CK Updates
AFCON Report – Tanzania denied historic AFCON win – 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Novatus Hiroshi of Tanzania challenged by Bobosi Byaruhanga of Uganda during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Uganda and Tanzania at El Barid Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on 27 December 2025 ©Samuel ShivambuBackpagePix
Saturday Dec 27, 2025. 21:12
Tanzania were denied a first ever win at the Africa Cup of Nations finals as Uganda came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw at the Al Medina Stadium stadium in Rabat.
The two sides remain level on points in Group C, having both registered their first points. Tanzania enjoys a slight edge on goal difference heading into the final match-day.
Despite having now scored in seven of their last 11 games at the AFCON finals, the Taifa Stars have now managed seven losses and four draws in their 11 AFCON appearances.
The Cranes winless streak at the tournament also continues, moving to five consecutive games. They have only secured one win in their last 10 games at the tournament.
Uganda’s Allan Okello created the first chance of the game in the eighth minute, carrying the ball into the opposition box and shooting for the bottom left corner. His attempt was denied by a strong punch from Zuberi Foba.
The Cranes were denied by the crossbar in the 16th minute as Rogers Mato’s glancing header at the near post from Aziz Kayondo’s cross crashed into the bar.
They were denied another headed opportunity in the 31st minute. Kayondo’s cross found Jude Ssemugabi at the near post, but the striker’s header was pushed off-target by defender Ibrahim Hamad’s physicality.
Foba was called into action once more in the 35th minute, making a routine save to deny Kenneth Semakula’s right footed shot from outside the box.
In the 41st minute, a Tanzania ball forward created chaos at the edge of the Ugandan box. It fell kindly for Kelvin John, whose shot from the edge of the area flew wildly over the bar.
Tanzania were awarded a penalty in the 57th minute as Alphonce Msanga’s shot hit Baba Alhassan’s outstretched hand in the box.
Msuva buried the resulting spot kick to claim his 23rd international goal from the penalty spot, smashing the ball into the top left corner to hand the Taifa Stars the lead.
In the 72nd minute, Mato produced a great touch to control the ball, receiving a pass on the left side of the box. He whipped it in towards Ssemugabi in the middle, who could not get his head to the ball.
Substitute Uche Ikpeazu scored in his third minute on the pitch to draw the Cranes level in the 80th minute. Denis Omedi received a brilliant diagonal long-ball on the right side of the area and found Ikpeazu in the middle, who dove to make contact and put the ball past Foba.
The Cranes were given the chance to win it from the penalty spot in the 88th minute as Haji Mnoga pulled 17-year-old substitute James Bogere’s shirt and brought him down in the area. Okello missed from the spot, sending his penalty over the bar, possibly costing his side the win.
The Taifa stars squandered a potential winner of their own in the 93rd minute cross. Onyango dropped a dangerous cross into the area but was let off the hook as Msuva could not get to the rebound and substitute Charles M’Mombwa’s follow up went off target.
Onyango made a daring save with one minute remaining, rushing out of the box and sliding heroically to deny the breakaway.
Both sides will need wins on Tuesday if they are to stand a chance of making the knockout stages. Uganda will face Nigeria at the Fez Stadium in Fes and Tanzania will tackle Tunisia at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Uganda (0) 1 (Ikpeazu 80’)
Tanzania (0) 1 (Msuva 59’)
Uganda: D. Onyango, A. Kayondo, J. Obita, T. Sibbick, K. Semakula, B. Alhassan (D. Omedi 65’), T. Mutyaba (J. Bogere 77’), B. Byaruhanga, R. Mato, J. Ssemugabi (U. Ikpeazu 77’), A. Okello (R. Ssekiganda 96’)
Tanzania: Z. Foba, M. Husseini, I. Hamad, B. Mwamnyeto, H. Mnoga, S. Msuva, A. Msanga, F. Salum (C. M’Mombwa 84’), N. Miroshi, T. Allarakhia (M. Samatta 64’), K. John (D. Job 64’)
By Nic Gleeson
CK Updates
Commonwealth Games 2026: Soppy socks & a slathering of deep heat – rain causes chaos in Glasgow
Some athletes struggled in the conditions.
England’s Morgan Lake did not clear the bar with any of her three efforts in the high jump.
Similarly, Scotland’s Steven Stone had attempts with his glasses on his face and the top of his head in the men’s T20 long jump but did not register a clean effort.
