Saturday, 10 October 2026
DREAM COME TRUE: STAUNCH ARSENAL SUPPORTER TUSEKILE MWANDOSYA POSES WITH PREMIER LEAGUE TROPHY IN DAR ES SALAAM
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — The iconic English Premier League trophy made a historic stop at The Dome in Dar es Salaam, where elated Arsenal supporter Tusekile Mwandosya was among the first to pose with the coveted silverware. The visit is part of a wider trophy tour of East Africa, sponsored by Guinness, aimed at bringing the excitement of England's top football league closer to its passionate fanbase on the continent.
The event drew hundreds of football enthusiasts, who lined up for a rare chance to see and take photos with the trophy that symbolizes the pinnacle of club football. For Mwandosya, a lifelong Gunners fan, the moment was particularly special. "This is a dream come true," she said. "I never thought I'd ever be this close to the Premier League trophy. It's a huge honor for Tanzania to host it."
The tour, which also includes stops in Kenya and Uganda, is part of Guinness's ongoing commitment to celebrating football culture and uniting fans across the region. Organizers noted that the trophy's presence in East Africa reflects the growing popularity of the Premier League and the deep-rooted passion of its supporters in this part of the world.
The Premier League trophy has been on a global tour, visiting various countries to engage with fans and promote the league's international reach. Its stop in Tanzania marks a significant moment for local football fans, many of whom follow the English top flight with fervor. The event at The Dome featured interactive fan zones, live music, and screenings of classic Premier League matches, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the day.
Guinness representatives highlighted that the tour is not just about showcasing the trophy but also about celebrating the shared love of the game. "We are thrilled to bring the Premier League trophy to Tanzania," said a spokesperson. "This is about connecting with our consumers and celebrating the beautiful game together."
As the trophy continues its journey through East Africa, it leaves behind a trail of unforgettable memories for fans like Mwandosya, who now have a story to tell for a lifetime.
GERMAN MEDIA UNANIMOUS AS ETHAN NWANERI IS SNUBBED ONCE AGAIN FOR DORTMUND
Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri is two months into his stint at Borussia Dortmund and here's how he's faring
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| Ethan Nwaneri lasted just over an hour against Werder Bremen(Image: AFP via Getty Images) |
A pattern of Ethan Nwaneri not finishing games for Borussia Dortmund continued on Friday night. The Arsenal loanee joined the Bundesliga side on deadline day and has started four league games.
The 19-year-old has yet to complete 90 minutes for the club. He's been brought off in each of his five starts across all competitions, with his latest substitution coming in Dortmund's 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen on Friday.
However, Nwaeri has enjoyed an unbeaten start to the new campaign. Dortmund currently sit top of the league with 13 point but Bayern Munich and Freiburg, who are both three points behind, have a game in hand.
Nwaneri's only goal contribution in Germany came when registering an assist on his debut against Hoffenheim and he has since struggled to make an impact in front of goal. He got closer to scoring his first goal on Friday but was denied by ex-Gunners goalkeeper Karl Hein on two occasions.
The teenager was then brought off after an hour and German media have had their say on his performance.
BILD
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| Ethan Nwaneri has yet to complete 90 minutes for Borussia Dortmund(Image: Getty Images) |
Germany's biggest newspaper, BILD, gave Nwaneri a grade of five for his performance, the joint-lowest for Dortmund alongside team-mate Marcel Sabitzer. The outlet may have been inclined to raise his rating if the referee hadn't disallowed his second-half goal for a foul.
BILD wrote: "But then Nwaneri scored a stunning bicycle kick (62nd minute) to seemingly give Dortmund the lead. Dortmund celebrated – but only briefly. The reason: Referee Christian Dingert ruled [Waldemar] Anton's slight push on [Niclas] Fullkrug an offensive foul. Therefore, VAR couldn't intervene. A bitter evening for Dortmund..."
Spox
Spox felt the 19-year-old struggled initially but his influence grew as the game went on, despite his end product still lacking. They gave him a rating of three out of six, with one the highest possible grade. They wrote: "Nwaneri initially remained relatively inconspicuous, but then developed into Dortmund's most dangerous player in front of goal.
"With his first truly good attacking move, he beautifully chipped the ball into Beier's path before his big chance (43rd minute). After that, several of his shots were either just a touch too inaccurate or were thwarted by the excellent Bremen goalkeeper Hein. He was then replaced by Silva after just over an hour. Rating: 3."
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| The 19-year-old was subbed off in the 63rd minute(Image: AP Photo/Martin Meissner) |
Goal
Goal's assessment also noted Nwaneri's inability to impact the game at key moments, but praised his technical ability. They gave the winger a six out of 10 rating and wrote: "The teenager showed good technical security on the flank but found it difficult to impact the game in the final third against a deep-sitting Bremen block.
