A good work ethic saw the Belgian-Ghanaian defender go further in his football career than expected. Now he has the chance to play for Ghana in the World Cup in Qatar.
Oluwashina Okeleji 30 June 2022
The Springbok rugby player jumped at the chance to play league rugby in England, the first South African woman to do so. Now she has her sights set on the upcoming Sevens and 15s World Cups.
Ayanda Frances Felem 29 June 2022
The popular United States-based player is speaking out about the shameful state of women’s football in Ghana, where players have been marginalised in many ways for way too long.
Emmanuel Ayamga 27 June 2022
Even before the demise of this format of the game was predicted, the women’s team had little opportunity to experience and enjoy it. They are keen to change this while they still can.
Daniel Gallan 25 June 2022
When Sandy Alibo visited in 2015, she connected with Accra’s small but vibrant surfing and skating community. It was enough for her to move there and help grow the sports in the country.
Lee Nxumalo 20 June 2022
The Nigerian footballer died young and in mysterious circumstances, keeping his legacy in the shadows. It’s been 10 years, though, and his skill and commitment to his country must be lauded.
Oluwashina Okeleji 13 June 2022
The team’s players are reaping the rewards of the long-term planning and investment that have been the hallmark of the sport in the country as well as at their own club.
Alex Čizmić 11 June 2022
As his name suggests, Kobe Alessandro has a diverse background reaching across many countries and continents. For now he’s in the United States, but South Africa is his true home.
Karien Jonckheere 10 June 2022
The Al Ahly manager may recently have been snapping at CAF and its president, but his real battle is notching up the one victory that has eluded him: the Egyptian Premier League.
Njabulo Ngidi 8 June 2022
He’s been dubbed Baby AB, but the young batsman from Pretoria who was drafted by the IPL at the age of 18 is striding ahead of his cricketing predecessor AB de Villiers.
Stuart Hess 7 June 2022
The senior women’s team are hoping to extend their growing reputation as a force to be reckoned with beyond southern Africa, and the continental showpiece in Morocco is just the place to do it.
Busisiwe Mokwena 6 June 2022
In the second of a two-part series on women’s cricket in South Africa, the reason for the widening gap between the national team’s players and those chasing their spots becomes clear.
Daniel Gallan 4 June 2022
A boisterous home crowd made it difficult from the start for defending champions Al Ahly and an early goal from the Moroccan club only increased the pressure.
Maher Mezahi 3 June 2022
In the first of a two-part series about the journey to become a member of the women’s senior national cricket team, the various challenges of development at school level are explored.
Daniel Gallan 1 June 2022
The football administrator who faced down death threats to get South African women’s football to where it is today calls for more than equal pay in her book Fran: A Song For Banyana.
Njabulo Ngidi 31 May 2022
In rural India, it can become impossible to train because of catastrophic floods or other natural disasters. This causes anxiety for young people who see sport as a way out of poverty.
Sanket Jain 31 May 2022
There is a link between initiation rites for boys and the world-class boxers that South Africa produces. It’s a built-in language of combat that takes other forms around the world.
Percy Mabandu 30 May 2022
South Africa’s two strongest rugby franchises want to progress and they have the means and manpower to do so, but financial tentativeness at other local sides could hold them back.
Richard Johnson 28 May 2022
Fans are hoping that yet another contentious decision by the Confederation of African Football does not mar what should be a memorable event, with much at stake for the coaches too.
Maher Mezahi 27 May 2022
In Text Messages this week, the sport loses the last vestiges of being a beautiful game played by people who have something in common with their supporters.
Darryl Accone 26 May 2022
Despite a painful injury and being banned from certain sprint events, the Namibian athlete is staying positive and is determined to enjoy running and reach greater heights in her career.
Karien Jonckheere 25 May 2022
Sifiso Meyiwa is hoping that with the murder case reopened and a trial under way, the family will finally find out who killed the Bafana Bafana footballer in 2014.
Thathe Msimango 23 May 2022
The president of Kenya’s football federation officially left office at the end of November. But the dark clouds that have followed him still cast their shadow on the sport in the country.
Bonface Osano 21 May 2022
Coach Fadlu Davids wants his team to keep their emotions in check and impose their style on Berkane in the CAF Confederation Cup final in Nigeria.
Conrad Abrahams 20 May 2022
Sascoc’s first vice-president is happy to deal with the ‘nice, boring, interesting stuff’ that is sports governance if it means creating opportunities and incomes for South Africa’s top athletes.…
Karien Jonckheere 18 May 2022
St Louis City’s head coach has the opportunity to build a legacy from scratch at the midwest club, the latest franchise added to the United States’ Major League Soccer.
