Mpho Rantao - The African Mirror

May

05

2025

Monaco streets favour Sebastien Buemi for his third Monaco E-Prix win

MOTORSPORT

IN a dramatic and rain-soaked second Monaco E-Prix of the weekend, Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi ended a six-year winless drought with a measured, tactical drive from eighth on the grid. The Swiss driver’s victory – his third at the iconic circuit – came after mastering the tricky conditions and perfectly timing his Attack Mode, cementing his status as the most successful driver in Formula E history with 14 FE career wins, which surpassed his previous tied record of 13 wins with Lola Abt driver Lucas Di Grassi. Sebastien Buemi celebrates a long awaited win in the streets of the Principality. Picture: Supplied/FIA…

May

03

2025

By Mpho Rantao

Nissan’s Rowland wins first half of Monaco E-Prix

SPORT, MOTORSPORT

MCLAREN'S Oliver Rowland bounced back from his qualifying mishap, where he hit a barrier, to win the first Monaco E-Prix race, extending his lead in the championship standings in the double-header weekend. Despite starting second, Rowland managed to fend off Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries and both Andretti drivers to secure the win. His breakthrough came on lap 13, where he overtook McLaren rookie Taylor Barnard at the chicane on Monaco’s iconic streets. The tactical masterclass handed him his third win in six races this season, earning a sigh of relief from Nissan team principal Tommaso Volpe. De Vries’ second-place finish…

Apr

12

2025

By Mpho Rantao

The Sublime Symphony of Speed: Wehrlein’s Miami Masterpiece

MOTORSPORT

UNDER the scorching Florida sun, where the ocean breeze met the electric roar of Formula E, Pascal Wehrlein carved his name into history with a victory as dramatic as it was decisive. The 2025 Miami E-Prix was a high-voltage ballet of strategy, nerve, and raw speed - and when the dust settled, it was the Porsche maestro who stood tallest, his triumph a testament to precision under fire. From the moment the lights went out, the race was a chess match at 200 km/h. Norman Nato, the Nissan polesitter, bolted into an early lead, but the Porsche duo of Wehrlein…

Mar

13

2025

By Mpho Rantao

SA’s Prudence Sekgodiso cruises to 800m win at ASA Grand Prix

ATHLETICS

SOUTH Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso claimed a smooth win in the 800m race on day one of the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Grand Prix at the Pilditch Stadium in the South African capital, Pretoria. The 2024 Paris Olympics finalist secured the win in an unofficial time of 1:59.01, ahead of Botswana’s Oratilwe Nowe with a time of 1:59.46, and fellow South African Charne Swart, who completed the podium with a time of 2:01.57. Nowe set the pace early on in the race with Sekgodiso matching her pace until she surpassed her after the 600m mark, when she took the lead when…

Jan

20

2025

By Mpho Rantao

Saudi’s Yazeed al Rajhi claims historic win at the 2025 Dakar Rally

MOTORSPORT

IN a rally race that was filled with shocking exits and sensational wins, Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed al Rajhi took the major crown as the winner of the Dakar Rally in his home country of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, alongside co-driver Timo Gottschalk. The Dakar Rally is an annual, gruelling off-road endurance race that takes place in 12 stages over several days, covering thousands of kilometres across challenging terrains such as deserts, mountains, and rocky paths. It moved to Saudi Arabia from South America, which hosted the race after its namesake city in Sudan. Saudi's Al Rahji, 43, took the…

Jan

14

2025

By Mpho Rantao

Kaytranada Thrills Jo’burg at Milk and Cookies

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN early January 2025, Cape Town and Johannesburg played host to one of the year’s most anticipated events: the Milk and Cookies Festival. The first leg in Cape Town featured South African acts followed by Kaytranada, who performed at Ostrich Farm. After the large positive outpouring from the first leg, Kaytranada expressed his excitement for the Johannesburg leg, where he had been told where the real party was. Whoever told him that was correct despite the inclement weather that soaked attendees. Held at Huddle Park, the festival’s South African debut went off with a muddy but groovy set by the…

Dec

13

2024

By Mpho Rantao

F1 2024 in a nutshell: what a season!

MOTORSPORT

Formula One (F1) concluded its 2024 season in dramatic fashion, with a plethora of events and historical moments that thrilled the F1 fanbase and paddock alike at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. While the United Arab Emirates racing circuit was not the stage for Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who officially secured the title after Las Vegas, it was a crowning moment for the British-based giants, McLaren. They were crowned the 2024 World Constructors Champions for the first time since 1998. The outpaced and full-steam performance on the circuit by McLaren driver Lando Norris secured…

Jul

13

2024

By Mpho Rantao

Stellenbosch United to play in English Next Gen Cup

FOOTBALL

STELLENBOSCH Football Club, based in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, have a golden ticket to participate in England’s Next Generation Cup, alongside seven invited clubs from England and India. This will be the second time the South African club has participated in the tournament; they lost 5-4 in penalties to England’s Wolverhampton Wolves in the 2023 final of the cup when it was hosted in India. Stellenbosch United’s side will represent as the 2023/24 DStv Diski Challenge Champions, which is a youth reserve team league for the top South African football teams in the Premier Soccer League, in the fifth…

Jul

04

2024

By Mpho Rantao

Thembi Kgatlana’s Side Tigres UANL named Super cup Champions

FOOTBALL

Thembi Kgatlana scored a crucial goal that helped her team, Tigres UANL Femenil, defeat Rayadas de Monterrey to win Liga MX's esteemed Super Cup. Mexican side U Tigres UANL Femenil, the 2023 Apertura champions, faced off against the 2023/24 Clausura champions, Rayadas de Monterrey. The women's Liga MX follows a similar schedule to the men's league, with two tournaments each season: the Apertura from July to December and the Clausura from January to May. The champions of each tournament compete in the Super Cup match. This match was the second leg of the Super Cup finals, which in the first…

Jul

03

2024

By Mpho Rantao

FE: Da Costa’s Portland double win sets up final showdown

MOTORSPORT

Antonio Felix da Costa’s third win in the United States has ignited the drivers’ championship battle, setting the stage for a thrilling finale in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The Portuguese driver secured his victory with his team, TAG Heuer Porsche, following two consecutive wins in previous rounds. Da Costa's skill and Porsche’s strategies were pivotal over the weekend, placing him in strong contention for the drivers’ championship against the current leader, Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy, fellow Jaguar driver Mitch Evans, and Porsche teammate Pascal Wehrlein. Da Costa started the race well, beating polesitter Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske) on…