JOHANNESBURG: Star striker Wessam Abou Ali from Egyptian club Al Ahly has shunned pre-season medical checks and skipped training in a row reportedly linked to his desire for a transfer from the Cairo club.
In other African football news, Brazil-born Mamelodi Sundowns striker Lucas Ribeiro has been nominated for several end-of-season South African awards.
A rift has developed between Abou Ali, one of only two scorers of a hat-trick at the 2025 Club World Cup, and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly.
It has led to recently appointed Spanish coach Jose Riveiro excluding the Denmark-born Palestine international from a pre-season camp in Tunisia.
While Abou Ali wants to leave the Red Devils, no interested club has matched the reported selling price of $12 million (EUR10.3 mn) set by the record 12-time African champions.
Ribeiro is among three nominees for the footballer of the season and players’ player of the season awards in South Africa, with the winners to be named on July 29.
His rivals in both categories are two other forward, Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates and Keletso Makgalwa from Sekhukhune United.
Ribeiro, 26, joined champions Sundowns from Belgian club Beveren in 2023 and scored an outstanding goal against Borussia Dortmund at the recent Club World Cup in the United States.
Five-time African champions TP Mazembe have successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the premature conclusion of the Democratic Republic of Congo national league season.
League officials in the central African country declared the campaign over after 16 of the scheduled 22 matchdays, with Eagles topping the table, five points ahead of fifth-placed Mazembe.
The CAS decision means the remaining six rounds must be played — renewing the chances of Mazembe securing a top-two finish and qualification for the lucrative CAF Champions League.
Al Merrikh edged Al Amal Atbara 1-0 and Al Hilal hammered Al Merrikh Obeid 5-0 to remain first and second respectively with one round left in the Sudan Elite League play-offs.
The mini-league, in which each club plays seven others, is being staged in the northeast of a country where the national army have been battling a paramilitary force in a civil war since 2023.
Merrikh hold a one-point lead over record 30-time Sudanese champions Hilal, who are above Al Ahly Madani and Al Zamala Ruwaba on goal difference.
Veteran former Wydad Casablanca midfielder Yahya Jabrane has rejoined the club after one season with Kuwait Sports Club.
The 34-year-old was a key figure when the Casablanca outfit won a third CAF Champions League title by defeating Al Ahly in the 2021/22 final.
Wydad finished third behind Renaissance Berkane and FAR Rabat in the Moroccan league. Only the top two finishers go into the CAF Champions League so Wydad will compete in the second-tier Confederation Cup.
Egyptian club Al Ahly ban star striker Abou Ali from training camp
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Egyptian club Al Ahly ban star striker Abou Ali from training camp
Ravaglia’s heroics propel Bologna to victory over Inter in Italian Super Cup semi-final in Riyadh
- The Bologna keeper makes a string of saves, including 2 during the penalty shootout after the game ends in a 1-1 draw
RIYADH: It was a night of shared football culture in Riyadh on Friday as Inter Milan and Bologna met in the second semi-final of the 2025-26 Italian Super Cup.
The traveling Inter support brought with them their color, drums and constant noise, which blended with the enthusiasm of the Saudi Inter fans to create a lively atmosphere inside the stadium.
The match began at a blistering pace, with Inter taking the lead within two minutes when Marcus Thuram powered home from close range after meeting a quality cross from Alessandro Bastoni.
The side immediately pressed forward in search of a second, with Ange-Yoan Bonny going close in the fourth minute after feinting past Torbjorn Heggem, but he dragged his effort just wide of the post.
After this early barrage, Bologna began to grow into the contest. Jens Odgaard led much of the offense, and goalkeeper Josep Martinez was called into action to preserve Inter’s lead.
The energy among the Inter fans continued to build as they jumped in unison and waved their scarves, urging their team forward in search of the elusive second goal. Their momentum was checked in the 34th minute, however, when a review by the video assistant referee resulted in a penalty for Bologna. Riccardo Orsolini stepped up to coolly slot the spot-kick past Martinez and level the scores.
Inter continued to push forward after the break as the game opened up, but there was no getting past Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, who made four saves in the second half alone.
Hopes among the Nerazzurri of restoring their lead were raised when Bonny went down in the box in the 56th minute, only for the appeals for a penalty to be waved aside following a VAR review.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Inter fans rose to welcome Lautaro Martinez. Brought on in a triple substitution alongside Andy Diouf and Davide Frattesi, he made an immediate impact on the play but still his team was unable to find a decisive goal before regular time ran out.
In fact it was Bologna that came close to snatching a winner in injury time, but goalkeeper Martinez reacted sharply to make a crucial save. The final whistle blew soon after and, with no extra time in the Italian Super Cup, the match went to penalties.
The shootout began evenly, with both sides converting their first penalties before the goalkeepers intervened in the next two. Nicolo Barella then fired over the crossbar, only for Juan Miranda to similarly miss the target.
Inter’s struggles from the spot continued as Ravaglia pulled off his second save of the shootout, and then Jonathan Rowe kept his nerve to give Bologna the advantage. Stefan de Vrij converted his spot kick to extend the contest but Ciro Immobile struck decisively to give Bologna the victory.
They now face Napoli in the final at Al-Awwal Park on Dec. 22, after the Serie A champions defeated AC Milan 2-0 on Thursday in the first semi-final.