Matshelane Mamabolo 16 May 2022
The odds were stacked against the fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir, but he’s shaking up the cricket world with a raw talent that makes 150kph the new normal.
Mohsin Kamal 14 May 2022
The Ugandan footballer paved the way for his countrymen when his skills on the pitch got Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates vying to sign him in the mid-2000s.
Peter Kanjere 13 May 2022
The affluence of potential host nations appears to be influencing World Rugby when it comes to selecting preferred candidates to host its lucrative global showpiece.
Brenden Nel 11 May 2022
Is the sport too hungry for money to care about what Tyson Fury has said he believes? It would certainly seem so, as he is not the first and likely not the last fighter to attract controversy.
Telford Vice 9 May 2022
The achievements of the national team since 2015 have built support for the Indomitable Lionesses, leading to sponsors, match broadcasts and a commitment to uplift the game in the country.
Erwin Ayota 7 May 2022
Kobus Olivier’s life as a coach has taken him from Cape Town to Croatia via the war-torn country, where he had been working hard to promote the sport and establish proper structures for it.
Daniel Gallan 6 May 2022
Circumstances have denied Keegan van der Merwe what he needs to become a world-class sprinter, but he hasn’t given up yet – even if his path to the Olympics is paved with dry bread.
Adrian Ephraim 5 May 2022
The Kaizer Chiefs’ exciting midfielder had a difficult journey to the top, including a stint in an operation that is accused of peddling young footballers for profit.
Conrad Abrahams 3 May 2022
The South African swimmer went through a dip in performance last year after a traumatic experience left him struggling mentally. But after therapy, he’s in winning form again.
Karien Jonckheere 30 April 2022
The Mamelodi Sundowns player gives all credit for his football success to his beloved mother and father, who have supported him on an arduous journey every single step of the way.
Adrian Ephraim 29 April 2022
Football can be fickle, but the national men’s team stand a good chance of coming out on top of their group of South Africa, Morocco, Liberia and Zimbabwe.
Matshelane Mamabolo 26 April 2022
Arena co-owner Ayanda Mbele has turned car spinning into a family affair, taking the sport off the streets and giving aspiring spinners – particularly young women – a place to hone their skills.…
Lee Nxumalo 23 April 2022
Many tensions are simmering beneath the surface, including economic hardships and escalating violence perpetrated by insurgent groups. And then came the devastating loss against Ghana.
Oluwashina Okeleji 22 April 2022
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic taking its toll on the sport at school level, with kids missing crucial age-related developmental stages, there has been an uptick in girls wanting to play the game.
S’bo Gyre 20 April 2022
Young players have to understand that only a select few will make it big and earn decent money for a reasonable amount of time. But how do they resist the lure of short-term gain?
Leonard Solms 19 April 2022
The Bafana Bafana coach’s comments after his team’s 5-0 drubbing against France left many scratching their heads. How does he plan to qualify South Africa for the next Afcon?
Matshelane Mamabolo 16 April 2022
Asking questions got the young footballer to Atletico Madrid, where she is honing her skills as a club player in Spain’s Primera División. But she has her sights set on an even bigger league experi…
Busisiwe Mokwena 12 April 2022
A small team of surfers with big hearts has helped countless impoverished children in Durban find a sense of comfort and purpose in life. But the demand is overwhelming, they say.
Greg Ardé 11 April 2022
The former PSL coach relegated himself to the amateur leagues by taking a job at a KwaZulu-Natal ABC Motsepe League side. He plans to take them to the top, and is slowly getting there.
Thathe Msimango 9 April 2022
The cricketer joined his mother in England shortly after she fled Zimbabwe to escape political persecution. While he still loves his native country, he has accepted that England is now home.
Daniel Gallan 8 April 2022
The 2 Knights club in the impoverished township enables children to stay safe and off the streets after school while improving their academic performance, focus and concentration.
Matthew Hirsch 7 April 2022
The ban Fifa imposed on Kenya for government interference is another blow to women’s football there, which was making huge strides that were first stunted by the federation’s politics.
Bonface Osano 6 April 2022
Visitors to the Soweto Theatre precinct might be surprised to see a group of young karatekas practise in a space without walls, but their sensei loves that karate is at home among the arts.
Tonderai Chiyindiko 5 April 2022
They may not have excelled at the Asian Cup in India, but the exposure brought the national team to the attention of local fans and things are improving for the women’s game.
