The Iranian national beach football team has arrived in Moscow to take part in an international tournament.
The Iranian national beach football team has arrived in Moscow to take part in an international tournament.
The ambassador highly praised the achievements of the Iranian beach football team on the world stage, noting the determination, courage, and dedication of the players in representing the nation with pride. Jalali also characterized the team's participation in the Moscow tournament as a significant step in strengthening sports diplomacy between Iran and Russia.
He emphasized: 'Regardless of the results, you are ambassadors of Iran. Your presence here will help deepen the friendship and cooperation between our two nations.' At the end of the visit, the Iranian beach football team presented the ambassador with an official national jersey decorated with the Asian cheetah, which is a symbol often used on Iranian football kits.
Polish athlete Bartłomiej Kubkowski became the first person to independently cross the Baltic Sea, covering a distance of 160 kilometers from Sweden to Poland. He began his journey on Sunday, swimming continuously for 55 hours and reaching the Polish coast.
For official recognition of the result, the athlete had to reach the shore independently, without any assistance, and not use a boat throughout the route. These requirements were fully met.
Kubkowski's main opponent was not the distance, but fatigue. He spent over two days in the water, moving without sleep, and occasionally faced difficulties with concentration and situational awareness. The team monitoring him ensured safety, controlled the direction, and delivered food and fluids at scheduled times. Upon reaching the shore, the athlete noted that he could not yet fully comprehend the achievement he had made.
This victory is the result of many years of work. Kubkowski first attempted such a challenge in 2022 but had to stop after 115 kilometers. In 2025, he covered almost 159 kilometers, stopping 15 kilometers from the Polish coast due to severe exhaustion. This time, years of experience, meticulous preparation, and endurance allowed him to achieve a historic result.
The athlete dedicated his success to the charity event 'Cancer Fighters'. A charitable event also took place during the swim. Previously, Kubkowski set a world record for continuous swimming for 24 hours and won numerous medals at national and international competitions. Currently, another Pole, Karolina Shepańak, was also attempting to cross the Baltic Sea but stopped her journey, leaving 40 kilometers from the shore after 58 hours.
Experts assess the solo crossing of this sea as one of the most difficult tests in long-distance swimming.
Captain Siya Kolisi will once again lead the Springboks team in the match against Argentina, which is scheduled for Saturday. Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus welcomed the return of key players to the squad after injuries, naming Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Lud de Jager, Sacha Phenbspengozulu, and Morne van der Merwe to the starting lineup for the test match against Argentina.
The squad includes 13 changes compared to the starting lineup used in the last test match between the Springboks and Wales. The only players who remained in the starting seven after the victory in Durban are fullback Afelele Fassi and midfielder Kobus Reinach; five other players—Jan-Hendrik Vessels, Ben-Jason Dixon, Marco van Staden, Kobus Wiese, and Gerhard Steenkamp—moved to the bench.
The team has received a completely refreshed forward pack, featuring Boan Venter and Thomas du Toit playing alongside hooker Johan Grobbelaar. Etzebeth will partner with de Jager in the experienced second row, while Kolisi returns to the captaincy in the backline alongside Elriegh Low and Cameron Hanekom.
In the attacking line, Phenbspengozulu will operate alongside Reinach in midfield. Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker have returned after minor ailments to strengthen the updated midfield and defensive line alongside Canan Moody, Edwill van der Merwe, and Fassi.
Rassie Erasmus noted that this match is an ideal opportunity for players such as Siya, Eben, Lud, Sacha, Morne, and others returning from injury to gain a challenging test match experience and return to full international duty. He emphasized that Argentina is a very strong team that will force the Springboks to give their maximum effort.
Erasmus added that Argentina has already beaten them twice on their home soil and will aim to prove their worth on Saturday. The coach particularly stressed the need for high concentration against Felipe Contepomi's team, noting that the opponent has a strong forward line and dangerous backfields, as well as a very passionate crowd.
He concluded that they will have to put in maximum effort, as they have achieved results against this team multiple times in the past, meaning a full effort will be required over all 80 minutes this weekend.
The match is scheduled for Saturday at the José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires, starting at 21:00 South African time.
The starting lineup will include: 15 Afelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moody, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Phenbspengozulu, 9 Kobus Reinach, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elriegh Low, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lud de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter. Reserves include: 16 Jan-Hendrik Vessels, 17 Gerhard Steenkamp, 18 Zachary Porten, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Kobus Wiese, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Morne van der Merwe, 23 Handre Pollard.
The Banyana Banyana team is required to defeat Burkina Faso, but even a triumph might not be enough as their further fate in the WAFCON tournament depends on the results of the match between Comoros and Tanzania.
Banyana Banyana coach, Desire Ellis, admits that qualification for the WAFCON quarter-finals is not entirely in their hands, so the team needs to do its part and rely on other results to achieve the goal.
On Tuesday evening (at 22:00 SAST), the Banyana team will face Burkina Faso in the Group B final at Mulai Rashid Stadium. This game is decisive after the team started the tournament sluggishly, losing to Tanzania and drawing with Comoros.
These previous results put the team in a difficult position, as they must beat Burkina Faso and hope for a favorable outcome in the match between Comoros and Tanzania, which will start simultaneously in Casablanca.
If both teams, Banyana and Comoros, win their matches, then Ellis's team will take second place in the group behind their West African rivals, which will secure a spot in the top two and passage to the quarter-finals.
Reaching the round of 16 is paramount for Banyana, as it will allow them to remain on track for the third consecutive Women's World Cup—either through the semi-finals or through tense playoffs if they reach the quarter-finals.
Before the match, Ellis stated that she understands the danger posed by Burkina Faso but expressed confidence in the sufficient depth of the squad to fight well and achieve the desired result.
"All games in the tournament are different, and this is no exception," said Ellis. "They have demonstrated their quality and organization, but we must focus on ourselves." She added: "We know what we have to do: we must win the game. That is the most important thing. We can only control what is in our hands. If we win the game with a sufficient number of goals, we give ourselves a strong chance of advancing."
The pressure has not eased, nor has their belief. The team has prepared for this and knows what is expected of it, as explained by confident @amogelang_motau before the Banyana Banyana vs. Burkina Faso match.
Considering that the group table also takes into account head-to-head results, Banyana will also advance to the quarter-finals if both they and Tanzania win, provided they score a large number of goals against Burkina Faso and Comoros.
Since the team conceded goals in both matches—amid changes in the squad, with Andile Dlamini and Kaylin Swart taking starting positions—Ellis understands that her team needs to be very solid in defense and ruthless in attack.
"We have shown what we are capable of and demonstrated our resilience. Therefore, we must build on that and aim for a clean sheet," concluded Ellis. "We have not been ahead in this tournament yet, so we need to change that and score first."
