“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.” That was what Matheus Nunes thought and said for at least six months whenever anybody tried to tell him he had the potential to make it as a full-back.
His friends, his family, his close teammates Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias, his manager Pep Guardiola, and his psychologist all tried at various points to tell the Manchester City midfielder that he should embrace the new role he was being offered and they all received the same response. Even if Guardiola wanted it that way, Nunes wasn’t having it.
And so an unhappy first season at the Etihad became two years of Nunes being frustrated. He couldn’t get minutes in the midfield position he had been bought for, and didn’t want them in the position that he was trialled in from December 2024.
To be fair, most agreed with him after a disastrous start. He had done okay at left-back for 87 minutes against one of the poorest United sides in recent memory in late 2024, but then gave away a penalty as he covered the right-back area and City ended up losing another game horribly in what was an excruciating run for a team coming on the back of four consecutive league titles.
Nunes disappeared from the squad for a month after what he considers his lowest point at the club, and even when he was tried again it wasn’t enough to allow him to feel comfortable.
“I’m not going to lie, individually I would say this is probably the most difficult game,” he said of the December derby. “When you do mistakes as a midfielder, you would never affect the game like the effect of that one.
“I did one mistake and it led to a goal, and then you end up losing the game and that’s all you think in your head, you know? But it was not only that, it was me coming to a place where it was uncomfortable for me, a position where it was uncomfortable for me, not being able to accept it, because I wasn’t accepting it.
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“In my head, ‘I’m not a full-back. I’m not a full-back’. That’s all I was thinking about. And yeah, I mean, it was difficult. You said six months, but I didn’t play every single game, you know what I mean? But [last] season I played every single game, and then it’s different.
“Even if I was playing, for example, one game, and then I would be five games on the bench and then I would play again as a full-back, it’s six months in total, but you played maybe 10 games or you played 15 games. So yeah, I didn’t have the consistency that I wanted to actually be comfortable in this position and to change my head around.
“I spoke to so many people. I have a psychologist, I spoke to my friends. I would tell my friends all the time, ‘I’m not a full-back, I’m not a full-back’. And they would always say, no, but you play so good there, you play so good. The team-mates, Bernardo and Ruben, were so annoying all the time as well, they were in my head constantly as well, ‘You were good there, you were good there. You need to accept it.’ And I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. All the time.
“But at a certain point you just have to see what the people are saying. You can’t be denying it for the rest of your life. If you do, maybe you miss your chance. And if I did that I would have missed it. So yeah, listening to everyone then actually seeing Pep during training and before the games as well, the way he believed in me once I changed to that position, I felt there was a bit of a difference also in the way that we interacted with each other after I played there.
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“I don’t know, this stuff, you just feel it, it’s not something that I can explain. I just feel it. And once you start seeing all of this stuff, it changes the mindset. It was not easy, of course, but I had a decision to make: do I want to play or do I not want to play? And I wanted to play.
“Now I feel like a full-back. There is no difference for me, playing as a midfielder or a full-back.”
The Club World Cup last summer was pivotal for Nunes to make the switch in his mind. He had more than one game where he felt able to get into attacking areas and influence the game like he had done from midfield, and while the two roles are not so similar the Portugal international began to stop feeling like full-back prevented him from doing what he wanted to do.
As the 27-year-old began to accept that higher cost of mistakes as a defender but also get better in that area, he grew happier. And not only did that help the team on the pitch but the dressing room found that one of its jokers could laugh even louder.
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Nunes knew Silva and Dias through Portugal and had instantly clicked with John Stones on account of them both being wind-up merchants. He is somebody who loves to laugh and joke, keeping an extra eye on the fixture list so he can remember to ‘p*** off’ his Sunderland-supporting dad if they have a row.
But he found it difficult to fully clown around while he struggled to accept his role in the team, so learning to love right-back was liberating. And yes, he does know all about the Cafunes nickname given to him that has become popular in and out of the dressing room.
“This started with Bernardo, actually! When I was playing as a winger, he would call me Thierry Henry. Then I played as a full back and he called me Cafu. It was different people giving me different nicknames in the club. My friends started calling it me as well and I had to accept it.
