AS Monaco : Filipe Luis nouvel entraîneur

L’AS Monaco a officiellement lancé un nouveau chapitre de son histoire en annonçant la nomination de Filipe Luís au poste d’entraîneur de l’équipe première. Le technicien brésilien de 40 ans succède à Sébastien Pocognoli et s’est engagé avec le club de la Principauté jusqu’en juin 2028. blablasex.es

C’est via un communiqué que l’AS Monaco a annoncé le début de ce nouveau projet sportif. « L’AS Monaco est heureux d’annoncer l’arrivée de Filipe Luís au poste d’entraîneur, marquant le début d’un nouveau cycle. Le technicien brésilien de 40 ans s’est engagé jusqu’en juin 2028 avec le Club de la Principauté », peut-on lire sur le compte X (ancien Twitter) du club de la Principauté.

Ancien défenseur de renom, Filipe Luís s’est forgé une solide réputation sur les terrains européens, notamment sous les couleurs de l’Atlético de Madrid et de Chelsea. Après avoir mis un terme à sa carrière de joueur, il s’est rapidement tourné vers le métier d’entraîneur, où il a démontré de réelles qualités de gestion et de développement des jeunes talents.

En lui confiant les rênes de l’équipe, les dirigeants monégasques misent sur un entraîneur à la philosophie de jeu ambitieuse, capable d’insuffler une nouvelle dynamique à un effectif qui nourrit de grandes ambitions sur la scène nationale et européenne.

Filipe Luís aura désormais la responsabilité de préparer l’AS Monaco pour la nouvelle saison, avec l’objectif de permettre au club de retrouver les sommets de la Ligue 1 et de briller dans les compétitions européennes.

The post AS Monaco : Filipe Luis nouvel entraîneur appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.

Argentina vs Egypt prediction. Reigning world champions Argentina, with Messi leading the tournament golden boot on 7 goals, face a historic Egypt side — fresh from their first-ever World Cup knockout win — at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 (18:00 SAST (Tuesday, 7 July 2026)). Egypt’s defence is in crisis with three injury doubts. Our prediction: Argentina to win. Full analysis, team news, line-ups and all markets on SportPesa.

Match details

Field	Detail
Competition	2026 FIFA World Cup — Round of 16
Date & kick-off	Tuesday, 7 July 2026 at 18:00 SAST (Tuesday, 7 July 2026)
Venue	Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
How they got here	Argentina: beat Cape Verde 3-2 AET in R32. Egypt: beat Australia 5-3 on penalties (1-1 after 120 mins) in R32 — Egypt’s first-ever World Cup knockout win.
Format	Single elimination. If level after 90 mins: 30 mins extra time, then penalty shoot-out.
Where to watch	DSTV/GOTV

Messi’s golden boot run vs Egypt’s historic milestone

Argentina arrive in Atlanta as overwhelming tournament favourites. Lionel Scaloni’s defending champions squeezed past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time — a tighter match than the scoreline suggests — before the R32 result confirmed their place in the last 16. Lionel Messi leads the tournament’s golden boot race with seven goals, building on his all-time World Cup scoring record of 19 career goals. At 38, showing no signs of slowing, Messi’s form is the central story of the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina’s XI shows one precautionary change from recent matches: Facundo Medina is carrying a knock, and Nicolás Tagliafico starts at left-back. Thiago Almada and Julián Álvarez partner Messi in the forward line, with Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul providing the midfield engine. Emiliano Martínez — the hero of the 2022 World Cup final penalty shootout — starts in goal.

Egypt’s run to the Round of 16 is the greatest achievement in their football history. Beating Australia 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw across 120 minutes ended their long wait for a first World Cup knockout victory — a landmark for Egyptian football. Mohamed Salah leads the attack with Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Ziko in support.

However, Egypt’s preparation for this match has been severely disrupted by injuries. Karim Hafez (left-back, thigh strain) and Ahmed Fatouh (backup left-back, muscular strain) are both major doubts. Mohamed Abdelmonem (centre-back, ankle injury), who missed the Australia match, is racing against the clock. Three defensive absences simultaneously against Messi, Álvarez and Almada is an almost impossible ask.

Availability

Player	Status
Karim Hafez (Egypt, LB)	MAJOR DOUBT — thigh strain.
Ahmed Fatouh (Egypt, LB backup)	MAJOR DOUBT — muscular strain.
Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt, CB)	RACING AGAINST CLOCK — ankle injury, missed Australia match. Confirm before kick-off.
Facundo Medina (Argentina, LB)	MINOR KNOCK — Tagliafico starts in his place per KE XI.

Team news and expected line-ups

Argentina: Messi leads on 7 tournament goals. Tagliafico covers for Medina (knock). Enzo, Mac Allister, De Paul in midfield. E. Martínez in goal.