Samindra Kunti 4 April 2022
As she heads into her second season of women’s pro basketball in the US, Onyenwere aims to use her platform to speak out about race in particular.
Karien Jonckheere 2 April 2022
The interim coach of the women’s hockey team deserves to be appointed to the position permanently. His attitude and achievements for South Africa warrant it.
Matshelane Mamabolo 1 April 2022
After many frustrated and costly attempts to reach the final in Yaoundé, the Cameroon football club finally tasted sweet success when they clinched the most coveted of the country’s domestic titles…
Daniel Ekonde 31 March 2022
The Tigers want nothing more than to trample the Proteas in their quest to win a Test – and possibly the series – on SA shores. And it looks like fate has handed them highly favourable odds.
Lungani Zama 30 March 2022
As the curtain fell on the Afcon, many of Cameroon’s citizens went back to what was already an everyday struggle to survive. In the end the showpiece achieved – and meant – little for them.
Beng Emmanuel Kum 29 March 2022
The gifted player chose financial security over European fame by playing in the Gulf. It’s a route many Tunisian footballers take, with experts saying it is to the detriment of the national team.
Alex Čizmić 26 March 2022
After a disastrous Afcon, the Black Stars are eager to book their place for the World Cup in Qatar. If they do, it will be against a backdrop of disquiet over several aspects of the game in their c…
Michael Oti Adjei 25 March 2022
Despite making it to the last eight in a dream run in Cameroon, the Scorpions have to win pre-qualifiers again simply to vie for a spot in 2023.
Samindra Kunti 24 March 2022
The young Kenyan tennis player is driven by her humble beginnings and feeling confident after a good run at the junior Australian Open to do better at Roland Garros.
Karien Jonckheere 23 March 2022
After a playing career that took him from Nigeria to England via Norway, the former Super Eagle figured out the job and now earns his stripes as a football sporting director in Switzerland.
Oluwashina Okeleji 22 March 2022
The Free State-born coach is making a name for himself in Botswana’s elite football league now, and is ready to take on the world. He had some highs in his native South Africa too.
Samuel Malinga 19 March 2022
Sporting bodies across disciplines moved swiftly to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Their stances, however, reveal sport’s hypocrisy when it comes to which lives it values.
Daniel Gallan 18 March 2022
The star, on his best day, is Barça’s main man. But injuries have, for a long time, been disturbing what was supposed to be his rapid rise to the top.
Ricard Gonzalez in Barcelona 18 March 2022
Adored by fans around the globe, they have no truck with prejudice of any kind, including racism and homophobia. And while the game makes capitalists drool, they shun greedy sponsors.
Alex Čizmić 17 March 2022
His making the rounds of several English clubs in a great variety of roles has turned him into the ideal mentor to impart his knowledge to others at the elite level of the country’s football.
Leonard Solms 16 March 2022
South Africans loved to hate him, but the supremely talented and bigger-than-life spin bowler from Australia had an impact on the country that few cricketers can match.
Daniel Gallan 12 March 2022
The closure of stadiums has left supporters frustrated. And those who depended on stadium attendance to make a living have been left struggling.
Shadrack Frances 11 March 2022
A Cameroonian who played in Ukraine’s lower leagues details the ordeal and racism he experienced as he fled the country during Russia’s invasion.
Isifu Wirfengla 10 March 2022
TS Galaxy’s new signing is still hungry for more despite this being his 21st season in the professional ranks. He wants to succeed because he went from near death to a complete rebirth.
Matshelane Mamabolo 9 March 2022
The NFF president might have preferred another coach, but he is reportedly convinced that his chances for a third term will improve if the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup.
Oluwashina Okeleji 8 March 2022
Migrant workers brought in under the sponsor system to build and guard the new football stadiums, hotels and malls are overworked, in debt and trapped in the country.
Samindra Kunti 7 March 2022
The striker turned on the magic for Malawi at the Afcon, even though he was off form at Pirates. Those who have followed his development explain what’s behind his inconsistency.
Peter Kanjere 5 March 2022
The 2021 ODI Women’s Cricketer of the Year has honed her batting skills all the way to the top of the order and she’s ready to lead the Proteas to World Cup triumph.
Daniel Gallan 3 March 2022
The North African side had a disastrous showing in the tournament they entered as title holders and favourites. With the World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, can they rise from the ashes?
Maher Mezahi 2 March 2022
In just a few years, big dreams have come true for some footballers who have attended the academy. And if the man behind its success has his way, this is just the beginning.
