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Cardoso explains Saleng’s Sundowns exile after disciplinary breach
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has explained why Monnapule Saleng has been training away from the team following a disciplinary issue at the club.
The former Orlando Pirates winger was notably absent from Sundowns’ pre-season tour of Austria, raising questions about his future at Chloorkop. Cardoso has now revealed that Saleng has been separated from the squad after allegedly breaking club rules.
The Portuguese coach was speaking after Sundowns’ dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-final at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday. extract-html.com
“Saleng consecutively broke the rules and the values of the locker room and of the club. For some time already, he hasn’t been training with the team,” Cardoso said.
Saleng’s last appearance for the Brazilians came in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final against AS FAR in May. The 28-year-old came on as a late substitute for Kutlwano Letlhaku as Sundowns secured a crucial result in the first leg. Cardoso revealed that Saleng was also expected to be involved in the return leg but failed to report for camp as required.
“Just for you to understand, Saleng was on the list for the second leg of the CAF Champions League final,” Cardoso added.
“And he didn’t appear (show up), Saleng was on the list to come on a pre-season camp (in Austria) and he didn’t appear or he said he would not go.”
The latest development bears similarities to Saleng’s previous struggles at Pirates, where he was also frozen out of the first team before leaving the club.
His career was revived during a loan spell at Orbit College last season, with his impressive form earning him a move to Sundowns in January. However, his latest disciplinary issue has now seen him fall out of favour again, with Sundowns taking a firm stance.
“It’s impossible for us to keep stability with a player that we gave so much love to even after systematic mistakes,” Cardoso concluded.
“But he is not willing to take the path that the team in this level is willing to have. The club has decided to put Saleng separate from the group, and he is not working with us now.”
Cardoso’s comments suggest Saleng’s immediate future at Sundowns remains untenable as the new season gathers steam.
Banyana crash out of WAFCON after going down to Morocco
Banyana Banyana crashed out of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) after a 2-1 defeat to tournament hosts Morocco in a quarterfinal match played at the Moulay el Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Saturday night.
Banyana found themselves a goal down in the first half after Sakina Ouzraoui scored the opening goal of the match in the 31st minute. The Moroccans were awarded a penalty early in the second half and Hanane Ait El Haj converted from the spot to makes it 2-0 for the North Africans in the 51st minute.
Coach Dr Desiree Ellis’ charges fought their way back and forced the hosts on the backfoot, with Thembi Kgatlana pulling one back in the 67th minute.
Banyana fought very hard for the equaliser but in the end, Morocco held on to proceed to the next stage of the tournament.
Rassie praises Springboks’ ‘grind’ after Argentina hit out
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was happy with his team’s ability to grind out a win in testing conditions after they were made to work incredibly hard to edge Argentina 17-10 in a low scoring one-off Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday night.
It was a scrappy game, with the Boks largely struggling on attack as their aerial game faltered and they made a slew of handling errors throughout the match, but their defence was rock solid and that in the end won them the match.
Just three tries in total were scored over the 80 minutes, one to each team in the first half with them locked at 10-all at the break, before eighthman Cameron Hanekom dotted down the lone score in the second period off the back of a powerful scrum.
Argentina can be proud of pushing the top team in the world all the way, especially being without a host of regular stars, while they also handed out four debuts on the day.
‘It was going to be disjointed’
The Boks though have plenty to work on ahead of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, but they will be happy to have seen a large number of players return from injury, and can take winning momentum into the first Test at Ellis Park later this month.
“Our focus was to beat Argentina, because we know how tough it is coming here and our track record here has never been great. Only keeping them to one try was a positive,” said Erasmus after the match.
“I always thought it was going to be disjointed, with several guys having not played in a long time and leaving 15 players back in South Africa. So it wasn’t perfect, but it was what we expected. We are happiest with the win and the grind.
“I thought our defence was good, our discipline was relatively good, and the biggest thing is our attack which we need to sort out. But we brought a lot of guys back and that will improve as they settle in.”
As always Erasmus praised the passion and fight shown by the Argentinean players, and how their incredible fans and the intimidating atmosphere brought a World Cup playoff game intensity to the contest that he was happy to overcome.
“They are a very proud rugby nation, and I always say they’ve got that same fight in them that we have back home. They’re passionate, and they never stop,” explained Erasmus.
“Even if we drew, we would have learned a lot about grinding out a win when the crowd is going crazy. The crowd was fantastic the way they encouraged Argentina in the last few minutes.
“So for us to stay calm and get over the line was big. We didn’t play well, but I thought we handled the pressure very well.”
AFR : Ce qui s’est réellement passé au CE de la CAF à Rabat (Ahmed Bessol)
Le Comité exécutif de la CAF qui est composé de 23 membres, s’est réuni à Rabat. La CAF n’a pas communiqué le nombre exact de participants, mais la résolution de soutien à Gianni Infantino a été adoptée à l’unanimité des membres présents. Cette réunion n’a pas seulement débouché sur un communiqué de soutien à Gianni Infantino. Derrière l’image d’unité affichée par l’institution se dessinent les rapports de force. Officiellement, le président de la CAF, Patrice Motsepe, a annoncé le soutien unanime du Comité exécutif au président de la FIFA. Une déclaration qui intervenait quelques jours après la publication d’un communiqué signé par cinq dirigeants africains de premier plan – Fouzi Lekjaa (Maroc), Hany Abo Rida (Égypte), Ahmed Yahya (Mauritanie), Hamidou Djibrilla Hima (Niger) et Veron Mosengo-Omba (RD Congo- ex-secrétaire général de la CAF et pressenti comme futur candidat au fauteuil du Caire) – venus défendre publiquement Gianni Infantino au moment où celui-ci fait face à un rejet grandissant de sa personne sur la scène internationale.
