Franco van der Merwe

Lions keep Currie Cup hopes alive in six-try thriller
The Lions continued their recent run of good form in this year’s Absa Currie Cup to run out narrow 22–20 winners over log leaders the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday evening. Lions captain Franco van der Merwe (pictured) scored a 79th minute try to bring the sides level and flyhalf Elton Jantjies made no mistake with the conversion to give the Lions their seventh win of the season from 12 starts.

Some will consider the Lions fortunate to have emerged victorious given that television replays appeared to show Van der Merwe short of the line, but to be fair the Sharks also benefited from an official’s error when assistant referee Christi du Preez missed Lwazi Mvovo’s foot on the touch line for his second try ...

In Du Preez’s defence, his vision was obscured by a diving Jannie Boshoff, and the try was awarded. Still, both incidents may overshadow the result, but they shouldn’t detract from an exciting game of rugby which demonstrated the best of the Currie Cup and had the result in the balance throughout.

The visitors got off to a dream start when they drew in the Lions’ defence on the first attack, adding an extra player on the left hand flank to put wing Mvovo away for his first score. The home side then lost hooker Martin Bezuidenhout in the aftermath after he was spotted throwing a punch leaving referee Jason Japhta no choice but to produce a yellow card.

However, the Lions went in front with an impressive long-range try by centre Jaco Taute after a mistake on attack by the Sharks. Andries Strauss failed to hold onto a pass from eighthman Ryan Kankowski and Doppies le Roux took the ball up 30 metres before sending the pacy Taute up the middle to score under the posts.

Jantjies slotted the conversion to go with an earlier penalty and the home side were now 10–5 to the good with just a few minutes till the interval. However, the elusive Mvovo put his team level in the 38th minute with his second, albeit controversial, five pointer and the teams went into the interval with it all to play for in the remaining 40 minutes.

Waylon Murray

The Lions lost try scorer Taute early in the second half as he walked off with his arm in a sling, but they extended their lead shortly thereafter when Jantjies put Waylon Murray (pictured left) into enough space for the big centre to crash over the line. The Sharks hit back minutes later when right wing Odwa Ndungane dotted down in the far right hand corner for a converted try and when flyhalf Patrick Lambie slotted a penalty shortly thereafter it looked as though the visitors were heading for their 10th win of the season.

However, as fate would have it, Kankowski tramped on a Lion’s players chest  with just five minutes to go prompting Japhta to immediately produce a yellow card. The normally unflappable No 8’s moment of madness cost his team his services for the remainder of the match and with the visitors now reduced to 14 men, the Lions threw everything they had into attack. They were soon rewarded when Van der Merwe crashed over to keep their Currie Cup hopes alive.

Both teams gave it their all in an intensely physical battle and the match was a good example of just how little there is to choose between the top six teams in this year’s competition. The win kept the Lions’ hopes of making it through to the semi-finals alive, but they will have to win their remaining games against the Cheetahs on Saturday and the Pumas the following Friday to do so.

“Today was make or break for us and I’m very glad we came through. There’s a lot of character in this team and I think we are going to go places,” said a clearly elated Van der Merwe during the post match interviews. Indeed, the Lions are without a doubt one of the form teams in the competition at the moment, and it would be nice to see them qualify for the semi-finals after a dreadful Super 14 campaign where they were unable to register a single win.

Scorers
Lions 22 – Tries: Jaco Taute, Waylon Murray and Franco van der Merwe. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (2). Penalty: Jantjies.
Sharks 20 – Tries: Lwazi Mvovo (2) and Odwa Ndungane. Conversions: Patrick Lambie. Penalty: Lambie.

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Cheetahs 59 – Pumas 24 – Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Western Province 48 – Griquas 32 – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday
Bulls 39 – Leopards 26 – Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom

Currie Cup log (After 12 games)
Pos  Team          Pts
1.    Sharks          47
2.    WP               43
3.    Bulls             38
4.    Cheetahs      37
5.     Lions           35
6.     Griquas       31
7.     Pumas         17
8.     Leopards       5

Katlego Mashego

Mashego puts Pirates into final
Orlando Pirates notched up their first win over arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in a domestic cup competition in over 12 years when they dispatched the Amakhosi 1–0 at the FNB Stadium in an MTN8 semi-final second leg game to take the tie 2–1 on aggregate after the teams had played to a 1–1 draw in their first leg encounter two weeks ago.

In a match where both teams had chances to win, it was Katlego Mashego (pictured), on as a second half substitute for Pirates, who ended up scoring the winner in the 81st minute to send the Buccaneers through to the final. Chiefs’ best opportunity to score came in the 57th minute when Mthokozisi Yende struck the Pirates cross bar.

The Buccaneers troubled Chiefs early on and had a number of chances before Happy Jele fired a shot at goal which whistled past ‘keeper Itumeleng Khune in the seventh minute. Shortly thereafter Ezenwa Otorogu shot wide with another effort at goal.

Chiefs’ first attempt on goal was a long range effort from Reneilwe Letsholonyane in the 14th minute, but instead of going for goal, the Chiefs midfielder should have passed the ball to the unmarked Jimmy Tau who had space to his right. The powerful Otorogu was able to create two opportunites for his team in the 20th minute when he first managed to find Isaac Chansa, who fired the ball straight at Khune from 18 yards.

A few seconds later Otorogu controlled a long ball from Pirates ‘keeper Moeneeb Josephs before laying it off from the right to Daine Klate whose effort on goal failed to trouble Khune. Some good all round work from Chiefs saw Mandla Masango find Siphiwe Tshabalala in the 24th minute with a ball along the ground from the left which the Bafana Bafana international fired goal-ward. A surprised Josephs only managed to block the ball, but was bailed out by Klate, who cleared the rebound.

The final action of the opening half saw Khune punch clear Dikgang Mabalane’s free kick from the left and with the score 0–0 at the interval both sides had it all to play for going into the final 45 minutes. Chiefs went on the offensive early in the second half and in the 51st minute Khune’s long kick from the back went over the Pirates defenders. Knowledge Musona then ran onto the ball, but his lob over Josephs failed to find the back of the net.

Six minutes later a shot from Masango was deflected and the ball fell to Yende who unleashed a powerful volley which beat Josephs only to crash against the crossbar. Musona and Sthembiso Ngcobo then blew goal-scoring opportunities within the space of a few minutes before Pirates struck a decisive blow.

A cross by Mark Mayambela went under Dominic Isaacs and hit Mashego before beating Khune at his far post, putting the Buccaneers in front with just nine minutes to go. Pirates had the opportunity to seal the match when they were awarded a penalty after Nahayo had held back Tlou Segolela, but Rooi Mahamutsa fired his spot kick over the bar in the 87th minute.

However, the miss did not prove costly as Pirates held on for the victory and booked their place in Saturday’s final where they will meet Soweto rivals Moroka Swallows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The Birds qualified for the final with a 3–2 victory over Ajax Cape Town on Saturday giving them a 3–2 advantage on aggregate after the teams played to a goalless draw two weeks ago.

Other results (Absa Premiership)
Wednesday
Golden Arrows 2 – Free State Stars 0 – Chatsworth Stadium
Santos 0 – Mamelodi Sundowns 1 – Athlone Stadium
Bloem Celtic 2 – Maritzburg Utd 0 – Seisa Ramabodu Stadium
Platinum Stars 2 – AmaZulu 2 – Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Vasco Da Gama 2 – Wits 0 – Bellville Stadium

Davey Jacobs

Spin duo lead Chennai to Champions League T20 title
Some brilliant bowling from Ravichandran Ashwin (2/16 off four overs) and Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan (3/16 off four overs) led the Chennai Super Kings to a comfortable eight wicket victory over the Chevrolet Warriors in the Champions League T20 final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday. Off-spinners Ashwin and Muralitharan snared a combined 5/32 in eight overs, stalling the Warriors innings and restricting the Eastern Cape outfit to 128/7 in their 20 overs.

Chennai openers Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay then gave their team the perfect platform for victory with a first wicket partnership of 103 in 14.5 overs. Vijay was the driving force in the partnership, slamming six fours and two sixes in his 58 off 53 balls, before he was caught by Justin Kreusch off the bowling of left-arm spinner Nicky Boje. The less flamboyant Hussey finished with an unbeaten 51 off 46 deliveries.

Realising that the Warriors’ only chance of defending such a small total was by taking wickets, captain Davey Jacobs (pictured) used former Proteas paceman Makhaya Ntini with the new ball, but Vijay struck him for three fours in his two overs up front and Chennai had the start they wanted. Ntini managed to dismiss Suresh Raina for two when he returned in the 16th over, but is was only a temporary reprieve as Mahendra Singh Dhoni took Chennai to victory with two fours and a six in his unbeaten 17.

Ashwin and Muralitharan had earlier put a stranglehold on the Warriors batting as the South African Pro20 champions could only muster a measly 128 runs. The Warriors had made a good start after winning the toss and batting, racing to 44/1 after five overs. However, Ashwin swung the momentum Chennai’s way as he dismissed the dangerous Jacobs, trapping him leg-before after the 27-year-old missed a reverse-pull.

Jacobs had once again looked in terrific form, as he raced to 34 off 21 balls, with eight fours, but his departure allowed Chennai to demonstrate the depth and balance of their attack. Colin Ingram (16 off 23 balls) and Justin Kreusch (17 off 17) struggled to score quickly and when Ingram fell in the 11th over, skying a hook off Albie Morkel to deep backward square-leg, the Warriors were tottering on 73/3.

Muralitharan came on and started to wreck havoc as he bowled Boucher (5 off 11) and then had Kreusch caught by Raina to leave the Warriors in disarray on 82/5. Craig Thyssen (25 off 18) then gave the Warriors’ innings a semblance of respectability when he smashed three fours and a six off 18 balls, but it was never going to be enough against the powerful Chennai batting line up.

Results leading up to the final (SA teams in bold)
Last Tuesday
South Australian Redbacks beat Guyana by 15 runs
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the Bizhub Highveld Lions by six wickets
Wednesday
Wayamba Elevens beat the Central Stags by 74 runs
Chennai Super Kings beat the Chevrolet Warriors by 10 runs
Friday (First semi-final)
Chennai Super Kings beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 52 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method)
Saturday (Second semi-final)
Chevrolet Warriors beat the South Australian Redbacks by 30 runs

Thomas Oosthuizen

Sifama and Mpambanyeni truimph in SA title fights
Xola Sifama successfully retained his South African flyweight title when he stopped challenger Wele Yokose in an action packed fight at the Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday night. Sifama unleashed a flurry of blows on his courageous foe in the 11th round, knocking the challenger down twice before the referee halted proceedings.

The more experienced Sifama was always in control against the younger Yokose, landing a number of powerful blows early on and backing up his opponent. The challenger would have been better advised to box and move rather than to stand toe to toe with his stronger opponent. However, the Mdantsane southpaw chose to slug it out with Sifama and eventually paid the price for his bravado as he wilted under the pressure in the 11th round.

Yokose started on the back foot against the champion but gained momentum, landing a number of solid blows on the champion. However, Sifama remained composed under pressure and held on to his opponent whenever the going got tough. The champion also counter punched very effectively and in the 10th round there were signs that an inside the distance win was just around the corner.

Those signs did not prove to be misleading as Yokose hit the deck a few minutes into the next round and although he managed to beat the count, it was ultimately in vain as he promptly made another trip to the canvas after a further onslaught from the now rabid champion. The victory was Sifama’s eighth as a professional against two losses and a draw with five of those wins coming via the short route. Yokose suffered his first defeat in the paid ranks as he fell to 3–1 (2 KO’s).

In another South African title fight held over the weekend, Khaphathe Mpambanyeni won the vacant middleweight belt at Strandville near Durban on Saturday when he stopped Mthokozisi Malinga in the fifth round of a one-sided contest. Mpambanyeni, who originally hails from the Limpopo Province but is now based in Gauteng and trained by Nic Durandt, came out firing at the bell and soon had his opponent in trouble.

The older Malinga made two trips to the canvas in the first round and another in the second courtesy of some big right hands and although he managed to survive rounds three and four, the referee decided he had seen enough and stepped in to save Malinga from further punishment midway through the next round. Mpambanyeni improved his record to 6–1 (6 KO’s) while Malinga fell to 8–4-1 (1 KO).

The title became vacant when Peter Mashamaite was unable to defend it after committing himself to a more lucrative fight for the vacant World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa middleweight title. The tournament was presented by Ludonga Promotions.

Meanwhile, it was announced on Thursday that unbeaten heavyweight prospect Flo ‘The Demolition Man’ Simba will do battle with Hugo Abad from Equador at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park on November 6. The 20-year-old Simba, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but has lived most of his life in South Africa, has won seven consecutive fights since turning professional in October last year.

However, he has faced moderate opposition at best and it will be interesting to see how he fairs against the more experienced Abad who has won 20 fights against seven losses and a single draw. The 35-year Abad has been punching for pay since July 1993 and his experience may prove to a stumbling block for Simba, who has a tendency to leave himself open to counter punches when on attack.

Other fights on the Golden Gloves Promotions bill see International Boxing Organisation (IBO) super-middleweight champion Isaac ‘Golden Boy’ Chilemba defending his title against Thomas ‘Tommy Gun’ Oosthuizen (pictured right), lightweight prospect Jason ‘Badman’ Bedeman taking on Korean Ji-Hoon Kim and former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion Malcolm ‘Stone’ Klassen squaring off against Vin Vin Rufino of the Phillipines.

Tanith Maxwell

Maxwell gets a personal best in Berlin
Durban-based athlete Tanith Maxwell (pictured) did her country proud when she finished eighth in the 37th running of the Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning. The 34-year-old Maxwell notched up a personal best of 2hrs, 32 min and 33 secs behind winner Aberu Kedebe of Ethiopia.

Kedebe, who broke the tape in 2:23:58, was a minute ahead of countrywoman and pre-race favourite Bezunesh Bekele, with Japanese runner Tomo Morimo third in 2:26:10. In a race where only the top five women dipped under the 2:30 barrier, Maxwell spent most of the event in the top 10.

The Boxer club athlete went through the first five kilometres in 18:07 and then increased the pace through to 15km, which she completed in 53:19 on route to a 75:24 split at halfway. Some steady running took her to 2:24:23 at the 40km mark, where she slowed to 3 min, 44 secs per kilometre through to the finish. Maxwell’s time was two-minutes better than her previous best set at the London Marathon in April.

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Photo Credits:
Photo – Franco van der Merwe: Source – www.abc.net.au
Photo – Waylon Murray: Source – www.luiperdrugby.co.za
Photo – Katlego Mashego: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Davey Jacobs: Source – www.chevroletwarriors.co.za
Photo – Thomas Oosthuizen: Source – www.boxrec.com
Photo – Tanith Maxwell: Source – Guy Mortimer

Ryan Kankowski

Sharks in the driving seat after win over Cheetahs
The Sharks cemented their position at the top of the Absa Currie Cup standings with a convincing 30–16 victory over bogey team the Free State Cheetahs at Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon. The Durban outfit bagged a full house of log points with an 80-minute performance that would have greatly pleased coach John Plumtree.

Although the coastal team never quite hit top-gear, they nonetheless dominated the game and wrapped up the four-try bonus point with a 78th-minute touch down from reserve scrumhalf Rory Kockott. Livewire eighthman Ryan Kankowski (pictured), who won the ‘Man of the Match’ award, was instrumental in setting up Kockott’s try and the Sharks’ second five pointer – scored in the 29th minute by right wing Odwa Ndungane.

That try enabled the home side to surge to an 18–9 lead at the break forcing the visitors to come back at the KwaZulu-Natalians with everything they had early in the second half. The Free Staters were rewarded for their efforts when the Sharks’ lead was reduced to just two points (18–16) within four minutes of the restart.

Things stayed that way until 13 minutes from time when a moment of inspiration from nippy scrumhalf Charl McLeod helped the home side to seize the initiative. The Sharks were awarded a penalty close to the posts, and McLeod, sensing the visitors were expecting a kick at goal, quickly took a tap to race through a host of bewildered Cheetahs defenders and go over untouched.

Patrick Lambie’s conversion increased the Sharks’ lead to nine points (25–16), and after that it was just really a question of who would secure the extra bonus points on offer. Thanks to the brilliance of Kankowski, it turned out to be the Sharks, and that leaves the Cheetahs with plenty of work to do if they want to get into the top two and secure home-ground advantage in next month’s semi-finals.

After second-placed Western Province’s demolition of the Pumas in Nelspruit the evening before, the Sharks needed to make a statement against the Cheetahs on Saturday, and although the match was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests, Plumtree’s outfit should surely feel they achieved their objective.

Thanks to some strong scrumming from the Sharks, the Cheetahs were unable to lauch any meaningful attacks off the side of the scrum and with the homeside also excelling in the battle on the ground and in the recycles, the Cheetahs were prevented from attaining anything resembling either continuity or momentum. In fact, given the way the Sharks dominated possession, it was amazing that the Cheetahs were in the game for most of the way.

Indeed, it was the visitors who opened the scoring through a Louis Strydom penalty before the homeside crossed the line when their big lock Willem Alberts crashed over after receivingthe ball just metres from the Cheetahs line. Two further penalties, one a long range effort from inside centre Meyer Bosman, put the Cheetahs back in front before Lambie regained the lead for the Sharks with an angled penalty.

Then followed the Ndungane try and another Lambie penalty before the Cheetahs hit back with a try from lock Francois Uys, who forced his way over near the posts after 44 minutes. But McCleod’s 67th minute try knocked the stuffing out of the visitors opening the way for Kockott to apply the finishing touches two minutes from time.

Stefan Terblanche

Sharks captain Stefan Terblanche (pictured with ball in hand) was a happy man at the post-match interviews. “We really had to work hard for the win, but we played an entertaining game and it’s nice to be scoring tries again,” said the skipper. Kankowski was equally pleased with his team’s efforts. “It’s awesome for us to win and it’s always good to beat the Cheetahs, whether at home or away,” said the Sharks No 8.

The loss means the Cheetahs trail Western Province by six points with three matches to go, and the Bloemfontein outfit are now going to have to rely on other results going their way to lift themselves back into the top bracket. The Sharks, by contrast, now enjoy an eight-point cushion over WP, and a victory over the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday should be sufficient to ensure they top the final standings.

Scorers
Sharks 30 – Tries: Willem Alberts, Odwa Ndungane, Charl McLeod and Rory Kockott. Conversions: Patrick Lambie (2). Penalties: Lambie (2).
Cheetahs 16 – Try: Francois Uys. Conversion: Louis Strydom. Penalties: Strydom (2) and Meyer Bosman.

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Griquas 29 – Leopards 20 – GWK Park, Kimberley
Western Province 62 – Pumas 10 – Puma Stadium, Witbank
Saturday
Bulls 24 – Lions 21 – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Cheetahs vs Pumas – Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein – 7pm
Western Province vs Griquas – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town – 7.10pm
Saturday
Leopards vs Bulls – Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom – 3pm
Lions vs Sharks – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg – 5.05pm

Currie Cup log (After 11 games)
Pos  Team          Pts
1.    Sharks          46
2.    WP               38
3.    Bulls             33
4.    Cheetahs      32
5.     Lions           31
6.     Griquas       30
7.     Pumas         17
8.     Leopards       5

Papi Zothwane

Papi’s late header sinks SuperSport
A late goal from Papi Zothwane (pictured) earned Mamelodi Sundowns a dramatic 2–1 victory over Tshwane rivals SuperSport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday evening. The result means Sundowns maintain their unbeaten record in the 2009/10 Absa Premiership (PSL) competition and join Ajax Cape Town at the top of the standings.

Both teams have won all three of their matches so far while United suffered their second defeat from three starts to leave the defending champions in 12^th position on the standings. Matsatsantsa looked like securing all three points on offer after Dipsy Selolwane’s 35th minute header, but a 86th minute equaliser from Mabhuti Khenyeza and a looping header from Zothwane five minutes into injury time sent the Brazilians into raptures of delight.

SuperSport should have gone ahead early when Fikru Tefera penetrated the Sundowns backline and held off Esrom Nyandoro but, with only ‘keeper Calvin Marlin to beat, he put his shot wide of the near post. Tefera had another chance to score on 10 minutes when he latched onto a well-placed cross from Jabu Maluleke but fired his shot straight at the grateful Marlin.

Sundowns then began to dominate possession but their strikers Katlego Mphela and Surprise Moriri simply weren’t getting good enough ball to give them a chance of penetrating the excellent defences of Morgan Gould and Bongani Khumalo. Matsatsantsa, however, looked threatening whenever they went forward and on 25 minutes, some slick passing gave Maluleke space for an effort on goal but his attempted chip looped over the crossbar.

United opened the scoring 10 minutes later when left winger Lyle Lakay floating a cross into the Sundowns penalty area that was expertly headed home by the unmarked Selolwane. The Brazilians almost equalised just before half-time with Moriri heading on target only for David Kannemeyer to clear the ball off the goal-line.

For much of the second half it looked as though SuperSport would maintain their lead or even add to it, as Sundowns seemed unable to breach the champions’ defence. However, the Brazilians’ strength in depth paid off in the end as Khenyeza’s 79th minute introduction proved to be the turning point.

Mabhuti Khenyeza

The powerful Khenyeza (pictured) netted the equaliser four minutes from regulation time, finding space on the outside of Jeffrey Ntuka and finishing superbly into the far corner with a low, right-footed shot that gave ‘keeper Wayne Brown absolutely no chance. Khenyeza almost put Sundowns ahead on a couple of occasions as the game moved into injury time, but it was another substitute, Zothwane, who netted the dramatic 95th-minute winner to seal United’s fate.

Other results
Friday
Maritzburg Utd 0 – Golden Arrows 3
Ajax Cape Town 2 – Platinum Stars 0
Saturday
Free State Stars 1 – Vasco Da Gama 1
Bidvest Wits 1 – Orlando Pirates 1
Kaizer Chiefs 1 – Bloem Celtic 0
Sunday
AmaZulu 2 – Moroka Swallows 2
Black Aces  0 – Santos 1

Upcoming fixtures
Tomorrow
Golden Arrows vs Free State Stars – Chatsworth Stadium – 3.30pm
Santos vs Mamelodi Sundowns – Athlone Stadium – 7.30pm
SuperSport Utd vs Ajax Cape Town – Super Stadium – 7.30pm
Bloem Celtic vs Maritzburg Utd – Seisa Ramabodu Stadium – 7.30pm
Platinum Stars vs AmaZulu – Royal Bafokeng Stadium – 7.30pm
Vasco Da Gama vs Wits – Bellville Stadium – 7.30pm
Moroka Swallows vs Kaizer Chiefs – Dobsonville Stadium – 8pm
Orlando Pirates vs Black Aces – Orlando Stadium – 8pm

Alviro Petersen

Guyana no match for hungry Lions
An unbeaten second-wicket stand of 133 between Alviro Petersen (pictured) and Richard Cameron propelled the bizhub Highveld Lions to an easy nine-wicket victory over Guyana in their Champions League T20 match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday. The Lions, currently sitting in second place in Group B, chased down a target of 149 with consumate ease and the victory means they can still make the semi-finals.

The 24-year-old Cameron’s unbeaten 78 off 42 balls with five fours and six sixes was an excellent knock while Petersen was also in top form, scoring 57 not out off 38 balls, with six fours and two sixes. After losing fellow opener Jonathan Vandiar for just eight in the third over, Petersen brought up the 50 off 43 balls as he played freely from the crease.

Petersen upped the tempo in the ninth over as he pulled medium-pacer Christopher Barnwell for six in an over that leaked 11 runs. Eleven more came in the 10th over and 12 in the 11th, after which Cameron opened his shoulders, bringing up his maiden Twenty20 half-century off 35 balls with his last 51 runs coming off just 20 deliveries.

Earlier, excellent performances with the ball from paceman Ethan O’Reilly and left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso helped the Lions take control of the match. ‘Man of the Match’ O’Reilly bagged 4/27 and Phangiso 1/15 as Guyana spluttered to 148/9 in their 20 overs. Only captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and Steven Jacobs posed any serious threat with the bat although Christopher Barnwell and lower-order batsmen Royston Crandon (15), Derwin Christian (11) and Lennox Cush (19 not out) all weighed in with useful contributions. O’Reilly trapped opener Travis Dowlin (seven) leg-before with his opening delivery, but Sarwan provided some hope for Guyana as he thumped four fours in his 21 off 16 balls.

Ethan O’Reilly

However, quick bowler Craig Alexander put an end to Sarwan’s antics, having the skipper brilliantly caught by Jean Symes at backward point with his first ball. O’Reilly (pictured) then removed Sewnarine Chattergoon for just four after the mistimed a drive to deep mid-on.

With Guyana 53/3 after seven overs, left-arm spinner Phangiso went about his business of strangling the batsmen, sending down his four overs for just 15 runs and dismissing Jacobs, caught at long-off, for 34 (37 balls). Some poor running between the wickets saw the demise of Barnwell (11) and Esaun Crandon for three as Guyana slid from 79/3 to 88/6. In fact, had it not been for the efforts of Crandon, Christian and Cush towards the end of the innings the Guyana attack would have had nothing to bowl at.

The Lions take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Johannesburg today in their next outing and a win will put them in the semi-finals, which take place on Friday and Saturday. Today’s match get underway at 5.30pm.

The other South African team in the tournament, the Chevrolet Warriors, play their final pool game against the Chennai Super Kings in Port Elizabeth tomorrow. Davey Jacobs’ men top the standings in Group A and are almost certain of a place in the semi-finals regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s match.

Other results (SA teams in bold)
Last Tuesday
South Australian Redbacks beat the Mumbai Indians by five wickets
Wednesday
Victorian Bushrangers beat the Central Stags by seven wickets
Chennai Super Kings beat the Wayamba Elevens by 97 runs
Thursday
Mumbai Indians beat Guyana by 31 runs
Friday
South Australian Redbacks beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets
Saturday
Chevrolet Warriors beat the Central Stags by six wickets
Victorian Bushrangers beat the Chennai Super Kings on a super-over after the match was tied
Sunday
Mumbai Indians beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by two runs
Yesterday
Victorian Bushrangers beat the Wayamba Elevens by eight wickets

Upcoming fixtures (SA teams in bold)
Today
South Australian Redbacks vs Guyana – Johannesburg – 1.30pm
Bizhub Highveld Lions vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – Johannesburg – 5.30pm
Tomorrow
Wayamba Elevens vs Central Stags – Port Elizabeth – 1.30pm
Chevrolet Warriors vs Chennai Super Kings – Port Elizabeth – 5.30pm

Lovemore Ndou

‘Black Panther’ defies age to retain IBO title
Experience prevailed over youth at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday night when 39-year-old ring veteran Lovemore ‘The Black Panther’ Ndou (pictured) outhustled 28-year-old challenger Bongani ‘Cyclone’ Mwelase to retain his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight title.  In the main event of the Golden Gloves Promotions bill, the cagey Ndou got the nod on two of the three judges’ scorecards (115–113 and 117–112) with a third official inexplicably seeing it 115–113 in favour of the challenger.

I had the champion a clear four-point winner (116–112) as he piled up the points courtesy of his superior workrate and punch output. The heavy-handed Mwelase, although always competitive, lacked the necessary urgency and intensity to win the title and will have to up his workrate considerably if he ever hopes to emerge victorious against the big names in the division.

After falling behind in the first half of the fight the lanky challenger began to get his jab working from the seventh round onwards and for a while it seemed as though he might be able to claw his way back into the fight. However, he was unable to maintain any meaningful pressure on the superfit champion who fought with the intensity of a man 15 years younger.

Using all the experience obtained in a 17-year career which has seen him compete favourably with some of the best fighters in the business, the 5’8’ Ndou shrewdly cut the distance between himself and the 6’0’ Mwelase, counter-punching in masterly fashion and doing just enough to shade the rounds against his bigger foe.

The nature of the fight was summed up in the 12th and final round when Mwelase, a southpaw, began to showboat and backpeddle instead of throwing everything into the attack. Put it down to inexperience but it was a stupid move to say the least and probably cost him at least a draw.

Ndou upped his record to 48 wins (31 KO’s) against 11 defeats and two draws while Mwelase slid to 14–1 (12 KO’s) although he would have gained valuable experience against one of the best welterweights in the world. The champion, who left South Africa in 1996 to campaign in Australia, could face former IBO and International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title holder Isaac ‘The Angel’ Hlatshwayo in his next fight.

Flo Simba

Heavyweight prospect Flo Simba (pictured right) provided some fireworks when he dispatched Ghanain Isaac Paakwesi Ankrah (1–4; 1 KO) at 2 min, 51 secs of the first round to move to 7–0 (6 KO’s).  The 20-year-old Simba is a powerful puncher with quick hands but his handlers will have to start matching him with better quality opposition.

Lightweight Jason ‘Badman’ Bedeman improved to 13–0-2 (10 KO’s) when he outpointed Ghanaian Sam Amoako (6–3; 2 KO’s) over 10 rounds, but  although the 21-year-old banger from Johannesburg is making steady progress in his career, any thoughts of a proposed fight with former IBO junior lightweight champion Ji-Hoon Kim must surely be out of the question.

The Korean slugger has won 13 of his last 14 fights, including knockout victories over accomplished fighters such as Zolani Marali and Tyrone Harris and would make mincement of the young Bedeman at this early stage of his career. Bedeman’s handlers would be well advised to match their charge against more modest competition before throwing him in with a hitter like Kim who is capable of knocking out almost anyone on his day.

Earlier, southpaw Gideon Buthelezi moved his record to 11–2 (4 KO’s) with a comfortable points victory over the diminutive Julius Alcos (15–8; 3 KO’s) of the Philippines in a 10-round catchweight contest, while another undefeated heavyweight prospect Johnny Muller (7–0-2; 5 KO’s) laboured to a six round draw with Elvis Moyo (0–3-1; 0 KO’s).

Rik de Voest

Germany claim whitewash despite fightback from De Voest
Rik de Voest (pictured) extended Florian Mayer to three sets, after putting up a determined fight, but South Africa still went down 5–0 to Germany on the final day of the Davis Cup World Group playoff in Stuttgart on Sunday. The Germans had already secured victory after Saturday’s doubles rubber, but still came out firing on Sunday with Mayer notching up a 6–3, 6–7 (10/8), 6–2 win over a plucky De Voest while Andreas Beck eased to a 7–5, 6–2 win over Izak van der Merwe.

World No 45 Mayer, ranked 160 places ahead of De Voest, broke as early as the first game of the match and looked set to run away with proceedings. And while the German No 2 won the first set, De Voest put up an impressive fight in the second.

With Mayer at match point, leading 40–15 in the game and 5–4 in the set, the 30-year-old De Voest came roaring back and stretched it to a tie-break, which he won after a tremendous battle. Mayer broke twice, however, in the final set to secure the whitewash for the hosts.

“He’s not your standard, orthodox claycourt player, and when he hits the ball well, he’s just too good. He had the beating of me in the first set, but then I started swinging a lot more and I managed to make a match of it,” said De Voest.

Beck had earlier given Germany a 4–0 lead going into the final match, defeating Van der Merwe, the visiting team’s No 1, in straight sets. Van der Merwe was initially expected to square off against German No 1 Philipp Kohlschreiber, but with the tie already decided, the latter was replaced by Beck.

Van der Merwe took control early on when he broke serve in the second game of the first set, which involved some lengthy rallies. But the South African became visibly frustrated, initially with a line call and then with a restless cameraman, and Beck broke twice to win the set.

The German broke twice again in the second and went on to win the match convincingly. Germany will play in the World Group in 2011 for the sixth year in succession while South Africa will play again in Group 1 of the Europe/Africa Zone.

South African Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – Ryan Kankowski: Source – www.zimbio.com
Photo – Stefan Terblanche: Source – www.zimbio.com
Photo – Papi Zothwane: Source – www.soccerladuma.co.za
Photo – Mabhuti Khenyeza: Source – www.timeslive.co.za
Photo – Alviro Petersen: Source – www.standardbankcricket.com
Photo – Ethan O’Reilly: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Lovemore Ndou: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Flo Simba: Source – www.goldengloves.co.za
Photo – Rik de Voest: Source – www.news.yahoo.com

Ashley Johnson

Cheetahs pip Bulls at the post
The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs produced a tenacious all round performance to defeat the Vodacom Blue Bulls 20–14 in a pulsating Absa Currie Cup Premier Division encounter in Bloemfontein on Saturday. In an intense battle, the Cheetahs managed to withstand a late Bulls onslaught to secure victory by a slender six-point margin.

However, although the victory margin was undoubtedly a small one there can be no denying the home side deserved their win. Their defence, particularly in the second half, was outstanding and they took their chances on attack when it counted while the Bulls decision-making let them down badly on occasions.

Cheetahs eighthman Ashley Johnson (pictured), who was named ‘Man of the Match’, and midfielder Meyer Bosman were particularly effective at the breakdown where time and again they thwarted a good Bulls attack by stealing the unprotected ball at crucial stages. The home side signaled their intent to take the game to the visitors from the outset when Phillip van der Walt scored one of the quickest tries in Currie Cup history, dotting down after only 31 seconds.

The kickoff was transferred wide quickly, leaving winger Jongi Nokwe with plenty of space on the overlap, which he used to sprint downfield before sending the ball inside to Bosman, who put Van der Walt over the line. The Bulls, to their credit, stormed right back into the game as they secured possession from the next kickoff, took the ball through a number of phases before flinging it wide, where left wing Jaco van der Westhuyzen stepped inside Tewis de Bruyn’s tackle to score.

Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter failed with the conversion but slotted two penalties to opposite number Louis Strydom’s one as the Bulls edged ahead 11–10 after 30 minutes. However, just when it seemed as though the Bulls were starting to build momentum, a bizarre decision by the officials disrupted the visitors progress.

Referee Shaun Veldsman referred a Potgieter penalty to the TMO despite looking like it had gone over. The match official then inexplicably disallowed the kick much to the frustration of the men in blue. It was a strange call to say the least but probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the match as the home side always seemed to be one step ahead of the visitors.

Hendro Scholtz

The Cheetahs dominated most of the game in the second half, and while the Bulls defended like trojans it was Hendro Scholtz (pictured) who finally got his team’s reward for their persistence when he scored what would be the match-winning try. Potgieter hit back with another penalty on 68 minutes to put the Bulls within seven and from then on the visitors attacked ferociously, but it was ultimately to no avail as the home side held out for their fourth consecutive victory.

Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss was understandably pleased with his team’s effort. “I’m very proud of the guys, our defence was good and we played well,” he told reporters afterwards. The men from Bloemfontein now move to third spot on the Currie Cup standings behind the Sharks and Western Province, who both recorded victories over the weekend, but their defeat leaves defending champions the Bulls under significant pressure, as they dropped to fifth as the season heads into its final stretch.

The Bulls now have a tough game against the fourth placed Lions at Loftus Versfeld next week and the result could well define their Currie Cup defence while the Cheetahs will travel to Durban to face the Sharks in an equally important fixture for both teams.

Scorers
Cheetahs 20 – Tries: Phillip van der Walt (pictured), Hendro Scholtz. Conversions: Louis Strydom (2). Penalties: Strydom (2).
Blue Bulls 14 – Try: Jaco van der Westhuyzen. Penalties: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3).

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Sharks 30 – Pumas 14 – Puma Stadium, Witbank

Saturday
Lions 40 – Griquas 29 – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Western Province 59 –Leopards 17 – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Griquas vs Leopards – GWK Park, Kimberley
Pumas vs Western Province – Puma Stadium, Witbank – 7.10pm
Saturday
Sharks vs Cheetahs – The Absa Stadium, Durban – 3pm
Bulls vs Lions – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 5.05pm

Currie Cup log (After 10 games)
Pos  Team      Pts
1.    Sharks       41
2.    WP            33
3.    Cheetahs   32
4.    Lions         30
5.    Bulls          29
6.    Griquas      25
7.    Pumas       17
8.    Leopards     5

Ashraf Hendricks

Stalemate for Ajax and Swallows in MTN8 semi
Ajax Cape Town and Moroka Swallows played to a goalless draw in a lively first leg MTN8 semi-final encounter at Athlone on Sunday afternoon. The Cape outfit will now travel to Johannesburg in two weeks time for the second leg against a Birds side that would have taken confidence from their away draw.

Both teams tried hard to score goals in a relatively entertaining game but just could not penetrate each other’s defences in the 90 minutes. The Urban Warriors undoubtedly had the better of the proceedings and would be disappointed with their inability to take any of the goal-scoring opportunities that came their way.

The first half was played at a fast pace, with Ajax perhaps the marginally stronger side. The Cape team looked polished and on form early on, producing some slick passing moves and dominating possession. However, Swallows had the first opportunity to score when Ashraf Hendricks (pictured) found himself unmarked for a back-post cross only to head wide of goal.

Terror Fanteni, who was well supported by Thulani Serero, was Ajax’s most potent threat in attack, but both players struggled to find the target with their shots, despite some good interplay between the two. Fanteni had a perfect scoring chance in the 30th minute when he found some space, but from 20 metres out his shot lacked the power to beat Birds ‘keeper, Aubrey Mathibe.

Three minutes later Swallows striker Oscar Machapa found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed for off-side. The Urban Warriors again looked the more threatening team in the second half and looked to have scored in the 52nd minute, but Clayton Daniels was ruled to be in an off-side position as he drove in Granwald Scott’s free kick.

Aubrey Mathibe

Scott himself looked to get on the score-sheet in the 78th minute, but his well flighted free kick wasn’t good enough to beat Mathibe (pictured). Four minutes later Daniels came within inches of putting Ajax ahead when his header struck the base of the upright, but it was not to be on a frustrating afternoon for the Urban Warriors.

Meanwhile, the other MTN8 first leg semi-final between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs played at the FNB stadium on Saturday night also ended in a draw – although not a goalless one. Pirates midfield dynamo Francis Chansa opened the scoring in the 47th minute when he slotted home from a corner but his effort was cancelled out when Knowledge Musona found the back of the net for Chiefs 13 minutes later. Both teams will clash again at the FNB stadium in two weeks time for the second leg of the semi-final.

Other football results (Absa Premiership)
Wednesday, September 8
Golden Arrows 2 – Vasco Da Gama 0 – Chatsworth Stadium
Platinum Stars 0 – Mamelodi Sundowns 2 – Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Bloem Celtic 3 – AmaZulu 1 – Seisa Ramabodu Stadium
SuperSport Utd 2 – Aces 1 – Super Stadium
Santos 2 – Bidvest Wits 1 – Athlone Stadium
Moroka Swallows 2 – Ajax Cape Town 3 – Dobsonville Stadium
Orlando Pirates 0 – Free State Stars 0 – Orlando Stadium
Maritzburg Utd 1 – Kaizer Chiefs 1 – Harry Gwala Stadium

Upcoming Absa Premiership fixtures
Friday
Maritzburg Utd vs Golden Arrows – Harry Gwala Stadium – 8pm
Ajax Cape Town vs Platinum Stars – Cape Town Stadium – 8pm
Saturday
Free State Stars vs Vasco Da Gama – Charles Mopeli Stadium – 3pm
Bidvest Wits vs Orlando Pirates – Bidvest Stadium – 3pm
Kaizer Chiefs vs Bloem Celtic – Rand Stadium – 8.15pm
Mamelodi Sundowns vs SuperSport Utd – HM Pitje Stadium – 8.15pm
Sunday
AmaZulu vs Swallows – Moses Mabhida Stadium – 3pm
Black Aces vs Santos – Puma Stadium – 3pm

Davey Jacobs

Skipper Jacobs sets up easy win for Warriors
A fine knock by Davey Jacobs (pictured) helped the Chevrolet Warriors to a comfortable 28-run victory over the Victoria Bushrangers in their Champions League Twenty20 match at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth yesterday evening. Batting first, the Warriors amassed a useful 158/6 thanks mainly in part to Jacobs and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher who weighed in with a useful 31 off 28 balls.

The 27-year-old Jacobs, opening the innings with Ashwell Prince, got his side off to a perfect start as he raced to 59 before being needlessly run out after Prince attempted a run that was never on. The Warriors captain struck nine fours and one six during his 39 ball innings and shared in a first wicket stand of 81 with the left handed Prince who fell just two runs later after being caught by ‘keeper Matthew Wade off the bowling of medium pacer Andrew McDonald for 16. The Bushrangers enjoyed further success when Colin Ingram departed for just eight and it was left to Boucher (31 off 28) and Johan Botha (20 off 14) to get the Warriors to a credible 158/6 off their alloted 20 overs. McDonald with 2/22 off four overs was the pick of the Bushrangers bowlers.