Thathe Msimango 28 February 2022
Even though he has just taken the Nzalang Nacional to the Afcon quarterfinals after they failed to qualify for the previous two editions, Juan Micha has no plans to rest on his laurels now.
Alex Čizmić 26 February 2022
The families of those killed in the Afcon stampede had to wait weeks before they could bury their loved ones. And while they did, the government’s promised help was nowhere in sight.
Isifu Wirfengla 25 February 2022
The Proteas have consistently had a bevy of strong pace bowlers. The man in charge of ensuring this remains the case for many years to come is confident that all the right plans are in place.
Adrian Ephraim 24 February 2022
The club and the city are inextricably intertwined and both are emblems of something far more than the riveting action on the pitch that football fans the world over embrace and admire.
Daniel Gallan 23 February 2022
The Liberian Surf Club has grown from its humble beginnings into an organisation on the crest of producing world-class surfers, all while keeping community at its heart.
Lee Nxumalo 21 February 2022
The footballer from Limpopo played her way up the ranks, from training with the local boys’ team to TUT Ladies and Sweden’s Moron BK. Now the university graduate has her heart set on Chelsea.
Buyeleni Sibanyoni 19 February 2022
The Pretoria native went to New Zealand after struggling to gain a foothold in domestic cricket. Though adapting meant learning some hard lessons, he could not be happier these days.
Daniel Gallan 16 February 2022
Nico Manduzio’s path to working with the English giants took him from Europe to Africa and back again, all along discovering his passion for developing players on and off the field.
Leonard Solms 15 February 2022
The Springbok Sevens captain had to convince his parents at a young age to allow him to play rugby. Now they’re his biggest supporters.
Ayanda Frances Felem 14 February 2022
Covid travel bans prevented the snowboarder from being the first to represent South Africa at a Winter Games, but he has no doubt he will get there and become a flagbearer for social equality.
Karien Jonckheere 13 February 2022
The SA runner took the Marathon des Sables – the toughest foot race on Earth – in her stride, finishing in the top 2% despite hotter than usual conditions that saw half the pack drop out.
Matshelane Mamabolo 10 February 2022
The only South African coach to win the Nations Cup is renowned for his man-management skills, but there was more to him than that. Those who played for him explain what made him great.
Conrad Abrahams 7 February 2022
The 21-year-old’s talent was raw but through careful training and encouragement at Maritzburg United, he is a star in the making. And now he is off to the United States.
Conrad Abrahams 5 February 2022
The so-called Anglophone crisis has prevented Afcon fans from attending certain stadiums, fearful of violence and reprisal. But the instability has also affected league games and football developme…
Isifu Wirfengla 4 February 2022
The Senegalese coach has got his team to the penultimate round of the Afcon. He needs a victory amid criticism that he lacks the qualities to take the side any further.
Maher Mezahi 2 February 2022
The Proteas batsman has ‘arrived’ and is rightly being hailed for his performance in the Test series against India. But to get there has been an arduous journey under the watchful eye of his dad.…
Adrian Ephraim 1 February 2022
The teenager has amassed loads of medals, and most of them are gold. Having won some money at the World Cup, he now feels he is free to dedicate himself fully to swimming. His next goal? Olympic gl…
Karien Jonckheere 29 January 2022
Are ability and elite tactics all it takes to win football matches and tournaments? Does the metaphysical play no role at all? Looking at African football, these are difficult questions to answer.
Percy Zvomuya 28 January 2022
Ahead of official findings, on-the-ground accounts of the Afcon tragedy in Cameroon reveal the factors that led to the deaths of eight people.
Isifu Wirfengla 27 January 2022
Ghana have failed to reach the Afcon’s knockout stages for the first time since 2006. With the World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, some soul-searching is required if they are to go to Qatar.
Michael Oti Adjei 26 January 2022
From being underwhelming underdogs going into the tournament to reaching the round of 16, the Flames have shown discipline, flair and dedication, to the utter delight of their fans.
Peter Kanjere 25 January 2022
The Cameroonian striker is one goal away from eclipsing the Afcon record of the great Samuel Eto’o. Those who have followed his career from the start explain how he arrived at the summit.
Njie Enow 24 January 2022
The Super Eagles winger is finally putting on the kind of displays for the national team that his Nigerian fans have been waiting for, impressing football watchers worldwide in the process.
Oluwashina Okeleji 22 January 2022
Tunisian clubs are among the most feared and successful sides in Africa, but the national team have won the Afcon just once.
