Sports

South Africans in mourning as AFCON winner, Clive Barker passes on

Published

11 months ago

June 11, 2023

South Africans have been thrown into mourning with the demise of one of the country’s football greats, Clive Barker, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 78.

Barker, a 1996 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner, had been battling with Lewy Body Dementia for several years before eventually succumbing to the illness in a hospital in Durban, the South African Federation said in a statement on Sunday.

“It is with profound sadness that the family of former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker announce his passing on Saturday, June 10 after a brave battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD),” a statement by his family read.

“Clive, 78, led South Africa to their only continental triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1996, and also steered the side to a maiden World Cup appearance in France in 1998, and is fondly remembered by fans across the country, as has been evident by the tremendous support he received after falling ill.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the medical professionals who cared for Clive over the past six months. He fought a brave battle and we are relieved he is now at peace.

“Clive will be remembered by South Africans for his role in helping to bring a nation together around the 1996 Cup of Nations, but for us he was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and he will be dearly missed.

“We have been overwhelmed by the enormous outpouring of love and support for Clive since he was first diagnosed with LBD, and this is a testament to the coach, friend and mentor he was to not only several generations of footballers, but also anyone who crossed his path in the sport he so dearly loved.

“We will provide details of the memorial service in the coming days, and ask the family’s privacy be respected at this very difficult time.”

Barker, a defender in his playing days, was also head coach of the Bafana Bafana and achieved his legendary status when he guided the team to a historic AFCON title on home soil in their first-ever appearance at the continental tournament.

He cemented his status by securing qualification for the 1998 World Cup in France, though he was forced to step down from the coaching job a few months to the tournament after the team’s poor showing at the 1997 Confederations Cup.

Related Topics:Bafana Bafana.Clive Barker Death Featured Mourning South Africa

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Sports

Ethiopian marathon legend Bekele returns to Olympics after 12-year absence

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

After a 12-year absence on the international race circuit, Ethiopian marathon legend, Kenenisa Bekele, has announced that he will return for the 2024 Olympic Games in July after he was named in a 10-member team on Thursday.

The 41-year-old Bekele last competed in the London Games in 2012 when he finished fourth in the men’s 10,000m before he was overlooked for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

His surprise return to the Ethiopian team came after a remarkable second-place finish at the London Marathon in April which was enough to earn him a place for the Paris Olympics in a squad which also features women’s world record holder Tigist Assefa.

In his heydays, Bekele won three Olympic golds in the 5,000m and 10,000m, and is now expected to renew his rivalry with reigning Olympic champion and former world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya who was also named in the Kenyan team.

In August 2003, Kipchoge dusted his Ethiopian rival when the two met for the first time at the Paris World Championships, holding on to win the 5,000m race, pipping Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj into second place while Bekele finished third.

Bekele made his marathon debut in April 2014 when he produced the sixth-fastest run over the distance in Paris but his career has been hampered by injuries.

Other members of the Ethiopian men’s team for the Olympics are Sisay Lemma, the Valencia marathon champion, and Deresa Geleta, while 2023 New York marathon champion and 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola and Eusedin Mohammed, are standby reserves.

Sports

Zambia’s women national team coach face new sexual assault allegation

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Zambia women national team coach, Bruce Mwape, is facing new allegations of sexual assault and misconduct at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, prompting an investigation by world football governing body, FIFA.

Mwape who is currently facing allegations of sexual harassment after some of his players laid accusations against him, has been accused by a female FIFA contractor of inappropriately touching her breast during the tournament.

A report on the Fifa website disclosed that the body received an official complaint accusing the 64-year-old Mwape of touching the breast of a FIFA contractor from New Zealand.

The complainant is quoted to have told Fifa officials that Mwape had inappropriately touched her breasts in a suggestive manner.

“I remember him putting his hand on my shoulder to say ‘Good morning,’ but then he went again and wiped his hand straight down the front, obviously touching my boob,” the contractor reportedly said.

“It happened so quickly. It felt wrong to me but I also questioned whether it had just been a mistake. But after that, his relationship with me was very different. So I think he knew what he had done was not appropriate,” the unnamed contractor added.

The incident, according to the report, allegedly occurred while the team was staying at an Auckland hotel before their match against Spain.