Egypt: Significant injury crisis in defence. Hafez, Fatouh and Abdelmonem all doubtful. Confirm all three. Salah leads attack.

Argentina (4-3-3)	Egypt (4-2-3-1)
E. Martínez (GK)	Shobeir (GK)
Montiel (RB)	Hany (RB)
C. Romero (CB)	Rabia (CB)
L. Martínez (CB)	Ibrahim (CB)
Tagliafico (LB)	Hafez (LB)
De Paul (DM)	Attia (DM)
Enzo Fernández (CM)	Hamdy Fathy (DM)
Mac Allister (CM)	Salah (RW)
Almada (RW)	Ziko (AM)
Messi (AM)	Marmoush (LM)
Álvarez (ST)	Ashour (ST)

Key stats

• Argentina: R32 result — beat Cape Verde 3-2 AET. A tighter match than expected.
• Argentina: 11-match winning streak entering this fixture.
• Lionel Messi: 7 tournament goals — leading the golden boot race.
• Messi: all-time World Cup top scorer with 19+ career goals.
• Argentina form: W W W W W.
• Egypt: R32 result — beat Australia 5-3 on penalties (1-1 AET). Egypt’s first-ever World Cup knockout win.
• Karim Hafez (LB): MAJOR DOUBT — thigh strain.
• Ahmed Fatouh (LB backup): MAJOR DOUBT — muscular strain.
• Mohamed Abdelmonem (CB): RACING AGAINST CLOCK — ankle injury, missed Australia match.
• Mohamed Salah: Egypt captain and primary attacking threat.
• Omar Marmoush: attacking support for Salah.
• Egypt form: D W D W L.
• H2H: Argentina W1 Egypt W0 from 1 meeting (2008 Cairo friendly, 2-0 Argentina).
• First-ever competitive meeting between the two nations.

Head-to-head

Argentina and Egypt have met only once previously in their entire senior football history — an international friendly in Cairo in March 2008, which Argentina won 2-0 through goals from Sergio Agüero and Nicolás Burdisso. Lionel Messi was injured and did not feature in that match. This Round of 16 fixture is the first competitive encounter between the two nations.

Date	Result
March 2008	Egypt 0–2 Argentina (International Friendly, Cairo — Messi absent)
First competitive meeting	This match — Round of 16, 7 July 2026

Current form

Team	Last 5 (inc. WC)
Argentina	W W W W W — beat Cape Verde 3-2 AET; 11-match winning streak
Egypt	D W D W L — beat Australia on pens in R32; historic first WC knockout win

Our prediction

Argentina are the clearest favourites of any Round of 16 fixture remaining. Messi leading the golden boot race with seven goals, a 11-match winning streak, and Egypt’s backline in disarray across three positions — the analytical case is overwhelming.

Egypt’s achievement in reaching this stage is historic and Salah’s individual quality means they are never goalless against any opponent. But three defensive injury doubts simultaneously against the tournament’s most prolific attack makes this an extremely difficult ask. Argentina’s quality, form and depth make them the comfortable analytical favourites.

Our prediction: Argentina to win.

Odds and markets

Odds correct at 1800Hrs UTC on Tuesday, 7^th July 2026.

How to bet on SportPesa

1. Open the Argentina vs Egypt event page on SportPesa (link above).
2. Choose your market — Single Bet (SB), Multi-Bet (MB), or Live Bet (LB) once the match starts.
3. Enter your stake and place your bet.

Frequently asked questions

What time does Argentina vs Egypt kick off?

Kick-off is at 18:00 SAST (Tuesday, 7 July 2026) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

How did Egypt get past Australia?

Egypt drew 1-1 with Australia after 120 minutes in the Round of 32. They then won the penalty shootout 5-3 to advance to the Round of 16 — the first time Egypt have ever won a World Cup knockout match in their history.

How many goals has Messi scored at World Cup 2026?

Lionel Messi has scored 7 goals at this World Cup, leading the golden boot race. This builds on his status as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 19+ career goals across his entire tournament career.

Are Egypt’s defenders fit to play against Argentina?

Egypt face a significant injury crisis in defence. Left-back Karim Hafez (thigh strain) and backup Fatouh (muscular strain) are both major doubts. Centre-back Mohamed Abdelmonem, who missed the Australia match with an ankle injury, is racing against the clock. Confirm all three in Egypt’s official team announcement before kick-off.

Have Argentina and Egypt played before?

Only once — a 2-0 Argentina friendly win in Cairo in March 2008. Messi was absent through injury. This Round of 16 is their first competitive meeting.

READ ALSO: Portugal vs Spain prediction.

Orlando Pirates legend Joseph Makhanya has revealed that he had to repeatedly convince Mbekezeli Mbokazi to stop visiting hostels in Soweto after the defender’s rise to professional football.