Alex Čizmić 21 January 2022
The Kenyans once were African club champions, but they endured embarrassing lows of late, including fighting to avoid relegation. Those close to the club share what needs to be done for them to rea…
Bonface Osano 19 January 2022
A few tough knocks left the Proteas netball player in need of a sabbatical. Now she’s sharing her mental health struggles, hoping it will encourage more elite athletes to talk about and normalise i…
Karien Jonckheere 18 January 2022
Players in the national team hope taking part in the tournament will buoy the hopes for a peaceful resolution of the Tigray conflict and also boost their chances of getting wider recognition.
Daniel Ekonde 17 January 2022
Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed Salah command great respect and adoration in Egypt, the Arab world and the sporting fraternity at large. But they don’t always use that power for good.
Samindra Kunti 15 January 2022
‘Why not win it?’ seems to be the squad’s motto for every game. This spirit is instilled by their coach, who believes in his players and entrusts them with the task for which he has amply prepared …
Maher Mezahi 14 January 2022
The past decade has been topsy-turvy for Cameroonian football, but the Indomitable Lions can return to the top of African football now that their manager shuffle seems to have ended.
Njie Enow 12 January 2022
The three-time Afcon champions have had a tumultuous time heading into the 2021 edition of the tournament, and some important players are absent too. But never underestimate them.
Oluwashina Okeleji 11 January 2022
Although it will be special to again be a part of a winning squad at the African tournament, the Egypt coach says his players have their eyes firmly on the prize of qualifying for the World Cup in …
Matshelane Mamabolo 10 January 2022
European clubs and media that wanted the tournament postponed amid a rise in Covid cases were serving their own selfish interests and repeating the old narrative of ‘darkest Africa’.
James Yékú 8 January 2022
Watching the second Test match between South Africa and India from inside the hallowed environs of the Bull Ring was a discomfiting cricketing experience that will hopefully change soon.
Dennis Webster 7 January 2022
The Soweto Cycling Academy was started to get children on bikes. Now its young members are beginning to compete in South Africa’s top races, with an eye on a busy 2022 calendar.
Outlwile Tsipane 5 January 2022
The Kashmir athlete’s love for skiing began in the snowy mountains of his hometown. When he became good enough to turn professional, he began to dream of the Winter Olympics.
Mohsin Kamal 3 January 2022
Rise tells the enthralling story of how Siya Kolisi came to be the first Black captain of the Springboks, but it fails to fully reveal the humble, humorous man behind the symbol.
Njabulo Ngidi 28 December 2021
The limited-overs captain has garnered respect with his leadership and decision-making, skills that will stand him in good stead as the Proteas face India and build up to another T20 World Cup.
Lungani Zama 24 December 2021
Newly called-up Wiseman Makondzo got some practice under his belt at the interprovincial tournament in October. Now he and his teammates are getting ready for their tour to Pakistan.
Lungani Zama 21 December 2021
Though the assault on one of the country’s top women footballers caused an outcry that reverberated outside its borders, the government has remained silent on the matter.
Isifu Wirfengla 14 December 2021
Peter Wright and Michelle Joubert, two of South Africa’s five hockey officials at the Olympics, continued the country’s fine tradition at the Games. Getting there took planning, fitness training an…
Karien Jonckheere 11 December 2021
The structure, now close to becoming a white elephant, is a metaphor for the Bantustan it was meant to prop up. It was always doomed to fail.
Gopolang Botlhokwane 10 December 2021
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies might have had a phenomenal year, but the man who guided them to become African champions has bigger plans for himself on a wider football stage.
Busisiwe Mokwena 8 December 2021
Some say it will bring more funds and other development opportunities to football on the continent, but others remain sceptical and deeply suspicious of Fifa’s true motives.
Solace Chukwu 6 December 2021
Despite his astounding abilities and a scorecard that reflects them, including 413 Test wickets, the Indian spin bowler has been sidelined by selectors, to the bafflement of fans and commentators a…
Drew Forrest 4 December 2021
Former Arsenal football executive Ivan Gazidis was born in South Africa, where his father Costa’s anti-apartheid activities forced the family to the UK, which nurtured Ivan’s abilities.
Leonard Solms 3 December 2021
The mountain kingdom, even though it has natural features best suited for the sport of cycling, was without a viable cycling culture for many years. That is beginning to change.
Lee Nxumalo 1 December 2021
The Proteas wicketkeeper is not only living her dream with the national cricket team, but she’s also speaking out about mental health and getting her foundation off the ground.