In reply the visitors could only muster a modest 130/9 with only David Hussey (29 off 27) and Aaron Finch (25 off 20) looking threatening. But when Australian international Hussey had his leg stump uprooted by medium pacer Justin Kreusch to reduce the Bushrangers to 94/4, it heralded a dramatic batting collapse which saw the visitors lose their next five wickets for the addition of just 11 runs.

Rusty Theron

In fact, had it not been for the efforts of Shane Harwood, coming in at number 10, the Bushrangers could well have lost by a much bigger margin. Harwood weighed in with an unbeaten 17 off 13 deliveries to help the visitors to their eventual total. Flame-haired seamer Rusty Theron (pictured left) was outstanding with the ball for the Warriors, snaring 3/22 off his four overs and was well supported by veteran paceman Makhaya Ntini who bagged 2/33.

The win was the Warriors’ second in three days after they beat the Wayamba Elevens by seven wickets on Saturday. Jacobs’ men will face the Central Stags in their next Champions League outing at the same venue on Saturday. The match gets underway at 1.30pm.

Other results (SA teams in bold)
Friday, September 10
Highveld Lions beat the Mumbai Indians by nine runs
Saturday, September 11
Chevrolet Warriors beat the Wayamba Elevens by seven wickets
Chennai Super Kings beat the Central Stags by 57 runs
Sunday, September 12
South Australian Redbacks beat the Highveld Lions by 11 runs
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Guyana by nine wickets

Upcoming fixtures (SA teams in bold)
Today
Mumbai Indians vs South Australian Redbacks – Durban – 5.30pm
Tomorrow
Victorian Bushrangers vs Central Stags – Centurion – 1.30pm
Chennai Super Kings vs Wayamba Elevens – 5.30pm
Thursday
Mumbai Indians vs Guyana – Durban – 5.30pm
Friday
South Australian Redbacks vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – Durban – 5.30pm
Saturday
Chevrolet Warriors vs Central Stags – Port Elizabeth – 1.30pm
Chennai Super Kings vs Victorian Bushrangers – Port Elizabeth – 5.30pm
Sunday
Highveld Lions vs Guyana – Johannesburg – 1.30pm
Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – Durban – 5.30pm
Monday
Victorian Bushrangers vs Wayamba Elevens – Centurion – 5.30pm

Bongani Mwelase

‘Cyclones’ hoping to whip up a storm at the Palace
Undefeated World Boxing Federation (WBF) light middleweight champion Bongani ‘Cyclones’ Mwelase (pictured) faces arguably the toughest test of his career when he challenges Lovemore Ndou for the veteran’s International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight title at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday night.

The 28-year-old Mwelase has won 14 consecutive bouts, 12 of them by knockout, since turning pro in July 2006 with a first round demolition of Lawrence Molemane. Only veterans Lucky Lewele and Attila Kovacs have managed to last the distance with the heavy handed Mwelase who hails from Meadowlands in Gauteng and the young lion will be confident of notching up his 15th straight win on Saturday.

However, Mwelase will have a tough nut to crack in the form of the 39-year-old Ndou who began punching for pay way back in April 1993 winning six straight fights before being out pointed by Jeremiah Malinga in his seventh contest. ‘The Black Panther’, as Ndou is known, then went on to draw with Mthobeli ‘Hitman’ Mhlope in August 1995 in a bid for the South African super featherweight title before moving to Australia in 1996 in a bid to secure more fights.

The move did wonders for his career and eventually resulted in Ndou capturing the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight title in February 2007 when Naoufel Ben Rabah failed to answer the bell for the 12th and final round. Ndou lost the IBF belt in his first defence to American Paulie Malignaggi but went on to win the IBO strap with a point’s victory over another South African veteran, namesake Phillip ‘Timebomb’ Ndou in July 2009.

A draw with British fighter Matthew Hatton followed four months later since which Ndou has been inactive. However, with an impressive record of 47 wins (31 KO’s), 11 losses and two draws against mostly top calibre opposition Ndou must surely start as the favourite on Saturday. Mwelase, who captured the vacant WBF belt with a unanimous points victory over Kovacs in August 2009, is an aggressive come forward boxer who fears no man, but he will be facing a wily veteran in the form of Ndou who has never been stopped as a professional.

The ‘Black Panther’ has shared a ring with some of the best boxers in the world including Malignaggi, Kermit Cintron, Junior Witter and Puerto Rican powerhouse Miguel Angel Cotto and with a resume like that Ndou will feel he has little to fear from a novice like Mwelase. Saturday’s fight, which promises to be a really interesting boxer vs puncher match up, will be televised live on SuperSport 1 (SS1) at 7.45pm.

Stephen Mokoka

Mokoka is Cross Country king
Stephen Mokoka (pictured) cruised to a comfortable victory in the senior 12km race at the SA Cross Country Championships held at the Tshwane University of Technology campus on Saturday. Mokoka, a third-year sports management student at the Tshwane University of Technology, clocked an impressive 37 min, 32 secs, with Kgosi Tsosane (38:03) and Xolisa Tyali (38:09) finishing second and third respectively.

By the start of the second lap, eight competitors were jostling for supremacy upfront, but Mokoka broke away superbly on the final lap to secure victory. “The two hills on the back section of the race route really made things tough out there but I am glad to get the win,” said Mokoka, who won the SA 10km championship title in Paarl last month.

Malawian Mirriam Thole moved away from Central Gauteng’s Lebogang Phalula with two kilometres of the senior women’s 8km race remaining, and broke the tape in 29:05. Phalula came second in 29:39 with her twin sister Lebogang third in 30:01.

South African Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – Ashley Johnson: Source – www.blog.fscheetahs.co.za
Photo – Hendro Scholtz: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Ashraf Hendricks: Source – www.kickoff.com
Photo – Aubrey Mathiba: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Davey Jacobs: Source – www.cricinfo.com
Photo – Rusty Theron: Source – www.chevroletwarriors.co.za
Photo – Bongani Mwelase: Source – www.sundayworld.co.za
Photo – Stephen Mokoka: Source – www.mzungofire.blogspot.com

Morne Steyn

Morne’s brilliant boot fails to save Boks
A long range penalty from fullback Kurtley Beale late in the game enabled Australia to record a narrow 41–39 over South Africa in their penultimate Vodacom Tri-Nations fixture at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday. In a nailbiting affair which saw the Springboks claw their way back into the match after trailing 31–13 at the break, it was Beale who held his nerve under pressure to slot the winning kick and earn his side their first win on the highveld since 1963.

Just as was the case at Loftus Versfeld a week ago the Aussies raced into an early lead scoring four converted tries and a penalty while the Boks could only muster two penalties from kicking maestro Morne Steyn (pictured right) in reply. Trailing 31–6 just minutes before half-time it seemed as though the Boks were dead and buried, but a moment of brilliance from veteran lock Victor Matfield set the stage for an unbelievable second half fight back.

Matfield scooped up the ball from loose play, chipped over the top of the advancing Wallaby defensive lines and then gathered the kick before off loading to centre Jacque Fourie who dotted down for a much needed try. Steyn made no mistake with the conversion and although the Boks were still a long way behind, one sensed that Matfield’s magical moment could well be the catalyst to spark the South Africans into action.

And indeed, this proved to be the case as the Boks came out firing on all cylinders after the re-start, forcing the Aussies onto the back foot and sending them into panic mode. The opening try of the Bok comeback came five minutes into the second half after a series of strong drives paved the way for hardworking prop Gurthro Steenkamp (pictured) to barge his way over the line.

Gurthro Steenkamp

Steyn made no mistake with the conversion and when the kicking ace slotted his third penalty a few minutes later to reduce the deficit to eight points (31–23), the Boks were back in contention. The Bok supporters, who up until that point had been stunned into silence, began to once again cheer for their team and the men in green responded by launching wave after wave of attacks on the Wallaby defensive line.

The constant pressure forced the Aussies into making a slew of mistakes as they dropped passes, failed to find touch and even, on one occasion, passed the ball over the dead-ball line. With the Boks being awarded a five-metre scrum as a result of the latter mistake, inside centre Jean de Villiers was able to smash his way through a host of defenders to score under the posts.

Steyn’s conversion meant the Boks were only one-point adrift with 26 minutes to go and with the momentum clearly in their favour, it seemed as though the Boks were on the road to victory. Steyn then put the Boks in front for the first time in the match when he slotted a long range penalty and with 19 minutes to go the Wallabies looked to be fading fast.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Steyn kicked yet another penalty after replacement hooker Saia Fainga’a was sin-binned for dangerous play. The Boks were now five points ahead with just 11 minutes left and with the Aussies down to 14 men a home win seemed almost inevitable. However, Aussie winger Drew Mitchell set a cat among the pigeons when he went over between the posts after holding onto a clever inside pass from flyhalf Quade Cooper who, just as he has done all season, continued to trouble the Bok defense with his wizardry.

Mitchell’s try, which was converted by centre Matt Giteau, put the Aussies two points in front but a subsequent moment of madness looked for all the world to have cost them the game. It was Beale who was the culprit, a pass from a teammate striking his head and bouncing forward into the hands of a Bok player, and the resultant pressure earned the home side a penalty.

Steyn was his usual ice cool self as he bisected the uprights from the right touchline to put the Boks back in front by a single point. With just three minutes to go all the Boks had to do to secure victory was wind down the clock, and for about two and a half minutes they did just that as they retained possession near the halfway line.

However, with just seconds remaining replacement lock Flip van der Merwe tried to seal the ball off illegally, referee Wayne Barnes correctly penalised him, and Australia had a choice – kick for the posts, which were 50 metres away and at an angle, or set up the lineout. Aussie skipper Rocky Elsom decided to go for posts, entrusting the beleagured Beale with the long range effort.

If ever there was a chance for redemption this was it, and Beale proved up to the task when he cooly slotted the difficult kick to give the Wallabies the win. Truth be told the Boks simply didn’t deserve to win the match and in the end the result was an accurate reflection of not only the match, but the Boks’ entire Tri-Nations campaign.

John Smit

To compete effectively in top-flight international rugby you have to play for the full 80 minutes – something the Boks did not do in this match nor in any other of the Tri-Nations games they have played. The South Africans must surely realise by now that passion and the boot of Steyn is not enough to win games at this level. The reality is that they have a ton of work to do if they hope to retain their title at next year’s World Cup in New Zealand – something that Bok skipper John Smit (pictured) is acutely aware of.

“We’ve had a poor Tri-Nations, and we know that we have much work to do in the months to come as we get ready for the World Cup,” was all a sombre Smit could muster during the post match interviews. Indeed, the Boks have a mountain to climb ahead of rugby’s 2011 showpiece and one wonders if they have what it takes to bounce back after finishing last in this year’s Tri-Nations competition.

Scorers
Australia 41 – Tries: Kurtley Beale, James O`Connor, Stephen Moore, Rocky Elsom, Drew Mitchell.
Conversions: Matt Giteau (4), O`Connor.
Penalties: Giteau, Kurtley Beale.
South Africa 39 – Tries: Jaque Fourie, Gurthro Steenkamp, Jean de Villiers.
Conversions: Morne Steyn (3).
Penalties: Steyn (6).

Tri-Nations log
Pos      Team                Pts
1.         New Zealand      23
2.         Australia            10
3.         South Africa       7

Katlego Mphela

Bafana cruise past Niger in Cup opener
Bafana Bafana recorded a comfortable 2–0 victory over a hopelessly outclassed Niger outfit in their opening 2012 African Nations Cup Group G qualifier at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday night. So dominate were the South Africans that they could have won the match by at least six goals had they not squandered numerous chances in front of goal.

Bafana’s lack of killer instinct must have been of some concern to head coach Pitso Mosimane although Carlos Alberto Parreira’s successor will undoubtedly be happy with the three points his team earned for their win and the clean sheet kept by goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

Bafana made their intentions clear from the kick-off when Siphiwe Tshabalala had a goal-bound shot deflected for a corner in the second minute. A minute later Niger ‘keeper Losseiny Dounbia Issa did well to deny Katlego Mphela (pictured) the opening goal.

However, the agile Issa could not prevent Mphela scoring his 18th international goal in the 12th minute when the striker was set up by Steven Pienaar who split the defence with a clever ball that Mphela chipped over the advancing ‘keeper’s head. Niger striker Maazou Moussa tested Khune with a rasping 20-metre shot in the 17th minute, but the Bafana ‘keeper comfortably dealt with the threat.

Mphela nearly scored a second goal in the 20th minute but was thwarted by Niger defender Mohamed Chicoto who made a great tackle just as the Bafana striker was lining up his shot. Roared on by the 40 000 strong crowd, Bafana continued to swarm forward and Tshabalala should have made it 2–0 on 25 minutes when he missed a sitter from close range.

Bernard Parker

Issa continued to keep Niger in the game when he pulled off a point-blank save in the 38th minute from Mphela, but the pressure paid off in the referee’s optional time when Dutch-based striker Bernard Parker (pictured) volleyed an Anele Ngconca cross straight into the back of the net. Ngconca nearly made it 3–0 in the last minute of injury time but his sizzling shot flew over the crossbar.

Bafana continued to squander chances in the second half when first, Parker tamely shot at Issa in the 54th and 55th minutes and then Tshabalala blasted the ball over the crossbar from close range three minutes later. With Niger now on the rack and seemingly at Bafana’s mercy, the South Africans could have won by a rugby score but continued to waste chances – some of which would have embarrased a schoolboy side.

However, poor finishing aside, Bafana were able to pick up three points and get their campaign off to a winning start with the added bonus of not conceding a goal. Of course, only time will tell if the experience Bafana gained at the World Cup will translate into consistently positive results on the ground, but on the whole things are looking up for the 66th ranked South Africans who, prior to the 2010 global showpiece, were ranked just 83rd in the world.

Meanwhile, the second round of the Absa Premiership gets underway tomorrow with a host of fixtures being played all over the country. Log leaders Bidvest Wits face an interesting test against Santos while second placed Ajax Cape Town travel to the Dobsonville Stadium to tackle the always dangerous Moroka Swallows in a match that is likely to produce fireworks.

Fixtures
Tomorrow
Arrows vs Vasco da Gama – Chatsworth Stadium – 3pm
Platinum Stars vs Sundowns – Royal Bafokeng Stadium – 7.30pm
Celtic vs AmaZulu – Seisa Ramabodu Stadium – 7.30pm
SuperSport vs Aces – Super Stadium – 7.30pm
Santos vs Wits – Athlone Stadium – 7.30pm
Swallows vs Ajax – Dobsonville Stadium – 8pm
Pirates vs FS Stars – Orlando Stadium – 8pm
Maritzburg vs Chiefs – Harry Gwala Stadium – 8.30pm

Jacques Louis Potgieter

Bulls stun Sharks with second half surge
A superb-second half performance from defending champions the Vodacom Blue Bulls earned them a much needed 40–34 win over log leaders the Sharks in their Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday evening. With the home side trailing 24–13 at the break, it seemed as though they were destined for their fifth defeat of the competition, but all that changed after the interval when Bulls coach Frans Ludeke wrung the changes.

The first half belonged to the Sharks as they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and adopted a fast-paced game that threatened to overwhelm their opponents. Wing Lwazi Mvovo opened the scoring for the visitors after just seven minutes when he took an inside ball from fullback Monty Dumond to burst through two attempted tackles before going over in the right-hand corner for his eighth try of the season.

Flyhalf Patrick Lambie missed the conversion but slotted a penalty shortly thereafter to ease the Sharks into an 8–0 lead after 10 minutes. The Bulls struck back quickly when lock Juandre Kruger latched onto a pass from outside centre Jaco Pretorius to crash over for a converted try.

Lambie and his opposite number Jacques Louis Potgieter (pictured) then exchanged penalties but the Sharks were playing some entertaining rugby and as the first quarter came to an end, the visitors scored their second try when outside centre Stefan Terblanche dived over from close range. Lambie then slotted his third penalty as the Sharks increased their lead to 21–10.

The Bulls had managed to keep themselves in the match courtesy of some superb scrambling defence and Potgieter reduced the gap to just eight points with a penalty after 33 minutes. However, the visitors extended their lead once again when Lambie kicked another penalty after the half-time hooter had sounded.

With the Bulls trailing by 11 points at the interval they needed to come up with a plan to get back into the match and Ludeke’s decision to wring the changes proved to be the answer. The Bulls substitutes made a telling impact as the homeside scored 20 unanswered points in 11 minutes in the second stanza before Lambie succeeded with a penalty in the 64th minute to stem the tide.

Potgieter iniated the Bulls’ points spree when he kicked a long range penalty in the 50th minute. Scrumhalf Ruan Snyman then got among the scorers when he broke clear from a ruck to dot down from five metres out and with Potgieter adding the conversion the Bulls were now just a single point adrift.

Jaco Engels

Burly replacement prop Jaco Engels (pictured left) breached the Sharks’ defences for a fourth time with a wonderful solo effort after he took a pass just outside the visitors’ 22. Demonstrating the agility and skill of a centre Engels burst through a gap before swerving past the last defender to score a memorable try. Potgieter added the conversion and another penalty as the Bulls increased their lead to 33–24 before Lambie’s penalty.

The home side wrapped up proceedings with just over 10 minutes to play when inside centre Wynand Olivier  intercepted a flat pass from replacement scrumhalf Rory Kockott to go over for a converted try. There was some consolation for the visitors when lock Alistair Hargreaves stretched over to score eight minutes from time to secure his team a bonus point for finishing within seven points.

Despite their loss, only their second of the season, the Sharks remain atop the Currie Cup standings on 36 points while the Bulls moved to fourth with 28 points. The men from Pretoria travel to Bloemfontein to take on the Cheetahs in their next outing while the Sharks face a potential banana skin in the form of the resurgent Pumas who followed up their shock win over the Bulls last weekend with a win over the Leopards on Friday.

Scorers
Bulls 40 – Tries: Juandre Kruger, Ruan Snyman, Jaco Engels, Wynand Olivier. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3), Zane Kirchner. Penalties: Potgieter (4).
Sharks 34 – Tries: Lwazi Mvovo, Stefan Terblanche, Alistair Hargreaves. Conversions: Patrick Lambie (2). Penalties: Lambie (5).

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Pumas 27 – Leopards 26 – Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Cheetahs 33 – Griquas 28 – GWK Park, Kimberley
Lions 46 – Western Province 28 – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Western Province vs Leopards – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Pumas vs Sharks – Puma Stadium, Witbank – 7.10pm
Saturday
Lions vs Griquas – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg – 3pm
Cheetahs vs Bulls – Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein – 5.05pm

Currie Cup log (After nine games)
Pos  Team      Pts
1.    Sharks      36
2.    WP           28
3.    Cheetahs  28
4.    Bulls         28
5.    Lions        25
6.    Griquas     24
7.    Pumas      17
8.    Leopards   5

Thabo stays undefeated
Thabo Sonjica kept his unbeaten record when he halted John ‘Sweat Pea’ Gicharu inside four rounds in a junior featherweight contest in East London on Sunday afternoon. Sonjica, who hails from nearby Duncan Village, won the bout at the Orient Theatre when referee Lulama Mtya called a halt to proceedings 2 min, 31 secs into the round.

Sonjica, a southpaw, chased Gicharu around the ring for the majority of the fight, taking advanatge of the Kenyan’s porous defence to land some hurtful blows. Although he was cut over the left eye in the second round Sonjica (54.75 kg) still managed to back Gicharu (55.30 kg) up, battering him with right and left hands to the head until Mtya had no option but to intervene. The local fighter improved to 7–0 (5 KO’s) with the win while Gicharu slid to
13–8-1 (6 KO’s).

Other results from the Orient Theatre
Bongani Mfundisi W6 Luyanda Nkwankwa (mini flyweights)
Luzuko Siyo TKO 6 Siswe Qwemeshe (junior flyweights)
Ntobeko Duma D6 Mfusi Maxhayi (bantamweights)
Thabo Sishwane TKO 4 Linda Petse (bantamweights)
Xolisani Ndongeni TKO 2 Lulama Titise (featherweights)
Phumlani Mdlokolo TKO 2  Xolani Gellem (welterweights)

Meanwhile, in other fight action, this time from the Turfontein Racecourse in Johannesburg, Betuel ‘Tyson’ Ushona halted Pius ‘Mr Hercules’ Dipheko in the seventh round of their welterweight fight on Friday night. The well-schooled Namibian was impressive in beating his South African opponent in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

Ushona (66.30kg) dropped Dipheko with an unintentional low blow in the fourth round and began scoring with quick left-right combinations soon afterwards. The visitor also dominated the action in the sixth round and midway through the seventh he unleashed a flurry of blows to Dipheko’s head.

Dipheko (66.40kg) staggered across the ring before sinking to his knees prompting referee Phillip du Randt to call a halt to proceedings at 1:45 of the round. Ushona upped his record to 22–0 (8 KO’s) while Dipheko fell to 9–10-5 (2 KO’s).

Other results from Turfontein
Oscar Chauke TKO 1 Gotlieb Ndokofho (featherweights)
Kyle Bothma W6 Jeremiah Joshua (junior welterweights)
Rudolph Venter TKO 5 Rudy Bruwer (light-heavyweights)
Ryno Liebenburg TKO 1 Fikile Nyalungu (light-heavyweights)
Danie Venter W6 Sting Gonorenda (heavyweights)

Mzonke Fana

The much anticipated clash between local rivals Mzonke Fana (pictured) and Cassius Baloyi proved to be something of a let down for the fans with Fana recording a lopsided decision over the ‘Hit Man’ at Carnival City in Brakpan on Wednesday night.

‘The Rose of Khayelitsha’ as Fana is known, dominated the action as he battered fellow veteran Baloyi from pillar to post throughout the 12-rounds. In fact, referee Deon Dwarte should have halted the contest rather than allowing it to go the distance as Baloyi was never in the fight.

The ‘Hit Man’ said that he would take a long break from the sport to ponder his future, but after suffering such a decisive defeat, he will be wise to pull down the curtain on a glittering career, which saw him win numerous world titles in a number of different weight classes. Fana, who began punching for pay in 1994, has now revitalised his career after losing to Baloyi on points in April 2008.

Other results from Carnival City
Katsunami Takayama TKO 6 Tshepo Lefele (IBF mini-flyweight title eliminator)
Moruti Mthlane TKO 5 Zolani Tete (IBF flyweight title)
Takalani Ndlovu W12 Jeffrey Mathebula (IBF junior featherweight title eliminator)

South African Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – Morne Steyn: Source – www.dailymail.co.uk
Photo – Gurthro Steenkamp: Source – www.bowlphilosophy.wordpress.com
Photo – John Smit: Source – www.dailymail.co.uk
Photo – Katlego Mphela: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Bernard Parker: Source – www.topicsbase.com
Photo – Jacques Louis Potgieter: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Jaco Engels: Source – www.bochasyguindas.blogspot.com
Photo – Wynand Olivier: Source – www.smh.com.au
Photo – Mzonke Fana: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Cassius Baloyi: Source – www.boxeohoy.blogspot.com

Chiliboy Ralepelle

Shaky Boks prevail in nine-try thriller
The Springboks fought back from a four-point deficit at half time to defeat Australia 44–31 in a tense Vodacom Tri-Nations encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night. The Boks were pushed all the way by the Wallabies in an entertaining match which yielded nine tries – five of them going to the men in green.

Right-wing JP Pietersen sealed victory for the Boks with a well-taken try after the Wallabies were only six points adrift with just a few minutes left to play. The win was the first for John Smit’s outfit in this year’s Tri-Nations and also ended the Springbok centurion curse, with lock Victor Matfield becoming the first Bok to win in his 100th Test – after Percy Montgomery and Smit lost in their centenary Tests.

However, it was by no means a convincing performance from the World champions who were shaky on defence and, just as with the All Blacks the previous weekend, faded badly in the last quarter. In fact, had coach Peter de Villiers not decided to bring on Chiliboy Ralepelle (pictured right) to replace a rapidly tiring Smit, the Boks could easily have lost this match. Replacement hooker Ralepelle joined the fray on the hour and quickly made two crucial turn-overs to stem the Wallaby tide when it just seemed to be gaining momentum. It was a clever move by De Villiers and one wonders what would have happened had he made use of the same option a week before.

The Wallabies started like a house on fire going 14–0 up after just six minutes. Converted tries from scrumhalf Will Genia and wing James O’Connor stunned the Boks who must have wondered what had hit them. Bok flanker Juan Smith took advantage of some poor Wallaby defending to score under the posts but the Boks quickly went further behind when wing Bryan Habana fumbled the restart, and O’Connor was able to coast through for his second try of the evening.

Hulking prop Gurthro Steenkamp then scored a second try for the Boks when he smashed his way through a host of defenders only for Habana to cancel out his team-mate’s good work with another defensive blunder. The Bok No 11 was caught in possession under his own posts, a penalty was awarded and a quick take saw Dean Mumm canter over for another Aussie try on 28 minutes.

Francois Hougaard

With the Wallabies now 28–17 up the Boks were in danger of being overwhelmed, but a multi-phase movement eventually saw scrumhalf Francois Hougaard (pictured) create enough space for muscular eighthman Pierre Spies to dot down under the posts. That brought the Boks back to within four points (28–24) at the interval.

The men in green then built on the momentum created by Spies’ try when burly fullback Frans Steyn dotted down in the far right hand corner shortly after the re-start. Bok flyhalf Morne Steyn and Aussie counterpart Matt Giteau then exchanged penalties to make it 34–31 to the Boks just on the hour.

Then came the frenetic last quarter where the Wallabies threw everything they had at their foes only to be thwarted by some excellent, if not desperate defending. The lively Hougaard, who always gives one hundred and ten percent on the field, was particularly outstanding in this regard.

The diminutive No 9 produced arguably the best cover tackle of the day when he stopped Adam Ashley-Cooper dead in his tracks just as the big Aussie centre was about to score what would have likely been a match winning try. Hougaard then sealed the Wallabies’ fate when he engineered Pietersen’s clinching try to give the Boks a flattering victory margin of 13 points.

Truth be told it was an unconvincing performance by the Boks who were only able to take the lead after 51 minutes when Frans Steyn scored his try. The South Africans were outplayed for large periods of the match and had the Aussies showed more committment on defence, they could easily have won Saturday’s game by a comfortable margin.

The Boks face the Wallabies again in their final Tri-Nations encounter at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The Aussies have not beaten the Boks on the Highveld since 1963 and will be eager to turn the tables on their foes.

A Wallaby win is certainly not improbable given Saturday’s shaky performance from the Boks and Rocky Elsom’s outfit will certainly be confident of exacting revenge for a defeat that was largely of their own making. The match kicks-off at 5pm.

Scorers
South Africa – Tries: Juan Smith, Gurthro Steenkamp, Pierre Spies, Frans Steyn and JP Pietersen. Conversions: Morne Steyn (4) and Butch James. Penalties: Morne Steyn (2) and Frans Steyn.
Australia – Tries: Will Genia, James O’Connor (2) and Dean Mumm. Conversions: Matt Giteau (4). Penalty: Giteau.

Tri-Nations log
Pos      Team                Pts
1.         New Zealand      23
2.         South Africa       6
3.         Australia            5

Elgar Watts

Four-try Pumas shock Bulls
The 2010 Absa Currie Cup season is not proving to be a happy one for defending champions the Vodacom Blue Bulls. The men in blue suffered their fourth defeat from eight starts when they went down 22–21 to an unfancied Barloworld Toyota Pumas oufit at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday evening.

It was a memorable victory for the home side who had only managed to win one of seven games prior to taking the field on Friday.  The Pumas, playing in front of a 20 000-strong crowd, outscored the Bulls by four tries to two in the first-ever rugby match played at the Fifa World Cup venue.

The Pumas started strongly, getting the best of the opening exchanges and were rewarded for their efforts when eighthman Doppies le Roux crashed over the tryline after just three minutes of action. Flyhalf Elgar Watts (pictured) missed the conversion but made amends with a brilliant solo try just minutes later when he sprinted in from all of 50 metres.

With the Pumas 10–0 up and brimming with confidence the Bulls were up against it, but they slowly began to fight their way back into the match when flyhalf Francois Brummer kicked a 20th minute penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points. Visiting prop Dean Greyling then barged over the line for a try seven minutes later before another Brummer penalty put the Bulls in front on 35 minutes.

Brummer missed two further penalty attempts in the 39th and 41st minutes that would have given his side a useful six-point lead at the break, but the Bulls were still able to go into the interval 11–10 ahead. The visitors must have felt they had turned the tide with their late first half fightback and would have been even further encouraged when eighthman Dewald Potgieter crashed over for a converted try just seven minutes after the restart.

However, despite being 18–10 down the Pumas will still very much in the game, showing a lot of flair on attack. Replacement back Ashwin Scott scored the home side’s third try when he dived over in the right-hand corner after 53 minutes to reduce the deficit to three points. Watts added the conversion to make it 18–17 to the visitors with 25 minutes to go.

Replacement flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter then extended the Bulls’ lead with a 58th-minute penalty before the Pumas went back in front through centre Tiaan Meyer who powered his way over for a try after 64 minutes. The Bulls tried desperately to get back in front, but the Pumas, spurred on by their home fans, held on for a memorable victory.

Hannes Franklin

“We can see ourselves settling down in Nelspruit,” said a thrilled Pumas captain Hannes Franklin (pictured left)after the match. “Well done to the whole team,” he added. It was indeed a most surprising victory for the newly promoted Pumas who exacted revenge for a 38–15 defeat to the Bulls in their opening match of the competition.

Scorers
Pumas 22 – Tries: Doppies le Roux, Elgar Watts, Ashwin Scott and Tiaan Meyer. Conversion: Watts.
Blue Bulls 21 – Tries: Dean Greyling, Dewald Potgieter. Conversion: Jacques-Louis Potgieter. Penalties: Francois Brummer (2), Potgieter.

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Lions 45 – Leopards 22 – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Sharks 48 – Griquas 30 – The Absa Stadium, Durban
Cheetahs 29 – Western Province 24 – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Leopards vs Pumas – Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Griquas vs Cheetahs – GWK Park, Kimberley – 7pm
Lions vs Western Province – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg – 7.10pm
Bulls vs Sharks – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 7.10pm

Currie Cup log (After eight games)
Pos  Team      Pts
1.    Sharks       35
2.    WP            28
3.    Cheetahs   24
4.    Bulls          24
5.    Griquas      23
6.    Lions         20
7.    Pumas       12
8.    Leopards     4

Ayanda Dlamini

Dlamini’s brace sinks Maritzburg
Two goals from Ayanda Dlamini (pictured) helped AmaZulu to a narrow 3–2 victory over KwaZulu-Natal rivals Maritzburg United in their opening 2010/11 Absa Premiership fixture at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Sunday afternoon. Dlamini scored his second goal in extra time to secure victory for Usuthu who were pushed all the way by The Team of Choice.

In an action packed affair that was a brilliant display of how football can be played in South Africa, United will be bitterly disappointed with the loss after twice coming from behind to draw level in the match. AmaZulu quickly took the lead when Dlamini scoring his first goal after 13 minutes with an excellent glancing header following a free-kick by Ntokozo Sikhakhane from the left. Undeterred, Martizburg soon found an equaliser when Rudolph Bester tapped in from close range after Mbongeni Mzimela failed to clear a Kurt Lentjies’ free-kick into the area.

Usuthu went back in front in the 38th minute when debutant Lehlohonolo Majoro headed home powerfully following a well-placed cross by Sikhakhane from the right. With United a goal behind at the interval Amazulu must have been pretty chuffed with themselves, but all that changed when Siphiwe Mkhonza scored an own goal just seven minutes after the restart.

Mkhonza, with hardly any pressure on him, lobbed the ball back to his own goalkeeper from about 30 yards out, but completely misjudged the pass to find the back of his own net. Thereafter both teams vigouriously went in seach of the equaliser and it was Dlamini who came up with the goods in stoppage time with a curling shot that United goalkeeper Shu-aib Walters was unable to keep out.

Usuthu’s next PSL fixture is against Bloemfontein Celtic at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium next Wednesday evening. Celtic lost their opening game when they went down 2–0 to Ajax Cape Town on Friday evening and will have their work cut out for them against the confident KwaZulu-Natalians. United are at home to Kaizer Chiefs in their next outing and are likely to be in for a tough time against the Amakhosi who outclassed Moroka Swallows 2–0 on Saturday.

Other PSL results (From left to right)
Friday
Orlando Pirates 2 – Vasco Da Gama 1 – Cape Town Stadium
Saturday
Wits University 3 – SuperSport United 0 – Bidvest Stadium
Free State Stars 0 – Santos 0 – Charles Mopeli Stadium
Mamelodi Sundowns 2 – Moroka Swallows 0 – HM Pitje Stadium
Sunday
Black Aces 2 – Platinum Stars 3 – Puma Rugby Stadium

Aaron Mokoena

Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana face a tricky test when they take on a relatively unknown Niger outfit in a crucial 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday night. After defeating France and Ghana in their last two outings the South Africans will fancy their chances of beating the West African minnows, although Bafana skipper Aaron Mokoena (pictured) cautioned against overconfidence.

“We cannot afford to underestimate Niger. They pose a whole lot of new challenges for us and it will be a whole new ball game playing them after the World Cup and Ghana,” Mokoena explained. “We are looking at the bigger picture and that is to qualify for the 2012 Afcon (in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea). Our campaign starts against Niger and we have to secure three points,” he added.

“I am still in the dark about what to expect from Niger, but it is a win at all costs game for us,” said Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane. “The good thing is I have my players in camp early and we will be ready. I do not care how we win as long as we get three points,” he added. Mosimane said the experience Bafana gained in the World Cup will stand them in good stead in a tough qualifying group that includes African champions Egypt and Sierra Leone. “We have learnt a lot from the World Cup, the players have benefitted and now we need to take that experience into the Afcon qualifiers,” said the coach. Saturday’s match kicks-off at 8.30pm.

Moruti Mthalane

Boxing bonanza in Brakpan set to excite fans
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight belt will be up for grabs at Carnival City near Brakpan tomorrow night when South African veterans Cassius ‘Mr Shy Guy’ Baloyi and Mzonke ‘The Rose of Khayelitsha’ Fana duke it out for the vacant title over 12 rounds.

The 35-year-old Baloyi, who is gunning for an unprecedented seventh world title belt, has won 37 bouts (19 by knockout), losing four and drawing one in an illustrious career that stretches all the way back to 1994. Fana, 37, is a former holder of the belt and has already shared a ring with Baloyi, dropping a 12-round majority decision to his rival in April 2008.

In that bout Fana (29–4; 12 KO’s), allowed Baloyi to take an early lead but rallied in the later rounds to lose by scores of 117–111, 116–112 and 114–114. Baloyi later lost the title to fellow South African Malcolm Klassen, who in turn lost it to Robert Guerrero, who then relinquished the belt. Even though both fighters are in the twilight of their careers they are still in top condition and a thrilling battle is expected between the two ring veterans.

In another all-South African clash, 27-year-old Moruti Mthalane (pictured) makes the first defence of his IBF flyweight crown against 22-year-old Zolani Tete (13–0; 11 KO’s). Tete, a southpaw, once held the lightly regarded World Boxing Federation (WBF) belt and earned his shot at the IBF title by outpointing Richard Garcia of the Philipines in February this year.

However, Garcia could be described as ordinary at best and Tete will have to lift his game considerably if he is to entertain any hopes of victory against the accomplished Mthalane (25–2; 16 KO’s). ‘Babyface’ as Mthalane is known is one of South Africa’s best pound for pound fighters and captured the IBF crown by comfortably outpointing tough Mexican Julio Cesar Miranda in Johannesburg last year.

Takalani Ndlovu

In another IBF title eliminator featuring two South Africans, this time for the junior featherweight belt, former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior featherweight champion Takalani ‘Panther’ Ndlovu (pictured) squares off against Jeffrey ‘Mongoose’ Mathebula (23–2-2; 13 KO’s). The taller Mathebula will have his work cut out for him against the more experienced Ndlovu (30–6; 18 KO’s) who has been punching for pay since April 1999.

In the fourth high profile fight on the Branco Sports Productions bill, South African minimumweight champion Tshepo Lefele (16–4; 10 KO’s) faces a stern test in the form of ex-World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayama (23–4; 9 KO’s) of Japan. The winner will earn the right to challenge IBF minimumweight champion Nkosinathi Joyi of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Gauteng veteran Pius Dipheko tackles unbeaten Namibian Bethuel Ushona in a nine-bout tournament at the Turfontein Racecourse in Johannesburg on Friday night. Dipheko, from Kagiso, faces Ushona in a lightweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

Former Olympian and South African junior heavyweight champion Danie Venter will take on Norman Slabani in a heavyweight contest scheduled for six rounds while former South African and World Boxing Foundation junior featherweight champion Oscar Chauke squares off against another Namibian, Abraham Ndaendapo.

Other bouts
Kyle Bothma vs Jeremiah Joshua – junior welterweights (6 rounds)
Rudolph Venter vs Rudy Bruwer – light-heavyweights (6 rounds)
Sting Gundarela vs Ronnie Lategan – light-heavyweights (6 rounds)

Irvette van Blerk

Irvette makes it a double
National champion Irvette van Blerk (pictured) was in scintilating form over the weekend winning the back-to-back Spar Women’s 10km Challenge and pocketing R20 000 for her efforts. The 23-year-old, who captured the South African title over the same distance in Paarl two weeks ago, set a blistering pace from the outset in both races to simply blow away the competition.

Van Blerk won the Centurion race by more than half a minute in 34 min, 26 secs on Saturday and claimed victory in the Durban event the following day with an even better time. Commenting on her tactics in the Centurion event Van Blerk said she had not planned to push the pace in the early stages, but took advantage of her strength on the hills on the tough new route.

“It’s not an easy course, but I’m glad it was hilly. I think it helped me a lot.  It was hot out there, but I felt good so I decided to go for it,” explained Van Blerk. Zimbabweans Rutendo Nyhora (34:59) and Sharon Tavengwa (35:08) were second and third respectively while South Africa’s leading middle distance track athlete, Rene Kalmer, finished a disappointing eighth in 37:08.

Van Blerk picked up where she left off on Saturday when she showed the field a clean pair of heels to break the tape in 33:45 in Durban with Zintle Xiniwe (34:48) second and Poppy Mlambo, who missed the start of Saturday’s race due to a taxi accident, third in 35:06. Kalmer had another disappointing run, managing only 37:03 for 10th place.

Meanwhile, world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya clocked a season’s best of 1 min, 59.65 secs, to finish third on her Diamond League debut in Brussels on Friday. “One minute 57 would be a good time for this year,” the 19-year-old South African told reporters after suffering her first defeat of the season. “I will be better with more races so I can run faster. No competition, no run fast,” she added with a smile.

Juan van Deventer

Included in South Africa’s squad for October’s Commonwealth Games Semenya took the cautious approach in Brussels, running the first lap at the back of the pack. She advanced up the field on the outside in the final 200, but could not catch former world champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya and European gold medallist Mariya Savinova, who was second. “I wasn’t expecting to run fast like that. I’m happy with the time,” said Semenya.

Olympic finalist Juan van Deventer (pictured) also recorded a season’s best in the men’s 1 500m race at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rieti, Italy, on Sunday. The 27-year-old was only 0.22 seconds short of the personal best he set in New York 15 months ago, clocking 3:34.52 to finish ninth in a field of 13. Kenyan Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop won in 3:31.78, just ahead of countryman Silas Kiplagat who clocked 3:31.97.

South African Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – Chiliboy Ralepelle: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Francois Hougaard: Source – www.images.xoila.com
Photo – Elgar Watts: Source – www.bochasyguindas.blogspot.com
Photo – Hannes Franklin: Source – www.daylife.com
Photo – Ayanda Dlamini: Source – www.daylife.com
Photo – Aaron Mokoena: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Moruti Mthalane: Source – www.blogs.dispatch.co.za
Photo – Takalani Ndlovu: Source – www.theboxingexaminer.com
Photo – Irvette van Blerk: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Juan van Devente: : Source – Gallo Images

John Smit

Late try burst sinks courageous Boks
Late tries from skipper Richie McCaw and wing Israel Dagg condemned South Africa to a heartbreaking 29–22 defeat against New Zealand at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday night. The All Blacks’ win secured them the 2010 Vodacom Tri-Nations title and sent the Springboks, who have not been able to win a match in the competition thus far, into the throes of depression.

With New Zealand trailing 22–17 with just two and a half minutes remaining it seemed as though the Boks were heading for victory, but sadly their defence just couldn’t hold out against a late onslought from the men in black. After a series of phases the All Blacks spun the ball down the line to an unmarked McCaw, and the rugged flanker was able to shrug off the attentions of Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers to squeeze in at the corner flag.

