Manqoba Mngqithi laments 'elementary' mistakes as Orlando Pirates ham…

Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi said Tuesday night’s thrashing at the hands of Orlando Pirates was only the second time this season his side had been " dominated". Despite being hammered 5-0 at Orlando Stadium, Mngqithi insisted his team’s performance was not a true reflection of their quality, but rather the result of “elementary” mistakes, particularly in the opening stages of the match. Pirates wasted no time asserting control, racing into a commanding first-half lead with quick, incisive attacks that exposed gaps in Arrows’ defensive structure. The hosts capitalised on poor organisation and lapses in concentration, with early goals setting the tone for what would become a one-sided contest. By halftime, the damage was already severe, and Pirates continued to dictate the tempo in the second half, punishing Arrows whenever space opened up. Mngqithi was frank in his assessment, pointing to moments his team had specifically prepared for but failed to manage on the pitch. youtube Orlando Pirates v Golden Arrows | Match in 5 Minutes | Betway Premiership Orlando Pirates v Golden Arrows | Match in 5 Minutes | Betway Premiership listing: SuperSport “We made some elementary mistakes and we got punished. The unfortunate part is that the first three goals were situations that we had analysed. We knew they can pose a threat with players hanging behind, especially in those areas," Mngqithi said. The Arrows coach also highlighted his side’s failure to deal with set-pieces, particularly lateral free kicks, where defensive discipline was crucial. Despite the heavy defeat, Mngqithi refused to criticise his players harshly, maintaining that such results can happen against top opposition. In the second half though, Arrows had created more goal scoring opportunities but lacked composure in the final third. Mngqithi pointed to missed chances in the first half and a lack of calm decision-making in promising positions as another key shortcoming. Still, he chose to take lessons from the defeat, particularly for his relatively young squad “We spoke about guarding the box in those situations, but we did not take care of the business,” he added. We’re not a bad team, we can’t be bad overnight. But when you don’t do what is expected in your defensive organisation, you give opponents time and space to dictate the game — and you will always be punished," said Mngqithi. “I can’t fault the boys too much. It’s a good lesson. In some games, you will be dominated — and this is only the second time this season where I felt the opponent was really on top of us.” The result leaves Golden Arrows needing a response as they look to stabilise their position in the league standings, while Orlando Pirates strengthen their push near the top of the table following a commanding performance.

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 8, 2026 – Harambee Stars striker Ryan Ogam, top pro golfer Njoroge Kibugu and world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi are among nominees for the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) award.

The nomination is a just reward for the ex-Tusker marksman who starred for Harambee Stars at last year’s African Nations Championships (CHAN) during which he scored three goals as the national football side reached the quarters of the continental competition.

Originally a defensive midfielder, the 20-year-old broke into national limelight with a season-high 15 goals for Tusker before suffering an injury midway through the 2024/25 season.

His star performance at CHAN earned him a big move to Austrian side AC Wolfsberger where he continues to stomp on the door of the starting XI.

While Ogam was grabbing the headlines in Kenyan football, Kibugu was outshining his peers on the golf scene.

He made history as the first Kenyan — and East African — to qualify for the prestigious Sunshine Development Tour in South Africa after a dominant showing at the East Africa Swing.

He claimed three titles in the inaugural Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing.

The 22-year-old’s first win was in June at the Thika Greens Resort where he managed a three-day total of 15-under-par 201.

He won in Nyali, the third leg of the Tour with a total score of 2-over-par 215 then sealed a hat-trick at the Betika Masters, which was the seventh leg, at VetLab Sports Club on 10-under-par 206.

Kibugu ended the season as Kenya’s top golfer, ranked 1608th in the world rankings.

His excellent performances translated to the 2026 Magical Kenya Open where he was the only Kenyan to make the cut for round three of the competition.

Rebirth of Rudisha

Elsewhere, Wanyonyi continues to show that he is an able replacement for ‘King’ David Rudisha as the phenomenon of the men’s 800m.

Having won the Olympic title a year before in Paris, the youngster added the world crown to his medal collection, clocking 1:41.86 to triumph in Tokyo.

That victory in Japan was the culmination of a dominant run in the Diamond League Series, having won in Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco, Zurich and London.

Wanyonyi also clocked a national record of 3:52.45 to win the men’s mile at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Also in contention for the SOYA top gong is Nairobi City Thunder’s Albert Odero who was central to the team’s progression to a first-ever Basketball Africa League (BAL) in Kigali, Rwanda.

The American-based ‘baller’ scored crucial 16 points to assist Thunder beat Uganda’s Nam Blazers in the BAL Elite 16 opening game to qualify for semis.

Odero was the hero for Thunder in the semifinal against South Africa’s Johannesburg Giants where he scored a powerful dunk at the buzzer to seal the 86-83 win.

