A week after Victor Matfield became the only Bok centurion to win his 100th game, coach Peter de Villiers has shamed the nation by backing an alleged murderer. Aren't we supposed to feel better when our team wins? By TOBY SHAPSHAK.
The Pakistani match-fixing scandal of 2010 is the biggest cricketing scandal since Hansie Cronje claimed, “The devil made me do it”. Or, if it isn’t yet, it’s going to be, thanks to Pakistan’s entirely predictable and entirely wrong response. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.
Last week it was John Smit's 100th Test cap, this week it's Victor Matfield's. But win or lose, the Springboks are still in crisis, a year away from the World Cup.
In the wake of the increasingly tawdry revelations of Tiger Woods’ multiple extramarital affairs, Woods and Elin Nordegren are officially no longer a team.
Almost, just, nearly. The Springboks came so close to giving John Smit a win for his 100th cap in the first rugby Test in Soweto, but once again left with a loss.
John Smit's 100th Test cap and rugby against a rampant All Black side in Soweto are worth getting excited about, but the rudderless Springboks are almost certainly gonna lose in SA rugby's big day out.
South Africa’s less-than-glorious exit from the World Cup was bad; what with being the first hosts in the history of the tournament to be kicked out in the group stages and all, but Bafana Bafana had the comfort of an entire nation’s backing. What little pain our team felt is nothing compared to what the North Korean team faced when they arrived back home.
We’re sorry if we got your hopes up about the Springboks doing well in the Tri-Nations. Indeed, the whole country seemed to think that, like Brazil's soccer players, all we had to do was turn up to win the annual rugby spectacular.
Bereft. It's a word so often used about the Springboks in match reports the last couple of weeks. Bereft of ideas, bereft of plans, bereft of passion. And here we are again...
Patriotism is at an all-time high after the vindication of a successful World Cup. And yet, a great many people are afraid of the sunsets these days in South Africa. The Independent Marketing Council and DraftFCB are asking South Africans to keep flying the flag to sustain this “can do” spirit for the sake of nation building.
To US baseball fans he was a saint, sinner and Beelzebub himself, the man who reinvented the New York Yankees. To the rest of the world, he will be remembered as George Constanza’s bumbling boss in Seinfeld.
Spanish team mates deck Fabregas out in Barca shirt; Alonso rates de Jong's tackle as most painful ever; Referee Howard Webb says he did his best; Bafana Bafana came 20th in the World Cup; The District 9/World Cup mash-up Fifa doesn't want you to see.
Blatter gives SA nine out of 10; The soccer is over, let the Olympics begin!; Al Shabaab claims responsibility for Ugandan final bombings; Octopus Paul retires from fame and glory; Vuvuzela is the word of the tournament.
The terrorists didn’t make it to the party, the cops managed to keep the more violent criminals subdued, and even a sudden walk-out by stadium security staff caused barely a ripple. South Africa apparently learnt a lesson or two about security thanks to the World Cup. Now the question is whether those gains will translate into improved safety for locals, once the tourists go home.
Madiba makes it to closing ceremony, briefly; Fan tries to steal trophy; Spanish artists beat Dutch thugs 1-0 in extra time; Referee Howard Webb dishes out 14 yellow cards; Germany’s Thomas Mueller wins the Golden Boot award.
Spain and the Netherlands fought for two back-breaking hours in the cold highveld winter night. The problem was, Spain played the game of soccer, while the Dutch played the game of kickboxing. To the delight of every true soccer lover in the world, it ended Spain 1, the Netherlands 0.
Oh Bakkies. What were you thinking? Sent off in the 14th minute for a professional foul, it was the key moment that saw the All Blacks give the Springboks a harsh lesson in Test rugby.
Dressing room journalist let off with fine; German fan given suspended sentence for plane craziness; Germany beat Uruguay 3-2, win bronze; Referees score 96% in World Cup test; Johan Cruyff may be Dutch, but he supports Spanish soccer.
It is the cruellest of the matches that any team has to play, after the heartbreak of losing their hopes of winning the World Cup just days before. In the end, Germany’s young machine kept its concentration just a bit longer then the fabulous Forlan and Co, winning 3-2.
UAE issues vuvuzela fatwa; Paul the psychic octopus spawns menagerie of clones; World Cup closing concert takes place; Robben doesn’t mind ugly football – as long as the Dutch win; “Pick me, pick me!” Torres pleads.
Just as the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet draws to a dramatic close for the first time on African soil, the greatest annual rugby spectacle kicks off in Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud.
Blame game continues over King Shaka chaos; Howard Webb to referee final; Rafael Nadal to support La Roja at the final, in person; BaGhana, BaGhana the real World Cup winners (if you fiddle the numbers); Pitch invader used wheelchair ruse to gain access.
Gordhan to probe government ticket spending; Amsterdam-Johannesburg flight could cost you €4,000; Spain see off Germany 1-0; Fifa bans Serbia’s Antic for a harsh four matches; Bob Mugabe set to attend Sunday’s final.
It was as one-sided a game as a game against Germany could possibly be. Spain dominated every blade of grass of the Moses Mabhida Stadium pitch on Wednesday night, and yet, their victory was by the smallest of margins. The match ended Spain 1, Germany 0, with Spain earning the right to play The Netherlands in the World Cup final.
Zuma lauds tournament as a success; Black Stars get $20,000 bonus; The Dutch beat Uruguay 3-2 for a spot in the final; Ballack has a fit of the sulks, goes back to Germany; Klose closing in on goal-scoring record.
As we’ve been used to at this World Cup, it was another war until the very last second. As always, the Uruguayans fought bravely but this time the orange tide was overwhelming. The match ended The Netherlands 3, Uruguay 2, guaranteeing that, for the first time ever, a European team will win the Cup outside Europe.
Eskom strike threat ended; millions in public funds splurged on World Cup tickets (Eskom included); Nigerian President relents, Fifa’s Neanderthal approach to technology continues to burn; Nike outruns Adidas in new sales; Paris goes to pot in PE and celebrity ‘tweeps’ show SA the love.
Nigerian president unbans Super Eagles; Manuel tries to justify World Cup ticket spend; Shortlist for Brazilian coaching job announced; Semi-finals referees named; Joachim Loew and his lucky blue jersey.
In a week's time, the World Cup will be over and we’ll all have to face the future that depends only on us, and us alone. How about we turn it into something good? Here's what we can do.
Gavin Hunt not happy to be second-best; Dunga gets the axe; Ghana celebrate with South African fans; German players get R1m bonus, each; Youngsters play in Football for Hope.
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