Flyhalf Dan Carter, who did not have a great outing with the boot, pushed the conversion wide and with just a minute remaining it looked as though the Boks were going to get a draw. However, instead of playing it safe and being content with a draw, the All Blacks probed for an opening and they found one when powerful centre Ma’a Nonu brushed off a tackle from exhausted Bok skipper John Smit (pictured) and raced towards the tryline.

With only Bok fullback Gio Aplon in front of him and Dagg on his outside, Nonu flung a pass to the jubilant winger who ran in the winning try. Dagg’s five pointer stunned the Bok supporters and a deathly silence fell upon the FNB Stadium. Carter slotted the conversion to complete the scoring while a gutted Smit, playing in his 100th Test match, could only look on and wonder where it all went wrong.

Although the 32-year-old Bok captain was devastated at missing that tackle on Nonu, truth be told it should not have necessarily led to the South Africans conceding a try. JP Pietersen, who was marking Dagg, had earlier showed signs of distress, and had clearly picked up an injury of some sort, but instead of being replaced, the tall winger was allowed to remain on the field.

The managerial blunder meant that Dagg was able to run away from the struggling Pietersen and collect the final pass from Nonu unchallenged. Had the Bok brains trust replaced Pietersen with the likes of Wynand Olivier, it is likely the try would have been prevented, denying the All Blacks victory and saving the Boks from an agonising defeat.

However, the New Zealanders must be given credit for their win against a much-improved Bok team that pressured them into a glut of mistakes. To come back like they did in front of 90000 Bok fans was a fantastic achievement, and it underlined that this All Black side has championship qualities.

The Boks played this game with a tremendous amount of pride and passion and were a different side to the shoddy and disorganised outfit that were thrased in New Zealand and Australia in the away leg of the competition. Yet this pride and passion was not enough to secure the Boks victory against a New Zealand team that has now won 14 Test matches on the trot.

To beat the All Blacks you have to play for the full 80 minutes and with many of the Bok players already gasping for air 25 minutes from the hooter, it was only sheer willpower that was keeping Smit’s men on their feet towards the end. In the end that willpower proved inadequate as the Boks, who led 16–14 at the break, faded badly in the closing minutes allowing the New Zealanders to surge to victory.

“I felt we had done enough to win, but my missed tackle and some silly mistakes, which gave them a couple of three pointers, cost us the match,” said a crestfallen Smit. The look of anguish on the Boks skipper’s face resembled that of a stockbroker who had just lost everything in a Wall Street crash and one could not help feeling sorry for the likeable hooker who played his heart out.

Peter de Villiers

Bok coach Peter de Villiers (pictured) did not put the blame for the defeat on his captain. “Two bad kicks and we were under pressure for the last couple of minutes. We also made a few bad decisions at key moments which cost us the game,” said De Villiers when asked to comment on where it went wrong for his side.

The Boks’ next Tri-Nations outing is against Australia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday and the men in green and gold will be bolstered by the return of fullback Frans Steyn and centre Jaque Fourie. Steyn has been released to play for the Boks by his French club side Racing Metro and arrived in the country over the weekend.

Fourie returns after serving a four week ban for a dangerous tackle in the Boks’ 30–13 defeat to the Wallabies in Brisbane last month. The 1.93m,
105 kg centre is always a force to be reckoned with in the midfield and is likely to replace Juan de Jongh at outside centre on Saturday. The match kicks off at 5pm.

Scorers
New Zealand 29 – Tries: Tony Woodcock, Richie McCaw, Israel Dagg. Conversion: Dan Carter. Penalties: Carter (4).
South Africa 22 – Try: Schalk Burger. Conversion: Morne Steyn. Penalties: Steyn (5).

Tri-Nations log
Pos      Team                Pts
1.         New Zealand      23
2.         Australia            4
3.         South Africa       1

Ryan Kankowski

Sharks down WP to take Currie Cup lead
Western Province suffered the first defeat of their 2010 Absa Currie Cup campaign when they went down 27–16 to the Sharks at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday evening. The win saw the KwaZulu-Natal outfit move to the top of the Currie Cup standings with 30 points from seven outings with WP in second spot on 27 – also from seven starts.

The home side ran in two tries to one in an excellent all-round display that bodes well for their championship aspirations. The hosts held a commanding 18-point lead in the second half before WP replacement flank Nick Koster crashed over in the closing seconds to provide a measure of respectability to the scoreline.

Sharks eighthman Ryan Kankowski (pictured) had an excellent match, scoring a try and being involved in another from flank Keegan Daniel. Hooker Bismarck Du Plessis, who was named man of the match, and prop Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira also featured prominently in the homeside’s win. Flyhalf Pat Lambie continues to improve with every game and the 19-year-old’s contribution of 14 points via four penalties and a conversion was invaluable.

The first 20 minutes belonged to the hosts as they dominated territory and possession but had only a Lambie penalty to show for their efforts. The Sharks were being frustrated by a WP defence that had only leaked six tries in six matches this season, and slowly but surely the visitors began to fight their way back into the match.

Flyhalf Willem de Waal was his usual dependable self with the boot as he slotted two penalties to give WP a 6–3 lead with only four minutes of the half remaining. However, a minute later the KwaZulu-Natalians engineered a superb try as Kankowski flung an inside pass to Daniel who scythed through the defence before feeding right wing Odwa Ndungane who strolled over the tryline untouched.

Lambie missed the conversion, but the home side had still taken a narrow 8–6 lead. A third penalty from De Waal on the hooter put WP back in front and set the stage for an intriguing second half.

The Sharks came out swinging after the interval and were rewarded for their positive approach when Kankowski held onto a pass from scrumhalf Charl McLeod five metres from WP’s tryline. The elusive No 8 then sidestepped his way through four defenders to score an excellent try that was converted by Lambie.

Stefan Terblanche

The prodigiously talented Sharks No 10 then nailed three successive penalties before veteran centre Stefan Terblanche (pictured) secured victory for the hosts with a 35m drop goal on 76 minutes. Koster’s late try was small consolation for WP who left Durban without scoring a single log point.

The Sharks host fourth placed Griquas on Friday and will have to face the diamond miners without the assistance of attacking fullback Louis Ludik who suffered a concussion in Saturday’s match. Griquas are the only side to have beaten the Sharks this season, surprising the KwaZulu-Natalians 40–34 in Kimberley early last month.

Since then the Sharks have reeled off six straight wins, beating the likes of the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions and WP and although they will start as firm favourites, they will be wise not to underestimate their opponents who ran the Bulls very close in Pretoria on Friday. Kick-off at the Absa Stadium is at 7.10pm.

Scorers
Sharks 27 – Tries: Odwa Ndungane, Ryan Kankowski. Conversion: Patrick Lambie. Penalties: Lambie (4). Drop goal: Stefan Terblanche.
WP 16 – Try: Nick Koster. Conversion: Lionel Cronje. Penalties: Willem de Waal (3).

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Bulls 39 – Griquas 38
Cheetahs 57 – Leopards 0
Lions 33 – Pumas 30

Upcoming fixtures
Friday, August 27
Lions vs Leopards – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg – 7pm
Pumas vs Bulls – Puma Stadium, Witbank – 5.10pm
Sharks vs Griquas – The Absa Stadium, Durban – 7.10pm
Saturday, August 28
Western Province vs Cheetahs – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town – 7.30pm

Currie Cup log (After seven games)
Pos  Team      Pts
1.    Sharks      30
2.    WP           27
3.    Bulls         22
4.    Griquas     22
5.    Cheetahs   20
6.    Lions         15
7.    Pumas       7
8.    Leopards    4

Daine Klate

Klate’s second half strike puts Bucs into semis
Orlando Pirates qualified for the semi-finals of the lucrative MTN8 competition when they defeated Santos 2–1 at Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon. New Pirates signing Daine Klate (pictured) scored the winner in the 62nd minute to put his side in the last four where they will join Kaizer Chiefs, Moroka Swallows and Ajax Cape Town.

The Buccaneers made a strong start to the game as they used the width of the pitch to attack down the flanks with Klate and Dikgan Mabalane looking really dangerous. The Soweto based oufit, dominating possession and controlling the midfield, almost scored in the seventh minute when Isaac Chansa (pictured) rose to meet a cross from Klate only to see his header go inches wide of the post.

Encouraged by their near success Pirates continued to press forward and were rewarded for their positive approach when Chansa scored an excellent goal in the 19th minute. The 26-year-old Zambian midfielder powered down the left flank before cutting inside and firing a rasping shot from just outside the
18-yard area that found the top right hand corner of the net.

Isaac Chansa

With the Buccaneers continuing to dominate the action it seemed highly unlikely that Santos would be able to score to get back in the match. However, football is a strange old game and a mistake by the Pirates defence allowed the People’s Team to net the equaliser in the 34th minute.

A careless pass by the Buccaneers gave away the ball to Santos who quickly launched a counter attack which left Jurie Basie surging towards the Pirates goal with only ‘keeper Moneeb Josephs to beat. Basie made no mistake by firing the ball past a despairing Josephs from about 12-yards out to make it 1–1. The goal seemed to lift the spirit’s of the People’s Team and they finished the half the stronger of the two sides.

Santos picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, but despite their dominance they were unable to create any clear chances on goal. Some poor defending from the People’s Team helped Pirates regain the lead as Klate scored what would prove to be the match winner.

Bafana Bafana international Teko Modise fired in a corner-kick that made its way across the face of goal and to Klate at the back post. The newly signed Pirates player took full advantage of the goal-scoring opportunity to blast the ball home from only a couple of yards out.

With the Buccaneers now 2–1 ahead their play seemed to improve, and they were able to easily retain possession. Denied the ball, Santos could not find the equaliser enabling Pirates to run out comfortable winners.

Other quarter-final results (From left to right)
Friday
Ajax Cape Town 1 – Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Ajax won 4–3 on penalties)
Saturday
Moroka Swallows 2 – SuperSport United 2 (Swallows won 4–3 on penalties)
Kaizer Chiefs 1 – Bloemfontein Celtic 0

The 2010/11 Absa Premiership competition gets underway this Friday when Pirates travel to Cape Town to take on newcomers Vasco. Kick-off at the Cape Town Stadium is at 6pm.

Other fixtures
Friday, August 27
Ajax Cape Town vs Bloemfontein Celtic – Cape Town Stadium – 8.45pm
Saturday, August 28
Wits University vs SuperSport United – Bidvest Stadium – 3pm
Free State Stars vs Santos – Charles Mopeli Stadium – 3pm
Kaizer Chiefs vs Golden Arrows – Rand Stadium – 8.15pm
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Moroka Swallows – HM Pitje Stadium – 8.15pm
Sunday, August 29
AmaZulu vs Maritzburg United – Moses Mabhida Stadium – 3pm
Black Aces vs Platinum Stars – Puma Rugby Stadium – 3pm

Bongani Khumalo

Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana player Bongani Khumalo (pictured) has reportedly flown to London for a one-week trial at English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur. The 23-year-old defender emerged as one of the country’s most promising stars during the Fifa 2010 World Cup and has already been touted as a potential future Bafana captain.

However, Khumalo is likely to face a number of obstacles in his quest to play abroad, most notably the strict British Embassy laws which are extremely particular about the number of caps, of a certain standard, that foreign players need to have in order to obtain a work permit.Nevertheless the younger defender must be relishing the opportunity to try out for one of the Premiership’s most prestigious clubs, and will no doubt give it his all in securing a berth in the Spurs set-up.

Botha is new Proteas T20 captain
Johan Botha (pictured right) has been appointed as the new captain of the Proteas’ Standard Bank Pro20 squad. The 28-year-old off-spin bowler and lower order batsmen succeeds Graeme Smith who relinquished the captainacy last week.

Johan Botha

“Johan was the unanimous choice of the Board and we have every confidence that he will do an excellent job leading up to the next edition of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2012,” remarked Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Gerald Majola.

“Johan has an excellent record as a leader,” commented selection convener Andrew Hudson. His appointment is part of the process of refreshing our Pro20 squad and also deciding whether to follow the route of having different captains for different formats of the game,” added Hudson.

Botha said he was looking forward to the challenge posed by the captaincy and was also humbled by the honour bestowed on him. “I really enjoyed the captaincy when I stood in for Graeme before and I am proud to be offered the job now. I am looking forward to working with such a special team,” commented the new captain. Botha’s appointment is for the Pro20 squad only. The captain to succeed Smith in the one day international (ODI) format will be announced at a later stage. The 29-year-old Smith will retain the ODI captaincy until the end of the ICC World Cup next year.

Dean Elgar

Meanwhile, Free State Eagles batsmen Dean Elgar (pictured) scored back to back centuries in the two-match, four-day series against Sri Lanka ‘A’ that finished last week, and is now a likely candidate for a Proteas call-up. The 23-year-old left hander made two centuries and two half-centuries in four innings while opening the batting for the South Africa ‘A’ side against their Sri Lankam counterparts.

Elgar has now scored seven centuries in his last year of first-class cricket and it is this kind of consistent form that is likely to earn him a berth in the Proteas lineup. His 431 runs easily made Elgar the leading runs scorer in the series against the Lankans with no player on either side managing to reach 300.

Caster’s back with a bang
World 800m champion Caster Semenya’s comeback continued to go according to plan when she cruised to a comfortable victory at the Istaf meeting in Berlin on Sunday. Semenya (pictured) won easily in 1:59.90 and improved  her season’s best by 2.51 seconds.

Caster Semenya

The 19-year-old South African was cleared to run against women by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last month and many pundits wondered if she could regain top form after an 11-month lay off.  Semanya’s time was more than four seconds off the 1:55.45 she clocked in winning the world title at the same Olympic Stadium a year ago, but it was good enough to prove she is still capable of challenging the best in the world.

Positioning herself near the back of the pack on the first lap, Semanya powered down the home stretch to finish ahead of Kenyan Cherono Koech who finished second in 2:00.40. "It feels good to be back in Berlin," Semenya said. "I did not think about everything that happened after my gold medal, I just concentrated on my race and my time. My goal was to run under two minutes and I achieved that,” she added.

It was a good day for 800m specialists in Berlin, with Kenyan ace David Rudisha clocking 1:41.09 to better the 13-year-old world record of 1:41.11 held by Denmark’s Kenyan born Wilson Kipketer. South African record holder Sunette Viljoen (pictured) came fourth in the women’s javelin with a throw of 60.66m.

Sunette Viljoen

Meanwhile, Jacques du Plessis earned South Africa’s second gold medal of the inaugural Youth Olympics on Saturday. Du Plessis’ throw of 63.94m was good enough to secure victory in the discuss event after swimmer Chad Le Clos’ earlier gold.

Gauteng North’s Ruan Greyling took second place in the boy’s 400m final clocking a personal best of 47.22 secs for his silver. South Africa now has nine medals at the Singapore event – two gold, five silver, and two bronze.

Photo Credits:
Photo – Stefan Terblanche: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Daine Klate: Source – www.championsleague.mtnfootball.com
Photo – Isaac Chansa: Source – www.zambianfootball.net
Photo – Bongani Khumalo: Source – www.teamtalk.co.za
Photo – Johan Botha: Source – www.telegraph.co.uk
Photo – Dean Elgar: Source – www.cricinfo.com
Photo – Caster Semenya: Source – www.majimbokenya.com
Photo – Sunette Viljoen: Source – www.daylife.com

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Willem de Waal

Willem’s boot puts WP back on top
Western Province moved back to top spot on the Currie Cup log when they narrowly defeated the Blue Bulls 15–12 in front of a packed Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday evening. WP were briefly overtaken by the Sharks who thumped the Leopards in Phokeng the previous evening, but Saturday’s win means the Cape outfit move back to the top of the standings with 27 points.

The Sharks are a close second with 26 and both teams now enjoy a comfortable lead over the chasing pack with third placed Griquas six points adrift on 20. WP’s victory also means they remain unbeaten in the competition and although it is still early days yet, Allister Coetzee’s side must certainly be favoured to lift the coveted Currie Cup trophy this season.

The Bulls put up a good fight on Saturday though, and can take heart from their performance. WP dominated the opening 40 minutes, enjoying a glut of possession and running constantly at the Bulls who defended like Trojans to keep their foes at bay. Wave after wave of attacks from the striped jerseys were repelled by the Bulls who put in some crunching tackles at key moments. Springbok fullback Zane Kirchner was particurlarly impressive on defence for the visitors, with one of his many tackles preventing an almost certain five pointer shortly before half time.

WP had moved the ball quickly down the backline and were looking threatening, but an aggressive driving tackle from Kirchner broke up the movement and stopped the danger. So instead of being a whole stack of points down at the interval, the Bulls found themselves only three adrift after WP flyhalf Willem de Waal (pictured) had slotted two penalty kicks to a single effort in reply from opposite number Jacques-Louis Potgieter.

The Bulls’ excellent defence aside, WP also had themselves to blame for not being further in front by repeatedly opting not to take kickable penalties, preferring instead to kick for touch and gain territory. This tactic enabled the Bulls to stay in contention when a couple of three pointers might have put WP out of reach.

The Bulls went on the attack after the restart, clearly intent on taking the fight to the home side who must have still been wondering how they were only three points ahead, despite dominating the lineouts, the scrums and almost every other facet of play in the opening 40 minutes. Potgieter soon levelled the scores with his second penalty after an infrindgement from the home side and at 6–6, it was anyone’s game.

Although the shoe was now on the other foot, with the Bulls launching most of the attacks and WP soaking up the pressure, the unflappable De Waal put his team back in front with his third strike on 52 minutes and increased their lead seven minutes later with another penalty. Potgieter closed the gap to three points with a third penalty on 73 minutes after a sustained period of pressure which saw the visitors push hard for a try. De Waal then frustrated the Bulls with another penalty to put WP six points clear once more only for Potgieter to close the gap again with his fourth strike one minute from regulation time.

The men from Pretoria then threw everything they had against their rivals in the closing minutes but WP’s defence held firm to consign the Bulls to their third defeat of the season. The Bulls are now fourth in the standings on 17 points – just two ahead of the fifth paced Cheetahs who suffered a disappointing defeat to the Lions in the earlier Saturday game.

WP square off against the Sharks in a top of the table clash at the Absa Stadium in Durban this coming Saturday while the Bulls host Griquas at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday. The Sharks, who have been playing excellent rugby as of late, could well be the first side to defeat WP this season, while the Bulls will have to be at their very best to see off the challenge of the always dangerous Griquas.

Scorers
Western Province 15 – Penalties: Willem de Waal (5).
Blue Bulls 12 – Penalties: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (4).

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Griquas 58 – Pumas 25
Sharks 51 – Leopards 6
Saturday
Lions 30 – Cheetahs 26

Upcoming fixtures
Friday, August 20
Bulls vs Griquas – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 7pm
Cheetahs vs Leopards – Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein – 7pm
Pumas vs Lions – Puma Stadium, Witbank – 7.10pm
Saturday, August 21
Sharks vs Western Province – The Absa Stadium, Durban – 7.10pm

Currie Cup log (After six rounds)
Pos  Team      Points
1.    WP             27
2.    Sharks        26
3.    Griquas       20
4.    Bulls           17
5.    Cheetahs     15
6.    Lions           10
7.    Pumas          5
8.    Leopards      4

Meanwhile, the Springbok squad to face the All Blacks in the historic Vodacom Tri-Nations test in Soweto on Saturday has been announced. The 24-man squad boasts a wealth of experience and New Zealand, despite comfortably defeating the Boks 32–12 and 31–17 in their last two meetings, are likely to be in for a tough time.

Dewald Potgieter

The South Africans will be itching to prove their detractors wrong by recording a convincing victory over their traditional rivals from the land of the long white cloud, and playing on home soil in familiar conditions will be a distinct advantage. Whatever happens, the match is likely to be an intense, physical encounter with no quarter asked or given. Kick-off at the FNB stadium is at 5pm.

Squad
Backs: Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Butch James, Ricky Januarie, Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier, JP Pietersen, Morné Steyn.
Forwards: Schalk Burger, Jannie du Plessis, Francois Louw, Victor Matfield, Dewald Potgieter (pictured), Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, John Smit (captain), Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthrö Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe.

Davy Jacobs

Jacobs and Ingram power South Africa to victory
The South African Emerging Players squad cruised to a comfortable 60-run victory over India at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Saturday, getting their limited-overs campaign in the Emerging Players Tournament (EPT) off to a perfect start. The competition is played in the 40-over format, which suited the South African players down to a tee after their success in the MTN40 domestic competition this past season.

South Africa notched up a respectable 239 all out in their innings after a shaky start which saw them lose openers Reeza Hendricks (8 runs) and Jon-Jon Smuts (9) early on. Davy Jacobs (pictured), who scored a rapid 79 off 51 balls, and Colin Ingram (71 off 66) put on 104 for the third wicket, while next man in Ryan Bailey weighed in with a useful knock of 33 to take the score to 201/4 with just over 10 overs remaining.

However, once the free-scoring Bailey was back in the pavilion South Africa lost their way somewhat, shedding their six remaining wickets for the addition of just 38 runs. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who was instrumental in mopping up the tail, was the pick of the Indian bowlers, recording impressive figures of 5/57. In reply, India could only muster a paltry 179 all out as the South African bowlers dominated proceedings with Basheer Walters (2/56) and Craig Alexander (2/25) knocking over the top order and the rest of the attack applying the finishing touches.

Chawla scored a useful 44 to go with his five wickets, but his excellent all-round performance was not enough to stave off defeat for India. The South Africans, who finished last in the 20-over competition, will be encouraged by their excellent performance and must now be confident of making it through to the finals of the 40-over competition.

Oscar Pistorius

‘Blade Runner’ shatters 400m world record
Oscar Pistorius (pictured) clocked an excellent 47.04 secs over 400m in the T44 disability class at the Diamond League meeting in London on Saturday to smash his own world record. The 23-year-old South African, nicknamed the  ‘Blade Runner’ for the carbon fibre prostethics he uses to run, improved his global best by 0.45 secs and beat Paralympic bronze medallist Ian Jones of Great Britain into second place.

The powerful Pistorius established the previous record of 47.49 in winning the Paralympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. A four-time Paralympic champion, Pistorius set a personal best of 46.02 against able-bodied competition in Italy last month, and again went under 47 secs in the able-bodied B-race in London on Friday night, finishing seventh in 46.93 .

Unfortunately those times cannot be considered for world record purposes because the races were not ratified by the International Paralympic Committee. However, Pistorious’ performance in London easily improved his previous T44 standard as he continues to widen the gap between himself and the rest of the world in his class. “A world record is always a good thing to finish the season off on,” Pistorius said. “I learned a lot from Friday’s race where the rainy conditions were not what I am used to,” he added.

Pistorius’ compatriot, World Championships 1500m semi-finalist Peter van der Westhuizen, had a disappointing outing in the men’s mile on Saturday, falling more than 10 secs short of his personal best. The 25-year-old finished 13th and last in 4 min, 5.52 secs with Kenyan Augustine Choge taking first place in a personal best of 3:50.14.

Another South African, Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion LJ van Zyl, was also well below his best, finishing eighth and last in his event on Friday in a slow 50.64 secs. Van Zyl finished 2.52 secs behind American Bershawn Jackson who claimed victory in 48.12. The next Diamond League meeting, the penultimate leg of 14 this season, will take place in Zurich on Thursday.

Stephen Mokoka

Mokoka wins SA champs while Khumalo conquers the Climb
Defending champion Stephen Mokoka (pictured) and Irvette van Blerk made full use of a fast route and ideal weather conditions to entertain the crowd en route to victory in the South African 10km Championships in Paarl on Saturday. Gauteng North’s Mokoka, who captured the national title last year in Stellenbosch, clocked 28 min, 23 secs to beat off Lungisa Mdedelwa of Athletics Transkei (28:28) and Central Gauteng’s Sibusiso Nzima (28:29).

“I came to Paarl with the aim of defending my title and getting my hands on the R50 000 financial incentive on offer for dipping under the 28:06 mark. But our leading group of about 15 athletes went through the halfway mark in 14:31 which was too slow,” said Mokoka who will now switch focus to the international scene when he competes in 10km races in Prague and the UK next month.

Van Blerk added the national 10km women’s crown to the South African half-marathon title which she claimed in Port Elizabeth last month. The Central Gauteng athlete clocked 33:15 to take first place ahead of Western Province’s Zintle Xiniwe (33:19) and Thozama April of Gauteng North (33:53).

“I saw Xiniwe starting to slack off in the final kilometre and dug deep into my energy reserves to catch up with her before sprinting home,” said Van Blerk. “The hill on the way to the stadium really took a lot out of me and I thought I was never going to get to the top of it, but I am just so delighted to get the win here today,” she added.

Prodical Khumalo

Meanwhile, Mr Price Athletic Club athlete Prodical Khumalo (pictured) won the annual Witness Capital Climb road race in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, covering the 15km distance in 50:45. Another Mr Price runner, Professor Mollen, took second spot in 51:17 while Sbonelo Duma of Boxer Athletic Club was third in 51:17. Sarah Gray won the women’s race in 1:07:53.

The punishing course comprises a tortuous 6km climb followed by a 9km downhill to the finish and is not for the faint hearted. “I knew I was going to win the race at the 5km mark,” said Khumalo who hails from Marian Ridge in Durban. “I trained hard for this event, doing most of my preparation in the hills surrounding Durban,” he added.

Khumalo, who has personal bests of 45:00 for 15km, 2:16:00 for 42,2km and who finished 11th in this year’s Comrades Marathon, was hoping to break the race record of 49:02 set by Eric Biyase in 1998, but ended up a little short of that mark. “This is the first time I have competed in this event and the uphill section was quite tough, but I will be back to defend my title next year,” he confirmed.

Yours truly, a regular runner of the race for the past 13 years, clocked a personal worst of 2:03:50 and must concede that at 37, his best running days are far behind him. Oh well, what can you expect from a part-timer with a penchant for chocalates and french fries – two foodstuffs you are aren’t likely to find on the menu of any serious athlete.

Hekkie Budler

Hekkie fails to impress in Texas
International Boxing Organisation (IBO) light-flyweight champion Hekkie ‘The Hexecutioner’ Budler (pictured right) remained unbeaten when he defeated Evaristo Primero on a split decision in a 10-round non-title bout title in Laredo, Texas, on Saturday night. The 22-year-old Budler, who made two trips to the canvas from illegal low blows, appeared fortunate to get the decision with one judge scoring the contest 97–93 for Primero and the other two handing in cards of 96–94 and 98–92 for the South African.

The 33-year-old Primero, who was born in Mexico but lives in El Paso, Texas, started quickly and landed several overhand rights to Budler’s head. The busier Primero was marginally ahead after seven rounds, but Budler increased his workrate through the eighth and ninth stanza’s to possibly take the rounds only for Primero to have a strong tenth.

However, the judges decided that Budler had done enough to secure victory although the 98–92 verdict was totally unjustifiable. Nevertheless the end result was another win for ‘The Hexecutioner’ who moved his record to 17–0 with five knockouts while Primero, who has not won a fight for nearly nine years, dropped to 14–14-1 (7 KO’s).

Budler missed a golden opportunity to impress in a televised bout that was meant to showcase his talents to a wider American audience. However, perhaps the Johannesburg resident needed more time in Texas to prepare for the fight and had taken his opponent too lightly. Whatever the reason, Budler will have to try and ensure this kind of thing doesn’t happen to him again if he wants to progress in his boxing career.

Meanwhile, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight title fight between local pugilists Cassius ‘Mr Shy Guy’ Baloyi (37–4-1; 19 KO’s) and Mzonke ‘The Rose of Khayelitsha’ Fana (29–4; 12 KO’s) has been rescheduled for a second time. The 12-round contest will now take place on Wednesday, September 1 at Carnival City in Brakpan.

In another IBF title fight on the Branco Sports Productions bill, local boxer Moruti Mthalane will defend his flyweight crown against compatriot Zolani Tete.  The more experienced Mthalane boasts a record of 25–2 (16 KO’s) but will have his work cut out for him against the undefeated Tete who has won 13 straight fights, 11 of them by knockout.

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Photo Credits:
Photo – Willem de Waal: Source – www.timeslive.co.za
Photo – Dewald Potgieter: Source – www.timeslive.co.za
Photo – Davy Jacobs: Source – www.chevroletwarriors.co.za
Photo – Oscar Pistorius: Source – www.exposay.com
Photo – Stephen Mokoka: Source – www.news.bbc.co.uk
Photo – Prodical Khumalo: Source – Guy Mortimer
Photo – Hekkie Budler: Source – www.goldengloves.co.za

Juan de Jongh

Perfect Province remain on top
Western Province made it five wins from five starts in this year’s Absa Currie Cup competition when they thrashed a hapless Griquas outfit 50–3 at Hoffe Park in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon. Province ran in six unanswered tries in a dominant performance that confirmed their status as the leading contenders for this year’s title.

Griquas were expected to provide Province with a stern test in Kimberley after defeating the Cape side by a single point there in 2009 and 2008 and losing by no more than five points in 2007 and 2006. And in the early going on Saturday, it looked as though another tight contest was in the making as Province went into the interval just 12–3 ahead. However, the wheels came off for the home side in the second half as the visitors scored 38 unanswered points to romp to victory.

Griquas were hoping to remain unbeaten at home this season after recording excellent victories over the Sharks (40–34) and Lions (26–20) in previous outings, but those plans were well and truly scuppered by Province who were full value for their victory on the day. The loss was a rude wake up call for Naas Olivier’s men who must have wondered what had hit them.

Griquas, to their credit, put up a good performance in the opening 40 minutes as they tackled with fierce determination and committment to keep their more illustrious opponents at bay. In fact, had Riaan Viljoen been on target with all of his four attempted drop goals, Griquas could have gone into the interval with a three point advantage rather than being nine points in arrears.

However, stasistics always tell a story and with Province enjoying an advantage in the possession stakes it was only a matter of time before this translated into points. The visitors also employed the clever tactic of slowing the game down at key moments, a move which frustrated Griquas and preserved the energy levels of the Province players.

Willem de Waal slotted four penalties in the opening 40 minutes for Province while Griquas replied with a single penalty from Olivier as the home side fought hard to stay in touch with the the log leaders. Griquas were helped by the referee’s dubious decision to yellow card Duane Vermeulen for a dangerous tackle that at best warranted a penalty.

However, there was to be no help forthcoming for the home side in the second half as Province turned up the heat to power home to victory. Juan de Jongh (pictured) began the try feast for the visitors seven minutes into the second period after an impressive multi-phase movement that saw a host of Province players handle before the centre rounded off the move in the left hand corner.

De Jongh’s try sparked a desperate response from Griquas who bashed their way towards their opponenst line only to loose the ball going forward following which Province launched a spectacular counter attack to set up their second five-pointer. Frikkie Welsh and Conrad Jantjes featured prominently in that attack, but it was hooker Deon Fourie who got the try after collecting a pass from Vermeulen to crash over and score.

Fourie’s try seemed to knock the stuffing out of Griquas and Jantjes quickly took advantage of the situation to run through seven defenders to score Province’s third try. Then, a few minutes later, Springbok winger Gio Aplon added his name to the scoresheet when he dotted down near the corner flag and it was clear Griquas had conceded defeat.

Further tries from Pieter Louw and Lionel Cronjé rubbed salt into Griquas’ wounds and enabled the visitors to reach their half century — a feat unimaginable at the kick-off just 90 minutes earlier. The win means Province stay on top of the Currie Cup standings with 23 points, just two points clear of nearest rivals the Sharks, who have four wins from five matches.

Scorers
WP: 50 – Tries: Juan de Jongh, Deon Fourie, Conrad Jantjies, Gio Aplon, Pieter Louw, Lionel Cronjé. Conversions: Willem de Waal (3), Cronjé. Penalties: De Waal (4).
Griquas: 3 – Penalty: Naas Olivier.
Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Pumas 30 – Cheetahs 45 – Puma Stadium, Witbank
Bulls 43 – Leopards 38 – Loftus Versveld, Pretoria
Saturday
Sharks 48 – Lions 19 – The Absa Stadium, Durban

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Griquas vs Pumas – GWK Park, Kimberley
Leopards vs Sharks – Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Phokeng – 7.10pm
Saturday
Lions vs Cheetahs – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg – 3pm
WP vs Bulls – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town – 5.05pm.

Currie Cup log (After five rounds)
Pos  Team      Points
1.    WP           23
2.    Sharks      21
3.    Bulls         16
4.    Griquas     15
5.    Cheetahs   14
6.    Lions          6
7.    Pumas        5
8.    Leopards    4

Pitso Mosimane

Pitso plays it safe
New Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane (pictured), who replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira at the end of last month’s World Cup, has named a tried and tested side for tomorrow’s friendly international against Ghana at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The new coach has clearly taken a conservative, but sensible approach to prepare Bafana for next month’s opening 2012 African Nations Cup (Afcon) qualifier at home to Niger.

Mosimane explained that due to the fact there had been no league matches in Europe and South Africa because of the Fifa break after the World Cup, he opted to select players who were part of the World Cup programme rather than to risk blooding new players. The coach made only one surprise selection when he picked new Kaizer Chiefs signing Sthembiso Ngcobo, who joins Bernard Parker and Katlego Mphela, as the three strikers in the 22-man squad.

Ngcobo infamously refused to honour his call-up to the national squad for a match against Chile in February 2009 under then coach Joel Santana, citing personal reasons. However, under Mosimane’s governance all players have been given a fresh start. “I have been impressed by the way Ngcobo ended as Free State Stars’ top goal scorer last season and he deserves another chance. We cannot keep relying on Mphela in every game. We need to test other strikers,” explained Mosimane.

SuperSport United captain and central defender Bongani Khumalo, who is struggling with an ankle ligament injury, was not selected. The lanky Khumalo had an excellent World Cup and will be sorely missed by Bafana against the Ghanaians today. Mosimane said he was not troubled about facing World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana in his first match at the helm of the Bafana squad. “This will be a big test for me and the players and I aim to come through with a win and set up a foundation for Niger and the 2010 Afcon qualifying campaign,” said Mosimane. The match kicks-off at 8.35pm.

Bafana squad
Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune, Moeneeb Josephs.
Defenders: Morgan Gould, Siboniso Gaxa, Tsepo Masilela, Bevan Fransman, Siyabonga Sangweni, Innocent Mdledle, Aaron Mokoena, Anele Ngconca.
Midfielders: Daine Klate, Teko Modise, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Macbeth Sibaya, Andile Jali, Steven Pienaar, Thanduyise Khuboni, Surprise Moriri.
Strikers: Sthembiso Ngcobo, Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker.

Lucky Khune

Chiefs take Telkom Cup honours
Kaizer Chiefs defeated Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates 4–3 on penalties in a tense encounter at Soccer City on Saturday evening to capture their 11th Telkom Charity Cup title. The Amakhosi’s victory broke a seven-year drought in the traditional season-opening competition and denied the Buccaneers a hat-trick of Charity Cup titles after their truimphs in 2008 and 2009.

The game began at a fast pace with both teams exchanging scoring opportunities in the opening 10 minutes. Young Chiefs striker Lucky Khune (pictured) had the first opportunity to find the back of the net after meeting a Siphiwe Tshabalala cross at the back post, but he decided to play the ball down rather than unleash a header towards the goalmouth, and the danger was eaily cleared.

However, Khune more than made up for his mistake when he scored the opening goal in the 13th minute, blasting a vicious right-footed drive into the top corner of the net after strike partner Sthembiso Ngcobo had shrewdly played him into space on the edge of the penalty area. The 21-year-old Khune celebrated his goal with a series of back flips along the Pirates by-line before being mobbed by his team-mates.

Chiefs were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men on 18 minutes when Jimmy Jambo dragged down veteran Lucky Lekgwathi after the Pirates player looked set for a good scoring chance, but referee Daniel Bennett decided on a yellow card rather than red – allowing the Amakhosi to breathe a sigh of relief. Buccaneers midfielder Mark Mayambela almost scored from the resultant free kick, his powerful shot bringing out the best in Chiefs goalkeeper Arthur Bartman who managed to deflect the ball over the crossbar.

Pirates pressed hard for an equaliser in the remaining minutes of the second half but were thwarted by the well-organised Chiefs defence and so the sides changed ends with the Amakhosi still holding a slender 1–0 advantage.  The Buccaneers eventually equalised in the 10th minute of the second half when Lekgwathi met an Isaac Chansa free kick and headed the ball past a helpless Bartman.

With 20 minutes left to play a quick passing movement from Pirates split open the Amakhosi defence leaving Ndumiso Mabena clear on goal. However, instead of unleashing a shot, the young striker tried to win a penalty by tumbling in the penalty area. Referee Bennett was having none of it however, and correctly booked Mabena for simulation instead.

A short while later Pirates ‘keeper Moeneeb Josephs was almost caught out with a quick free kick from Bafana Bafana team-mate Tshabalala that whistled over the crossbar. Buccaneers substitute Tlou Segolela then threatened to add to the score line with a terrific shot that produced a spectacular save from Bartman.

With Bennett blowing his whistle to signal the end of regulation time, the match went to penalties and it was Chiefs who prevailed after Pirates’ Phenyo Mongala fired his side’s final kick high over the bar to hand the Amakhosi a narrow 4–3 victory. The win will be an excellent confidence booster for Chiefs as they prepare for another long season which will stretch all the way into the early part of next year.

Tshifhiwe Munyai

Two flops in a row for South African fighters
World Boxing Association (WBA) Inter-Continental bantamweight champion Tshifhiwe ‘The Atomic Spider’ Munyai (pictured right) failed in his bid to capture the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) silver bantamweight crown when he dropped a 12-round decision to Christian ‘Italiano’ Esquivel in Mexico City on Saturday night. The 23-year-old Mexican’s superior work rate enabled him to carve out a unanimous decision victory over the 25-year-old South African who suffered only his second loss as a professional against 20 wins and a draw.

Munyai’s handlers decided to take the fight eventhough their charge had fought just 10 days before, knocking out Ghanaian Prosper Ankrah in three rounds at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park. However, the move backfired as Munyai was soundly beaten by Esquivel who controlled the action with a powerful left jab and punishing right cross.

Esquivel, who hails from Temoaya in Mexico, moved his record to 20–2 (14 KO’s) with the win and is now first in line to challenge countrymen Fernando Montiel for the WBC bantamweight title. Munyai, on the other hand, drops down the WBC rankings and must have regreted making the long trip to Mexico. However, the fighter’s promoter, Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves, defended the decicion to put his charge in with Esquivel at such short notice saying the sudden opportunity was “just too good for Munyai to turn down”.

“The fight against Ankrah was little more than a sparring session, so it was not a case of Munyai over-exerting himself in a short space of time,” explained Berman. “Had he been involved in a tough, gruelling 10-rounder, we would not have suggested the fight in Mexico City on Saturday night,” added the Golden Gloves boss.

Munyai’s defeat was the second loss for a top-level South African fighter in as many weeks after Juan Alberto Rosas relieved Simphiwe ‘The Golden Master’ Nongqayi of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight title in Tepic, Mexico last Saturday evening. As they say in the fight game going into someone’s back yard and coming away with a win is always a tough ask, and in the case of both Nongqayi and Munyai that assignment proved too much to handle.

Meanwhile, the IBF junior lightweight title fight between local contenders Cassius ‘Mr Shy Guy’ Baloyi and Mzonke ‘The Rose of Khayelitsha’ Fana which was supposed to have taken place on Friday night, has been rescheduled for August 27 in Johannesburg.  The 35-year-old Baloyi will enter the ring with a record of 37–4-1 (19 KO’s) against the 36-year-old Fana (29–4; 12 KO’s) and must be favoured to win after out pointing his compatriot in an April 2008 bout.

Cameron van der Burgh

Cameron comes up tops in Pietermaritzburg
Cameron van der Burgh (pictured) won the 100m breaststroke title at the Telkom SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday when he pulled away in the final 25m to clock 58.28 secs, beating his 58.99 set in the semi-final. William Diering, who captured the 200m breaststroke title, took silver in 1:00.84, with Neil Versfeld rounding off the podium in 1:01.27.

The men’s 100m individual medley title went to Gerhard Zandberg with Darian Townsend and Graeme Moore finishing second and third respectively. Moore clocked an impressive 54.81 in the semi-finals only to lose his way in the final after a poor third leg. Zandberg’s winning time of 53.57 and Townsend’s 54.62 were both within World Short Course Championship qualifying markers.

Moore was able to win the men’s 100m freestyle title ahead of Lyndon Ferns when he clocked 48.69 to Ferns’ 48.76, while teenager Vanessa Mohr narrowly edged out veteran Mandy Loots in the ladies 50m butterfly final (27.54 to 27.77). Loots made up for the defeat by winning the 100m individual medley ahead of Kathryn Meaklim. Wendy Trott was firing on all cylinders when she added the 400m freestyle title to the 800m freestyle title she had won on Saturday. Trott’s time of 4:06.26 was two seconds inside the required 4:08.90 set by Swim SA as a qualifier for the World Short Course Championships.

