Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has pleaded with the supporters to be patient following their draw with Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8.
The Soweto giants battled back from a goal down to rescue a 1-1 draw with the Brazilians at Orlando Stadium.
Read: New Signings Saves Bucs From Defeat To Downs
The draw sees Pirates extend their winless run to three matches after back-to-back losses in the league.
Off-signing Kamogelo Sebelebele was on the score-sheet for Pirates while Sipho Mbule and Oswin Appollis made an impact off the bench.
“Yes, I think they showed a fantastic performance today. It’s what we expect from our players when we play for such big club so let’s keep going. I hope they will confirm again and we still have the other players that will maybe not on the bench or maybe not on the pitch. We think for them and everybody will be important,” the coach told SuperSport TV.
He continued, “I think the content today was interesting – we showed some character, strength from our boys hich was aimed to play forward to create chances but in football you know sometimes it’s not easy because the result has to match the performance.
“At the moment, the result is not matching with the performance first of all, let’s hope that in the future we will take result and everything will be around. I should praise fans to be patient, I know it’s not the way in big clubs, but I hope they will be patient with us.”
After decades as the world’s only nation without a national soccer team, the Marshall Islands has kicked off its debut match, marking a historic step onto the global stage and fueling hopes of joining FIFA and securing future international competition
Liverpool launched the Premier League with a dramatic 4-2 win over Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday in an emotionally charged match featuring tributes to Diogo Jota and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo reporting racial abuse.
The winger responded brilliantly with both of the Cherries’ goals as they came from down two as Andoni Iraola’s side exposed the same defensive weaknesses Crystal Palace did in Sunday’s Community Shield victory.
– Prem opener paused over report of racist abuse – Liverpool pay emotional tribute to Jota at opener – Liverpool summon inner strength for dramatic win
But forgotten man Federico Chiesa, Liverpool’s solitary signee last summer who has barely been featured and has been linked with a move elsewhere, volleyed home his first league goal in the 88th minute before Mohamed Salah scored for the eighth time in nine opening-day fixtures.
Summer signee Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo had earlier put the Reds up 2-0.
In between those goals, the game was briefly paused after Semenyo reported to referee Anthony Taylor in the 28th minute that he was targeted with racist language by a member of the crowd.
Semenyo, who is Black, needed to be consoled by teammates after the incident but played on and scored in the 64th and 76th minutes to draw Bournemouth level.
“I don’t know how Ant’s played on, to be honest, and come up with those goals,” said Bournemouth captain Adam Smith, who added that Semenyo was “a little bit down.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said the incident “takes the shine off” his team’s victory.
It was the first competitive match at Anfield since Jota — a popular player for Liverpool — and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a car crash in Spain on July 3.
Ahead of kickoff, fans held up placards to spell out “DJ20” and “AS30” in two of the stands during a period of silence in honor of the Portuguese players.
Players from the Liverpool team stood arm in arm around the center circle, and staff and players from both clubs wore black armbands.
announced the £23 million ($31m) signing of 18-year-old Parma center back Giovanni Leoni before kickoff, but it would be no surprise for this result to hasten the pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi with Ibrahima Konaté, in particular, looking shaky.
It had begun so well with another Premier Leaguer debutant, Ekitike, starting to pay back his £69 million ($94m) transfer fee with a first-half goal, having also scored last weekend.
Ekitike thought he had been denied by the season’s first VAR controversy after just 14 minutes when Marcos Senesi appeared to flick the ball away on the halfway line, but VAR ruled it was not a clear handball or the denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.
The France under-21 international then benefited from a more fortuitous touch off the defender, latching onto a mistake after his own miscontrol of Alexis Mac Allister’s pass to run through and comfortably send Djordje Petrovic the wrong way.
Darwin Núñez, transferred to Al Hilal, was evident as Ekitike laid on the return pass for Gakpo to glide past a couple of defenders and stroke past Petrovic.
But when Slot replaced fullbacks Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, two of the four new signees making their debuts, Bournemouth clinically exploited the unfamiliarity of midfielder Wataru Endo playing at right back.
David Brooks raced down the left, and Konaté could not prevent him sending over a teasing, low cross that Semenyo cleverly finished.
Slot made immediate changes, bringing on defender Joe Gomez despite just two days’ training after three weeks out with injury, to allow Endo to move into midfield and club-record signee Florian Wirtz to move to a false nine for Ekitike.
