Transfer news: Orlando Pirates say goodbye to 7 players

Orlando Pirates have begun trimming their squad ahead of the new campaign, with the club confirming the departure of seven players who will continue their careers elsewhere.

The Buccaneers announced the exits on Monday as preparations for the upcoming season gather momentum under new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. grenadier.co.za

The departures come as the club continues to make adjustments to the playing squad following a busy transfer window.

ORLANDO PIRATES CONFIRM SEVEN EXITS

The Betway Premiership champions revealed that defenders Thabiso Sesane and Selaelo Rasebotja have both joined Siwelele FC, while Siyabonga Ndlozi and Gomolemo Khoto have completed moves to Sekhukhune United.

Meanwhile, Sonwabo Khumalo and Blessing Ngiba have linked up with Midlands, with Seth Green heading to Durban City.

In a statement, Orlando Pirates thanked the players for their contribution during their time at the club.

“Each of these players has made a valuable contribution to the Club during their time at Orlando Pirates, both on and off the field, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed.”

The club also expressed appreciation for the professionalism shown by the departing players throughout their stay in black and white.

“The Club extends its sincere gratitude to each player for their dedication and professionalism throughout their tenure with us.”

NEW CHAPTERS AWAIT

While some of the players struggled to establish themselves as regular starters, they remain part of a generation that helped strengthen the Buccaneers’ squad during an important period for the club.

Orlando Pirates wished all seven players well as they begin the next phase of their careers.

“On behalf of the entire Orlando Pirates family, the Club wishes these players continued success and fulfilment as they embark on the next chapters of their respective careers.”

With player movement expected to continue in the coming weeks, Orlando Pirates have indicated that further squad updates will be provided as the club finalises preparations for the new Betway Premiership season.

Meanwhile, Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs have announced their second signing of the season.

Achraf Hakimi a lancé le duel avec son ami Kylian Mbappé à quelques jours de France-Maroc en quart de finale de Coupe du monde.

À quelques jours du quart de finale de Coupe du monde entre l’équipe de France et le Maroc, le capitaine des Lions de l’Atlas Achraf Hakimi a lancé le duel à sa façon après une question sur son amitié avec Kylian Mbappé, croisé au PSG.

Dans une discussion sur les réseaux sociaux, l’humoriste marocain Mimo Lazrak a interpellé questionné le latéral du PSG sur cette confrontation avec l’attaquant du Real Madrid et lui a demandé de laisser de côté son amitié avec lui durant le match. Le défenseur a répondu de manière direct. « Ce n’est pas mon pote sur le terrain. », a répondu Hakimi en joignant à sa réponse, un drapeau du Maroc.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 6, 2026 – Despite the quality on display at the ongoing Fifa World Cup, former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama believes Kenya are not too far off from a debut appearance at the global showpiece.

Wanyama is unwavering in his conviction that the national team will qualify for the next edition in Spain, Morocco and Portugal.

“I think it is realistic…the time to start is now. We have the facilities and everything to ensure we perform at the top level. We have talented players, all we need is to sharpen them by developing youth structures that enable them transition to the top,” he said.

Kenya is yet to have a whiff of qualifying for the World Cup; the closest they came was in 1997 when they ground out a number of impressive results in the qualifiers.

A 1-1 draw against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Nairobi, coupled with home and away wins over Burkina Faso.,

However, a 3-0 loss to Nigeria away, and home and away defeats by Guinea put paid to their hopes — in the end falling just three points shy of qualification.

One team that is slowly becoming a regular at the World Cup is the national girls under 17 side, which are on the cusp of a second ever appearance at this level of competition.

The Junior Starlets need only avoid defeat against South Africa’s Bantwana in their return leg of the final round of qualifier in Nairobi on Sunday.

Coach Mildred Cheche’s charges boast a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Pretoria, last Saturday, a huge result that put them 90 minutes away from glory.

Wanyama saluted the team for their exploits, noting that they are evidence that Kenya is a goldmine of footballing jewels.

“We have seen what our girls did in South Africa. They play the return leg this Sunday and they will need all the support to ensure they qualify. They are a good team and have been at the World Cup before. They show that it can be done,” the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder observed.

Wanyama is set to launch his Victor Wanyama Academy in Nairobi at the end of July, in what is a continuation of a bigger project back in Busia.

Although details are scanty, Wanyama said the academy will not only focus on honing the football talents of youngsters but also impart them with life skills such that they can pursue other related careers, such as punditry and football analysis.

Additionally, the academy will fly in international coaches to train local coaches as well as referees.

The initiative is among many that will arise out of Wanyama’s newfound partnership with betting firm 22 Bet — a two-year deal that was inked on Monday afternoon.

WASHINGTON D.C, United States, Juyly 6, 2026 – President Donald Trump has confirmed he asked Fifa to review United States striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension at the World Cup.

Balogun, 25, was set to miss his side’s last-16 tie against Belgium after being shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.

But Fifa made the shock decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, leading to widespread criticism, including from Uefa, Belgium and England boss Thomas Tuchel.

Fifa’s decision frees US forward Balogan, who has scored three goals at this summer’s tournament, to be selected for the match in Seattle, which kicks off at 17:00 local time (01:00 BST on Tuesday).

Trump said football’s world governing body “made the right decision”, adding it would have left a “big stain” on the tournament had the ban been implemented.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had asked Fifa to review the decision because he “didn’t think it was a foul”.

He confirmed he had spoken to Fifa president Gianni Infantino but said “all” he did was ask for a review and added he did not tell the Swiss he had to suspend Balogun’s ban.