He was the game’s highest points scorer on 32.

The awards gala are set for Friday evening at the Uhuru Gardens.

The post Harambee Stars striker, Olympic champion and top pro golfer to battle for top sports award appeared first on Capital Sports.

David Raya est l’un des joueurs clés de la saison d’Arsenal. Le gardien espagnol a réalisé des performances exceptionnelles, ce qui lui a permis de devenir l’un des gardiens les plus solides de la saison. Un record impressionnant Aucun gardien n’a réalisé plus de clean sheets que David Raya en Ligue des champions (7) ou en Premier League (15) cette saison. Ces chiffres parlent d’eux-mêmes et montrent que Raya a été la muraille infranchissable de l’équipe d’Arsenal. Il a permis à son équipe de prendre des points importants et de rester dans la course aux premières places. D’ailleurs pour les quarts de finale aller de la Ligue des Champions face au Sporting à Lisbonne, il a été élu homme du match suite à 10 arrêts décisifs. Un joueur clé pour les Gunners David Raya est devenu un joueur clé pour les Gunners, et son expérience et sa solidité ont été déterminantes dans les résultats de l’équipe. Avec lui dans les cages, Arsenal a pu se permettre de jouer plus librement et de prendre des risques, ce qui a payé à plusieurs reprises. Les supporters d’Arsenal ont de quoi être satisfaits de leur gardien, qui continue de prouver qu’il est l’un des meilleurs de sa génération.

L’article Arsenal : David Raya, la muraille infranchissable des Gunners est apparu en premier sur AfricaFootUnited.

Top South African cyclist Malcolm Lange has paid an emotional tribute to his friend, Landon La Grange, who tragically died after being hit by a taxi while cycling along Victoria Road on Easter Monday.

According to reports, La Grange was part of a group of around 20 cyclists when he was hit by the minibus taxi and suffered extensive injuries, including the amputation of one of his legs, fractures in both arms and significant liver damage.

Witness reports suggest the taxi driver was attempting to overtake multiple vehicles around a corner when the vehicle collided with the oncoming cyclists.

Emergency medical treatment

On Tuesday morning, La Grange’s condition was described as critical following emergency medical treatment.

Despite every effort being made, he succumbed to his injuries.

He was 61.

Writing on his Instagram account on Tuesday, Lange posted: “Goodbye my friend, I am numb and can only say you had a very special place in all our hearts😢. Gone too soon my man but you lived life too the fullest in the most positive way possible, we gonna miss you Landi🙏🤗😢.”

News of La Grange’s passing has sent shockwaves through the local cycling community.

The incident has renewed calls from road safety advocates for greater awareness and caution from motorists sharing the road with cyclists.

Who is Malcolm Lange?

Malcolm Lange, 52, is a former South African professional road cyclist who enjoyed a successful career spanning two decades, highlighted by national titles, international victories and Olympic participation.

Born in Johannesburg, Lange became one of South Africa’s most accomplished road cyclists during the 1990s and 2000s.

He represented South Africa at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and went on to claim multiple victories in major races both locally and internationally.

National champion and consistent performer

Lange won the South African National Road Race Championships three times, securing the prestigious title in 1995, 1999 and 2007.

He also won the national time trial title in 1997, while adding another time trial championship victory in 1998.

Throughout his career, Lange proved to be one of South Africa’s most consistent competitors in road cycling, regularly finishing on the podium in national championships and international stage races.

Dominance at the Amashova Durban Classic

One of Lange’s most notable achievements was his dominance at the Amashova Durban Classic, one of South Africa’s most famous road races.

He won the event five times, claiming victories in 1991, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2002, cementing his reputation as one of the race’s most successful competitors.

International success

Lange also achieved strong results in international competitions, including:

• Gold medal in the road race at the All-Africa Games in 2003
• Silver medal in the road race at the 1999 All-Africa Games
• Stage victories in the Giro del Capo and the Tour du Maroc
• Overall podium finishes in the Tour of South China Sea and other international stage races

In 2004 he also claimed the points classification at the Tour de Tunisie, along with three stage victories.

Professional teams

During his professional career Lange rode for several teams, including:

• Vosschemie-Zetelhallen (1996)
• AIG (1997-1999)
• HSBC Team (2000-2002)
• Microsoft (2003-2006)
• MTN (2007-2008)
• Team Medscheme (2009-2011)

Career after racing

Following his retirement from professional racing, Lange transitioned into team management, serving as manager of Team Bonitas from 2012 to 2016, helping develop the next generation of South African cyclists.

Lange remains widely respected within the South African cycling community for his achievements and his contribution to the development of the sport in the country.

Lange’s son, Tyler, won the 2025 edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, a race Malcolm Lange won on three occasions.