Sports
Colombia forward Campaz flees over death threats
The Colombian Football Federation has since condemned the threats against Campaz and called on the country’s Attorney General’s Office to investigate those responsible.
•Jaminton Campaz
Colombia forward Jaminton Campaz has reportedly gone into hiding after receiving death threats following his team’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The threats have revived memories of the killing of Andrés Escobar, who was shot dead in Medellin days after scoring an own goal during Colombia’s 1994 FIFA World Cup campaign in the United States.
Campaz blazed an open chance over the crossbar in the final six minutes of extra time in the round of 16 game against Switzerland on July 7, with the game ending goalless after 120 minutes. Switzerland eventually progressed with a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout, ending Colombia’s World Cup campaign.
According to the New York Post, the 26 year old did not travel back to Bogotá with teammates James Rodríguez, Davinson Sánchez and Juan Fernando Quintero, as his whereabouts remain unknown, although speculation suggests he may have travelled to Argentina, where he plays for Rosario Central.
Amid growing concern over his safety, the Colombian international broke his silence in an emotional message posted on Instagram on Friday, urging fans to reject hatred and violence.
“My Colombia, please let us never lose sight of respect. We may think differently or feel frustration and sadness, but no passion justifies hatred or living in fear,” he wrote in Spanish translated to English.
Campaz said representing Colombia at the World Cup had fulfilled a lifelong dream despite the team’s painful exit.
“Since I was a child, I dreamed of defending Colombia’s colours, hearing the anthem, representing millions of people and scoring a goal at a World Cup. Today, I can only thank God for allowing me to fulfil that dream,” he said.
“I deeply regret not being able to bring you the joy we all hoped for, but I want you to know there was never a lack of dedication, commitment or love for this jersey. I gave everything I had on the pitch, and I would do it a thousand times over for my country.
According to the Athletic, the Colombian Football Federation has since condemned the threats against Campaz and called on the country’s Attorney General’s Office to investigate those responsible.
Sports
National Sports Commission Changes Secretaries
“Let me be clear that no secretary is being removed because he or she has been sacked. They are only being posted to another federation to carry out another assignment,” Olopade said.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has reshuffled the General Secretaries of several national sports federations in a major administrative shake-up aimed at strengthening operations and improving the performance of the bodies.
The Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, announced the changes yesterday during a meeting with the General Secretaries of the federations in Abuja.
“Let me be clear that no secretary is being removed because he or she has been sacked. They are only being posted to another federation to carry out another assignment,” Olopade said.
Under the new arrangement, Bunmi Oluode has been appointed the new Secretary-General of the Athletics Federation, replacing Israel Inwang, who has been redeployed to the Padel Federation.
Rita Mosindi will serve as Acting Secretary-General of the Basketball Federation, with her predecessor, Amina Amanchi, moving to the Rowing Federation.
Other appointments saw Tosin Samuel take over as Secretary-General of the Shooting Federation, while Tinuoso Dolapo was appointed Secretary-General of the Karate Federation.
Javan Bennard will head the secretariat of the Fencing Federation, while Dorothy Okpo becomes the new Secretary-General of the Arm Wrestling Federation. Olopade said the reshuffling was not a punishment for any of the affected secretaries but a strategic deployment of their expertise to improve the administration of the federations.
Sports
FIFA to decide 2030 World Cup final venue in 2028 as Morocco, Spain wait
Morocco has made no secret of its ambition to bring the 2030 World Cup final to Benslimane, near Casablanca, where the Hassan II Stadium is under construction.
FIFA is expected to decide the venue for the 2030 World Cup final in 2028, a timeline that keeps Morocco’s push to host the showpiece at the Hassan II Stadium alive.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported that sources familiar with the process said FIFA does not plan to announce the final venue before 2028.
The reported timeline mirrors the previous World Cup cycle. FIFA waited until February 2024 to confirm New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium as the venue for the 2026 final.
That means the contest between Morocco and Spain remains open, despite increasingly confident statements from both countries over their preferred venues.
Morocco has made no secret of its ambition to bring the 2030 World Cup final to Benslimane, near Casablanca, where the Hassan II Stadium is under construction.
The stadium is expected to have a capacity of about 115,000. When completed, it would be one of the largest football stadiums in the world.
The project has become the centrepiece of Morocco’s bid to host the tournament’s closing match.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has repeatedly backed the ambition.
Sports
NBA closes basketball academy in Africa
The NBA said the decision reflected a shift in global basketball development strategy.
•Basketball players train during the Legacy Summer Camp, organised by SEED Project alumnus Pape Latyr Gnigu, in Dakar, Senegal, September 30, 2026. REUTERS/Misper Apawu.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has closed its only elite training academy in Africa.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the academy , established less than a decade ago was launched in Senegal to prepare promising young African players for professional leagues in the US and elsewhere.
The decision to close NBA Academy Africa, the league’s first such facility in Africa, was a blow to students and young players across the continent, two former employees said.
Michel Chikwanine, who had been the academy’s performance and lifestyle adviser, said the news discouraged African players just beginning to build confidence.
“From the moment we told them, their confidence waned, their confidence dropped,” he said.
Michael Abbott, former head of academic planning at the academy, said it showed a lack of commitment to the students.
“They weren’t invested in them as kids as much as they were invested in the business model,” he said.
In response to questions from Reuters, the NBA said the decision reflected a shift in global basketball development strategy.
It has previously closed academies in Mexico and Australia. All training will be run out of a new global academy to open soon in the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi, it said.
In its statement, the NBA added that it is continuing to invest in African talent through other programs and that closing the academy does not signal a diminished commitment to the continent.
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