The Betway Premiership is heading toward a dramatic photo finish as league debutants Orbit College find themselves holding the keys to the South African football kingdom. In a classic David versus Gol...
The 16 Premier Soccer League teams in the Betway Premiership are edging closer to the end of a gruelling 10-month season as they prepare for their final two matchday league fixtures.
Mamelodi Sundown...
After another underwhelming campaign from Kaizer Chiefs that saw them finish ninth in the Betway Premiership, as many as five players could already be heading out the door at the Soweto Giants.
Though Chiefs did win their first piece of silverware in a decade when they beat Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final last month, it did not hide the fact that the AmaKhosi finished outside the top eight for a second season in a row.
Since the end of the season, the rumour mills have begun to swirl about high-profile transfers with Percy Tau even linked with a possible move to Chiefs.
According to iDiski Times though, five players could have already said goodbye to Chiefs, which would add to the big name exit of Ranga Chivaviro earlier this month.
George Matlou
The 26-year-old George Matlou will see his contract at Chiefs expire at the end of June. It’s believed that Sekhukune United may be interested in signing the midfielder. It may come as quite a shock to Chiefs fans, as Matlou was a big hit after the Nedbank Cup final as he refused to take off his match kit for several days after the encounter.
Fiacre Ntwari
The 25-year-old goalkeeper has not seen much game time for Kaizer Chiefs this season. The Rwandan had begun the previous season as the Chiefs number one shotstopper, but has fallen to third in the pecking order behind Bruce Bvuma and Brandon Petersen.
Samkelo Zwane
With Chiefs already said to be looking to boost their midfield, the 23-year-old Zwane also appears to be on his way out with a loan deal believed to be on the table.
Tebogo Potsane
At 31, the winger is also another player said to be on his way out of Naturena on a loan deal. He did not feature much in this recently concluded campaign, although there were reports that it was mostly due to injury. Given his age though, Chiefs could be forgiven for looking to younger charges.
Zitha Kwinika
Another Chiefs player on the wrong side of 30, the 31-year-old defender Zitha Kwinika was not favoured much this campaign under coach Nasreddine Nabi. With just one appearance as a substitute this season, there seems little keeping him at Chiefs.
The 32-year-old flanker/lock, who plays for Japanese club Toyota Verblitz, is among six injured players who will not feature against the Barbarians, Italy (twice) and Georgia from 28 June to 19 July.
njured World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit was released on Sunday from the South Africa squad preparing for their first four matches of the season, a SA Rugby statement said.
The 32-year-old flanker/lock, who plays for Japanese club Toyota Verblitz, is among six injured players who will not feature against the Barbarians, Italy (twice) and Georgia from 28 June to 19 July.
Props Gerhard Steenekamp and Ntuthuko Mchunu, number 8s Juarno Augustus and Cameron Hanekom and centre Lukhanyo Am have also been released due to injuries.
Augustus, who joins Ulster next season after helping Northampton Saints reach the Champions Cup final, will be particularly disappointed as he had received his first call-up from the record four-time Rugby World Cup winners.
The statement did not specify what injuries the players have, nor did it indicate when they might be available for selection, with South Africa set to play 14 matches this year.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has reduced his squad from 55 to 45 ahead of the first outing, a non-cap exhibition match against the Barbarians in Cape Town on 28 June.
Apart from the six injured players, the Hendrikse brothers, fly-half Jordan and scrum-half Jaden, flanker Renzo du Plessis, full-back Quan Horn and wing/full-back Ntokozo Makhaza have been omitted.
Makhaza, a 23-year-old university student based in Cape Town, was a surprise inclusion in the original squad as he has never played at senior level.
Erasmus has added one player, uncapped prop Boan Venter, who joined Edinburgh from Bloemfontein franchise the Cheetahs.
"Boan has been consistent for Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup," said Erasmus, coach of the 2019 World Cup-winning team and director of rugby when the Springboks triumphed in France four years later.
"He is familiar with the South African structures after playing for the Cheetahs and coming through our junior ranks, so we are looking forward to seeing him in action."