"He was replaced by Fabio Silva just past the hour mark." Only Serhou Guirassy, Maximilian Beier and Gregor Kobel received lower scores from the outlet, with Dortmund's trio all receiving 5/10 ratings.
- Fasika Zelealem
Friday, 9 October 2026
THE INTERNATIONAL BIATHLON UNION AND ADIDAS ANNOUNCE LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) and adidas announce a new multi-year partnership that will see the global sports brand become the Official Clothing Partner of the IBU.
The partnership will officially launch at the Loop One Festival, a world-class urban biathlon event taking place in Munich on 17-18 October 2026 and marks the return of adidas to the international biathlon family. Under the partnership, adidas will equip around 180 IBU staff and officials with apparel, footwear and accessories, providing a consistent and high-quality look for the IBU team across its events and activities worldwide.
Felix Bitterling, Marketing & Commercial Director of the IBU, said:
“We are delighted to welcome adidas back to the IBU family. In many ways, this partnership feels like a return to our roots, as adidas was already a trusted long-term partner of the IBU until 2018. At the same time, we are looking firmly to the future with one of the world’s strongest sports brands – a brand that combines an incredible sporting tradition with modern style and innovation.
The fact that a global brand of adidas’ calibre has chosen to partner with the IBU is also a strong signal for the continued appeal of biathlon. As Europe’s most watched winter sport, biathlon offers international brands an outstanding platform and a passionate fanbase. Together with adidas, we look forward to bringing the partnership to life through activations at our events and across our digital channels, creating new ways to engage with biathlon fans around the world.”
The partnership adds to adidas' existing role in biathlon: adidas is the long-standing outfitter of the German Ski Association (DSV), a partnership of more than 50 years, and of the French Ski Federation (FFS). It also supports leading individual athletes such as Lou Jeanmonnot, Océane Michelon and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and continues partnerships with some of biathlon's greatest legends like Dorothea Wierer, Johannes Thingnes Boe and Arnd Peiffer.
Activations will kick off at the Loop One Festival in Munich, where adidas will play an active role in the festival programme. adidas partners, including biathlon legend Johannes Thingnes Boe, will be on site to meet fans and take part in activities throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, the adidas Runners x LOOP ONE Community Run with Olympic champion Denise Herrmann-Wick will give fans the opportunity to get active alongside one of biathlon’s biggest names. adidas will also have its own presence in the festival area, including a Meet & Greet with Franziska Preuss on Sunday. adidas Hyrox Athletes Fabian Eisenlauer and Jana Lebenstedt will join the Biathlonrocks challenge in the festival area.
Throughout its IBU partnership, adidas will now be part of the sport at every level, from the World Cup officials to the athletes and nations competing at the highest level.
Beyond outfitting the IBU team, adidas and the IBU will bring the partnership to life through activations from grassroots to World Cup level, complemented by digital initiatives that engage biathlon fans across IBU platforms.
About adidas
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs around 65,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 24.8 billion in 2025.
Photo: IBU
JOSE MOURINHO JOKES ABOUT MAN CITY VERDICT AS 2028 TITLE ADDS PERSONAL TWIST
Jose Mourinho has joked that he could be 80 years old by the time Manchester City's financial case finally reaches its conclusion, but one particular Premier League title gives the Real Madrid boss a personal reason to follow the saga closely.
City have already been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, but the legal battle is far from finished.
The club formally lodged its appeal on October 1, arguing that the independent commission's findings contained material errors of fact, law and principle.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho used his familiar dry humour to sum up how long he believes the dispute could continue.
The 63-year-old joked that he and the interviewer would need to be "lucky" still to be around for the final verdict, adding: "I'll be 80."
His prediction is clearly an exaggeration rather than a realistic legal timetable, but the point behind it is valid: City's appeal represents only the next stage of a process that began publicly when the Premier League announced its charges in February 2023.
For Mourinho, however, there is another layer to the story.
Mourinho's Man United side finished second in City's 2017-18 title season
The most serious financial breaches established by the original commission relate to the period between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
That final campaign is particularly significant because it was Pep Guardiola's first Premier League title-winning season at Manchester City.
It is also the only one of Guardiola's six league titles that falls directly within the nine-season period covered by those breaches.
City produced one of the greatest domestic campaigns in English football history in 2017-18, becoming the first Premier League side to reach 100 points.
The team that finished second? Mourinho's Manchester United.
United collected 81 points, ending the campaign 19 behind their neighbours but still recording their best Premier League finish since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
That connection has not been lost on Mourinho.
.Back in 2024, when the City case remained unresolved, the Portuguese jokingly suggested that United might one day be awarded the 2017-18 title if their rivals were punished retrospectively.
He even said the club would then owe him his championship medal and the bonus attached to winning the league.
His latest comments therefore come with more personal history attached than another general Mourinho dig at Guardiola or City.
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| Getty |
Could Manchester United actually inherit the 2017-18 title?
At this stage, there is no basis for saying that Mourinho will become a four-time Premier League-winning manager.
