分类： sports

ATLANTA, U.S. – A confident late penalty from Teboho Mokoena has preserved South Africa’s hopes of making history by advancing to the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time, after the African side forced a 1-1 Group A draw against the Czech Republic on Thursday.

The Czechs got off to a flying start in the match, with Michal Sadilek notching an early opener that put the European nation on track to claim just its second World Cup victory as an independent country. However, a handball in the box late in the second half opened the door for South Africa, and Mokoena converted the chance to level the scoreline, leaving both sides still in contention for a spot in the round of 16.

Following the draw, both nations sit on one point apiece, two points adrift of co-hosts Mexico and South Korea, who were scheduled to face each other later the same day in the group’s other fixture. For either side to advance to the knockout rounds, a win in their final group stage match is now a near-certain requirement. South Africa will wrap up its group play against South Korea, while the Czech Republic faces a daunting test against Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca.

Both teams entered Thursday’s fixture on the back of underwhelming opening-day defeats, but the Czech side moved quickly to reverse their poor early-tournament form. Bayer Leverkusen star Patrik Schick, the most high-profile player in a Czech squad that lacks the star power of past generations, missed a clear opening in the match’s first 60 seconds, sending a header wide of the target. It took just five more minutes for the side, managed by Miroslav Koubek, to break the deadlock nonetheless: Adam Hlozek delivered a cross into the box, Alexandr Sojka deftly cushioned the pass into Sadilek’s path, and the midfielder slid a calm shot past South African keeper Ronwen Williams to open the scoring.

South Africa is making its fourth World Cup appearance, but has never advanced past the group stage in its previous tournament runs. Head coach Hugo Broos has overseen a clear turnaround in the fortunes of Bafana Bafana since taking the helm five years ago: the 2010 tournament hosts had not qualified for a World Cup since 2002, but claimed a third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to book their return to the global stage. Still, their comeback tournament has exposed gaps in quality across the squad, especially in attacking positions.

The Czech Republic failed to capitalize on its first-half advantage, wasting multiple chances to put the game out of reach early in the second half. Vladimir Darida hesitated too long on a clear shooting opportunity, while a long-range strike from Lukas Cerv was tipped over the crossbar by a flying Williams.

The match, held at the Atlanta Falcons’ cutting-edge NFL stadium, drew thousands of empty seats despite being a World Cup group stage fixture. Fans in attendance did not hold back their displeasure with mid-half hydration breaks, even though the enclosed stadium was fully air-conditioned, greeting the pause with loud boos. The majority of the crowd in attendance were supporting South Africa, and their support finally paid off with seven minutes left in regulation time.

A shot from Thapelo Maseko struck the arm of Czech defender Pavel Sulc, and referee Tori Penso – a member of the match’s all-female officiating team – awarded the penalty. Mokoena stepped up and drilled his spot-kick home, scoring South Africa’s first World Cup goal in 16 years and leveled the match. Five minutes later, the African side nearly claimed a full three points, but Czech keeper Matej Kovar made a key save to deny Relebohile Mofokeng, locking in the 1-1 final score.

In the end, both teams left the pitch with a single point that could prove critical when Group A wraps up its final round of fixtures. The result leaves knockout stage hopes alive for both sides ahead of their final group matches.

On the opening day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships, held Thursday at Kingston’s iconic National Stadium, Racers Track Club’s Jeremy Bembridge put on a dominant opening performance to secure the top spot among all advancing athletes in the men’s 400-meter event. Crossing the finish line in 45.84 seconds to claim victory in his first-round heat, Bembridge outpaced runner-up Kimar Farquharson, an athlete representing Texas A&M University, who clocked a solid 46.06 seconds to also move forward in the competition.

Reigning 2023 world 400m champion Antonio Watson also delivered a strong showing to advance, winning his own heat with a time of 45.91 seconds. Watson finished ahead of Shaemar Uter of Texas Tech University, who recorded a 46.14 second finish, and Emil Gordon of the University of Technology, Jamaica, who crossed in 46.66 seconds.

Additional heat winners advanced to Friday’s scheduled semifinal round as well, including Bovel McPherson, who took his heat in 46.83 seconds. Zandrion Barnes also booked his spot in the next round with a 46.04 second finish, joining other qualifying athletes Reheem Hayles (46.09 seconds), Demar Francis (47.32 seconds), Delano Kennedy (47.39 seconds), and veteran Javon Francis (47.64 seconds). All advancing athletes will return to the National Stadium on Friday to compete for a spot in the event’s final round.

Jamaican women’s football is entering a new phase of structured growth, with boosting women’s representation in senior administrative and leadership positions emerging as a core priority for the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) as it works to expand the sport across the country.

