Heavy security deployed in South Africa ahead of anti-migrant protests

By Khanyisile Ngcobo, JOHANNESBURG South Africa 

Police officers have been deployed across South Africa because of fears that anti-immigration protests could turn violent as President Cyril Ramaphosa urged those planning to take part to do so without "intimidation, threats or ultimatums".

The planned protests mark an unofficial deadline set by campaigners for all undocumented foreigner to leave the country.

Many have already fled to escape violence and intimidation. South African police say 25,000 have been repatriated so far. Most are from other African countries.

One undocumented Malawian told this reporter he was "happy to be going back" but "heartbroken" to be leaving behind four young children.

Johannesburg, where one of the protests is planned, is unusually quiet.

All the shops in the vicinity of where marchers are due to gather are closed, while police visibility is high on the city's major streets.

Police said that five people were arrested in Johannesburg's biggest township, Soweto, for allegedly looting a foreign-owned shop.

Five people were also arrested for allegedly breaking into a tuck shop in Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Many businesses in central Durban, the main city in the province, are shut.

Ramaphosa has repeatedly warned demonstrators to act peacefully and responsibly, while also accepting the need for immigration reforms.

"Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully," he reminded citizens in his weekly newsletter.

"They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution.

"The right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence," he wrote.

There are more than three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa, according to official figures.

Ahead of the deadline, thousands of migrants have been awaiting processing in temporary camps for several weeks out of fear for their safety.

In Durban, which has seen some of the biggest protests, white tents housing mostly Malawians are being dismantled as authorities race to clear the transit camp.

Women in colourful sarongs sat on top of their belongings, waiting in line to board a bus home to Malawi.

One man, Nelson Mbewe, said he had gone to South Africa in search of employment to support his family in Malawi.

"But we've faced challenges - they're saying we should go back home because we do not have the right documents," he told the reporter.

"They say we are Makwerekwere" - a xenophobic slur used to refer to African migrants from other countries - Mbewe said.

"It's their country, so what can we do? That's why we have accepted that we just have to [unwillingly] go back home."

Hassan Phiri, a Malawian who is still waiting to be processed, had a message for the protesters.

"All I want to say to South Africans is that we are all one. No matter what is happening, no matter what will happen, Africa must remain Africa.

"Africa can't be Africa without South Africa... without Malawi, without anywhere," he said, adding: "So whatever will happen, we must love each other and stick together as Africa."

Anti-migrant marches have been authorised for Tuesday in Durban, Johannesburg and other cities.

The authorities have warned organisers to ensure there is no violence but say they are prepared for any potential disruption.

The police say traditional weapons are not allowed. This could lead to tension between protesters and the police because many of the protesters are ethnic Zulus, and take their shields, whips and sticks when they go on marches.

According to the government, more than 12,000 immigrants have been deported or repatriated since a wave of protests began earlier this year.

Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe have been organising repatriations by air or bus over the last few weeks - with about 3,500 foreigners volunteering to leave.

South African authorities claim more than 500 Nigerians repatriated did not have correct papers, which Nigeria has disputed.

Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa, and has in many cases lead to violence.

According to the African Centre for Migration and Society's (ACMS) xenophobic violence tracker Xenowatch, two people have been killed this year.

In 2008, more than 60 people died during a wave of rioting against non-South Africans.

Morocco beat Netherlands in dramatic World Cup shootout to reach last 16

GUADALUPE, Mexico 

Morocco defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to advance to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup after a thrilling battle in Monterrey finished 1-1 following extra time.

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made the crucial save to block the Netherlands’ fourth penalty from Crysencio Summerville, before striker Ismael Saibari stepped up to blast home the winning spot-kick that sealed a 3-2 shootout win on Monday.

The victory sends Morocco into a last-16 clash with Canada in Houston on Saturday.

An enthralling match had gone to extra time after Issa Diop had glanced in a dramatic equaliser for Morocco in the first minute of stoppage time as the Netherlands had closed in on victory.

The Dutch had taken the lead midway through the second half with a goal from Cody Gakpo, playing just days after his partner had confirmed the death of the couple’s unborn son.

Liverpool forward Gakpo sank to the turf and appeared overcome with emotion as his teammates surrounded him in a prolonged group embrace.

