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The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Mokwana, Mailula, Lorch step up as Africa falls short on global stage
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup arrived with much promise for African football, particularly for South Africa as Mamelodi Sundowns carried the hopes of the nation onto the global stage. Alongside them stood continental heavyweights Al Ahly, Wydad Athletic Club, and Esperance de Tunis — four clubs that have dominated African football over the past decade. However, the group stage brought a harsh reality. None of the four African sides progressed to the round of 16, and while there were moments of quality, the early exits laid bare the concerning gap between Africa's best and the rest of the world. It was a tournament that underlined how far African clubs still have to go to match their counterparts in Europe, South America, and parts of Asia. Yet within the overall disappointment, there were bright sparks — none more so than Sundowns. The Premiership champions stood out as the most competitive African side, finishing with four points from their three matches. A thrilling 4-3 loss against Borussia Dortmund, a hard-fought 1-0 win over HD Ulsan, and a resilient goalless stalemate against Brazilian giants Fluminense left them agonisingly short of progression. Still, their performances did more than earn respect — they proved that they have matured into a club capable of standing toe-to-toe with the game's elite. Their showing was not just about results; it was a statement of growth. Years of investment, sound football management, and a focus on developing local and continental talent have made them a standard bearer for African football. For South Africa, the tournament also offered a positive subplot. Several Bafana Bafana players gained vital experience on the global stage — something national coach Hugo Broos will be keen to build on ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Elias Mokwana The versatile attacker featured in all three matches for Esperance de Tunis in one of the toughest groups of the tournament, facing Chelsea and Flamengo. Their 1-0 win over Los Angeles FC was a highlight, but a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea ended their hopes. Despite the early exit, Mokwana impressed with his work rate and discipline and even though he would have wanted to have a lot more impact for his side, he did just enough to open the door for a few options in the market moving ahead. Cassius Mailula The Wydad forward endured a tough campaign, with the Moroccan side finishing without a point. Still, Mailula made his presence felt, scoring one of Wydad's two goals across the group stage. His loan spell from Toronto FC has been fruitful, and the exposure he gained on the world stage could push the Moroccan side to consider making his move permanent. For a player still on the rise, this experience may prove vital to his long-term development. Thembinkosi Lorch
The Star
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Delap shows promise in Jackson's absence ahead of Benfica showdown
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group D - Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 24, 2025 Chelsea's Liam Delap scores their second goal REUTERS/Lee Smith PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -Chelsea's new striker Liam Delap scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday to help the London side secure a spot in the Club World Cup round of 16 with a 3-0 win against Esperance de Tunis. Delap, a 30 million pounds ($40.84 million) signing from Ipswich Town earlier this month, has settled in well and his quick progress will please coach Enzo Maresca given Chelsea will be without striker Nicolas Jackson against Benfica on Saturday following his red card against Flamengo. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT One of the summer's most-wanted young strikers, Delap looks like he can give Chelsea the spark they were missing with his excitement and energy. Maresca is pleased with what he is seeing from the forward and expects big things from him. KEY QUOTES: Chelsea manager Maresca: "I'm pleased with Liam, with him scoring for us, but against Flamengo he had three clear chances to score goals, so that is already a good feeling because that means that he's there, he's in the right position, he's doing well. Unfortunately, he didn't score against Flamengo, and tonight he scored. We know that Liam is going to score goals with us, and we don't have any doubt about that. "The process quite quick with Liam, and the reason why is because we know him, and he knows us in the way we want to play. So, for instance, for Dario Essugo, or for Mamadou Sarr, or even for Andrey that he was just with us last pre-season, it's going to be a little bit more complicated. "They need more time because they don't know the way we want to play exactly. But Liam, as I said, we know each other very well. So, the process for him is quite quick, and then it's also because he's a very good player." ($1 = 0.7346 pounds) (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Chelsea cruise past Esperance, to face Benfica in Club World Cup knockout
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group D - Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 24, 2025 Esperance Sportive de Tunis' Mohamed Derbali in action with Chelsea's Josh Acheampong IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Caean Couto REUTERS Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group D - Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 24, 2025 Esperance Sportive de Tunis players applaud their fans after the match REUTERS/Susana Vera Jun 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chelsea FC forward Tyrique George (32) scores a goal against Esperance Sportive De Tunisie during the second half during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images REUTERS Jun 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chelsea FC forward Christopher Nkunku (18) dribbles the ball against Esperance Sportive De Tunisie during the second half during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images REUTERS Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group D - Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 24, 2025 Esperance Sportive de Tunis' Rodrigo Rodrigues in action with Chelsea's Josh Acheampong and Dario Essugo REUTERS/Susana Vera TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY PHILADELPHIA - Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Tyrique George saw Chelsea's second-string side secure a place in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their final