Adrian Ephraim 29 November 2021
Racist and violently anti-migrant attitudes in Ireland might have become less overt, but athletes from Africa, or those born in Ireland to African parents, continue to face a struggle for acceptanc…
Oluwashina Okeleji 27 November 2021
The Olympic swimmer who took gold and silver in Tokyo is learning how to handle her newfound fame and characteristically figuring out how to use it for good.
Ockert de Villiers 26 November 2021
Though rugby is her first love, the founder of the Kenyan Kabaddi Association has successfully introduced a sport mainly played in Asian countries to the African continent.
Bonface Osano 24 November 2021
The Chippa United defender failed in trials that would have changed his life as a 16-year-old. Instead of letting it destroy him, he used it as motivation to eventually shine in top-flight football…
Thathe Msimango 23 November 2021
Participation in the notoriously underfunded sport has mostly been restricted to players from elite former all-white schools. But being part of Team SA for the Tokyo Games has the potential to chan…
Karien Jonckheere 20 November 2021
The Nigerian opens up about his open-goal miss against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup, the high of Premier League scoring success and crushing low of a career defined by one unfortunate moment.
Oluwashina Okeleji 19 November 2021
The veteran marathon runner is battling prostate cancer and has been for many years. But in a reflection of his entire life and running career, he is not taking it lying down.
Matshelane Mamabolo 17 November 2021
The Ghanaian star is following in his father Abedi Pele’s footsteps at Nadi Al Sadd in Qatar. While his arrival at the club has been exciting, the bigger picture offers a complex view on world foot…
Uri Levy 15 November 2021
The rising Springbok star is on a mission to transform his home town by planting trees in an area that is still affected by apartheid’s spatial planning. But that is not all he is doing for his com…
Lungani Zama 13 November 2021
Netball has traditionally been – and been seen – as a sport for women. But with the support of Netball South Africa, men who play the game are finally being recognised.
Fatima Asmal 12 November 2021
An Olympic star’s indictment in a murder case has revealed the pervasive culture of Indian wrestling, which has embraced a toxic mix of nationalism and criminality.
Haris Zargar 9 November 2021
Quinton de Kock declining to take the knee at a time when cricket’s racial injustices were being laid bare spoke volumes about the enormous amount of work needed to rid the sport of its rot.
Lungani Zama 6 November 2021
After being ill treated and undermined in Kosovo despite excelling, the player is back in SA playing for Mamelodi Sundowns. She hopes to return to Europe, but to a better team and league.
Mohau Ramashidja 5 November 2021
More and more, supporters are treated as an afterthought in a game that is nothing without them. It’s a state of affairs that could seriously hurt the growth of the sport.
Njabulo Ngidi 3 November 2021
Starting XI Revolution offers professional and amateur footballers peer-to-peer mentoring to deal with off-field challenges and help them avoid the pitfalls of the lifestyle.
Leonard Solms 30 October 2021
Accomplished athlete, coach and sport administrator Keolebogile Mokolopo has set her sights on rope skipping to be taken seriously, including at future Olympic Games.
Outlwile Tsipane 29 October 2021
Run over just 1.6km, races of this kind are rare and New York’s mile race sets the standard. Now turning 10, can this Tembisa event emulate the world’s best?
Matshelane Mamabolo 26 October 2021
New Zealand and England’s refusal to play in Pakistan – citing security concerns – undid years of work to return the country to cricketing normality. But Ramiz Raja has a straightforward fix.
Mohsin Kamal 23 October 2021
The 28-year-old from Msinga helps young boys have a chance to achieve what a terrible injury denied him: becoming a professional footballer.
OkaDonga Gumbi 22 October 2021
Like so many victims of domestic and gender-based violence, the star Kenyan road runner was killed in her home, robbing her of what seemed like a rosy future in world athletics.
Bonface Osano 20 October 2021
Lamont Marcell Jacobs is an unlikely star to take over from Usain Bolt. But those who have been following his and Italy’s athletics progress weren’t surprised that they won Olympic gold.
Alex Čizmić 18 October 2021
The Cape Town City leftback dropped out of university to further his professional football career. It didn’t work out. Then he picked himself up, earned his first Bafana cap and is studying again.…
Buyeleni Sibanyoni 16 October 2021
The sports doc approaches her role of caring for athletes with passion and enjoys what she says is a privileged journey despite the race and gender challenges she has been forced to overcome.
Karien Jonckheere 13 October 2021
Loud voices insist that politics has no place in sport and athletes should stay out of it. But there seems to be plenty of space for them to support causes other than the fight against racism.
