Sports
Managerial Pressure Surrounds Arsenal–Liverpool Midweek Tie on SuperSport
Midweek football returns with decisive fixtures across the Premier League and Serie A, as managerial uncertainty and title pressure shape a demanding round of matches. Ruben Amorim’s dismissal at Man United sets the tone for a volatile week and Liverpool’s Arne Slot continues to face growing scrutiny ahead of a trip to league leaders Arsenal. Fans can watch every key fixture live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
Premier League: Pressure Mounts Everywhere
On Wednesday at 8:30 p.m., Man City host Brighton at the Etihad, live on SS Premier League (GOtv Ch. 65, DStv Ch. 203). City have now dropped points in consecutive draws against Sunderland and Chelsea, leaving them six points adrift of Arsenal and level with Aston Villa. They will also be without key defenders, Dias and Gvardiol. Guardiola’s side face a Brighton team boosted by a clean-sheet win over Burnley, though the visitors are still seeking their first league victory at the Etihad.
Also at 8:30 p.m., Fulham welcome Chelsea in a West London derby, airing live on SS Football (GOtv Ch. 61, DStv Ch. 205). Fulham remain unbeaten in five matches and rescued a late draw against Liverpool last time out. Chelsea, under interim coach Calum McFarlane, continue to search for stability after drawing at Man City, with attention still focused on developments in the dugout.
At the same time, Crystal Palace host Aston Villa live on SS La Liga (GOtv Ch. 62, DStv Ch. 204). Villa returned to third place after a commanding win over Nottingham Forest and continue to position themselves as outside title contenders. Palace, however, are winless in seven across all competitions and under pressure to halt a worrying run of results.
Wednesday night continues at 9:15 p.m. as Burnley face Man United, live on SS Action (GOtv Ch. 66, DStv Ch. 206). United begin life after Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, with Darren Fletcher stepping in as interim manager. Burnley, without a league win since October, will view the fixture as an opportunity against a United side still searching for identity.
Thursday’s headline fixture sees Arsenal host Liverpool at 9:00 p.m., live on SS Premier League (GOtv Ch. 65, DStv Ch. 203). Arsenal extended their winning run with a late victory at Bournemouth and remain firmly in control at the top of the table. Liverpool arrive under mounting pressure, winless in the new year and increasingly scrutinised following Amorim’s exit elsewhere in the league. A defeat at the Emirates would deepen the gap at the summit and intensify questions around Arne Slot’s position.
Serie A: Title Race Remains on a Knife Edge
Serie A’s midweek “Epiphany” round begins on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. as Lecce host Roma, live on SS Africa 1 (GOtv Ch. 63, DStv Ch. 207). Roma slipped out of the top four following defeat to Atalanta and face a Lecce side encouraged by a resilient draw against Juventus. The visitors will need greater efficiency in front of goal to avoid losing further ground.
Later on Tuesday at 8:45 p.m., Juventus travel to Sassuolo, live on SS Africa 2 (GOtv Ch. 64, DStv Ch. 208). Juventus were held at home by Lecce last time out and remain under pressure to stay in the title conversation. Sassuolo, settled in mid-table, will look to capitalise on Juve’s recent defensive lapses.
Wednesday sees Napoli host Verona at 6:30 p.m., live on SS Africa 2 (GOtv Ch. 64, DStv Ch. 208). Napoli arrive with momentum after a controlled away win at Lazio and continue to boast one of the league’s most disciplined defences. Verona, struggling near the bottom, face a difficult test in Naples.
At 8:45 p.m., leaders Inter Milan visit Parma, also live on SS Africa 2 (GOtv Ch. 64, DStv Ch. 208). Inter extended their winning run against Bologna and remain the form side in Italy. Parma, though difficult to break down at home, will need a near-perfect performance to disrupt the league leaders.
Thursday closes the Serie A round as AC Milan host Genoa at 8:45 p.m., live on SS Africa 2 (GOtv Ch. 64, DStv Ch. 208). Milan’s victory at Cagliari stretched their unbeaten run to sixteen matches, keeping them firmly in contention. Genoa, battling relegation, will aim to frustrate the hosts at San Siro.
Midweek Highlights
Premier League
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Man City vs Brighton — Wed, 8:30 p.m.
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Fulham vs Chelsea — Wed, 8:30 p.m.
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Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa — Wed, 8:30 p.m.
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Burnley vs Man United — Wed, 9:15 p.m.
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Arsenal vs Liverpool — Thu, 9:00 p.m.
Serie A
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Lecce vs Roma — Tue, 6:00 p.m.
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Sassuolo vs Juventus — Tue, 8:45 p.m.
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Napoli vs Verona — Wed, 6:30 p.m.
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Parma vs Inter Milan — Wed, 8:45 p.m.
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AC Milan vs Genoa — Thu, 8:45 p.m.