Natalie du Toit broke another world record in her disability category when she recorded a fast 1:07.80 for the 100m butterfly to better the old record by almost five seconds. The 26-year-old Du Toit departs local shores for the IPC World Para-Olympic Championships in Eindhoven in Holland later this week.

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Attractions
Things to Do in South Africa
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Photo Credits:
Photo – Juan de Jongh: Source – www.smh.com.au
Photo – Pitso Mosimane: Source – www.skysports.com
Photo – Lucky Khune: Source – www.m.kaizerchiefs.com
Photo – Tshifhiwe Munyai: Source – www.saddoboxing.com
Photo – Cameron van der Burgh: Source – swimnews.swimfacts.com

Patrick Lambie

Two try Lambie sinks Cheetahs
The Sharks scored their third consecutive victory of the season when they defeated the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 25–13 in a tense Currie Cup encounter at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon. Nineteen-year-old centre Patrick Lambie (pictured) turned out to be the hero for the Sharks, scoring two late tries to power the visitors home.

Trailing 13–11 with nine minutes to go, the Sharks looked down and out, but just when it seemed all was lost the inspirational Lambie came to the party and produced some maginificent rugby to send the home side packing and their supporters into the throes of depression.

The Cheetahs, pressing hard for the knockout blow, surged towards the Sharks’ line only to lose the ball going forward. The visitors then lauched a quick counter attack from their 22 where clever interplay between athletic No 8 Ryan Kankowski and left wing Lwazi Mvovo took the Sharks to within metres of their opponents tryline where the ball came free for Lambie to surge forward, reach out and score.

The talented centre made no mistake with the conversion to put the Sharks seven points in front (18–13) and then sealed victory for the KwaZulu-Natal outfit with another excellent converted try two minutes from time. The teenage sensation finished off a move after receiving a pass over the top from Keegan Daniels at the end of another impressive break-out in which Mvovo again featured prominently.

It was a bitterly disappointing defeat for the Cheetahs who ended up without a single log point for their efforts despite enjoying the bulk of the possession. However, the Free Staters will only have themselves to blame for failing to kill off the Sharks who only really started to find their rythmn and gain momentum in the final 10 minutes.

The Cheetahs opened the scoring in the 11th minute when flyhalf Louis Strydom slotted a penalty, but that effort was cancelled out by Lambie who was successful with a penalty kick of his own to level matters at 3–3. Scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn put the Cheetahs back in front with a clever quick tap that saw him run through a clutch of Sharks tight-forwards to dot down for a valuable five pointer.

Strydom added the extra points to make the half time score 10–3 in favour of the home side. It was a deserved lead for the Cheetahs who dominated proceedings in the opening 40 minutes. However, whereas in the first half the Sharks battled to control possession, after half-time they enjoyed much more of the game by producing a more disciplined and determined display.

The Sharks’ new-found assertiveness nearly earned them a try soon after the re-start as they raced towards the Cheetahs line, but some unlucky bounces and indifferent handling prevented them from finishing off. Flanker Juan Smith and eighthman Ashley Johnson were outstanding for the Cheetahs and the bustling Johnson might well have picked up the man of the match award had it not been for Lambie’s heroics in the final 10 minutes.

Smith’s departure from the field not long after a clash of heads with Sharks lock Ross Skeate was a telling moment, particularly as it coincided with the arrival on the field of the abrasive Jean Deysel. The powerful flanker is an important component in the Sharks machine when he is there, and he proved this again on Saturday by combining effectively with the dangerous Kankowski to put the Cheetahs under pressure.

Another penalty from Strydom increased the home side’s lead to 10 points (13–3) with 36 minutes to go, but Lambie kept the visitors in touch by slotting his second penalty after an infrindgement from the Cheetahs. Kankowski nearly scored for the Sharks in the 52nd minute, but the referee could not award the try after the rangy No 8 was adjudged by the TMO to have knocked the ball on as he dotted down.

However, the Sharks were not to be denied when burly prop Eugene van Staden crashed over the line after some excellent work from Lambie who managed to get the final pass away despite being well tackled. Although he failed to add the extra points, Lambie more than made up for it with his two excellent tries in the closing minutes which propelled the Sharks to victory.

Although the scoreline did flatter the Sharks somewhat, full credit must be given to John Plumtee’s men for raising the tempo of their game when it mattered most. The Sharks remain in second position on the log – two points behind leaders Vodacom Western Province who made it four wins from four starts when they crushed the Barloworld Toyota Pumas in Cape Town on Friday evening.

Scorers
Sharks 25 – Tries: Patrick Lambie (2) and Eugene van Staden. Conversions: Lambie (2). Penalties: Lambie (2).
Cheetahs 13 – Try: Tewis de Bruyn. Conversion: Louis Strydom. Penalties: Strydom (2).

Other results (from left to right)
Friday
GWK Griquas 41 – Platinum Leopards 27
Vodacom Western Province 54 – Barloworld Toyota Pumas 13
Saturday
Vodacom Blue Bulls 32 – Xerox Lions 18

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Pumas vs Cheetahs – Puma Stadium, Witbank
Bulls vs Leopards – Loftus Versveld – 7.10pm
Saturday
Griquas vs Western Province – GWK Park, Kimberley – 3pm
Sharks vs Lions – The Absa Stadium, Durban – 5.05pm

Currie Cup log (After four rounds)
Pos  Team      Points
1.    WP           18
2.    Sharks      16
3.    Griquas     15
4.    Bulls         11
5.    Cheetahs    9
6.    Lions          6
7.    Pumas        5
8.    Leopards     2

Simphiwe Nongqayi

Nongqayi suffers shock defeat in Mexico
Simphiwe ‘The Golden Master’ Nongqayi (pictured right) had an evening he’d rather forget when he lost his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title to Mexican Juan Alberto Rosas in Tepic, Mexico on Saturday night. The 38-year-old South African, making the second defence of the title he won from Mexican legend Jorge Arce in September last year, was simply overpowered by the hard hitting Rosas who dominated proceedings from the opening bell.

The highly motivated 25-year-old Mexican had been taunted by the South African veteran at the weigh-in, which had almost resulted in a pre-fight brawl. When it came to fight time however, Nongqayi couldn’t back up his loud mouth and was totally outgunned by the younger, hungrier Rosas.

After being punished to both head and body from the opening bell, Nongqayi eventually took a knee early in the sixth round. While the clearly distressed champion was pondering his next move, referee Ray Corona decided he had seen enough and waved proceedings over with one minute having elapsed in the round. It was a good stoppage as Nongqayi was clearly on a hiding to nothing and would have eventually been knocked out by the challenger.

Rosas, a veteran of tough fights against Fernando Montiel, Jose Lopez, Aj Banal and Everardo Morales, recorded his 32nd win against five defeats with 26 of those wins coming via the short route. Nongqayi’s defeat was the first of his professional career against 16 wins (6 KO’s) and a draw.

The ex-champion blamed the defeat on weight problems, claiming he had outgrown the super-flyweight division. However, a more likely explanation for the loss was that he simply got old overnight – a scenario that plays itself out over and over again in the fight game.

There were signs that Nongqayi was starting to slip after being held to a draw by lightly regarded Frenchman Malik Bouziane in a previous title defence in April, and those signs were confirmed when the champion came apart at the seams against Rosas. Nongqayi’s resounding defeat left himi facing an uncertain future, but perhaps a rest and a move up to bantamweight would be just what the doctor ordered for ‘The Golden Master’.

Nkqubela Gwazela

Meanwhile, another title changed hands over the weekend when challenger Phumzile ‘Sweet Chocalate’ Matyila dethroned defending South African bantamweight champion Nkqubela ‘The Destroyer’ Gwazela (pictured) via split decision at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday afternoon. Two judges scored the bout 115–114 and 116–115 in favour of Matyila with a third judge giving Gwazela the nod by a similarly narrow margin of 115–113.

In an action packed contest Gwazela made a fast start, landing some powerful punches on the challenger in the first half of the fight. However, Matyila managed to stay competitive by keeping the champion at bay with an educated left jab and good movement.

The heavy fisted Gwazela, who had set a torrid pace in the early going, began to slow down dramatically in rounds seven and eight and Matyila was now able to control the fight from a distance, out boxing the champion and avoiding his wild punches. Round nine was a dominant one for Matyila who peppered Gwazela with combinations, splitting his lip and leaving him gasping for air.

However, just when it seemed the champion was a beaten man, he staged a surprising rally at the beginning of the next round, landed some useful punches on the challenger who began to retreat. Gwazela kept up the pressure in the last two rounds against a back-pedalling Matyila who, judging by his lack of urgency, must have felt he had done enough to win the fight.

His calculations proved to be correct after the judges had tallied up their scorecards, but in reality, Matyila can consider himself somewhat lucky to have been awarded the verdict against Gwazela. The ex-champion’s efforts certainly warrant a rematch against Matyila whose record improved to 17–1-2 (9 KO’s) while Gwazela slipped to 19–8 (14 KO’s).

Other results from the Eyethu Promotions bill
(W=points victory, TKO = technical knockout victory)
Luzuko Siyo W6 Motswaki Moselesele (junior flyweights)
Unathi Qgokomo W6 Mangaliso Dyantyi (junior bantamweights)
Takalani Dangani TKO 3 Vusumzi Bokolo (lightweights)
Thembelani Centhani W6 Thulani Mkwanazi (junior welterweights)

Local fight action continues this weekend with the big clash between junior lightweight veterans Cassius ‘Mr Shy Guy’ Baloyi and Mzonke ‘The Rose of Khayelitsha’ Fana in Johannesburg on Friday night. At stake will be the vacant IBF junior lightweight title and with Baloyi already having beaten Fana on points just over two years ago, he will fancy his chances of repeating the feat against the ring rusty Fana.

The 35-year-old Baloyi boasts a record of 37–4-1 (19 KO’s) and has held numerous world titles in various weight divisions while the 36-year-old Fana (29–4; 12 KO’s) is also a former world champion. Both fighters are essentially boxers rather than punchers and a closely contested technical bout is likely to be on the cards for Friday evening. The fight will be televised live on SABC 2 from 10pm.

Teagan O’Keefe

Teagan comes up trumps in Pietermaritzburg
South Africans Sharlene McGilvray and Teagan O’Keefe (pictured) did their country proud at the BMX World Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday when they emerged victorious in their respective categories.

O’Keefe, under intense pressure to perform, did not disappoint her fans as she put up a superb display of world class riding to come away with the honours in the junior girls category. Hometown rider McGillvray produced a staggering charge through the field in the final heat to claim the women’s 45-and-over title with Jennifer Strachan of New Zealand and Liesbeth van Jagt of The Netherlands hot on her heels.

“It was great to win in my hometown, but the pressure was not easy to handle,” said McGilvray afterwards. “I took the decision on the start ramp not to touch my brakes,” she added.

Local hospitals were busy throughout the four day event, treating injuries suffered during the practice sessions and the motos, including one leg fracture, and a Japanese competitor who broke both ankles when he misjudged his landing while attempting the tricky jump over the second berm.

At the closing of the championships, the International Cycling Union (UCI) was quick to label the event “the best ever” BMX World Champs. “We often say that after a world champs, but this time we can say it honestly and truthfully,” said the UCI head of gravity disciplines Johan Lindstrom.

“It has been fantastic for BMX, and we are all on a high. All of the riders have had a great time in Pietermaritzburg,” he added. The competition ended with the formal presentation of the UCI flag to representatives of the city of Stockholm, where the 2011 BMX World Championships will be hosted.

Shuaib Walters

Walters the hero as United down Usuthu
Maritzburg United were crowned Uthukela Mayoral Cup champions when they defeated Premier Soccer League (PSL) rivals AmaZulu 3–2 on penalties at Settler’s Park Stadium in Ladysmith on Sunday afternoon. United’s Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Shuaib Walters (pictured) played a significant part in his team’s victory when he saved three spot kicks after the match ended 1–1 after 90 minutes of regulation time.

Walters saved spot-kicks from Ayanda Dlamini, Litha Ngxabi and Zahuwano Ramson with only Pere Ariwerayi and Tsweu Mokoro managing to beat the agile United goalkeeper. The Pietermaritzburg based team’s kicks were converted by Rudolf Bester, Mor Diouf and Byrone Hendricks. United’s win would have given them a lot of confidence ahead of their opening PSL clash against AmaZulu on August 29.

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Attractions
Things to Do in South Africa
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Photo Credits:
Photo – Patrick Lambie: Source – www.sulekha.newshopper.com
Photo – Simphiwe Nongqayi: Source – www.fightnews.com
Photo – Nkqubela Gwazela: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Teagan O’Keefe: Source – Game Plan Media
Photo – Shuaib Walters: Source – www.daylife.com

Jaque Fourie

Things go from bad to worse for Boks
The Springboks’ dismal run in this year’s Tri-Nations competition contined on Saturday when they suffered a resounding 30–13 loss to Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. It was the Boks’ third consecutive defeat in as many weeks after back to back losses to the All Blacks and left them at the bottom of the Tri-Nations log without a single point.

When Bok centre Jaque Fourie (pictured) was yellow carded for a second minute tip tackle on Wallaby number eight Richard Brown, one sensed this wasn’t going to be the Boks’ day yet again and so it proved to be as the South Africans failed to get going against a well drilled Australian team. Ill discipline has been a feature of Bok play in recent weeks and one wonders when Pieter de Villiers’ men will get their house in order after so many repeated indiscretions.

As it transpired, the first Australian points came just after Fourie rejoined the fray, the Boks going off-side at a ruck and centre Matt Giteau punishing them with a successful penalty attempt. Morné Steyn squared matters three minutes later with a penalty of his own, but Giteau put the Wallabies back in front after Bok wing Bryan Habana was penalised for coming around a ruck to poach an Australian ball.

The nuggety Giteau slotted two more penalties to stretch his side’s lead to nine points (12–3) and the Aussies nearly went further ahead when James O’Connor went over in the corner only for the TMO to rightly adjudge a forward pass in the movement. Bok skipper John Smit decided not to kick for goal when Wallaby flanker David Pocock was penalised for an infringement in the run up to half time, but it proved to be the wrong decision as the Boks found themselves thwarted in their attempts to bash their way over the line by an excellent Australian defence.

After soaking up the pressure the Wallabies then launched a multi-phase attack with wave after wave of gold jerseys surging towards the Bok line. The ball eventually went wide, bounced off a Springbok player and Drew Mitchell was able to dot down after a juggling act which saw the Wallaby winger handle the ball no less than four times.

Things went from bad to worse for the Boks in the second half as Giteau and O’Connor stretched the Australian lead to 20 points by the 48th minute, and after that it was just a matter of how much the Boks would lose by. Fourie made amends for his earlier infringement by dotting down after a long period of South African pressure and the Boks added a second try eight minutes from time when prop Guthro Steenkamp surged over the line from an attacking lineout.

The back to back scores gave the Boks a chance of notching up a consolation bonus point, but even that was put out of reach when Aussie scrumhalf Will Genia surged through a weak Bok defensive line to level the try count and seal the win for his team. It was a thoroughly deserved victory for the Wallabies who outplayed their fellow southern hemisphere opponents in most facets of the game.

Pace was the key to victory for the Aussies, but they also played an impressive direct form of rugby, with their locks and skipper Rocky Elsom combining well to power through the middle, where the lively Genia also made a telling impact. The Boks, on the other hand, were woeful in every department except the set pieces.

They conceded far too many penalties and missed too many first time tackles to pose a serious threat to the Wallabies. The South Africans were also slow in getting to the breakdowns and their overall lethargic display meant they were always one step behind their faster and more motivated opponents. Habana, too, was guilty of going for the intercept on numerous occasions when staying on his line and defending would have been the better option.

The Boks looked a jaded and one dimensional outfit who continue to play antiquated rugby that has no place in the modern international game. Kicking dozens and dozens of up and unders in the hope that the defence will fumble creating the opportunity for a score may work against second rate opponents, but it is foolishness personified against first class outfits like the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

And yet on Saturday, the Boks, with fullback Zane Kirchner in particular, persisted with this tactic as if their lives depended on it. The question that must be on everyone’s lips is: why? The answer to that question can only be provided by coach De Villiers and the rest of the South African ‘brainstrust’ who are clearly, besides the players, also to blame for the Boks’ poor performances over the last three weeks. De Villiers and his team, for a reason known only to themselves, continue to persist with the same predictable tactics week in and week out despite the obvious lack of results. Something has to change – and soon – if the Boks hope to avoid a 6–0 Tri-Nations whitewash.

At the moment they look like a herd of sick and lame cattle without a leader and when one considers they only have one victory (a 42–17 defeat of France in Cape Town in June) over a top five nation since last year’s Tri-Nations, things look very grim in deed.

The Boks return home for the rest of their Tri-Nations campaign where they will face the All Blacks in Johannesburg on August 21 followed by return fixtures against the Wallabies on August 28 and September 4. Fourie will be unavailable for the August 21 game after being suspended for four weeks following his dangerous tackle on Brown.

Scorers
Australia 30 – Tries: Drew Mitchell, Will Genia. Conversion: James O’Connor. Penalties: Matt Giteau (5), O’ Connor.
South Africa 13 – Tries: Jaque Fourie, Guthro Steenkamp. Penalty: Morné Steyn.

Naas Olivier

Griquas come from behind to down Lions
GWK Griquas turned up the heat in the second half to record a convincing 26–20 victory over the Xerox Lions in an entertaining Currie Cup encounter in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon. The Diamond Miners were full value for their victory against the visitors from Johannesburg and remain unbeaten at home this season – something which will no doubt please their coach Dawie Theron.

Trailing 14–6 at the break, Griquas had it all to do in the second half if they hoped to beat a Lions team desperate for a win after suffering a resounding 32–0 defeat to Western Province in their previous Currie Cup outing last weekend. The home side proved up to the task as they outscored their opponents 20–6 in the final 40 minutes to run out deserved winners. The Griquas pack played a vital part in bringing their team back into contention in the second half with tighthead prop Jacobie Adriaanse, in particular, having an outstanding game. Adriaanse scored one of the two Griquas second half tries, with speedy winger Bjorn Basson dotting down for the other.

Both sides played with plenty of passion, putting in some massive hits throughout the 80 minutes and the Lions were still very much in contention right up until the final seconds. In fact, the Johannesburg outfit could have won this game had they taken all the chances that came their way. John Mitchell’s men are playing much better rugby than they were in the Super 14 and they produced plenty of multi-phase build-ups in Saturday’s match and if they had just been a little bit more precise on attack they could well have pulled off a win in the closing moments.

It certainly looked like the Lions were on their way to victory at the interval, for though they lost the territory battle, they did control and retain possession well. They took an early lead courtesy of a Jano Vermaak try and then increased their advantage to 14–3 shortly before the break when lock George Earle went over near the corner flag in the 34th minute.

Flyhalf Herkie Kruger added the rest of the Lions’ points with the boot, but was upstaged on the day by Griquas counterpart Naas Olivier (pictured) who slotted two conversions and four penalties for a personal tally of 16 points. Lions captain Franco van der Merwe was naturally disappointed with the result after his team had squandered what had looked a winning lead.

The Lions will face the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their next Currie Cup encounter at Coca-Cola Park Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday and will have to improve a couple of notches if they hope to come away with a win against the men from Pretoria. Griquas’ next opponents will be the lowly Platinum Leopards who are currently languishing at the bottom of the Currie Cup standings with only two points from three matches.

Scorers
Griquas 26 – Tries: Jacobie Adriaanse and Bjorn Basson. Conversions: Naas Olivier (2). Penalties: Olivier (4).
Lions 20 – Tries: Jano Vermaak and George Earle. Conversions: Herkie Kruger (2). Penalties: Kruger (2).
Other results (from left to right)
Friday
Sharks 27 – Barloworld Toyata Pumas 17
Vodacom Western Province 42 – Platinum Leopards 23
Saturday
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 25 – Vodacom Blue Bulls 23
Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Leopards vs Griquas – Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom – 7pm
Western Province vs Pumas – Newlands Stadium, Cape Town – 7.10pm
Saturday
Cheetahs vs Sharks – Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein – 3pm
Lions vs Bulls – Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg – 5.05pm

Currie Cup log (After three rounds)
Pos  Team      Points
1.    WP           13
2.    Sharks      12
3.    Griquas     10
4.    Cheetahs   9
5.    Bulls         7
6.    Lions        6
7.    Pumas      5
8.    Leopards    2

Irvette van Blerk

Mohale and Van Blerk come up tops
Lucky Mohale and Irvette van Blerk (pictured) emerged winners at the South Africa Half Marathon Championships in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. The event was the first stage in selecting the team for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Nanning, China on 16 October.

In the men’s race a lead group of over 20 athletes, including Lusapho April, Lungisa Mdedelwa, Sibusiso Nzima, Motsamai Motone and Lindikhaya Mthangayi, broke away from the rest of the field early covering 5km in 14 min and 35 secs and 10km in 29:43. The pace then slowed over the next two kilometres before Mohale hit the front, his injection of pace helping him to open up a lead over his nearest rivals. By the time Mohale hit the 15km mark, only Nzima, April, and Mdedelwa remained  in contention.

Mohale briefly glanced back at his pursuers, before producing another surge which secured him victory in 1 hour, 1 minute and 58 secs. Nzima took second place in 1:02:10 with April finishing third in 1:02:24. “When I saw the lead group slowing down, I grew confident I will win so I took the lead at 12km. I have trained for this race for three months so I was expecting a good time,” explained Mohale.

“Now I want to redouble my effort so that I can run 58 or 59 minutes. My aim is to make an impact competing against the great Zersenay Tadese (four time World champion) at the World Championships in China,” added a confident Mohale. Thozama April was the early pace setter in the women’s race, but she was closely followed by Van Blerk and Tanith Maxwell through the first 5km. After 10km Van Blerk surged into the lead and begun opening a gap over April and Maxwell who were starting to wilt allowing Zintle Xiniwe to ease into second spot just on the 15km mark.

However, the fast finishing Xiniwe was unable to reel in Van Blerk who broke the tape in a life time best of 1:11:09. Xiniwe maintained second position to finish in a credible 1:13:13 with Maxwell (1:13:22) third and April (1:13:58) fourth. “The pace was quite fast in the opening 8km. When April begun fading I took charge of matters. I followed the men in front of me and that helped set a personal best from 1:12.55 at the Two Oceans in Cape Town last April,” said a delighted Van Blerk. Athletics South Africa (ASA) Assistant Administrator Richard Stander laid out the organisation’s plan for the 2012 London Olympic Marathons.

“We will sponsor the top ten men and women to our national 10km race next month. That will be a speed test before the Southern Africa Marathon Championships in Malawi in September and the World Championships in October. We aim at developing Olympians capable of running 2:05 (men) and sub 2:30 (women) at the Olympics,” explained Stander.

Luvo Manyonga

SA juniors shine in Canada
The curtain came down on Team SA’s campaign at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, on Saturday, but not before Luvo Manyonga (pictured) and Tazmin Brits had done their country proud. Boland’s Manyoga notched up a gold medal in the long jump with an impressive leap of 7.99m while the Potchefstroom based Brits secured a bronze in the javelin with a 54.55m throw.

Although there were some fine performances from a number of other South African athletes, none of them were good enough to secure a medal. Free State sprint sensation Wayde Van Niekerk clocked an excellent 21.02 secs to finish fourth in the 200m final while the powerful Rocco van Rooyen produced a career best effort of 74.13m in the javelin final to place sixth.

Sixteen-year-old KwaZulu Natal athlete Justine Palframan certainly didn’t look out of her depth against much more experienced opposition when she clocked 24,09 secs in the 200m semi-finals while fellow sprinters Gideon Trotter, Waide Jooste, Shaun de Jager and Jacques de Swardt all gained valuable experience competing against top flight opposition.

Team SA’s hopes of securing a berth in the 4x400m final flew out of the window on Saturday as De Jager, Pieter Marx, Le Roux Hamman and De Swardt clocked 3 min 12,58 secs in their heat to finish fifth. Kobus Moolman was eliminated from the semi-finals of the 110 metres hurdles, finishing in 14.30 secs. By the end of Saturday’s action, Team SA was lying 13th in the medal rankings out of 170 participating nations.

Pietie Coetzee

Pietie makes a comeback
Having made her South African debut as a 16-year-old schoolgirl in 1995, Pietie Coetzee (pictured) took world hockey by storm, and new national head coach Giles Bonnet believes Coetzee still has what it takes to help propel 12th-ranked South Africa into the world top six by 2012. Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest women’s hockey players of all time, Coetzee announced her return to the international game just hours before turning out for defending champions Southern Gauteng against KZN Coastal in the final of the 2010 SA Interprovincial Tournament.

The 31-year-old Coetzee retired from international hockey in 2005 at the tender age of 27 with a record 190 goals in 193 test matches – a ratio of goals per game still unmatched in women’s hockey history. “Forget about world top six if you don’t have a world-class drag-flicker (from penalty corners) and in Pietie, South Africa has that and more, as her ability to score field goals is also world-class,” said Bonnet.

Meanwhile, a 30-player SA women’s hockey squad which will be participating in two week-long training camps in Durban and Cape Town respectively, has been named. Upon completion of the training camps an 18-player squad will be finalised to represent the country at next month’s World Cup in Argentina.

Training squad: Cindy Botha, Taryn Bright, Dirkie Chamberlain, Pietie Coetzee, Ilse Davids, Lisa Deetlefs, Liesel Dorothy, Celia Evans, Farah Fredericks, Lesle-Ann George, Hanlie Hattingh, Kim Hubach, Marcelle Keet, Kelly Madsen, Sanani Mangisa, Tsoanelo Pholo, Pippa Rabey, Kathleen Taylor, Roxanne Turner, Jennifer Wilson, Shelley Russell, Nicolene Terblanche, Jade Mayne, Marsha Marescia, Nicole de Vries, Vida Ryan, Mariette Rix, Lenise Marais, Sulette Damons, Michelle Cremer.

Taliwe fails to impress against ‘Punisher’
Sipho ‘Tsunami’ Taliwe did just enough to retain his South African junior lightweight title when he fought Godfrey ‘The Punisher’ Nzimande to a draw at the Nasrec Indoor Arena near Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon. Two judges had the fight even at 114–114 with a third official giving Nzimande the nod by a narrow 115–113.

It was a somewhat disappointing performance from the power punching Taliwe who entered the ring as a clear favourite over the comparatively light hitting Nzimande. Taliwe destroyed the rugged Warren Joubert in his last title defence and was expected to make short work of the challenger, but a sluggish start saw him concede the opening five rounds to Nzimande who racked up the points with plenty of scoring combinations.

Taliwe (58.89 kg) was hurt in the first round with a left and later by a right that sent him stumbling to the ropes and was largely outworked by the lighter Nzimande (58.56 kg) in the early going. However, things changed from the sixth round onwards as the champion began landing uppercuts and damaging rights that left Nzimande with a swelling under the right eye and bleeding from the lip.

The ringside commentators and many other observers, including myself, had Taliwe a narrow winner, but the judges saw it differently and decided that a draw was the fairest reflection of the fight. The champion’s log now stands at 11–2-1 (10 KO’s) while the challenger slid to 20–3-3 with 12 wins via the short route.

Taliwe’s somewhat tepid performance would not have gone down well with his fans and supporters who expect nothing short of a sensational knockout victory every time he steps into the ring. Sunday’s result also raises doubts as to whether or not ‘Tsunami’ really has what it takes to compete successfully at international level. One hopes he can but based on his performance against Nzimande it seems that Taliwe still has a lot to learn about the sweet science before swapping leather with higher calibre opposition.

Other results on the Rainbow Promotions bill
(W=points victory, TKO = technical knockout)
Gert Aris W6 Mduduzi Dladla (featherweights)
Oupa Maimane W4 Phumlani Majola (lightweights)
Keith Nkosi TKO 3 Andile Rasmeni (lightweights)
Kyle Bothma TKO 2 Luyanda Jako (junior welterweights)
Wynand Mulder TKO 1 Madoda Maseko (super middleweights)
Charles Oosthuizen TKO 1 Bysil Mthethwa (light-heavyweights)

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Attractions
Things to Do in South Africa
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Photo Credits:
Photo – Jaque Fourie: Source – www.newshopper.sulekha.com
Photo – Naas Olivier: Source – www.superimagemedia.wordpress.com
Photo – Irvette van Blerk: Source – www.africathle.com
Photo – Luvo Manyonga: Source – Gallo Images
Photo – Pietie Coetzee: Source – Gallo Images

Danie Rossouw

All Blacks give Boks another rugby lesson
New Zealand scored their second consecutive victory over South Africa in as many weeks with a convincing 31–17 truimph in their Vodacom Tri-Nations fixture in Wellington on Saturday. The All Blacks outscored the Boks by four tries to two and thoroughly deserved their win against a disjointed South African outfit.

To their credit the Boks did put up a better display than they did last weekend in Auckland when they were comprehensively outplayed in all facets of the game to go down 32–12. They were solid in the set-pieces this time out and though one got the impression the All Blacks still won the collisions, there wasn’t much in it.

The reason the Boks lost this game was their lack of speed about the field. New law changes have made rugby a much quicker sport and the South Africans are clearly struggling to adapt to the new format of the game after dominating the Tri-Nations a year ago. The ponderous South Africans were also not helped by the inconsistent refereeing of Alain Rolland.

The French official was correct in yellow carding lock Danie Rossouw (pictured left) for kicking out at a New Zealand player on the ground early in the match, but then a shoulder charge or tackle without the use of arms should also warrant a yellow card, and there was none issued for a blatant Rene Ranger infringement on Zane Kirchner towards the end of the first half.

Rossouw’s banishment to the sidelines ended any hope of their being any physical ascendancy for the Boks, and in the time he was off the field the All Blacks scored two tries to take a 10–0 advantage. After that the Boks were always playing catch up rugby, and although Rossouw did cross the tryline just before the interval to keep his team within striking distance, there was only really going to be one winner in this match.

New Zealand scored their opening try out on the left when Ma’a Nonu dotted down after six minutes to put his team 5–0 up. The men in black scored their second try minutes later when poor defending from the Boks paved the way for Mils Mulialina to get his name on the scoresheet.

Things could have been a lot worse for the Boks if All Black flyhalf Dan Carter had remembered to bring his kicking boots with him. The normally deadly accurate Carter struggled to come to terms with the strong wind he was kicking into and consequently sqandered 10 points in the first half. Carter’s imperfections were the main reason the Boks were able to go to the interval just 13–7 adrift.

The South Africans came out strongly in the second half, clearly intent on taking the fight to their opponents but the All Blacks quickly regained the initiative as Rene Ranger forced his way over the line on the left. Piri Weepu banged over a penalty in the 50th minute to make it 21–10 and when Israel Dagg added a fourth try for the hosts 10 minutes later, any chances of a Bok fightback were snuffed out.

To their credit though the Boks never gave up trying and enjoyed their best passage of play in two matches in the last quarter, but when Schalk Burger scored in the 75th minute to reduce the deficit to 14 points, it was merely a consolation effort that came too late to make a difference.

Although the Boks matched the All Blacks in terms of physicality in Saturday’s encounter there is ultimately little point in hitting a ruck hard when the ball has already been moved on from the contact point, which was so often the case in this match. The question of whether all the older players in the Bok team are equipped to play the new, faster game must now be raised because on the evidence of this match they may not be.

However, they will still have a chance to prove the doubters wrong when they take on the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday in their next Vodacom Tri-Nations encounter. Hopefully Ruan Pienaar will start at scrumhalf in that match for in Wellington there was a marked improvement in the pace at which the Boks played the game when he came on to replace Ricky Januarie.

The All Blacks will no doubt be thrilled with their win and with two bonus point try wins in as many starts, they are well on course for another Vodacom Tri-Nations title. Saturday’s game kicks off at 12pm and the South Africans will be desperate for a win after a disappointing start to their 2010 Tri-Nations campaign.

Scorers
New Zealand 31 – Tries: Ma’a Nonu, Mils Muliaina, Rene Ranger, Israel Dagg. Conversion: Dan Carter. Penalties: Carter (2), Piri Weepu.
South Africa 17 – Tries: Danie Rossouw, Schalk Burger. Conversions: Morné Steyn (2). Penalty: Steyn.

Lwazi Mvovo

Sharks power past Bulls
Two tries from left wing Lwazi Mvovo (pictured left) helped the Sharks to a well-deserved 34–28 victory over the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their Absa Currie Cup encounter at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon. The home side outscored the visitors by five tries to three and moved to second on the log with seven points, one ahead of the Bulls who now drop down to third.

It was an excellent win for the Sharks who began their Currie Cup campaign with a disappointing 40–34 loss to GWK Griquas in Kimberley last weekend. The KwaZulu-Natalians were only able to show glimpses of their potential in that game, but it was a different story on Saturday as they produced some sparkling rugby to upset their more fancied opponents.

The scoreline flattered the Bulls who managed to dot down in the final minute of the game while flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter added a conversion to give his side a bonus point. The Sharks had the better of the exchanges throughout and could have won by a much bigger margin had they not been been forced over the touchline four times for what could have been tries.

However, it must be noted that the Bulls were missing no less than 12 Springboks who are on Tri-Nations duty and still managed to be competitive throughout the 90 minutes.  The men in blue are always a danger to any side and the defeat is more likely to strengthen their resolve than to discourage them for the remainder of the season. But the day belonged to the Sharks who had much to rejoice over after their surprise loss last weekend.

JP Pietersen, who had been sidelined with injury for a couple of months,  came through Saturday’s match unscathed and looked hungry for action while his winger teammate Mvovo demonstrated a mixture of superb pace and power which the Bulls had no answer for. The Sharks’ braintrust can also take heart from the excellent performances from Craig Burden, Jacques Botes and 19-year-old Patrick Lambie who plays with a maturity far beyond his fledgling years.

The Bulls started strongly against the Sharks with a great build-up and a deft pass in the midfield by Stefan Watermeyer sending Stefan Dippenaar through a gap and eventually led to the opening try by eighthman Gerrit-Jan van Velze. However, the Bulls were soon on the defensive as the Sharks began to put them under pressure with some penetrating moves.

Keegan Daniel looked to have scored but the TMO ruled he was out over the touchline when he dotted down and Lambie experienced the same fate minutes later. However, the Sharks eventually got their first score when Burden exploited space at the front of the line-out and jinked his way through the Bulls defence for a well-taken try.

A 30th minute penalty from Potgieter put the Bulls back in front, but that was the last time the Pretoria outfit would enjoy a lead. Burden should have scored a second try shortly afterwards, but an excellent tackle by Gerhard van den Heever saw his hip touch the touchline making it impossible for the TMO to award a try.

Lambie regained the lead for the Sharks when he slotted a penalty four minutes before the break, and the KwaZulu-Natalians were denied a try again when Mvovo kicked and chased, only for the bounce to elude him without a defender in sight. However, the powerful winger eventually got a try early in the second half when he bumped off Jaco van der Westhuizen on his way to the tryline.

Potgieter kept the Bulls within striking distance with another penalty before Burden again was denied by the TMO as he stepped out of bounds with the tryline beckoning. The Sharks then seized the iniative as Keegan Daniel shrugged off the attentions of Van Velze after a Lambie break to score. With the Sharks 24–11 ahead the game should have been over as a contest, but the Bulls kept fighting and were rewarded for their determination when burly Dean Greyling forced his way over the tryline, carrying three defenders on his back.

Potgieter added the conversion and slotted another penalty to close the gap to three points, but the Bulls’ comeback was thwarted when Mvovo held onto a pass after quick hands by fullback Stefan Terblanche to score his second try in the corner. The Bulls, now desperate for points, threw caution to the wind and were caught out on the counter attack as Daniel chipped and collected to seal the win for his team.

The visitors did manage to secure a late bonus point when Van den Heever dotted down in the right hand corner to score, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Sharks from scooping five points in a victory they thoroughly deserved courtesy of their enterprising play.

John Plumtree’s men will face the Pumas in their next Currie Cup outing at the Absa Stadium on Friday evening and should have far too much firepower for a side who are newcomers to the rigours of top flight domestic rugby. Kick-off is at 7pm.

Scorers
Sharks 34 – Tries: Lwazi Mvovo (2), Keegan Daniel (2), Craig Burden. Conversions: Patrick Lambie (3). Penalty: Lambie.
Bulls 28 – Tries: Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Dean Greyling, Gerhard van den Heever. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (2). Penalties: Potgieter (3).

Other results (from left to right)
Pumas 37 – Platinum Leopards 32
Cheetahs 33 – Griquas 26
Western Province 32 – Lions 0

Upcoming fixtures
Friday
Sharks vs Pumas – The Absa Stadium, Durban – 7pm.
Leopards vs Western Province – Olen Park, Potchefstroom – 7.10pm.
Saturday
Griquas vs Lions – GWK Park, Kimberley – 3pm.
Blue Bulls vs Cheetahs – Loftus Versveld, Pretoria – 5.05pm.

Currie Cup standings (after two rounds)
Pos  Team            Points
1.     WP                8
2.     Sharks           7
3.     Bulls              6
4.     Griquas          6
5.     Lions              5
6.     Free State      5
7.     Pumas           5
8.     Leopards        2

Louis Oosthuizen

Oosthuizen rockets to fame with Open win
Rank outsider Louis Oosthuizen (pictured) stunned the golfing world over the weekend when he won the Open Championship at St Andrews in Scotland on Sunday, bagging golf’s biggest prize by an incredible seven strokes with a superb display of front-running. It was the biggest winning margin in the world’s oldest and most prestigious tournament since American Tiger Woods truimphed by eight strokes in 2000.

The 27-year-old South African started the final day on 15-under par, four strokes ahead of his nearest rival, England’s Paul Casey. Playing solid rather than spectacular golf, Oosthuizen was never really threatened as he carded a closing 71 for a 16-under total of 272. England’s Lee Westwood closed with a 70 to finish second while Rory McIlroy (68), Henrik Stenson (67) and Casey (75) all tied for third one stroke behind Westwood.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Oosthuizen. “It was difficult having such a big lead to keep calm and focused, but I kept calm all the way. I’m glad I had eight shots on 18! I think I cramped up a bit with the putter. It’s just amazing,” he added. Oosthuizen came into the tournament ranked 54th in the world and it was only his second top-level tournament victory in a career which began in 2002. The quietly spoken Mossel Bay resident became only the fourth South African to win the Open after Bobby Locke (1949, 1950, 1952, 1957), Gary Player (1954, 1968, 1974) and Ernie Els (2002).

It was the biggest upset win in an Open Championship since American Tony Lema truimphed on his debut at the Old Course in 1964. Oosthuizen produced rounds of 65, 67 and 69 to set up his winning position and only Casey with rounds of 69, 69 and 67 managed to keep in touch, although he fell away badly at the end with a disappointing 75. Casey paid tribute to Oosthuizen, who only found one of St Andrews’ many bunkers all week.

“That was an unbelievable performance,” said Casey. “He was very calm, played wonderful golf, and all credit to him. I’m disappointed, but the emphasis has to be on that performance, because that was fantastic,” he added.

Top 10 finishers
272 – Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 65 67 69 71
279 – Lee Westwood (Britain) 67 71 71 70
280 – Rory McIlroy (Britain) 63 80 69 68
Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 68 74 67 71
Paul Casey (Britain) 69 69 67 75
281 – Retief Goosen (RSA) 69 70 72 70
282 – Robert Rock (Britain)  68 78 67 69
Sean O’Hair (USA)  67 72 72 71
Nick Watney (USA)  67 73 71 71
Martin Kaymer (Germany) 69 71 68 74

Morgan Gould

SuperSport edge Rabat in Caf Cup
Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions SuperSport United recorded a narrow 2–1 win over Morocco’s FUS Rabat in their first-leg Caf Confederations Cup game at a freezing Atteridgeville on Saturday night. SuperSport appeared to be heading for an easy victory when defender Morgan Gould (pictured) opened the scoring after just eight minutes with a powerful header.

However, they missed numerous opportunities to increase their lead as they dominated the opening period, with first Anthony Laffor and then Brent Carelse failing to find the back of the net from close range. Seven minutes after half-time Rabat were on level terms when a powerful burst down the left flank from Ibrahim Ziadi ended with a sizzling shot slamming into the roof of the net.

Just when it seemed SuperSport would be facing the unenviable prospect of making the arduous away trip to Morocco in two weeks time for the second-leg while on equal terms, Rabat conceeded a penalty in the 73rd minute and Laffor made amends for his first-half miss by scoring the winning goal with a powerful spot kick.