Telford Vice 12 October 2021
The Italian football nomad brings coaching experience on three continents to South Sudan as he aims to build a competitive national side in a country that is still finding its feet in the internati…
Uri Levy 9 October 2021
The sporting world is waking up to how the country’s authoritarian leader, who supposedly loves the beautiful game, is using it to hide his utter contempt for people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Alex Čizmić 8 October 2021
Sport has brought hope and joy to many during the pandemic. But as athletes entertain us, their own challenges of neverending bio bubbles and performing as if nothing is wrong are being overlooked.
Lungani Zama 6 October 2021
The United Rugby Championship and partner Roc Nation Sports promise to give players a voice, grow the fanbase and generally bring rugby into the 21st century of sports entertainment.
Richard Johnson 2 October 2021
South Africa’s director of rugby has always tested the boundaries and it’s doubtful he will change his ways, despite World Rugby’s charges of misconduct.
Simnikiwe Xabanisa 1 October 2021
The region produces star athletes in other sporting codes, but footballers are hurt by weak management, poor infrastructure and little incentive to stay.
Bonface Osano 29 September 2021
Despite little recognition of its value to the young fighters who use it to stay off the mean streets outside, this small academy is punching way above its weight.
Adrian Ephraim 27 September 2021
The Orlando Pirates captain may have reached one of the most significant milestones any player could hope for, but as a self-confessed achiever he has more dreams he wants to realise.
Matshelane Mamabolo 25 September 2021
Reigning supreme in the 1970s through to 1995 with Test play that kept the world spellbound, the island nations’ cricketers are now unlikely to reach those heights again.
Drew Forrest 22 September 2021
A sports training programme is teaching young boys and girls to respect each other, whether it’s on the field or court, at home or in the violent streets of their impoverished township.
Mo Allie 20 September 2021
The regime in the small country stands accused of using the sport to curry favour with its young population instead of investing meaningfully in uplifting the nation.
Maher Mezahi 18 September 2021
The finals of the US Open were one day but worlds apart, pitting youthful exuberance and hope against anguish and dead fish. But perhaps this says more about politics than tennis.
Telford Vice 17 September 2021
The teenage tennis players who stunned the world at the US Open smashed record after record in their spectacular run to the final match of the women’s Grand Slam.
Kelly Fletcher 16 September 2021
India’s feisty pace bowler has made rapid progress since starting to make his mark in 2016, but it’s been a hard journey and he is still learning to let his performance on the pitch speak for itsel…
Mohsin Kamal 15 September 2021
Critics of the Premier Soccer League say it is allowing money to break all the rules, playing favourites and silencing those who dare to question it.
Conrad Abrahams 13 September 2021
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard put the spotlight firmly on the issue when she became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics.
Daniel Gallan 11 September 2021
Seeing the legendary cricketer in action as a young child provided the necessary fire in the writer’s belly to pursue a career as a pace bowler, even as he was being advised against it.
Mohsin Kamal 10 September 2021
The cricketer’s retirement has triggered a flood of tributes not only for the superb athlete he was, but also for being a genuine mensch.
Lungani Zama 9 September 2021
The Botswana middle-distance runner suffered an injury in qualifiers and could not make a podium finish in the finals. Though gutted, he is hard at work again and hopes to do better in the next Gam…
Karien Jonckheere 8 September 2021
Francis Ngannou, Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya are the current mixed martial arts champions in their weight divisions, bringing Africa well into the fight for recognition in the sport.
Oluwashina Okeleji 4 September 2021
A youth development programme in the country gave young football players the chance to showcase their skills and clubs a new pool of talent from which to draw.
Solace Chukwu 3 September 2021
Die Fish Rite Hanover Park Krieketklub is ‘n toevlugsoord vir jongmense wie se daaglikse bestaan in een van die mees gewelddadige gebiede in Kaapstad ‘n alewige stryd om oorlewing is.
Adrian Ephraim 1 September 2021
The Fish Rite Hanover Park Cricket Club is a rare place of refuge for young people facing a harsh daily life in one of the most violent areas in the City of Cape Town.
Gordon Matheson plans to develop young and home-grown talent into a formidable second-division cricket team, to contend for a spot in division one and lead the way on transformation.
Tim Dale Lace 31 August 2021
In the sale of the iconic Free State heroes and their relocation to KwaZulu-Natal, the fans who stood by Phunya Sele Sele unwaveringly have been blatantly snubbed and left poorer.
Tonderai Chiyindiko 30 August 2021
Far from being the magical solution to Africa’s lacklustre football competitions, the proposed new league appears to be a case of CAF wanting to sweep its own inefficiency under the carpet.