“I would say the three of us [with Stones and Silva] are the jokers of the team. It’s always good to have a laugh — what’s the point of life if you’re not having a laugh? And these are the people that you spend most of your time with, you spend more time with these guys than with your family.
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“Sometimes you get sick of them because you see them so many times. And if you don’t have a good environment, there’s no point in being there, you don’t want to be working in a place where the vibe is not good. I just try to do that, and trying to be happy. I’m not trying anything, actually. I’m just being myself, and then I end up being a clown sometimes. It’s just the way it is.”
Having battled with Guardiola over his position, Nunes noticed that the manager changed towards him when he embraced the right-back role. Regular conversations with Guardiola and his assistants Kolo Toure and Pep Lijnders helped him to hone the role and he became one of the manager’s most used players, with only Erling Haaland getting more minutes than him last season.
Nunes grew so close to Guardiola that even two months after the day he found out he was leaving there is a wobble in his voice as he describes the moment. The manager had gathered them all in a meeting room at the training ground in the final week of the season and put a video on of everything that they had all achieved together over the past 10 years complete with candid speeches and conversations from the inner sanctum of the Etihad.
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“It was unexpected. We thought there was a chance of him leaving but until he actually says it you don’t know if it’s going to happen.” he said. “He spoke to us in the auditorium and it was a very emotional day. A lot of people were crying. It’s very hard to say goodbye to someone who gave so much to us all.
“Someone who put the club to a level that seems unreachable again. What he did was unbelievable. It is difficult to talk about. I remember in that day, when you start to see everything on the screen, it becomes real that he is leaving. It didn’t seem real. It felt weird and awkward to actually have to believe it. A lot of things are going to change. I’ve never been in the club without him. Stuff like this. It’s never easy to say goodbye.”
City had to move on, and Nunes is now one of the senior players in what has become a significantly younger squad over the last 18 months. There are only a handful of players who won the Treble that are reunited with new boss Enzo Maresca, with Nunes part of the 2023 intake that must now set the standards in the squad.
Despite that, the importance of jokers in a dressing room never goes away and the former Wolves star has even more on his shoulders with the departures of Stones and Silva. Nunes will continue to set standards on the pitch, particularly given the club have decided against signing a right-back this summer, but he will also remind his teammates of the message that has helped him win trophies and successfully adapt a new role.
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“It’s not the change that worried me. Even ourselves, you have to remember what they have done. When you think about it, it is almost impossible to win six Premier Leagues in 10 years. This is not normal and people forget that,” he said.
“City is such a huge club and you think, ‘ah City is going to win every year’ but Liverpool is a big club, United, Arsenal, Chelsea are big clubs. They all think the same. It’s never easy. You need to be perfect at a lot of levels. We have to remind ourselves. We’re going to try, we’re always going to try and will give our best but sometimes football is just one detail. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t win.
“I recently saw a basketball player [Giannis Antetokounmpo] asked: ‘Do you look at this season as a failure because you didn’t win the championship?’ He said that if you go to work and don’t get a promotion, is that a failure? It’s not like you work the whole season for one goal and if not it’s a failure. Sometimes you have to go through a year or two of not winning to get to the win. Maybe it will be different [for us], who knows? Maybe it won’t. The club deserves us to try.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe had some nerves and some good stuff in his first big league outing in more than 14 months.
Returning to the majors after having Tommy John surgery last year, Jobe uncorked a 100-m.p.h. fastball on a 3-2 pitch past to strike out San Francisco leadoff hitter Bryce Eldridge on Saturday.
That was the first of four strikeouts for Jobe, who limited the Giants to one hit in five shutout innings as Detroit rolled to an 8-0 victory.
The 24-year-old Jobe had made four rehab starts in the minors over the past month, and his performance Saturday was particularly gratifying.
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“I had some good nerves,” Jobe said. “I was just excited to come in (and) show everyone what the past 14 months were for and how hard I worked. Yeah, it’s a good feeling.”
The Tigers’ first-round pick, third overall, in 2021, Jobe hadn’t pitched in the majors since a start against the Giants in a 4-3 win in Detroit on May 28, 2025.
On Saturday, he allowed only one walk (to Drew Cavanaugh in the third) and a single by Willy Adames with one out in the fourth. Jobe threw 71 pitches, 46 for strikes.
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was pleased with what he saw.
