Sports

Morocco goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou rejects Bayern Munich, pledges future to Sevilla

Published

2 years ago

April 4, 2023

A Spanish sports outlet, Relevo reported on Monday that Moroccan international goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou has rejected a move to German Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich, who wanted him to replace the injured Manuel Neuer, and instead pledging his future to his current Spanish club, Sevilla.

According to the outlet, following his heroics at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the perennial German champions had approached Bounou with a view to signing him but he turned down the opportunity to commit his future to his present team.

“Germany’s Bayern Munich was among the clubs that had Bounou on their radar, but the Moroccan footballer was keen on staying with the Spanish club,” the paper wrote.

“With controversy surrounding the benching of Yassine Bounou in recent matches by Sevilla FC’s new head coach, reports have emerged that the Moroccan goalkeeper rejected several offers from big clubs following the 2022 Qatar World Cup, pledging his loyalty to his Spanish club instead,” the report said.

The Spanish outlet said that Bayern had contacted Bounou to acquire his services and “cover the loss of their starting goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, who sustained a leg injury while away on a skiing holiday in January.

“Faced with the urgent need to find a replacement for their main goalkeeper, the German club was keen on signing Bounou, who has been solid in Sevilla’s net over the past several seasons and produced spectacular saves with the Moroccan national team at the 2022 World Cup Qatar.

“With his stellar performances in Qatar, the Moroccan goalkeeper greatly contributed to the Atlas Lions’ World Cup success, helping Morocco become the first African and Arab country to reach the global tournament’s semi-finals.

“In response to Bayern Munich’s offer, Bounou reiterated his loyalty to Sevilla, especially since the club has been facing a tough campaign in La Liga, Spain’s top-tier football league.

“The response was not as expected in Germany and was even surprising for all the parties involved in the operation, except for Bono himself.

“But months later, Bounou lost his starting position in Sevilla to Serbian goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic, raising concerns among the Moroccan goalkeeper’s fans who questioned the Sevilla head coach’s decision,” Relevo said.

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Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)