Trump added: “I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain. I can’t tell them what to do. I don’t believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision.”

Trump said referee Raphael Claus’ decision to send off Balogun was “horrible” and called the Brazilian “a little bit suspect”.

In response, the Brazilian football conferdation (CBF) defended Claus’ integrity, stating: “There is nothing in his record that discredits him or gives grounds for any suspicion. He is an exemplary professional.”

In a statement on X, Infantino said that on receiving a call from Trump, he told the US President there was “an ongoing legal process involving Fifa’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies”.

Earlier on Monday, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” by Fifa’s decision, while European football governing body Uefa said on Tuesday it left the integrity of football at stake.

Belgium’s appeal against the decision has been dismissed.

The Fifa appeal committee deemed Belgium are not an interested party as they were not involved in the original decision and are merely the United States’ next opponents.

“The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the Belgian FA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,” said Fifa in a statement.

This means Balogun will be free to play against Belgium because there is no party who would appeal against the decision.

When asked by BBC Sport about Trump’s comments and his view on Claus, Fifa said it had “nothing more” to add.

Infantino later stated Fifa’s judicial bodies were “independent” and rulings “must always be respected”.

He added: “I read the decisions of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.

“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant.

“Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of Fifa at all times.”

In raising its concerns, the RBFA said: “Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.”

England head coach Thomas Tuchel said the ruling set a dangerous precedent.

Tuchel had defender Jarell Quansah sent off in a dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico.

“Where to draw the line is the question that I ask,” he said. “I have no answer to that.

“Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card? Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end? It’s my question. I don’t have an answer.”

Uefa said intervening to effectively cancel a suspension at a tournament “crossed a red line”.

Of the 189 other red cards at the World Cup, only once has a player escaped a suspension.

That was Brazil’s Garrincha in 1962 – before automatic bans were in place, and the failure to impose a sanction was shrouded in allegations of political interference.

Fifa cited article 27 of its disciplinary code, which gives authority to partially suspended disciplinary measures, in announcing Balogun’s one-match ban would be suspended for a probationary period of one year. However, Fifa has not provided a specific explanation for its decision in the Balogun case.

Éliminé dès les huitièmes de finale de la Coupe du monde 2026 après sa défaite face à la Norvège (2-1), le Brésil n’envisage pas de changer de sélectionneur.

Le coordinateur général de la Seleção, Rodrigo Caetano, a assuré que Carlo Ancelotti conserverait son poste jusqu’à la Coupe du monde 2030.

Ce nouvel échec reporte une nouvelle fois le rêve d’une sixième étoile pour le quintuple champion du monde. En cas de sacre en 2030, le Brésil établirait le plus long intervalle entre deux titres mondiaux de son histoire.

La fédération maintient sa confiance

Arrivé à la tête de la sélection après son départ du Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti n’a disposé que d’une année pour reconstruire une équipe en pleine transition. Malgré les nombreuses critiques qui ont suivi l’élimination contre la Norvège, la Confédération brésilienne de football entend poursuivre son projet avec le technicien italien, dont le contrat a été prolongé jusqu’en 2030.

« C’est notre sélectionneur et il le restera », a affirmé Rodrigo Caetano à Reuters.

Selon lui, l’une des principales raisons de cet échec réside dans le manque de stabilité qu’a connu la sélection ces dernières années, marquées par plusieurs entraîneurs intérimaires. Il estime que le Brésil ne doit pas reproduire les erreurs du passé en changeant une nouvelle fois de cap.

Les choix d’Ancelotti vivement critiqués

Malgré ce soutien officiel, plusieurs décisions du technicien italien ont été pointées du doigt. Le penalty manqué par Bruno Guimarães en début de rencontre a notamment alimenté les débats, tout comme le maintien sur la pelouse de Casemiro et Danilo jusqu’au coup de sifflet final, alors que la Seleção peinait à réagir.

Entré en seconde période, Neymar n’a pas réussi à inverser le cours de la rencontre. Son penalty inscrit dans le temps additionnel n’a servi qu’à réduire l’écart.

Neymar et le Brésil dans le viseur des médias

La presse brésilienne n’a pas épargné la Seleção. O Globo s’est montré particulièrement critique envers Neymar, reprochant à l’attaquant son attitude après son but sur penalty.

« La scène où Neymar s’en prend au gardien après son penalty (…) semble révéler un homme incapable de détourner le regard de lui-même. Certains ont besoin d’être les héros de la victoire. Neymar semble aussi avoir besoin d’être le protagoniste de l’échec », a écrit le quotidien.

Sur SporTV, le journaliste André Rizek a dressé un constat alarmant sur l’état du football brésilien.

« Le football brésilien a touché le fond. Le Brésil s’est habitué à perdre. (…) C’est officiel : nous vivons la pire période de l’histoire du football brésilien. »

De son côté, Folha de Sao Paulo a estimé que les changements opérés par Carlo Ancelotti n’avaient pas permis de relancer une équipe jugée trop lente et sans inspiration. Le journal souligne également qu’avec seulement 35 % de possession face à la Norvège, le Brésil a enregistré son plus faible total dans un match de Coupe du monde depuis le début des statistiques d’Opta en 1966.

Après cette élimination précoce, la Seleção ouvre désormais un nouveau cycle avec Carlo Ancelotti. Reste à savoir si cette désillusion servira de point de départ à une reconstruction durable ou si elle marquera un nouvel épisode difficile dans l’histoire récente du football brésilien.

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