Mbokazi, 20, joined Orlando Pirates‘ DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) side in 2024 before earning promotion to the senior team a year later.

Nicknamed “TLB”, the defender quickly established himself as one of the club’s brightest young talents, displaying maturity, leadership and composure beyond his years.

He helped Pirates win two trophies before securing a move to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in December.

Makhanya, who coached Mbokazi in the DDC, said the defender possessed an exceptional winning mentality and never accepted defeat. He believes Mbokazi’s resilience was forged by his difficult upbringing.

“He has Lucas Thwala’s vibes but again, there’s also that warrior in him whereby he doesn’t want to be defeated. [In his head] he is the ultimate warrior that no one can beat,” Makhanya told Soccer Beat.

“Sometimes the dynamics of growing up shape a player into what he’s about to become. Mbekezeli was shaped a lot by where he’s coming from, whereby he had to fight all his life, so you can see when he’s on the field of play, he’s also fighting.”

Mbokazi was always at the hostels, says Makhanya

The former Pirates midfielder also recalled having to personally fetch Mbokazi from a Soweto hostel, where the young defender would often visit friends despite his growing profile as a professional footballer.

“I’ll be at a garage in my neighbourhood near a hostel and as soon as I get there, attendants will be like, ‘Coach, I saw your player going into the hostel.’

“Now I’m finding it difficult to fetch a player at a hostel. I am scared to go to the hostel. So there had to be a lot of talking to convince him to stop visiting hostels.”

Makhanya explained that his advice was never about distancing Mbokazi from his roots, but about helping him adapt to his new life as a professional footballer.

“I said, ‘Bra, your life is changing. I know these are your brothers and I’m not looking down on them, but try to look after yourself better. We can’t be called every time you’re at a hostel and I have to come fetch you.'”

Mbokazi is currently back in South Africa after returning from the FIFA Club World Cup, where he impressed while representing Bafana Bafana. He has since been linked with top European teams such a Napoli.

It remains to be seen if he will return to Chicago Fire after the FIFA World Cup. The MLS side said they will not stand in the way should a good offer come for the talented defender.

Do you think Makhanya shaped TLB?

Free State were the biggest winners on day one of the U18 Craven Week at Grey High School in Gqeberha on Monday, while Western Province, Boland and the Sharks also recorded victories.

South African rugby’s leading schoolboys and girls descended on Grey High School to compete in the opening round of the U18 Craven Week and U18 Girls Week tournaments.

Explosive start

The U18 Craven Week got off to an explosive start, with 41 tries scored across the four matches.

Free State and the Limpopo Blue Bulls combined for 107 points in an entertaining clash on the Kolisi Field, with the boys from Bloemfontein eventually claiming a 66-41 victory.

Free State flyhalf Zachary Walbrugh finished the free-flowing encounter with a personal tally of 31 points – a haul that included a hat-trick of tries – while centres Ruan Roux and Eddie Mabena scored two tries apiece.

In other U18 Craven Week matches played on Monday, Boland fired late to secure a 39-20 win against the Leopards, and the Sharks scored five tries in their 36-19 win against SWD.

Result in the balance

Hosts Eastern Province made a bright start to the final clash of the day against WP, and the result was still in the balance at half-time, after local flyhalf Nathan Trytsman slotted two penalty goals.

The Western Cape outfit lifted the tempo after the break and proceeded to score 21 unanswered points, with Achmat Behardien (flyhalf) kicking six conversions and adding a try at the death as WP went on to secure a 42-25 win.

The U18 Craven Week action continues at Grey High on Tuesday, with Border fronting the Valke at 09:30 and the Blue Bulls meeting the Golden Lions in an exciting Jukskei Derby later in the afternoon.

The week-long tournament will conclude on Saturday, 11 July with the ‘final’.

Monday, 6 July

Boland 39-20 Leopards

Free State 66-41 Limpopo Blue Bulls

Sharks 36-19 South Western Districts

Western Province 42-25 Eastern Province

Tuesday, 7 July

Border vs Valke – 09:30

Griquas vs Pumas – 11:15

Western Province XV vs Griffons – 13:00

Blue Bulls vs Lions – 15:30

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DAY ONE – Craven Week 2026 Results

Craven Week 2026 has finally arrived, with the best young schoolboy rugby talent in the country looking to showcase their skills and stake a claim for one of the two coveted SA Schools sides. Here is a recap of every match, the standout performances and the full Day One results.

Boland finish strongly to overcome Leopards

The opening game of Craven Week saw the Leopards take on Boland. As the first fixture of the tournament, both teams made a few early mistakes, showing some understandable nerves. However, it was the Leopards who opened the scoring through a burst of pace from Ayden Willemse of Rustenburg High School, who dotted down for the first try of the day. The Leopards kept Boland under pressure throughout the opening half, while two penalties from flyhalf Enos helped his side carry a 13-3 advantage into the break.

