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South Africa shocks Australia in T20 World Cup semi-finals

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The South African women cricket national team caused the biggest upset at the T20 World Cup in Dubai, by eliminating six-time winners, Australia, racing to an emphatic eight-wicket win.

The defending champions also missed out on an eighth final appearance as the Proteas reached their target of 135 with 16 balls to spare with Anneke Bosch striking a sensational unbeaten 74 from 48 balls while captain Laura Wolvaardt added a classy 42 in a second-wicket partnership of 96 that left Australia reeling.

The brilliant run of the South African women was executed by their bowlers who smartly restricted Australia to 134-5 in a curiously underwhelming innings.

Australia paid the price for stuttering in the middle overs, with the run-rate rarely creeping over a run a ball as captain Tahlia McGrath trudged to 27 from 33.

South Africa started the chase confidently with a powerplay of 43-1, comfortably ahead of Australia’s 35-2 at the same stage, before Tazmin Brits’ departure for 15 opened the door for the phenomenal match-winning partnership.

Bosch, whose previous high score in the tournament was 25, crunched eight fours and a six in her match-winning effort, rewarding the faith of the South Africa selectors who kept her at number three, and meant they reached their second successive final after the 2023 edition on home soil.

Reacting to the win, South African cricket writer Firdose Moonda told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We have had an incredible 18 months of sport in South Africa.

“We are a country with very little financial resource, compared to others like Australia for example, and we are a country punching so far above its weight, while being one of the most diverse teams and unifying South Africa.

“Many people survive on hope alone in our country and these women have brought so much hope.”

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Former President of Moroccan club Raja sentenced to 3 years in prison

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The former President of Moroccan top club, Raja Casablanca, Mohamed Aouzal, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he was found guilty of fraud by a Casablanca Ain Sebaa Court of First Instance on Friday.

According to court documents, the case involved charges of breach of trust and issuing a bounced check in connection with his role in the insurance sector.

Other charges against Aouzal included financial misconduct, specifically breach of trust and issuing a check without sufficient funds.

The documents stated that the legal action against Aouzal stemmed from a lawsuit filed by an insurance company and was found guilty of owing the company nearly MAD 400 million (around $40 million) as the legal representative of an insurance brokerage firm.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court also imposed a fine of MAD 20 million (approximately $2 million) in favor of the plaintiff company.

Aouzal was arrested following investigations by Morocco’s National Judicial Police Brigade after which he was charged before the Public Prosecutor at the Ain Sebaa Court and was placed in custody at Oukacha Prison.

The lawsuit, according to Morocco World News, pointed to significant financial irregularities in Aouzal’s brokerage firm, alleging that it failed to meet its financial obligations and caused substantial losses for the insurance company.

“The trial began on December 10 after Aouzal’s initial court appearance. The court examined the evidence and heard extensive arguments before entering deliberations earlier this week.

“On Friday, the judge ruled in favor of the insurance company due to the significant monetary damages incurred,” the report said.

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Dumping England for Nigeria the best decision of my life— Ademola Lookman

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Current African Men’s Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, has attributed his rise in the football echelon to his decision to dump the English national team, The Three Lions, to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The Atalanta striker, who was named the African Player of the Year after a sterling 2024 season where he kept putting up superb performances for both club and country, credited the success of his career to his decision to snub England and commit to Nigeria.

“I think ever since I put on the Super Eagles jersey, it’s been fruitful,” Lookman said in an interview on SportyTV.

“We’ve been able to achieve a lot as a team and we’re still going as a team. But the camaraderie is something that’s very special within the squad.

“It is an incredible achievement and an incredible moment. It is special to join a list of many great players who have achieved a lot in the game. They are legends.

“There have been many special moments this year, and I can speak about a lot of good ones. But also the tough moments, like when you don’t feel like hitting the gym, but you push through and end up doing that session—it gives you more strength. Those difficult moments have given me that extra strength,” he said.

The Atalanta forward believes that his decision to represent Nigeria has contributed to a significant personal and professional growth, allowing him to continue thriving with the national team.

Before switching allegiance to play for the Super Eagles in 2022, Lookman had represented England at youth level, including winning the U-20 World Cup in 2017 but he had a stop-start career with stints at Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City, before he was shipped to Atalanta, initially on loan, before the move was made permanent.

But the turning point in Lookman’s career came when he decided to switch allegiance to Nigeria and has never looked back as everything he touched turned to gold.

The London-born Lookman made his Super Eagles debut in March 2022 against Ghana, and he has since described this moment as a turning point in his career.

He has scored eight goals and provided four assists and was the star man at the 2023 AFCON tournament where he netted three goals and registered one assist, and was named in the tournament team.

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