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“Almost a perfect outing when it comes to what we were trying to accomplish,” Hinch said. “It was a big step for him to get back to this level. He had electrifying stuff.”
Jobe went 4-1 with a 4.22 ERA as a rookie last year. He believes he has used his rehabilitation period to improve in multiple ways.
“I do feel very different,” Jobe said. “I’m definitely stronger physically. Mentally, I feel sharper, just more of a mature pitcher. “And then I’ve just cleaned up my throw a bit. I made some minor tweaks that are going to help a lot.”
After his outing, Jobe received a big compliment from Detroit pitching coach Chris Fetter.
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Jobe said that Fetter told him, “That’s the best he’s ever seen me look.”
FIFA on Saturday warned against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine its leader, Gianni Infantino, saying attempts to challenge his leadership must follow the governing body’s statutes and democratic procedures.
It came amid an increasingly bitter standoff over Infantino’s leadership following the collapse of his proposal to raise about $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments.
The statement was released Saturday, a day after a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph raising questions about an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European football’s governing body. Infantino has categorically denied the allegations, according to the article.
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UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to the employee and said it was “in line” with regulations at the time.
Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president.
In the statement Saturday, FIFA accused Infantino’s critics of trying to weaken his authority and remove him from office without due process.
“It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president,” said the FIFA statement, which was also posted on X. “Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.”
It said some reporting has included “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” which shouldn’t be presented as fact.
“Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s president or the institution he was elected to lead.”
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Infantino faced intense backlash after details of his plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity were published. UEFA and two other continental confederations – North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation – rejected the plan.
He did receive backing from FIFA’s management board last Wednesday following a meeting in Morocco, and he apologised over the process. UEFA’s threat to have its 55 member countries boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was scrapped remained, with UEFA saying Thursday that the announcement “changes nothing”.
While confirming the exit payment “was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time”, UEFA said the rules had been tightened since 2016 and currently “reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation”.
Judd Trump could lose his world number one ranking before the end of the month after suffering a shock defeat by Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in the first round of the China Open on Sunday.
Saengkham, ranked 45th in the world, claimed a 6-3 victory to set up a second-round meeting with either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Jackson Page.
Trump fought back from two frames down to level, before his opponent won three frames in a row to take control of the best-of-11 contest.
A match-high break of 120 put Saengkham 5-2 up, before the Thai won the final frame 78-0.
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Trump, who won the China Open in 2011 and 2016, came into the event off the back of beating Kyren Wilson in the final of the invitational Shanghai Masters last week.
However, the 36-year-old has won just ranking tournaments in the past two years, the most recent of those the German Masters in February.
The China Open has returned to the World Snooker Tour calendar for the first time since 2019, and is now hosted in Taiyuan, 310 miles (500km) south west of Beijing, rather than the Chinese capital.
Trump has topped the world rankings since August 2024 but to have any chance of remaining at the summit he must win the Wuhan Open later this month and hope other results go his way.
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Zhao Xintong is currently best placed to overtake Trump, with Neil Robertson and Wu Yize not far behind.
Trump was not the only seeded player to lose in the first round, as Barry Hawkins lost to Liu Hongyu, Mark Williams was defeated by Zhou Yuelong, and Ding Junhui was thrashed 6-1 by David Gilbert.
The winner of the tournament will receive prize money of £250,000, with the runner-up to bank £100,000.
Casemiro departed Man Utd at the end of last season and has left big boots to fill but his fellow Brazilian is confident he’s the man to do just that.
They might both be Brazilian, and both have Manchester United on their CV, but on the surface, there isn’t much else that Andrey Santos has in comparison with Casemiro at the start of his Old Trafford career.
United splashed out up to £70million on a 30-year-old Casemiro four years ago, signing a midfielder with a glittering resume and five Champions League titles to his name after a glorious spell at Real Madrid.
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Santos is eight years younger than Casemiro was when he arrived in Manchester, has joined from Chelsea where he struggled to gain first-team opportunities and although he has six caps for Brazil, he wasn’t particularly close to their World Cup squad this summer.
The switch from Casemiro in 2022 to Santos in 2026 is indicative of the change in transfer strategy at United and the £50million paid to Chelsea for the 22-year-old is seen as good business for the future. Santos has his best years ahead of him and recruitment chiefs at Old Trafford liked the data on him and the scouting reports.