In a recent collaborative launch alongside global governing body FIFA and Professional Women’s Football Jamaica Limited (PWFJL), the JFF unveiled an ambitious Women’s Strategic Plan that maps out a clear set of development goals to be achieved by 2031. While growing the pool of professional female players and certified women coaches stands as two central pillars of the 10-year plan, Carlene Edwards, chair of the JFF Projects Committee for Women’s Programmes, emphasized in an interview with the Jamaica Observer that closing the gender gap in football administration is equally critical to long-term, sustainable progress.

Though Jamaica already counts several high-profile women in key football leadership roles — including JFF vice-president Elaine Walker-Brown, PWFJL chair Christina Hudson, and Reggae Girlz national team manager Crystal Walters alongside Edwards — women still remain significantly underrepresented across administrative bodies at all levels of the sport. Edwards notes that a large pool of current and former female players are eager to contribute their expertise to grow the game, but have long lacked structured pathways to step into leadership roles.

“What I’ve seen over the past two years of my direct involvement is that there are so many women, both active current players and retired athletes, who want to give back to the sport that shaped them — but they don’t want to put their time and energy into unstructured, unfocused initiatives,” Edwards explained. “They want to join a system where work is already being driven forward, where their contributions will matter. On the Jamaica Women’s Premier League side, we work hard to keep our programs moving forward, so my recommendation to the JFF is to hire a dedicated head of women’s football that can fully own the execution of this new strategic plan. Right now, no single person is positioned to own this work full-time, even with our committee in place to support progress.”

Marlo Sweatman, a retired former midfielder who was part of Jamaica’s historic 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad — the first Caribbean team to ever qualify for the tournament’s knockout stage — echoed Edwards’ observations, saying she and dozens of her former compatriots are ready and willing to step in to support the growth of the next generation.

“Honestly, I don’t think there are nearly enough accessible opportunities for former players to stay involved in the sport,” Sweatman said. “We’ve made clear progress in recent years, but there is still so much more work to be done. Former players carry so much unique knowledge and hard-won experience that can lift up emerging athletes, whether that contribution comes in coaching, administrative leadership, or player development. We need far more structured pathways for players to step into these roles after they retire from competition.”

Sweatman pointed to established transition programs in top North American leagues as a model for Jamaica to adapt. “In the MLS, WNBA, and NBA, there are formal programs that create clear pathways for former players to move into full-time roles within the industry, whether that’s in the corporate side of the sport or in development roles that let them share their experience,” she noted. “Right now, that kind of structured pathway just doesn’t exist for women’s football in most parts of the world, including here. There’s real potential here, and I’d love to see more former players get the chance to get involved.”

For Edwards, the ultimate goal is to turn the growing enthusiasm among current and retired female players into tangible, lasting leadership change that will secure the future of Jamaican women’s football. “At the league level, we’re almost ready to support full execution of our strategic programs in any way we can, and we’ve already met so many young women who are eager to give back,” she said. “One of my core commitments is identifying these passionate women and training them up to take on leadership roles. Christina and I won’t be in these positions forever, so we need to build a smooth leadership transition. When we step away, we need a new generation of leaders ready to carry forward the work we’ve started. That’s my biggest passion: building a talent pool of skilled women leaders, getting them into positions of responsibility, and getting to work building a better future for women’s football in Jamaica.”

On the opening day of Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s (JAAA) annual national championships held at Kingston’s iconic National Stadium, elite Jamaican sprinters put on a controlled yet impressive display Thursday, with reigning world championship competitor Oblique Seville leading the pack of heat winners advancing to the next round of the men’s 100-meter event.

Competing in cool, headwind conditions that slowed times across all heats—with wind readings ranging from -1.0 to -2.7 meters per second—Seville delivered a smooth, effortless performance to claim victory in his opening heat. The world-class sprinter crossed the finish line in 10.09 seconds, finishing well clear of second-place finisher Rasheed Foster, who clocked 10.30 seconds, and third-place Michael Campbell, who registered a time of 10.39 seconds. Both Foster and Campbell earned spots in Friday’s semi-final round alongside Seville, capping a consistent showing from the heat’s top three competitors.

Another of Jamaica’s top young sprint talents, Ackeem Blake, the World Indoor 100m bronze medalist, also secured his place in the next round with a solid 10.11-second finish in his heat, run into a 1.9-meter-per-second headwind. Joining Blake and Seville in the semi-finals are a mix of emerging and established athletes: Nishion Ebanks notched a 10.22-second qualifying run, 19-year-old rising star Gary Card took his heat in 10.33 seconds despite a stiff 2.7-meter-per-second headwind, and Travis Williams rounded out the group of confirmed heat winners with a 10.23-second finish.

The national championships serve as Jamaica’s primary qualifying event for the country’s world championship and Olympic teams, making the opening round performances a key early indicator of the sprinters’ form ahead of more high-stakes competition later in the year. Friday’s semi-final and final rounds will determine which Jamaican sprinters earn the opportunity to represent the country on the global stage this season.

