witnessing the Rocket in action for just less than an hour, describing his visit to the World Snooker Championship as among the most memorable experiences of his life.
Scholes was left in awe as O’Sullivan gave him a nod at the end of the game, forcing the ex-United star to admit, “he knows who I am!” The former footballer’s revelation follows BBC snooker commentator John Parrot’s on-air apology to Scholes after his opportunity to watch the legend was abruptly curtailed as the Rocket dismantled his opponent in just over half an hour.
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O’Sullivan, who has toyed with retirement in recent times, was eventually knocked out by John Higgins in the quarter-finals of this year’s competition. Nevertheless, Scholes was present to witness the Rocket tear through He Guoqiang in the opening round.
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The seven-time world champion had raced into a 7-2 advantage following the first session and needed just three additional frames to complete a dominant victory.
Scholes was positioned in the front row for the second session of the match. During the encounter, the BBC cameras focused on the Premier League-winning icon, with Parrot saying: “A very interested spectator, one of England’s greatest midfielders, Paul Scholes, is here today to watch Ronnie. I’m sure he’ll be impressed with what he’s seen.”
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As O’Sullivan closed in on the win, the former snooker star added: “Paul Scholes might have enjoyed this but he’s only going to see three frames of it. Sorry Paul, this man is just too good.”
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, hosted by Paddy McGuinness, the United legend opened up about his longstanding desire to watch snooker’s greatest ever player perform on the legendary Crucible stage.
He revealed that the experience was so memorable that he had absolutely no regrets about it being over so quickly. “I wanted to go and do it for years, go and watch Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible” said Scholes. “I live an hour away (from the Crucible) so on my phone, had a look, see if I buy a ticket – there was one ticket left.
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“It’s three seats away from Ronnie – I’ve clicked on it, 450 quid, and I just thought ‘F*** it. I’m doing it’. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I don’t really get excited about much stuff, do I?
“But this was f*****g unbelievable. One of the best things I’ve ever done. Honestly, peace and quiet, I could have sat in that chair for two weeks. I swear to God, I could have watched every single game.
“He did it in about 45 minutes, got two centuries – absolute genius. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life, honestly. At one point, I got a bit giddy.
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“Do you know what? I was on a high for about three days after it. I’m still talking about it now, it’s one of the best things I’ve done in my life. Watching a genius at work like that, it’s unbelievable.”
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
In an interesting sequence of events, three former WWE Superstars have seemingly formed an official stable tonight on AEW Dynamite. They now look to go after championship gold.
FTR is currently feuding with Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, and they are set to compete in a high-stakes contest next month at AEW Double or Nothing. This will be a New York Street Fight, with an additional “I Quit” stipulation. The tag team titles will be on the line, and should Cope and Christian lose, they’ll retire as a duo.
But both Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler have found themselves in a feud with another top faction on the roster in The Conglomeration. Last week, tensions got high between them after running into each other on Collision. They got into it again earlier tonight, with both teams being at ringside for Adam Copeland and Christian Cage’s match against RPG Vice.
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Moments later, Stokely Hathaway was backstage and proposed an idea that he and FTR had come up with, which Tony Khan had already approved. This would feature a double jeopardy match next week on AEW Dynamite between Dax Harwood and Orange Cassidy.
If Cassidy wins, he will team up with either Roderick Strong or Kyle O’Reilly to take on FTR for the tag team titles. But if he loses, FTR and a third man will challenge the Conglomeration for the trios belts. They then revealed that the partner they had in mind would be Tommaso Ciampa.
Ciampa and FTR were rivals during their days in NXT, but now in AEW, their goals have aligned, and they look to have formed a partnership of sorts. They could prove to be formidable challengers for the Conglomeration, but this will all depend on Dax Harwood. This would be an interesting situation to watch out for as this will have major implications for several title scenes.
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If the two American stars do meet, several details would need to be resolved, including whether they would fight for Haney’s WBO welterweight world title or at a 144lb catchweight.
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Stevenson has, after all, previously claimed that he would only be willing to meet the likes of Haney, Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn at this particular catchweight.
It would therefore appear that there is still plenty of work to be done, though both champions have at least expressed an interest in their possible clash.
Stevenson claimed his WBO world super-lightweight title in January, jumping up from 135lbs to dethrone Teofimo Lopez with a dominant points victory.
Haney, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision triumph over Brian Norman Jr, who he dethroned in November to become a three-division world champion.
Based largely on this performance, two-weight world champion Bradley has claimed on his YouTube channel that, against Stevenson, Haney would find it immensely difficult to get the job done.
