Sports Groove

...IOC members raise concerns over LA 2028 visa process ...LA 2028 ticket prices 17% higher than Paris 2024 ...LA Games lack federal funding, rely on sponsorships and tickets     The issues of entry visas and inflated ticket prices for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics dominated a progress report delivered by the American organisers to the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday.   Several IOC members, including International Equestrian Federation chief Ingmar De Vos, raised the issue of entry visas for hundreds of thousands of athletes, their families, officials, media and fans to the U.S., asking LA Games organisers whether the process could be simplified.   Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, an IOC member from Ethiopia, said organisers should make sure that Olympic qualifying tournaments, held in the United States over the next two years, also allowed access to all eligible athletes.   "We have worked very closely with the (U.S.) State Department to design a...

    Morocco's football federation (FRMF) announced on Tuesday it would appeal the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) disciplinary rulings over last month's chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, which the hosts lost 1-0 after extra time.   FRMF criticised the sanctions as disproportionate to the "seriousness and gravity" of the incidents during the 18 January match, which was overshadowed by a 14-minute interruption after Senegalese players staged a walk-off, a pitch invasion by their fans and confrontations involving players and staff.   CAF's Disciplinary Committee handed Senegal's coach Pape Thiaw a five-match ban and fined him $100,000 (£82,000) after he instructed his team to leave the pitch following a VAR decision to disallow a goal late in regular time.   Senegal's football federation was fined $615,000 (£508,000) for the behaviour of their players and supporters, with Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr receiving tw...

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he wants Russia's four-year ban from international tournaments lifted because it had "achieved nothing".   Russian clubs and the national team have been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions since the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022.   "This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred," Infantino told Sky Sports.   "Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help."   Infantino said FIFA should "actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders."   "Somebody needs to keep the ties open," the 55-year-old added.   Ukraine sports minister Matvii Bidnyi said Infantino's comments were "irresponsible" and "infantile".   "They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed," Bidnyi t...

       Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero said it was "disgraceful" that only 11 fit players were available during their 2-2 Premier League draw against Manchester City on Sunday.   Romero had to withdraw at halftime due to illness with Pape Matar Sarr coming on in his place, as the North London club overcame the two-goal deficit in the second half to salvage a point.   "Great effort from all my team-mates yesterday, they were incredible," Romero wrote in a post on Instagram on Monday.   "I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn't feeling well, especially since we only had 11 players available - unbelievable but true and disgraceful.   "We'll keep showing up and taking responsibility to turn this around, working hard and staying together. All that's left is to thank all of you for being there and for always supporting us, the fans."   Tottenham did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside ...

By Mishael Emmanuel      Manchester City and Ghana international Antoine Semenyo has expressed strong optimism that the Black Stars can make a meaningful impact at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the West African giants prepare for their fifth appearance on the global stage. The 2026 tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first World Cup to feature an expanded 48-team format, with Africa allocated nine automatic qualification slots.  Ghana have already secured their place among the continent’s representatives and will be looking to seize the opportunity on football’s biggest stage. Drawn into a challenging Group L, the Black Stars will face European heavyweights England, 2018 finalists Croatia, and Panama.  Ghana will begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto before a blockbuster encounter with England on June 23 in Boston.  Their group-stage journey will conclude against Croatia on June 27 in...

By Trust Ittai and Mishael Emmanuel    Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa has secured a fresh chapter in his career after signing a short-term deal with FK Rabotnicki of North Macedonia, as Cameroonian players continue to make moves across Europe in the January transfer window. The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations winner joins Rabotnicki on a six-month contract, with the option of extending for another year, ending a spell of uncertainty after his departure from Latvian side Rigas FS. Despite being without a club, Ondoa remained focused, training consistently while waiting for the right opportunity to return to competitive football. Now 30, Ondoa has often shown his pedigree at international level, most memorably during Cameroon’s AFCON triumph, but has struggled to enjoy long-term stability at club level.  His arrival could, however, prove timely for a Rabotnicki side in desperate need of experience and leadership. The Macedonian club is currently enduring a difficu...

By Haruna Mubarak   Former Ghana captain C.K. Akonnor has opened up on the challenge of persuading his two sons to commit their international futures to the Black Stars, admitting that their upbringing in Germany makes the decision far from straightforward. Akonnor, a revered figure in Ghanaian football, revealed that both Charles Herrmann and Jesaja Herrmann, who were born and raised in Germany, naturally feel a strong connection to the European nation where they developed as footballers. “It’s difficult to convince them to come to Ghana,” Akonnor told Graphic Sports.  “Because they grew up in Germany, but of course, if need be or if the opportunity arises, we will be able to make that decision.” Twenty-year-old Charles Herrmann is the latest to take a step forward in his club career, having recently joined Belgian top-flight side Cercle Brugge, while his elder brother Jesaja, 25, has secured a move to German lower-division outfit FC Bocholt. Both players have alr...

  Organisers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games have unveiled six stadiums across the United States that will host matches in the men’s and women’s Olympic football tournaments, pushing the Games’ footprint far beyond Southern California. LA28 confirmed on Tuesday that group-stage and knockout matches will be staged in: ✓ New York ✓ Columbus ✓ Nashville ✓ St. Louis ✓ San Jose ✓ San Diego, marking a coast-to-coast celebration of Olympic football. The selected venues include a mix of new and established arenas, highlighted by the under-construction New York City Football Club stadium, which is due for completion in 2027, alongside Major League Soccer grounds in Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and Northern California. Final-stage matches, including the gold medal games, will return to the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena.  Organisers said the men’s final will be played on July 28, 2028, with the women’s final following a day later on July 29. According to LA28, the tournamen...

By FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG        Egypt underlined their dominance of African handball on Saturday night, cruising to a commanding 37–24 victory over Tunisia in the final of the 2026 African Men’s Handball Championship in Kigali, Rwanda. The Pharaohs were in control from the opening whistle at the packed arena in the Rwandan capital, racing into an early lead and going into the halftime break firmly ahead at 17–10. Calm in possession and ruthless in front of goal, Egypt left Tunisia chasing shadows as the contest unfolded. After the restart, the defending champions showed no sign of easing off.  Their disciplined defence and swift transitions continued to unsettle the Tunisians, allowing Egypt to steadily stretch the gap and maintain a comfortable cushion throughout the second half before sealing a convincing 13-goal win. The triumph marked Egypt’s fourth consecutive African title and their 10th overall, a landmark achievement that sees them dr...