Coupe du monde 2026 -France : 60% des français voit les Bleus aller a…

Plus de la moitié des Français voient leur équipe nationale aller très lors de la Coupe du monde 2026 qui démarre aujourd’hui. Les Bleus entreront en lice dans le groupe I dans cinq jours contre le Sénégal dans le New-Jersey. sport-tr.bet

À cinq jours du début de l’équipe de France lors de la Coupe du monde 2026 contre le Sénégal dans le groupe I, un sondage ELABE-BFMTV-RMC « Opinion en direct » a été commandé concernant l’opinion des Français concernant l’équipe de France lors de la Coupe du monde 2026.

Mbappé, Dembélé et Kanté, joueurs préférés des Français

L’équipe de France va entrer dans la compétition le 16 juin face au Sénégal dans le groupe I avant de rencontrer l’Irak puis la Norvège. D’après ce sondage, 83% des personnes interrogés aimant de football se sont déclarés « confiants » sur les résultats du groupe de Didier Deschamps. À l’inverse, 17% sont inquiets. Par ailleurs, 60% des Français estiment que la France rejoindra au moins le dernier carré dont 15% voit les Bleus soulever une troisième fois le trophée. Enfin, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé arrivent en tête du classement des joueurs préférés des Français. N’Golo Kanté monte sur le podium.

The post Coupe du monde 2026 -France : 60% des français voit les Bleus aller au moins en demi-finale appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.

This is no ordinary rematch. The Vodacom Bulls lead the head-to-head battle, but Leinster own the one result that delivered silverware.

• This is the fourth knockout clash between these giants since 2022 with the Bulls winning two semi-finals and Leinster winning the 2025 final.
• The Bulls have two playoff wins (2022 and 2024 semi-finals) to Leinster’s one (2025 final).
• Only two teams in the URC era hold a winning record against Leinster, and both are South African. The Bulls lead Leinster 5-3, while the Stormers hold a 3-2-1 record.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Why URC is breaking tradition for final

There is a staggering level of Test-level talent within both of these teams with the semi-finals match 23s including 37 internationals from South Africa and Ireland, a number of whom are World Cup winners and Test-capped British & Irish Lions. Few club games in the world can ever match this level of player.

• The Bulls named 11 Springboks in their starting XV against the Glasgow Warriors with a further five on the bench.
• Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Marco van Staden and Handré Pollard were all part of South Africa’s World Cup win in 2023.
• Leinster named a starting XV including 14 Irish internationals and one All Black (Rieko Ioane) while 11 of their match 23 were part of the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad.
• Of those 11 players, eight of them appeared in Test matches against Australia: Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Jack Conan.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Bulls seek redemption in rematch

Leinster and the Bulls are the leading teams on either side of the URC’s Ireland vs South Africa rivalry: Leinster have the best Irish record against South African teams, while the Bulls have the best South African record against Irish opposition.

• Leinster have the best Irish record against South African teams, both by wins (15 out 16) and win percentage (57.7%). They are the only Irish side above 55%.
• The Bulls have the best South African record against Irish teams, and by a clear margin (15 wins out of 24 = 62.5%). They are the only South African side above 50% against Irish opposition.
• The 2026 final brings together the URC era’s two strongest away performers, Leinster with the league’s best away win rate and the Bulls as the only other team above 50%.
• Leinster’s home win percentage is 88.5, which is second best in the URC era to Glasgow (91.7%).

POLL: Who will win URC final?

The Vodacom Bulls seek redemption on Grand Final Friday!

Tickets on sale now: https://t.co/vaoYc0ZItM pic.twitter.com/0o5CGfYUZf

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) June 10, 2026

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

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As South Africa prepares to face Mexico in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night, Zimbabwean journalist and activist Hopewell Chin’ono has explained why he will be supporting Bafana Bafana despite growing tensions surrounding anti-foreigner sentiments in South Africa.

His comments come at a time when many Africans on social media have vowed to support any team playing against South Africa, citing recent protests and campaigns targeting undocumented foreign nationals in the country.

