Real Madrid : Mbappé, Konaté et Cucurella rejoignent le groupe

Le Real Madrid a enregistré lundi le retour de plusieurs de ses cadres après leur période de repos. Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté et Marc Cucurella ont rejoint Valdebebas, où ils ont d’abord passé les examens médicaux avant de retrouver le terrain pour une première séance collective.

Ces retours permettent à José Mourinho de disposer progressivement d’un groupe plus complet. L’entraîneur portugais, de nouveau sur le banc madrilène treize ans après son premier passage, pourra bientôt compter sur l’ensemble de ses internationaux. afrikasportnews.co.za

Mbappé avait profité de plusieurs semaines de vacances après la Coupe du monde 2026. Le Français avait notamment séjourné à Ibiza, tout en poursuivant individuellement son travail physique avant de reprendre avec le club espagnol.

Aurélien Tchouaméni et Jude Bellingham doivent également effectuer leur retour à Valdebebas dans la journée. Le Real Madrid va rapidement entrer dans une phase importante de sa préparation avec plusieurs rencontres au programme.

Les Merengue affronteront notamment le Deportivo La Corogne mercredi dans le cadre du Trophée Teresa Herrera, avant de retrouver Schalke 04 samedi. La première journée de Liga est programmée le 22 août, avec un déplacement sur la pelouse de l’Espanyol Barcelone.

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Europa League Predictions: Third Qualifying Round Preview, Key Stats & Best Odds

• UEFA Europa League 2026/27 third qualifying round first legs: Thursday 6 August 2026.

• Second legs: Thursday 13 August 2026.

• Winners advance to the Europa League play-off round. Losers drop into the Conference League.

The 2026/27 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round is underway, with 26 clubs battling across two-legged ties for a place one step from the tournament’s revamped 36-team league phase. The action began on Tuesday 4 August, when Shamrock Rovers secured a 3-1 first-leg advantage over KF Egnatia and Larne played out a goalless draw against FC Iberia 1999. Wednesday saw Ferencváros edge Gornik Zabrze 1-0. The bulk of the remaining first-leg fixtures are played on Thursday, 6 August 2026.

Lech Poznan vs KI Klaksvik prediction

One of the standout ties takes place in Poland, where reigning Ekstraklasa champions Lech Poznań host Faroe Islands giant-killers KI Klaksvík at the Poznań Stadium. Poznań manager Niels Frederiksen knows that building a comfortable multi-goal lead is crucial before next week’s potentially tricky trip to the North Atlantic.

Not since the 2020/21 season have Lech Poznań competed above the Conference League, although they reached the quarter-finals of that competition last season. Domestically, they have opened the new campaign with four points from matches against Cracovia and Wieczysta Krakow.

Despite their underdog status, KI Klaksvík have earned the right to be taken seriously. As recently as the 2023/24 season, KI reached the Conference League group stage, collecting four points against Lille and Olimpija Ljubljana. They currently sit top of the Faroese league on goal difference after 17 matches, with just one defeat all season and only 12 goals conceded. Remarkably, they have gone seven consecutive matches without conceding more than once.

Stat	Detail
Lech Poznań form	4 points from opening 2 Ekstraklasa matches
KI Klaksvík form	Top of Faroese league; W-D-W-W-W-W-W last 7
KI goals conceded (season)	12 in 17 league matches
KI last 7 matches	Conceded more than 1 goal in none

Prediction: Lech Poznań to win.

Benfica vs Hearts prediction

Portuguese heavyweights S.L. Benfica welcome Scotland’s Heart of Midlothian to the iconic Estádio da Luz for a David-versus-Goliath European encounter. Benfica, who finished third in the 2025/26 Primeira Liga, booked their place in this round with a commanding 6-2 aggregate victory over Swiss side St. Gallen, capping it with an emphatic 5-0 home win.

Hearts, who finished second in the Scottish Premiership last season, began their 2026/27 league campaign with a 2-1 away defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie. They arrive in QR3 having dropped out of the Champions League qualifying stages following a heavy 6-0 aggregate defeat to Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz. This is their second chance at European football via the UEL path.

