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Du beau monde à l’ouverture à Mexico
De nouveaux invités de marque ont été annoncés pour les cérémonies de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2026
à Mexico. djcc.club
- Alejandro Fernández chantera l’hymne national mexicain, tandis que Tyla chantera l’hymne national sud-africain.
- L’actrice, réalisatrice et productrice mexicano-américaine Salma Hayek Pinault, nommée aux Oscars, sera l’ambassadrice de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2026.
- Ryan Castro rejoindra J Balvin sur la scène internationale pour une performance spéciale
Alors que le monde entier se rassemble à Mexico pour le match d’ouverture de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2026, une programmation exceptionnelle d’artistes et d’invités de marque animera les cérémonies d’ouverture et d’avant-match au Stade de Mexico.
Les supporters présents au stade auront un rôle actif à jouer dans le spectacle et sont invités à arriver tôt, la cérémonie d’ouverture débutant à 11h30, heure locale. Les portes ouvriront quatre heures avant le coup d’envoi et un large éventail d’animations sera proposé, incluant des offres exclusives, des récompenses et des divertissements d’avant-match.
Représentant le pays hôte, Alejandro Fernández interprétera l’hymne national mexicain, tandis que Tyla chantera l’hymne national sud-africain, créant ainsi un moment de fierté intense avant le coup d’envoi officiel du tournoi.
Salma Hayek Pinault, ambassadrice de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2026, se joindra à la cérémonie d’avant-match pour souhaiter la bienvenue aux supporters à Mexico et célébrer l’esprit fédérateur du football sur la scène internationale.
Forts de leurs récentes collaborations, Ryan Castro rejoindra J Balvin sur scène lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture pour une performance mémorable.
Les cérémonies de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2026 à Mexico seront l’occasion de célébrer le football, la musique et la culture et de donner le coup d’envoi de la plus grande Coupe du Monde de la FIFA de l’histoire.
Se déroulant 90 minutes avant le coup d’envoi au stade de Mexico, la cérémonie d’ouverture mettra en vedette certaines des voix les plus passionnantes de la musique mondiale, donnant vie à l’album officiel de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2026 avec des performances de Belinda, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná et Shakira.
En accueillant le match d’ouverture du tournoi, le Mexique lancera une trilogie de cérémonies d’ouverture qui se poursuivront au Canada et aux États-Unis.
L’article Du beau monde à l’ouverture à Mexico est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.
Bafana Bafana World Cup Daily: John Terry praises Mbekezeli Mbokazi
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here and this is your daily one-stop destination for everything Bafana Bafana.
From fixtures and squad updates to qualification permutations, historical records and World Cup trivia, we’ve got South Africa covered.
JOHN TERRY EXCITED TO SEE MBOKAZI FACE STRONGER OPPOSITION
WHEN IS MEXICO VS SOUTH AFRICA?
- Date: 11 June 2026
- Kick-off: 21:00 SAST
- Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Other Group A Fixtures
- 18 June 2026
- Czech Republic vs South Africa
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
- 18:00 SAST
- 25 June 2026
- South Africa vs South Korea
- Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico
- 03:00 SAST
HOW CAN BAFANA BAFANA QUALIFY FOR THE ROUND OF 32?
The top two teams in each group qualify automatically. The eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups also advance.
Scenario 1: Automatic Qualification
- Beat Mexico
- Beat Czech Republic
Bafana qualify with a game to spare.
Scenario 2: Finish As Runners-Up
- Collect between four and six points
- Finish above either South Korea or Czech Republic
Scenario 3: Qualify As One Of The Best Third-Placed Teams
- Finish third in Group A
- Have a superior points tally, goal difference and goals scored record compared to other third-placed nations.
DID YOU KNOW?
- South Africa secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating which country 3-0 in their final group match? Rwanda.
- Hugo Broos is the Belgian head coach who successfully ended Bafana Bafana’s 24-year drought of qualifying for a World Cup on merit? True (their last direct qualification was in 2002; they participated in 2010 as automatic hosts)
- South Africca will face which co-host country in their highly anticipated opening group match of the 2026 World Cup? Mexico.
- Which legendary striker scored South Africa’s first-ever goal in a FIFA World Cup match back in 1998?Benni McCarthy (against Denmark).
- South Africa famously defeated which former World Cup champions 2-1 during the 2010 World Cup group stage? France.
WHO IS IN THE BAFANA BAFANA WORLD CUP SQUAD?
