Sports

World Rugby Championship: South Africa suffers narrow 29-28 loss to Argentina

Published

2 months ago

September 23, 2024

South Africa’s Rugby National team, The Springboks, Saturday suffered a narrow 29-28 loss to Argentina in the ongoing World Rugby Championship.

The win also means the South American nation has kept its hopes of winning the Championship alive and temporarily denying the Springboks their first title since 2019.

The tournament now will be decided in the return match between the teams in Nelspruit, South Africa next weekend with the Springboks into the match on top of the table with 19 points with Argentina five points behind, needing maximum points to claim the Championship for the first time.

Speaking on the outcome of the match, Argentina captain Julian Montoya said:

“We knew it was going to be a tough match against the back-to-back world champions. I wasn’t worried about the mistakes.

I was worried when we were 17-0 down but I told the team we have a plan and we are going to execute it. We trusted each other. We win together and we lose together and I’m super proud of the team.”

A report on the match by World Rugby states that in an extraordinary, see-sawing match played in temperaturs of 35 degrees at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, South Africa raced out to a 17-point lead after only 12 minutes with tries to fullback Aphelele Fassi and center Jesse Kriel and a penalty to flyhalf Handre Pollard.

“With his second conversion, Pollard passed Morne Steyn to move into second place on the Springboks’ all-time scoring list.

“Left-winger Mateo Carreras sparked the Pumas comeback, scoring a try in the 15th minute and creating another for Pablo Matera in the 22nd minute.

“Matera’s try and another to prop Joel Sclavi came when the Springboks were down to 14 men with Kurt-Lee Arendse in the sin-bin for a high tackle on Matera.

“Sclavi’s try in the 27th minute gave Argentina its first lead and they expanded their advantage to 26-17 with a try to flyhalf Tomas Albornoz from a tapped penalty.

“The Springboks then rallied with a try to scrumhalf Cobus Reinach from a quick penalty tap which cut the lead to 26-22 at halftime.

“In a tight second half, the Springboks reduced the Pumas’ lead to one point with a penalty to Pollard then went ahead 28-26 with a penalty to Libbok in the 50th minute. But Argentina rallied to regain the lead at 29-28 with an Albornoz penalty in the 68th minute.

“They then held out the Springboks’ vaunted “bomb squad” which had been able to guide South Africa to comeback wins over New Zealand in Johannesburg and Cape Town earlier in the Championship.”

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Sports

TP Mazembe pip AS FAR to win African Women’s Champions League

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) became the third team to win the 2024 African Women’s Champions League after narrowly defeating AS FAR of Morocco 1-0 in the final played on Sunday at the El Jadida’s Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi Stadium.

TP Mazembe claimed the title for the first time courtesy of a 10th minute penalty which was converted by Marlene Kasaj after AS FAR captain Aziza Rabbah handled the ball in the box.

The Congolese side should have doubled their lead six minutes later when an unmarked Merveille Kanjinga fired wide from seven yards out before the more fancied home team gradually grew into the match and looked to cancel the deficit and add to their continental triumph in 2022.

But AS FAR put in a subdued display and failed to test Mazembe’s goalkeeper Fideline Ngoy, with tournament top scorer Doha El Madani who had netted six goals in their run to the final, wasting their best chance as she sliced a first-half free-kick wide.

With the triumph, TP Mazembe carted home the giant trophy and a cheque for $600,000 (£479,000) after the prize money was increased for the fourth edition of the tournament, while the AS FAR went home with $400,000 (£319,000).

Sports

Wafcon 2024 draw throws up interesting pairings

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The draw for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) holding in Morocco from July 5 to 26 next year which was held on Friday, threw up some interesting match-ups to look forward to as hosts Morocco found themselves in what has been described as the group of death.

The Atlas Lionesses will have to contend with Zambia, DR Congo and Senegal in Group A, while Group B has record 11-time continental champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria slugging it out with Tunisia, Algeria and Botswana, just as current defending champions, Banyana Banyana of South Africa will do battle with Ghana, Mali and Tanzania in Group C.

The top two sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals, alongside the two best third-placed finishers.

Though qualification for the 2024 Wafcon was completed in December last year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was forced to push the finals into 2025 because of international football’s congested calendar, which included the participation of Nigeria and Zambia at the Olympics.

Morocco also staged the 2022 edition of Wafcon, ending as runners-up, and former international Fatiha Laassiri believes home support will provide “a real advantage” next year.

Wafcon 2024 group draw with world ranking in brackets:

Group A: Morocco (hosts, 59), Zambia (62), Senegal (83), DR Congo (102).

Group B: Nigeria (36), Tunisia (78), Algeria (84), Botswana (153).

Group C: South Africa (holders, 50), Ghana (66), Mali (81), Tanzania (145).