Stat	Detail
Benfica QR2 result	6-2 aggregate vs St. Gallen (inc. 5-0 home leg)
Hearts SPL 2025/26	2nd place
Hearts UCL exit	6-0 aggregate vs Sturm Graz
Hearts 2026/27 opener	2-1 defeat at Aberdeen

Prediction: Benfica to win.

FC Hradec Králové vs Beşiktăş prediction

Czech outfit FC Hradec Králové face one of the biggest European nights in their modern history when Beşiktăş arrive at the Malsovicka Arena. The Turkish giants head into the contest full of confidence after cruising to a 3-0 aggregate victory over Denmark’s FC Midtjylland in the previous round. Hradec must contain Besiktas early and keep the tie open heading to Istanbul.

Stat	Detail
Beşiktăş QR2 result	3-0 aggregate vs FC Midtjylland
Hradec Králové	Czech First League side; first UEL QR3 appearance

Prediction: Beşiktăş to win.

All UEL QR3 first-leg fixtures — Thursday 6 August 202.

UTC	Match	Venue
15:00	KuPS vs Universitatea Craiova	Väre Areena, Finland
16:00	Maccabi Tel Aviv vs CSKA Sofia	Szusza Ferenc Stadion
16:00	Jagiellonia vs Rangers	Chrobry Stadium, Poland
17:00	Red Bull Salzburg vs Pafos	Red Bull Arena, Austria
17:00	FC Hradec Králové vs Beşiktăş	Malsovicka Arena, Czech Republic
17:00	Lincoln Red Imps vs Omonia	Europa Point Stadium, Gibraltar
17:00	Lech Poznań vs KI Klaksvík	Poznań Stadium, Poland
17:45	PAOK vs Anderlecht	Toumba Stadium, Greece
18:00	Thun vs Víkingur	Stockhorn Arena, Switzerland
19:00	Benfica vs Heart of Midlothian	Estádio da Luz, Portugal

Results from Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 August: Shamrock Rovers 3-1 KF Egnatia, Larne 0-0 FC Iberia 1999, Ferencváros 1-0 Gornik Zabrze.

What happens next

Second legs take place on Thursday, 13 August 2026. The aggregate winners from all 13 ties advance to the UEFA Europa League play-off round — the final qualifying hurdle before the 36-team league phase. Defeated sides drop into the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds, keeping their European campaigns alive.

Date	Event
6 August 2026	UEL QR3 first legs (bulk of fixtures)
13 August 2026	UEL QR3 second legs
20 August 2026	UEL play-off first legs
27 August 2026	UEL play-off second legs
28 August 2026	UEL league phase draw, Monaco
16-17 September 2026	UEL Matchday 1

How to bet on the Europa League on SportPesa

1. Open the Europa League qualifying section on SportPesa: https://sportpesa.com/en/sports-betting/soccer-1/europa-league-52/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=uel_qr3_2026
2. Select the match you want to bet on.
3. Choose your market — Single Bet (SB), Multi-Bet (MB), or Live Bet (LB) once the match starts.
4. Enter your stake and place your bet.

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 10, 2026 – English Championship side Charlton Athletic have signed Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma on a season-long loan with the option to buy.

In a statement, the Addicks manager Nathan Jones described the former Nairobi City Stars midfielder as a player he has admired and monitored for a long time.

“We’re delighted to get Timothy over the line. He’s a player that we’ve monitored for a long, long time and he comes with real good pedigree. He’s an athletic, technical midfield player who has had some good experience and he’ll add real quality to our midfield,” Jones said.

Speaking at the same time, the club’s managing director James Rodwell said Ouma is an athletic player with innumerable qualities in and out of possession.

“We’re delighted to bring Timothy to the club. He’s a player we’ve admired for some time and someone who fits the profile we identified as we continue to move the squad forward. He brings athleticism, quality on the ball and a real presence in midfield, and we’re looking forward to seeing him in a Charlton shirt,” he said.

Ouma, who joins from Czech giants Slavia Prague, promised to make the Addicks faithful proud, expressing delight at securing a high profile move.

