Mariam Engelbrecht

Chartered Accountant, Sports Enthusiast and passionate about education #Knowledge is Power

[Craig @CHendricks20]

I’d like to know, how much has the Department of Sports & SAFA done to improve grassroots football in SA since 2010.

Why aren’t we setting up Futsal Courts in every neighbourhood and school to assist the technical development of kids, early on?

[Leyla Hamed @leylahamed]

By the way, isn’t it interesting how all these football journalists suddenly found a way to ask “political” questions when speaking to Iranian players?

I don’t remember seeing the same energy with American or Israeli players.

[History ZAR @HistorySAZAR]

Mbuyisa Makhubo disappeared in 1979. He rose to prominence after he was seen carrying Hector Pieterson in a photograph taken by Sam Nzima after Pieterson was shot during the Soweto uprising of June 16, 1976. After the photograph was released, Makhubo was harassed by the security services & was forced to flee South Africa. His mother last heard from him when he was in Nigeria & never heard from him again.

[Melissa Reddy @MelissaReddy_]

We can map our lives in World Cups. Everyone will have a story of why and how you got hooked. It is emotional, it is identity, and it is belonging to something bigger.

Which is why we have to fight for it. Fight against it being abused, altered, and turned into a branding exercise and money-spinning scheme.

It’s the World Cup, not ‘The FIFA’. It’s commercial space not hydration breaks for player welfare.

It’s not “equal conditions for every team.” Ask Iran.

https://t.co/gSOIBtWvxF

[Francisco de la Torre 🥑 @fdelatg]

No es necesario prohibir formalmente el español para enviar un mensaje equivocado. Basta con impedir que se pregunte y se responda en español durante conferencias. La decisión es difícil de entender por varias razones:

1. El español es el idioma de uno de los tres países anfitriones: México. Un Mundial organizado conjuntamente por 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 🇨🇦 debería reflejar una realidad lingüística.

2. El español es una de las grandes lenguas del fútbol mundial. Los equipos de 🇦🇷 🇨🇴 🇪🇨 🇪🇸 🇲🇽 🇵🇦 🇺🇾 que participan en la Copa lo hablan y numerosos jugadores de habla hispana han construido una parte fundamental de la historia de este deporte.

3. Más de 500 millones de personas tienen el español como lengua materna. Es una de las lenguas más habladas del planeta y una de las oficiales de la ONU. Además, el español es una de las lenguas más estudiadas del mundo; 240 millones de personas estudian español como lengua extranjera.

4. 🇺🇸 alberga una de las mayores comunidades hispanohablantes del mundo. Ignorar esa realidad durante el evento deportivo más importante del planeta resulta incomprensible.

5. La FIFA habla de inclusión y diversidad. Limitar el acceso al español en espacios oficiales va exactamente en la dirección contraria.

6. El Mundial no pertenece a un país ni a un idioma. Pertenece a todos. Si hay una lengua que debería estar garantizada en cualquier conferencia de prensa de esta Copa del Mundo, es precisamente el español.

7. Lo más sorprendente es que en un torneo organizado por tres países y con recursos tecnológicos prácticamente ilimitados, la FIFA “parezca” incapaz de garantizar interpretación para uno de los idiomas más importantes del planeta.

8. Estados Unidos es ya una potencia hispanohablante. Más de 50 millones de personas en 🇺🇸 hablan español o tienen competencia en el idioma.

9. El español tiene un peso económico y mediático gigantesco en 🇺🇸. Las transmisiones deportivas en español, especialmente las relacionadas con el fútbol, alcanzan audiencias brutales. Los aficionados hispanos constituyen uno de los mercados más importantes para patrocinadores, derechos de televisión y venta de boletos durante la Copa del Mundo.

10. Si un idioma debería estar garantizado en este Mundial, es precisamente el español. No solo porque México es coanfitrión, sino porque el español es la lengua de cientos de millones de aficionados, periodistas, jugadores y entrenadores. Un Mundial que presume ser global no debería poner obstáculos a uno de los idiomas más importantes de la historia del fútbol.

Resulta difícil entender que en una Copa del Mundo organizada por Estados Unidos, México y Canadá se dificulte el uso del español. El fútbol se hizo universal precisamente porque nunca perteneció a un solo idioma.

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 Joint-statement from Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire expressing their “profound disappointment” following the recent comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin arguing the expanded World Cup will create “uninteresting” games.

“We respectfully but firmly reject these comments.

“For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match.

“For Cape Verde, Curaçao and Uzbekistan, qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations.

“For nations such as Congo and Haiti, returning to football’s biggest stage after a long absence carries a special meaning for millions of supporters who have waited years, and in some cases decades, for this moment.

“To suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognize the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world.

“Behind every qualification stand years of work and investment. Behind every national team stand entire communities and millions of people who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity.

“Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality. The FIFA World Cup is the world’s greatest football competition precisely because it brings together different cultures, different histories and different football journeys.

“For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime.

“We believe that every nation that qualifies deserves respect. Every team has earned its place on merit. Every supporter has the right to dream. Every match carries meaning for millions of people around the world.

“We therefore reject the UEFA President’s comments and reaffirm our belief that the growth of football must continue to create opportunities, inspire new generations and strengthen the truly global nature of our game.

“Every team qualified on merit.

“Every match matters.”