Although it is only pre-season, he has looked the part so far. Santos has started all four friendlies and caught the eye again in Gothenburg on Saturday, controlling the midfield against back-to-back European champions PSG.
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After the game, speaking to the media for the first time as a United player, he backed himself to be the man to replace Casemiro, having arrived at the club alongside Youri Tielemans as part of an £85million midfield rebuild.
“Casemiro for me, it’s like a legend, you know,” said Santos. “So now he’s gone out. Now I’m here so I feel that I can do like Casemiro did in the last season and I’m here to do it.
“My qualities, I like and prefer playing more deep like a number six. So I try help my teammates without the ball and with the ball I love breaking the lines.”
Santos’ desire to play as a No. 6 will be music to Michael Carrick’s ears. He was considered an all-rounder at Chelsea but United need players to sit deep in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1, although the focus this summer has shifted to midfielders with a high-level technical ability as well.
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He found opportunities hard to come by at Chelsea, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez the clear first-choice midfielders at Stamford Bridge, but is delighted to have made the leap to Old Trafford and what should be a more prominent role this season.
“I was so happy [when United showed their interest],” he said. “The moment when my agent called me, I told my wife, and she said, ‘ Yeah, we have to go.’ And of course, Manchester United is so big, I’m so happy to be here, and I want to win every single game and every single trophy possible.
“I know Chelsea is a big club as well, so I think thank you for everything Chelsea did for me in my period. But now Chelsea is gone, here is my home right now. And I want to be here for a long, long time and win so many trophies.”
Santos joins a team that finished third in the Premier League last season but faces the extra demand of a return to the Champions League this term, but Carrick has set his sights on looking up the table and the £50m new boy has his eyes on silverware as well.
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“When I talk about Manchester United, we talk about winning,” he said. “I think we have to work hard every single day to try to win every single trophy possible.
“And like as an individual, I have my goals and I hope that I can work with my teammates with my goals and hope to win some trophies.”
Manchester United 2026/27 Away Kit
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Manchester United have launched their new away kit for the 2026/27 season. Inspired by the legendary 1988 kit, the blue jersey features wavy stripes that echo the River Irwell.
SEATTLE — Richie Palacios hit a two-run single in the sixth inning, Victor Mesa Jr. homered and the Tampa Bay Rays‘ bullpen held on for a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
Griffin Jax was set to start for the Rays, but was removed hours before first pitch because of discomfort in his right elbow. Tampa Bay used seven arms out of the bullpen, with Casey Legumina getting the start.
The AL East leading Rays (70-46) have won six of seven and are the first AL team to reach 70 wins. The Mariners have dropped four of their last five and trail the final AL wild-card spot by 3 1/2 games.
Steven Matz (5-4) pitched two innings for the victory. Bryan Baker closed out the ninth for his AL-leading 34th save.
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Josh Naylor hit two solo homers for Seattle, which were his first since June 12. He hit one off Cam Booser in the second, and another in the seventh off Garrett Cleavinger.
Palacios hit the two-out, two-run single in the sixth off Michael Rucker (0-2) to put the Rays up 3-1.
Mesa tied it at 1 with a 412-foot homer into right field in the fourth.
George Kirby allowed one run on four hits, but exited after five innings with 99 pitches.
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Seattle manager Dan Wilson was ejected for the second time over the past four games. Julio Rodríguez was not granted a challenge after a strike three call by home plate umpire Emil Jimenez because Rodríguez took too long. The following inning, Jonathan Aranda also challenged and it was granted. Boos from the Seattle crowd continued into the next frames.
Aug 6, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Wade Meckler (53) greeted by third baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) after scoring during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Wade Meckler, a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, is living his dream.
Meckler, an Anaheim native who grew up a Los Angeles Angels fan, was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round in 2022. Then, this past January, Meckler was claimed off waivers by the Angels. Finally, on May 22, Meckler made his Angels debut, hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat.
On Sunday, Meckler is expected to start in left field as the Angels complete their three-game series at the Miami Marlins. Miami won Saturday’s game 7-0 to tie the series.
As for the 26-year-old Meckler, in 59 games for the Angels this season, he is hitting .305 with three homers, 20 RBIs and a .789 OPS.