With only a single goal lead and having conceded what could be an important away goal, SuperSport face the prospect of a taxing ordeal in order to qualify for the round robin stage of the tournament. Coach Gavin Hunt, however, pointed to the fact that he was fielding a somewhat depleted combination  and he expects some considerable improvement in his side’s play as the new season gains momentum.

Jordy Smith

Jordy’s number one after J-Bay win
Jordy Smith (pictured) grabbed the lead in the 2010 ASP World Title Race rankings after advancing to the quarter-finals of the Billabong Pro J-Bay by defeating Australian rookie Owen Wright in Round Four at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Durbanite, ranked number two coming into the only ASP World Tour event to be staged in Africa, overtook nine-times World Champion Kelly Slater, who was earlier ousted from the event, to become the first South African to head the rankings which determine the annual ASP World Title since Shaun Tomson back in the 1980’s.

“That’s cool but there’s still a long way to go,” Smith cautioned when informed that he had moved to No 1. “Kelly (Slater) may have lost today but he won’t be out of the title race until the hooter sounds at Pipe at the end of the year. Still, it’s a great position for me to be in and I’ll look to consolidate with a solid result here at Jeffreys,” he added.

Meanwhile, South African wildcard Sean Holmes, who caused the upset of the event by eliminating Slater in Round Three, continued to spring surprises by defeating former three-times World Champion Andy Irons of Hawaii in Round Four. Holmes’ uncanny affinity with the Supertubes lineup helped him to slot into a deep tube ride that was good enough to enable him to join Smith in the last eight.

The quarter-final lineup pits Smith against Brazilian Adriano de Souza, Holmes against Australian Bede Durbidge, Taj Burrow of Australia against American Dane Reynolds and Damien Hobgood of the U.S. against the winner of the all rookie matchup between Australian Adam Melling and Hawaian Dusty Payne.

Sinyabi too good for Gwayana
Sizwe Sinyabi surprised many pundits when he outpointed defending champion Mfundo Gwayana at the Nangoza Jebe Hall in Port Elizabeth on Sunday to recapture the South African light flyweight title. The 12-round contest was the second time these two pugilists have squared off against one another after they fought to a draw at the Orient Theatre in East London in June last year.

In a rather uneventful contest, Sinyabi notched up his 20th victory against eight defeats and two draws with nine of his wins coming by way of knockout. In his first fight since the June 2009 draw, Sinyabi maintained pressure on Gwayana and knocked him down in the eleventh round to seal the win. The loss saw Gwayana slide to 11–4-1 (6 KO’s).

Meanwhile, South African junior lightweight champion Sipho ‘Tsunami’ Taliwe looks set to continue his winning ways when he defends his title against former champion Godfrey ‘The Punisher’ Nzimande at the Nasrec Indoor Arena in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The power punching Taliwe destroyed previously undefeated Warren Joubert in his last outing and will be looking to produce a similar performance against Nzimande. Taliwe is the proverbial ‘banger’, having knocked out 10 of his 13 professional opponents while suffering only two defeats – both by decision.

Nzimande (20–3-2; 12 KO’s), while possessing a decent punch of his own, is more of a boxer than a banger and Sunday’s clash should be an interesting contest between the brutal power of the champion and the slick boxing skills of the challenger. Another impressive win for Taliwe would undoubtedly sent the stage for more lucrative, international bouts, but he will be wise not to underestimate his more experienced opponent who has been punching for pay since 2001.

Caster Semenya

Caster keeps on the winning track
World 800m champion Caster Semenya’s return to competition has continued with another win – this time at the Savo Games in Finland. The 19-year-old South African powerhouse coasted to victory in her second race since being given the green light to continue competing as a woman.

Semenya (pictured) completed Sunday’s race in two minutes, 2.41 seconds – almost two seconds faster than at Thursday’s comeback race at the Lappeenranta Games. Semenya always looked in control against a relatively weak field but was still seven seconds slower than the national record she set when winning gold at the world championships in Berlin last August. The teenager now heads home to South Africa to continue training and is expected to return to race in Europe next month.

South African Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – Danie Rossouw: Source – www.dailymail.co.uk
Photo – Lwazi Mvovo: Source – www.scrum.com
Photo – Louis Oosthuizen: Source – www.qatar-masters.com
Photo – Morgan Gould: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
Photo – Jordy Smith: Source – www.magicseaweed.com
Photo – Caster Semenya: Source – www.australian-news.matters.com

Andres Iniesta

Iniesta’s late strike wins World Cup for Spain
Spain captured their first ever World Cup trophy when they defeated the Netherlands 1–0 last night courtesy of a 115th minute goal from midfielder Andres Iniesta (pictured). Iniesta slotted the winner in extra time when he was put clear by Cesc Fabregas and drove the ball past a diving Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal. It was a bitterly disappointing defeat for the Netherlands who suffered their third World Cup final loss after defeats in 1974 and 1978.

European champions Spain had looked the more confident outfit early on in the clash at Johannesburg’s Soccer City as an apprehensive Dutch team yielded ground to their fast-moving opponents. Stekelenburg was forced to make a save after just five minutes when Sergio Ramos headed a Xavi cross goalwards while Spain’s David Villa smashed a volley into the side netting with the goal looming.

However, a series of freekicks and bookings, including two strong tackles by Dutch midfielders Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel, disrupted Spain’s rhythm and prevented ‘La Roja’ from producing the swift-passing game that earned them a place in the final.

Netherlands offered precious little in attack and the closest they came to a first-half goal was a peculiar incident when Gregory van der Wiel attempted to give the ball back in an act of sportsmanship. The fullback’s 60-metre kick bounced up and over Spain captain Iker Casillas, forcing the surprised ‘keeper to leap and tip the bal to safety.

The game continued with plenty of stoppages and few chances, until Wesley Sneijder penetrated the Spanish defence with a perfectly timed ball into the path of Arjen Robben after 62 minutes. However, Casillas was able to produce a brilliant save with his feet and deny the speedy Dutch winger what would have been a certain goal.

In an exciting end to normal time Villa had a shot parried in front of the line, an unmarked Ramos headed recklessly over the bar from five metres out and Carlos Puyol was fortunate to escape punishment after bringing down a seething Robben.

In extra time it was Stekelenburg’s turn to save with his feet when substitute Fabregas was put clear by Iniesta. Netherlands were forced to play with 10 men after 20 minutes of extra time when John Heitinga was red carded for hauling down Iniesta on the edge of the box.

The diminutive midfielder got back on his feet and soon after was celebrating scoring the winning goal to send the delirious Spanish fans into a frenzy of delight. It was a thoroughly deserved victory for ‘La Roja’ who played some top-notch football throughout the tournament, although the Dutch will feel agrieved that they could not put produce the goods when it mattered most.

The match brought down the curtain on a highly successful World Cup for South Africa and Africa, disproving many pundits who felt it was impossible for the country and the continent to host such a major international sporting event. There is now talk of South Africa being considered as a possible future host for the 2020 Olympic games – a scenario previously unimaginable had it not been for their successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup.

Diego Forlan

Forlan comes up tops
Spain may have won the World Cup but Uruguay’s Diego Forlan (pictured) won the best player of the tournament award courtesy of some magnificent goals that helped his team become South America’s only semi-finalists. The blond striker won legions of supporters for his brilliant play on the pitch and courteous attitude off it where he always made time to sign autographs and chat with fans.

Forlan took 23.4 percent in the “Golden Ball” poll organised by world soccer body Fifa and voted for by journalists. Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder came second with 21.8 percent and Spain’s David Villa was third on 16.9 percent. All three stars netted five goals, making them joint top scorers along with Germany’s Thomas Mueller who claimed the “Golden Boot” and Best Young Player awards. In addition to winning the tournament, Spain also bagged the Fifa Fair Play Award and their captain Iker Casillas claimed the “Golden Glove” prize for best goalkeeper.

Forlan’s award will provide some comfort to Uruguayans after their side were narrowly defeated by Germany in the third place playoff on Saturday. Forlan was unable to force the game into extra time after he struck the bar with a curling free kick in the last touch of the match.

Saturday — World Cup third and fourth place play offs
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Uruguay: 2 [Cavani (27), Forlan (50)]
Germany: 3 [Muller (17), Jansen (55), Khedira (81)]

Photo Credits:
Photo – Andres Iniesta: Source – www.futbolmania12.wordpress.com
Photo – Diego Forlan: Source – www.billsworldcup.wordpress.com

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Carles Puyol

Puyol powers Spain into final
Spain qualified for their first World Cup final when they defeated Germany 1–0 in a tense encounter at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban yesterday evening. A 73rd minute header from defender Carles Puyol (pictured) was enough to propel ‘La Roja’ into Sunday’s final against Holland at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Vicente del Bosque’s second ranked side dominated the match but battled to finish off a German team lacking their usual pace until Puyol struck the decisive blow 17 minutes from the end. “Players from defence to attack were extraordinary and played a great game,” said Spain coach del Bosque.

“We’ve shown that in the big moments we’ve risen to the occasion,” said Spain striker David Villa. It’s the best game we’ve played. We deserved to score more but a Puyol goal put us in the final and we’re exultant,” he added. Spain dominated possession early on and had their first chance to score after five minutes when forward Pedro, who took to the field ahead of the out of form Fernando Torres, played the ball for Villa, whose shot failed to beat ‘keeper Manuel Neuer.

With the sixth ranked Germans, who lost the Euro 2008 final to the Spainiards by the same score, unable to break out of their own half, Spain maintained pressure, with Puyol heading narrowly over the bar after 15 minutes. Germany nearly opened their account when Piotr Trochowski stretched Iker Casillas with a powerful low drive, but the Spanish ‘keeper was equal to the task.

Pedro and Sergio Ramos continued to try and expose Germany left back Jerome Boateng, cutting the ball back from the wing for midfielder Xabi Alonso who missed with two attempts at goal early in the second half. Spain almost scored in the 58th minute when Pedro forced a brilliant save from Neuer before Andres Iniesta placed the ball across the face of goal just a metre ahead of a sliding Villa.

Spain kept on attacking their opponents and were rewarded for their efforts 17 minutes from time when Puyol scored his winner leaving Spain to ward off some late German pressure to secure victory. It was a thoroughly deserved victory for ‘La Roja’ who will be very hard to beat in Sunday’s final.

“I believe they (Spain) will win this tournament,” said Germany coach Joachim Loew. “Spain let the ball roll so well and you just can’t keep up with them. We played a great tournament but weren’t as sharp tonight as we’ve been,” he added. “It was very difficult tonight,” said Germany captain Philipp Lahm. “We knew Spain were a favourite to win the tournament. Spain is a very strong team,” he added.

Spain must start as slight favourites in the final although they will be facing very strong opposition in the form of the Dutch who have played some superb football to advance to the final stage of the tournament. Holland have reached the final twice before but have never won it so a new world champion is guaranteed no matter what the result. Sunday’s match kicks off at 8.30pm.

van Bronckhorst

Holland edge Uruguay in five-goal thriller
Fourth ranked Holland were made to work harder than expected, but the men in orange were still full value for their 3–2 victory over 16th ranked Uruguay at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday evening. Playmaker Wesley Sneijder, scorer of both goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win over top ranked Brazil, was again instrumental in spuring the Dutch to victory.

Sneijder found the back of the net in the 70th minute to give his side a 2–1 advantage before Arjen Robben added a third three minutes later to seal the win. Maximiliano Pereira bagged a second goal for Uruguay in extra time but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Dutch from marching on to only their third World Cup final, and their first in 32 years.

“First final since ‘74 and ‘78, that came up in my mind in the second half,” said Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk. “It’s so very special and as a small country we can be so proud,” he added.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez remarked: “I’m very proud of my players... our opponents were better when it came to scoring goals against us. We went very far, no one expected that, so that helps the sadness of the defeat.”

“We had a good World Cup. A lot of years have passed since we’ve done so well,” said midfielder Egidio Arevalo. Indeed, this has been a very successful tournament for the relatively lowly ranked Uruguayans who last made a World Cup semi-final appearance in 1970. They weren’t expected to reach the quarter-finals let alone the semi-finals and had they not been up against a Dutch team in peak form they might well have gone all the way through to the final.

The two sides were deadlocked at 1–1 at the interval after brilliant long-range strikes from left back Giovanni van Bronckhorst (pictured) for Netherlands and forward Diego Forlan for Uruguay. The Dutch could have gone ahead early when Uruguay ‘keeper Fernando Muslera failed to hold Robben’s cross and the ball fell to Dirk Kuyt who recklessly fired over the bar.

Robben then had a shot blocked by a teammate before Van Bronckhorst put Holland ahead in the 18th minute with a powerful long range shot which gave Muslera absolutely no chance. It was a stunning goal and forced Uruguay, now in search of an equaliser, to attack with more purpose.

They got one in the 41st minute when Forlan latched onto a pass, cut inside a defender and scored with a long-range shot that wrongfooted ‘keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. The restart saw the Dutch enjoy the lion’s share of the possession, but it was the South American outfit who had more chances to score.

A chip from Alvaro Pereira was cleared off the line by Van Bronckhorst and Forlan’s curling free kick forced Stekelenburg to palm the ball away at the foot of his near post. Robben then squandered a golden opportunity when he shot wide after a rebound landed on his unfavoured right foot.

However, it didn’t matter in the end as Sneijder put the Dutch back on top with a curling shot for his fifth goal of the tournament. Holland bagged a third goal three minutes later when Robben found the back of the net with a perfectly placed downward header and although Pereira pulled one back for Uruguay in the dying minutes it wasn’t enough to stave off defeat.

Although the Dutch will go into Sunday’s final against Spain as underdogs they will have an excellent chance of pulling off a victory and lifting the trophy given the sterling performances they have produced in the competition thus far. The men in orange have surprised many pundits who felt they did not have what it took to get this far in the tournament.

Useful Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – Carles Puyol: Source – www.asian42.blogspot.com
Photo – Giovanni van Bronckhorst: Source – www.holland.footballblog.co.uk

Currie Cup Fixtures

After nearly a month of non-stop football, the FIFA World Cup ends on Sunday but fear not sports lovers, the South African domestic rugby competition, the Currie Cup kicks off on July 9^th with weekend fixtures lined up for just over three months.

Use our comprehensive list of matches, times and locations to keep up to date on all the Currie Cup action!

July 2010

Friday 9^th:  Leopards vs Lions at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (time to be confirmed)

Friday 9^th:  Blue Bulls vs Pumas at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (7.10pm)

Saturday 10^th:  Griquas vs Sharks at in GWK Park, Kimberley (3.00pm)

Saturday 10^th:  Cheetahs vs Western Province at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (5pm)

Friday 16^th:  Cheetahs vs Griquas at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (7.10pm)

Friday 16^th:  Pumas vs Leopards at Puma Stadium, Witbank (time to be confirmed)

Saturday 17^th:  Western Province vs Lions at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (3.00pm)

Saturday 17^th:  Sharks vs Blue Bulls at The Absa Stadium, Durban (5.05pm)

Friday 23^rd:  Leopards vs Western Province at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (7.10pm)

Friday 23^rd:  Sharks vs Pumas at The Absa Stadium, Durban (time tbc)

Saturday 24^th:  Griquas vs Lions at GWK Park, Kimberley (3.00pm)

Saturday 24^th:  Blue Bulls vs Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (5.05pm)

Friday 30^th:  Leopards vs Griquas at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (time tbc)

Friday 30^th:  Western Province vs Pumas at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (7.10pm)

Saturday 31^st:  Lions vs Blue Bulls at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (5.05pm)

Saturday 31^st:  Cheetahs vs Sharks at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (3pm)

August 2010

Friday 6^th:  Blue Bulls vs Leopards at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (7.10pm)

Friday 6^th:  Pumas vs Cheetahs at Puma Stadium, Witbank (time tbc)

Saturday 7^th:  Griquas vs Western Province at GWK Park, Kimberley (3.00pm)

Saturday 7^th:  Sharks vs Lions at The Absa Stadium, Durban (5.05pm)

Friday 13^th:  Leopards vs Sharks at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (7.10pm)

Friday 13^th:  Griquas vs Pumas at GWK Park, Kimberley (time tbc)

Saturday 14^th:  Lions vs Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (3.00pm)

Saturday 14^th:  Western Province vs Blue Bulls at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (5.05pm)

Friday 20^th:  Blue Bulls vs Griquas at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (time tbc)

Friday 20^th:  Cheetahs vs Leopards at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (time tbc)

Friday 20^th:  Pumas vs Lions at Puma Stadium, Witbank (7.10pm)

Saturday 21^st:  Sharks vs Western Province at The Absa Stadium, Durban (7.10pm)

Friday 27^th:  Lions vs Leopards at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (time tbc)

Friday 27^th:  Sharks vs Griquas at The Absa Stadium, Durban (7.10pm)

Friday 27^th:  Pumas vs Blue Bulls at Puma Stadium, Witbank (time tbc)

Saturday 28^th:  Western Province vs Cheetahs at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (7.10pm)

September 2010

Friday 3rd:  Lions vs Western Province at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (7.10pm)

Friday 3rd:  Leopards vs Pumas at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (time tbc)

Friday 3^rd:  Griquas vs Cheetahs at GWK Park, Kimberley (time tbc)

Saturday 4^th:  Blue Bulls vs Sharks at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (7.10pm)

Friday 10^th:  Western Province vs Leopards at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (time tbc)

Friday 10^th:  Pumas vs Sharks at Puma Stadium, Witbank (7.10pm)

Saturday 11^th:  Lions vs Griquas at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (3.00pm)

Saturday 11^th:  Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (5.05pm)

Friday 17^th:  Griquas vs Leopards at GWK Park, Kimberley (time tbc)

Friday 17^th:  Pumas vs Western Province at Puma Stadium, Witbank (7.10pm)

Saturday 18^th:  Blue Bulls vs Lions at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (5.05pm)

Saturday 18^th:  Sharks vs Cheetahs at The Absa Stadium, Durban (3.00pm)

Friday 24^th:  Western Province vs Griquas at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (7.10pm)

Friday 24^th:  Cheetahs vs Pumas at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (time tbc)

Saturday 25^th:  Lions vs Sharks at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (5.05pm)

Saturday 25^th:  Leopards vs Blue Bulls at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (3.00pm)

October 2010

Friday 1^st:  Sharks vs Leopards at The Absa Stadium, Durban (7.10pm)

Friday 1^st:  Pumas vs Griquas at Puma Stadium, Witbank (time tbc)

Saturday 2^nd:  Blue Bulls vs Western Province at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (3.00pm)

Saturday 2^nd:  Cheetahs vs Lions at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein (5.05pm)

Friday 8^th:  Lions vs Pumas at Coca-Cola Park Stadium, Johannesburg (7.10pm)

Friday 8th Leopards vs Cheetahs at Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom (time tbc)

Friday 8^th:  Western Province vs Sharks at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town (time tbc)

Friday 8^th:  Griquas vs Blue Bulls at GWK Park, Kimberley (time tbc)

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David Villa

Villa puts shaky Spain into last four
Second ranked Spain overcame a determined challenge from 31st ranked Paraguay to progress to the semi-finals of the 2010 Fifa World Cup with a narrow 1–0 victory over the South Americans at Ellis Park on Saturday. It was the first time that Spain have reached the last four of the World Cup since 1950.

In a match of high drama in which both sides squandered penalty kicks, Spain once agained relied on the goal-scoring prowess of striker David Villa (pictured) to secure victory. The 28-year-old Villa scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 83rd minute to book his side a place in the semi-finals and give them a chance of winning the World Cup for the first time ever.

The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Paraguay who really strecthed Spain in this encounter, making them fight tooth and nail for the victory and nearly pushing the game into extra time.  The South Americans were clearly not intimidated by their highly ranked opponents, nullifying Spain’s talented strike force and creating chances of their own through strikers Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Valdez.

Paraguay’s manager Gerardo Martino was proud of what his team had produced on the field but was frustrated at the lack of a favourable result. “We gave our all, we had opportunities, but unfortunately Spain converted and Paraguay didn’t,” said Martino. “We didn’t have luck with us. It was a game we could have won. Now we have to resign ourselves to this tough blow,” he addded.

Before Villa’s match winner, the game appeared destined to head into extra time after both teams had missed penalty kicks in a sudden flurry of activity early in the second period. First, referee Carlos Batres ruled Spain defender Gerard Pique had pulled down Cardozo in the penalty area. The lanky striker then fired his spot kick low to the left of Iker Casillas but Spain’s captain and ‘keeper went the right way and neatly pouched Cardozo’s effort.

And then, just seconds later at the other end, Spain were awarded a penalty kick when Villa took a tumble after a challenge from Antolin Alcaraz. Xabi Alonso put his shot into the back of the net but Batres made him retake the kick after players from both sides encroached. Alonso blasted his next attempt low to Justo Villar’s left but the Paraguay ‘keeper succeeded in parrying the ball away. Substitute Cesc Fabregas desparately tried to make contact with the loose ball and appeared to be brought down by Villar, but Batres awarded a corner instead.

With the clock winding down and both sides giving it their all in search of a late winner, Spain substitute Pedro struck the post following a sniping run by Andres Iniesta. The ever vigilant Villa collected the rebound and unleashed a right-foot shot that went into the net after remarkably hitting both posts.

The final whistle brought jubilation for Spain’s players who flocked towards their skipper Casillas while Paraguay’s Cardozo burst into tears in the centre. “I’d like to congratulate Paraguay on playing a very serious game,” said Casillas. “Maybe being honest, this wasn’t one of our best performances,” he added.

Indeed, Spain will have to play a lot better if they hope to beat Germany in Durban on Wednesday evening. Casillas’ men lacked fluency in their passing and precision in crossing against Paraguay – two areas in which they will have to improve considerably before facing the awesome Germans who crushed Argentina in their quarter-final encounter just hours earlier.

“Germany have played a brilliant World Cup so far,” said Iniesta. They must be tremendously motivated and we are also at the top of our game. It is going to be a beautiful battle,” he added.

Miroslav Klose

Germany one step Klose to World Cup glory
Germany stormed into the semi-finals of the World Cup when they thumped a lacklustre Argentina 4–0 with a dazzling display of attacking football in Cape Town on Saturday. Miroslav Klose (pictured) scored a brace while Thomas Mueller and defender Arne Friedrich added a goal each to send Diego Maradona’ outfit packing.

“It’s insane to beat Argentina 4–0,” said Mueller. It’s hard to find the words for a result like that. I think Germany is quaking right now and that’s the right way to celebrate this,” he added. Man-of-the-match Bastian Schweinsteiger remarked: “That gives you goose bumps seeing the way people are celebrating at home. We may have to play Spain next – they’re the best team in the world, in my view. But we’re good enough, we believe in ourselves.”

“We did everything nearly perfectly,” said German coach Joachim Loew praising the defence for shutting down Fifa World Player of the Year Lionel Messi. “What the team showed today in terms of determination to win was the sort you would expect from champions, also the ambition they showed, the speed and attacking tempo we showed in the second half, it was absolute class,” he added.

Sixth ranked Germany got off to the perfect start when midfielder Mueller bagged his fourth goal of the tournament, heading in a curled Schweinsteiger free kick after only three minutes. Buoyed by their early success the Germans began surging forward, eager to add more goals and put daylight between them and the seventh ranked South Americans. However, although they came close to scoring through efforts from Sami Khedira and Klose, the Argentina defence held firm for the rest of the half.

Germany, who defeated Argentina on penalties at the same stage of the tournament in 2006, employed a different strategy in the second half, allowing their opponents to come forward and responding with rapid counter-attacks. The Argentines searched desperately for an equaliser but their long range efforts were unsuccessful.

Worse was to come for the South Americans in the 68th minute when Klose doubled the German lead after Lukas Podolski produced a perfect pass from the left and the striker made no mistake from close range. Friedrich scored Germany’s third goal in the 74th minute, finishing from a metre out after Schweinsteiger’s cross and Klose rounded off the scoring a minute from time when he volleyed home a cross from Mesut Ozil.

“We just had a bad game. If you make mistakes like that, you go home,” Argentine forward Carlos Tevez said. “We knew they could be dangerous on set-pieces and on the counter-attack,” he added.

Sebastian Abreu

Fridays matches
Meanwhile, in other World Cup quarter-final matches played on Friday, 16th ranked Uruguay defeated 32nd ranked Ghana 4–2 on penalties after the teams were deadlocked at 1–1 after extra time while fourth ranked Holland upset tournament favourites and top ranked Brazil 2–1 in the earlier game. Uruguay and Holland will now face each other in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Uruguay did not deserve their victory against the Ghanians who outplayed them for large periods of the match. The Africans were denied a winner in the dying seconds when Uruguay forward Luis Suarez delibrately handled the ball on the goal line. Although Suarez was immediately red carded, his unsportmanslike conduct had given his team a lifeline. Instead of being 2–1 down Uruguay were still very much in the game at 1–1 and when Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty kick the match went to a shootout.

Uruguay made the most of Gyan’s unfortunate miss to progress with Fernando Muslera saving two of Ghana’s penalties before a clever chipped spot kick from Sebastian Abreu (pictured) sealed the win for the South Americans. Uruguay arrogantly celebrated their win with wild scenes of jubilation while Gyan broke down and wept.

The match highlighted a glaring fault in the beautiful game that should be corrected with a law change, preferably with immediate effect. As with rugby’s penalty try, a law should be passed awarding an automatic goal to the attacking team in a situation where a goal was certain to be scored had it not been for an opposing player’s delibrate handling of the ball.

If such a law is implemented it will make it impossible for what happened at Soccer City on Friday evening to ever be repeated on a football pitch. Suarez’s actions amounted to little more than cheating and killed off the dreams of an entire continent who were hoping that Ghana would be the first African nation to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals.

Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder (pictured) netted two goals for Holland to earn them their win over five times champions Brazil who faded badly after an excellent opening half in which they dominated proceedings. Sneijder’s strikes in the 53rd and 68th minutes were enough to book the Dutch a place in the semi-finals and a meeting with Uruguay.

It was a shocking loss for the Samba Kings who failed to repeat their first half performance after taking the lead courtesy of a 10th minute strike from Robinho. Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk praised his players’ resolve and reiterated his belief that his team are genuine candidates to lift the World Cup.

“Two years ago I said we have a mission to come here to become world champion. You have to believe in something completely,” said Marwijk. “I think you could see all that we have. For 45 minutes we went full throttle and we were rewarded for it,” he added.

World Cup semi-final match-ups
Tomorrow
Uruguay vs Holland – Green Point Stadium in Cape Town – 8.30pm
Wednesday
Germany vs Spain – Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban – 8.30pm

Useful Links:
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Photo Credits:
Photo – David Villa: Source – www.girlslovesoccertoo.files.wordpress.com
Photo – Miroslav Klose: Source – www.skysports.com
Photo – Sebastian Abreu: Source – www.flupress.wordpress.com
Photo – Wesley Sneijder: Source – www.tfutbol.com

David Villa

Lethal Villa puts Spain into last eight
A 63rd minute strike by striker David Villa (pictured) was sufficient to earn Spain a 1–0 victory over neighbours Portugal and a World Cup quarter-final berth after an intriguing match at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town yesterday. Villa scored the winner when he stabbed the ball into the net after his first shot was blocked by Portugal ‘keeper Eduardo.

“We felt comfortable but you have to be careful because things can change quickly,” said Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque. “We know we’re working well, we want to create a bit of history,” he added. Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz remarked: “Spain were much more effective moving the ball around. We were looking for chances on the counter-attack. We had our chances – we just didn’t score. We’ll have to come back stronger.”

Spain made a positive start to the match, dominating possession in the early going, with forwards Fernando Torres and Villa forcing Eduardo to parry three long range shots from the left wing in the opening seven minutes. Portugal right back Ricardo Costa began to settle down after a shaky start but his team still battled to retain possession. The Spanish, however, did not capitilise on their advantage, rarely able to launch a useful ball into the box.

Portugal’s first scoring opportunity came on 20 minutes. After a good passage of play from hard working left back Fabio Coentrao, Tiago’s shot was punched skywards by Iker Casillas and the Spain ‘keeper did well to beat the lanky Hugo Almeida to the ball as it came down.

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo nearly scored a superb goal with a powerful, swerving free-kick from almost 40 metres that struck a bemused Casillas in the chest and arms and flew to safety. Queiroz’s team almost grabbed the lead five minutes after the interval, when Almeida’s cross deflected off Carles Puyol’s knee and flew just wide of the Spanish post.

Substitute Fernando Llorente, who had only been on the field for two minutes, nearly scored for Spain but his flying header from a Sergio Ramos cross was kept out by the supple Eduardo. Spain came close once more just minutes later when Villa fired a curling shot just wide of the post, but he was not to be denied when he bagged his fourth goal of the tournament with his next effort.

Portugal needed to respond immediately if they were to have any realistic hopes of equalising and forcing extra time, but failed to do so giving Spain a deserved victory and a quarter-final berth with Paraguay at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. Kick-off at 8.30pm.

Oscar Cardozo

Paraguay edge Japan on penalties to reach quarters
A missed penalty kick from Yuichi Komano proved to be the difference between Paraguay and Japan in their World Cup last 16 clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria yesterday. Komana struck the crossbar with his team’s third spot kick as Paraguay held their nerve to beat the Asian side 5–3 on penalties after the teams were deadlocked 0–0 at full time.

Komano’s failed attempt was the only spot kick missed in the first penalty shootout of the tournament and resulted in Paraguay reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever. “God was on our side. Now we want more,” said Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino, who was in tears at the end of the nailbiting shootout.

“Thank God we got through, Paraguay have never gone so far,” said striker Oscar Cardozo (pictured), who scored his team’s winning penalty. “We are all very happy, me because I scored the penalty and got it in, thank God. It was a very difficult match because Japan too have very good players,” he added.

Although the South Americans had enjoyed more possession during the match they failed to convert this advantage into goals as both sides produced relatively few clear goal scoring opportunities. After a dull opening 20 minutes the game sparked to life when ‘keeper Eiji Kawashima denied Lucas Barrios with his knee and Daisuke Matsui struck the Paraguay crossbar with a swerving 25-metre effort.

Paraguay threatened to get on the scoreboard 10 minutes into the second half when Edgar Benitez made a foray into the left side of the penalty area, but his shot was deflected wide by Yuji Nakazawa. Japan, who had looked so good against Denmark in their final group game, battled to retain possession in the second half and seemed clueless as to how to penetrate their opponent’s defence.

With the teams deadlocked at 0–0 after 90 minutes the match went into extra time, and although the 45th ranked Japanese made a bright start with Yoshito Okubo threatening with a strong run from deep in his own half, it was to no avail as the Paraguay defence held firm.

The South Americans almost broke the deadlock seven minutes into extra time when Claudio Morel offloaded to Valdez in the box but ‘keeper Kawashima was up to the task and blocked the substitute’s effort. Paraguay’s Edgar Barreto had an excellent opportunity to score just moments later when the ball fell at his feet in the penalty area, but he only succeeded in flicking the ball over the bar.

With extra time concluded and the score still 0–0, the match went to penalties and it was the 31st ranked South Americans who proved to have the stronger resolve as they shot their way into the last eight.

Robinho

Samba Kings turn up the heat to send Chile packing
Top-ranked Brazil sounded an ominnous warning to all their rivals at the World Cup when they comfortably defeated 18th ranked Chile 3–0 in Johannesburg on Monday to power their way into the quarter-finals. The Samba Kings showed their class as they overwhelmed the Chileans with some superb football to set up a mouth-watering clash with Holland on Friday.

Brazil coach Dunga has come in for some heavy criticism for curtailing some of his team’s traditional attacking flair in favour of a more structured approach, but the Brazilians produced an impressive combination of both on a cold evening at Ellis Park. “We just had to come across Brazil as early as the second round. They’re the best team in the world,” said Chile’s captain and ‘keeper Claudio Bravo after being on the receiving end of Brazil’s best performance of the World Cup to date.

Having suffered seven consecutive defeats to Brazil coming into this match, the Chileans nevertheless tried to make a fight of it, surging forward in numbers at every opportunity in an evenly-matched opening 30 minutes. Brazil’s playmaker Kaka was booked for bringing down Arturo Vidal and his team’s attacks were largely thwarted by some tight Chilean defending.

However, things started to go pear-shaped for Chile when Brazil defender Juan outjumped their defence to head home Maicon’s corner in the 34th minute. The goal seemed to spark the Samba Kings into action and it was one way traffic from then on as Chile began to come apart at the seams.

Brazil went 2–0 up four minutes later when Robinho cut in from the left to offload to former world player of the year Kaka, who pierced Chile’s defence to put Luis Fabiano on goal. The in-form striker rounded Bravo to notch up his third goal of the World Cup and put the Brazilians in a commanding position.

Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa went for broke after the interval, replacing centre back Pablo Contreras with midfielder Rodrigo Tello. However, the move failed to curtail Brazil’s dominance and after 59 minutes Ramires cut through the Chilean midfield and fed Robinho (pictured), who curled a delightful shot past Bravo to make it 3–0 and seal the win.

To their credit Chile kept on attacking, but although Bielsa’s team created some chances, the Brazilian defence held firm. “Brazil’s superiority was too much for us and we were unable to slow them down,” remarked Bielsa after the game. Despite Brazil’s impressive win, ever-serious coach Dunga was not over confident.

“We have to improve in all sectors of our play,” explained Dunga. “Chile played exceptionally well with a lot of possession and they passed very well but we were able to maintain a balanced control,” he added. Dunga’s cautionary approach is no doubt justified as Brazil will have to be in top form to cope with a Holland outfit bristling with as much attacking prowess as their own.

Brazil face the Dutch at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday. Kick-off is at 4pm.

Arjen Robben

Robben’s wizardry sinks plucky Slovakia
Arjen Robben (pictured) produced some sparkling football to help fourth ranked Holland overcome a spirited Slovakia side and advance to the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 2–1 victory at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Monday.

Robben fired in a solo effort on 18 minutes to give Holland the lead before Wesley Sneijder sealed the win six minutes from the end. Robert Vittek pulled one back for Slovakia seconds from full time with a penalty, but it was merely a consolation as the Dutch advanced to a last eight meeting with Brazil on Friday.

“That was nice today. If you’re at the World Cup it should be fun. We didn’t play our best match today but the important thing is that we advanced,” said Robben, adding he has not yet reached top form just three weeks after a hamstring injury forced him to miss all of his team’s group matches.

“For me personally it was a great experience to be back on the pitch again from the first minute and to be decisive for the team. It is a great feeling if you can do it in the first game, straight away,” explained the 26-year-old winger.

Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss said Robben was the difference between the two sides. “We were preparing for three days for Robben, for his way of playing, but he is an absolute genius,” exclaimed Weiss. When I saw him in the Dutch lineup I knew he would make it 50 per cent stronger and I was correct,” he added.

Robben was indeed an inspiration to a Holland outfit who had struggled to carve out wins over Denmark, Japan and Cameroon in their group matches. He netted the opening goal when Sneijder’s clever long ball gave him space to attack and he charged towards goal before beating two defenders and smashing a left-footed shot past ‘keeper Jan Mucha.

Slovakia had some excellent opportunities to score, but Miroslav Stoch and Vittek were denied by some excellent ’keeping from Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal. The game was over as a contest in the 84th minute when, after a hastily taken free kick, Dirk Kuyt beat Mucha to the ball and offloaded to Sneijder who poked the ball into a vacant net.

Slovakia got their consolation goal in the third-minute of injury time when Stekelenburg brought down Martin Jakubko and Vittek calmly slotted the penalty. Despite their convincing victory, Robben feels that Holland will have to improve if they want to beat Brazil on Friday. “We’ll have to play better than today,” he simply said.

Useful Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Hotels
South Africa Accommodation

Photo Credits:
Lethal Villa puts Spain into last eight — Photo – David Villa: Source – www.rescindedred.wordpress.com
Paraguay edge Japan on penalties to reach quarters — Photo – Oscar Cardozo: Source – www.goal.com
Samba Kings turn up the heat to send Chile packing — Photo – Robinho: Source – samuellincoln.wordpress.com
Robben’s wizardry sinks plucky Slovakia — Photo – Arjen Robben: Source – www.yanksarecoming.com

Carlos Tevez

Argentina cruise into quarter-finals
Carlos Tevez (pictured) scored two goals for Diego Maradonna’s Argentina as the South Americans defeated Mexico 3–1 in their World Cup second round match at Soccer City yesterday. Argentina’s win set up a rematch of their 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals with Germany who outclassed England earlier in the day.

However, although Argentina arguably deserved their victory, the match was not without controversy. Tevez’s 26th minute opener should not have counted as television replays showed he was well offside.

The Mexican players protested vehemently and their coach Javier Aguirre appeared to point to the giant screen as his team berated Italian referee Roberto Rosetti who decided to consult his assistant linesman. Apparently satisfied that the goal was legitimate, Rosetti stuck by his decision, although it was clearly incorrect.

Things went from bad to worse for the Central Americans when Ricardo Osorio committed a horrendous defensive blunder to gift Gonzalo Higuain the easiest of goals on 33 minutes. It was Higuain’s fourth goal of the tournament and made him the tournament’s top scorer.

With Mexico suddenly 2–0 adrift they had it all to do to get back into the match, but Argentina weren’t taking any chances and played some solid football to maintain their advantage going into the interval. The South Americans went 3–0 up seven minutes into the second half when Tevez unleashed a screaming drive from 25-metres that gave the ‘keeper absolutely no chance.

Javier Hernandez got Mexico on the score sheet on 71 minutes after a deft turn and powerful left-footed strike inside the area, but although they tried hard to score further goals Mexico were unable to do so, leaving Argentina to run out comfortable winners.

Although they deserved their victory Argentina’s performance was far from perfect as they seemed to fall asleep after going 3–0 up. Whether this was a lack of concentration on their part or simply a case of complacency was unclear, but what is clear is they will have to play with greater intensity if they hope to hold the World Cup trophy aloft at Soccer City on July 11.

The might have been able to get away with taking their foot of the gas against 17th ranked Mexico and still come up with a win, but sixth ranked Germany are certain to provide a much stiffer test in Cape Town on Saturday. Kick-off at the Green Point Stadium is at 8.30pm.

Thomas Mueller

German blitzkrieg sends England home
Two goals in the space of three minutes from Thomas Mueller (pictured) killed off any hopes of an England fight back at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday, and secured Germany a World Cup quarter-final berth in the process. Mueller’s 66th and 69th minute strikes knocked the stuffing out of Fabio Capello’s team in a pulsating encounter between two long-standing footballing rivals.

England tried their utmost to win the game and secure themselves a spot in the last eight after an unconvincing opening round which saw them draw with the United States and Algeria before narrowly defeating Slovenia 1–0 on Wednesday. However, they simply didn’t have an answer for the slick counter-attacking of the Germans who switched from defence to attack with breath-taking speed.

“We had some luck and took the lead. After we went 3–1 up, we improved and the match was soon over after that,” said Mueller. Striker Miroslav Klose, who netted his team’s first goal, remarked: “I was very impressed with the performance today. In this match we were on top of things from the start, we were totally into the match and we deserved to win.”

Although Germany undoubtedly deserved their 4–1 victory, England can feel agrieved at a controversial decision late in the opening half which denied them an equaliser while trailing 2–1. A fierce shot from midfielder Frank Lampard struck the crossbar and the ball bounced well behind the goal line, but instead of awarding England a goal, the referee waved play on.

“It was the most important part of the game,” said England coach Capello. “We made some mistakes and the referee made one big mistake but Germany played a good game. Little things decide the result of these matches always. We played well up to 2–1 but after the third goal we were disappointed,” he explained.

Germany started the match quickly and were 2–0 up after just 32 minutes. Klose, back from a one-match suspension, scored their first goal in the 20th minute when he caught the England defence napping and slotted his 12th goal in World Cup tournaments after chasing down a long goal kick from German ‘keeper Manuel Neuer.

Striker Lukas Podolski then got into the act by netting a second in the 32nd minute with a rasping low drive after a classy combination of passes between Mueller and Mesut Ozil. England were suddenly 2–0 down and under huge pressure to score and get back into the game.

Lampard almost pulled one back minutes later, firing at Neuer from close range only for Philipp Lahm to clear in front of goal. However, England’s urgency to get on the score sheet paid off when Matthew Upson headed in a Steven Gerrard cross to reduce the deficit in the 37th minute.

Then, just a minute later, came the moment that changed the match and effectively killed off England’s chances of victory. A powerful shot from Lampard bounced off the crossbar and seemed to go behind the goal line, but Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda inexplicably waved proceedings on.  Instead of being level, England still found themselves a goal down – a bitter pill to swallow against one of the best teams in world football.