Group D match on Tuesday. Group winners Flamengo were held 1-1 by Los Angeles FC to finish on seven points, one ahead of Chelsea. Esperance finished third with three points while LA FC were bottom with one point. Chelsea next face Group C winners Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, while Flamengo take on Bayern Munich, Group C runners-up, in Miami on Sunday. Despite the stakes, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opted to rotate his squad once more, resting key players such as Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. He was missing striker Nicolas Jackson, who will also be unavailable against Benfica as he serves a two-match suspension following his red card in Friday's 3-1 loss to Flamengo. Delap, a 30 million pounds ($40.66 million) signing from Ipswich Town, came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute but his header was cleared off the line. Chelsea dominated possession in a lacklustre first half but struggled for creativity in the final third, with Delap squandering another golden chance in the 30th minute when he missed the target from close range. The breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time when Adarabioyo rose highest to head the ball into the bottom left corner. Moments later Delap doubled Chelsea's lead, capitalising on a loose ball inside the box, cutting inside a defender and finishing neatly into the far corner. The second half saw Chelsea largely control proceedings without pressing for a third goal and their resolute defensive display ensured there was no way back for Esperance. The London side made it 3-0 when substitute George fired home from the edge of the box deep in added time. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Chelsea cruise past Esperance, to face Benfica in Club World Cup knockout
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group D - Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 24, 2025 Esperance Sportive de Tunis' Rodrigo Rodrigues in action with Chelsea's Josh Acheampong and Dario Essugo REUTERS/Susana Vera TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Tyrique George saw Chelsea's second-string side secure a place in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their final Group D match on Tuesday. Group winners Flamengo were held 1-1 by Los Angeles FC to finish on seven points, one ahead of Chelsea. Esperance finished third with three points while LA FC were bottom with one point. Chelsea next face Group C winners Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, while Flamengo take on Bayern Munich, Group C runners-up, in Miami on Sunday. Despite the stakes, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opted to rotate his squad once more, resting key players such as Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. He was missing striker Nicolas Jackson, who will also be unavailable against Benfica as he serves a two-match suspension following his red card in Friday's 3-1 loss to Flamengo. Delap, a 30 million pounds ($40.66 million) signing from Ipswich Town, came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute but his header was cleared off the line. Chelsea dominated possession in a lacklustre first half but struggled for creativity in the final third, with Delap squandering another golden chance in the 30th minute when he missed the target from close range. The breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time when Adarabioyo rose highest to head the ball into the bottom left corner. Moments later Delap doubled Chelsea's lead, capitalising on a loose ball inside the box, cutting inside a defender and finishing neatly into the far corner. The second half saw Chelsea largely control proceedings without pressing for a third goal and their resolute defensive display ensured there was no way back for Esperance. The London side made it 3-0 when substitute George fired home from the edge of the box deep in added time. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Climate
- New York Post
Chelsea finding it ‘impossible' to train in sweltering heat before crucial FIFA Club World Cup clash
The heat can be unbearable and Chelsea is learning the hard way in Philadelphia for the FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told reporters that the club is having issues training in the heat at the moment. 'It's almost impossible to train, or to make a session because of the weather now,' Maresca said. Advertisement 3 Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca FIFA via Getty Images Chelsea is preparing for their final group stage match against Esperance de Tunis, which takes place at 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Lincoln Financial Field. However, training on Monday proved difficult for the team, as they had to contend with the onset of the heatwave. Advertisement Temperatures in Philly hit a high of 98 degress and felt like 104, according to The Weather Channel. In Subaru Park in Philadelphia, Chelsea attempted to utilize large industrial fans on the sidelines and employ cooling sprays to combat the heat. Even then, the session did not last too long. 'We are trying just to save energy for the game. This morning's session was very very very short.' Maresca said. 3 Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Noni Maduke stand behind cooling sprays. REUTERS Advertisement Unfortunately for Chelsea, if there were one game they needed extra practice for, it would be this one. After a shocking 3-1 loss to Flamengo, their chances to advance out of Group D are less than many would have thought entering the tournament. Their game against Esperance de Tunis will see the winner advance to the quarterfinals. If it is a draw, Chelsea would advance. Chelsea is not the only team that has aired their concerns over the conditions. Advertisement 3 Chelsea players training in Subaru Park in Philadelphia. REUTERS Even in the first week of the tournament, both Paris Saint-Germain and Athletic Madrid acknowledged that the heat played a factor in their match's outcome on Sunday. 'The match was clearly influenced by the temperature,' said PSG manager Luis Enrique. In Dortmund's game against Mamelodi Sundowns, the substitutes for Dortmund watched the first half from their locker room to stay cool — something unheard of in normal conditions. This tournament is a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, which the US will host at around the same time. Many are asking FIFA what they have been doing to mitigate these issues. Other than breaks during the 30th and 70th minutes of each match, FIFA told The Athletic that their medical experts 'have been in regular contact with the clubs to address heat management and acclimatization'.