“He puts together great at-bats,” Los Angeles manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He works the count, puts the ball in play. He can bunt. He’s been awesome.”
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On the mound for the Angels, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (3-4, 7.24 ERA) will start on Sunday.
Rodriguez, 26, who was Baltimore’s first-round pick (11th overall) in 2018, went 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA as an Orioles rookie in 2023. The next year, he went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA.
However, Rodriguez missed the 2025 season due to an elbow injury, and he has struggled in 11 starts with the Angels this year. The Angels acquired him from Baltimore last November, trading away slugger Taylor Ward.
Rodriguez, who has never faced Miami, mostly uses four pitches: fastball, changeup, curveball and slider. His fastball averages 96 mph, and he relies on that pitch 53% of the time.
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The Marlins will counter Rodriguez with right-hander Ryan Gusto (0-3, 4.80).
Gusto, 27, was drafted by the Astros in the 11th round in 2019. The Marlins acquired him on July 31, 2025, in a trade that sent outfielder Jesus Sanchez to Houston. Gusto is 0-6 in parts of two seasons with the Marlins.
Offensively, as detailed by MLB.com, the Marlins entered this series ranked second in the majors with the most runners thrown out on the bases with 47.
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Beyond that, Miami’s offense has slipped. Through July 9, the Marlins were averaging 4.62 runs per game, which ranked 11th in the majors. Since July 10, however, Miami is scoring just 3.09 runs, which ranks 29th.
“We’re just not stringing a ton together like we usually do,” Marlins first baseman Kyle Stowers said. “Offensively, we can be better. I’m not necessarily sure what needs to change. If anything, we need to continue to create opportunities.”
Miami’s run-scoring issues are more pronounced now that Liam Hicks has been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. Even though Hicks is on the other side of the state, he still leads Miami in RBIs with 62.
In addition, Marlins middle infielders Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards have slumped over the past month-plus.
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Three weeks ago, Lopez, Miami’s shortstop, led the National League with a .345 batting average. Due to his slump, Lopez is no longer on top, hitting .317 entering Sunday.
Edwards, Miami’s second baseman, hit just .247 in July, and he was batting .150 in August before breaking out on Saturday, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Lopez also broke out on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Comfy, slip-in footwear has been steadily gaining in popularity over the years.
Lounge-style, easy-to-wear shoes that were once confined to the inside of your home and the pool deck are now everywhere.
There’s only one problem: flip-flops, Crocs and traditional slides can seem … overly casual in some settings. There was room in the marketplace for an elevated version that still maintained the same level of ventilated comfort.
Enter Lusso Cloud, a unisex footwear brand founded by John Buscemi and Rob Dyrdek that launched in 2020. The inspiration: plush hotel slippers that could hold up on the streets for daily wear.
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Mission accomplished! The laid-back, lightweight shoes come in a number of silhouettes and materials, from soft suede and leather to durable, water-friendly versions constructed with IP-EVA materials. Regardless of which pair you choose, the fit is snug with impressive arch support and the ventilation is top-notch.
So if you’re looking for a winning post-round shoe that looks elevated but will be the comfiest footwear you own, check out Lusso Cloud — now available at Fairway Jockey.
Browse the collection here, or scroll through a few of our favorite colors and styles below.
Shop Lusso Cloud’s comfy slides — now available at Fairway Jockey!
Comfort nirvana goes water friendly in a slide that goes everywhere. Lightweight and breathable, with molded arch support and textured interior to help prevent blisters. The flex groove outsole has a unique tread pattern for traction on wet surfaces.
Comfort nirvana goes water friendly in a slide that goes everywhere. Lightweight and breathable, with molded arch support and textured interior to help prevent blisters. The flex groove outsole has a unique tread pattern for traction on wet surfaces.
Comfort Nirvana goes water friendly in a slide that goes everywhere. Lightweight and breathable, with molded arch support and textured interior to help prevent blisters. The flex groove outsole has a unique tread pattern for traction on wet surfaces.
The most versatile shoe in the line up and a true, go-anywhere option. Offered with our signature, 360° Comfort and featuring our proprietary Triple Stack Technology: three blissful layers that cushion your foot and provide great bounce-back. Lined with a breathable performance mesh that’s incredibly soft to the touch. This is the Pelli—without a pull tab.
