Tennis : Svitolina écarte Swiatek et rejoint Gauff en finale à Rome

Following the news of Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s 18-month ban for doping, the Lions will look to find a new first-choice tighthead prop, starting this weekend when they clash with Munster in a big United Rugby Championship match in Limerick on Saturday (8.45pm).

Ntlabakanye learned his fate on Thursday and if he doesn’t win an appeal, if he chooses that path, he will be eligible to play again only in November next year.

The Lions have a few No 3 options, but will bank on Sebastian Lombard to do the business this weekend, as he steps into the Lions team for Ntlabakanye.

Ivan van Rooyen’s team will know what they need to do against Munster before kick-off on Saturday because if some results go their way Friday and earlier in the day on Saturday they may already be secured of their top eight finish.

However, if things go against them, they might have to beat Munster to qualify for the quarter-finals.

There are a few other changes in the Lions team that lost to Leinster last week. Etienne Oosthuizen is out this week, replaced by Darrien Landsberg, while Batho Hlekani comes into the starting team in place of the injured Ruan Venter.

There is also a change at the back with Kelly Mpeku getting a run on the wing in place of Erich Cronje.

‘Shootout’

Captain Francke Horn said the Lions were fired up to secure their place among the top eight.

“Our goal has always been to make the top eight,” said Horn.

“If we win this weekend we do that, so it’s basically as straightforward as that. A win makes sure we’re in the top eight – then you don’t have to worry about who plays where and who has to lose that spot.”

Horn further emphasised the enormity of Saturday’s clash with tactics to get the better of the former URC champions.

“We already have our plans for Munster and how we want to force our game onto them,” he said. “It’s a straight shootout. Munster are also going to be desperate – they need a win. So it’s going to be a massive game.”

There are also a few newcomers on the bench this weekend, namely RF Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Siba Qoma and Haashim Pead.

Lions: Quan Horn, Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Angelo Davids, Chris Smith, Morne van den Berg, Francke Horn (capt), Batho Hlekani, Siba Mahashe, Darrien Landsberg, Reinhard Nothnagel, Sebastian Lombard, PJ Botha, SJ Kotze. Bench: Morne Brandon, Eddie Davids, RF Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Siba Qoma, JC Pretorius, Haashim Pead, Rynhardt Jonker

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 15, 2026 – Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has revealed that the historic Talanta Sports City Stadium will be ready for use by the end of July this year.

The CS says the architectural wonder is 91 per cent ready and the contractor is simply sprucing up and tying up on a few loose ends, here and there.

“It’s at 91 percent completion. This is one of the facilities that will be very key for Africa Cup of Nations and therefore the team from CAF have also been here. About two to three months we should be having the complete pitch. Otherwise all the other auxiliary works are ongoing,” Mvurya revealed.

Mvurya further revealed the government has incorporated all the recommended changes by the Confederation of Africa Football (Caf).

The turf at the 60,000-seater stadium is also taking shape, with the CS revealing that seeds to bring forth a lush, green grass have already been planted.

“There are requirements that they had recommended and we are happy that those requirements have been incorporated in the entire construction schedule and therefore the main stadium going forward we’ve already seen they have started doing the pitch, they have planted the seeds for the grass and now we are giving it time,” the CS said.

Unofficially known as the Raila Odinga International Stadium, Talanta will be the core hosting venue for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as far as Kenya is concerned.

Situated along the Ngong Road, the stadium – specifically dedicated to football and rugby – will host the continental showpiece, alongside the Kasarani Stadium, in Kenya.

Fears have in the recent past grown over the snail’s pace of works at the facility, coupled with suspicions that it has gobbled up excessive public funds – in comparison to its peers across the world.

The post Coming soon in July: Sports CS issues positive update on Talanta Sports Stadium appeared first on Capital Sports.

LOS ANGELES, USA, May 15 – Fans from five African nations heading to the United States for the 2026 Fifa World Cup just got a potential KSh 1.9 million ($15,000) reprieve – provided they already have a match ticket for the finals.

Late on Wednesday, the Trump administration confirmed that ticket-holding supporters from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia will be exempt from the requirement to post a visa deposit.

The five were among 50 countries swept up in the requirement, introduced last year, which is intended to reduce visa overstays and was part of a wider immigration crackdown by the White House.

With 78 of the 104 games at this year’s World Cup taking place on American soil, the climbdown matters.

But for Africans plotting a trip to a tournament spread across the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July, plenty of obstacles remain.

What has changed?

The sums required for a visa bond range from $5,000 to $15,000.

“We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets,” US assistant secretary of state for consular affairs Mora Namdar said in a statement to the BBC.

However, it comes with a caveat.

In order to have the bond requirement waived, ticket holders from affected countries must have registered with the online Fifa Pass system by 15 April.

That system, announced last November, is intended to help ticket-holders get expedited visa appointments.

Who still misses out?

Fifa said the announcement about the visa bond being waived demonstrates its ongoing collaboration with the White House “to deliver a successful, record-breaking and unforgettable global event”.

But this news may come too late for many hoping to make the trip and see their side in action.

It is not clear if anyone from the five African countries who buys a last-minute match ticket will need to pay the visa deposit.

And travellers from Ivory Coast and Senegal still face partial restrictions under the Trump administration’s ongoing travel ban.

Supporters from those two West African countries who did not secure their visa before December will not be granted a visitor visa to travel to the US.

Meanwhile, even people from countries not affected by the bond requirements are still experiencing difficulties in securing their passage.

BBC Sport Africa understands some Ghanaians, who hope to see their team play in Boston and Philadelphia, have been denied US entry visas.

Other hurdles for African fans

The cost of flights, accommodation and internal transit is an immediate issue for those intending to travel from the continent.

With the tournament taking place in three different countries, the majority of African fans will need to cross international borders during the group stage – with only Algeria, Cape Verde and Morocco based in the USA for the entirety of the group stage.

Fans from Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal all need visas to enter Canada for games in Toronto or Vancouver, with DR Congo, South Africa and Tunisia playing at least one match in Mexico.

Then come the price of tickets, which are sky-high.

Some $600 seats were available for Egypt’s game against Belgium via Fifa’s official site on Thursday, but those were the only ones on the market under $1,170 for any of the first 10 games featuring an African side.

The few tickets still available for the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa are on sale for $3,840.

But Fifa’s resale platform features vastly inflated prices – with two category three tickets, in the top tier of the stadium hosting that first match in Mexico City, being offered for a staggering $34,500 each.

Late last year, the US government also announced that tourists from dozens of countries could be required to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry – another immigration policy that could affect visitors during the World Cup.

Rights groups have warned travellers that such policies could lead to denied entry, arrest risks, expanded travel restrictions, social media screening, racial profiling and increased surveillance.

A record 10 African sides will take part in the finals, but those hoping to cheer their team on in person will need deep pockets.

The post African Fans Face World Cup Issues Despite Visa Bond U-Turn appeared first on Capital Sports.