Chelsea star Sam Kerr and West Ham's Kristie Mewis expecting first child.
Chelsea Women's Football team striker Sam Kerr and West Ham's Women's midfielder Kristie Mewis are expecting a baby next year.
Australia captain Kerr, 31, and 33-year-old Mewis announced the news on Kerr’s Instagram account, external in a post which read: “Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!” Mewis will carry the baby.
“A huge congratulations to Kristie and her partner Sam, who have announced they are expecting their first child,” West Ham said on Instagram.
Kerr is Australia’s record goalscorer and one of the country’s biggest sporting idols.
She has won five consecutive Women’s Super League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and the Community Shield at Chelsea.
She signed a new two-year contract in June but has not played since January because of a knee ligament injury.
Mewis, who has won 53 caps for the USA, joined West Ham from NJ/NY Gotham FC in December.
Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk has been released from the Netherlands squad before their Nations League match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
The Liverpool captain played the 90 minutes of his side’s 4-0 victory against Hungary on Saturday which secured second place in Group C and a place in the Nations League quarter-finals in March.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has also been released by manager Ronald Koeman after making his first international appearance in 13 months following a series of ankle injuries.
“For both Frenkie and Virgil it is better for them to leave the training camp at this moment,” Koeman said.
“That decision was taken on medical grounds, with of course the interest of the players coming first.”
Van Dijk has played every minute of Liverpool’s Premier League season to help them establish a five-point lead at the top of the table.
Arne Slot’s side will return to action on Sunday at Southampton.
Still on Sports, Turkish football giants Beşiktaş have officially announced the signing of Cynthia Shilwatso Musungu to their women’s football team.
Turkish Women’s Football Super League club Beşiktaş confirmed this on their official website. Beşiktaş sits 5th in the 2024-2024 season of the Turkish Premier League.
She is set to debut with the club when they face Turkish league leaders Fernabache.
“We welcome Shilwatso Musungu to Beşiktaş. We wish her great success as she embarks on this exciting new chapter with our team, wearing the proud Beşiktaş jersey,” said the club through their official website.
Shilwatso will become the second Kenyan player to represent Beşiktaş, following in the footsteps of Esse Akida.
Akida joined Beşiktaş J.K. in 2019, making two appearances for the club in the Turkish Women’s First Football League before the season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She later left the league in February 2021 and returned to Kenya.
Shilwatso, a former Vihiga Queens striker, is set to make her league debut this Sunday when Beşiktaş, coached by Mesut Kır, face Fenerbahçe in an away match.
In her previous stint at Krivybas, Shilwatso featured in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the Ukrainian top flight, registering 16 appearances and scoring seven goals across all competitions. Unfortunately, her career in Ukraine was cut short due to an injury.
In addition to her time in Ukraine, Shilwatso has also played in Spain’s top women’s league with DUX Logroño and in Tanzania with Fountain Gate Princess.
Shilwatso is the latest in a growing list of Kenyan players to have left their mark in international women’s football.
Shilwatso made her senior debut for Kenya during the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualification campaign.
Her standout performances at the 2019 CECAFA Senior Women’s Challenge Cup in Tanzania helped elevate her and the team to international prominence, as they secured their first-ever regional title.