Goalkeepers
- Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)
- Ricardo Goss (Siwelele FC)
Defenders
- Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City)
- Khulumani Ndamane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Bradley Cross (Kaizer Chiefs)
- Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire, USA)
- Samukele Kabini (Molde FK, Norway)
- Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates)
- Ime Okon (Hannover 96, Germany)
- Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union, USA)
- Kamogelo Sebelebele (Orlando Pirates)
Midfielders
- Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela, Portugal)
- Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates)
Forwards
- Lyle Foster (Burnley, England)
- Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates)
- Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Thapelo Maseko (AEL Limassol, Cyprus)
- Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates)
- Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates)
- Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates)
- Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns).
HOW HAVE BAFANA PERFORMED AT PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS?
France 1998
- Lost 3-0 vs France
- Drew 1-1 vs Denmark
- Drew 2-2 vs Saudi Arabia
Finish: Third
Korea/Japan 2002
- Drew 2-2 vs Paraguay
- Beat Slovenia 1-0
- Lost 3-2 vs Spain
Finish: Third
South Africa 2010
- Drew 1-1 vs Mexico
- Lost 3-0 vs Uruguay
- Beat France 2-1
Finish: Third
Russia 2018
Did not qualify
Qatar 2022
Did not qualify.
WHO IS BAFANA BAFANA’S PLAYER TO WATCH?
Oswin Appollis
- Age: 24
- Club: Orlando Pirates
- Position: Winger
Appollis heads into the 2026 FIFA World Cup in excellent form after contributing 11 goals and nine assists for Orlando Pirates across all competitions during the 2025/26 season.
The winger has also become a key player for Bafana Bafana, registering nine goals and eight assists in 25 appearances since making his senior international debut in November 2023.
If South Africa are to cause an upset in Group A, Appollis is likely to play a central role.
Mondial 2026: «La Fifa se dédouane lâchement en abandonnant l'arbitre somalien Omar Artan», dénonce Joseph-Antoine Bell
À la veille du début du Mondial 2026, les tensions se multiplient autour de la stricte politique migratoire américaine, embarrassant la Fédération internationale de football (Fifa) qui a expliqué qu'elle « n'intervient pas dans les procédures d'immigration du pays hôte, y compris dans l'octroi des visas ». L'arbitre somalien Omar Artan, désigné meilleur arbitre africain en 2025, a été refoulé à son entrée aux États-Unis, en dépit d'un visa accordé. La Somalie, dont les citoyens sont frappés d'une interdiction de voyage aux États-Unis par l'administration de Donald Trump, a défendu « l'intégrité » de son arbitre, assurant que celui-ci disposait d'un visa en règle. Entretien avec le célèbre ancien gardien camerounais et consultant sportif Joseph-Antoine Bell.
Équipe du Congo : Claude Le Roy, nouveau sélectionneur
À 78 ans, Claude Le Roy n’est pas prêt pour abandonner le coaching. Ce mercredi, le technicien français est annoncé comme nouveau sélectionneur du Congo. Il reprend une sélection qu’il a déjà entraîné entre 2013 à 2015.
Surnommé le « Sorcier blanc », Claude Le Roy n’a rien perdu de sa passion pour le football africain. Cinq ans après sa dernière expérience sur le banc du Togo, le Français retrouve le continent pour relever un nouveau défi. Il pourrait être accompagné dans cette mission par Omar Daf, ancien entraîneur de Sochaux et d’Amiens, qui intégrera le staff technique.
Claude Le Roy vise la CAN 2027 avec le Congo
L’objectif fixé au nouveau sélectionneur est une qualification du Congo pour la Coupe d’Afrique des Nations 2027, organisée conjointement par la Tanzanie, le Kenya et l’Ouganda. Pour y parvenir, les Diables Rouges devront terminer parmi les deux premiers du groupe G des éliminatoires, où figurent également le Cameroun, les Comores et la Namibie.
Cette nomination marque la neuvième expérience de Claude Le Roy à la tête d’une sélection africaine. Au fil de sa carrière, il a dirigé le Cameroun (1985-1988 et 1998), le Sénégal (1988-1992), le Ghana (2006-2008), la RD Congo (2004-2006 et 2011-2013), le Congo (2013-2015) ainsi que le Togo (2016-2021).
Les supporters congolais gardent un excellent souvenir de son précédent mandat, notamment grâce au parcours remarquable réalisé lors de la CAN 2015, où les Diables Rouges avaient atteint les quarts de finale. Avec son immense expérience et sa connaissance du football africain, Claude Le Roy tentera désormais de redonner au Congo une place parmi les nations majeures du continent.
The post Équipe du Congo : Claude Le Roy, nouveau sélectionneur appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.
Bantwana Coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo Sees Youth Month as a Promise to the Next Generation
Ntombifuthi Khumalo has spent her working life in the company of young footballers, and when the conversation turns to Youth Month she reaches first for memory and meaning.
“Youth Month is something special for us, especially in South Africa,” she says. “Remember what happened in June 1976.”