Selon les informations recueillies par Botola auprès de plusieurs sources concordantes, la réunion de Rabat s’est déroulée selon un scénario plus nuancé que ne le laisse apparaître le communiqué officiel. Les débats ont été essentiellement animés par le Marocain Fouzi Lekjaa, entouré de son cercle rapproché (cité plus haut). Le premier vice-président de la CAF aurait joué un rôle moteur dans la conduite des échanges, tandis que Patrice Motsepe aurait assumé le rôle institutionnel en présentant et en donnant lecture du communiqué final. Aucun des membres présents n’a demandé la parole pour s’opposer au texte ni proposé d’amendement. Ce silence a permis l’adoption du communiqué dans un climat de consensus apparent. Une nuance importante mérite toutefois d’être soulignée. L’unanimité évoquée par la CAF concernait seulement les membres présents à Rabat.
Plusieurs membres du Comité exécutif étaient absents, parmi lesquels, selon nos sources, le représentant algérien. Mais le quorum étant atteint, la réunion pouvait légalement délibérer et adopter ses décisions. Sur le plan statutaire, aucune contestation ne peut donc être formulée. Sur le plan politique, en revanche, la distinction entre « unanimité des présents» et «unanimité de l’ensemble du Comité exécutif» est loin d’être anodine. Autre élément relevé par nos sources : Samuel Eto’o, dont la présence au sein du Comité exécutif suscite une attention particulière depuis son élection, n’aurait pas pris la parole au cours des débats. Ce choix de la discrétion contraste avec le rôle central attribué au Marocain Fouzi Lekjaa et ne manque pas d’alimenter les interrogations sur les équilibres internes de la CAF. Et puis, Botola ne sait pas si une personnalité comme le Sénégalais Augustin Senghor marginalisé jusque-là était présent. (En fait, il ne l’a pas été. Une manière de se démarquer de l’omniprésence marocaine)
Le cas de Hany Abo Rida mérite également d’être observé. Membre influent du Conseil de la FIFA et président de la fédération égyptienne, il apparaît comme l’un des soutiens les plus constants de Gianni Infantino. Toutefois, plusieurs observateurs égyptiens n’ont guère apprécié de le voir afficher sa proximité avec le président de la FIFA lors des récentes manifestations officielles, alors que la sélection nationale disputait simultanément une rencontre à laquelle il n’a pas assisté. Un épisode qui a nourri les commentaires dans les milieux sportifs égyptiens, sans pour autant remettre en cause son poids politique au sein des instances. Au-delà du communiqué final, la réunion de Rabat donne surtout le sentiment d’une recomposition des équilibres au sein de la CAF. Si Patrice Motsepe demeure le visage institutionnel de la Confédération, plusieurs indices laissent penser que le centre de gravité politique s’articule aujourd’hui autour d’un axe emmené par Fouzi Lekjaa.
Dans ce contexte, le soutien affiché à Gianni Infantino apparaît moins comme une simple déclaration de circonstance que comme l’expression d’une stratégie visant à préserver l’unité de la CAF face aux turbulences qui secouent actuellement la gouvernance mondiale du football. (Nous y reviendrons).
Ahmed Bessol
L’article AFR : Ce qui s’est réellement passé au CE de la CAF à Rabat (Ahmed Bessol) est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.
Rabada ready to defend home fortress at World Cup
The Proteas spearhead believes home conditions and recent tournament progress can fuel South Africa’s push for a maiden 50-over world title.
Kagiso Rabada says South Africa will embrace home advantage rather than pressure when they chase a maiden 50-over World Cup title in 2027.
South Africa will stage the tournament alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia. Expectations will follow, but Rabada views the familiar conditions and home support as sources of freedom.
Speaking to the ICC at the venue announcement in Johannesburg, the fast bowler said South Africa would be ready to “defend this fortress”.
Rabada has represented the Proteas at the 2019 and 2023 editions. South Africa struggled in England before reaching the semi-finals in India, where Australia ended their campaign.
That progression, combined with their World Test Championship triumph over Australia at Lord’s in 2025, has strengthened belief within the squad. Rabada played a central role in that final and believes the side has proved it can handle knockout matches.
READ: Steyn smashed hotel room after World Cup heartbreak
“The confidence is there. The belief is most definitely there,” he said.
South Africa’s task now is to take the final step in a white-ball tournament. They have reached five men’s 50-over World Cup semi-finals without advancing to the decider, making the opportunity on home soil significant.
Rabada also pointed to Wasim Akram’s match-winning spell in the 1992 final as one of his defining World Cup memories. The Pakistan great dismissed Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis with successive deliveries, turning the match against England at the MCG.
ALSO: The Test season South African cricket has waited for
The South African quick admired the pace, skill and presence Akram brought to the occasion. He hopes to produce a performance with similar weight when the competition arrives in southern Africa.
Rabada will be 32 during the tournament and should remain central to the Proteas attack. His experience, strike power and knowledge of local conditions give South Africa a bowler capable of deciding the biggest matches.
After conquering Test cricket, the Proteas will now aim to carry that belief into a home World Cup.
Photo: Sameer Ali/Getty Images
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