This week Gary has a look at the Women's Proteas having one eye on a Women's World T20 semi-final spot, as Bafana Bafana face Congo in consecutive AFCON qualifiers.
WOMEN’S PROTEAS HAVE ONE EYE ON SEMIS
South Africa’s Proteas women complete the Group stage of their T20 World Cup campaign this week with a simple equation: avoid defeat to Bangladesh in their final game and they will reach the semi-finals. There are three teams with four points, and two of them – England and West Indies – square off meaning that one of them will stay on four points.
Therefore the Proteas have their fate in their own hands and should be too good for Bangladesh, which would then pitch South Africa into a semi-final, possibly as group winners.
BAFANA SHOULD WIN BUT FOCUS REQUIRED
It can be argued that of greater importance than the Nations League this weekend are the African Cup of Nations qualifying matches. We’re into the group phases and the two team countries from each group progress to next year’s main competition.
Bafana Bafana are at home this weekend to the DR Congo in Group K in Gqeberha. South Africa are 4-10 favourites to win against a team that has had a chaotic preparation, but they need to win to keep the pressure on group leaders Uganda who are at home to South Sudan.
WOMEN’S BOKS LOOK TO CONTINUE SURGE
Siya Kolisa’s appearance at the Women’s Springboks’ last match had the New Zealand women taking to social media to ask when the men’s All Blacks would attend a women’s game, and there certainly does feel like an upsurge in the women’s game here in South Africa.
Coach Swys de Bruin has made a huge difference and the Women’s Boks will look to make further progress when they host Italy in Cape Town on Saturday in the WXV 2 competition. It’s a juicy double-header at the Athlone Stadium, with that match being followed by Australia against Scotland. Should the Women’s Boks beat Italy, they would move to second on the six-team log.
NATIONS LEAGUE COMES THICK AND FAST
There are still 42 Nations League matches to be played from Friday to Tuesday as we’re in the middle of an “International break”. It’s hard trying to fathom just exactly how important, or not, this competition is to players and fans, but it does mean players have to go out and perform.
England, who lost to Greece on Thursday, can rebound by beating Finland on Sunday. Elsewhere, the champions of Spain are playing Denmark, while there are two big games featuring Germany and Holland and France against Belgium.
ALL FOUR SA TEAMS ON THE URC ROAD
I had enough egg on my face last week to make a wholesome omelette when I pointed out how tough it was to win away from home in the United Rugby Championship. What then happened was five of the eight away teams won!
But, I’ll stick to my guns as we head into week four of 18. Winning away in this competition isn’t easy unless it’s a case of Leinster playing Benetton of course. This weekend there look to be only two away wins on my radar – the Lions at the Dragons and the Bulls at the Ospreys. Both are Welsh teams and the sport is struggling there at the moment. The other two South African franchises, the Hollywoodbets Sharks and the Stormers are also away, and while their fans will fancy their chances, Benetton and Edinburgh are a lot tougher to beat at home than they are on the road.
EASTERN CAPE TALENTS BIG IN JAPAN
Two South African boxers are in Japan for important world title fights this weekend. Both hail from the boxing hotbed of the Eastern Cape and both are top talents.
Sivenathi “The Special One” Nontshinga defends his IBF junior-flyweight title against hard-hitting, but beatable, Japanese opponent Masamichi Yabuki at the Aichi Sky Expo Convention Centre, while Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu will challenge WBO junior-bantamweight world champ Kosei Tanaka at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Monday morning. Cafu’s task looks tougher than Nontshinga.
The Special One!!!! Sivenathi Nontshinga the two time WORLD CHAMPION!!! Wow, that was special…. He knocks out Curiel in the 10th round!!
— Rodney (@Ron_YNWA) February 17, 2024
He’s the IBF junior-flyweight world champion again!!! @SABC_Sport | @ColNomakanjani | #CurielNontshinga2 pic.twitter.com/14WYPmILVt
