Faith comes before football – Ouattara
Bournemouth forward Dango Ouattara says Islam helps him “stay on the right path”, as he discusses football, faith and fasting.
Africa
Six Kenyan police personnel killed in ambush near Somalia
No group has claimed responsibility, but an official said the attack followed a pattern of raids by Islamist militant group al-Shabab.
News24 | Ugandan army chief says coming for Congo city of Kisangani
Uganda’s army chief claimed on Sunday that his troops or the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group would enter the key Congolese city of Kisangani in the coming days.
Aubameyang dents Kenya’s dreams of 2026 World Cup spot
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores twice as Gabon beat Kenya 2-1 to severely dent the East Africans’ hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
News24 | US interference could see South African troops in the DRC become M23 ‘hostages’
After several bloody battles in January, the Samidrc soldiers, provided by South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi, are effectively prisoners of war by the rebels.
Senegal held by Sudan in World Cup qualifying
Sudan hold Senegal to a draw in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and remain top of their group despite civil war continuing in the country.
Will recapture of presidential palace change course of Sudan war?
Sudan’s army has retaken the presidential palace from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but what’s next after two years of war?
Osimhen inspires Nigeria to first World Cup qualifying win
Victor Osimhen nets twice as Nigeria register their first victory in qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, while Algeria and Burkina Faso also win.
News24 | ‘A long time coming’: Namibia inaugurates Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, its first woman president
Namibia has sworn in its first woman president after Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won elections last year that extended the ruling party’s 35-year grip on power.
Stoic soldiers and daring drivers: Africa’s top shots
A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent and beyond.
Namibia swears in first female president
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah tells BBC she understands pressure she faces as Africa’s second directly elected female leader
Groundbreaking but controversial – new IOC president Coventry
Kirsty Coventry will become the 10th International Olympic Committee president – but why is she both a groundbreaking and controversial choice?
The gravedigger ‘too busy to sleep’ as Khartoum fighting rages
The smell of death lingers over the main cemetery for Sudan’s capital as the army advances in the city centre.
Mali revive World Cup campaign as Cape Verde go top of group
Mali beat Comoros to revive their hopes of reaching the 2026 Fifa World Cup while Benin, Cape Verde, Gabon and Mozambique go top of their groups.
Ayew embraces ‘destiny’ as Ghana’s captain
Jordan Ayew says it was “written in the stars” for him to follow his father and brother in being appointed captain of Ghana’s Black Stars.
Zimbabwean Coventry elected to head Olympic movement
Zimbabwe’s sports minister Kirsty Coventry is elected as the new IOC president, becoming the first woman and first African to hold the role.
Ethiopia does not want war with Eritrea, says PM
Abiy Ahmed’s comments come amid concerns that the neighbours could clash over tensions in Tigray.
News24 | How can Africa reduce the influence of Russian mercenaries?
The presence of Russian mercenaries in Africa was once hailed as a success story, but recently the pressure on them has increased. A new report offers strategies to counter Russian influence.
News24 | M23 rebels enter outskirts of east Congo town of Walikale
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pressed on with their offensive in eastern Congo a day after the Congolese and Rwandan presidents called for an immediate ceasefire, entering the outskirts of the town Walikale late on Wednesday, residents told Reuters.
News24 | Nigerian lawmakers probe USAID-funded non-profit groups, others, document shows
Nigerian lawmakers are probing the activities of more than a dozen non-profit organisations and demanded they submit tax and financial statements dating back a decade within a week, a letter seen by Reuters showed, prompting accusations of “bullying”.
Cameroon held to shock draw by Eswatini in World Cup qualifying
Unfancied Eswatini hold Cameroon to a 0-0 draw in African qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, while Tunisia continue their unbeaten start.