Catch Every Game
Stream every match live on select SuperSport channels or on the DStv Stream and GOtv Stream apps. Manage or upgrade your subscription via the MyDStv or MyGOtv apps, or visit www.dstv.com and www.gotvafrica.com, or dial *288# to stay connected.
European football returns with a bang as the new season kicks off. The dust has barely settled on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but European football wastes no time getting back to business. Over the next two weeks, the continent’s prominent competitions will launch in quick succession, giving fans a dense run of fixtures across the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Community Shield, La Liga, the Premier League and Serie A.
Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off back-to-back Champions League triumphs, faces Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday 12 August at 8pm which will be airing on Supersport across DStv & GOtv, with the French side chasing a second successive Super Cup crown against an Aston Villa team that has become an increasingly serious force in European competition.
England’s traditional curtain-raiser follows four days later. The FA Community Shield, staged in Cardiff on Sunday 16 August at 3pm, pits Premier League champions Arsenal against FA Cup holders Manchester City, the latter beginning life under new manager Enzo Maresca, while Arsenal look to reinforce their status as the team to beat.
Spain gets moving over the same weekend, with La Liga’s opening round running from Saturday 15 to Monday 17 August. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all been given extended rest following Spain’s World Cup win, leaving the door open for the chasing pack to set an early pace before Matchday 2 arrives from 20 to 24 August.
The Premier League then starts the following weekend, running from Friday 21 to Monday 24 August. Champions Arsenal open their title defence at home to promoted Coventry, before a full round of fixtures featuring Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, among others, round out the opening weekend. Serie A joins the calendar on the same weekend, from 22 to 24 August, with holders Inter Milan starting their title defence against Monza and Napoli, Juventus, Milan and Roma all in early action.
With five major competitions launching inside a fortnight, the new European season promises an unrelenting start. All the action will be available live on SuperSport, across DStv and GOtv.
A blockbuster week of sporting action awaits DStv and GOtv subscribers, with the decisive stages of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), UEFA Super Cup, FA Community Shield and Trophée des Champions among the major attractions.
Football takes centre stage as WAFCON reaches its business end in Morocco, with the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday.
Defending champions Nigeria will not be involved after the Super Falcons were eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals, losing 1-0. Their exit means a new champion will be crowned when the tournament concludes on Sunday.
The first semi-final will see Algeria face Malawi on Wednesday before hosts Morocco take on Cameroon at 21:00 WAT, later in the day. Both matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport. The third-place play-off is scheduled for Saturday, with the final taking place in Rabat on Sunday at 20:00 WAT.
European silverware will also be at stake on Wednesday when Paris Saint-Germain face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup at Stadion Salzburg in Austria. The fixture pits Champions League winners PSG against Europa League winners Aston Villa and will be shown live on SuperSport 20:00 WAT.
The action continues on Sunday with the FA Community Shield, as Arsenal take on Manchester 15:00 WAT. The traditional curtain-raiser for the English season will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
French football will also have early-season silverware at stake when Lens host PSG in the Trophee des Champions on Sunday at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The match kicks off at 20:00 WAT and will be live on SuperSport.
The new La Liga season gets underway on Saturday, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and the other leading Spanish clubs beginning their campaigns.
Beyond football, cricket fans will have plenty to enjoy as The Hundred reaches its climax on Sunday, with the women’s final followed by the men’s final. Both matches will be available on SuperSport Cricket.
Combat sports will also take the spotlight with UFC 330 from Philadelphia on Saturday, adding another major attraction to SuperSport’s weekend line-up.
By Adedapo Adesanya
European, North and Central American, and Asian football governing bodies have begun preliminary discussions on organising rival international tournaments to those run by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).
According to Bloomberg, the talks involve the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The proposed rival competitions represent the latest challenge to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, following his failed plan to spin off the organisation’s commercial operations in a deal involving JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Such tournaments could threaten FIFA’s lucrative international competition circuit, including the World Cup, which generated more than $9 billion during the 2026 edition, a record for the tournament.
UEFA, whose members are home to some of the richest domestic leagues in the world, has led efforts to pressure Mr Infantino to leave office. Despite shelving the plan to further commercialise FIFA’s operations, the European body is still considering a boycott of the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if Infantino remains president.
The first major tournament that could be affected by any boycott is the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, although several youth competitions are scheduled to take place in the coming months.
According to one of the people familiar with the discussions, the proposed alternative competitions could provide players with opportunities to participate in international tournaments if a disruption to FIFA competitions occurs.
The three confederations also demanded an independent review of Infantino’s World Cup proposal in an open letter issued on Monday.
They argued that, as president of Switzerland-based FIFA, Mr Infantino has a responsibility to act in the best interests of the organisation.
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC said in the letter.
The three confederations called for a fully independent review into the stake sale proposal.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity,” the statement concluded. “We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
FIFA comprises more than 200 national associations organised under six regional confederations. Besides UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC, the other confederations are the Confederation of African Football (CAF), South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).
The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March, with Mr Infantino planning to seek a third four-year term, which would be the final term permitted under the organisation’s rules.
