Sports

Former SA star Junior Khanye predicts doom for Bafana ahead of Afcon clash with Nigeria

Published

3 months ago

February 5, 2024

A former South African footballer star, Junior Khanye, has predicted that the country’s hopes of lifting the 2023 African Nations Cup tagged AFCON will end on Wednesday when the Bafana Bafana takes on the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the semi-finals.

Khanye, who made the prediction while speaking on a sports programme on iDiski TV on Monday, said South Africa “were very lucky” to have survived a very stubborn and determined Cape Verde side whom they defeated by the luck of penalty, but insisted that when they meet the more experienced Eagles, it would be the end of the road for his country.

“Nigeria is going to beat us,” Khanye reiterated, adding that he believes that Bafana Bafana’s 2023 Afcon campaign is ‘over’ as they prepare to face the West African giants.

“We have to be realistic, we were not at our best.

“We didn’t play well. We could have lost that game. But, luckily, we were very lucky. And listen, I’m saying we were very lucky, but we also need to give to Ronwen Williams some credit.

“He was the star of the show and saved those penalties very well, we have to give credit to him for that. But, when it comes to playing, we were terrible. We were defending too much,” Khanye, an ex-Kaizer Chiefs star said.

“I think the game (against Cape Verde) was our worst at the tournament when I look at the other matches. I don’t think that we were at our best, any team can beat us. Look at the chances that Cape Verde created, it’s all luck.

“Any of those chances could have easily gone in. But again, we have to say thank you for our defence. They did a very important job despite Cape Verde creating chances. It’s over for us. As I said, we are lucky to be where we are at the moment.

“Nigeria is going to beat us, and that’s when we will get a wake-up call. I’m not saying this because I’m being negative, but it’s just me stating facts.

“I love Bafana Bafana, and I want to see them doing well. But, this is our last game, those guys [Nigeria] are going to punish us,” Khanye insisted.

Click to comment

Sports

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

Published

5 hours 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.

Sports

Botswanan Tebogo hits at Kenyan Omanyala over claims of being African sprint king

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Botswanan sprint sensation,
Letsile Tebogo, has hit back at Kenyan 100m champion, Ferdinand Omanyala, over claims that he is the king of African sprint.

Omanyala, in an Track and Field network in April, had laid claims to being the true king of Africa in sprints having risen to prominence in 2021 when he set the record as the fastest man in the continent when he ran 9.77 at the 3rd edition of the Absa Kip Keino classic.

The following year, Omanyala won the 2022 African title in Mauritius, as well as the 100m gold at the Commonwealth Games, feats he believes bestows on him the title of Africa’s king of the sprint.

Though it has not been all rosy for the 28-year-old Omanyala as he has faltered at some big stages having failed to make the final of the Olympic games in Tokyo in 2021 and finished a disappointing seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, he still believes he is head and shoulders above other African stars.

On the other hand, 20-year-old Tebogo has already scored medals in both the 100 and 200m races at the highest stage, which has given him the right to question Omanyala’s claims

“I do not have anything to say. Everything will reveal itself as time goes on,” Tebogo said in an interview with the same Track and Field network on Tuesday.

“To me, it does not make sense if you are the African champion, but where it mattered the most, he could not step in,” he added.

Tebogo who has proven his mettle in the 200m which he claims is the easiest race to compete in, believes it should also be used as a gauge to test the fastest men in the continent apart from just the 100m.

“The 100 is very tactical. Any day can be your day. I believe we should include both races,” he added.