African Players in Europe: Daring Semenyo Wins Final for City

Football - FA Cup - Final - Chelsea v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 16, 2026 Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo celebrates with the FA Cup trophy. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Final - Chelsea v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 16, 2026 Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo celebrates with the FA Cup trophy. (Action Images via Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Daring Semenyo Wins Final for City

Football - FA Cup - Final - Chelsea v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 16, 2026 Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo celebrates with the FA Cup trophy. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Final - Chelsea v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 16, 2026 Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo celebrates with the FA Cup trophy. (Action Images via Reuters)

Antoine Semenyo produced one of the great FA Cup final goals with an audacious back-flick that sealed a 1-0 win for Manchester City over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at the weekend.

The Ghana winger illuminated a largely scrappy final late in the second half as he improvised a sublime finish to caress Erling Haaland's cross into the net at Wembley.

Semenyo is set to be a key figure for the Black Stars at the 2026 World Cup, where they face England, Croatia and Panama in Group L.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

ANTOINE SEMENYO (Manchester City)

His moment of magic was enough to clinch City's eighth FA Cup triumph and their second piece of silverware this season after the League Cup final win over Arsenal. Semenyo joins Ricky Villa, Michael Owen, Roberto Di Matteo and Steven Gerrard among the ranks of iconic FA Cup final goalscorers.

BRYAN MBEUMO (Manchester United)

The Cameroon forward scored for the first time since February in his side's 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest. Mbeumo netted in the 76th minute at Old Trafford to put United 3-1 up, turning in Bruno Fernandes' cross with a close-range finish to end his 11-game goal drought. The 26-year-old was also involved in a moment of controversy when referee Michael Salisbury ignored VAR and ruled his handball was accidental in the build-up to Matheus Cunha's goal.

ISMAILA SARR (Crystal Palace)

The Senegal forward notched his eighth league goal this season with a penalty in a 2-2 draw at Brentford. Sarr slotted home from the spot in the sixth minute, putting UEFA Conference League finalists Palace ahead.

DANGO OUATTARA (Brentford)

The Burkina Faso winger kept his club in the hunt for European qualification with a double against Crystal Palace. Ouattara's first goal arrived in bizarre fashion in the 40th minute when Palace defender Jaydee Canvot's clearance hit the 24-year-old in the face and deflected into the net. That was Brentford's first equalizer. Ouattara did it again in the 88th minute, firing home after Michael Kayode's throw was flicked on.

SPAIN

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (Atletico Madrid)

The Nigeria striker and former African Footballer of the Year struck after 21 minutes to give fourth-placed Atletico a 1-0 home win over Girona, who are in the La Liga relegation zone with one matchday remaining. Lookman was set up France forward Antoine Griezmann, playing his 500th match for Atletico, and last at the Metropolitano stadium before joining MLS side Orlando City.

GERMANY

NICOLAS JACKSON (Bayern Munich)

Senegal striker Jackson came off the bench to score a late goal as Bayern celebrated their 35th Bundesliga title with a 5-1 win over Cologne. It was Jackson's 11th goal in all competitions this season and fourth in the last six Bundesliga games, despite playing second fiddle behind first-choice striker Harry Kane.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy opened the scoring in Dortmund's 2-0 win over Werder Bremen on the final day. The Guinea striker netted with a well-placed header on the hour as Dortmund ended the season with a win having already wrapped up second behind Bayern.

ABDOULIE CEESAY (Saint Pauli)

Gambian Ceesay could not save St. Pauli from relegation despite scoring for the third game in a row. Ceesay gave St. Pauli hope with a headed second-half equalizer in their final-day relegation showdown with Wolfsburg, but the Hamburg side lost 3-1 and fell back into the second division.



Italiano Appointed Besiktas Coach

Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)
Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)
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Italiano Appointed Besiktas Coach

Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)
Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)

Vincenzo Italiano has been appointed coach of Turkish side Besiktas, the Istanbul-based club announced on Saturday.

The 48-year-old Italian will coach the club until the end of the 2027-2028 season, Besiktas said in a statement, AFP reported.

The former coach of Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Bologna, becomes the 11th manager at Besiktas in the past five years, following Frenchman Valerien Ismael, Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Crowned Turkish champions for the 16th time in 2021, Besiktas have since struggled to compete with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, the two other big Istanbul clubs.


AlUla Designates Scenic Open-Air Venues for 2026 FIFA World Cup Screenings

Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA
Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA
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AlUla Designates Scenic Open-Air Venues for 2026 FIFA World Cup Screenings

Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA
Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA

AlUla Governorate has prepared several open-air fan zones for residents and tourists to watch 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, blending international football excitement with the region’s renowned natural beauty and unique rock formations while catering to a growing influx of summer visitors.

Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures.

The tournament’s timing in summer boosts AlUla’s appeal, allowing visitors to combine the global sporting event with exploring local heritage sites and participating in outdoor recreational activities during the cooler evening hours, SPA reported.

This viewing experience is fully supported by diverse hospitality options, ranging from luxury resorts and desert accommodations to heritage hotels situated in AlUla Old Town.

These integrated facilities reinforce the region's strategy to expand its tourism and entertainment portfolio, positioning AlUla as a preferred year-round destination.


Iran World Cup Squad Heads to Mexico as US Visa Row Erupts

Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Iran World Cup Squad Heads to Mexico as US Visa Row Erupts

Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Iran lashed out at the United States on Saturday for refusing visas to some of its World Cup squad support staff as the players were to leave Türkiye for Mexico.

The row erupted just days before the June 11 start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Iranian players, who have been at a training camp in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya since May 18, received their visas late on Friday, Washington's envoy to Türkiye Tom Barrack said on X, hailing the work of the US embassy in Ankara in "processing visas for Iran's national football team".

But Iran's embassy to Türkiye hit back Saturday with a furious response, saying a "large" number of managerial and executive staff and others had been denied visas.

"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy wrote on X.

"FIFA must hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran's national football team."

Iran's Football Federation, whose chief Mehdi Taj was reportedly among those denied a visa, also hit out, describing the decision as "political interference in sport in its worst form".

"By extending its hostile behaviour towards the Iranian nation into the field of sport, the ... US government has deprived Iran's national team of.. the opportunity to compete without discrimination," it said, pledging to pursue the matter with FIFA.

Iranian state TV's correspondent in Antalya said the players and their technical staff had received visas, but 15 others on the administrative and management side had not.

It said the matter would be followed up in Mexico.

In April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with the Iranian players but "some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them", suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, a group on the US terror blacklist.

Taj himself is a former Guards member, Iranian media in the diaspora have said.

Team Melli were scheduled to leave Antalya for Mexico on a 3:20 pm (1220 GMT) flight that Taj said earlier this week would include a stopover in Spain before arriving in Mexico early on Sunday.

But Iran's state TV gave a later departure time of 5:30 pm.

The team will be based in the northwestern border city of Tijuana for the duration of the tournament, but all three of their group stage matches are due to be held in the United States.

Iran, who are in Group G, will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, followed by a game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Ahead of their departure on Saturday, Iran played a final friendly against Mali in Antalya on Thursday which they won 2-0. They played a first match on May 29, beating Gambia 3-1.