Nevertheless they came out fighting in the second half and Lampard, who must have been the unluckiest player on the field, rattled the bar again with a powerful free kick seven minutes after the interval. However, Mueller sealed the win for Germany with his brace to crown a memorable performance for the 20-year-old striker.

In the end the Germans were full value for their victory against their eighth ranked opponents who just couldn’t get going against their well-organised and disciplined rivals. Highly regarded England striker Wayne Rooney was hardly a factor in the match, capping a miserable tournament for the 24-year-old Manchester United goal machine.

Asamoah Gyan

Gyan’s late strike puts Ghana into last eight
A brilliant late left-foot strike from Asamoah Gyan (pictured left) earned Ghana a 2–1 victory over the United States on Saturday and propelled the West African nation into the World Cup quarter-finals. Gyan chased down a long ball from midfield, outstripped two defenders and rifled home a vicious shot that enabled Ghana to match the best previous performance by an African team at a World Cup.

Gyan’s goal came against the run of play with Ghana having been subjected to lengthy periods of American pressure after the two sides had gone into extra time deadlocked at 1–1. The Black Stars are now only the third African team to reach the last eight after Cameroon achieved the feat in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.

Ghana struck early, with Kevin-Prince Boateng finding the back of the net after just five minutes. German-born Boateng, who only qualified to play for the Black Stars on the eve of the tournament, dispossessed Ricardo Clark in midfield and ran on to blast the ball home from the edge of the area. It was the ideal start for Africa’s last representatives at this World Cup and put the United States under pressure early.

However, to their credit, the United States fought back grimly and despite getting the worst of the opening 45 minutes they were able to avoid conceding another goal. They began to edge their way back into the match in the second half and equalised when Landon Donovan, who had been the hero of their dramatic qualification for the last eight in midweek, scored from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute.

Ghana’s teenage defender Jonathan Mensah conceded the penalty when he brought down Clint Dempsey in the box and Donovan made no mistake with his spot kick to give his team a deserved equaliser. Jozy Altidore had a golden opportunity to put the United States in front after 80 minutes when he got the better of the Ghana defence, but unfortunately he pulled his shot wide.

With both teams forced to play the extra 30 minutes to determine a winner, it was left to the 24-year-old Gyan to seal the win for his country when he bagged his third goal of the tournament. Substitute Benny Feilhaber nearly forced the match to penalties when he had an opportunity to score after a goalmouth scramble, but his shot was blocked leaving the United States crestfallen and Ghana jubilant.

The Black Stars will now play Uruguay in a quarter-final clash at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Friday. Kick-off is at 8.30pm.

Asamoah Gyan

Two-goal Suarez sinks plucky South Korea
Luis Suarez (pictured) scored a brace to give Uruguay a 2–1 win over South Korea on Saturday and take them to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 40 years. A late goal from Suarez, who also netted in the eighth minute of a close contest that seemed destined to be headed for extra time, spoilt the Koreans’ dreams of reaching the last eight for the first time on foreign soil.

“Being young, this is the moment I have always dreamed of,” said the 23-year-old Suarez. “I can imagine what it will be like back in Uruguay. The truth is they deserve it, all the people who have always been behind us, not to mention our families,” he added.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez conceded it had been a tough game but they were delighted with the win. “There are only three million people in Uruguay and we waited a long time for this. I think the team put on a display of discipline, maturity and class, and luckily Suarez scored that amazing goal,” said Tabarez.

“I think Korea had a great match. Perhaps they weren’t lucky and we were, but that’s football. They surprised us with their approach and a different style of game. They tired us out,” he added.

Park Chu-young almost got his side off to the perfect start when his fifth minute curling free-kick from 20 metres struck the upright with Uruguay ‘keeper Fernando Muslera well beaten. However, just minutes later, the South Americans snatched the lead when Suarez took advantage of some poor Korean defending.

Edinson Cavani cleverly curled the ball out wide to Diego Forlan, whose low cross sliced through the sloppy Korean defence, was missed by ‘keeper Jung Sung-ryong and reached the unmarked Suarez, who stabbed the ball into an empty net.

Despite being a goal down after just eight minutes, the South Koreans came storming back and created a number of chances, especially after the interval with Kim Jae-sung, Park Chu-young and Park Ji-sung’s all bringing the best out of Muslera. However, the sustained pressure paid off when Lee Chung-yong headed home from close range on 68 minutes after Uruguay failed to clear a free-kick.

With the score at 1–1 and with 22 minutes of normal time still to play it was anyone’s game, but it was Uruguay who struck the killer blow on 80 minutes when Suarez collected a loose ball and blasted home a powerful, curling shot that went in off the post. Lee Dong-guk almost got an equaliser when he struck a low shot which went through Muslera’s legs, but the ball didn’t have enough energy to cross the line.

“We wanted to go to the quarter-finals and my players did there best but we didn’t get there,” said South Korean coach Huh Jung-moo. “We had lots of opportunities and I thought Uruguay was lucky to put in the goals. Our players never give up no matter what the situation. We were on a high, we were doing quite well,” he added.

Other results
Friday
First Round
Portugal 0 – Brazil 0
North Korea 0 – Ivory Coast 3
Chile 1 – Spain 2
Switzerland 0 – Honduras 0

Upcoming matches
Second Round
Today
Holland vs Slovakia – Durban – 4pm
Brazil vs Chile – Ellis Park – 8.30pm

Tuesday
Paraguay vs Japan – Pretoria – 4pm
Spain vs Portugal – Cape Town – 8.30pm

In brief
Cricket

Third test, day two, South Africa vs West Indies, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
Scores
West Indies 1^st innings: 231 all out. (Deonarine 46, Bravo 61. Steyn 3/37, Botha 4/56).
South Africa 1^st innings: 285/6. (Smith 70, De Villiers 73. Benn 4/59).
South Africa are 54 runs ahead with four first innings wickets remaining.

Rugby
Second test, South Africa vs Italy, BRU stadium in East London.
Scorers
South Africa 55 – Tries: Morné Steyn (2), Pierre Spies, Jannie du Plessis, BJ Botha, Bryan Habana, Flip van der Merwe. Conversions: Steyn (5), Ruan Pienaar (2). Penalties: Steyn (2).
Italy 11 – Try: Michele Sepe. Penalties: Mirco Bergamasco (2).

Useful Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Hotels
South Africa Accommodation

Photo Credits:
Argentina cruise into quarter-finals — Photo – Carlos Tevez: Source – www.new.taringa.net
German blitzkrieg sends England home — Photo – Thomas Mueller: Source – www.tz-online.de
Gyan’s late strike puts Ghana into last eight — Photo – Asamoah Gyan: Source – www.telegraph.co.uk
Two-goal Suarez sinks plucky South Korea — Photo – Luis Suarez: Source – www.fifa-games.com

Shinji Okazaki

Japan too good for sub par Denmark
Japan booked their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup when they defeated an out of sorts Denmark 3–1 in their final Group E fixture at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg last night. Two well-struck goals from free kicks by Keisuke Honda, after 17 minutes, and Yasuhito Endo on 30 minutes, gave the Asians a 2–0 halftime lead.

The Danes pulled a goal back nine minutes from time when Japanese ‘keeper Eiji Kawashima blocked a Jon Dahl Tomasson penalty only for the Danish forward to score from the rebound. Shinji Okazaki (pictured) netted a third goal three minutes from time to give Japan their handsome victory. They are now the second Asian team after South Korea to qualify for the last 16 and will meet Paraguay in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Japan took control of proceedings from the start and put the Danish defence under constant pressure. Their meticulous, one-touch play and the speed of their atatcks created a series of chances, Daisuke Matsui stretching to meet an angled cross by Yoshito Okubo that hit the diving Danish ‘keeper Thomas Sorensen’s right knee, being just one of many.

The Asians, enjoying midfield superiority, duly took the lead after 17 minutes with a brilliant goal by Honda. Taking a free-kick 30 metres out on the right, he unleashed a left-foot shot that left the flat-footed Sorensen helpless. Desperate to secure an equaliser the Danes pressed forward with fierce determination, but were frustrated when Jon Dahl Tomasson shot narrowly wide and had another effort saved. Denmark were then left reeling when Per Kroldrup tripped Okubo and Endo curled a right-foot free-kick round the wall and inside Sorensen’s left post from 25 metres.

After Endo’s strike the Danes were always playing catch up football and although Tomasson pulled one back for the Europeans, Japan sealed victory through Okazaki’s late goal. It was a fine performance from the Japanese who must be very confident of their chances in the knockout stages.

Robin van Persie

Holland edge out Indomitable Lions to go through
Netherlands advanced to the World Cup knockout stages when they recorded a convincing 2–1 victory over Cameroon at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town last night. It was their third win from as many games and secured them top spot in Group E. The Dutch will now play Slovakia in the second round of football’s most prestigious tournament.

Goals from Robin van Persie (pictured) and Klaas Jan Huntelaar secured the win for the Europeans, who had already qualified for the last 16 with victories over Denmark and Japan. Nicely balanced throughout the team, the Dutch have qualified without even engaging top gear and are currently head and shoulders above any of the other European teams in the competition.

Cameroon made a positive start to the match and put their opponents under pressure early, but the precision passing of Netherlands always made them look the more threatening side. Van Persie had a golden opportunity to put his team ahead after 19 minutes when he chested down a lovely 40-metre ball by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but his weak shot hardly troubled Cameroon ‘keeper Hamidou Souleymanou.

After Dirk Kuyt had squandered another opportunity to score, Van Persie eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when a clever one-two with Rafael van der Vaart put him through and he guided the ball through the ‘keeper’s legs. The goal allowed the Dutch to focus and they began to move the ball around sharply on the stadium’s high-speed surface.

The Indomitable Lions responded with some clever moves of their own and Samuel Eto’o, Landry Nguemo, Jean Makoun and Aurelien Chedjou, a late change to the starting lineup for Alexandre Song, all had chances to score in the second half. Their constant pressure was rewarded when Van der Vaart handled a Geremi free kick in the area and Eto’o levelled matters with a 65th-minute penalty.

With only seven minutes of normal time left and the teams deadlocked at 1–1, it seemed like a draw would be the logical result, but substitute Huntelaar had other ideas when he stroked the ball into the back of an empty net after Robben’s shot from the edge of the box hit a post and rebounded into the path of the striker. Despite finishing last in their group and being unable to score a single point, Cameroon can hold their heads high after a gutsy second-half display.

Robert Vittek

Defending champions Italy crash out
Defending champions Italy were bundled out of the World Cup yesterday when they slumped to an embarrassing 3–2 defeat to Slovakia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Slovakia’s win put them through to the last 16 as Group F runners-up.

Striker Robert Vittek (pictured) scored a brace and Kamil Kopunek added a third in the 89th minute to stun the fifth ranked Italians who never really got going against their 34th ranked opponents. Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella scored late on for Italy but the group favourites were always playing catch up against the well-organised Slovaks.

“Everybody had the desire, the dream to get through but we didn’t and it’s our fault,” said Italy’s injured first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. “If you can’t win it is right to go home. We will have to look at what happened,” he added. “It’s a huge success. We’ve moved the limits of Slovak football. We couldn’t have dreamt about this,” said goalscorer Vittek. “Of course, we didn’t expect such domination. We were better during the match. We played with our hearts and that’s what decided the match today,” he added.

Slovakia, needing a win to have any hope of reaching the knockout stages, started confidently, moving the ball around swiftly and demonstrating a sharpness on attack that their opponents lacked. The Azzurri, who were let down by poor defending in their early games against Paraguay and New Zealand (both 1–1 draws), were once again made to pay for their sloppiness at the back.

Daniele De Rossi carelessly gave the ball away in the 25th minute allowing Juraj Kucka to pass to a falling Vittek who made no mistake from the edge of the box. Italy’s best chance in the opening 45 minutes came when Slovakia’s Martin Skrtel headed narrowly over his own bar, a sign of how poor the Azzurri have been in the tournament.

The second half saw Vittek bang in a second goal at the near post in the 73rd minute and, after Di Natale pulled one back for Italy on 81 minutes, substitute Kopunek netted a third for the Eastern Europeans a minute before the end. His effort was a typical example of the determination Slovakia have displayed in the tournament thus far.

Chasing a through ball, the 26-year-old Kopunek produced a surging run which saw him outsprint two defenders and lob the ball over a despairing Federico Marchetti in the Italian goal. Quagliarella made it 3–2 with a brilliant long-range chip over Jan Mucha in extra time, but it was too little, too late for the defending champions who looked absoulutely gutted at the final whistle.

With France also exiting in the Group stage, it is the first time the two finalists from the previous tournament have been unable to make it to the last 16. It was a shocking defeat for Italy and brought a sudden end to Marcello Lippi’s time as Italy coach and the international careers of Fabio Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso after the trio said this would be their last tournament with the national side.

Roque Santa Cruz

Paraguay qualify for last 16 with draw
Paraguay breezed into the last 16 of the World Cup with a goalless draw against New Zealand in Polokwane yesterday. The 31st ranked South Americans created the better chances but took few risks knowing that a point was sufficient to book their place in the knockout stages.

The 78th ranked New Zealanders did not manage a single shot on goal, but their defence was top notch and they can be proud of their achievements in the tournament. The All Whites did not taste defeat in the global showpiece, earning draws against Slovakia and Italy before yesterday’s match.

These results were above and beyond expectations for the Kiwis and they received a rousing send off from their supporters at the end. Seldom has a team of such modest technical ability and limited international experience done so well at a World Cup. The All Whites demonstrated good organisation, discipline and effort to finish above the Italians in Group F and disprove many of the pundits who stated they had no business participating in the tournament. However, there was a surprising lack of urgency from the All Whites who, with Slovakia beating Italy, could have even topped the group with a victory.

“I think I need to pinch myself,” said New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert. “If you are going to exit the World Cup there are good ways of doing it. “A lot of people thought we shouldn’t be here and that we had amateurs who were not up to it. But I think that’s dead and buried now,” he added.

In a dreary opening 45 minutes, Paraguay enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession but were unable to convert that into genuine goalscoring opportunities, their attack lacking teeth. “I’m pleased with the qualification but not with the way we played,” said Paraguay’s coach Gerardo Martino. “We had a lot of problems in an area where we didn’t expect, and that was in attack,” he added.

Paraguay’s best efforts in the opening half came from captain and right-back Denis Caniza with two long-range shots. Indeed, the first corner of the match did not come until 17 minutes into the second half and it produced the South American’s best effort with a Cristian Riveros header well saved by New Zealand’s agile ‘keeper Mark Paston.

Martino brought on forwards Lucas Barrios and Edgar Benitez in a bid to beef up his side’s attack and the change had the intended effect. After an excellent passing move, Benitez produced a curling shot that was parried away by Paston. Then Roque Santa Cruz (pictured), who demonstrated some glimpses of his class, brought a top notch save out of Paston from an 80th minute free kick.

The only real moment of concern for Paraguay came four minutes later when Shane Smeltz fired a ball across the face of the goal and 18-year-old substitute Chris Wood, sliding in at the back post, almost knocked it into the back of the net.

“We’re very happy to have qualified but it was a very difficult game,” said Santa Cruz. “The game got boring because they were so defensive. In a game like this you expect to win but the important thing is we qualified,” he added.

Other results (from left to right, African teams in bold)
Wednesday
Slovenia 0 – England 1
USA 1 – Algeria 0
Ghana 0 – Germany 1
Australia 2 – Serbia 1
Group Standings (GD = Goal Difference, * = qualified for last 16)

Group A
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.        Uruguay*           4         7
2.        Mexico*             1          4
3.       South Africa -2        4
4.       France                –3         1

Group B
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.         Argentina*         6         9
2.         South Korea*     –1        4
3.         Greece              –3         3
4.         Nigeria –2        1

Group C
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.       USA*                   1        5
2.       England*             1        5
3.       Slovenia              0         4
4.       Algeria –2        1

Group D
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.       Germany*            4         6
2.       Ghana* 0         4
3.       Australia             –3        4
4.       Serbia                 –1        3

Group E
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.       Holland*              4         9
2.       Japan*                 2        6
3.       Denmark              –3       3
4.       Cameroon –3      0

Group F
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.       Paraguay*          2         5
2.       Slovakia*           –1        4
3.       New Zealand        0         3
4.       Italy                    –1        2

Group G
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.       Brazil*                3          6
2.       Portugal*           7          4
3.       Ivory Coast –2         1
4.       North Korea       –8          0

Group H
Pos     Team                 GD       Pts
1.        Chile*                 2          6
2.       Spain                  1           3
3.       Switzerland         0           3
4.       Honduras            –3          0

Upcoming matches
Today
Portugal vs Brazil – Durban – 4pm
North Korea vs Ivory Coast – Nelspruit – 4pm
Chile vs Spain – Pretoria – 8.30pm
Switzerland vs Honduras – Bloemfontein – 8.30pm

Saturday
Uruguay vs South Korea – Port Elizabeth – 4pm
USA vs Ghana – Rustenburg – 8.30pm

Sunday
Germany vs England – Bloemfontein – 4pm
Argentina vs Mexico – Johannesburg – 8.30pm

Note: Saturday and Sunday’s matches are knockout games. A defeat will spell instant elimination from the tournament.

Photo Credits:
Defending champions Italy crash out — Photo – Robert Vittek: Source – www.weltfussball.de
Holland edge out Indomitable Lions to go through — Photo – Robin van Persie: Source – www.bigfourza.wordpress.com
Japan too good for sub par Denmark — Photo – Shinji Okazaki: Source – www.campeonesmorales.wordpress.com
Paraguay qualify for last 16 with draw — Photo – Roque Santa Cruz: Source – www.new.taringa.net

Useful Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Hotels
South Africa Accommodation

Bongani Khumalo

Bafana Bafana took advantage of a depleted and dispirited France team to run out deserved 2–1 winners in their final World Cup Group A match at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday afternoon. It was a much-improved performance from the South Africans, who were soundly beaten by Uruguay in their previous fixture in Pretoria last Wednesday.

Carlos Alberto Parreira’s men, under pressure to record a win to restore national pride, produced the goods against their highly-ranked opponents with defender Bongani Khumalo (pictured) and striker Katlego Mphela banging in goals in the 20th and 37th minutes respectively. In reply, Raymond Domenech’s outfit could only muster a 70th minute effort from Florent Malouda.

Although Bafana won this game convincingly, the result was not good enough to secure ‘The Boys’ a place in the second round of the competition after Uruguay defeated Mexico 1–0 in another Group A match in Rustenburg. That result left Mexico with the same number of points (four) as South Africa, but their superior goal difference (1 as opposed to –2) earned them entry into the last 16.

Bafana started this encounter rather hesitantly but soon found their rhythm against a team that had been ridiculed in the press after a string of poor performances and reports of infighting and discord in their camp. Khumalo sent the 39,415 fans in attendance into raptures of delight when he headed the ball into the net in the 17th minute after meeting a perfectly placed cross from Siphiwe Tshabalala.

Stung into action, France pressed forward in search of an equaliser but some stout defending from the hosts thwarted their efforts. Then came the moment that buried ‘The Blues’ and opened the door for a possible big win for Bafana.

French playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, leaping up into the air to meet a free-kick, drove his elbow into the jaw of Macbeth Sibiya who went down in a heap. The incident initially appeared intentional, but television replays seemed to suggest that Gourcuff had simply stuck out his elbow as part of his effort to get to the ball.

Colombian referee Oscar Ruiz seemed unsure as to how to rule on the matter, until the sight of a prone and seemingly unconscious Sibiya prompted him to pull out a red card and give the 23-year-old Gourcuff his marching orders. Things deteriorated for France when Bafana striker Katlego Mphela added a second goal on 37 minutes, bundling the ball over the line after a square pass from Tsepo Masilela.

With South Africa already 2–0 up and 53 minutes plus extra time still to play, the big score (a victory by up to six goals) which Bafana needed to progress to the last 16 seemed possible, but sadly never materialised. Mphela could have scored a brace five minutes into the second half when he ran onto an intelligent through pass from Tshabalala, but his shot grazed the side of the post.

That effort aside, Bafana hardly threatened their opponent’s goal in the second 45 minutes with France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who had earlier made a hash of collecting Tshabalala’s cross which resulted in Khumalo’s goal, more than up to the task of parrying a number of long range efforts. In fact, it was France, despite the disadvantage of playing with just 10 men, that had the better of proceedings in the second half.

They played much more positively up front and defended with far more conviction than they had done in the opening 45 minutes – the inclusion of  veteran forward Thierry Henry making a significant difference to their play. ‘The Blues’ pulled a goal back after 70 minutes when Franck Ribery suddenly sparked into life with a sniping run that set up an easy tap-in for substitute Malouda.

With 20 minutes plus extra time still left on the clock and France suddenly only a single goal down and gaining momentum, a comeback seemed likely. However, it was not to be as some stout defending from the hosts thwarted France’s attempts at finding an equaliser.

Despite their win South Africa became the first World Cup hosts to fail to make it to the last 16. One win versus a loss and draw with three goals scored against five conceded is seldom going to get a side through to the knockout stages of soccer’s greatest tournament, and so it proved to be with Bafana’s crushing 3–0 loss to Uruguay ultimately proving to be their downfall.

Nevertheless it must be said that Bafana restored pride with their victory over much higher ranked (ninth as opposed to 83rd) opponents. In fact, the win was Bafana’s first against a major footballing power and Parreira was well aware of his side’s significant achievement.

“I am proud of the boys. They made this country proud. They proved that they have made progress,” said an upbeat Parreira after the match. France coach Domenech remarked: “Like everybody we’re sad and disappointed even if in that game I saw a bit of what I expected from that team, some heart, generosity and solidarity.”

It was a sad ending for Domenech and his team who had a disasterous World Cup campaign, drawing 0–0 with Uruguay in their opening match in Cape Town and going down 2–0 to Mexico in Polokwane last Thursday before yesterday’s defeat. Their campaign was also marred by controversy.

France’s players had refused to train on Sunday in protest at the sending home of striker Nicolas Anelka for swearing at coach Domenech. “This is not the time to analyse what happened,” said Domenech. “This team have true potential. There were extraordinary moments and there will be more. The France team will never die. They will carry on,” he added.

Indeed, France’s loss against Bafana was somewhat contentious, especially when Sibiya made a miraculous recovery after appearing to be unconscious following his contact with Gourcuff. It seemed like the 32-year-old midfielder had made a meal of the incident in the hope of getting his opponent booked.

If so, it worked like a charm as Gourcaff was sent off, weakening France and setting Bafana up for the win. Parreira’s men would have probably won anyway, but being outscored in the second half despite having the extra man was perhaps a sign that Bafana did not really have what it took to make it to the last 16.

Other results (From left to right, African teams in bold)
Monday
Portugal 7 – North Korea 0
Chile 1 – Switzerland 0
Spain 2 – Honduras 0

Yesterday
Nigeria 2 – South Korea 2
Greece 0 – Argentina 2

Standings (GD = goal difference)
Group A
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Uruguay        4        7
2.       Mexico          1        4
3.       South Africa –2       4
4.       France          –3       1

Group B
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Argentina       6        9
2.       South Korea   –1       4
3.       Greece          –3       3
4.       Nigeria –2       1

Group C
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Slovenia        1        4
2.       USA              0        2
3.       England         0        2
4.       Algeria –1       1

Group D
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Ghana 1        4
2.       Germany        3        3
3.       Serbia           0        3
4.       Australia        –4       1

Group E
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Holland          3        6
2.       Japan            0        3
3.       Denmark        –1       3
4.       Cameroon –2       0

Group F
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Paraguay       2        4
2.       Italy             0        2
3.       New Zealand  0        2
4.       Slovakia        –2       1

Group G
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Brazil            3        6
2.       Portugal        7        4
3.       Ivory Coast –2       1
4.       North Korea    –8       0

Group H
Pos      Team              GD       Pts
1.       Chile             2        6
2.       Spain            1        3
3.       Switzerland    0        3
4.       Honduras       –3       0

Upcoming fixtures
Today
Slovenia vs England – Port Elizabeth – 4pm
USA vs Algeria – Pretoria – 4pm
Ghana vs Germany – Soccer City – 8.30pm
Australia vs Serbia – Nelspruit – 8.30pm

Thursday
Slovakia vs Italy – Ellis Park – 4pm
Paraguay vs New Zealand – Polokwane – 4pm
Cameroon vs Netherlands – Cape Town – 8.30pm
Denmark vs Japan – Rustenburg – 8.30pm

Photo Credit:
Photo – Bongani Khumalo: Source – www.mg.co.za

Useful Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Hotels
South Africa Accommodation

Vincenzo Iaquinta

Draw leaves Italy in danger of early exit
New Zealand produced a spirited and determined performance when they held defending champions Italy to a 1–1 draw in an enthralling World Cup Group F encounter at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Sunday. The result leaves the fifth ranked Azzurri with a lot to do to make it through to the knockout stages after they drew their opening match (also 1–1) with Paraguay a week ago.

Shane Smeltz stunned Italy early on when he found the back of the net in the seventh minute. His goal originated from New Zealand’s first attack of the match after Simon Elliot lofted a long free kick in from the left towards the back post. The ball floated over the heads of the Azzurri defenders and bounced off Fabio Cannavaro’s knee, leaving Smeltz free to stab the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

Shocked at being a goal down so early in the contest, Italy pressed hard for an equaliser and they got one in the 29th minute when Vincenzo Iaquinta (pictured) was successful from the penalty spot after Tommy Smith was judged to have fouled Daniele de Rossi in the box. Smith pulled at De Rossi’s shirt inside the penalty area, the Italian made an Oscar winning dive to ground and referee Carlos Batres promptly pointed to the spot. It was undoubtedly a harsh decision and the end result was Iaquinta’s spot kick rifling into the net and 1–1 on the scoreboard.

Buoyed by the equaliser, the Italians pressed hard for a second goal, but the New Zealand defence held firm prompting Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi to make two changes at halftime. He brought on Mauro Camoranesi on the right and Antonio Di Natale in the centre, but although both players looked in good touch, neither were able to conjour up a goal.

Riccardo Montolivo and Camoranesi tested Kiwi goalkeeper Mark Paston with long range efforts in the final 20 minutes while at the other end, second half substitute Chris Wood almost netted the winner for the All Whites when he blasted a low shot just wide of Federico Marchetti’s left hand post.

The result means Italy have only two points from their opening two Group F matches. They square off against Slovakia in their final group match on Thursday and need a win to guarantee a place in the last 16. New Zealand also have two points and have a chance of making it to the knockout stages if they can take something from their final match against Paraguay, also on Thursday.

“We knew we’d be up against it tonight but we showed great resilience and I’m well pleased,” said New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert. “We’re going to be bloody hard to beat I’ll tell you that,” he added. The surprising result was by far the best ever in New Zealand’s modest footballing history. The island nation have only made one previous appearance in a World Cup – a disasterous campaign in which they lost all three of their matches.

For the Italians on the other hand, it was an embarrassing setback to the defence of their title and although they tried hard to find a winner against the 78th ranked underdogs, they looked a shadow of the side that won the trophy four years ago. “Certainly it’s not the will of the lads that is missing but a bit of fluidity. We hit post and had chances but we created little really,” said Lippi afterwards.

Whatever the reason for their disappointing result, the fact remains that the Azzurri are, like many other highly ranked teams in this World Cup, in danger of going out without even making it to the last 16. They simply have to come up with a winning formula against Slovakia on Thursday, otherwise they face an early trip home.

Luis Fabiano

Samba Kings too good for Elephants
Brazil had way too much class for Ivory Coast as the Samba Kings cruised to a comfortably 3–1 victory over the Elephants at Soccer City in Johannesburg last night. However, the five-time champions’ victory was marred by the controversial sending off of star midfielder Kaka just two minutes before the end.

In an off-the-ball incident, Ivory Coast’s Kader Keita ran into Kaka and dramatically went to ground. With Kaka protesting his innocence, referee Stephane Lannoy – who appeared not to have seen the incident – pulled out a yellow card. Having already been booked for a clumsy challenge on Yaya Toure, it meant marching orders for Kaka, who could face more than his automatic one-game ban, if FIFA rules it was violent conduct. That is unlikely to happen however, as television replays clearly showed that whatever contact was made, was minimal.

The sending off of Kaka aside, the Brazilians must have been very happy with their performance which was a marked improvement on their 2–1 win over North Korea last Tuesday. Luis Fabiano (pictured) opened the scoring in the 25th minute when his powerful shot left Ivory Coast goalkeeper Boubacar Barry flailing at thin air as the ball whistled into the roof of the net.

The 29-year-old Fabiano added a second goal on 50 minutes after an audacious run, but television replays showed it might have been scored with the help of a double hand ball. Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba, who played with a cast on his fractured arm, almost pulled one back for his side when his header went narrowly wide, but a third Brazilian goal was not far off.

Kaka was put away on the left and found plenty of space to cut the ball back for the unmarked Elano, who easily stroked the ball past Barry on 63 minutes. However, the joy was shortlived for the 29-year-old central midfielder when he was stretchered off shortly afterwards, caught on the shin by the studs of Cheik Tiote, to be replaced by Dani Alves.

With Brazil now 3–0 up and playing flowing football it seemed like more goals were on the menu, but a quick break by Ivory Coast’s Gervinho set up Drogba for his first goal of the finals. The 32-year-old centre forward’s well-placed 79th minute header gave Brazil ’keeper Julio Cesar no chance and offered Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side a glimmer of hope.

However, that hope was quickly snuffed out as the match descended into chaos for the remaining 15 minutes as players from both teams become embroiled in off the ball incidents culminating in the sending off of Kaka just minutes before the final whistle.

The result means that Brazil have now qualified for the last 16 while Ivory Coast must beat North Korea in their final Group G match on Friday to reach the second round.

Cristian Riveros

Paraguay inch closer to last 16
Paraguay took another step towards securing a place in the second round of the 2010 Fifa World Cup when they defeated Slovakia 2–0 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday. The South Americans took the lead in the 27th minute when Enrique Vera blasted the ball into the back of the net from 12 metres out, and added a second goal four minutes from time courtesy of a brilliant left-footed strike from strong>Cristian Riveros (pictured right).

In a game of few chances it was Paraguay who made better use of their opportunities as Slovakia looked strangely out of sorts and never got going on a bright and sunny winter afternoon. Perhaps drawing 1–1 with lowly ranked New Zealand in their opening game on Tuesday had deflated the Eastern Europeans somewhat, but whatever the reason for their mediocare performance, qualifying for the last 16 will now be a difficult, if not impossible task.

Paraguay domianted the action in the opening half and were rewarded for their efforts when Vera found the target after being set up by Lucas Barrios from the left. The goal stung the Slovaks into action and after a decent passage of play, defender Kornel Salata headed over the crossbar following a 37th minute corner kick.

The South Americans nearly went 2–0 ahead a few minutes later when striker Roque Santa Cruz latched onto a sloppy back pass only to see his shot blocked by ’keeper Jan Mucha. The second 45 minutes saw Paraguay tighten their grip on the game and although Jan Durica made a spirited run down the left to earn Slovakia a 62nd minute corner, it was squandered.

Paraguay, who were undoubtedly the hungrier of the two sides, sealed the win in the 86th minute when Riveros slammed home his drive from the edge of the box. It was a throughly deserved victory for the South Americans who face New Zealand on Thursday in their final Group F fixture.

Other World Cup results (From left to right, African teams in bold)
Friday
Germany 0 – Serbia 1
Slovenia 2 – USA 2
England 0 – Algeria 0
Saturday
Ghana 1 – Australia 1
Netherlands 1 – Japan 0
Cameroon 1 – Denmark 2

Latest World Cup Standings
Group A
Pos / Team / Pts
1  Uruguay 4
2 Mexico 4
3 France 1
4 South Africa 1

Group B
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Argentina 6
2 South Korea 3
3 Greece 3
4 Nigeria 0

Group C
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Slovenia 4
2 USA 2
3 England 2
4 Algeria 1

Group D
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Ghana 4
2 Germany 3
3 Serbia 3
4 Australia 1

Group E
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Holland 6
2 Japan 3
3 Denmark 3
4 Cameroon 0

Group F
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Paraguay 4
2 Italy 2
3 New Zealand 2
4 Slovakia 1

Group G
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Brazil 6
2 Portugal 1
3 Ivory Coast 1
4 North Korea 0

Group H
Pos / Team / Pts
1 Chile 3
2 Switzerland 3
3 Honduras 0
4 Spain 0

Upcoming matches
Today
Portugal vs North Korea – Cape Town – 1.30pm
Chile vs Switzerland – Port Elizabeth – 4pm
Spain vs Honduras – Ellis Park – 8.30pm

Tuesday
Mexico vs Uruguay – Rustenburg – 4pm
France vs South Africa – Bloemfontein – 4pm
Nigeria vs South Korea – Durban – 8.30pm
Greece vs Argentina – Polokwane – 8.30pm

Sport in brief
Boxing
Saturday
Emperors Palace, Kempton Park
IBO miniumweight championship
Gideon Buthelezi (SA) W12 Ronelle Ferreras (Phillipines)
IBO junior flyweight championship
Hekkie Budler (SA) W12 Junanito Rubillar (Phillipines)
IBO super middleweight championship
Isaac Chilembe (Malawi) W12 Michael Bolling (Australia)
IBO Africa lightweight title
Jason Bedeman (SA) TKO 3 Bongani Dlamini (SA)
International heavyweight
Florante Simba (Congo) W6 Elvis Moya (Zimbabwe)

Cricket
Second test, South Africa vs West Indies
Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
Scores:
SA: First innings: 543/6 declared (Smith 132, Kallis 110, De Villiers 135 not out, Shillingford 3/193)
West Indies: First innings: 424/4 (Chanderpaul 151 not out, Nash 114, Morkel 2/87)
Match status: West Indies trail by 119 runs at close of play on day three.

Rugby
Saturday
First test, Italy vs South Africa
Puma Stadium, Witbank
Scorers
South Africa 29 – Tries: Bryan Habana, Francois Louw, Morné Steyn, Zane Kirchner. Conversions: Steyn (3). Penalty: Steyn.
Italy 13 – Try: Sergio Parisse. Conversion: Mirco Bergamasco. Penalties: Bergamasco (2).

South African Links:
2010 Stadiums
2010 Accommodation
South African Hotels

Photo Credits:
Draw leaves Italy in danger of early exit — Photo – Vincenzo Iaquinta: Source – www.retrosport.wordpress.com
Samba Kings too good for Elephants — Photo – Luis Fabiano: Source – www.pitacodogringo.wordpress.com
Paraguay inch closer to last 16 — Photo – Cristian Riveros: Source – www.sunderlandfootball.co.uk

Javier Hernandez

France face early exit after loss to Mexico
France suffered an embarasssing 2–0 World Cup defeat to Mexico at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane last night and now face an early exit from the tournament after drawing with Uruguay in their opening Group A match last Friday.

Substitute forward Javier Hernandez (pictured) put Mexico ahead after 64 minutes when he made his way into the box unchallenged and outfoxed France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to put Mexico ahead on 64 minutes. Worse was to follow for the Europeans 15 minutes later, when veteran forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco made no mistake with a penalty after Pablo Barrera was brought down by Eric Abidal ...

France, who were crowned World Cup champions in 1998, have just one point from two games and will face hosts South Africa in their final pool game on Tuesday. They will have to win that game to have any chance of remaining in the tournament.

Uruguay and Mexico top Group A with four points each and will both qualify if they draw next week, eliminating in the process France and South Africa, both on one point. Asked what his team could do now, France winger Florent Malouda responded by saying: “Save our pride”.

“It’s shameful to lose like that,” Malouda told French television channel TF1. “We can’t leave a tournament without winning a match.” Indeed, France’s performance was disappointing to say the least. They were outplayed for the opening 45 minutes during which they failed to create a single chance. Mexico, on the other hand, came close to finding the back of the net on several occasions, first when forward Carlos Vela sprinted into the box unchallenged early on, only to miss the target.

The France fans were made to sweat again after 19 minutes when Mexico fullback Carlos Salcido blasted the ball just wide from the edge of the box. He threatened again eight minutes later, firing straight at Lloris from close range. ‘Les Blues’ were just as ineffective and ordinary in the second half, although they did have a scoring opportunity on 54 minutes when Malouda’s shot from just outside the area flew narrowly over the bar. However, in the end France were just not good enough on the day and coach Raymond Domenech must be a worried man.

The Europeans, who have frustrated their fans with a string of uninspiring performances over the years, can expect a stern test from South Africa on Tuesday in Bloemfontein. Bafana Bafana will be desperate to record a win to keep their hopes of remaning in the tournament alive, and with France in a similar position, an intense tussle is expected at the Free State Stadium.

Vassilis Torosidis

Torosidis secures historic win for Greece
Vassilis Torosidis (pictured) scored Greece’s winner in the 71st minute as they downed Nigeria 2–1 to seal their first ever World Cup victory at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday. The win also kept their hopes of progressing from Group B alive.

Torosidis pounced after Dimitris Salpingidis’s first half strike had cancelled out a Kalu Uche free kick for Nigeria, who also had Sani Kaita sent off. “We started the game well, controlled the game, got the goal and then had a sending off. That caused us problems, especially in the first half,” said Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback after the match.

Argentina lead Group B with six points from two games while Greece and South Korea both have three points. Nigeria are still without a point after two games. However, they could still qualify for the last 16 if they can overcome South Korea in their final group match and Argentina defeat Greece.

“The positive thing is that if Argentina win their game we still have a chance to qualify,” said Lagerback. Greece coach Otto Rehhagel was also pleased that his team had kept their hopes of progressing alive. “We are going to take on Argentina, a world class team. They will clearly be better than us and we have got to see how to cope with them. We all know the Argentine team is of extraordinary quality,” Rehhagel explained.

Nigeria snatched the lead after 16 minutes when Uche’s 35m freekick glided past everyone including Greece ’keeper Alexandros Tzorvas and landed in the back of the net. The African outfit maintained control of proceedings until the 33rd minute when midfielder Kaita stupidly kicked out at Torosidis and was promptly red carded for his efforts.

“I couldn’t see what happened from my position, what I heard they said he kicked him with the underside of his shoe. I see the Greek player laying, holding his head, so I really don’t know. It looks very strange,” Lagerback said.

The game turned immediately in Greece’s favour after Kaita’s moment of madness. Rehhagel replaced defensive midfielder Socratis Papastathopoulos with striker Giorgos Samaras, who minutes later had a shot cleared off the line. Then came the equaliser.

Salpingidis scored his country’s first ever World Cup goal with a 44th minute strike that deflected off Nigeria midfielder Haruna Lukman before rocketing into the net. Salpingidis, who celebrated wildly with his teammates, also scored the winner in the World Cup playoff against Ukraine to earn his country a place at the 2010 global showpiece.

The second half started at a much faster pace than did the first. Nigeria ’keeper Vincent Enyeama produced a superb save to deny Fanis Gekas, while at the other end, substitute Chinedu Obasi missed a sitter after a swift Nigeria counter-attack.

Abandoning their usual defensive approach, Greece came close to scoring through Samaras before Torosidis netted a second after Enyeama had been unable to hold on to a low shot from Alexandros Tziolis. Greece had failed to score in all four of their previous World Cup matches.

Gonzalo Higuain

Higuain’s hat trick puts Argentina into last 16
Argentina became the first team to qualify for the second round of the World Cup when they thumped South Korea 4–1 in their Group B match at Soccer City in Johannesburg yesterday. Gonzalo Higuain (pictured) scored a hat-trick, the first of the tournament, while Park Chu-young suffered the indignation of putting the ball into the back of his own net as Diego Maradona’s seventh ranked team stormed into the last 16.

Chu-young’s own goal after 17 minutes started the rot for the Asian outfit and when Higuain doubled Argentina’s advantage 16 minutes later with a well-taken header, it was always going to be difficult for South Korea to come back.

They did manage to pull a goal back at the end of the first half when Lee Chung-yong dispossessed defender Martin Demichelis and rifled the ball past ’keeper Sergio Romero, but it was ultimately to no avail as Higuain made it 3–1 with a tap-in after 76 minutes and completed his hat-trick with another header four minutes later.

The result left Argentina at the top of Group B with six points from their opening two matches followed by South Korea with three from their first two games. “The result was unexpected but, regardless of the score, it’s possible we can still make the last 16,” said coach Huh Jung-moo. “Whether it’s 4–1 or 3–1... (isn’t) very meaningful,” he added.

Argentina played some of the best attacking football seen at the tournament so far and ‘World Player of the Year’ Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Angel Di Maria were outstanding up front. Messi came close to scoring what would probably have been the goal of the competition in the first half when he ghosted past three defenders only to see his chip over ’keeper Jung Sung-ryong go just wide of the post.

