Various sports results: Pyramids win in Africa, Volkrug shines with Bremen, and Australia qualifies in the women’s basket

Egyptian Pyramids scored two goals in the first half to win 2-0 over hosts Gormahia of Kenya in the first leg of the preliminary round of the African Champions League on Sunday in Nairobi.

Walid El Karti, the 2025 African champion, gave the lead in the fifth minute with a shot from inside the penalty area after he followed his colleague Mostafa Fathi’s rebound shot from the Jormahia goalkeeper.

Mahmoud Saber scored the goal to secure the victory in stoppage time of the first half with a powerful shot with his left foot from outside the penalty area.

Despite his control of the ball, Jormahia lacked accuracy in front of goal and failed to score against Pyramids, which relied on counterattacks throughout most of the match to return with a valuable win against Kenya and move closer to advancing in the African Champions League. The return match will be held on September 13.

The match witnessed the transfer of Mahmoud Merhi, Pyramids defender, to a hospital in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to undergo medical examinations and x-rays, after sustaining an injury during the confrontation. The Pyramids Club media center stated that Merhi suffered a severe head collision during a collision with one of the Jormahia attackers, leaving the field due to the injury, and Iyad Al-Asqalani participated in his place in the 20th minute of the match. Mustafa Al-Muniri, head of the medical staff at Pyramids, decided to immediately transfer the player to the hospital to conduct medical examinations and head x-rays, to check on his condition and determine the nature of the injury.

Niklas Volkrug confirmed that his return to his former club, Werder Bremen, was emotional, after he scored a goal in the team’s 3-1 victory over its guest, Leipzig, yesterday, Saturday, as Bremen achieved its first victory in the German League this season.

Volkrug scored Bremen's second goal in the 68th minute, during his first match at the Weser Stadion since his return to his former club, raising his tally to two goals in three matches he played with the team in all competitions since his return.

“It seems a little surreal sometimes,” Volkrug said after the match. After scoring the goal, I felt that it was more emotional here than anywhere else.”

Volkrug grew up in Bremen before returning to the club in 2019 from Hannover. In 2023, after topping the German League's top scorers list, he moved to Borussia Dortmund, before leaving one year later to England's West Ham United. His experience with the London club did not go as he had hoped, and he moved last season on loan to Italian Milan.

Upon his return to Bremen, Volkrug stressed that he did not return to the club to end his career, but rather to contribute to achieving the team's goals.

Bremen coach Daniel Teune said that Volkrug's importance to the team goes beyond scoring goals, explaining: "Niklas Volkrug sent a message from his first intervention in the match, and he helped everyone realize what we were seeking to achieve today."

Volkrug was a member of the German national team in the 2024 European Championship, which was held in his country, and is scheduled to face his former team Dortmund in the second round of the German Cup on October 27.

Australia qualified for the final stage of the Women's Basketball World Cup in Germany, after defeating Turkey 87-71, on Sunday, in a match characterized by physical strength, thanks to the brilliance of Izzy Magbjor, who scored 21 points.

Australia started the match strong, and led 8-0, but Turkey responded quickly after calling a time-out, and led 15-14, before Australia regained the initiative and ended the first quarter with a 21-15 lead.

The Australian players maintained their lead until the end, without Türkiye being able to overturn the result.

Izzy Majdebor topped the scorers list for Australia with 21 points.

Sevgi Ozun topped the list of scorers for Turkey with 24 points, while her colleague Goksen Vitek was injured, before returning to the field in the last quarter.

Australia, which achieved its second victory in the group stage, will meet European champion Belgium, on Monday, in a match that is likely to determine the identity of the group leader and the direct qualifier to the quarter-finals, after Australia has already guaranteed qualification to the final stage at the very least.