City have appealed the guilty verdict, no final sanctions have yet been determined and there has been no decision to remove any of the club's trophies.
The appeal will be heard by a new three-person independent commission.
Premier League rules indicate that an appeal decision should ideally be delivered within 12 weeks of the hearing, although that timetable can be waived if necessary.
There could also be further legal arguments once sanctions are determined, depending on the outcome of the first appeal.
Even a severe sporting punishment would not automatically mean that previous titles are stripped or retrospectively awarded to runners-up.
Sports Mole has already examined how the case could affect the English football record books, but no retrospective redistribution of titles has been decided.
There is therefore a substantial distance between City's current legal position and the hypothetical scenario Mourinho joked about two years ago.
Nevertheless, the overlap remains striking.
Five of Guardiola's six Premier League titles were won after the period covered by City's most serious breaches had ended.
The exception is 2017-18 - the record-breaking 100-point season that denied Mourinho what would have been his fourth English league championship.
That explains why a case Mourinho jokes may still be alive when he turns 80 carries an unusual personal footnote.
He is no longer at Manchester United and now has Real Madrid's present to worry about, but one of the most celebrated seasons in City's history also happens to be the season in which his own side came closest to the crown.
- Naim Beneddra
Thursday, 8 October 2026
EFL PUNDIT LEFT FLABBERGASTED AS TONDA ECKERT AVOIDS LENGTHY SOUTHAMPTON BAN
This EFL pundit has been left flabbergasted as Tonda Eckert avoided a lengthy Southampton ban.
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| Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers - Sky Bet Championship - Molineux Stadium | Nick Potts - PA Images/GettyImages |
The wider footballing world was expecting that Tonda Eckert would receive a lengthy ban as Southampton boss for his involvement in Spygate.
The German admitted that he was responsible for the approval of several training sessions being spied on during the 2025/26 Championship season, and consequently, as a result of a spy in the trees being found at Middlesbrough's training ground, were dumped out of the playoffs in an earth-shuddering move by the EFL.
Also handed a four point deduction to start the new campaign, the assumption was that Eckert was going to find himself in a very hot water, and be given a significant banning order, himself.
But, he has - instead - been sanctioned with a mild six-week suspended ban, which is suspended until the end of the 2027/28 campaign, so he will remain on the sidelines, despite the protests of outside voices demanding for blood.
This outspoken EFL pundit, who faced off against Southampton numerous times during his playing career, was left stunned by the lax verdict, when speaking in the hours after the news broke.
Jobi McAnuff flabbergasted live on air
Jobi McAnuff is an instantly recognisable face if you're a fan of EFL football, with 350 Championship career appearances under his belt, for the likes of Crystal Palace and Watford.
He would only ever score one goal against the Saints from 11 career meetings, though, when he donned Palace colours in 2006.
Twenty years on, he was left stunned on air by the relaxed nature of Eckert's six-month suspended ban, and his £28,000 fine, when speaking on the 72+ programme on BBC Radio Five Live.
"From 16 weeks to absolutely nothing" 👀
🗣️ Jobi McAnuff cannot understand how Tonda Eckert won't miss a game after Southampton admitted cheating.#BBCFootball #Spygate pic.twitter.com/uCOnFM9NL4
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) October 7, 2026
He said, rather matter-of-factly, when quizzed on the bombshell news: "I still feel ultimately, one man was responsible for all that, and that was Tonda Eckert.
"And I think that's why there has been a separate case for him to answer. I just cannot understand how that commission has come to the conclusion that he won't face any time off that touchline.
I feel it's a real shock and certainly something I didn't see coming."
Clearly, the EFL believed that Southampton had been punished enough with their missed chance at Premier League glory last season, alongside the points deduction haunting them.
Eckert has also been apologetic and cooperative, so a line has been drawn under the whole matter, even if McAnuff believes the lack of a touchline ban is a "real shock."
Other EFL figures had also been calling for a severe penalty to come his way, with Neil Harris - the current Cambridge United manager - vocal when speaking on Radio Five Live the other week, right in the midst of the silence when the hearing had taken place.
But, they have decided to go down a more lenient route, as Southampton now look to move on from this saga, once and for all.
Southampton will just move on
The Saints won't be too preoccupied with the ramblings of McAnuff or Harris as they get back to the business on the pitch, knowing the facts in front of them.
Eckert will be on the touchline, despite what many might think of him, and he will be very determined to guide the South Coast giants to a memorable victory over Portsmouth on Sunday, which would be his first in such a hot-headed Derby matchup.
If the wins keep coming, the performances will start to fill column inches, over any lingering talk that Eckert's individual punishment was feeble.
McAnuff is unlikely to be the only notable voice expressing their outrage at the EFL's permissive approach in the coming days, but it will all just be water off a duck's back for a manager who has been supported through hell and back.
- Kelan Sarson
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