“I got Shakur. Shakur all day. Shakur is a pressure fighter… He puts that pressure on your ass.
“If Haney struggled with Lomachenko, he’s going to struggle against Shakur Stevenson.
“I told ya’ll, [Stevenson’s] the best fighter in the world.”
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Most would argue that Stevenson is more of a slick technician than an all-out pressure fighter, though his style is perhaps best described as versatile.
Apr 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante (53) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Andre Pallante allowed a run and five hits over six innings, Alec Burleson homered and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 5-4 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.
Pallante (3-2) did not walk a batter and fanned six.
Ivan Herrera went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for the Cardinals, who have won the first three games of the four-game series.
Spencer Horwitz homered for the Pirates, who lost their fourth straight.
St. Louis right-hander Riley O’Brien pitched the ninth for his eighth save with a big assist from left fielder Nathan Church, who leaped at the wall to snare Nick Gonzales’ long drive with a runner on for the final out.
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Oneil Cruz’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice in the eighth cut Pittsburgh’s deficit to 5-4.
Pinch hitter Nick Yorke’s two-run single with the bases loaded in the seventh pulled the Pirates within 5-3. Pittsburgh loaded the bases again in the inning, but JoJo Romero struck out Ryan O’Hearn and got Marcell Ozuna on a groundout.
Pirates starter Bubba Chandler (1-3) gave up three runs on three hits in five innings with four walks and six strikeouts. Four of the strikeouts came in the first two innings.
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J.J. Wetherholt’s run-scoring double in the third gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. It was St. Louis’ first hit, and it scored Ramon Urias, who had walked and moved to second on a flyout.
A two-out, two-run homer by Burleson in the fifth stretched the Cardinals’ lead to 3-0. He drove Chandler’s 1-1 slider to the opposite field in left-center an estimated 411 feet for his fourth home run. It also brought home Herrera, who had doubled.
Pittsburgh finally got to Pallante in the bottom of the fifth when Horwitz led off with his third homer. He took a 1-0 slider over the fence in center, an estimated 397 feet away.
The Cardinals added two in the seventh on RBI singles by Herrera and Jordan Walker to make it 5-1.
John Higgins moved a step closer to snooker history as he battled his way past Neil Robertson in the World Championship quarter-finals, leaving himself one victory away from becoming the oldest ever world finalist.
The 50-year-old will be the oldest semi-finalist since 52-year-old Ray Reardon in 1985 when he faces Shaun Murphy in the last four, beginning on Thursday afternoon, and a fifth world title is becoming a genuine possibility for the Scot.
Higgins trailed 2010 champion Robertson 9-7 heading into the final session but quickly eradicated that deficit with breaks of 66 and 77 before responding to the Australian’s run of 73 with two more frames to lead for the first time at 11-10.
(PA)
The frames were generally long and arduous but a trademark Higgins counter-clearance saw him snatch frame 22 by a point to move within one of victory beforefinally getting over the line in the next, just after 11pm, to triumph 13-10. It was a remarkable triumph and the tired-looking, but smiling, Scot gave a relieved wave to the crowd as he trudged off the arena floor.
Murphy and Zhao were locked at 8-8 heading into the final session, only for the Englishman to pull away in style, making breaks of 96, 80, 70 and 69 to secure a 13-10 triumph.
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“I knew going into it nothing but my best would do,” Murphy explained after booking a first semi-final appearance since 2021. “Thankfully, I found it in the third session, and I’m delighted. It’s one of the best wins of my career.”
Shaun Murphy was delighted to knock out the defending champion (PA)
Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen became the first man into the semi-finals in the morning session when he seized on an “unforgivable” blunder by Barry Hawkins to triumph 13-11.
Hawkins looked set to force a decider when he fluked a red and just needed to roll up behind the pink to leave his opponent in huge trouble, only to come up short and allow Allen to clear up for victory.
“It’s unforgivable not reaching it,” admitted Hawkins. “I was worried about over-hitting it, believe it or not. I didn’t want to twitch, throw a quick one in and push the white past. But I just didn’t go through the ball. I was just thinking, that’s it, game over. I was gutted, obviously. What a way to lose. It’s a horrible feeling, knowing that you played an absolutely terrible shot. It’s just gutting, a sinking feel, after such a long match and playing well for the most part.”
Allen will face Wu Yize in the last four, with both men bidding to reach their first world final, after the young Chinese talent did most of his damage in the afternoon session, building a 10-6 lead over Iran’s Hossein Vafaei and wrapping up a 13-8 winlater in the day.
Eddie Hearn believes he has a ‘giant’ on his books who can bring a heavyweight world title back to Matchroom Boxing.