DALLAS, U.S. — England opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday, and captain Harry Kane says the turnaround all traces back to a rousing half-time address from head coach Thomas Tuchel that unlocked the side’s attacking potential. The high-stakes group stage clash got off to a chaotic start, with skipper Kane netting two first-half strikes — including one from a retaken penalty — to put England in an early lead, only for the 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia to claw their way back to level the score at 2-2 by the break.

Emerging from the locker room with renewed momentum, England exploded into action at the start of the second half. Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham broke down the wing before firing a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net to restore his side’s lead. As one of the pre-tournament favorites to lift the World Cup trophy, England continued to carve out a string of clear-cut chances through Kane, Bellingham and Nico O’Reilly in the minutes that followed, before substitute Marcus Rashford put the result beyond doubt to seal all three group points.

While the result highlighted England’s devastating attacking quality at its best, the match also exposed defensive frailties in Gareth Southgate’s (note: corrected, per original source: Thomas Tuchel’s) side, particularly during a shaky opening 45 minutes. When asked what shifted after half-time, Kane was quick to praise his manager’s locker room speech. ‘To be honest, he gave a great speech, especially after how we conceded that second goal right before the break,’ Kane told reporters. ‘He just told us to take the shackles off, calm down, and asked us what we were scared of. He told us to just go out and play our game.’

Kane added: ‘The way we conceded that second goal wasn’t the football we want to play as a team — we dropped deep, sat back waiting, and conceded anyway. He basically said, ‘What’s the worst that can happen? We lose the first group game, we pick ourselves up, we move on. Let’s go out there and show the world what we can be.’ And I think that’s exactly what we did in the second half.’

Tuchel, the German manager hired to end England’s 60-year wait for a major men’s senior trophy, admitted his side looked jittery and uncharacteristically passive through the first half. Describing the opening 45 minutes as ‘complicated,’ Tuchel said: ‘I could feel the nerves. The decisions we made were too safe — we kept playing too many passes backwards. We struggled to find our rhythm, didn’t have the confidence to play through the gaps, build momentum with short passes, or pull off the switches of play that we work on.’

The manager was far more pleased with his side’s performance after the break, as England controlled proceedings to secure a comfortable win in the end. ‘I love the reaction the players gave in the second half; the second 45 minutes was excellent,’ Tuchel said. ‘We deserved to win, but this was an emotional game, a lot of emotions were flying around, and it took us a while to get going. The fact that we did turn it around, though? That’s a really positive sign moving forward.’

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships kicked off its hurdle event rounds on Thursday at the iconic National Stadium, where Carifta Games gold medalist Robert Miller emerged as the fastest qualifier for the boys Under-20 400m hurdles final.

Miller, a student-athlete from Hydel High School who has already signed a commitment to join NCAA Division I program Baylor University next season, clocked a solid 52.21 seconds in the first round to secure his top spot in the rankings. The result marks a comeback for the young hurdler after an unexpected setback earlier this season at the Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Boys’ Champs), where he claimed the 110m hurdles title but was unable to finish the 400m hurdles final, leaving his double bid unfulfilled.

Following Miller in the qualifying standings are four other standout young hurdlers from Jamaica’s top high school athletic programs. Jahvanie Tyrell of Kingston College posted the second-fastest time of 52.62 seconds, while Rojay Black of Jamaica College came in third with 52.35 seconds. Joshua Wint of William Knibb Memorial High School rounded out the top four U-20 qualifiers with a time of 52.75 seconds, booking his spot in the upcoming final round.

In the boys Under-18 division, it was Nicholas Jones of Lacovia High who claimed the leading position after the opening round. Jones crossed the finish line in 53.05 seconds to outpace the rest of the field. Rahiem McIntosh of Kingston College followed closely behind in second with a time of 53.63 seconds. Oneil Lawrence of Jamaica College took third place in the round with 54.45 seconds, and Malik Thompson of Camperdown High secured the fourth qualifying spot with a 55.53-second run.

The JAAA National Championships serve as a key selection event for Jamaican teams heading to regional and international junior athletic competitions, giving rising track and field stars a platform to showcase their talent ahead of future collegiate and national team opportunities.

A dramatic, low-scoring cliffhanger unfolded at Headingley on Thursday during the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Group B stage, where the 2016 tournament champions West Indies clung to a narrow seven-run victory over Scotland, securing their second consecutive win of the campaign.

The match looked poised for a Scotland upset after the side’s rising star Darcey Carter anchored a aggressive run chase, sparked by a blistering opening stand. Carter and opening partner Katherine Fraser tore into the West Indies bowling attack, plundering 51 runs off the first five overs to put Scotland well ahead of the required run rate from the earliest stages. Carter went on to anchor the innings with a stellar 59 runs, giving the underdogs every chance of chasing down West Indies’ total of 154.

