Sports

Weeks after World Cup triumph, burglars break into South Africa rugby offices

Published

5 months ago

November 15, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Weeks after winning the Rugby World Cup trophy, burglars broke into Rugby Union’s headquarters in Cape Town.

However, the trophy is safe as it was not stolen.

South Africa won the Rugby World Cup on October 28 after beating New Zealand in Paris, becoming the first nation to win the tournament four times.

According to a spokesman for the Rugby Union, the burglary took place in the early hours of Tuesday with CCTV footage showing two men entering a room where various team trophies are stored and touching one of them.

“They leave it behind and instead steal whisky, five signed Springbok jerseys and eight laptops, along with items from other offices,” the spokesman said.

In another footage shared on X by a South African journalist, Yusuf Abramjee, one of the burglars is seen putting his gloved hand on a memorial trophy, lifting it slightly, before moving to the cupboards beneath it.

The police say the break-in happened at around 22:00 local time and Western Cape police were told of concerns that the trophy had been stolen.

“The police recorded two cases of business burglary after two incidents at the Tygerberg Office Park in Plattekloof,” the journalist said.

Local media reports that two well-dressed men entered the business park in a white Toyota Corolla. They then forced open a window on the ground floor to gain entry to the building and began searching for items.

Click to comment

Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

1 hour ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.