The announcement of Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury later this year looks set to close out a generation and welcome the new school, with the likes of Moses Itauma and Fabio Wardley poised to become the heavyweight division’s big names.
The 6ft 6in Aussie stunned Bowie Tupou with a sickening uppercut just over a minute into their bout and finished it with a right hand as the referee was stepping in to stop the action. Thankfully, Tupou made it to his feet with the help of his team and will be checked out fully.
Post-fight, Hearn said fans in Melbourne were witnessing a future heavyweight world champion.
“That was one of the scariest knockouts I’ve seen. This guy has got devastating power. We know there’s levels above Bowie Tupou, but these are the kind of opponents you have to go through on the way to the top. They’re the kind of opponents you hope will give you rounds. You’re not gonna do rounds with Teremoana Teremoana.
“What you’re watching right now is a future world heavyweight champion. This is going to be a huge star. He’s not just got the personality, he’s not just got the dance moves, he can really fight and he’s got power in both hands. A giant of a man.”
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Hearn then said that he would like to headline his rising star back in Australia this coming July, though revealed that there has been interest to box him on a Saudi Arabia card. Teremoana himself reiterated a desire to win the Australian heavyweight title. Both statements point to a smart building phase ahead, rather than a rush to leap frog levels.
Lee Trevino, one of golf’s greatest players, is talking about his high regard for Jack Nicklaus, perhaps the greatest player, and Scottie Scheffler, the current top-ranked golfer, and he can illustrate that thought, though to help him, he needs another sport besides the one where all three claim their fame.
Volleyball.
Appearing on a video released Wednesday on the PGA Championships’ YouTube channel, Trevino was asked about several topics by host Rich Beem, who, like Trevino, is a PGA winner. They remembered Trevino’s start in golf. His victories. How he won them. The entire video is worth a watch, and you can do so here. One of the more interesting points, though, came when Beem asked Trevino what role Nicklaus played in his success.
Notably, Trevino said it was small, at least at the start. He knew Nicklaus’ standing. He knew what he needed to meet that. “You kind of pull your belt a little tighter,” Trevino said, in his Trevino way. That said, though, Trevino said he thought his humble beginnings had numbed him to any pressure — “I didn’t know what the hell pressure was,” he said — and that helped his play.
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Then came a moment at a Ryder Cup.
Trevino and Nicklaus were teammates, and one of the nights, there was a function, but Nicklaus was a no-show. Later, Trevino asked him about that. The event felt important.
But Nicklaus said his daughter had a volleyball match.
“And that’s when I realized,” Trevino said, “you know, there’s more to this game.”
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He went further on Nicklaus.
“I respect his golf, but I respect his fatherhood more,” Trevino said. “He was the best dad I have ever seen in my life.
“I learned a lot from him. I had kids in the beginning. I got divorced, [and] I never knew them because I was always on the golf course. When I married this young lady in ’83 and we had two kids, she looked at me and she says, ‘You’re going to help me raise these.’ And they went everywhere. But she pulled them. She would — no, no, she said, ‘We’re going to go see your dad.’ You know, ‘We’re going with your dad.’ And Friday nights, man, they were there, come home, the whole thing.
“And I knew exactly what Jack did. That gave me the vision of saying, ‘This is what Jack was doing.’”
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And Trevino said he sees Scheffler doing that, too.
As he’s won 20 PGA Tour events over the past four years, including four majors, Scheffler has often talked about his family. He most memorably did so during a lengthy answer at a press conference at last year’s Open Championship, where he said his family is his priority.
“I’m blessed to be able to come out here and play golf,” Scheffler said, “but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.
“This is not the be all, end all. This is not the most important thing in my life.”
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Trevino has noticed.
“Scottie said, ‘Listen, it’s just not this game,’” he said.
Here, Trevino ended his answer with a quick joke. After all, this is Trevino, who’s as skilled with his words as he is his golf.
“But I guess when you’re the GOAT, you say, ‘You can spend more time at home.’”
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Editor’s note: To watch the entire PGA Championships video with Trevino, please click here.
Football‘s power brokers meet in Vancouver on Thursday as FIFA convenes its 76th Congress, a high stakes gathering less than two months before the biggest World Cup ever opens across Canada, Mexico and the United States
The Iran war, World Cup logistical headaches and the unresolved question of Russia’s international ban are set to feature in discussions among roughly 1,600 delegates from more than 200 member associations.
Iran’s absence is already threatening to overshadow the meeting.
Officials from the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto earlier this week, abandoning their onward trip to Vancouver.
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Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj — a former member of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — and two colleagues flew home after being “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.