The second half began with an early Boland try after their left winger read the play perfectly to snatch an intercept. From there, Boland shifted through the gears. Tries from Lotriet and Jacobs turned the contest on its head, giving Boland a commanding 29-13 lead. The Leopards refused to fade away, responding with five minutes remaining through a hard-fought try as they searched for a late comeback. Their ill-discipline, however, proved costly, allowing Boland to add another penalty before Jacobs completed his hat-trick to wrap up an impressive 39-20 victory in the opening match of Craven Week.

Free State power past spirited Limpopo Blue Bulls

The second encounter of Craven Week featured a Free State side packed with Grey College players against the Limpopo Blue Bulls. What followed was a schoolboy rugby spectacle, with the two sides combining for more than 100 points. Free State eventually ran in 10 tries to secure a dominant 66-41 victory.

After a shock start that saw Free State trail 14-0 after 20 minutes, Eddie Mabena finally got his side on the scoreboard and settled the nerves. From there, the floodgates opened as Free State piled on 28 points in the final 15 minutes of the first half.

It took just three minutes after the restart for Free State to strike again as Andrew Wessels powered over for another try. The Limpopo Blue Bulls continued to battle, but every score was matched by another Free State response as the game developed into an entertaining end-to-end contest. In the end, the Bulls simply couldn’t contain the relentless Free State attack, going down 66-41.

Sharks Schools impress against SWD

The third game of Craven Week was one many had been anticipating, as Sharks Schools and SWD met for the first time in several years. It was SWD who landed the opening blow after poor discipline from the Sharks as the opening scrum gifted them an easy penalty to touch. From the resulting lineout, Bernard Barednhorst crossed for the opening try.

The Sharks thought they had responded immediately, but the TMO ruled out the effort, leaving them trailing 5-0. They continued to challenge the defensive line and were eventually rewarded when Kuzonyei finished out wide to edge the Sharks into a 7-5 lead. SWD threatened to answer after camping inside the Sharks’ 22 through a 14-phase attack, but they were unable to crack the defence and eventually handed the Sharks an easy exit. The remainder of the half saw Sharks Schools combine innovation with physicality as they searched for gaps in a resilient SWD defence.

Early in the second half, disaster struck for the Sharks when flanker Zion Smith took a heavy blow to the head while going into an upright tackle, bringing an early end to his afternoon. Moments later, SWD’s No. 19 was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, and the Sharks capitalised immediately. They kicked deep into the opposition half before driving over from the maul, with Bruiner dotting down for his first try.

SWD failed to learn their lesson and were soon reduced to 13 men after a second yellow card, once again conceding a penalty. Sharks Schools punished them again, making full use of the extra space to extend their lead beyond 10 points.

The Sharks were then given a taste of their own medicine when they received a yellow card for taking a player out in the air, allowing Adrian Smith to cross and keep SWD within touching distance. Even in the closing stages, SWD continued searching for one more score, and it came through Hendriks, whose late try added some respectability to the scoreboard at 29-19.

There was still time for one final play. Sharks Schools looked set to see the game out, but Sonkonokono had other ideas. Reading the pass perfectly, he raced away to cross the whitewash and put the finishing touch on an outstanding performance, sealing a 36-19 victory for Sharks Schools.

Western Province finish strongly against Eastern Province

The final game of Craven Week saw neighbouring provinces battle it out for local bragging rights as Western Province took on Eastern Province. Eastern Province made the perfect start, crashing over in just the third minute. Although Western Province were convinced they had held the ball up, the TMO confirmed the try had been grounded.

It didn’t take long for Western Province to respond, manufacturing a try of their own with Van Biljon adding the extras. The next 10 minutes were packed with physical schoolboy rugby as Province controlled possession. Once they worked their way into the Eastern Province 22, they shifted the ball wide to Dirk Farmer, who crossed to hand Province the lead. Another accurate conversion stretched the advantage to seven points. However, poor discipline from Province allowed Eastern Province a late penalty, leaving them trailing by just a single point at the break (14-13).

The second half began with Eastern Province reclaiming the lead through a try from Doyle, moving six points clear. Their advantage proved short-lived as Western Province moved the ball from touchline to touchline before Caleb Bell dived over to pull his side back within a point. From there, Province’s forwards gradually asserted themselves, driving Eastern Province backwards and creating more room for their backs to exploit. That dominance sparked a flurry of tries as Western Province built a comfortable 15-point cushion.

Eastern Province threatened to mount a late comeback, but with just one unconverted try in the second half, it summed up their afternoon—they were there, but never quite close enough. The final try of Day One came through Behardien, capping off an outstanding performance from both himself and his side as Western Province secured an impressive 45-25 victory.

To watch the first days highlights, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@SCHOOLOFSPORTS

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