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OPINION: SA needs to play its role in southern Africa’s development
It might seem a little strange to see international teams competing at South African championships.
However, it’s important that SA plays a role by assisting with development in Southern African sport. cat-cross.com
At the Spar National Netball Championships in Cape Town this week, Botswana and Namibia are participating in the senior A division, which is something we’ve also seen in cricket, with Zimbabwean and Namibian sides competing at our domestic tournaments over the years.
It might seem a little pointless in terms of the netball tournament because neither team will be included in the points table and they are not eligible for medals.
However, Malawi and Uganda are the only African teams that have ever really been able to compete against the Proteas, and for the general standard of netball in the region to be improved, South Africa needs to lead the way as the powerhouse side on the continent.
Last year, South Africa played a men’s cricket Test series in Zimbabwe, and next month the Proteas women’s cricket team will be touring Zimbabwe. A couple of months ago, the SA A rugby team played a game against Zimbabwe.
These tours and matches are crucial for the growth and development of sport in Southern Africa, and with our country dominating the region in most codes, we need more of this.
Giving our neighbours a boost
Outside of African Championships, most of our national teams tend to focus on games and series against sides from other continents, and this is obviously important for us to be able to raise our own standards in order to be globally competitive.
But if our neighbours are showing interest in sport by trying to invest and improve, then it’s our duty to assist them where we can.
Even if they were officially playing at the domestic netball showpiece this week, Botswana and Namibia would probably not be competitive enough to challenge for the title.
But by facing some of SA’s best players, their squads (and coaches) will gain valuable experience which they can take home in an attempt to grow the game in their own countries.
And even some of South Africa’s younger players can get some value out of playing against international teams, many of them for the first time in their careers.
So we won’t be watching too closely at the results, but by having other Southern African countries in Cape Town this week, there is a lot to gain.
Mofokeng Marks Royale Union Debut with Stunning First Goal
Bafana Bafana star Relebohile Mofokeng scored his first goal for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in their 5-1 thrashing of Westerlo in his Belgian Pro League debut.
Mofokeng came off the bench in the 60th minute, replacing Promise David, and made an immediate impact by scoring his first goal for the club just four minutes after his introduction to give his side a 3-1 lead.
The South African saw out the rest of the match as his side secured a comfortable 5-1 victory in their Belgian Pro League opener.
WATCH: Mofokeng scored his first goal for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
🇿🇦 Relebohile Mofokeng scores on his Belgium Pro League debut!!!
Westerlo 1️⃣-3️⃣ USG
pic.twitter.com/Cg5GtUGcW7— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) August 8, 2026
Image: Royale Union Saint-Gilloise/X
The post Mofokeng Marks Royale Union Debut with Stunning First Goal appeared first on SportsClub.
Rassie: We saw the old Eben again
Rassie Erasmus praised Eben Etzebeth after the veteran lock produced a commanding 80-minute performance in the Springboks’ 17-10 win against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Etzebeth made his first appearance for the Boks since last November, extending his national record to 142 Test caps.
The 34-year-old was one of seven Springboks returning from injuries or niggles against Los Pumas.
The highlight of Etzebeth’s effort was a thunderous tackle on Argentina centre Faustino Sánchez Valarolo.
“Eben Etzebeth going 80. I thought we saw the old Eben again in the game,” Erasmus said. “He was physical, he carried well. He defended well.”
Erasmus was also encouraged by what he saw from Etzebeth’s second-row partner Lood de Jager, despite the veteran lock understandably tiring on his return to Test rugby.
“Lood de Jager was really physical in the first 25-30 minutes when he was relatively fresh, and then obviously the pace of the game got to him because he hasn’t played in almost a year.”
MORE: Erasmus sheds light on crocked Siya
Captain Siya Kolisi also made his comeback, leaving the field after 24 minutes with a hamstring injury.
“I thought Siya was really dynamic with his carries and his clean-outs,” said Erasmus.
There was valuable game time, too, for flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg.
“Sacha was obviously playing back for the first time in a very long time and he wasn’t very accurate, you could see he got tired,” Erasmus said.
“Then obviously Krappie [Van den Berg] … it was very blustery and very windy so it was difficult to control the box-kicks.”
ALSO: Rassie lauds ‘leg-weary’ Boks
Erasmus added that utility backs Canan Moodie and Ethan Hooker had also made encouraging returns.
“I thought Canan Moodie came through well, Ethan Hooker also came through well after being out for a while.”
Photo: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
The post Rassie: We saw the old Eben again appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Bénin: un temps menacé, le 17e Forum social mondial s’est achevé avec des promesses
La 17e édition du Forum social mondial, organisée à Cotonou, s'est clôturée samedi 8 août après une toute dernière cérémonie à l’université d’Abomey-Calavi. Plus de 100 pays représentés, des centaines d'organisations présentes pendant trois jours avec l'objectif de débattre sur les grandes thématiques de notre temps : justice sociale, écologie politique, mobilisation citoyenne et mouvements sociaux, mais également les défis liés aux migrations. Si cet événement n’a pas vocation à présenter de grandes conclusions à son terme, il a été l’occasion pour bon nombre d’associations de travailler main dans la main et ainsi de bâtir leur future collaboration.