After the Barbarians match, South Africa meet Italy in Pretoria on 5 July and in Gqeberha on 12 July, then Georgia in Mbombela on 19 July.
The Springboks play two Rugby Championship Tests each against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina between August and October.
Tour matches against France, Italy, Ireland and Wales in November complete their schedule. However, there could be additional fixtures as Erasmus has said he would like to play two extra Tests this year.
*This article was first published by Eye Witness News
The defending champions thrashed South Africa by 3-0 in the final at the Toyota stadium in Bloemfontein.
Two goals from the player of the tournament and the top goal scorer, Laurindo Dilson Maria Aurelio and one from Felicio Mendes Joao were enough to give the back-to-back gold medal.
The defending champions have proven to be the better side to win the tournament and lifting the trophy on the last day of the tournament was not a fluke. Aurelio opened the scoring when he jumped high to connect with a set piece to give Angola a 1-0 lead.
Bafana Bafana lite, as it is called by soccer lovers, came strong in the early minutes of the second stanza in search of an equaliser but it never came as Angola's last line of defence remained rock solid.
It was again Aurelio who silenced the South Africa’s vocal supporters when he coolly connected with a low cross in the 6-yard box to make the score reading 2-0.
Boitumelo Radiopane nearly reduced the deficit when his well-paced ball but Angola keeper Adilson Cipriano was equal to the task as he pulled a brilliant save and arguably the save of the tournament.
When everyone thought it was all over, Joao hammered the last nail on South Africa’s coffin when he brilliantly converted from a free kick a yard out of the 18 yards box leaving SA keeper Thakasani Mbanjwa hands down.
Pedro Gonçalves, the Angola head coach has urged his counterparts to come with their best teams in the tournament in future. “I thought all teams played well. My advice to all the coaches is to come with their best players because this is the only tournament that gives us a chance to be with players for a long time,” he said.
He said he was happy with the way his team performed in this year’s tournament. “Congratulations to my team. They have managed to defend the trophy and we hope to grow from here,” he said.
Vela Khumalo, the Bafana Bafana head coach said he was happy with the way his team played. He has, however, sung an old song that sounds like it is played from a broken record when he said they created chances but failed to score goals.
“I think we need to go back and find the strikes. I was with Victor Letsoalo in 2001 when we won the same tournament in Port Elizaberth and he is still playing. You will wonder where other strikers are,” he said.
The South African cricket team has ended 27 years of ICC World Test Championship trophy drought after beating the defending champions, Australia in London on Saturday afternoon.
Even though they had reached multiple World Cup playoffs in recent years, the Proteas had not secured a title since winning the Champions Trophy tournament in 1998.
It was Markram who hit a century in South Africa’s second innings, which guided the team to a five-wicket victory.
Resuming on 213 for the loss of two wickets in pursuit of 282 for victory, the Proteas lost two wickets fairly early on. But opening batsman Aiden Markram, who put on 147 runs for the third wicket with Bavuma, took his team to within six runs of victory.
“We’ve got ourselves in the final, where there were doubters as to the route that we had to take when we won against so-called weaker teams. We are happy that we were able to perform like this, and hopefully that squashes that. I think for us as a country, here’s an opportunity for us as divided as we are at times to forget all of that, rejoice in that moment, and just be one. I’m sure the people will be celebrating it with us and you can trust that we will be celebrating,” says an elated captain, Temba Bavuma.
The Royal Family Cathedral church in Bloemfontein led by Dr Masekwane Masekwane is part of an initiative aimed at preventing youth from engaging in criminal activities and substance abuse. Masekwane and his team started “The N1 60 KM Marathon send-offs” which took place on Saturday, June 7 to fill the void for those who were unable to attend the Comrades Marathon. “As thousands of South Africans apply for the Annual Comrades Marathon, not all applicants can participate in the marathon due to the financial constraints it comes with,” “This specific marathon is coordinated for participants to run from Brandford to Bloemfontein. He says the marathon was also an awareness tool against the rapidly increasing gender based violence statistics in the province. “It aims to promote more recreational activities for the youth” Masekwane and his team offered great support to the participants throughout the mara thon until completion. The winners are Christmas Qhali (26) in first place and Xolile Baartman (25) in second place.