Canada, which designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2024, said Wednesday that individuals linked to the force were “inadmissible.”
“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” Canada’s immigration agency said in a statement.
The episode adds fresh uncertainty to Iran’s World Cup status, already clouded since the Middle East war erupted on February 28 with a wave of attacks by the United States and Israel.
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Iranian football officials said last month they had suggested moving their three World Cup group games from the United States to co-hosts Mexico — a plan which was swiftly nixed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Infantino told AFP that Iran will play at the World Cup “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted last week that Iran’s footballers would be welcome to compete at the tournament.
But Rubio warned that the United States may yet bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation with ties to the IRGC.
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Infantino under scrutiny
The FIFA boss heads into Thursday’s meeting facing scrutiny following criticism over skyrocketing World Cup ticket prices and his close friendship with US President Donald Trump.
FIFA on Tuesday announced it had boosted World Cup financial distributions to nearly $900 million, up from the initial $727 million announced in December.
The move came after several World Cup-qualified teams reportedly warned that they risked losing money from competing at the sprawling tournament, citing the high cost of travel, taxes and overall operations.
Rights groups meanwhile have called for the football supremo to use his upcoming address to FIFA delegates to give assurances that World Cup visitors face no risk of being caught in the Trump administration’s draconian immigration crackdown.
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“FIFA President Gianni Infantino has yet to publicly outline how fans, journalists and local communities will be safe from arbitrary detention, mass deportations and crackdowns on free expression,” Amnesty International‘s head of economic and social justice Steve Cockburn said Wednesday.
“This FIFA Congress should be the moment he does so, and the global football community must receive more than empty platitudes,” Cockburn added in a statement.
Infantino is also facing calls to abolish the FIFA Peace Prize, which he awarded to Trump during last December’s World Cup draw in Washington.
“We want to see (the prize) abolished,” Norwegian football association president Lise Klaveness told reporters this week. “We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize.”
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Thursday’s Congress could also address the issue of Russia’s ongoing ban from international football, which has been in force since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Infantino spoke in favor of lifting the ban on Russia earlier this year.
“We have to (look at readmitting Russia). Definitely,” Infantino told Britain’s Sky News.
“This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
Sep 15, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Indianapolis Colts helmets during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.
Team building never truly stops. Things speed up or slow down, but the train is always rolling. News that the Vikings just signed someone isn’t much of a surprise, at least in terms of basic roster maintenance.
Check out the matter-of-fact update courtesy of the team’s official social media: “The #Vikings have signed DL Eric Johnson II.” The 27-year-old defender was a Colt before a quick stop in New England. He then ventured into free agency. The third chapter of his NFL career gets rolling with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings Just Signed “Creature” Eric Johnson for D-Line
Lately, all of the attention has been on who got scooped up in the draft.
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The Vikings’ 1st-Round pick got sunk into Caleb Banks (leading to strong opinions). In the 3rd, the Vikings opted for Domonique Orange, who is more of a menace in the running game. These two young fellas are meant to add some sizzle to a defensive line that was too often playing humdrum ball last year. Each is huge.
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks is selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the number 18 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
If the depth chart proceeds in the expected manner, then the top options up front appear as follows:
Other players exist within the hierarchy, but those are the current top names to know. So, too, is there the option to bring in a veteran such as Christian Wilkins.
In the meantime, Johnson is the elder statesman in that defensive line room. He offers good size at 6’4″ and 320 pounds, continuing the trend of adding mean muscle to the trenches. He got into the NFL back in 2022, chosen in the 5th of what is considered one of the all-time whiffs in franchise history: a 2022 draft haul that made a mess of basically every pick.
Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (94) celebrates his sack in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Turning pro hasn’t been particularly smooth for Eric Johnson.
The veteran has played in 51 games but has yet to earn a start. Only a single sack has been added to his overall tally. Johnson’s tackles come in at 41 across his four seasons. The Vikings, in other words, likely didn’t find the next version of Alan Page, John Randle, or Kevin Williams.
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Right now, there’s quite a bit of attention going toward the Jauan Jennings meeting alongside the recently-launched GM search. Even within all of the various things that are going on, the Vikings continue to chip away at the roster.
Eric Johnson is likely to be a depth option if he makes the roster, but he’s facing an uphill battle to be among the final 53. The roster still has some open spots that need to get filled, so stay tuned.
Arsenal close the gap on leaders Manchester City to eight points with two games in hand, after a resounding 7-0 win against Leicester City. The result confirms the Foxes will finish bottom of the Women’s Super League table and face a relegation play-off.
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