Chung-yong’s goal from the last kick of the first half raised the South Korean’s spirits, but although they improved their standard of play considerably in the second half and should have equalised through Yeom Ki-hun just before the hour, Argentina remained focused to run out comfortable winners.

Upcoming matches (African teams in bold)

Today
Germany vs Serbia – Port Elizabeth – 1.30pm
Slovenia vs USA – Ellis Park – 4pm
England vs Algeria – Cape Town – 8.30pm

Saturday
Netherlands vs Japan – Durban – 1.30pm
Ghana vs Australia – Rustenburg – 4pm
Cameroon vs Denmark – Pretoria – 8.30pm

Sunday
Slovakia vs Paraguay – Bloemfontein – 1.30pm
Italy vs New Zealand – Nelspruit – 4pm
Brazil vs Ivory Coast – Soccer City – 8.30pm

Current Standings (under headings: played, won, drawn, lost, points)
Group A
Team         P          W         D          L          Pts
Uruguay                  2        1        1        0        4
Mexico                    2        1        1        0        4
France                    2        0        1        1        1
South Africa 2        0        1        1        1

Group B
Team          P          W         D          L          Pts
Argentina                2        2        0        0        6
South Korea             2        1        0        1        3
Greece                    2        1        0        1        3
Nigeria 2        0        0        2        0

Group C
Team         P          W         D          L          Pts
Slovenia                  1        1        0        0        3
England                   1        0        1        0        1
USA                       1        0        1        0        1
Algeria 1        0        0        1        0

Group D
Team P          W         D          L          Pts
Germany                 1        1        0        0        3
Ghana 1        1        0        0        3
Serbia                     1        0        0        1        0
Australia                 1        0        0        1        0

Group E
Team          P          W         D          L          Pts
Netherlands             1        1        0        0        3
Japan                     1        1        0        0        3
Cameroon 1        0        0        1        0
Denmark                  1        0        0        1        0

Group F
Team          P          W         D          L          Pts
Italy                       1        0        1        0        1
New Zealand            1        0        1        0        1
Paraguay                 1        0        1        0        1
Slovakia                  1        0        1        0        1

Group G
Team          P          W         D          L          Pts
Brazil                      1        1        0        0        3
Ivory Coast 1        0        1        0        1
Portugal                  1        0        1        0        1
North Korea             1        0        0        1        0

Group H
Team          P          W         D          L          Pts
Chile                       1        1        0        0        3
Switzerland              1        1        0        0        3
Honduras                 1        0        0        1        0
Spain                      1        0        0        1        0

Note: Group winners and runners-up qualify for second round.

Photo Credits:
France face early exit after loss to Mexico — Photo – Javier Hernandez: Source – Action Images
Torosidis secures historic win for Greece — Photo – Vassilis Torosidis: Source – Action Images
Higuain’s hat trick puts Argentina into last 16 — Photo – Gonzalo Higuain: Source – Action Images

South African Links:
2010 Stadiums
2010 Accommodation
South African Hotels

Diego Forlan

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan (pictured) was in scintillating form for Uruguay at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria last night when he scored twice to help his country to a comfortable 3–0 win over hosts South Africa. Bafana Bafana simply had no answer to the attacking prowess of the blonde haired, blue eyed Forlan who had a perfect match with virtually everything he touched turning to gold.

The defeat means South Africa have to win their remaining Group A match against France on Tuesday to have any chance of making it through to the second round of the competition. A 24th minute strike and then a controversial 80th minute penalty from Forlan, which saw Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune sent off after he was adjudged to have brought down Luis Suarez, sealed the win for the two time World Cup champions.

Alvaro Pereira headed in a third goal in extra time to rub salt into Bafana’s wounds with the South African supporters already leaving the stadium in droves. Uruguay now find themselves in a very strong position in the Group with four points from two games, while Bafana have only one point.

The loss was the worst for a host nation since Mexico lost 4–1 at home to Italy in the 1970 quarter-final and was a clear illustration of the gulf in class between the 16th ranked Uruguayans and 83rd ranked Bafana. Group A rivals France and Mexico, who both drew their opening games, face each other today in Polokwane and the winner of that game will be in a strong position heading into the final round of games.

Uruguay began the match with some urgency, moving the ball effectively through midfield and they took the lead in the 24th minute through a slightly deflected, dipping drive from Forlan which went in off the underside of the bar. Khune appeared to be unsighted and hardly moved as the ball found the back of the net.

Stung into action, the home side began to probe their opponent’s defences in search of an equaliser, but with striker Katlego Mphela left on his own upfront, Bafana lacked the firepower to score. Midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi received his second yellow card of the tournament two minutes before the interval and, like Khune, will now miss the final group game against France.

Bafana head coach Carlos Alberto Parriera will no doubt be very disappointed at what transpired on the night, but will have a lot of questions to answer regarding his team’s sub par performance on the night. There was little change to the pattern of the game with Uruguay in complete control for large periods, while Bafana lacking penetration and options up front.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tavarez, on the other hand, was delighted with his team’s victory and he should be as it was an excellent performance from the South Americans, who must now be one of the early tournament favourites.

The telling moment in the match came in the 80th minute when Suarez took a trip to the turf after he was clipped by Khune's flaying legs, and while the Kaizer Chiefs ‘keeper vehemently protested the decision, it was to no avail as the referee awarded the penalty. The ice cool Forlan stepped up and smashed the ball into the back of the net despite a valiant effort from reserve ‘keeper Moeneeb Josephs.

Pereira completed the scoring in extra time with a simple header from a well-placed cross from the right by Suarez, but by then the game was as good as over. Although the South Americans undoubtedly deserved their victory it must be said that this was a disappointing performance from Bafana. The South Africans lacked energy and intensity and seemed to have no real plan or ideas as to how to breach their opponent’s  defences.

The result was a bitter pill to swallow for the home fans whose dejected expressions were a clear indication of what transpired on the night. Parreira and his team will have to return to the drawing board to see what went wrong. Hopefully they will be able to find a remedy for their ailments – and soon.

Other World Cup results

Yesterday
Chile 1 – Honduras 0 – Nelspruit
Switzerland 1 – Spain 0 – Durban

Photo Credits:
Fabulous Forlan floors Bafana — Photo – Diego Forlan: Source – www.worldfootball.net

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
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Accommodation in South Africa

Maicon

Maicon saves the day for Brazil
Brazil fullback Maicon (pictured) scored a superb goal from a seemingly impossible angle to guide the World Cup favourites to a 2–1 win over a gritty North Korea in their Group G encounter at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening.

Maicon somehow managed to fire a shot into the net from the most acute of angles in the 55th minute, before Elano added a second goal 17 minutes later to put the South American giants in command. Ji Yun-nam pulled one back for North Korea on 89 minutes, speeding past two players and smashing home a left-foot drive, but it was a case of too little, too late as the ‘Golden Squad’ held on for the win.

“They played very defensively and in this kind of game you have to have patience and when you don’t get a goal, it gets difficult,” Brazil forward Robinho told Brazilian TV. “We won deservedly ... now we can lift our heads and look to qualify in the next game,” he added.

However, until Maicon’s strike, North Korea, making their first World Cup appearance in 44 years, had looked capable of producing a result to equal their famous 1–0 win over Italy in 1966. The number one ranked South Americans had looked clueless as to how to breach their opponent’s defences, while the Asians had periodically looked threatening on attack.

Brazil made a bright start when Robinho produced a sniping run in the first minute to set up Kaka, but the Real Madrid player was too slow on the trigger allowing An Yong-hak to dispossess him. Robinho then fired a shot over the crossbar after working another opening with Kaka, but the South Americans suddenly ran out of ideas as North Korea applied the pressure.

Jong Tae-se had the first shot on target for the Asians, although it was easily saved by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Mun In-guk then tried to test Cesar with an audacious shot from near the halfway line as the 105th ranked minnows grew in confidence with each passing minute.

Brazil had entrusted Kaka with the responsibility of creating chances, but he was having a poor game with his passes going completely astray. Instead, the South Americans had to rely on isolated openings, one when Robinho tested North Korea ‘keeper Ri Myong-guk with a shot on the turn and another with an outswinging Maicon shot, which Myong-guk parried away.

The five-time World Cup champions committed more men forward after the interval and had an excellent chance to score when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area. However, Michel Bastos sqaundered the opportunity by firing his shot wide.

Brazil’s breakthrough came when Elano fed a pass to Maicon on the outside, who managed to pick the gap between the ‘keeper and the near post from almost on the byline. It was a brilliant goal, probably the best of the tournament thus far, and when Elano ran onto Robinho’s slide pass to slot his shot into the far corner, the writing was on the wall for the courageous Asian outfit.

Although Brazil deserved to win in the end, they were made to fight hard for their victory by the North Koreans who belied their lowly status as the lowest ranked team in the competition. It was hardly a convincing performance from the ‘Golden Squad’ who are widely considered the favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the month long global showpiece on July 11.

Didier Drogba

Subdued start for Portugal
Portugal made a somewhat disappointing start to their 2010 World Cup campaign when they were held to a 0–0 draw by Ivory Coast at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. The 27th ranked Ivorians gave the third ranked Portuguese all they could handle in a game that marked the return of Chelsea centre forward Didier Drogba (pictured) into the Ivory Coast line-up.

Drogba, who had surgery on a broken right arm just ten days before the match, joined the fray as a second half substitute but was unable to make a significant impact in the Group G clash. Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo had an excellent chance to open the scoring just 10 minutes into the match, but  the Real Madrid winger’s 25m shot only succeeded in rattling Ivorian ’keeper Boubacar Barry’s left post.

Then it was the turn of ‘The Elephants’ to threaten their opponent’s goalmouth when Siaka Tiene and Ismael Tiote narrowly missed with strikes. Matters soon got heated when referee Jorge Larrionda issued defender Guy Demel with a yellow card for a foul on Ronaldo who in turn was cautioned for his aggressive reaction.

Ivorian striker Salomon Kalou had Portugal ‘keeper Eduardo working hard to save his powerful shot in the 50th minute as ‘The Navigators’ manager Carlos Queiroz made his first change, replacing Danny with Atletico Madrid forward Simao. Eduardo’s opposite number Barry then had to be at full stretch to collect Liedson’s header after some clever work down the left from Deco.

Ivory Coast manager Sven Goran Eriksson decided to hurl Drogba into the fray in the 66th minute and the move produced arguably the biggest cheer of the afternoon from the rain soaked crowd. However, the African superstar was unable to come up with a goal to break the stalemate in a match that failed to reach any great heights.

In fact, it was Ronaldo who found the back of the net with a well-taken shot shortly after Drogba’s introduction, but to his dismay referee Larrionda had already blown the whistle for a foul by Liedson. Ronaldo again threatened the Ivory Coast goalmouth when his 35m freekick edged over Barry’s crossbar in the 80th minute.

With time running out, the Ivorians pressed hard for a victory and Drogba found himself with an opportunity to score from close range only to miscue his shot. Both sides earned a point for their efforts and left Ghana as the only one of the six participating African teams to have won their opening first round match.

Winston Reid

New Zealand make history
New Zealand defender Winston Reid (pictured in white) headed an equaliser in the closing seconds to earn a 1–1 draw with Slovakia and secure the ‘All Whites’ their first ever World Cup point in their Group F opener at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Tuesday. Fullback Reid beat Slovakia ‘keeper Jan Mucha with a header that went in off the foot of the post to bring his team level after Robert Vittek had put the Eastern Europeans in front five minutes after the interval.

“I think the nation will be in reasonably good spirits tonight,” said modest New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert. “We keep on dreaming. We have a chance like everyone else.” Asked if it was their best ever achievement he added: “It would have to be. We have never picked up a point at a World Cup. We have thrown some really good punches tonight and got what I thought was an extremely good result.”

Until New Zealand’s late strike, Slovakia, making their World Cup debut as an independent nation, had looked set to top the group ahead of world champions Italy and Paraguay who battled to a 1–1 draw in the group opener on Monday.

Vittek scored with a powerful header from 10m out after Stanislav Sestak had floated in a perfect cross. The goal was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dull encounter where New Zealand, using a 3–4-3 formation, largely frustrated the cautious Slovaks who appeared revitalised after a pep talk at the interval.

The Eastern Europeans were more aggressive at the beginning of the second half, playing at a higher tempo than they did in the opening 45 minutes and with a great deal more confidence. Consequently, New Zealander were given few chances to regain a foothold in the game, and weren’t helped by their inferior technique and lack of possession.

Slovakia had enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession in an opening half strewn with errors as the unpleasant conditions made things difficult for both teams. Neither side managed to create many chances and when they did, poor execution let them down.

Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz shot wide for the ‘All Whites’, while Sestak and Vittek did the same at the other end where New Zealand ‘keeper Mark Paston looked a tad shaky. A square free kick to Slovakia skipper Marek Hamsik, after a foul by Tony Lochhead on Erik Jendrisek, saw the playmaker unleash a 23m shot that Paston saved just before the interval.

It was one of few bright moments in a close game in which Slovakia struggled for a breakthrough until Vittek’s goal. However, just when it seemed the Eastern Europeans had secured the three points, Reid scored the equaliser and it was the New Zealand players who were celebrating after the final whistle.

Other results (African teams in bold)
Monday
Netherlands 2 – Denmark 0
Japan 1 – Cameroon 0
Italy 1 – Paraguay 1

Current standings (under headings: played, won, drawn, lost, points)

Group A
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
Mexico                  1        0        1        0        1
South Africa 1        0        1        0        1
France                   1        0        1        0        1
Uruguay                1        0        1        0        1

Group B
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
South Korea          1        1        0        0        3
Argentina               1        1        0        0        3
Nigeria                   1        0        0        1        0
Greece                  1        0        0        1        0

Group C
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
Slovenia                1        1        0        0        3
England                 1        0        1        0        1
USA                       1        0        1        0        1
Algeria 1        0        0        1        0

Group D
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
Germany               1        1        0        0        3
Ghana 1        0        0        1        3
Serbia                    1        0        0        1        0
Australia                1        0        0        1        0

Group E
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
Netherlands           1        1        0        0        3
Japan                    1        1        0        0        3
Cameroon 1        0        0        1        0
Denmark               1        0        0        1        0

Group F
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
Italy                      1        0        1        0        1
New Zealand                   1        0        1        0        1
Paraguay               1        0        1        0        1
Slovakia                1        0        1        0        1

Group G
Team                    P       W      D       L        Pts
Brazil                     1        1        0        0        3
Ivory Coast 1        0        1        0        1
Portugal                 1        0        1        0        1
North Korea           1        0        0        1        0

Note: Group winners and runners-up qualify for second round.

Photo Credits:
Maicon saves the day for Brazil — Photo – Maicon: Source – Action Images
Subdued start for Portugal — Photo – Didier Drogba: Source – www.connect.in.com
New Zealand make history — Photo – Winston Reid: Source – Gallo Images

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
2010 World Cup Accommodation
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Siphiwe Tshabalala

Superb Siphiwe earns Bafana a draw
Bafana Bafana produced a disciplined and committed performance to earn a 1–1 draw with Mexico in the opening match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup at a packed Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, on Friday afternoon. A late goal from Rafael Marques deprived the hosts of victory in front of more than 84 000 vuvuzela blowing fans after a brilliant 55th minute strike from Siphiwe Tshabalala (pictured) had put Bafana 1–0 ahead.

Despite not being able to secure a win however, Bafana can be well pleased with their efforts against the 17th ranked Mexicans who went into the match as favourites. The hosts played with a lot of passion and determination for the duration of the 90 minutes and all the hard work they have put into their preparation for the global spectacle has cleary paid off ...

Although Mexico had the better of the opening 45 minutes Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was an inspirational force for his team, making a number of critical saves that kept them in the game. Khune was often tested by the Mexican strikers who were given too much room by the Bafana defenders, earning them the wrath of head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira who screamed out instructions from the sidelines.

Khune was under pressure early, palming away a shot from right wing Paul Aguilar after just two minutes and then a saving another screamer from the Mexican 18 minutes later. Mexico ‘keeper Oscar Perez, although not nearly as busy as Khune in the opening half, nevertheless showed his class by denying Katlego Mphela on 23 minutes as both teams struggled fo find the opener.

Mexican dangerman Giovanni dos Santos forced Khune to pull off the save of the half in the 32nd minute when he threw his body in front of a close range shot, while striker Carlos Vela had a goal disallowed for offside six minutes later. Kagisho Dikgacoi then gave the Mexicans a scare when he headed over the crossbar on the stroke of half time after a series of corners.

Bafana were a different side after the restart as they switched from a primarily defensive strategy to an offensive one, although Parreira did replace defender Lucas Thwala with the more experienced Tsepo Masilela in an effort to counter Aguilar’s attacks down the right flank.

With 10 minutes gone in the second half and with the teams still deadlocked, it was evident that something special was going to be needed to break the stalemate and it was left to the dimunitive Tshabalala to provide the fireworks. Collecting the ball on the left, Tshabalala cut inside and blasted the ball into the top right hand corner of the net to put the hosts 1–0 ahead and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Clearly shocked at being 1–0 down, Mexico tried desperately to level matters and the courageous Khune was again called in to action when he denied Dos Santos for a second time after 60 minutes. With their confidence soaring Bafana began to settle down and take charge of the game by retaining possession and playing to their strengths.

The South Africans could have gone 2–0 up in the 70th minute when Teko Modise sprinted into the Mexican penalty area but as he was about to unleash a shot, Mexican defender Francisco Rodriquez stuck out a foot to thwart his effort. With the clock winding down and Mexico still searching for an equaliser, it seemed as though a dream start for the host nation was going to be a reality. However, with just 11 minutes of normal time left, the Mexicans threw a spanner in the works by punishing a defensive error from Bafana to level matters.

A free kick from Vela found Marques unmarked at the far post and the  Barcelona ace made no mistake from close range to blast the ball past a despairing Khune to make it 1–1. Bafana almost hit back two minutes later when right back Siboniso Gaxa tested Perez with a snaking drive that the Mexican ‘keeper did well to save. Mphela then nearly pulled off a win for the hosts when he struck the post in the last minute as the South Africans threw everything at their opponents in search of victory.

Despite not being able to secure a win, Bafana proved they are going to be a force to be reckoned with during the tournament and in the near future. ‘The Boys’ are now unbeaten in 13 matches under Parreira’s tutorship and what makes Friday’s result so special was Bafana’s determination to keep on fighting despite being comprehensively outplayed in the first half.

It was this fighting spirit that enabled them to take the lead in the second half and eventually hold on for a draw after Mexico netted the equaliser. If Bafana can keep on producing similar performances in their remaing Group A matches against Uruguay and France then they stand an excellent chance of making it through to the second round  of the competition later this month.

“The draw was a fair result. I think this group is very tough. The team that gets four points will qualify,” said Parreira. “I praised my team. We could have won the game but the result was fair,” he added. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre remarked: “Their goal changed the match a lot. I wouldn’t say we got nervous but a little bit anxious. We tried to change our play and we managed to draw but it wasn’t enough. We have to praise our opponents.”

Bafana play two-time world champions Uruguay at Loftus in Pretoria on Wednesday night. Kick-off is at 8.30pm.

Asamoah Gyan

Gyan gets Ghana off to perfect start
Ghana’s hopes of reaching the second round of the World Cup received a massive boost at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria yesterday when they defeated Serbia 1–0 in their opening Group D match. An 85th-minute penalty by Asamoah Gyan (pictured) was enough to secure the three points after a handball by Zdravko Kuzmanovic.

Serbia were always struggling after Aleksandar Lukovic was sent-off for a second bookable offence in the 74th minute. In a match that produced few chances, Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic and Serbia captain Dejan Stankovic combined to cut down a threatening Prince Tagoe, but Gyan blasted the 25-yard free-kick over the bar after just four minutes of play.

Eleven minutes later Nikola Zigic almost turned a Kwadwo Asamoah cross into his own net before the Udinese player set up centre-back John Mensah from a free-kick only for the Sunderland centre-back to head over the bar. Gyan was then barely an inch away from converting an inswinging Kevin-Prince Boateng cross from six yards before Serbia’s Aleksandar Kolarov curled a free-kick just over the cross bar.

Other Fifa World Cup results (From left to right; African teams in bold)
Friday
Uruguay 0 – France 0
Saturday
Argentina 1 – Nigeria 0
South Korea 2 – Greece 0
England 1 – USA 1
Yesterday
Algeria 0 – Slovenia 1
Germany 4 – Australia 0

Upcoming games (African teams in bold)
Today
Netherlands vs Denmark – Soccer City – 1.30pm
Japan vs Cameroon – Bloemfontein – 4pm
Italy vs Paraguay – Cape Town – 8.30pm
Tomorrow
New Zealand vs Slovakia – Rustenburg – 1.30pm
Ivory Coast vs Portugal – Port Elizabeth – 4pm
Brazil vs North Korea – Ellis Park – 8.30pm
Wednesday
Honduras vs Chile – Nelspruit – 1.30pm
Spain vs Switzerland – Durban – 4pm
South Africa vs Uruguay – Pretoria – 8.30pm
Thursday
France vs Mexico – Polokwane – 8.30pm
Greece vs Nigeria – Bloemfontein – 4pm
Argentina vs South Korea – Soccer City – 1.30pm

Other Sports — Weekend results

Athletics
Saturday, New York
Men’s 800m
1. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (SA), 1:44.38
2. Nick Symmonds (US), 1:45.05
3. Alfred Yego (Kenya), 1:45.46

Cricket
West Indies vs South Africa
First Test, Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain
Scores in brief
South Africa, first innings: 352 all out (AB De Villiers 68, Mark Boucher 69, Sulieman Benn 5/120)
West Indies, first innings: 102 all out (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 26, Narsingh Deonarine 29, Dale Steyn 5/29)
South Africa, second innings: 206/4 declared (Graeme Smith 90, Jacques Kallis 40)
West Indies, second innings: 293 (Chris Gayle 73, Dwaye Bravo 49)
Result: South Africa won by 163 runs and lead the three match series 1–0.

Rugby
South Africa vs France (One off test)
Saturday, Newlands, Cape Town
Scorers
South Africa 42 – Tries: Pierre Spies, Gio Aplon (2), Gurthro Steenkamp, Francois Louw. Conversions: Morné Steyn (3) and Ruan Pienaar. Penalties: Steyn (3).
France 17 – Tries: Aurelia Rougerie, Marc Andreu. Conversions: Morgan Parra, David Skrela. Penalty: Parra.

Photo Credits:
Superb Siphiwe earns Bafana a draw — Photo – Siphiwe Tshabalala: Source – Backpagepix
Gyan gets Ghana off to perfect start — Photo – Asamoah Gyan: Source – Action Images

Matthew Booth

Bafana players praise Parreira ahead of 2010 kick-off
Two days before they take on Mexico in the opening game of the World Cup at Soccer City, and eight months after returning for his second stint with the national side, the Bafana Bafana players have praised coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. The 67-year-old Brazilian cut short his first contract with Bafana in April 2008 for personal reasons, but after a rather unsuccessful 18-month stint by his replacement, fellow countrymen Joel Santana, he returned to the post in October last year.

Santana steered South Africa to the semi-finals of last year’s Confederations Cup, but was sacked by the South African Football Association (SAFA) after Bafana lost eight out of their last nine games under his care. On his return, Parreira has transformed the team, with Bafana entering the World Cup off a 12-match unbeaten run, including a 1–0 victory over Denmark in their final warm-up game in Atteridgeville on Saturday.

“Santana was good for us at the Confederations Cup, but then he produced poor results for a number of reasons, one of them being injuries,” said towering defender Matthew Booth (pictured). “I think Parreira was the right person to steady the ship and he’s also got us playing the ball on the ground, which is one of our strengths,” he added.

Parreira has steered four other nations to five previous World Cup tournaments, guiding Brazil to victory in 1994, and striker Bernard Parker said Parreira’s vast experience would be invaluable for the hosts. “The coach has brought in different tactics (to Santana’s) and a different way of playing, and he’s done well with us because of his experience,” said Parker. Following their recent good form, both players said they were confident the 83rd ranked Bafana will perform beyond expectations, although their attention at this stage is focused on Friday’s opening game.

“Friendlies don’t count for anything and Mexico will be tougher to beat, but we’ll be ready for them,” said a cautious but confident Booth. “I don’t think many of our players are looking past the first hurdle. Once we’ve played that game (Mexico) I think the focus will shift, and it depends who we draw in the knockout stages, but anything is possible,” he answered when asked about the team’s chances in the tournament.

Parker agreed, voicing his confidence of Bafana’s chances if they progress to the second round. “The main focus is to get past the group stage,” he said, “and in knockout games anything can happen.”

Katlego Mphela scored the winner for Bafana against Denmark on Saturday when he found the back of the net after 76 minutes. The striker known as ‘Killer’ latched onto a defence-splitting pass to blast the ball under the body of ’keeper Stefan Andersen and settle the contest.

Scoring chances were few and far between in a goalless first half with neither team able to gain the ascendancy. Parreira stuck with a 4–2-3–1 formation that has allowed his team to remain unbeaten in their last 12 matches, and it worked well against the Danes who failed to breach Bafana’s defences.

If the South Africans can continue to produce the type of form they have shown over the last couple of weeks, they definitely stand an excellent chance of reaching the second round of the tournament. And with the expectations of an entire nation weighing heavily upon them, they will need little motivation to produce the goods when it counts most. Friday’s match kicks off at 3pm.

Frans Steyn

Shaky Boks hold on for win
It wasn’t their best performance by a long way, but the Springboks were still good enough to defeat Wales 34–31 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. With both sides scoring three tries apiece there was little to separate them, but in the end the Boks had a little too much class for their opponents who benefitted from some dubious calls from referee Allan Lewis and a moment of madness from visiting captain John Smit.

Although the Boks looked focused at the kickoff, they started badly with Lewis being particularly harsh on them in the scrum, awarding three unanswered free kick calls for engaging early, even though it seemed he took an age to make the “engage” call.

To make things even tougher for the Boks, Lewis awarded the home side six unanswered penalties in the opening minutes. Wales flyhalf Stephen Jones punished the Boks by banging over three kicks at goal to counterpart Ruan Pienaar’s one before Smit made what was without a doubt his biggest mistake in a Springbok jersey to leave his team 16–3 adrift after just 20 minutes.

South Africa forced a turnover through to debutant Francois Louw, but when the ball was flung wide to Smit he appeared in two minds as to what to do. He ended up throwing a feeble pass into the grateful arms of a prowling James Hook who stormed through for a try to send the 60 000 strong crowd into a frenzy.

However, Smit redeemed himself shortly afterwards by getting his side back onto the front foot as first Pienaar goaled another penalty, and then on attack, after a frantic scramble over a loose ball, the flyhalf spun the ball wide for left wing Odwa Ndungane to dive over in the corner. Ndungane’s try left the Boks just five points behind and when Pienaar slotted another penalty shortly before the break, the Boks were only 16–14 down and firmly back in contention.

The visitors started the second half strongly with Louw grabbing another turnover and locks Victor Matfield and Danie Rossouw dominating the lineouts. The Boks took the ball up field before scrumhalf Ricky Januarie by-passed prop BJ Botha with a pass to send Rossouw into space. Although he was well tackled, he had enough sense to back flip a pass to flanker Dewald Potgieter who crashed over to put the Boks ahead.

Fullback Frans Steyn (pictured with ball in hand) then stretched the Boks’ lead to 10 points (24–14) by acing a 50m penalty and although Jones slotted another three pointer in the 46th minute to break the visitors’ run of 18 consecutive points, the Boks landed the knockout blow shortly there afterwards.

Some excellent work at the breakdown by Louw and Potgieter saw a Welsh ball spill forward, which Januarie pounced on and sent to Juan De Jongh. The fleet-footed centre then stepped his way past a floundering Jones and ran in for a superb try to put the Boks 12 points ahead.

Wales hit back quickly with a try from fullback Tom Prydie only for Pienaar to slot his fourth and final penalty to keep the Boks just out of range.  Replacement fullback Zane Kirchner then gave the Bok supporters some flutters when he made a hash of a simple up and under that paved the way for a late converted try from Alun-Wyn Jones, but the visitors showed their class by holding on for the win.

Scorers
South Africa 34 – Tries: Odwa Ndungane, Dewald Potgieter, Juan de Jongh. Conversions: Ruan Pienaar (2). Penalties: Pienaar (4), Frans Steyn.
Wales 31 – Tries: James Hook, Tom Prydie, Alun-Wyn Jones. Conversions: Stephen Jones (2). Penalties: Jones (3). Drop goal: Hook

Bok coach Peter de Villiers named a 27-man squad on Monday for the coming series of home test matches against France and Italy with the big surprise being the omission of the powerful Steyn who is always a potential match winner with his huge boot and strong running. However, De Villiers was clearly not impressed with what he saw on Saturday. “I believe Frans was the best in the world last year, but he wasn’t the best in the world in Cardiff, and that is a problem,” said De Villiers.

Steyn, who left the Sharks to play for French club Racing Métro in April 2009, looked sluggish against Wales over the weekend and De Villiers has possibly made the right call by decided to leave him out of the squad.  Apart from Steyn, Ndungane (rib injury), Meyer Bosman, Joe van Niekerk and CJ van der Linde were all dropped from the match 22 that did duty against Wales.

The Boks face France at Newlands on Saturday and will clearly have to improve on their performance against Wales otherwise they could be in for a hiding from the unpredictable French, who can tear even the best defences to shreds with their enterprising back play. Kick-off is at 2pm.

Springbok squad:
Bjorn Basson, BJ Botha, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Jannie du Plessis, Jaque Fourie, Gio Aplon, Bryan Habana, Alistair Hargreaves, Butch James, Ricky Januarie, Ryan Kankowski, Zane Kirchner, Francois Louw, Victor Matfield, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, Dewald Potgieter, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, John Smit (captain), Pierre Spies, Gurthro Steenkamp, Morne Steyn, Flip van der Merwe.

Patrick Lambie

Baby Boks start Junior Champs with a bang
The SA under-20 rugby team got off to a excellent start at the 2010 IRB Junior World Championships when they outclassed Tonga 40–14 at the Club Atletico Estudiantes in Parana, Argentina on Saturday. The Baby Boks scored four tries and earned maximum points from their opening Pool C clash against the Pacific Islanders.

Fullback Patrick Lambie (pictured), skipper CJ Stander, centre Francois Venter and winger Sampie Mastriet all scored tries for the men in green and gold. Lambie converted all four tries and added three penalty kicks for a personal tally of 22 points. The South Africans conceded one try late in the second half when George Moala crashed over the tryline while winger Micheal Toloke slotted three penalties for Tonga.

“I am happy with the win and even happier that we managed to score the four tries which earns us a bonus point victory,” said SA under-20 coach Eric Sauls. “We started off well in the first half, but all credit to Tonga, they came hard at us in the second and made life difficult for us,” he added.

The Baby Boks enjoyed a comfortable 26–3 lead at the interval courtesy of Mastriet and Stander’s tries while Lambie scored the other points by adding two conversions and three penalty goals. In the second half, Venter added the SA under-20s’ third try shortly after the restart before Lambie muscled his way over the try line in the final minute to earn the South Africans their bonus point victory.

The South Africans were always in control of the game and held the ascendency at the line-outs and in the scrums. Scrumhalf Louis Schreuder benefitted from his side’s dominance up front to dictate matters well in the first half, and together with flyhalf Elton Jantjies, kept the game in the Tonga half.

The Baby Boks went into a commanding 33–3 lead after Venter added the their third try, but a lapse in concentration late in the second half allowed the Tongans to stage a fightback. However, it was a case of too little, too late for the Pacific Islanders as the Baby Boks ran out comfortable winners in the end.

“We always knew it was going to be a tough game physically,” said Stander. “But I must compliment the guys for the way they stuck in there right until the end to get the four tries. We are taking these World Champs one game at a time, we’ll enjoy the result and then start focusing on our next game against Scotland,” he added.

The Baby Boks square off against the Scots in their second Pool C game at the Estadio CA Colon in Sante Fe today. Kick-off is at 7pm.

Scorers
South Africa 40 – Tries: Sampie Mastriet, CJ Stander, Francois Venter, Patrick Lambie. Conversions: Lambie (4). Penalties: Lambie (4).
Tonga 14 – Try: George Moala. Penalties: Michael Toloke (3).

Alviro Peterson

Proteas gear up for test series
Speedsters Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were only able to send down 28 balls between them before rain washed out the second day of the two day warm-up match between the Proteas and a Trinidad & Tobago XI at the Sir Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad on Monday.

In that short spell Steyn had opener Lendl Simmons snapped up by ’keeper Mark Boucher and found the edge of fellow opener William Perkins’s bat only for the latter to survive when the ball passed between third slip and gulley. The home side closed on 18/1 in 4.4 overs in reply to South Africa’s 347/4 off 90 overs.

South African batsmen Graeme Smith (41), Alviro Peterson (pictured), Hashim Amla (44 retired), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy (51 retired), and Mark Boucher (51 not out) all got amongst the runs as the visitors wrapped up their preparations for the upcoming test match series against the West Indies. Vice-captain Jacques Kallis said the team was well prepared for the five-day series, which starts at the Queen’s Park Oval tomorrow.

“There are not many personnel changes between the One Day International (ODI) squad and the test side and the guys have been playing good cricket here for some time now,” said Kallis. “Our test cricket has been very good over a period of time and the main focus will be on the disciplines and processes required for the longest form of the game,” he added.

Kallis said the fact that the West Indies had lost seven games on the trot to the tourists would not allow for any complacency. “The West Indies can be a very dangerous side and it is important that we set our standard from the start,” warned Kallis. Tomorrow’s game starts at 4pm.

Scores in brief
Proteas: 347/4 (A Peterson 65, AB de Villiers 53 retired)
Trinidad and Tobago: 18/1
Result: Rain washed out play

The Proteas won the ODI series against the Windies 5–0 after scraping home by one wicket in the last match at the Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday and have regained second place from India on the ICC Reliance Mobile rankings. The South Africans now have 119 points while India have dropped four points to 118 from their current triangular series in Zimbabwe in which they lost twice to their hosts and shared their matches against Sri Lanka 1–1.

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
2010 World Cup Accommodation
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Photo Credits:
Bafana players praise Parreira ahead of 2010 kick-off — Photo – Matthew Booth: Source – www.teamkickoff.ning.com
Shaky Boks hold on for win — Photo – Frans Steyn: Source – www.picasaweb.google.com
Baby Boks start junior champs with a bang — Photo – Patrick Lambie: Source – www.newshopper.sulekha.com
Proteas gear up for test series — Photo – Alviro Peterson: Source – www.standardbankcricket.com

Benni McCarthy

No place for Benni in final Bafana squad
All-time leading Bafana Bafana goalscorer Benni McCarthy (pictured) has predictably been left out of the final 23-man Bafana World Cup squad by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. The 67-year-old Parreira, who named the final squad yesterday, decided not to gamble on West Ham striker McCarthy whose fitness has been questionable since recovering from a recent knee injury.

The 32-year-old McCarthy, who has represented South Africa on 79 occasions with 32 goals to his credit, was one of five players who failed to survive Parreira’s final cut. McCarthy was recalled to national duty despite lingering concerns over his fitness and Parreira had hoped the player would improve given his international experience and goal-scoring abilities.

Ultimately is was down to the cold, hard realisation that McCarthy could not meet the standards required in the five key selection principles – physical conditioning, technical ability, discipline, team dynamics and tactical ability. To this end, McCarthy admitted there was little the national selectors could do but leave him out. “My fitness level came into question after weeks recovering from my knee injury, but the coach still believed in me, as did I and the rest of the team, and I am grateful for that,” said McCarthy. Together with the technical team McCarthy worked hard on his fitness, but unfortunately time was against him.

“No one’s place in the final squad is a given,” said McCarthy. “We all gave it our best and pushed ourselves to our limits to make the cut. In the end it comes down to a head count. I am proud to have been given the privilege to have been capped in the South African national squad, but unfortunately this time it was not to be,” he added.

Despite his disappointment at missing out on the 2010 spectacle, McCarthy had some words of consolation for the other four players who failed to make the cut. “All the players who made the national call-up should be proud. We did not fail, we just didn’t make the final 23; we are still a part of the team if not the squad,” said McCarthy. “We have a strong team everyone will be proud of and I am in no doubt we will make our mark with the ground swell of support the team has been receiving of late. My role now is to join in that support,” he added.

Bafana, who are in the final stages of wrapping up their preparations for the World Cup, were in ruthless form at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Monday evening when they crushed Guatemala 5–0. Two goals from Katlego Mphela, and one apiece from Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Surprise Moriri and Bernard Parker enabled Bafana to record their biggest ever win in international soccer.

It was an excellent performance from the South Africans whose final World Cup warm up game will be against Denmark at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Saturday. The match kicks off at 3pm.

Bafana squad
Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune, Moeneeb Josephs, Shu-Aib Walters.
Defenders: Matthew Booth, Siboniso Gaxa, Bongani Khumalo, Tsepo Masilela, Aaron Mokoena, Anele Ngcongca, Siyabonga Sangweni, Lucas Thwala.
Midfielders: Surprise Moriri, Lance Davids, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Teko Modise, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Thanduyise Khuboni, Steven Pienaar, Macbeth Sibaya.
Strikers: Katlego Mphela, Siyabonga Nomvete, Bernard Parker.

Francois Hougaard

Clinical Bulls take Super 14 honours
The Vodacom Bulls secured their third Vodacom Super 14 title in four years when they defeated a courageous Vodacom Stormers outfit 25–17 in an enthralling final at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday. Despite being outcored by two tries to one, the Bulls thoroughly deserved their win.

As is usually the case their forward pack dominated proceedings and with captain Victor Matfield a tower of strength in the lineouts the Stormers were left with hardly any ball with which to launch any meaningful attacks. To make matters worse for the visitors the Bulls’ halfback pairing of Morné Steyn and Fourie Du Preez took full advantage of their team’s dominance up front to keep the Stormers pinned in their own half with some accurate touchfinders.

The homeside went ahead 9–0 early on courtesy of Steyn’s deadly accurate boot with the Bulls flyhalf slotting three penalties in quick succession to leave the visitors playing catch up rugby from then on. Du Preez then set up what what would prove to be a very important score for the Bulls when he slipped a perfect pass to a flying Francois Hougaard (pictured with ball in hand) to put the young winger clear with just one man to beat.

Hougaard made no mistake by stepping outside and slipping past a despairing Joe Pietersen to leave the Bulls 16 points clear and the Stormers with a mountain to climb. Hougaard’s try was an expert combination of technical excellence and perfect timing and was a typical example of the Bulls’ brilliance on attack this season.

With the visitors under pressure to hit back they shunned an opportunity for a three pointer, opting instead to kick for the touchline in the hope of setting up a try scoring opportunity. However, the Bulls defence held firm and the Stormers were left empty handed after camping out near their opponents line for a couple of minutes.

With the hooter sounding to signify the end of the first half the visitors found themselves trailing 16–3 after Peter Grant had earlier slotted a penalty to give his side their first points of the match. Shortly after the restart an uncharacteristic mistake from Steyn allowed the Stormers back into the match when in reality they should have been dead and buried.

Deciding to launch an attack from inside his own half Steyn threw a careless pass straight into the hands of a lurking Bryan Habana who gleefully accepted the early Christmas present to jog over the line and dot down. Grant made no mistake with the conversion to reduce the deficit to six points (16–10) and it looked as though the visitors might be in with a shout.

However, the Bulls responded by turning it up a notch, keeping the Stormers pinned in their own half and waiting for the openings. The subsequent pressure forced a string of errors from the Stormers, resulting in the adwarding of three penalties which Steyn duly converted.

The Bulls were now 25–10 ahead with just ten minutes to go and although the visitors scored a converted try from Pieter Louw in the 78th minute it was a case of too little, too late as the Bulls ran out deserved winners to clinch the trophy.  Despite their defeat however, the Stormers can be proud of their performance.

They made the Bulls work hard for their win and put in some big hits in a bruising encounter that left a number of players worse for wear after the 80 minutes. However, in the end the Bulls were just too clinical and polished for the Stormers who gave away too many penalties which the merciless Steyn made them pay dearly for.

Stormers captain Schalk Burger lamented after the match that referee Craig Joubert had applied “a different set of breakdown rules for each team”, which led to the awarding of the six penalties and ultimately the concession of 18 points to the Bulls. Stormers coach Allister Coetzee backed his captain and said that Joubert’s blowing of the breakdown had decided the contest.

“It was an area where the game was was won and lost. And, as Schalk said, he (Joubert) penalised one team and coached the other,” exclaimed Coetzee. Burger and Coetzee’s protests were disappointing to say the least and were clearly just a case of sour grapes as there was simply no evidence to back up their claims. The Bulls won this game fair and square and all credit must go to coach Frans Ludeke and his team for their brilliant performance in the competition this season.

