Blitzboks star nominated for SVNS award

A Blitzbok has been recognised for a stellar season on the SVNS circuit after being shortlisted for the SVNS Men’s Player of the Year award.

Tristan Leyds is one of three nominees for the honour, alongside Australia’s Henry Hutchison and Fiji’s Vuiviwa Naduvalo.

The winner will be announced after the third and final SVNS World Championship tournament in Bordeaux on Sunday. afsport.lat

Leyds has been one of the standout performers in a remarkable campaign for the Blitzboks, who have secured five tournament victories this season.

South Africa won the regular-season SVNS series title and head into the final World Championship event at the top of the standings.

ALSO: Wessels predicts changing sevens landscape

Philip Snyman’s side has been drawn in Pool A with Fiji, Kenya and Great Britain. Australia, Spain, USA and Uruguay are in Pool B, while Pool C consists of Argentina, New Zealand, France and Germany.

The world at their feet

Presenting the nominees for Men’s SVNS Rookie of the Year.

Kele Lasaqa
Harry Wilson
Finley Lloyd-Gilmour

#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSAWARDS pic.twitter.com/yFELa6qXE7

— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) June 1, 2026

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The Tanzania U-17 national team will today take to the field for the biggest match in the country’s youth football history when they face defending champions Senegal in the final of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U-17 Final).

The highly anticipated showdown will be played at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, with kick-off scheduled for 10:00 PM East African Time.

The final marks Tanzania’s first-ever appearance in a CAF U-17 AFCON title match, capping off a remarkable tournament campaign that has already secured the nation a place at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

The Serengeti Boys have captured the attention of football fans across the continent with their resilience and determination throughout the tournament. Tanzania reached the final after defeating Egypt 4-3 on penalties in the semi-finals following a tense goalless draw in regulation time.

It was the second consecutive knockout match in which Tanzania emerged victorious from a penalty shootout. In the quarter-finals, the East Africans held their nerve to eliminate Algeria 4-3 on penalties after an entertaining 3-3 draw.

Tanzania’s journey began in Group C, where they finished top with six points. The Serengeti Boys opened their campaign with back-to-back 3-0 victories over Mozambique and Angola before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Mali in their final group-stage match.

Much of Tanzania’s attacking threat has come from forward Dismas Athanasi Shida, who has scored three goals during the competition and is expected to play a key role in tonight’s encounter.

Standing between Tanzania and the trophy is a strong Senegal side seeking to retain their continental crown. The West Africans booked their place in the final after edging hosts Morocco 7-6 on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw in the semi-finals.

Senegal’s campaign has been built on defensive discipline and strong leadership, with 16-year-old goalkeeper and captain Assane Sarr emerging as one of the tournament’s standout performers.

As Tanzania prepares for the historic clash, the Serengeti Boys have an opportunity to write a new chapter in the country’s football history. A victory tonight would see them become African champions for the first time at U-17 level and complete one of the most memorable runs ever achieved by a Tanzanian national team.

The post AFCON U-17 Final: Tanzania aim to make history against Senegal appeared first on SportsAfrica - Sports news | Live scores | Match highlights | Betting tips.

Hicham Boudaoui ne fera pas partie du voyage en direction de Rotterdam, où l’équipe nationale doit affronter les Pays-Bas en match amical de préparation à la Coupe du monde 2026. Le milieu de terrain des Verts a été ménagé par le staff technique, en coordination avec l’encadrement médical. Cette décision intervient après une absence déjà constatée lors de la dernière séance d’entraînement au stade Nelson-Mandela de Baraki. Bien que présent en tenue avec ses coéquipiers, le joueur n’avait finalement pas participé à la session collective. Toujours en phase de récupération après un protocole commotion consécutive à un choc subi lors du barrage face à l’AS Saint-Étienne, Boudaoui a été jugé insuffisamment rétabli pour reprendre la compétition. Le staff a préféré opter pour une approche prudente afin d’éviter tout risque de rechute et de garantir une reprise progressive de son activité.

L’article ALG : Boudaoui reste à Alger est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.

Aryna Sabalenka overpowered fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the French Open last 16 on Monday, after Matteo Berrettini reached his first major quarter-final in four years.

World number one Sabalenka was too strong for a battling Osaka, winning 7-5, 6-3 in the first women’s night-session match in three years on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The Belarusian will next face Diana Shnaider after the Russian left-hander beat former Australian Open winner Madison Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

Sabalenka is the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros as she bids for a maiden title on the Parisian clay, and to banish the memories of her painful loss in last year’s final to Coco Gauff.

She has reached the quarter-finals at 14 consecutive major tournaments.

