Sports

Former South African rugby star, Hannes Strydom dies in car crash

Published

1 year ago

November 21, 2023

Former South African rugby star, Hannes Strydom has died in an accident at the age of 58, the South African Rugby Union confirmed on Monday, making him the fifth player from their victorious 1995 World Cup team to pass away.

Strydom, who was a pharmacist by training, played 21 Tests for the Springboks between 1993 and 1997, and started the 1995 final where the home side defeated New Zealand 15-12 to take the crown at Ellis Park, a game which had former President Nelson Mandela in attendance.

Former teammate and close friend, Kobus Wiese told local media that though details of the accident were still sketchy, the vehicle Strydom was travelling in collided with a minibus taxi.

“The accident took place on Sunday near the coal mining town of eMalahleni in Mpumalanga province,” Wiese said.

In a tribute on the website of the South African Rugby Union, President Mark Alexander described Strydom as “one of the heroes of our local game”.

His former club, the Lions, also paid tribute to him, describing him as a legend who had formed a formidable lock combination with Wiese.

“We share a tight bond as members of the 1995 group and to lose yet another one of our brothers is a big blow,” Lions Rugby Company chief executive officer, Rudolf Straeuli said.

Strydom made his debut for the Springboks in 1993, and helped defeat arch-rivals New Zealand 15-12 in the 1995 World Cup final in Johannesburg— the biggest sporting event in South Africa after the end of apartheid— before ending his career after playing in the British and Irish Lions series.

Outside rugby, Strydom worked as a pharmacist in the capital, Pretoria, and started pharmacy chain, Pharma Valu after hanging up his boots.

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Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

16 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)