Growing backlash against anti-foreigner campaigns

Over the past few weeks, social media platforms have been flooded with debates over the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa.

Some activist groups and protesters have called for undocumented migrants to leave the country by 30 June, while isolated incidents involving attacks on foreign nationals have fuelled anger across the continent.

As a result, some Africans have declared that they will support Mexico in Thursday night’s World Cup clash as a form of protest against the anti-foreigner rhetoric.

However, Chin’ono said he could not bring himself to support Mexico against a country that has given him refuge.

Journalist defends foreigners: ‘South Africa is also my home’

In a lengthy social media post, Chin’ono said his support for Bafana Bafana goes beyond football.

“South Africa is an African nation, and I will always have a natural affinity for fellow Africans,” he wrote.

The veteran journalist said South Africa had provided him with sanctuary during difficult periods in his life and had offered opportunities to millions of Africans seeking safety and a better future.

“South Africa is also my home. It has given me sanctuary and has given millions of other Africans a place to live, work, and rebuild their lives,” he said.

Chin’ono noted that despite occasionally receiving insults on social media, he has never personally experienced victimisation from South Africans.

Refusing to judge a nation by a minority

The journalist argued that it would be unfair to judge an entire country based on the actions of a small group of people.

“I cannot support Mexico simply because a small minority of South Africans have insulted me or made offensive remarks about Africans. That would be neither logical nor fair,” he said.

According to Chin’ono, the fact that millions of Africans continue to live, work, study and raise families in South Africa demonstrates that the majority of South Africans are welcoming and decent people.

He warned against allowing extremists and troublemakers to define an entire nation.

“No country is perfect. Every society has its extremists, its bigots, and its troublemakers. The mistake is to allow those people to define an entire nation,” he wrote.

Message to Africans supporting Mexico over treatment of foreigners

While acknowledging that everyone has the right to support whichever team they choose, Chin’ono questioned the reasoning behind backing Mexico solely because of anti-foreigner remarks made by some South Africans.

He said supporting another country out of resentment towards a minority of South Africans risks unfairly painting the entire nation with the same brush.

For Chin’ono, his overall experience in South Africa outweighs the actions of a few individuals.

“South Africa has given me a home, opportunities, and safety. I choose to judge the country by my overall experience and by the millions of decent South Africans I have encountered,” he said.

Football should unite, not divide

As Bafana Bafana begin their World Cup campaign against Mexico, Chin’ono says football fans should remain free to support whichever team they prefer.

However, he believes people should avoid letting anger towards a small group of individuals shape their view of an entire country.

“Those people do not define South Africa. Judge people as individuals, not an entire country by the actions of a few,” he concluded.

Africa will make history at FIFA World Cup 2026 with 10 teams representing the continent, the largest African contingent ever seen at the tournament.

The competition kicks off on Thursday in North America, with South Africa facing co-hosts Mexico in the opening match, and for the first time Africa will have double-digit representation on football’s biggest stage.

Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia will carry the continent’s hopes at the expanded 48-team tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

It is a landmark moment for African football, coming four years after Morocco became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022.

The increase in representation gives the continent a wider opportunity to build on that breakthrough and to challenge deeper into the competition than ever before.

Africa’s World Cup story began in 1934, when Egypt became the first team from the continent to appear at the finals.

For decades, African representation remained limited.

Morocco became the continent’s next participant in 1970, before DR Congo, then competing as Zaire, appeared in 1974.

Tunisia followed in 1978, before Algeria and Cameroon represented Africa at the 1982 tournament.

By 1986, Algeria and Morocco carried the continent’s hopes, while Cameroon and Egypt featured in 1990.

The 1994 World Cup saw Cameroon, Morocco and Nigeria represent Africa, before the continent had five teams for the first time in 1998: Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia.

That five-team representation continued in 2002, with Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, before Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Tunisia qualified for the 2006 tournament.

Africa’s previous record came in 2010, when six teams appeared at the World Cup hosted by South Africa.

Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa were all present, with Ghana going on to reach the quarter-finals before losing to Uruguay on penalties.

In 2014, Africa was represented by Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria.

Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia qualified in 2018, while Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia carried African hopes in Qatar in 2022.

Morocco’s run to the semi-finals in Qatar changed the global perception of African teams at the World Cup.

The Atlas Lions defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the last four, giving African football its strongest statement yet at the tournament.

Now, with 10 teams involved, the continent has more chances to create another historic run.

Cape Verde’s qualification is one of the standout stories of the 2026 tournament, with the island nation set for its first World Cup appearance.

DR Congo also return to the global stage for the first time since 1974, adding another powerful storyline to Africa’s participation.

South Africa’s return is also significant. Bafana Bafana are back at the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, and they will open the competition against Mexico in a fixture rich with history.

Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire all bring World Cup experience, while Cape Verde and DR Congo add freshness and renewed energy to the African challenge.

For the continent, the 2026 World Cup is not only about numbers.

It is about whether African teams can turn record representation into record performance.

The expanded tournament offers more places, but it also brings greater expectations.

After years of near misses, dramatic exits and unforgettable moments, Africa arrives in North America with its strongest presence yet.

From Egypt’s first appearance in 1934 to 10 teams in 2026, the journey has been long, difficult and historic.

Now the continent has another opportunity to show that its place at the World Cup is not just growing in size, but also in ambition.

African participation at the FIFA World Cup

1934: Egypt

1970: Morocco

1974: DR Congo

1978: Tunisia

1982: Algeria, Cameroon

1986: Algeria, Morocco

1990: Cameroon, Egypt

1994: Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria

1998: Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia

2002: Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

2006: Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Tunisia

2010: Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa

2014: Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria

2018: Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia

2022: Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia

2026: Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

SOURCE: CAF ONLINE

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Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry believes South Africa will need to weather an early storm when they face Mexico in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, predicting a 1-1 draw between the two nations.

Speaking to Inbound SA while working as a pundit for SuperSport during the opening days of the tournament, Terry said Bafana Bafana face a difficult challenge against the co-host nation but believes they can come away with a valuable point.

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Terry Predicts 1-1 Draw

The clash between South Africa and Mexico carries plenty of significance, not least because it mirrors the opening fixture of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, which ended in a memorable 1-1 draw.

Terry expects a similar outcome this time around.

“I think Mexico are actually a really good side. I think it’s a tough opening game for South Africa. Hoping for the same result.”

A draw would be a positive start for Hugo Broos’ side as they look to progress from Group A and reach the knockout stages.

Bafana Must Avoid Early Goal

According to Terry, the key for South Africa will be staying in the contest during the early stages of the match.

“I think the main thing for South Africa is not to concede early. Stay in the game as long as possible.”

The former defender believes that if Bafana Bafana can frustrate Mexico and remain organised, they will give themselves a strong chance of taking something from the game.

“Hoping for a 1-1 draw and then you have two other games and possibly look at getting bigger results as well.”

Terry Reflects on South Africa 2010

Terry is no stranger to South African football memories.

The former England captain was part of the England squad that competed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated by Germany in the Round of 16.

The match is remembered for Frank Lampard’s infamous disallowed goal after his shot crossed the line before bouncing out, a moment widely credited with accelerating the introduction of goal-line technology and later VAR.

“Back in 2010, I had my family here. And the goal that was never the Frank Lampard goal is the cause of VAR now,” he laughed.

Family Memories of South Africa

While England’s tournament ended in disappointment, Terry says his family enjoyed their time in South Africa.

“In terms of football, not great memories, but my family were here.”

“They went on a safari for the first time and had a very good time.”

Despite the positive memories away from the pitch, Terry admits the defeat to Germany still stings.

“So, in terms of a family aspect, they enjoyed themselves, but personally I was very unhappy about the result and how we got knocked out.”

All Eyes on Mexico vs South Africa

With kick-off approaching, South African fans will be hoping Bafana Bafana can recreate the spirit of 2010 and start their World Cup campaign with a result.

If Terry’s prediction proves correct, a draw against Mexico could provide the perfect platform for Hugo Broos’ men heading into the remainder of the group stage.

Read Inbound SA online

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