“I’m grateful to be here. I’ll give my all and do my best to help the team achieve. I’m looking forward to seeing the supporters and hearing them cheer every tackle, every duel and every goal,” he said.

The midfielder spent the last season on loan at Polish side Lech Poznan before returning to his parent club, who he joined the season before from Swedish club IF Elfsborg.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow Kenyan, Collins Sichenje, who signed for Charlton in the winter transfer window, from Serbian club Vojvodina.

How to Bet on Rugby: A Simple Guide to the Main Markets.With the All Blacks touring, the Springboks in action and the Currie Cup in full swing, there’s no better time to get to grips with rugby betting. If you’re new to it, here’s a plain-English guide to the most popular markets and how they work — no jargon, no fuss.

Match Result

The simplest market of all: who wins? In rugby, most match-result markets are settled on 80 minutes. It’s the natural starting point, especially for evenly-matched Tests.

READ ALSO:DHL Stormers v All Blacks: Cape Town Opens the Rivalry Tour

Handicap

When one side is a strong favorite — as the Springboks often are at home — a handicap levels the field. The favorite starts with a points deficit to overcome, and the underdog with a head start, which makes backing a big favorite more interesting than a lopsided match-result market.

Total Points (Over/Under)

Here you’re not backing a team at all — you’re predicting whether the combined points scored will be over or under a set line. Great for matches where you have a strong feel for whether it’ll be a tight arm-wrestle or a free-scoring shootout.

Other Popular Markets

• First/anytime try-scorer: Back a player to cross the whitewash.
• Winning margin: Predict the size of the victory within a range.
• Half-time/full-time: Predict the leader at the break and at the finish.

A Few Sensible Habits

Do a little homework — form, team news, conditions and venue all matter in rugby. Set a budget before you start, understand each market before you stake on it, and only ever bet what you can comfortably afford. Betting should add to the enjoyment of the game, never take away from it.

Explore available rugby betting markets now – https://www.sportpesa.co.za/en/sports-betting/rugby-union-12/

18+ only. SportPesa supports responsible gambling. If you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, call the National Responsible Gambling Programme toll-free on 0800 006 008 or SMS 076 675 0710. Terms and conditions apply.

Follow SportPesa SA: X @SportPesaSA · Facebook SportPesa South Africa · Telegram SportPesa South Africa · TikTok sportpesa_za · Instagram sportpesa_sa

READ ALSO: Why Rugby Sevens is missing from the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Former All Blacks coach Steven Hansen has highlighted the pitfalls of South African teams’ 6-2 split strategy, saying it can leave them vulnerable when injuries strike.

Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks first deployed the Bomb Squad at the 2019 World Cup, now even going 7-1, and several countries and teams have employed similar tactics.

Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, Hansen said the Stormers’ 38-21 defeat by the All Blacks last week showed the risk involved when two players in the same position are injured.

ICYMI: ‘Remarkable’ duel comes at a cost for Stormers

John Dobson’s charges lost scrumhalves Imad Khan and Dewaldt Duvenage, leaving their outside backs to alternate at the base of the ruck, Wandisile Simelane their only other backline replacement and no recognised playmaker as cover.

“The 6-2 split didn’t work in favour of the South Africans this time. They roll the dice every time they do it and they were unlucky in that they got two players injured in the same position,” Hansen said.

“I hear the commentators, ‘it’s changed the course of the game’, but you know that before you go in, I don’t think you can use it as an excuse for anything.

KEO: Stormers lost but won

“If you’re going to play a 6-2 split, you’ve got to go through all the scenarios. It showed me how it can be vulnerable if things don’t go the way you want them to go.

“That’s the risk you take whomever is doing it, so it will be interesting to see if it changes people’s minds or if they keep doing it and are prepared to take the risk.”

Bok hybrid André Esterhuizen provides the world champions with flexibility, but the World Cup winner’s head knock last Saturday in Argentina, after skipper Siya Kolisi’s 24th minute substitution due to a hamstring injury, affected Rassie Erasmus’ tactics.

“That’s the risk you take,” Hansen said. “It will be interesting to see if it changes people’s minds or if they keep doing it.”

MALLETT: Boks’ contestable kicking very poor

Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images

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