Before Alleyne’s match-winning intervention, West Indies’ spin duo Hayley Matthews and Afy Fletcher had already begun to rein in Scotland’s momentum. The pair combined for an exceptional collective return of five wickets for just 35 runs, gradually slowing Scotland’s scoring rate and forcing key mistakes from the chasing side. It was 31-year-old medium-pacer Aaliyah Alleyne, however, who delivered the knockout blow in the penultimate over of the match, snatching three crucial wickets in quick succession: she removed Carter, Ailsa Lister and Kirstie Gordon in consecutive deliveries to break Scotland’s remaining resistance. The Scottish side was eventually bowled out for 146, falling just seven runs short of the target.

West Indies’ competitive total of 153 for six was built by veteran all-rounder Stefanie Taylor, who rescued the side from a mid-innings collapse. When Taylor arrived at the crease, West Indies were struggling at 85 for five in the 15th over, on course for a much lower total. The experienced campaigner produced an explosive, unbeaten knock of 47 runs off just 19 deliveries, decorated by three towering sixes and four classy fours, that propelled the side to a defendable total.

The result marks West Indies’ second successive win in Group B, following their opening-match seven-wicket upset over defending tournament champions New Zealand. The side now sits in a strong position to progress to the knockout stage of the global competition.

For the Haitian diaspora clustered in New York City, a rare moment of collective celebration has cut through months of uncertainty and targeting from the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies: their men’s national soccer team is set to make only its second World Cup appearance in history, and first since 1974, when it faces global powerhouse Brazil on Friday.

Walking through the city’s iconic Little Haiti neighborhood, the blue and orange of the New York Knicks — fresh off the team’s NBA championship win just days earlier — still drapes nearly every local storefront. But long-term residents and community members say that display is already set to make way for Haiti’s iconic blue and red national flag, as attention shifts to the historic World Cup match.

“Now the Knicks excitement is over, you’ll definitely see all the Haitian colors everywhere,” said 42-year-old actor Vladimir Calixte, who wore his national flag wrapped around his neck during a walk through the neighborhood.

The outbreak of national pride serves as a much-needed reprieve for a community that has felt directly in the crosshairs of the Trump administration’s aggressive mass deportation campaign targeting undocumented people living in the United States. Haiti, which has long struggled with widespread political instability and brutal gang violence, has faced disproportionate scrutiny from the current White House: Trump suspended all tourist and immigration visas for Haitian citizens last year, and his administration is moving to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program that prevents deportations to countries facing crisis or unsafe conditions. Around 520,000 Haitians currently hold TPS protections across the U.S.

New York is home to roughly 200,000 residents who were either born in Haiti or are of Haitian descent, and for this tight-knit community, the national soccer team’s historic World Cup berth has become a unifying source of pride. Local small business owner Maelie Misidor, who runs a corner convenience store in Little Haiti, says conversations about the match have dominated every interaction in her shop since the team qualified.

“Tickets are completely out of most people’s price range. If they were cheaper, I’d be there in a heartbeat,” Misidor explained. “Instead, my husband, our friends, and I are going to set up a viewing in the local courtyard to watch the game together.”
Brooklyn-based Haitian artist Lyne Lucien notes that the team’s roster itself reflects the experience of the global Haitian diaspora, with a large share of players hailing from communities outside Haiti’s borders. “Haiti extends far beyond our actual land borders,” Lucien explained. “Our community looks just like the team: people spread out all across the world, but we still come together as one people.” That shared identity has drawn the community even closer to the team during its historic run.

Yet even as the community prepares to cheer on their national side, a new threat from the Trump administration has cast a shadow over the celebration: reports that the administration would deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to World Cup match stadiums to target undocumented migrants has spread widespread fear across Haitian and other migrant communities.

“I feel like that’s creating completely unnecessary fear,” said Lucien, who created custom illustrations for the FOX Sports Global Artist Series, an official collaboration with FIFA. “There’s so much anxiety right now: even people who hold valid U.S. residency cards are afraid to go to the matches. People who just got their citizenship are still scared to be there around law enforcement.”

Haiti dropped its opening World Cup match to Scotland, putting added pressure on the team against its upcoming match against Brazil — a side that many Haitians have supported enthusiastically in past tournaments, Calixte explained. “You feel more attached to people that look like you. Before we qualified, since we couldn’t play at this level, we admired the teams that could,” he said. Not everyone holds out hope for an upset against the five-time World Cup champions: 43-year-old Sonny Etienne, who was waiting for a haircut at a local Little Haiti barbershop, called the matchup a tough break for the underdog Haitian side.

“Brazilians are the undisputed leaders of world football. What can we do against them? It’s too bad we had to draw them in our group,” Etienne said.