The most versatile shoe in the line up and a true, go-anywhere option. Offered with our signature, 360° Comfort and featuring our proprietary Triple Stack Technology: three blissful layers that cushion your foot and provide great bounce-back. Lined with a breathable performance mesh that’s incredibly soft to the touch. This is the Pelli—without a pull tab.
India vs Sri Lanka XI Warm-Up Match, Day 3 LIVE Updates:
Yashasvi Jaiswal retired out after scoring 61 as India continued to dominate the chase of 207 against Sri Lanka XI. Following Jaiswal’s departure, Rishabh Pant joined Shubman Gill at the crease. Earlier, Sri Lanka XI ended their second innings at 200/6 at Tea on Day 3 of the three-day warm-up match against India. Nishan Madushka and Nipun Dhananjaya were the standout performers for the hosts, scoring 63 and 46 runs respectively. For India, Gurnoor Brar and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna claimed one wicket apiece. India now require 207 runs to win the warm-up match.
Here are the LIVE Score and Updates of India vs Sri Lanka XI Warm-Up Match Day 3:
FIFA warned against what it calls a “concerted and ongoing effort” to “undermine” the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino.
The statement, issued late on Saturday, comes amid a growing dispute over Infantino’s leadership after the failed plan to create a subsidiary to run the men’s World Cup and other events, with up to a 20% stake offered to external investors.
The proposal drew criticism from European governing body UEFA, which threatened to boycott future World Cups, as well as several national associations and senior FIFA officials, and prompted calls for Infantino to resign.
FIFA accused of blackmail in exchange for Infantino support
Report raises new questions over Infantino
The pressure on Infantino intensified on Friday when British newspaper the Daily Telegraph reported a six-figure sum was paid to a female employee alleged to have been in a relationship with him during his time as UEFA general secretary.
UEFA confirmed a departure payment and said it also funded her MBA course, stating both were in line with regulations at the time.
A FIFA spokesman told the Telegraph on Friday: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue.”
Responding to the latest scrutiny, FIFA said on Saturday, without directly mentioning the Telegraph report, “recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its President.”
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Investment plan dispute deepens leadership crisis
The fallout over the shelved private investment plan has overshadowed Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as FIFA president.
After this week’s crisis meeting, UEFA said it no longer has confidence in him, and Norwegian FA President Lise Klaveness called for his resignation.
Despite the controversy, Infantino retains strong backing among FIFA members, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously supporting his leadership and South American governing body CONMEBOL opposing any attempt to remove him without a vote of all member associations.
FIFA said that those who lacked the support of its member associations should not seek to achieve “allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.”
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Edited by: Emmy Sasipornkarn
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South Africa’s Banyana Banyana have been knocked out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after a 2-1 defeat to hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening.
Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanan Ait El Haj scored for Morocco, while Thembi Kgatlana pulled one back for South Africa.
The match was a repeat of the 2022 WAFCON final, with both sides also fighting for a place at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
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Morocco started the brighter of the two teams, with Sanaa Mssoudy heading just wide after meeting a cross from the right.
South Africa responded as Kgatlana created space outside the box, but her effort went narrowly over the target.
The hosts eventually took the lead in the 31st minute. Ouzraoui met a dangerous cross from the right and lifted the ball over South Africa goalkeeper Kaylin Swart to make it 1-0.
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Morocco doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half after Noxolo Cesane was penalised for a foul inside the box. A penalty was awarded, and Ait El Haj calmly converted to put the hosts 2-0 ahead.
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis responded by making a change, bringing on Amogelang Motau for Robyn Moodaly-Salgado as South Africa searched for a way back into the game.
The visitors reduced the deficit in the 67th minute through Kgatlana. The forward beat the offside trap and finished from a tight angle, with the goal awarded after a VAR review.
Motau almost equalised moments later, but Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi produced an excellent save to keep her side in front.
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South Africa pushed forward in the closing stages and committed more players to attack, but Morocco held firm to secure a 2-1 victory.
The defeat ends Banyana Banyana’s hopes of defending their WAFCON title, while Morocco advance to the semi-finals and secure their place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In the semifinals, Morocco will face the winner of Sunday’s quarterfinals between Nigeria and Cameroon .
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