But when Salah, of all people, gave away possession on the edge of the opposition penalty area, a fast 4-on-2 counterattack saw Semenyo fire home, only for Chiesa, already a cult hero despite his lack of action, to be the savior.
Salah completed the scoring in added time and was last to leave the pitch, with tears in his eyes, having stood applauding the Kop singing Jota’s song.
Salah also repeated Jota’s two-armed celebration after his goal, and Ekitike and Gakpo also dedicated their goals to Jota.
“Normally at 2-2, everyone knows which player I look to at that moment in time. I would have loved to bring in Diogo Jota, but I could not, for terrible reasons,” Slot said.
“But tonight, the fans and the players did what he did for us many times in the past.”
Information from ESPN’s Beth Lindop, PA and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Bafana Bafana missed the chance to move top of Group C at the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) after a goalless draw against Niger on Friday night.
African Nations Championship
Result: Niger 0-0 South Africa
Date: 15 August 2025
Venue: Nelson Mandela Stadium
Coach Molefi Ntseki handed starts to Keagan Johannes, Kaketso Majadibodu and Tebogo Tlolane following the win over Guinea on Monday evening, as Menzi Masuku, Terrence Mashego and Kwanda Mngonyama dropped out.
Niger made a lively start to the encounter as they went in search of their first win of the tournament, although they could only register efforts from distance.
Bafana were awarded a penalty after 20 minutes when Majadibodu was deemed to have been brought down by Ridouane Assane in the box. However, after a review on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) monitor, the referee overturned her decision.
Other than the overturned penalty, Bafana had to wait until the 45th minute for their first chance at goal as Keagan Dolly did well to play in Wayde Jooste, who saw his first-time effort saved by goalkeeper Mahamadou Tanja.
South Africa should have scored in first-time stoppage time when Thabiso Kutumela was denied by Tanja in a one-on-one situation while Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo’s shot was brilliantly blocked on the rebound.
Niger were a lot more threatening as the second half resumed, with Kassa squandering a chance by firing over the crossbar from close range as Bafana went to sleep at the back.
South Africa nearly fell behind with 15 minutes left on the clock as Mohamed Abdouramane lost his marker to meet a corner but his header was kept out by the upright with goalkeeper Samukelo Xulu well beaten.
Ntseki threw on Zakhele Lepasa and Masuku for the latter stages of the second half, but they were unable to find a way past the Niger defence as both nations had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Bafana sit third in Group C ahead of their final clash against Uganda on Monday.
Another piece of good news for the Crusaders Soccer competitive program is that seven boys’ and four girls’ teams have been accepted into the United States Youth Soccer National League (USYS) Premiere 2 Division.
Thirty-nine competitive Crusaders Soccer teams are preparing for a very exciting season.
Through the efforts of Victor Melendez, and his support staff, there has been a 40% gain in the number of competitive teams over the previous season.
Another piece of good news for the Crusaders Soccer competitive program is that seven boys’ and four girls’ teams have been accepted into the United States Youth Soccer National League (USYS) Premiere 2 Division.
Melendez stated, “We have a great group of professional, competitive coaches, and several are now serving with additional responsibilities. Two of them are Justin Robinett and Erick Melendez.”
Justin Robinett – “As the girls director at Crusaders SC and head coach of two of our National League teams, I am deeply committed to elevating the technical and tactical development of our female athletes. My coaching philosophy is rooted in positivity, empowerment and purposeful growth—both on and off the field.
“At Crusaders Soccer Club, we’ve built a clear developmental pathway that begins at the foundational ages and supports our players as they pursue their personal goals, whether that’s collegiate soccer, higher-level competition or becoming leaders in life. I take pride in fostering a team environment where players feel challenged, supported and inspired to reach their full potential.”
terms.
Erick Melendez – “I am responsible for all areas of development in the older boy groups. All 11v11 teams are to feed into the National League program. I take a holistic approach with everything from periodization, playing style, recruiting, staffing and everything else that involves the program. We develop great players and citizens. We provide the best learning environment and encourage development. We challenge players on and off the field with a focus on higher education and not just soccer. We strive to provide a platform for players to be exposed to college soccer and hopefully use soccer as a vehicle to achieve higher education.
