Category: Sport

  • From Schoolyards to Stadium Lights, Liberia Is Widening the Grassroots Game

    From Schoolyards to Stadium Lights, Liberia Is Widening the Grassroots Game

    Illustrative photo: Zainu Color / Unsplash.

    School mini-pitches, organised youth leagues and improved football facilities are creating more places for young Liberians to play.

    Football opportunity often begins with something simple: a safe surface, an organised competition and somewhere young players know they are welcome.

    In Liberia, projects supported by FIFA and implemented with the Liberia Football Association are expanding that foundation. A FIFA progress report published on 17 September 2026 highlighted two school mini-pitches, grassroots leagues for different age groups and improvements to football grounds around the country.

    The mini-pitches were inaugurated in September 2025 through the FIFA Arena programme, at Bible Way Mission School in Montserrado County and EBK Barracks school in Margibi County. FIFA estimated that the facilities could benefit more than 3,000 children. That figure describes their anticipated reach, rather than a confirmed number of participants.

    Alongside these new spaces, young players are gaining more organised opportunities to compete. FIFA reported that the Liberia Football Association introduced a Grassroots Football School League. Association president Mustapha Raji described the establishment of under-12, under-15 and under-17 leagues as a first for the country. He also said boys and girls in rural areas were gaining opportunities to take part.

    Beyond the school grounds, Gompa Stadium in Nimba County has received improvements through FIFA Forward funding. These include a full-size artificial playing surface, floodlights, improved fencing and roofing over spectator areas. According to FIFA, the stadium hosts Liberia Football Association competitions, including grassroots tournaments.

    Liberian publication FrontPageAfrica also reported these developments on 18 September 2026.

    It is still too early to know how many children will participate regularly or what the long-term results will be. But the practical foundations are taking shape: dedicated playing spaces, organised age-group competitions and better facilities for youth and community football.

    For a young Liberian searching for somewhere to begin, those foundations matter. A pitch is an invitation to play, learn, compete and discover what might come next.

    Written by MyHappyAfrica

    Sources: FIFA and FrontPageAfrica.

  • Letsile Tebogo: A historic gold, and a story still unfolding

    Quejaytee/Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0.

    When Letsile Tebogo won Olympic gold in Paris, his thoughts turned to someone who could no longer be there to celebrate with him.

    His mother had died in May 2024, just months before the Games. After winning the men’s 200 metres that August, he dedicated his victory to her. At the moment the world was celebrating the young sprinter from Botswana, he was remembering the woman who had been part of his journey.

    At 21, Tebogo had achieved something no athlete from his country had done before: winning an Olympic gold medal. He also became the first African man to win the Olympic 200-metre title. Botswana now had an Olympic champion—and African sprinting had a new milestone.

    Yet a historic victory does not finish an athlete’s story. There are more training sessions, more expectations and more races where success has to be earned again.

    Two years later, Tebogo is still adding chapters.

    On 21 August 2026, he won the 200 metres at the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland in 19.87 seconds. Afterwards, he spoke about the challenge of maintaining his level throughout the season and the five weeks he had spent working hard in the gym. He also explained the importance of enjoying his races and looking after his mental health.

    Those reflections bring us closer to the person behind the performances. Even an Olympic champion has to find his rhythm, prepare carefully and manage the demands of competition.

    On 13 September, Tebogo earned another podium finish at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. He finished second in the 200 metres, running 19.76 seconds—his fastest time of the 2026 season. A victory in Lausanne had been followed by another strong performance against some of the world’s best sprinters.

    You do not have to follow athletics to find something meaningful in this journey. Remembering someone you love, working towards a goal and finding the strength to keep going are experiences that reach far beyond a running track.

    For young people watching from Botswana and across Africa, Tebogo’s achievements offer a powerful example of possibility. His Olympic gold is already part of history. What makes his story worth following now is the effort he continues to put into what comes next.

    Sources: Reuters (8 August 2024 and 21 August 2026); World Athletics (Budapest 2026 results).

  • Senegal Prepares to Host Africa’s First Olympic Sporting Event

    Senegal is preparing to make history as the host of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games—the first Olympic sporting event ever to take place on African soil. The Games will run from 31 October to 13 November 2026, marking a proud and exciting moment for Senegal and the entire African continent.

    Around 2,700 young athletes aged 17 and under will come together from across the world. They will compete in 25 sports at venues in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, while celebrating friendship, talent and the power of young people.

    The Youth Olympic flame will be lit in Athens on 10 September before travelling to Senegal. Its journey will visit all 14 regions of the country, giving communities across Senegal an opportunity to share in this historic celebration.

    Dakar 2026 is more than a sporting competition. It is an opportunity to showcase Africa’s ability to welcome the world, organise major international events and inspire a new generation. For young Africans, it sends a powerful message: Africa is ready, talented and full of possibility.

    Source: International Olympic Committee – Dakar 2026

  • Team Amani: African women Cycling Towards the Tour de France

    A determined group of African women cyclists is working towards one of the biggest stages in world sport: the Tour de France Femmes.

    Team Amani brings together talented riders from Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The women’s team was launched in 2025 to create opportunities for African cyclists and help them compete at the highest international level.

    During their first European racing campaign, the riders showed encouraging progress. Ethiopian cyclist Haftu Eyerusalem Reda finished among the top 20 overall at the Volta a Catalunya Femenina, competing alongside some of the world’s strongest professional riders.

    The team also celebrated success closer to home. At the Tour du Burundi, Ethiopian rider Meresiet Ashebir Gebrehiwet won the overall competition, while her teammates secured stage victories and other leading positions.