But Morocco forced extra time when an unmarked Diop headed home from substitute Chemsdine Talbi’s cross in injury time.

Morocco had created the better chances in the fractious encounter, which saw players from both sides flying into tackles to test the patience of Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio.

The Atlas Lions almost took the lead on 20 minutes when Neil El Aynaoui glanced an Achraf Hakimi corner goal-wards only to be denied by a superb reflex save from Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Verbruggen was pressed into action moments later, this time doing well to tip a vicious strike from Hakimi over the bar.

The fierce nature of the contest was on full display midway through the half, when Saibari was lucky to escape sanction after elbowing Jan Paul van Hecke in the face.

The Dutch continued to enjoy plenty of possession but were unable to convert it into goalscoring chances.

Their best effort came on 44 minutes, when Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven uncorked a ferocious shot from the edge of the area that was tipped over by Bounou.

Van Hecke continued to find himself in the thick of the action, and after bloodying his head in a collision in the penalty area, made his presence felt with a crunching tackle that upended El Aynaoui just before half-time.

As the half ended, Saibari just failed to connect with a cross that flashed across the Dutch goal before going behind.

The drama continued into an end-to-end second half, but appeared to have tilted in the Netherlands’ favour when coach Ronald Koeman brought on forward Wout Weghorst in a flurry of substitutions after the hydration break.

Weghorst made an immediate impact, flicking on a long ball to send Summerville bearing in on goal. Summerville crossed to Gakpo, who hurled himself at the ball to score.

Netherlands’ Jan Paul van Hecke looks dejected after the penalty shootout as the Dutch are eliminated from the World Cup

The Netherlands, superbly marshalled by Gakpo’s Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk, appeared to be heading for victory, but Diop’s late header sent it to extra time.

Morocco looked to have made the breakthrough when Soufiane Rahimi went through on goal in the 96th minute, only to be denied by a jaw-dropping save from Verbruggen.

The Netherlands held on for penalties, but despite Morocco missing their first when El Aynaoui hit the bar, the North Africans recovered to win.

Paraguay stun Germany in dramatic penalty shootout to advance to round of 16

 BOSTON, United States 

Paraguay progressed from a FIFA World Cup (WC) knock-out game for just the second time in their history as they dumped Germany out on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Boston.

Given Germany’s storied football history, it was hard to believe this was their first WC knock-out game since their final victory in 2014, but even a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador in their final Group E game could not prevent them from securing top spot.

In Paraguay, they faced a hard-working outfit that had recovered well since their opening game loss to co-hosts USA, and the South Americans made things incredibly difficult for their more illustrious opponents before the break.

In fact, despite dominating possession for the entirety of the first half, Julian Nagelsmann’s side managed just one shot on target, which was a tame Joshua Kimmich effort from a tight angle. 

In contrast, Paraguay rarely threatened, yet on one of the very few occasions on which they found themselves in the final third, they broke the deadlock. Some neat play involving Miguel Almiron - back in the side after returning from his suspension - and Matias Galarza ended with the latter crossing for Julio Enciso, who headed into the bottom corner to give La Albirroja a stunning lead at HT against the run of play.

If Germany supporters were expecting a rip-roaring start to the second half from their side, they were to be disappointed. Die Nationalelf lacked intensity and precision in their passing, while Manuel Neuer needed to be alert to keep out Enciso after Kimmich’s poor back-pass.

However, out of nowhere, Germany equalised, with HT substitute Leon Goretzka’s searching cross flicked on and into the corner by Kai Havertz for his third goal of the tournament.

Goalmouth action was lacking for the majority of the second period’s remainder, although Havertz should have completed the comeback when his header was instead saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. Ultimately, though, a further 30 minutes of extra-time were required to find a winner.

In an attempt to give his side an additional edge, Nagelsmann introduced 6’6” Nick Woltemade just before the end of normal time, with Germany subsequently crossing more balls into the box in search of his head.

In the end, a header appeared to have put the four-time champions in front when Jonathan Tah nodded Nathaniel Brown’s deep cross into the back of the net. However, referee Jalal Jayed controversially overturned the goal following a VAR review due to a foul from Waldemar Anton on Gill.

As the end of the 120 minutes approached, Paraguay seemed to be doing all they could to break the flow of the game, and the encounter became littered with fouls and minor scuffles.