“My goal is for our boys’ program to be the biggest and strongest program in East County and one of the biggest in San Diego. I want our players to wear our colors with pride and know that it represents something more than just a club. At Crusaders, we are a community, a family, and a way of life.”
Pair of teams win their division
The annual Crown City Classic Soccer Tournament in Coronado was July 26-27, and two of teams won their division. The Academy level 2013 and 2016 Boys teams were victorious.
The 2013 team coached by Lauren Johnson outscored the opposition 18-7 in four games. The Boys’ 2016 team, coached by Ivon Melendez, scored a total of 22 goals while only allowing five.
Melendez stated, “This was the first competitive game for half the team, as they had just moved up from our recreational program. It was a special win with so many new players. The team has jelled quickly and every player is working hard. I am very proud of the team and how they have come together.”
Registration for the Crusaders Soccer fall recreational season ended July 28.
Modesto Guariniello, the director of coaching for the Crusaders’ recreational division, stated, “We have nearly 1,000 recreational-level players registered for our fall season. I want to sincerely thank each of our 13 volunteer division coordinators and all our volunteer coaches.
“It truly takes a dedicated village to have a viable program for so many boys and girls and to ensure they have a fun and valuable experience,” he continued. “It is a significant commitment to coach a team throughout a season. We begin our 11 weeks of soccer games on Saturday, Sept. 6, on virtually all grass fields in Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and San Carlos. Come out and enjoy some games.”
While a couple of less prominent leagues are already underway, the 2025-26 European club season really kicks off on Friday, when England’s Premier League, France’s Ligue 1 and Spain’s La Liga all begin the new campaign. In Italy, Serie A starts next week, as does the German Bundesliga.
We’vew already given you our Top 20 clubs to watch this term. But what captures the imagination of fans who watch the world’s most popular sport is the players. Here are 11 fascinating characters to keep an eye on between now and next May.
Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
(Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
The younger brother of Real Madrid’s English superstar Jude Bellingham, the 19-year-old midfielder helped Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League last season before following the career path of his more decorated sibling and moving to Germany. Jobe received a hero’s welcome upon his arrival at the 81,000-seat Westfalenstadion and has already been awarded the Black & Yellow’s revered No. 7 shirt. He debuted for Dortmund during the FIFA Club World Cup, then cemented himself as a starter during the preseason. Now he seems poised to help a BVB side that surprisingly reached the Champions League final two years ago challenge for its first Bundesliga title since 2012.
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Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Good as Cole Palmer was during Chelsea’s ultimately triumphant Club World Cup run, the Blues wouldn’t have won the title without Caicedo. Still just 23, the Ecuadoran has emerged as perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the world since leaving Brighton & Hove Albion for London two years ago this week — somehow exceeding the expectations that came with his $135 million price tag, the 10th-highest transfer fee of all time.
Now Caicedo gets to take his ball-winning talents to the Champions League for the first time in his career, as Chelsea — which finished fourth in the Premier League last season — returns to Europe’s top club competition following a two-year hiatus.
Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
(Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
If Lamine Yamal doesn’t win the Ballon d’Or, it probably goes to Dembélé, who made a strong case for the honor in leading PSG to its long-coveted first UEFA Champions League title. The 28-year-old Frenchman was close to unstoppable last season, scoring 35 goals in 53 games as the Parisians claimed a continental treble. (The 2018 World Cup winner scored just 40 times in his six full seasons with Barcelona.) Dembélé capped off 2024-25 by taking PSG to the Club World Cup final, scoring twice against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals and adding an assist and another strike in the semis versus Real Madrid. And he’s off to a fast start to the new season, scoring in the shootout as PSG came back to beat Tottenham in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final.
Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain)
(Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
When Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. all left PSG within twelve months of each other in 2023 and ’24, it was easy to wonder who would emerge and become the new faces of the club. Enter the 20-year-old Doué, who burst onto the scene last season with a breakout, trophy-laden campaign — his first at the Parc des Princes.
Doué arrived in the French capital on a $58 million transfer from Rennes and immediately made his mark, scoring 16 times and quadrupling his previous career best of four goals. Two came in the 5-0 Champions League final drubbing of Inter Milan; he was named the best young player of that tourney, and of the Club World Cup six weeks later. What will Doué do for an encore in 2025-26?
Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)
(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
For three years straight, the Gunners have been the Premier League runner-up. The main reason the North London club fell short? The lack of a lethal forward like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland or Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to put the Gunners over the top.
