Sports
Foster grabs South Africa winner | The Express Tribune
Lyle Foster struck late as South Africa made a winning start to their AFCON campaign against Angola. Photo: AFP
MARRAKESH, MOROCCO,:
Burnley striker Lyle Foster scored on 79 minutes as South Africa edged Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh on Monday to win their opening match of an Africa Cup of Nations campaign for the first time in 21 years.
Since beating Benin in the 2004 tournament, Bafana Bafana have drawn twice and lost four times when they debuted in different editions of the premier African football tournament.
The opening Group B match had three distinct phases. South Africa started impressively and Oswin Appollis scored on 21 minutes before a small crowd in the near-42,000-seat stadium.
Angola controlled the rest of the opening half and Show levelled. South Africa then recovered to be the stronger side in the second half and Foster struck to secure maximum points.
Egypt, captained by Mohamed Salah, meet Zimbabwe later in southern coastal city Agadir in the same section.
South Africa attacked frequently in the early stages, but their goalkeeper Ronwen Williams had to react quickly on 15 minutes to push away a shot from fellow captain Fredy Ribeiro.
Appollis gave Bafana Bafana the lead six minutes later, winning possession off a Khuliso Mudau cross and beating 39-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques with a low shot into the corner.
Williams came to the rescue again as the match reached the half-hour mark, making a brilliant point-blank save from a Gelson Dala header.
Angola were getting on top and it came as no surprise when Show — one of many Angolan footballers who use a nickname — equalised after 35 minutes.
Tempers flare
Siyabonga Ngezana was lucky to escape being yellow-carded after fouling Dala, but the indiscipline was to prove costly on a cold evening in central Morocco.
The resultant free-kick was driven low into the South African goalmouth and Show connected with the ball to steer it into the corner.
Tempers flared as the half progressed and the Sudanese referee cautioned To Carneiro of Angola, then South Africans Aubrey Modiba and Sphephelo Sithole.
As the teams exited the pitch at half-time, Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle would have been the happier coach with Angola unlucky not to be ahead.
South Africa thought they had regained the lead six minutes into the second half when substitute Tshepang Moremi, on for the ineffective Mohau Nkota, fired a low shot wide of Marques and into the net.
But Bafana celebrations were cut short when a VAR review showed that Foster — the sole South African from the top five European leagues in the squad — was marginally offside.
South Africa were pressing for a second goal and centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi temporarily abandoned his defensive duties to beat Marques with a long-range drive only to see it rebound off the crossbar.
On the back foot for much of the opening half, South Africa were now the aggressors, constantly pushing forward in search of the lead.
A swift Bafana counterattack saw Moremi outpace a defender, then push the ball back into the path of Foster, who squandered a good chance by firing over.
But Foster atoned with 11 minutes of regular time left through a shot from the edge of the box that gave Marques no chance, and put South Africa back in front.
An intercept of an Angolan pass and two slick passes set up the striker to claim his fourth goal in six matches.
Lindsey Vonn plans Olympics comeback despite ACL injury
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn discusses her plan to compete in the Winter Olympics despite rupturing her ACL. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rick Lehman assesses her chances and the risks involved, noting her mental toughness.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were spotted at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, at San Siro on Friday night.
The Milan Cortina Olympics were officially opening with a ceremony celebrating the history and culture of the country. The vice president and Usha Vance were seated near Italian President Sergio Mattarella and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry were introduced in the stadium. Former IOC president Thomas Bach was also seated near them.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
JD Vance and his wife Usha applaud at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The NBC broadcast briefly showed the Vances clapping for Mattarella and Coventry.
Vance was among those leading the American contingent to the Olympic Games in Italy this year. He was spotted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. women’s ice hockey game against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Americans won the game, 5-1.
It was a part of a busy trip for Vance.
Vice President JD Vance, center, attends the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Andreas Rentz/Pool Photo via AP)
2026 MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S WINTER GAMES
On Friday, he started his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with Rubio and his family. He then headed to the Prefettura di Milano for a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“In the spirit of the Olympics friendship, competition — competition based on rules — and just coming together around shared values, we’re very, very thrilled to be here, and we’ll have a great conversation about number of topics,” Vance told Meloni as the press corps looked on.
Vice President JD Vance, center, and his wife Usha Vance attend the figure skating ice dance team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He said he had been excited to go to the Olympics in Milan “pretty much since I became vice president.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Gus Kenworthy, a British-American Olympic skier who is set to compete for Great Britain in freestyle skiing, posted a graphic anti-ICE message on his social media as opening ceremonies were set to begin for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Friday.