Following their achievements in the Super 14 the darlings of Pretoria must start as firm favourites for the upcoming Currie Cup, although the Stormers, and possibly the resurgent Sharks, will be in with a shout if they can stay disciplined when it counts most.

Scorers
Bulls 25 – Try: Francois Hougaard. Conversion: Morné Steyn. Penalties: Steyn (6).
Stormers 17 – Tries: Bryan Habana, Pieter Louw. Conversions: Peter Grant (2). Penalty: Grant.

Mpho Mbiyozo

Disappointing Blitsbokke bow out in quarters
South Africa’s disappointing campaign in the 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series series continued on Sunday when they went down 19–0 to Samoa in the quarter-finals of the Edinburgh tournament on Sunday. The Blitsbokke, playing without injured forwards Frankie Horn and Mpho Mbiyozo (pictured left), were eliminated at the Cup quarter-final stage for the seventh time in eight tournaments as they failed to ignite against a committed Samoan outfit.

Paul Treu’s men reached last weekend’s final at Twickenham after eliminating Samoa in the semi-final, but were no match for the Pacific Islanders this time round as Reupena Lavasa, Alafoti Fa’osiliva and Uale Mai all scored tries to send the Boks packing. The South Africans then went down 19–14 to Scotland in the Plate semi-final to complete a weekend they would rather forget. Samoa went on to win the tournament by crushing a hapless Australian outfit 41–14 in the final.

Meanwhile, in the 15 man form of the game, the Springbok squad to face Wales in a one-off test in Cardiff this Saturday departed for the UK on Sunday although there were a few minor scares after the weekend’s bruising Vodacom Super 14 final between the Bulls and the Stormers.

Lock Andries Bekker (foot) and centre Juan de Jongh (bruised thigh) underwent scans on Sunday morning, but were given the go ahead to tour. Three of the five overseas-based players in the squad – Frans Steyn, Butch James and BJ Botha – assembled in Johannesburg while CJ van der Linde and Joe van Niekerk will join up with the squad on arrival in the UK.

“All the players are ready to tour,” said Bok coach Peter de Villiers. “We have a short and intense week but it’s a challenge we are looking forward to,” he added. The two newcomers – wing Gio Aplon and flank Francois Louw – were excited at the prospect of making their test debuts at the Millennium Stadium. “It’s a dream come true and I am looking forward to it,” said Aplon. Louw remarked: “It’s fantastic. It is great to be included and I am ready for the hard work that is ahead this week.” Saturday’s match kicks off at 3.40pm.

Farwa Mentoor

Muzhingi wins again, but SA men dominate Comrades top 10
Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi ran a clever tactical race to win his second consecutive Comrades Marathon in Durban on Sunday morning, albeit in a rather unspectacular time of five hours and 29 minutes. The 33-year-old Muzhingi was over five minutes slower than last year when he achieved the second fastest time in the history of the race, clocking a brilliant 5:23:27.

The 85th running of the epic ultramarathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban was a very successful one for South Africa with no less than eight local runners finishing in the top ten of the men’s race. Ludwick Mamabolo (5:35:28) and Sergio Motsoeneng tried hard to chase down Muzhingi and were rewarded for their efforts by finishing second and third respectively. Motsoeneng, who was disqualified for cheating in the 1999 Comrades, clocked 5:35:57.

Close to 19 000 athletes started the race, which got under way from the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 5.30am, and it was another Zimbabwean, Wellington Chidodo, who set the early pace only to fade away as he was reeled in by the pack. Hot favourite, American Josh Cox, received a harsh introduction to the hardships of ultra distance running in South Africa when he recorded a very ordinary 6:51:28 while Charles Tjiane, who led from just after halfway until Muzhingi stepped up his pace, finished in a disappointing 6:22:15.

The fortunes of the South African women in the race were in stark contrast to those of the men with only three local ladies managing a top ten finish. Farwa Mentoor (pictured), whose best finish was third in 2003, took fifth place in 6:38:40 while Lindsay van Aswegan (6:46:51) and Adinda Kruger (6:51:14) finished eighth and ninth respectively.

Elena Nurgalieva of Russia won her fifth Comrades in 6:13:03 and was followed a second later by her twin sister Olesya. Another Russian, Marina Myshlyanova, took third place in 6:26:02 with American Kami Semick fourth in 6:32:54.

Results (SA runners in bold)
Men
1. Stephen Muzhingi (F1 Bluff Meats), Zimbabwe, 5:29:00
2. Ludwick Mamabolo (Mr Price), SA, 5:35:28
3. Sergio Motsoeneng (Discovery), SA, 5:35:57
4. Bongmusa Mthembu (Mr Price), SA, 5:37:48
5. Fanie Matshipa (Toyota), SA, 5:39:52
6. Fusi Nhlapo (Mr Price), SA, 5:40:25
7. Claude Moshiywa (Mr Price), SA, 5:43:03
8. Petros Sosibo (Mr Price), SA, 5:45:57
9. Peter Molapo (Nedbank), SA, 5:46:18
10. Leboka Noto (Mr Price), Lesotho, 5:48:44

Women
1. Elena Nurgalieva (Mr Price), Russia, 6:13:03
2. Olesya Nurgalieva (Mr Price), Russia, 6:13:04
3. Marina Myshlyanova (Mr Price), Russia, 6:26:02
4. Kami Semick, US, 6:32:54
5. Farwa Mentoor (Bonitas), SA, 6:38:40
6. Lizzy Hawker, UK, 6:39:42
7. Irina Vishnevskaya (Nedbank), Russia, 6:44:26
8. Lindsay van Aswegan (Toyota), SA, 6:46:51
9. Adinda Kruger (Nedbank), SA, 6:51:14
10. Anna Pichtova (Mr Price), Poland, 6:51:33

Ryan McLaren

Amla stars again as Proteas win thriller
The Proteas recorded a nail-biting seven-wicket victory over the West Indies at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica on Sunday to take a commanding 4–0 lead in the five match One Day International (ODI) series against Chris Gayle’s men.

It was a tough outing for the Proteas as the Windies posted a formidable 303/6 off their allotted 50 overs with Gayle (29 runs off 28 balls), Dean Richards (59 off 73), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (66 off 89), Dwayne Bravo (46 off 51), Darren Bravo (45 not out off 31) and Kieron Pollard (26 off 18) all weighing in with useful contributions.

All the South African bowlers, with the exception of seamer Ryan McLaren (pictured), were expensive. The 27-year-old McLaren maintained a consistent line and length to finish with 1/45 off 10 overs while the rest of the South African bowlers suffered as the Windies batsmen dispatched them to all corners of the park.

Left-arm seamer Lonwabe Tsotsobe (2/48 off eight overs), veteran swing bowler Charl Langeveldt (2/59 off eight overs) and speedster Morne Morkel (1/56 off eight overs) all got among the wickets, but failed to prevent the run rate from getting over six to the over.

The Proteas began their chase postively with captain Graeme Smith (23 off 29) and fellow opener Hashim Amla (129 off 115) putting on 59 for the first wicket before Smith had his stumps disturbed by Dwayne Bravo. His dismissal brough Jacques Kallis to the crease and the veteran all rounder proved to be the perfect partner for Amla as the pair took the score to 178 before Kallis was dismissed by Gayle for 51.

Kallis’ departure brought the in form AB de Villiers to the wicket and the fluent hitting youngster combined well with Amla to move the total to 224 before the exhausted opener spooned a delivery from medium-pacer Pollard to long-off. The 27-year-old Amla’s innings contained nine fours and two sixes and was a wonderful exhibition of batting as he utilised orthodox cricket shots to compile his runs.

With Amla in the pavillion and the Proteas still needing another 80 runs off 76 balls it was left to De Villiers and the out of form JP Duminy to take them through to victory. The duo were up to the task, however, it was not without drama as De Villiers (57 off 64) scrambled a single off the last ball to give South Africa the narrowest of victories. De Villiers was well supported by Duminy who hit 32 off 38 balls.

Dwayne Bravo was the pick of the West Indian bowlers recording figures of 1/41 off seven overs and almost won the game for his team when he bowled three dot balls in the final over to take the game right down to the wire. The fifth and final match of the series will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad tomorrow. Play starts at 3.30pm.

The Proteas took an unassailable 3–0 lead in the series when they beat the Windies by 67 runs at the same venue on Friday. The South Africans made 224 all out in that match while the home side were dismissed for 157 in reply. De Villiers top scored for South Africa with 70 and was named Man of the Match. 

Scores in brief
West Indies versus South Africa
Sunday, 30 May, Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica
West Indies: 303/6
South Africa: 304/3
Result: South Africa won by seven wickets
Man of the Match: Hashim Amla
Toss: West Indies elected to bat

Chanelle Scheepers

Plucky Chanelle makes last 16 in Paris
Although South African number one Chanelle Scheepers (pictured) was knocked out of the French Open by fifth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia on Sunday, it was the first time a South African women has reached the fourth round of the event since Amanda Coetzer in 1997.

Scheepers, who had to go through the qualifiers to play at the tournament, said she learnt a great deal in her 6–1 6–3 defeat to Dementieva on Roland Garros’s famous Court Philippe Chatrier. “It was a great feeling, playing for the first time on that court,” said Scheepers, who is due to move into the top 90 in the world from her current 131 courtesy of her achievements in Paris.

“That’s really why you play tennis. It’s to see how you can improve and get to that level. I started out a little slow and maybe a little nervous and against a player like Dementieva you cannot really play yourself into the match,” explained Scheepers. “I think the second set, there were two games or so that went to deuce and it could have just as well gone my way. You always want to improve and hopefully I can take things out of there and improve on that,” added the 26-year-old.

Scheepers admitted that South Africans are not renowned for their love of tennis but hopes her exploits in Paris will help raise the sport’s profile in her homeland. She also wants the country’s junior players to be given the support they need to reach elite level.

“I know there’s maybe one or two juniors coming up that are doing pretty well and hopefully they can get the support that they need, because it’s really tough to do it without support,” explained Scheepers. Despite her excellent form in France and her vastly improved ranking, Scheepers will have to go through qualifying again at Wimbledon in a few weeks time to reach the main draw.

Nkqubela Gwazela

Gwazela gets the nod in brutal slugfest
Nkqubela Gwazela (pictured) captured the South African bantamweight title in East London on Saturday night when he dethroned former conqueror Klaas Mboyane in a fight that should be a strong contender for SA fight of the year. The 30-year-old Gwazela dug deep into his reserves to carve out out a deserved win over the rugged Mboyane who defeated Gwazela by an eleventh round technical knockout in August last year to capture the then vacant crown.

Gwazela, who hails from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, truimphed by scores of 118–112, 118–111 and 117–113 over 12 rounds in a brutal encounter which saw both men bloodied and bruised at the finish. The judges verdicts flattered the challenger somewhat as Mboyane was very competitive, rocking and backing up Gwazela on several occasions.

Mboyane, too, absorbed a lot of punishment as he slugged it out with Gwazela in a battle for supremacy that had the fans off their seats. With the opening rounds pretty much even, Gwazela opened up a lead from the sixth round onwards and never looked back as Mboyane failed to catch up.

The champion bled from a cut near his right eye for most of the bout and the challenger finished with a big knot on the side of his head, but the two warriors never stopped throwing punches in a fight that many fans will be talking about for years to come. Gwazela improved his record to 19 wins against seven defeats with 14 knockouts, while Mboyane fell to 12–7-2 with  seven of his wins coming via the short route.

It was an excellent win for the new champion who has revitilised his career after his loss to Mboyane last year. Gwazela beat the highly regarded Kenyan Nick Otieno on points in December last year and after Saturday night’s victory, his career is clearly moving in the right direction.

Gwazela, who turned professional in August 1999, won the South African flyweight title in December 2003 with a tenth round knockout of Ncedo Cecane.  He then made three successful defences of the crown before moving up in weight where he met with limited success, losing five of his next nine fights before his surprise victory over Otieno.

Mboyane began punching for pay in April 2005 and won the Gauteng bantamweight title in July 2009 when he knocked out Cleutus Mbhele in four rounds. He then beat Gwazela the following month and retained his newly won South African crown by defeating Mbhele for a second time in November last year.

However, he was unable to hold off the determined Gwazela the second time round and will have to go back to the drawing board to see where he can improve. Mzi Mnguni of Eyethu Boxing Promotions presented the well– attended tournament.

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
2010 World Cup Accommodation
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Photo Credits:
No place for Benni in final Bafana squad — Photo – Benni McCarthy: Source – www.brisbanetimes.com.au
Clinical Bills take Super 14 honours — Photo – Francois Hougaard: Source – www.zimbio.com
Disappointing Blitsbokke bow out in quarters — Photo – Mpho Mbiyozo: Source – www.ur7s.com
Muzhingi wins again, but SA men dominate Comrades top 10 — Photo – Farwa Mentoor: Source – www.witness.co.za
Amla stars again as Proteas win thriller — Photo – Ryan McLaren: Source – www.cricinfo.com
Plucky Chanelle makes last 16 in Paris — Photo – Chanelle Scheepers: Source – www.daylife.com
Gwazela gets the nod in brutal slugfest — Photo – Nkqubela Gwazela: Source – Gallo Images

Siyabonga Sangweni

Determined Bafana continue to impress
Bafana Bafana produced a determined and sprited performance to draw 1–1 against highly rated Bulgaria in an exciting friendly international played at a near capacity Orlando Stadium on Monday evening. It was an excellent effort from the South Africans against their 39th world-ranked opponents and bodes well for their ambitions at next month’s Fifa World Cup, which kicks off on June 11.

Bafana are now unbeaten in nine matches since head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira took over the helm in November last year and if the South African’s can continue to play with the same level of pride, passion and commitment they demonstrated against Bulgaria, they stand an excellent chance of making it through to the second round of next month’s global showpiece.

South Africa had the better of proceedings in the opening half, pressing the action while Bulgaria were content to sit back and absorb the pressure. Whether the enthusiastic, vuvuzela-blowing, near-capacity crowd of 38 000 Bafana supporters had something to do with the Eastern Europeans’ passivity was up for speculation, but what was certain is that the frenzied support created an intimidating atmosphere that could unnerve even the most battle hardened of teams.

Bafana striker Katlego Mphela was first to threaten the Bulgarian goalmouth when he tested keeper Nikolay Mihaylov with a rasping free kick in the 11th minute. However, Mihaylov was up for the challenge and managed to deflect the ball away for a corner.

Two minutes later Mihaylov was back in action, this time parrying a powerful shot from live-wire Bafana winger Siphiwe Tshabalala. Bafana captain Teko Modise was next to test Mihaylov when the Orlando Pirates playmaker forced the Bulgaria keeper to block his sizzling 16th minute shot.

However, the South Africans eventually got the breakthrough when lanky central defender Siyabonga Sangweni (pictured) headed home Tshabalala’s free kick in the 20th minute. It was the 28-year-old Sangweni’s first goal for his country and virtually sealed the Golden Arrows star’s place in Parreira’s final squad of 23, which will be named on June 1.

With the Bulgarians now a goal down they needed to respond – and fast. Bafana keeper Itumeleng Khune, who up until Sanqweni’s goal had virtually nothing to do, was forced to save a fierce shot from Ivelin Popov in the 24th minute and then Valari Bojinov unleashed a corker that skidded fractionally wide of the Bafana uprights five minutes later.

Bulgaria’s breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Bojinov snuck behind the home defence and smashed the ball home from close range to even matters at 1–1. Undeterred by the setback, midfielder Thanduyise Khuboni shot over the crossbar on 36 minutes, and three minutes later Mihaylov failed to collect a hard shot from Reneilwe Letsholonyane, but luckily for the Eastern Europeans there was not a single Bafana player on hand to tap the ball into the back of the net.

The South Africans kept up the pressure in search of a second goal, but both Lucas Thwala and Tshabalala fired over the upright in the 42nd and 45th minutes respectively to leave the score unchanged at the break. Bafana right-back Siboniso Gaxa caused a few problems for the visiting defenders early in the second half with some accurate crosses, but on the whole the South Africans failed to press home their advantage in territory and possession.

Parreira’s men searched hard for a winner in the late stages of the second half, but a visibly tiring Bulgaria were able to hold on for a draw. Bafana’s next World Cup warm up match is against Columbia at Loftus Versveld tomorrow. Kick off is at 8.30pm.

Hashim Amla

Proteas survive Sammy onslought to go 2–0 up
The Proteas overcame a tremendous late fight back from the West Indies at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday to go 2–0 up in the five match One Day International (ODI) series against the men from the Caribbean. The Windies looked down and out on 200/6 after 40.4 overs, but were nearly propelled to victory by a blistering undefeated knock of 58 by Darren Sammy.

The 26-year-old Sammy, coming in at number nine, smashed six sixes and two fours in his 24-ball innings to give his team an excellent chance of pulling off an unlikely win against their more fancied rivals. However, Graeme Smith’s men kept their cool to run out Ravi Rampaul (5 runs off 8 balls) and Nikita Miller (0 off 1), leaving the courageous Sammy partnerless and the Windies still 18 runs short of victory.

It was a remarkable innings by Sammy who tore into the South African bowlers with such ferocity that it at times belied belief. Dale Steyn (1–59 off 10 overs), Morne Morkel (3–58 off 9.1 overs) and Johan Botha (1–58 off 10 overs) were all taken to the cleaners by Sammy, who might have taken the Windies to victory had it not been for the crucial dismissal of Dwayne Bravo in the 43rd over.

The home side needed Bravo (74 off 70 balls) to stay with Sammy till the end and steer them to victory, but when he was caught by Jacques Kallis in the covers off the bowling of Steyn, 65 were still needed off 36 balls – a tough ask in anyone’s books.

Nevertheless, the swashbuckling Sammy nearly pulled off the impossible as he dispatched the shell shocked Proteas bowlers to all coners of the park. His innings was the fastest ever half century by a West Indian, coming off just 19 balls and is unlikley to be repeated – at least in this lifetime.

The Windies had earlier made a subdued start in pursuit of the Proteas’ respectable total of 300/5 and were always playing catch up thereafter although openers Chris Gale (26 off 35) and Dale Richards (51 off 85) combined well for an opening stand of 50 before Gale was caught by Ryan McLaren off the bowling of Morkel.

Narsingh Deonarine (7 off 17), Kieron Pollard (29 off 35), Jerome Taylor (6 off 4) and Denesh Ramdin (2 off 4) didn’t last too long and it was left to Bravo and Sammy to get the Windies home, but in the end their efforts weren’t enough as the Proteas recorded their fourth consecutive tour victory over Chris Gayle’s team.

The Proteas innings was built around the efforts of Smith (37 off 52), Kallis (85 off 89) and ‘Man of the Match’ Hashim Amla (pictured) who scored 92 sparkling runs off just 95 balls in a fine innings of control that he is fast becoming famous for. The 27-year-old opener’s innings contained seven boundaries and he never looked in trouble against the West Indian bowlers before being snapped up by Richards off the bowling of Taylor with the total on 168.

AB De Villiers (41 off 35), and new-comer David Miller (26 not out off 19) kept up the good work to help South Africa to a triple century, but truth be told the South African middle order could have batted with more urgency as the overs ticked by. The Proteas’ tendancy to take their foot off the gas when they have the opposition on the ropes remains a concern, and one felt that 320, or even 330, would have been possible on what was a very placid wicket.

In the end though the Proteas got the win and take on the Windies again at Windsor Park in Dominica on Friday and Sunday in the next two ODI matches. The final ODI will be played at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica next Wednesday.

South Africa have already wrapped up the Twenty20 (T20) series against the Windies with back to back wins in Antigua last Wednesday and Thursday following which they recorded a 66-run victory over the Windies at the same venue on Saturday in the opening match of the ODI series. It has been a welcome return to form for the Proteas who had a disasterous campaign at the recent ICC T20 World Cup where they failed to advance past the Super Eights.

Fabian Juries

So close, yet so far for luckless Blitsbokke
The Springboks were denied a thrilling victory over Australia in the final of the IRB Sevens World Series at Twickenham on Sunday when Cecil Afrika was brought down a metre from the tryline with less than a minute remaining on the clock.

With the ‘Blitsbokke’ trailing 19–14 and the clock running out, Afrika put in a sterling run on the touchline and was heading for the tryline only to be stopped in his tracks by an excellent tackle from James Stannard. It was a bitter blow for Paul Treu’s men as a converted try would have won them the match and the tournament.

The Aussies opened the scoring after four minutes when Brackin Karauria-Henry dotted down after a brilliant run which saw him leave the Bok defence for dead. The South Africans quickly levelled matters when the fleet-footed Fabian Juries (pictured), on as a replacement, collected a kick ahead to score a converted try under the posts. Juries’ effort left the teams deadlocked at 7–7 at the break.

Stannard got the Aussies back into the lead when he dotted down near the corner less than three minutes into the second half, but the Boks hit back two minutes later with another brilliant effort from Juries. Charging down the touchline for the corner, he feigned to go around to the outside of his man, stepped to the inside and scored under the posts. The conversion was added and the Boks were 14–12 up with less than five minutes to go.

The Australians, true to their fighting spirit, regained the lead with a well– worked try from Henry Vanderglas and with just two minutes left the Boks had it all to do to pull off a victory. They nearly did, but sadly it was not to be as Afrika was thwarted in the dying seconds to leave the Boks five points adfrift and with no time to work with.

Australia’s victory earned them their first Seven’s title since 2008 while the Blitsbokke were left to contemplate a much-improved performance but also the heartache of coming so close without securing the spoils. Nevertheless it was an amazing tournament for the Springboks after they failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals in the previous six tournaments in the series.

Their performance at Twickenham showed they have come a long way since the series opener in Dubai in December and coach Treu must now be hoping for an even better result this weekend in Edinburgh, the year’s final tournament.

Gio Aplon

Gio gets Bok call up
The Springbok selectors included Vodacom Stormers wing Gio Aplon (pictured) and flanker Francois Louw in their starting XV when the team to take on Wales in Cardiff next weekend was announced on Saturday. New caps Aplon and Louw have received recognition for their consistently good performances during the 2010 Vodacom Super 14 tournament while Vodacom Cheetahs wing Bjorn Basson, another player who has played some exceptional Super 14 rugby this year, is the only new cap on the bench.

The 22-man Springbok squad boasts a total of 531 test caps and is an interesting combination of some form players from the Super 14 and some familiar names from the not too distant past. The 27-year-old Aplon, a Springbok Sevens player, has produced some consistently sparkling performances during the Super 14 and can also play at fullback if required.

Louw, on the other hand, has been crucial to the Stormers success at the breakdown this season, combining his size with sound technique to good effect. Basson, who took the field for the Emerging Springboks against the British & Irish Lions in 2009, is rewarded for some sterling performances for the Cheetahs during the last few rounds of the Super 14.

Squad
15 – Francois Steyn (Racing Metro) – 36 caps
14 – Gio Aplon (Vodacom Stormers) – uncapped
13 – Jean de Villiers (Munster) – 55 caps
12 – Butch James (Bath) – 35 caps
11 – Odwa Ndungane (Sharks) – 6 caps
10 – Ruan Pienaar (Sharks) – 36 caps
9 – Ricky Januarie (Vodacom Stormers) – 40 caps
8 – Joe van Niekerk (Toulon) – 51 caps
7 – Dewald Potgieter (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap
6 – Francois Louw (Vodacom Stormers) – uncapped
5 – Andries Bekker (Vodacom Stormers) – 21 caps
4 – Danie Rossouw (Vodacom Bulls) – 46 caps
3 – BJ Botha (Ulster) – 19 caps
2 – John Smit, captain (Sharks) – 93 caps
1 – CJ van der Linde (Leinster) – 58 caps

Reserves
16 – Chiliboy Ralepelle (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps
17 – Jannie du Plessis (Sharks) – 12 caps
18 – Alistair Hargreaves (Sharks) – uncapped
19 – Ryan Kankowski (Sharks) – 11 caps
20 – Meyer Bosman (Vodacom Cheetahs) – 3 caps
21 – Juan de Jongh (Vodacom Stormers) – uncapped
22 – Bjorn Basson (Vodacom Cheetahs) – uncapped

Fourie Du Preez

No nonsense Bulls power into final
The all conquering Vodacom Bulls produced an excellent all round performance to defeat the Crusaders 39–24 at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday afternoon and power their way into the Super 14 final. The Bulls’ opponents will be the Vodacom Stormers who outclassed the Waratahs 25–6 at Newlands in Cape Town in Saturday’s other semi-final.

Although many pundits and fans alike were concerned that the Bulls would be unsettled by playing at the Orlando Stadium rather than at their traditional hunting crowd Loftus Versveld, the fears proved unfounded as the men in blue tore into the New Zealanders from the kick off.

Bulls No 8 Pierre Spies scored the opening try after just four minutes when the powerful loose forward spotted a gap and charged towards the line virtually unapposed to dot down. Kicking machine Morné Steyn banged over the conversion to make it 7–0 and the Bulls were looking as threatening as ever.

Danie Rossouw crossed the Crusaders’ line for a second time shortly afterwards, but the visitors were able to breathe a sigh of relief when the television referee ruled Rossouw had lost the ball forward even though the try looked legitimate. The Crusaders eventually opened their account when flanker and captain Richie McCaw went over from close range, but the Bulls quickly responded with a Steyn penalty and a try from fullback Zane Kirchner to tighten their grip on the match.

Kirchner’s score came from a high kick that bounced off George Whitelock’s head in the direction of the tryline and into the hands of the hardworking No 15 who, along with left wing Francois Hougaard, were giving chase for all they were worth.

Steyn slotted two further penalties to take the Bulls to 23–10 at the break and it looked as if the Crusaders’ challenge was over. However, the New Zealanders had other ideas with Sean Maitland breaking a tackle from Dewald Potgieter to score their second try early in the second half. Flyhalf Dan Carter then made no mistake with the conversion to bring his team within six points of levelling matters.

The Bulls knew they had to land a killer blow to prevent the Crusaders from staging one of their customary fight backs and it came in the form of a moment of brilliance from their livewire scrumhalf Fourie Du Preez (pictured). The nippy No 9 broke quickly from a scrum near the Crusaders tryline and sprinted down the touchline almost unchallenged to dive in at the corner.

It was an excellent try that knocked the stuffing out of the Crusaders and from then on the Bulls took complete control of the match as the visitors’ scrum crumbled. Steyn added two further penalties to increase the Bulls’ lead and although Same Whitelock scored a try for the New Zelanders in the dying minutes it was too late too prevent the Bulls from booking their place in the final.

Although Saturday’s final should prove to a thrilling affair the men from Pretoria must definitely start as favourites. Victor Matfield’s team simply have too much going for them to lose this one. They have ‘home ground’ advantage, a tremendously powerful and experienced forward pack, the prodigious boot of Steyn and a backline full of exciting runners that can tear even the best defences to shreds.

It will take a monumental effort from the Stormers to deny the Bulls victory and although the Cape outfit have been in outsanding form this season, beating the Bulls on Saturday just seems too much of an ask. Kick-off at the Orlando Stadium is at 5pm.

Scorers
Bulls 39 – Tries: Pierre Spies, Zane Kirchner, Fourie du Preez. Conversions: Morne Steyn (3). Penalties: Steyn (6).
Crusaders 24 – Tries: Richie McCaw, Sean Maitland, Sam Whitelock. Conversions: Dan Carter (3). Penalty: Carter.

Sifiso Vilakazi

Wits down Usuthu to take Nedbank Cup
Bidvest Wits were crowned Nedbank Cup champions after defeating AmaZulu 3–0 at the newly-revamped Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday.The Students took the field as underdogs, but dominated possession for the better part of the game and deserved their win in front of a massive crowd of 71 956 frenzied fans.

Wits midfielder Mark Haskins came close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute when his header from a cross was parried away to safety by Nick Gindre, who used his legs to great effect. Haskins was back in the action 10 minutes later when Marawaan Bantam put him clear of Usuthu’s defenders and with just Gindre to beat Haskins tried to lob the Usuthu keeper. However, his left flick lacked power and Amazulu survived.

Usuthu, feeling the pressure, were constantly making fouls and as a result three players – Abdullahi Ishaka, Ayanda Dlamini and Pere Ariweriyai – were booked by the referee. The KwaZulu-Natalians played safety first football in the opening half, hoping to win the game from thrown-ins and corners, but it was a flawed strategy that never worked out.

Wits continued their dominance in the second half, though Bantam had to come off in the 50th minute as he struggled with an injured right leg. He was replaced by Brazilian midfielder Fabricio Rodrigues who put the Students 1–0 up in the 76th minute. Sipho Mngomezulu thrust forward from the left and chipped the ball into the area. Gindre and the Usuthu defenders failed to clear and Rodrigues made no mistake with an easy tap-in.

In a desperate attempt to ward off defeat, AmaZulu coach Neil Tovey abandoned his safety first policy by taking off Dumisani Ngwenya and bringing on Sandile Gumede, who scored the last-minute equaliser against Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals. Tovey didn’t stop there, bringing on Bradley Ritson for Nhlanhla Zwane three minutes later, but there was to be no rescue act from Usuthu this time.

Wits wrapped up proceedings in the form of former Free State Stars and Ajax Cape Town striker Sifiso Vilakazi (pictured right) who banged in two goals in the closing minutes to make the final score 3–0 and send the Wits fans into a frenzy. It was a well-deserved victory for the Students and bodes well for their future domestic campaigns.

Meanwhile, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) hosted its annual wards for the 2009/10 PSL season at the State Theatre in Pretoria on Monday evening and SuperSport United’s Morgan Gould was the star of the show when he scooped the evening’s flagship award, the PSL Player of the Year for 2009/10. Gould had close competition from Katlego Mphela and Elias Pelembe, but the voting from all 16 Premiership club coaches went in favor of Gould.

Other awards
Player of the Season: Daine Klate
Coach of the Season: Gavin Hunt
Players Player: Katlego Mphela
Red Hot Young Player: Siyanda Xulu
Goalkeeper of the Season: Moeneeb Josephs
Absa Premiership Absa-lutely Awesome Goal: Rudolf Bester from Maritzburg: United against Kaizer Chiefs (September 12, 2009).

Colleen de Reuck

Colleen strikes gold in Copenhagen
Former South African Colleen de Reuck (pictured) recorded the second best performance of all time in her age group at the Copenhagen marathon at the weekend. The 46-year-old De Reuck, now competing for the United States, won the women’s race by almost eight minutes on Sunday, finishing in two hours, 30 minutes and 51 seconds with only six men crossing the line ahead of her.

De Reuck still holds the second fastest marathon time ever recorded by a South African woman, having clocked 2:26.35 to win the 1996 Berlin marathon – a time bettered only by Elana Meyer’s 2:25.15 for third place at the 1994 Boston marathon.

Having competed in three Olympic Games for South Africa –  in 1992, 1996 and 2000 –  De Reuck was granted American citizenship in December 2000. She came third in the women’s long race at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships, in her new national colours, and competed for the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Her time in Copenhagen was less than two minutes short of the 45–49 years age group world record of 2:29.00 set by Ukrainian Tatyana Pozdniakova at the 2002 Cox Sports marathon in Providence.

Meanwhile, after finishing a respectable ninth on his debut Comrades Marathon last year, Bethuel Netshifhefhe has emerged as one of the favourites to clinch the title on Sunday. Netshifhefhe, a former Two Oceans Marathon winner, predicts tough opposition from reigning champion, Stephen Muzhingi from Zimbabwe and Charles Tjiane who finished third last year.

Muzhingi won last year’s ultra marathon in 5:30.27 to clock the second-fastest time in the history of the event. Other top runners who will be in action include Brain Zondi, Andrew Kelehe, Sipho Ngomane, Farwa Mentoor and Pauline Phaho.

The Comrades is the world’s oldest and largest ultra marathon run over a distance of approximately 90km between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The direction of the race alternates each year between the up run, starting from Durban, and the down run starting from Pietermaritzburg. Sunday’s race will be the 85th running of the event and has attracted runners from a far a field as Germany, Bulgaria, Russia and the United States.

Jubatha wins early to retain title
Sabelo Jubatha scored a second technical knockout victory over a passive Marcel Japtha at the Nangoza Jebe Hall in Port Elizabeth on Friday night to keep his newly won South African featherweight title. The 29-year-old Jubatha was simply too strong for Japtha despite being rocked late in the first round with a stiff left jab.

Known as ‘Lights Out’, Japtha came into the fight on a role after four straight victories – two of them by knockout. However, despite his early success, Japtha was reluctant to fight back with any conviction after eating a solid right midway through the second round and referee Steve Simon was left with no option but to call a halt to proceedings as one minute, 56 seconds of the round.

It was a disappointing effort from Japtha who seemed to lack the confidence to build on his first round success. Jubatha, who weighed 57.27 kg, improved his record to 6–1 (5 KO’s) while Japtha (56.93kg) slid to 7–2-1 (4 KO’s).

Jubatha won the title on December 18 last year when he stopped Luthando Vukuza in the tenth round and was making his first defence against Japtha who earned the right to fight for the belt with a points victory over Vusumzi Manyoni in November.

Undercard results
(KO=knockout; TKO=technical knockout)
Siviwe Ntsiko TKO 4 Siyabulela Kupiso (minimumweights)
Molefi Matima TKO 4 Siyabulela Ziqula (featherweights)
Unathi Jacobs KO 1 Clifford Smith (cruiserweights).

The tournament was jointly presented by S’Phatho Handi of Mamali Promotions and the Nelson Mandela Boxing Promoters.

Upcoming fights
Saturday
Klaas Mboyane vs Nkqubela Gwazela (South African bantamweight title).
Live coverage on SuperSport 7 from 8pm.

Sporty Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
2010 World Cup Accommodation
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Photo Credits:
Determined Bafana continue to impress — Photo – Siyabonga Sangweni: Source – www.mtn8.mtnfootball.com
Proteas survive Sammy onslought to go 2–0 up — Photo – Hashim Amla: Source – www. guardian.co.uk
So close, yet so far for luckless Blitsbokke — Photo – Fabian Juries: Source – www.daylife.com
Gio gets Bok call up — Photo – Gio Aplon: Source – www.sportydesktops.com
No nonsense Bulls power into final — Photo – Fourie Du Preez: Source – www.abc.net.au
Wits down Usuthu to take Nedbank Cup — Photo – Sifiso Vilakazi: Source – www.mtn8.mtnfootball.com
Colleen strikes gold in Copenhagen — Photo – Colleen de Reuck: Source – www.photorun.net

Katlego Mphela

Bafana go on a goal spree
Bafana Bafana gave their fans and the country plenty to shout about on Sunday when they thumped Thailand 4–0 to celebrate the official opening of the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. Bafana, on the whole, weren’t shy to pull the trigger as they mowed down their opponents in an impressive display which saw Katlego Mphela (pictured) bang in two goals to go with one apiece from Siphiwe Tshabalala and Bernard Parker.

The Bafana team management and their fans must have been delighted with their teams’ effort, which equalled their best win at home – a 4–0 walloping of Chad three years ago in Durban. Bafana wrapped up the match inside the opening 45 minutes with three superb goals, which brought cheers of delight from the 30 000 strong crowd not to mention the deafening roar of what could have possibly been an equal number of vuvuzelas ...

Thailand seemed rattled by the intimidating atmosphere from the moment they entered the stadium, and Bafana head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will be hoping for more of the same from the home fans when his side open their World Cup campaign against Mexico at the 90 000 Soccer City Stadium on June 11.

Bafana opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Tshabalala’s powerful free kick found the back of the net to bring a roar from the crowd and shouts of joy from the Bafana bench. Thailand keeper Kawin Thamasatchanan denied Tshabalala a second goal with a brilliant save from a goal-bound missile on 29 minutes, but Mphela made no mistake from the resultant corner to make it 2–0. Mphela got his second goal four minutes later when he latched onto a clever through ball from Teko Modise to calmly slot the ball home to make it 3–0 and effectively end the match as a contest.

In fact, Bafana could have been ahead by a rugby score at that point had Mphela’s Mamelodi Sundowns teammate, Surprise Moriri, not wasted three goal scoring opportunities in the eighth, 10th and 16th minutes. Moriri refused to take responsibility for scoring; opting to pass when he should have taken shots at goal and his lack of confidence must be a big concern for Parreira.

The Bafana coach is well aware that both Mphela and Moriri will have to fire in order for the South Africans to reach the second round in the World Cup, but unless Moriri starts believing in himself, it’s highly unlikely that he will be able to find the back of the net against world class opposition.

Mphela also wasted a couple of chances to score in the 45th and 49th minutes, which could have bagged him four goals for the match. Thailand had an excellent chance to reduce the deficit in the 64th minute but Bafana keeper Itumeleng Khune, who hardly had anything to do in the match up until that point, brilliantly saved Datsanorn Nontadel’s 20-metre free kick.

With South Africa out of danger Parreira decided to bench Khune and give his No 2 keeper Moeneeb Josephs a run out in the 67th minute. It was an encouraging demonstration of Parreira’s confidence in his side and bodes well for the World Cup, which is now just three weeks away.

Thailand, despite being thoroughly outclassed and outplayed, looked like getting off relatively lightly with the score still only 3–0 with just one minute left to play, but Parker put the icing on the Bafana cake with an excellent goal in the final minute to complete the scoring. Bafana now face Bulgaria on Monday at Soccer City in the second of their four home World Cup warm up games. The match kicks off at 8.30pm.

Meanwhile, in domestic action that took place over the weekend, AmaZulu and Bidvest Wits advanced to the finals of the Nedbank Cup when they recorded contrasting victories in their semi-final matches. Amazulu were deadlocked with Mamelodi Sundowns at 1–1 after full time at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday, but triumphed 4–3 in a tense penalty shoot out for the right to play Wits in the final at Soccer City this coming Saturday. Wits booked their spot in the final when they defeated Free State Stars 3–1 at Olen Park in the other semi. Saturday’s match kicks off at 3pm.

Mark Boucher

Boucher gets the chop
Veteran Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher (pictured right) has been dropped from the Twenty20 (T20) and one-day international (ODI) starting line-ups.  AB De Villiers will replace the 33-year-old Boucher behind the stumps for the first part of the limited-overs section of the Proteas’ tour of the West Indies.

Boucher’s axing was announced by Proteas’ captain Graeme Smith when he and his West Indies counterpart, Chris Gayle, addressed a joint media conference yesterday ahead of the two T20 matches to be played at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium, Antigua over the next two days. The matches will be followed by a series of five ODI’s, the first two of which will be played at the same venue on Sunday and Tuesday.

“AB will be starting with the gloves in the limited-overs matches,” remarked Smith. “There is a new selection committee and a few new ideas. We only have something like 15 ODI’s before we get to India for the World Cup (in 2011), so we have to make every one of them count.” Smith added that the loss of an experienced player like Boucher had to be weighed against other selection options.

“When a guy (like Boucher) has played over 300 ODI’s you are always going to miss that experience. He has been part of a core group of senior players who have performed regularly and the selectors have taken the decision now to look ahead at some new options and certainly having AB to keep allows you one or two extra options in the line-up.

“We will look at that. Andrew Hudson (the convener of selectors) arrived here yesterday and we will sit down together and select the team for the game,” added Smith.

The Proteas selectors have named a 14-man squad for today’s match. Left arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe arrived yesterday while Dolphins player David Miller is expected in the Caribbean either today or tomorrow. Hashim Amla, Alviro Petersen and Ryan McLaren all had their first practices in the Caribbean yesterday.

Although Boucher’s axing demonstrates the selectors have recognised there is a problem in the squad, it is doubtful if it is the correct decision. The main reason for the Proteas’ poor performance in the ICC T20 tournament was the inability of the top order to make runs.

The likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis and Smith himself did not come to the party, which put enormous pressure on the middle order making it virtually impossible for them to post competitive totals. What is needed is a revamping of the T20 squad with many of the established top order batsmen making way for younger, fresher players like Loots Bosman, Miller and the prodigiously talented Colin Ingram.

Until that happens the results are unlikely to improve. The likes of Gibbs, Kallis and Smith should be retained for next year’s ODI World Cup where there experience will be invaluable, but to keep them in the T20 squad is a mistake. Johan Botha has already proven to be an excellent captain and will be the logical choice to captain the squad in the shortest version of the game.

However, the selectors have continued to be unkind to the 28-year-old spinner and lower order batsmen, dropping and then re-selecting him on numerous occasions. It’s clear that Boucher is being made a scapegoat for Smith and the other top order batsmen’s poor form and the selectors’ equally poor squad selection in the ICC T20 tournament. Hopefully logic will prevail with a revised T20 starting line up taking the field – and soon.