In the final few minutes, Anton saw a header held by Gill, before Nadiem Amiri curled a free-kick into the side netting, but penalties had long since seemed inevitable and duly came to pass.

Both sides first missed two penalties apiece, but Tah’s blazed spot-kick allowed Jose Canale to bury as his nation completed the upset. Up next for Paraguay is an encounter with either France or Sweden, while Germany are left to think of what ifs after yet another disastrous exit on the world stage.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 30/6/2026

Martinelli scores late as Brazil beat Japan 2-1, into World Cup last 16

HOUSTON, United States 

Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner late in injury time to give five-time champions Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in Houston.

Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the match on Monday appeared to be heading to extra time.

Brazil will next face either the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the round of 16.

Casemiro had earlier equalised with a header in the 56th minute off an assist from Gabriel Magalhaes after just missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot sailed just out of reach of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.

Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced pass in midfield before his right-footed shot from above the half-circle put Japan ahead after 29 minutes.

Vinicius Junior, who has scored four goals so far in the tournament, had a chance to put Brazil on top in the 58th minute, but his shot from the left was deflected by goalkeeper Suzuki and went past the far post.

Brazil had two chances to even the score early in the second half before breaking through late on. First, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimaraes in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro’s header bounced off a defender’s head and Suzuki’s face.

Japan have never won a World Cup knockout match.

The win was Brazil’s 12th in 15 games against Japan. The teams have also played to two draws, while Japan got their first win in the series in a friendly in Tokyo in October.

This was a match-up between two countries with deep ties, Brazil being home to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, which is the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.

Those ties extend to football, where Brazil superstar Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and help build Japan’s professional football network. He coached the Japan national team from 2002–06, leading the team to the World Cup in 2006.

That team lost to Brazil 4-1 in the only previous meeting between the teams at the World Cup.

Brazil won Group C after a draw with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland.

Monday’s victory came on the anniversary of their first World Cup championship in Sweden in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored two goals in the final against the host country.

Japan reached the round of 32 as runner-up in Group F after draws with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss snaps a 10-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2-0 defeat to the United States in September.

South Korea football coach quits as president calls for probe into World Cup loss

By Jake Kwon, SEOUL South Korea

Hong Myung-bo has resigned as head coach of South Korea's men's national football team after they failed to advance to the World Cup knockout stage.

The team had hoped they could still qualify for the next round of the tournament as one of the best third-placed teams, but that hope was quashed on Saturday.

The early exit has prompted widespread criticism at home, with President Lee Jae-myung calling for an investigation into reasons behind the team's disappointing performance.

Hong apologised to fans on Sunday and said the responsibility "rests entirely with me as head coach".

Ranked 32nd in FIFA's men's rankings and led by star player Son Heung-min, South Korea recorded two losses and one win at the World Cup, finishing behind Mexico and South Africa, who are ranked 15th and 60th respectively.

Criticism mounted quickly after the team's last match with South Africa on Thursday, which South Korea lost 1-0.

The defeat left South Korea third in Group A, but still gave them hope to qualify for the next round under a new rule introduced with this tournament's expansion from 32 to 48 teams, which allows the eight best third-placed teams in the group stage to progress to the knockout round.

Announcing his resignation at a news conference in western Mexico, Hong said that "we didn't deliver the results that our fans expected".

"Even though I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football altogether," Hong said. "I will cheer for the national team from the bottom of my heart and hope that the team will be trusted and loved by the people once again."

The announcement came after President Lee said that he felt "not just confusion but utter bewilderment at the unexpected outcome".

In a post on X, Lee said that the early exit of the team "appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel".

"When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper," he said.

Hong's appointment to the head coach post was controversial from the start. The former defender was a hero of South Korea's 2002 World Cup success, having captained the team to a historic semi-final finish. But when he led the team as a coach in 2014, they failed to advance beyond the group stage - or win a single match.

When Hong was appointed to the same job again in 2024, it was met with harsh uproar. Many football fans criticised the appointment as football association's old guards giving the top job to their friend, as the KFA passed on a few foreign-born candidates who had undergone a rigorous vetting process.

On Sunday, Hong said that "accepting the job was not an easy choice".

"I cannot say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football in mind," he added.

South Korea police say that they are watching for security threats at Incheon Airport and other locations after a death threat was made online against Hong on his return to Korea over the weekend, local media reported.