Oluwashina Okeleji 28 August 2021
It was by chance that Ntombizile Mthombeni found herself playing wheelchair basketball. Yet she has gone on to coach many teams and be an ambassador for the sport in South Africa.
Lee Nxumalo 27 August 2021
Thomas Oosthuizen was a gloveless boxer fresh out of prison when Harry Ramogoadi took a chance on him. They say their special bond will be the basis from which they both achieve success.
Matshelane Mamabolo 23 August 2021
Banyana Banyana lost more than a kit manager when Ngidi died. The senior women’s national football team lost their No. 1 supporter, close confidante and lifter of moods in camps.
Busisiwe Mokwena 21 August 2021
Issa Amang had both his legs amputated after falling ill in 2018, but that did not stop him. With the help of prosthetics, he is back up and not only playing golf but winning.
Daniel Ekonde 20 August 2021
Organisers invited teams from surrounding areas to participate at Eastbury Grounds in order to begin healing the racial rifts that the July unrest and killings caused in the KwaZulu-Natal township.
Njabulo Ngidi 19 August 2021
Abahleli bomqhudelwano bebememe amaqembu asezindaweni ezehlukene ezakhelene nePhoenix ukuba azozwana amandla enkundleni yase-Eastbury ngenhloso yokuqala uhlelo lokubuyisana kwezinhlanga ezixabane n…
Kat Swanepoel hated the pool as a child, but having discovered para swimming through a friend just two years ago, she is ready to represent Team South Africa at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Karien Jonckheere 18 August 2021
With the English Premier League leading the pack, European and American sporting bodies are on a fierce drive to expand their dominance in Africa. What does it mean for the continent?
Ronak Gopaldas 17 August 2021
The coach of the Proteas Women has built the national team almost from scratch, taking them to the semifinals in two cricket World Cups. Getting to the final is next on their list of goals.
Simnikiwe Xabanisa 14 August 2021
The new league has gone ahead despite the politics surrounding it, but it could mean more trouble for Pakistan-India relations – and the territory itself.
Mohsin Kamal 13 August 2021
Black townships were awash with karate training halls in the 1970s, but they no longer exist. The masters who saw the martial art at its best in these dojos want to change that.
Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi 12 August 2021
Covid-19 may have scuppered his county cricket plans, but England’s loss is South Africa’s gain as the cricketer turns his attention to the domestic game, on and off the field.
Adrian Ephraim 10 August 2021
The former Banyana player and team manager believes those two previous roles will serve her well in her new big job at the South African Football Association.
Busisiwe Mokwena 9 August 2021
Rugby has a contentious past in Ireland as a ‘foreign and fantastic game linked with Britain’. But nations unite to back one team when the British and Irish Lions tour.
Daniel Gallan 7 August 2021
Despite what he may say, this talented South African runner has a shot at Olympic glory come the marathon on the final day of the Games.
Matshelane Mamabolo 6 August 2021
The Tokyo Games have been marked by strict and demanding Covid-19 protocols. But for most athletes, the lack of noisy, enthusiastic supporters cheering them on has been its signature feature.
Karien Jonckheere in Tokyo, Japan 5 August 2021
Having been disappointed by injuries in her past two Olympic Games, the marathon runner wants to make up for the tears of London and sorrow of Rio when she steps up to the starting line in Tokyo.
Matshelane Mamabolo 4 August 2021
The surfer from the Garden Route ends her professional surfing career on a high, taking silver at the Olympic Games and motivating young surfers from South Africa to aspire for more.
Mo Allie in Tokyo, Japan 2 August 2021
The English star and art collector says the Benin Bronzes looted from Nigeria during the colonial era should be returned to their rightful owners.
Daniel Gallan 31 July 2021
The South African sensation had to ‘learn to love swimming again’ after missing out on Rio, but her efforts were rewarded with gold and a new world record at the Olympics in Japan.
Karien Jonckheere in Tokyo, Japan 30 July 2021
Ronald Brown beat cancer to become an Olympian with the Springbok Sevens team. Any battle he faced on the pitch in Japan was nothing compared to what he had to overcome to get there.
Brenden Nel 30 July 2021
The Olympic Games mean more to the Boxer Athletic Club runner than glory. They’re a means to a much-needed potential pay cheque.
Matshelane Mamabolo 28 July 2021
The 72-year-old shot put and discus coach will achieve his dream in Tokyo, and after that he wants to steam forward with more energy as he has no intention of retiring anytime soon.
Thathe Msimango 26 July 2021