Gyökeres could be that missing piece. The 27-year-old Swede arrived this summer from Sporting Lisbon for $86 million and a resume that speaks for itself. He bagged 39 goals in 33 Primeira Liga matches in 2024-25 and finished his career in Portugal with 97 strikes in 102 total appearances. “He’s a proper No. 9,” Arsenal all-time top scorer Thierry Henry says of Gyökeres. “You have a guy that’s a killer in the box.
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
On a personal level, Mbappé’s maiden season in the Spanish capital was a triumph. The 26-year-old French superstar won the European Golden Shoe as the continent’s top scorer, with 44 goals. He set a new record for goals for a first-year Real Madrid player. He was named the club’s MVP.
But despite scoring in Madrid’s UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup wins, Europe’s most decorated club team lost the Spanish title to chief nemesis Barcelona and failed to reach the final of both the Champions League and Club World Cup — a disaster by Real’s lofty standards.
The challenge for Mbappé and new coach Xabi Alonso this season will be to turn the forward’s individual brilliance into team success.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
(Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)
A highly-rated prospect when he left mighty Manchester City for the Blues in the summer of 2023, nobody expected Palmer — who had made 19 previous Prem appearances without scoring — to explode for 22 goals in his first season in London.
Last term, Palmer found the net just 15 times.
But the English winger’s performance at the FIFA Club World Cup in June and July suggests he’s ready to take another massive leap forward in 2025-26.
Palmer scored three times in six contests as Chelsea upset PSG to win the title. Two of those strikes came in the 3-0 win in the final, after which the 22-year-old received the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player. That can’t hurt Palmer’s confidence as the 2025-26 slate kicks off.
Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
(Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images)
After skipping the Concacaf Gold Cup, getting into a public war of words with U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino and facing intense criticism from several USMNT legends as the shorthanded Americans lost the final to rival Mexico without their best player, Pulisic has plenty to prove in 2025-26.
That sitting out this summer was worth it, for starters. Pulisic set career highs for goals and assists and led Milan in scoring both in Serie A and in the Champions League last season.
But the American won’t have to worry about the latter after the seven-time European champ finished eighth in Italy. That will allow the Rossoneri to prioritize winning the Scudetto for just the second time since 2011. It could also lead to another huge year for Pulisic, who insisted the break would help him and the U.S. heading into the 2026 World Cup. He’ll get to prove it beginning with Sunday’s Coppa Italia game against Bari.
Raphinha (Barcelona)
Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Mesmerizing as Lamine Yamal was from start to finish last season, the stats say he wasn’t even Barça’s best player.
Raphinha had 34 goals to Yamal’s 18 across all competitions in 2024-25. And it’s not like Raphinha can’t create; the former Leeds United man also had 25 assists, same as the teenage sensation.
Is this the new normal for the 28-year-old? Or was last season an outlier? The most goals Raphinha had scored in a single campaign previously was 18, when he was with Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães way back in 2017-18. He managed just 10 in each of his first two seasons at Barcelona, and 11 in his final one in the Premier League.
Raphinha’s form almost put Barça in the Champions League final last May. If he builds on or even matches his breakout campaign, the Blaugrana could claim their sixth European title next spring.
Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
(Photo by Paul Harding – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
That the reigning English champions were willing to drop a club-record fee of more than $135 million to prise Wirtz away from Bayer Leverkusen this summer says how highly the Reds rate the German playmaker.
Wirtz, 22, led Leverkusen to its first and only Bundesliga title, in 2023-24. He’s already established himself with Germany’s national team, having made 31 appearances already for the four-time World Cup champs.
Will he live up to expectations at Anfield? After winning their 20th English title last season, Liverpool is looking to repeat as champions for the first time since 1983-84. Adding Wirtz won’t hurt.
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
(Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
He just turned 18 in July, but the electrifying Spaniard heads into the season before his first FIFA World Cup as a legitimate global superstar. Yamal might already be the planet’s best player; he’s on the shortlist of favorites to win the Ballon d’Or when the award is presented in Paris on Sept. 22.
Yamal helped his country to the European title last summer, then led Barça to a domestic treble. This year, both his and the Catalan titans’ priority is to win the UEFA Champions League, which Barcelona hasn’t done in more than a decade.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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