Canada score late to send South Africa back home

LOS ANGELES, United States 

Canada beat South Africa 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time strike by Stephen ⁠Eustaquio from distance to reach the FIFA World Cup last 16 for the first time in their history.

Canada's Stephen Eustaquio, centre, celebrates after scoring.

Eustaquio received the ball on the edge of the ⁠South Africa penalty area and hammered it past diving goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in a thrilling conclusion to the first knockout-round match of the tournament on Sunday.

South Africa, who had seemed ⁠content to play for extra time and a possible penalty shootout, made a few furious but unsuccessful attempts to level before the final whistle as the sun broke through the clouds at Los Angeles Stadium.

Canada will next face either the Netherlands or Morocco on July ‌4 in Houston for a place in the quarterfinals.

“It’s about the two years we’ve been together,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch told the team in a huddle after the final whistle.

“Think about how we talked about sticking to the plan – you guys showing your character. You guys are Canadian heroes here.”

Chances were scarce in a cagey first half, with little to separate the sides, who were both playing ⁠in the knockout rounds for the first time.

Canada’s best opening ⁠came just before half-time when a corner sparked a scramble in the South Africa box. Moise Bombito sent a header goal-wards, which was cleared off the line by Aubrey Modiba, before Tajon Buchanan’s close-range effort struck ⁠Williams in the chest.

Moments later, Richie Laryea went down in the area, prompting Canadian appeals for a penalty, but the decision ⁠not to award a spot kick stood after a ⁠VAR review, prompting loud boos from Canada’s red-clad army of supporters dominating the stands.

Marsch continued to protest as the teams left the field at half-time, with Bombito appearing to urge him away from the referee.

Frustration ‌for Canada only grew early in the second half, as South Africa appeared in no rush to press the issue.

Canada had another chance just before the second-half hydration ‌break, ‌when Tani Oluwaseyi’s shot hit the keeper, and Jonathan David was unable to head the ricochet home, thanks to an excellent defensive effort by Mbekezeli Mbokazi to clear the ball.

Eustaquio dedicated the win to “all Canadians” when he spoke to reporters after the match.

“I think it was an amazing goal. When I shot, I thought everyone shot with me. Everyone added a little power to it when it went into the back of the net.

“[The belief] It started when we came out of group stage. Belief is a big part of it. We will now get either Netherlands or Morocco. Anything can happen. If we keep working like we are doing, we might even win it.”

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 29/6/2026

 

Eleven killed after plane carrying skydivers crashes in eastern France

TOMBLAINE, France 

Eleven people have died after a civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in the town of Tomblaine in eastern France, local authorities said.

The pilot and 10 passengers died in the incident, including five students and five instructors, according to local officials.

The plane, which was being used by a parachutist school, had taken off from Nancy-Essey airfield when it crashed, local media reported.

Police have urged the public to avoid the area around the airport in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department.

French transport minister Philippe Tabarot said he and interior minister Laurent Nunez were travelling to the scene of the crash, which he called a "terrible tragedy".

Yves Seguy, the prefect of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, said that no bystanders were injured in the incident, according to the AFP news agency .

The crash took place in a built up area near a shopping centre, AFP reports.

"The plane fell almost vertically, in the immediate vicinity of a housing estate, on the edge of the airfield," Seguy told French broadcaster BFM, adding it was lucky there were no additional victims.

Half of the skydivers who died were nurses, Thierry Pechey, president of the Meurthe-et-Moselle branch of the Order of Independent Nurses, told BFM.

Local officials also said relatives of the victims were present at the airfield when the crash happened. They were reportedly there to watch the dive, which was a first skydiving experience for the five students.

A witness to the crash, who declined to be identified, told Reuters he saw the plane veering off to the right as he was driving past.

"Something was clearly wrong," he said.

The man did not see the crash, due to an embankment by the side of the road, but he says he heard the sound.

When he arrived at the site, he tried to help extinguish the wreckage of the plane, which had caught fire.

"We saw right away that it was over, that they had all died instantly. There was no movement, and it was clear the impact had been too violent for there to be any survivors."

A team of specialists was on its way to investigate the cause of the incident, Meurthe-et-Moselle department president Chaynesse Khirouni told local media.