Northern Ireland’s Kate O’Connor said she was “gutted” with her throw of 12.85m in the heptathlon shot put.
“It just kept slipping out of my hands,” she said.
“When your chalk gets wet, it’s like you might as well have dish soap on your hands and I just probably spent too much time and effort trying to stay dry rather than doing the cues that I work on in training.
“I can’t blame anybody else apart from myself for not executing.”
But there were also a number of impressive performances given the conditions.
O’Connor responded by running a dominant 24.14 seconds in the 200m to reclaim top spot of the heptathlon competition. England’s Jade O’Dowda was only eighth quickest and slipped back to second, 49 points in arrears.
In the men’s 100m, Eseme’s winning time of 9.83 was a Commonwealth Games record, the third-fastest time this year and moved him third on the all-time list of African sprinters.
The hammer throw and the high jump were briefly paused but when the former did resume Canada’s Camryn Rogers produced another Games record – 74.91m.
Even Hunt, who was slow out of the blocks and off the pace for the first 60m, finished 0.01secs outside her lifetime best of 10.97 in the women’s 100m which was won by New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs.
“I am just proud of myself for gritting it out and trusting my long legs,” Hunt said.
“Ultimately, we all have to race in the same conditions. We are all on the start line together freezing.
“You just have to get out there and get it done.”
A smattering of hardy locals even stayed until the final anthem was sung as the clocked neared 11pm.
It was a night few will forget.
CK Updates
Kick It Out calls for tougher sanctions as football discrimination reaches new high
The statistics are not a surprise to Umar Ali, who plays for Route One Rovers – a semi-professional team in Bradford.
During Ramadan last year, he was racially abused by a group of opposition spectators as he was waiting to come on as a substitute.
“It was our first game playing while we were fasting,” he said. “So obviously we were hungry that day and I was a bit less patient.
“Then when I was getting ready to come on, one of the fans said I should shave my beard off and that I looked like a paedophile.
“One of them picked up a child who was about six, seven years old, and said ‘I bet your wife’s the same age as this child’.”
Umar described the men as in their sixties.
“It’s quite distressing, because they’re older than my dad,” he added. “They’re my grandad’s age, and they felt comfortable enough to stand there and make comments like that.”
Umar said the assistant referee heard the comments and told the referee, who he claims did not take any action.
The police were eventually contacted and the spectators identified. Umar has not been informed of an outcome.
His manager Mohammed Patel was in the dugout during the match and said – while the opposition coaching staff apologised on behalf of their fans – he felt the officials fell short and should have removed those spectators shouting racist and Islamophobic abuse at his players.
Patel said: “It was a really emotional day for us, because the question we asked ourselves after that game is ‘Why is it still happening?’ Some of the things that were said were absolutely horrific.
“In my opinion, more needs to be done from the top down. We’re actively engaging and working with local FAs to try and navigate this problem, but it absolutely needs to be mandated.”
The Northern Counties East Football League fined the opposition club £300 and gave them nine disciplinary points. But Patel says that does not address the real problem.
“We’ve seen harsher punishments for violent conduct on the pitch or red cards, even administrative mistakes,” he added.
“Something as serious as this, we were absolutely not happy with the result.”
Patel has been lobbying the Football Association, but has not yet received a response.
He said: “Precedents need to be set, harsher sanctions need to be introduced. This comes from the top down.”
The FA said in a statement: “We have introduced tougher sanctions for clubs and individuals, a new behaviour improvement programme, and penalty points accumulation charges in the grassroots game.
“This builds on the steps taken to allow for deductions of league points from clubs that are repeated offenders of serious misconduct.”
CK Updates
Commonwealth Games 2026: Gymnast Ruby Evans wins first gold for Wales
Gymnast Ruby Evans has won Wales’ first Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with victory in the floor final.
Evans, 19, performed the final routine of the women’s programme and defeated England’s Abigail Martin into silver, with her team-mate Shantae-Eve Amankwaah securing bronze.
Evans left the arena in tears on Sunday after her disappointing sixth in the all-round individual competition, that after Wales finished fourth in the team event.
Now, after Welsh identical twins Abigail and Emily Roper won bronze medals within a couple of hours of each other on Monday, Evans has delivered gold.
It was the first victory for Team Wales in Scotland and a ninth medal alongside two silver and six bronze.
There is also a guaranteed podium position for boxer Connor Williams after he reached the semi-finals.