“I didn’t expect I would serve that great,” said Sabalenka. “I feel like I’m getting better and better with every match I play and overall I’m super happy with how I played today.”

Osaka, again sporting the sequined gold dress she likened to the Eiffel Tower at night, had to make do with her best ever run in Paris ending in the last 16.

It was the first time that WTA players had featured in the marquee slot since Sabalenka took on Sloane Stephens in the fourth round on June 4, 2023.

“I hope that this is the beginning, today’s match. It’s like we open up that door for woman night sessions,” said the top seed.

Dominant performance

Sabalenka took a tense first set that was largely dominated by serve after the players traded early breaks, courtesy of a crucial break in the 11th game.

She then powered through the second set, reeling off the last four games from 3-2 down to secure a third successive victory over Osaka this year.

Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova could not back up her win over defending champion Gauff, twice failing to serve for the match in a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/7) defeat by Anna Kalinskaya.

The Russian will next face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska after she continued her remarkable run by cruising past the last remaining French player, Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-2.

“She’s one of the top players in the world. No one knows me, to be honest, so definitely a very challenging one, like every match here,” said Chwalinska of facing Kalinskaya.

There was something for the Paris crowd to cheer after Parry’s defeat, though, as Paris Saint-Germain players Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola paraded their two Champions League trophies on court after securing a second straight title on Saturday.

Brilliant Berrettini marches on

Former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, booked his first major quarter-final since the 2022 US Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) win over Jannik Sinner’s conqueror Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

The world number 105 is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Roland Garros men’s last eight since Igor Andreev in 2007.

“This (tennis) is the love of my life, I guess, otherwise I wouldn’t keep coming back after all the setbacks, the injuries,” said Berrettini, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021 and one of three Italian men to get through on the day.

Berrettini is one of only two Grand Slam finalists left in a wide-open men’s draw, alongside Alexander Zverev, after surprise early exits for Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

The 30-year-old will next face fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi, who staged a dramatic comeback to beat Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 after 5 hours and 26 minutes.

World number 104 Arnaldi outlasted Tiafoe, despite having trailed by a double-break in the fourth set, in an epic match which finished at 1:08 am local time, to reach a maiden Slam quarter-final.

Other results

Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli overcame some late nerves to beat Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5) on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Cobolli wobbled badly from 4-0 and 5-1 up in the fourth set, before finally getting over the line in a tie-break to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final after Wimbledon last year.

“The match is never done and today I almost shit in my pants,” said Cobolli. “I’m happy but I’m still nervous.”

The 24-year-old will battle fourth-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime for a semi-final berth.

World number six Auger-Aliassime is the highest-ranked player left in the top half of the men’s draw and he laid down a marker with a dominant 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 success against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.

The Cheetahs take on a Lusitanos side featuring several Test players and a Grey College old boy in Friday’s opening round of the expanded Toyota Challenge.

Lusitanos are one of three overseas teams competing in this year’s tournament along with Romania A and Black Lion of Georgia, with the Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas flying the South African flag.

Netwerk24 reports that Lusitanos are, in effect, a Portugal A side and feature six players who were part of Portugal’s squad for the historic Test against the Springboks in Bloemfontein in July 2024.

Among them are lock Nicolas Fernandes and No 8 Vasco Baptista, both of whom started that Test.

Pedro Vicente, Abel da Cunha, André Cunha and Pedro Lucas were also members of the Portugal squad and will be eager to make an impression ahead of next year’s World Cup in Australia, for which Portugal have already qualified.

Adding further local interest is centre Armand Patricio. The 21-year-old attended Grey College in Bloemfontein and featured for CUT before becoming involved in Portugal’s national setup.

Former Cheetahs and Shimlas forward Nicolaas Immelman is among the players set to represent Romania A.

MORE: Griquas, Pumas join Cheetahs’ Challenge

The opening round will also see back-to-back SA Cup champions the Pumas taking on Black Lion, and Currie Cup holders Griquas up against Romania A.

The Toyota Challenge will feature three rounds in Bloemfontein this month, before a second leg in Georgia in October.

Toyota Challenge fixtures
Friday, 5 June
1:30pm: Pumas vs Black Lion
2:30pm: Griquas vs Romania A
6pm: Cheetahs vs Portugal
Wednesday, 10 June
1:30pm: Griquas vs Black Lion
2:30pm: Pumas vs Portugal
6pm: Cheetahs vs Romania A
Sunday, 14 June
12pm: Griquas vs Portugal
2pm: Pumas vs Romania A
4:30pm: Cheetahs vs Black Lion

Photo: Charle Lombard/Gallo Images

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