It was a pretty even day at the office for South Africa and Australia after day one of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in London. Led by seamer Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas bundled out the Australians for 212 in their first innings, just after the tea break. The Aussie bowlers however fought back the final session. They took four top order wickets, leaving South Africa 169 runs behind on 43 for the loss of four wickets, at stumps.
Captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and under cloudy skies opted to bowl first and South Africa’s seamers and slip cordon obliged. The spear hard of the Proteas bowling attack, Kagiso Rabada got proceedings underway with two scalps in the seventh over. He dismissed Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck and then Cameron Green for four leaving the Australians in some early trouble on 16 for two.
Marco Jansen picked up the mantle at the other end. He accounted for Marnus Labuschagne for 17. And he ensured that South Africa went into the break with the upper hand. He dispatched Travis Head for 11 on the cusp of lunch and the Aussies slumped to 67 for four.
Australia’s batsmen staged somewhat of a fightback in the second session. Steve Smith and Beau Webster shared in a 79-run fifth wicket stand with Smith scoring a half century. The Proteas did counterpunch with the wicket of Smith for 66 but Webster continued to score freely. He too notched up a half-century, his second in Test cricket as Australia was coasting on 190 for the loss of five wickets at tea-time.
The wheels seem to come off for the defending champions after the interval. In a dramatic collapse, they lost their last five wickets for the addition of just 22 runs. Rabada again found himself on the honours board at Lord’s with his 17th five wicket haul in Test cricket, with figures of 51 for five.
And with 332 wickets, the quick has now past Allan Donald, up to fourth on South Africa’s all-time wicket-takers list in the longest format of the game. Seamer Mitchell Starc also hit his straps in the final session.
Starc dispatched both the Proteas openers Aiden Markram for a duck in the first over of the innings. He followed up a little later with the scalp of Ryan Rickelton for 16, leaving the South Africans in some bother on 19 for two.
Skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood also took a wicket a piece in the dying overs, as the Proteas ended the day on 43 for four, trailing by 169 runs.
BLOEMFONTEIN. - South Africa has revived their hope of qualifying to the semi-finals of the Hollywood Cosafa Cup 2025 after they beat Zimbabwe by 2-0 at the Toyota stadium on Saturday.
Kabelo Dlamini and Ime Okon scored the two goals for the host. Unlike their first game against Mozambique where they lost 1-0, the yellow and green boys showed hunger and determination to win the game.
From the first whistle, they kept piling more premier and numbers forward in search of an early goal. Bafana got a penalty when Masindi Nemtajela was brought down in the box nine minutes before the interval.
Dlamini stood up and coolly converted from a spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. Knowing that they might need goals to top the group depending on the final game in the group, the Vela Khumalo troops pushed for the second goal which they got when Okon secured three points for the home team when he headed home a second goal from a set piece in the 78 minutes, 2-0.
As things stand Mozambique are at the helm of Group A with four points after two games. They played to a goalless draw against Comoros who have collected two points this far.
Bafana Bafana are second with three points after the same number of games. In order for them to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament, they need to beat Comoros and hope Zimbabwe do them a favour by beating Mozambique or hold them to a draw. However, a scoring draw will mean that South Africa will have to score more goals in their last game.
The two games will play simultaneously on Tuesday, 10 June. South Africa and Comoros games will be played at Dr Molema stadium while Zimbabwe and Mozambique will be staged at the Toyota stadium. Kick-off is at 15:00.
Khumalo said a win was a boost that they needed after a disappointing start. “Most definitely this is the booster that we needed. However, we still hopeful and we still saying Mozambique if they win against Zimbabwe then what. But what we said to ourselves is that we need to win the remaining game. We need to win against Mauritius and then we take it from there. We will have six points and see what happens in the other game,” he said.