[Leyla Hamed @leylahamed]

The same racists who spend their lives telling Moroccan diaspora kids they are not really Spanish, Belgian, French or Dutch are suddenly shocked when so many choose to represent Morocco and honour their parents.

What is it now? Are we European only when our talent benefits you?

[liam cunningham @liamcunningham1]

809 Athletes murdered by the Apartheid regime since October 7th.
288 sports facilities partially or totally destroyed.
Either the match goes or the leadership of the FAI goes. Preferably both.

[Eddie Gibbs @eddiegibbs]

🇧🇪 Football without Origi is nothing

Divock Origi retires at 31, and somehow that feels perfectly him. Early, unexpected, a little mysterious, with the last word belonging to nobody other than himself.

Let’s be honest, he never became the player his natural gifts suggested he might. He could disappear for weeks, sometimes months, and leave you wondering where all that speed, strength and serenity had gone.

And yet, look at the roll call.

Champions League winner. Premier League winner. Scorer in a European Cup final. Two goals against Barcelona on the maddest night Anfield has ever staged. Pickford, 96th minute, bedlam. Madrid, 87th minute, immortality.

His isn't a career to apologise for. It's a career most players would crawl over glass to own.

Origi was never a weekly certainty. He was something far rarer, a man for the thunderclap. When the match was dying, when logic had packed up and left, he would appear with that calm face and those cool feet, as if the pressure had mistaken him for someone else.

Liverpool have had far greater players. Plenty of them. Players with better numbers, longer peaks, more trophies, fuller bodies of work.

Few gave us moments quite so sharp, quite so absurd, quite so joyfully impossible.

So congratulations, Divock. On the trophies, on the memories, on knowing when your part was complete. Go make your fashion, build your work, carry your purpose.

Football without Origi is nothing, tongue in cheek, of course. Except for a few wild nights, it was absolutely true.

[Nick Feinberg @thehonestnick]

One of the very few BIG voices who won't sell out...Hate Arsenal love Wrighty

[Mukhtar @I_amMukhtar]

Will the BBC do a long monologue about the United States' human rights record, its treatment of migrants, and the killing of its own citizens? And will they refuse to broadcast the World Cup opening ceremony, as they did with Qatar?

Let's keep the same standards and the same energy.

[Daniel Storey @danielstorey85]

Statement from Omar Artan is far more graceful and reserved than FIFA deserves. It is a stain on this tournament that one of Africa's top officials can be blocked from the biggest month of his career.

[Balqees @HornChronicles]

So @FIFAcom’s position is that a referee they selected for the World Cup can be excluded because of one host country’s racism, and FIFA bears no responsibility whatsoever.

Then why wasn’t he assigned to Canada or Mexico?

The tournament has three host countries. The obstacle is one country, not the entire World Cup. So why isn't FIFA finding a solution?

What FIFA is really saying is that when officials from the Global South are discriminated against, accommodation is impossible and exclusion is acceptable.

A World Cup that only works for holders of the right passports is not a global tournament. It’s a privilege masquerading as one.

[Melissa Reddy @MelissaReddy_]

Gianni Infantino knocked down all the reporting over visa concerns for this World Cup in August 2025: “I think it’s important to clarify this. There is a lot of misconception out there. Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year.

“There is a process to go through to get visas and so on. This process will be smooth…

“We want to unite the world and we will unite the world next year. The world needs occasions of unity, of bringing teams together, of bringing people together, of bringing fans together... So again everyone will be welcome, be positive and you will see it will be a great, great celebration of the greatest FIFA World Cup ever.”

No, again we are just meant to look the other way and allow this thing we love so much, that we want to enjoy, that we can map our whole lives around, to be used and abused.

Again we are told about unity and inclusion when division, disparity and denial is the reality.

It is a great, great celebration of getting more money whatever it takes, no matter who has to pay the price. The greatest showpiece of allowing - unopposed! - the man who is meant to protect and grow the people’s game into playing celebrity, massaging his own ego and that of heads of state.

The biggest, most expensive, least accessible World Cup ever. The thing we love and all the beautiful pieces of it we’ve lost.

[Antifa_Ultras @ultras_antifaa]

#BoycottWorldCup2026

[Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds @ThuliMadonsela3]

@ThumaFoundation Why is the same not being done against ethnosupreme apartheid states that are murdering children today? Where is the UN? 💔💔💔💔💔

[Richard Medhurst @richimedhurst]

The US, a World Cup host, denied 15 visas to officials on Iran's football team.

If this were Russia, they'd have been stripped of hosting it after what they've done in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran.

[Mr Folarin @Folarinfotos]

When this World Cup is done, I hope countries like Iran, Iraq, and other countries, whose squads, delegations, or supporters have been subjected to discriminatory and demeaning accreditation processes by the US actually press for compensation from FIFA. Shambolic all round.

[History ZAR @HistorySAZAR]

“I will never carry a pass, I will only carry one similar to Mrs (Susan) Strijdom’s. She is a woman and I am too. There is no difference.” - Annie Silinga (1910 - 1984). Photo Credit: Drum Social Histories/BAHA

[Dr Ruby (she/her) jaboukies everything @PaperWhispers]

A reminder that Yves Sakila was killed in Ireland just a few weeks ago. Nobody has been arrested. The family have had to push for second postmortem because the first came back inconclusive.

https://t.co/AwLDfKOXg9