OPINION: Stormers have been their own worst enemy

The Stormers’ disappointing finish to the United Rugby Championship (URC) pool stage has left them with plenty of work to do if they want to lift the tournament trophy for a second time. raccoongame.org

It is a mess of their own making following a poor second half of their campaign. While they started the season in tremendous form, they were unfortunately unable to sustain it.

The Stormers enjoyed an incredible start to the season, winning their opening 10 matches in all competitions, eight of which were in the URC, which saw them finish the year unbeaten.

But cracks started to show in January when they lost to Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup, followed by some poor performances in the local derbies.

They began their quest for the SA Shield well enough, beating the Lions and Bulls, but they then fell to back-to-back defeats against the Sharks, who were struggling at that stage, and were comfortably beaten by the Lions.

Bounce back

They managed to bounce back with a win over the Bulls at Loftus to end their losing run, but by then the Stormers had shown their frailties, which they continued to do down the back end of the pool stage.

A four-game home run against overseas opposition should have been the perfect opportunity to get back on track, but the Stormers did not look convincing as they battled to a win against bottom-dwelling Dragons, and needed a late show to beat Edinburgh who were also in the bottom half.

Then came a huge result in the context of their season, a home loss against Connacht, and despite responding with their best performance in months, a thrashing of Glasgow Warriors to leapfrog them at the top of the points table, they still needed to finish well.

They were unable to do that, drawing with Ulster and losing to Cardiff, to slip to third.

They now host Cardiff in their quarterfinal next weekend where they can get immediate revenge, but if Glasgow and Leinster both win their knockouts, the Stormers will have to travel to Dublin for a semifinal against the defending champions.

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has received a scathing attack from former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney after he openly attacked Liverpool coach Arne Slot.

Salah – who will play the final game of his Liverpool career next weekend – said the defeat at Villa on Friday night was “very painful” and the Reds must return to “being a team that wins trophies”.

Despite announcing he is leaving the club at the end of the season, and with just one game remaining before the end of the 2025-2026 Premier League season, the Egyptian promised to ensure his club’s return to form.

After his comments, Rooney has ripped apart the winger, who he believes should not be able to say goodbye in his final games for the club this Sunday against Brentford.

Salah just dropped the grenade

“I find it sad at the end of what he’s done and what he’s achieved at Liverpool. It’s not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot,” said Rooney as quoted by Flashscore.

“He wants to play heavy metal football, so he’s basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. Now I don’t think Mo Salah can cope with that type of football anymore. I think his legs have gone to play at that high tempo and high intensity.”

Rooney added: “If I were Arne Slot, I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game. I had it with Alex Ferguson. I had a disagreement and fall-out, and at Alex Ferguson’s last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason.

“He’s almost just dropped the grenade and said he doesn’t trust and believe in Arne Slot and almost thrown his teammates (under) who are going to be there next season and let them have to deal with that as well and put them into a position.”

Liverpool prepare Mosaics for Salah

During his statement, Salah said: “I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

“Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies.

“That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.

“Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games. Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on.

“As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen.”

However, Liverpool have confirmed Mosaics will be displayed at Anfield on Sunday in celebration of the departing Andy Robertson and Salah.

The Kop will lead the tribute to Salah while the lower Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand will honour Robertson, with the mosaics to be shown before kick-off.

Sunday’s Premier League home match against Brentford marks their final game as Liverpool players and a special send-off is planned for the duo, with fan mosaics to be displayed.

Zimbabwean international and Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise has been awarded the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership Golden Boot after finishing the season as the league’s top scorer with 17 goals.

He was further named Motherwell’s Young Player of the Year, capping off an incredible breakthrough campaign where he netted 22 goals across all competitions.

Who will win the @WilliamHill Premiership Golden Boot? pic.twitter.com/k4iXpKJlZH

— SPFL (@spfl) May 14, 2026

Maswanhise established himself as a standout forward for Motherwell, finishing the 2025-26 season as the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership with 17 league goals. Across his breakthrough 25-26 campaign, he made 45 total appearances and scored 23 goals in all competitions, helping secure European qualification.

Other awards for Maswanhise

He was the William Hill Premiership Player of the Month in November 2025 after a stellar run of form including a double against Kilmarnock. Maswanhise initially signed on a short-term deal till January in August 2024.

A product of the Leicester City youth academy, Maswanhise developed through the ranks with the Foxes before cementing himself as a ‘shining light’ in the club’s Premier League 2 Division 1 squad.

Showing skill, flair and natural finishing ability, Maswnahise consistently gets fans off their seats and is quickly making a name for himself.

He finished his first season as joint top scorer with six goals, with Maswanhise’s biggest highlight coming at the death in a match against Dundee in May 2025, where he rose highest to head home the winner for ten-man Motherwell, which also secured their Premiership status.

In his second season, he started off in blistering fashion in the group-stage of the Premier Sports Cup, scoring four goals in four games.

That impressive form saw the club tie down Maswanhise once again, extending his contract until the summer of 2027, with the option of a further year.

Au Mali, après l'enlèvement de Maître Mountaga Tall par la Sécurité d'État, dans la nuit du 2 au 3 mai, c'est le fils aîné de l'avocat qui est porté disparu, depuis samedi 16 mai après-midi. Cheick Mamadou Tall était parti pour apporter des affaires à son père, détenu dans un lieu inconnu, en dehors de toute procédure légale. Il n'est jamais rentré chez lui. Son entourage dénonce un « moyen de pression » destiné à extorquer des aveux à Maître Mountaga Tall.

Le ministre de la Justice française, Gérald Darmanin a clôturé hier lundi 18 mai sa visite à Alger, après avoir échangé en début de journée avec son homologue algérien Lotfi Boudjemaa, avec l'objectif de relancer la coopération judiciaire entre les deux pays, après plusieurs années d'arrêt. Le ministre français a été reçu longuement au palais présidentiel par le chef d'État Abdelmadjid Tebboune. L'occasion de réaffirmer le réchauffement des relations diplomatiques entre Paris et Alger.