SPORT - The African Mirror

Mar

16

2021

South Sudan has big ambitions for women’s football

SPORT

ISIFU WIRFENGLA THE youngest country in Africa has a grand plan to deliver one of the best women’s sides on the continent and, in the process, empower girls to take part in the sport equally and freely. When South Sudan became an independent state 10 years ago, its people had myriad hopes as they would be the ones to determine the form, content and destiny of their hard-won new country. Some women and girls, endowed with football skills but stuck in the cobwebs of patriarchy, looked to the future with optimism. A decade later, that route to the football glory…

Mar

15

2021

By The African Mirror

South African makes debut for Leicester City

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THERE were Nigerian and South African touches in British Premier League’s Leicester City’s 5-0 mauling of Sheffield United. Nigerian star forward Kelechi Iheanacho scored a stunning hat trick in the game and South African midfielder Khanya Leshabela made his debut for Leicester and made his first touch in one of the best football leagues in the world. The win saw Leicester move second in the British Premier League table. SA soccer fans took to the social media networks to mark Leshabela’s historic moment and to heap praise on his manager Brandon Rogers. Leicester marked Leshabela’s debut by…

Mar

14

2021

By The African Mirror

The four big challenges facing Patrice Motsepe, Africa’s new soccer boss

SPORT

SOUTH African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe is set to become the eighth president of CAF – the Confederation of African Football – since 1957. He’ll take over from Ahmad Ahmad after a two year ban was placed on Ahmad by FIFA – Federation Internationale de Football Association, world football’s governing body. Motsepe must work with FIFA to run the sport in Africa, manage its reputation and oversee the various continental tournaments and leagues – as well as their entangled broadcast rights. Seasoned football analyst and communications scholar Chuka Onwumechili sheds light on the key challenges facing Motsepe’s bid to make…

Mar

13

2021

By The African Mirror

Mismanagement crippled SA basketball

SPORT

LEE NXUMALO BASKETBALL, once the fastest-growing sport in South Africa, now hardly has recognisable leagues or talents. A group of campaigners have come together to get it thriving and growing again. He increased popularity of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the global front and the presence of African-born players in the league has given basketball cultural currency among the continent’s youth. Even though basketball had a presence in South Africa since apartheid, its popularity reached its peak only in the late 1990s. At one point, it was considered the fastest-growing sport in the country and on track to becoming…

Mar

10

2021

By The African Mirror

South Sudan women’s basketball team – stars on the rise

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO SOUTH Sudan is still on a high after their senior men’s team qualified for their maiden African Basketball championship (AfroBasket) tournament, and the prospects of the women’s team replicating the same feat are looking greater and greater. President of the South Sudan basketball federation, and former National Basketball Association (NBA) All-star, Luol Deng has helped provide the world a glimpse of what South Sudan as a basketball nation is capable of. Deng saw his senior men’s team qualify for the International Basketball Association (FIBA) AfroBasket tournament, scheduled for late-August 2021 in Rwanda, in their first time of asking.…

Mar

09

2021

By The African Mirror

World Athletics makes new equality pledges to mark International Women’s Day

SPORT

MITCH PHILLIPS WORLD Athletics has marked International Women's Day with a series of pledges to "further advance the role of girls and women" in the sport under the campaign slogan "WeGrowAthletics". The world governing body says it is focusing on three core areas of the sport – empowering women in leadership positions, breaking with traditions and shining a spotlight on women's stories across its platforms. World Athletics appointed its first female vice president in 2019 and increased female Council representation to 30%. It says it is committed to making that 40% by 2023 and an equal balance by 2027. Stephanie…

Mar

08

2021

By The African Mirror

Ghana end 12-year long drought

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER GHANA'S Black Satellites, the junior team to the senior Black Stars, sealed their fourth Under-20 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title defeating tournament debutants Uganda 2-0. The west African giants clashed against their east African counterparts in the Mauritanian capital and had their captain Daniel Barneih, who was named man of the match after scoring two goals in the matchup, to thank after a hard fought affair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHH_cGpEAy0 https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1368335586617090049 Ghana were made to wait 12 years to become four-time AFCON U20 champions, claiming the honour in 1993, 1999, 2009, and recently in 2021. Rising to the throne…

Mar

24

2021

By The African Mirror

Lions tour set for South Africa as UK option ruled out

SPORT

MITCH PHILLLIPS THE 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa will go ahead as planned after officials said yesterday that they had dismissed the idea of staging the series in the United Kingdom and were now looking at only one option. A joint statement from the Lions and SA Rugby said they were "aligned" on South Africa as the venue for the tour this year, with contingency plans for a UK-based series or Australia as host ruled out. "After reviewing information relating to the various contingency scenarios being considered, I can confirm that the Board's intended position is…

Mar

31

2021

By The African Mirror

Bafana Bafana coach fired after failing to qualify for AFCON

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE South African Football Association (SAFA) has fired coach Molefi Ntseki after the team failed to qualify for the 2022 AFCON tournament in Cameroon. The national football team - Bafana Bafana - lost 0-2 to Sudan in a match which they needed just a point to qualify for the AFCON. SAFA CEO Teboho Motlanthe announced that SAFA’s national executive committee met this morning and agreed, throught a vote, to terminate Ntseki’s contract. Motlanthe said he, as head of administration, would attend to all the legalities associated with the decision to part ways with the national coach. He…

Mar

31

2021

By The African Mirror

All set for Basketball Africa League kick-off

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO THE inaugural edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) will take place from May 16-30 in Kigali, Rwanda. BAL was initially set to start in March 2020, yet was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league will carry on with BAL implementing health and safety protocols in line with the World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BAL is the NBA’s first partnership with another organization to organize a basketball league outside North America. The league announced an adjusted schedule for the inaugural edition of the competition - with 26 games all…