For the Bantwana head coach, a Pietermaritzburg native and one of the most decorated youth development coaches in African women’s football, the month is a reminder of what the present generation has inherited. She wants the girls she works with to hold that history close.
“Because were it not for that time, the opportunities they have today to play sport, especially young girls, mean a lot to us and to them.”
Bantwana Head Coach, Ntombifuthi Khumalo
She sees young people not as bystanders to that legacy but as the ones who carry it forward, able to make “a meaningful difference through courage, determination and an active perspective” in their communities and the nation.
Her own route into coaching was drawn by that same conviction. “It’s a passion for development and a commitment to help young girls who have potential and talent,” she says, describing the work that has kept her in the youth game when other doors stood open.
The tournaments, she says, are a privilege rather than a burden. “Coaching them in big tournaments like a World Cup qualifier or COSAFA is a blessing from God, because mine is to see them growing in the game, as a young girl who loves football but does not have much opportunity to see herself in a national team or university setup.”
“It always motivates me when I see them growing and getting opportunity.”
A student of the Maximal Football concept and its focus on developing distinctly African talent, she measures her work by more than results. “Beyond football, I also play an important role in shaping character, teaching values such as discipline, respect, responsibility and teamwork, so that they can become better people and positively contribute to society,” she says.
Bantwana Coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo Sees Youth Month as a Promise to the Next Generation
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South Africa to Host Africa’s Junior Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier in Polokwane
Banyana Banyana Make History as First African Team to Beat Japan
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That holistic philosophy runs through everything at her programmes. “Developing the player holistically, everything goes hand in hand,” she says. “Along with improving football skills, we focus on life skills, discipline, education, leadership and personal growth.” For Khumalo the two are inseparable, because “when you talk about the best player, it is also about the better human being.”
To the girls whose efforts go unseen, her message is patient and firm:
“You must continue working hard when no one notices your effort. The sacrifice, the commitment and discipline you make in silence will prepare you for the opportunities that come your way. When your moment arrives, you will be ready.”
She has seen that promise come true. In May 2024 she guided the South Africa Under-15 girls to the CAF African Schools Football Championship title in Zanzibar, the country’s maiden title in the competition and the first won by any team from the COSAFA region, beating Morocco on penalties at a packed Amaan Stadium. The win reshaped young lives. “It was something that was big for young girls, and it was a beginning of special things,” Khumalo says. “Many of them are now playing in the Hollywoodbets Super League.”
The value, she says, ran deeper than medals. “After winning the CAF title, they gained more confidence about their game, also as human beings, because that’s another important thing in sport: when you do something good, you also feel good about yourself.”
The harder days have taught her too. A chastening defeat to Nigeria in a previous qualifying campaign became a lesson rather than a wound. “It wasn’t a good result for us, but it helped us a lot,” she says. “Their physical strength, intensity and athleticism were among their greatest strengths. This experience showed us the importance of adapting our style of play and preparing differently depending on the opponent.” She calls it “a learning phase”.
Now Bantwana stand one tie away from the game’s biggest stage, facing Kenya in the final qualification round from 3 to 13 July 2026, with a place at the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, running from 17 October to 7 November, waiting on the other side. Whatever the result, Khumalo is clear about what she wants her players to carry.
First-Ever SA Schools Girls Coaches Natasha Hofmeester and Zolisa Noxeke Speak Up
South Africa to Host Africa’s Junior Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier in Polokwane
Banyana Banyana Make History as First African Team to Beat Japan
Maria Tshiremba and Ayanda Malinga Strike But Brazil Down Springbok Women’s Sevens in Bordeaux
Caitlyn Macnab Wins Waterfall City Tournament of Champions in Mixed Field
Kgothatso Montjane Vows Comeback After Roland Garros Setback
“When they are wearing the national jersey, that’s both an honour and a responsibility,” she says. “Through discipline and commitment, they can create a legacy that will remain forever.”
Her certainty is rooted in her own story. “My background and the challenges that I went through shaped me into the person I am today,” Khumalo says. “Every difficulty I face becomes a lesson, and every step back becomes an opportunity to grow stronger.” Those years, she says, taught her “the value of hard work, resilience and perseverance”.
It is the lesson she leaves for any young girl who fears her chance has passed.
“Never give up, whatever you’re doing.”
“Trust the process and believe in your journey.” There will be setbacks, she allows, but the door is not closed. Stay committed, stay disciplined, and “Be ready when your time arrives”.
Main Photo Caption: Ntombifuthi Khumalo, head coach of Bantwana, the South Africa Under-17 Women’s national football team, is regarded as one of African women’s football’s foremost developers of young girls’ talent. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: A distinguished youth coach from Pietermaritzburg, Khumalo is leading Bantwana’s FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying push.
The post Bantwana Coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo Sees Youth Month as a Promise to the Next Generation appeared first on gsport4girls.