Tag Archives: Spaniard

Tickets on sale may 22 for historic PFL Africa debut showcasing continent’s top MMA Talent in CAPE TOWN on July 19

Tickets for PFL Africa In Cape Town, Now Rescheduled for July 19, Go On Sale at 10:00 AM SAST On Thursday, May 22, as the Continent Prepares to Make MMA History

GrandWest Arena Will Make History As The First Venue To Host A Major MMA Event In Africa, As PFL Africa Debuts With 18 Top African Athletes Set To Enter The SmartCage

In Addition, 32 Athletes Across Four Divisions Have Been Announced As The Full PFL Africa Roster Has Been Unveiled, Representing 15 Different African Countries

MMA Fans Can Purchase Tickets This Thursday From Ticketpro here

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 20 May 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The Professional Fighters League has announced tickets for its inaugural PFL Africa event in Cape Town go on sale at 10:00am SAST on Thursday, May 22. Fans can be a part of the historic PFL Africa launch by purchasing their tickets here.

Marking a major milestone for the sport, PFL Africa 1 will take place one week earlier than originally announced, on Saturday, July 19 at GrandWest Arena, showcasing Africa’s top fighting talent across Bantamweight and Heavyweight divisions. This landmark event will be the first in the continent hosted by a global MMA organization, with 18 elite African athletes set to compete in high-stakes bouts inside the PFL SmartCage.

Headlining the night, South Africa’s own Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) will face Egypt’s rising contender Mahmoud Atef (5-2) in a thrilling Bantamweight Semifinal. In the co-main event, Cameroon’s Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) takes on Ivory Coast’s Mikael Groguhe (6-2) in a battle of heavy-handed finishers.

The card will also feature a special Women’s Strawweight Showcase Bout with undefeated Nigerian prospect Juliet Ukah (6-0). Her opponent will be announced shortly.

The inaugural PFL Africa Tournament will feature eight-man brackets in each weight class, starting with the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. The full tournament schedule and host cities for the semifinals and finals will be announced shortly.

In total, 32 fighters representing 15 African nations will compete across the four PFL Africa divisions in 2025, as the league embarks on a continent wide journey to crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions.

The inaugural PFL Africa will also set the scene and precede a PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai card, bringing the world’s best MMA talent to Africa. At the top of the bill will be Johnny “Pressure” Eblen (16-0) who will look to keep his undefeated record intact and his World Championship by his side as he faces Spain’s surging Costello “The Spaniard” van Steenis (16-3). In the co-main event will be Dakota “Dangerous” Ditcheva (14-0), widely regarded as the best women’s pound-for-pound MMA fighter, as she faces off against the elite Hawaiian, Sumiko “Lady Samurai” Inaba (8-1) in the penultimate bout of the evening. Additional Champions Series bouts will be announced shortly.

The full fight card for the inaugural PFL Africa 1 event on July 19 is as follows:

Updated PFL Africa 1 Card:

SuperSport (Africa – English) | Canal+ (Africa – French) | DAZN (France, UK & Ireland) 

Saturday, July 19

Bantamweight First Round Main Event: Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) vs. Mahmoud Atef (5-2)
Heavyweight First Round Co-Main Event: Maxwell Djantou Nana (6-1) vs. Mikael Groguhe (6-2)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Shannon Van Tonder (7-2) vs. Boule Godogo (3-0)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Jashell Ticha Awa (3-1) vs. Justin Clarke (2-0)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Antero Dos Santos (5-0) vs. Karim Henniene (4-0)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abdoullah Kane (3-0) vs. Mohammed Ben Yahia (9-4)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Simbarashe Hokonya (5-0) vs. Alain Majorique (5-0)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Badredinne Medkouri (7-2) vs. TBD
Showcase Women’s Strawweight Bout: Juliet Ukah (6-0) vs. TBD

Updated PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai Card:

Middleweight World Championship Main Event: Johnny Eblen (16-0) vs. Costello Van Steenis (16-3)

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) vs. Sumiko Inaba (8-1)

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of PFL Africa

About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league world-wide. PFL is the only MMA organisation with the “win and advance” format. PFL is broadcast and streamed to 190 countries with 20 leading media partners. PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, 885 Capital, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.

Press Contact
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kellym@tribecapr.co.za

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Spanish coach Riveiro leaves South African club amid Al Ahly link

Spanish coach José Riveiro was released early from his position as head coach of South African football club Orlando Pirates, the team announced in a statement on Monday.

Riveiro’s departure comes amid reports that he will join Egyptian club Al Ahly ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup that will take place in the United States in June.

“José approached us a few weeks ago with a request to be released from his contract ahead of schedule, having signed with a new club”, Orlando Pirates Chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza said in the statement.

“His contribution since joining the Club has been immense. We learned a lot from him, and he learned a lot from us”, Khoza added.

Riveiro spent nearly three years at Orlando Pirates. Under his leadership, the club was crowned vice-champion of the 2023 South African Premiership and was runner-up of the 2025 Nedbank Cup.

The Spaniard’s contract with the South African club originally ran until the end of June 2025.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Orlando Pirates for allowing me the opportunity to leave before the end of my contract“, Riveiro said before thanking the club, the players and the supporters.

Orlando Pirates said Riveiro “will be on the bench for the final time” at the team’s game against the Lamontville Golden Arrows on Tuesday night.

Riveiro is rumoured to joined Al Ahly according to Egyptian media, but the Cairo-based club has not announced talks with the 47-year-old Spaniard.

Al Ahly has been without a full-time coach since Marcel Koller left last month after elimination in the CAF Champions League semifinals by the South African Mamelodi Sundowns.

Al Ahly is often considered the most successful football club in Africa. The team has won a record 44 Egyptian Premier League titles and has been crowned winners of the CAF Champions League 12 times.

It has qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by winning the African title in 2021, then again in 2023 and 2024.

The Egyptian club is set to play Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the opening game of the tournament on June 14.

Al Ahly has already won 4 Club World Cup bronze medals, most recently in 2023.

Source: Africanews

Roger Federer Wins Australian Open, a feat Malawi Government should embrace as their own

Roger Federer Beats Nadal
Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal in five thrilling sets in Sunday’s Australian Open final, earning the 18th Grand Slam title of his career.

Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open Men’s Final, winning his 18th grand slam. Switzerland’s Federer won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 against the Spaniard in a five-set match that lasted more than three-and-a-half hours. Continue reading Roger Federer Wins Australian Open, a feat Malawi Government should embrace as their own