Kenworthy posted a photo on his Instagram that showed the words “f— ICE” on snow in what appeared to be urine. He urged Americans to call their senators to pressure them into voting against Department of Homeland Security funding negotiations.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Gus Kenworthy of Great Britain looks on during training prior to competing in the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Final during the Toyota US Grand Prix 2025 at Copper Mountain on Dec. 20, 2025 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“Innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough,” he captioned the post. “We can’t wait around while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power in our communities. Senators still have leverage right now, and Senator [Name] must use it to demand real guardrails and accountability — including getting ICE and CBP out of our communities, ending blank-check funding for brutality, and establishing clear limits on warrantless arrests, profiling, and enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and hospitals.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Kenworthy wouldn’t be punished for his political viewpoint.
EX-RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COACH RETURNS TO SPOTLIGHT AT 2026 WINTER GAMES DESPITE DOPING SHADOW
Gus Kenworthy (GBR) competes in the freestyle skiing-mens halfpipe final during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Genting Snow Park on Feb. 19, 2022. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)
“During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their views as per the athlete expression guidelines. The IOC does not regulate personal social media posts,” the IOC told the Press Association.
The message came amid outrage over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) operations in Minnesota. In January, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed.
ICE agents were also expected to act as security for U.S. officials. It prompted outrage from Italian officials and sparked protests around the country.
Gus Kenworthy of the United States celebrates at the end of his second run in the men’s ski slopestyle final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Kenworthy was born in Great Britain but moved to Colorado as a child. He represented the U.S. in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi but chose to compete for Great Britain in 2019.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Christian McCaffrey reflects on 2025 success after injury-plagued 2024 season: ‘Just thank God’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
SAN FRANCISCO – As long as Christian McCaffrey is on the field, he’s going to show out.
The San Francisco 49ers star running back was the only non-quarterback to be an MVP finalist, and was also in the running for his second Offensive Player of the Year Award in three years after putting up 2,126 scrimmage yards and scoring 17 total touchdowns.
In most cases, that should surprise nobody, but given McCaffrey’s devastating 2024 season, when he missed 13 games due to Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury, “what if” was in the conversation.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after McCaffrey’s receiving touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“Yeah, you know, I think last year was tough. There was a lot of uncertainty for me the whole offseason just working extremely hard day and night to try to come back to where I needed to be,” McCaffrey told Fox News Digital on Radio Row. “I really just thank God. I feel very fortunate that I played in every game. You know, that’s something I don’t take for granted ever anymore. And I feel blessed to be able to come out of the season healthy.”
McCaffrey became just the second player ever to be nominated for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year in the same season. He was also voted by fans as one of FedEx’s Air & Ground Players of the Year.
“This is a cool award. Voted for by the fans, which makes it really cool, and it’s been going on for 23 years now, so it’s one of the longest NFL awards. So, I’m super thankful,” McCaffrey said. “They’re also giving $15,000 to Feeding America, a local food bank here in San Francisco. So, you know, getting an award, being able to give back a little bit, it’s pretty cool.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York)
McCaffrey won the Comeback Player of the Year on Thursday night given last year’s injuries and this year’s rousing success. Given his age, many were worried that it was the beginning of the end.
McCaffrey, too, was admittedly nervous, but that is not exactly a new feeling for him.
“I’ve been worrying since I was in high school. Most of my mindset is just worrying. You know, part of what drives me is just that, you know, that anxiety of not living up to my potential or not being able to play. So, that’s definitely something that’s always in my head transparently,” McCaffrey said. “But I think that’s the beauty of training. Whenever that’s kind of how you start, and then you train and train and train and do all the things you can to get to where you want to be, which will instill confidence that, you know what? I trust my training. I know that I can do this now. I feel good about where I’m at.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, right, celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Trent Williams during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
McCaffrey will be 30 years old by the time he plays meaningful football again, but after nearly another 1,000-1,000 yard season, there’s not much to worry about.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Stellantis CEO says automaker is stronger together as stock plummets amid $26 billion charge
Google debuts special doodle for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Vice President Vance, second lady attend Winter Olympics opening ceremony
-
Business1 week agoPSX witnesses 6,000-point on Middle East tensions | The Express Tribune
-
Tech4 days agoHow to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics
-
Business4 days agoPost-Budget Session: Bulls Push Sensex Up By Over 900 Points, Nifty Reclaims 25,000
-
Tech7 days agoRight-Wing Gun Enthusiasts and Extremists Are Working Overtime to Justify Alex Pretti’s Killing
-
Sports5 days agoPakistan Shaheens announce squad for T20’s, ODI’s – SUCH TV
-
Fashion1 week agoItaly’s Brunello Cucinelli debuts Callimacus AI e-commerce experience
-
Business7 days agoVideo: Who Is Trump’s New Fed Chair Pick?
-
Tech5 days agoI Tested 10 Popular Date-Night Boxes With My Hinge Dates