Yearly Archives: 2003

Almost certain to face New Zealand in the quarterfinal, South Africa are now effectively warming up for that game and hope for a big victory over World Cup rookie Georgia on Friday. Only a major upset loss to Wales will stop the All Blacks finishing top of Group D and the South Africans look set to finish second behind the English.

Thirty-nine-year-old Julieta Hobjana, a single mother of three children, has mixed feelings about her new home, situated on high ground in the flood-prone district of Manhiça, in the southern province of Maputo. In the devastating floods of 2000, Hobjana did not lose any family members, but she lost all her possessions for the second time in her life.

Defending champion AC Milan was upset 1-0 by FC Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, while English powerhouse Manchester United and nine-time winner Real Madrid both won. Another Italian team, Lazio, lost to Chelsea 2-1 after taking an early lead.

British sprinter Dwain Chambers has become the first athlete to admit testing positive for the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone, or THG, but has denied he was trying to cheat. THG is at the heart of a major doping scandal in the United States, where several athletes have tested positive for the substance.

Students entering tertiary study next year will walk into a higher education landscape vastly different from the one South Africa has known for decades. From January, familiar institutional names will cease to exist. Where before you might have enrolled at Unisa or the University of Natal or the University of Durban-Westville, you’ll now be registering at … Well, no one knows just yet.

Phil Neville’s goal early in the first half gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Rangers in the Champions League on Wednesday. Dubbed the ”Battle of Britain”, the game marked the first time since 1992 the current English champion played the defending Scottish winner in European competition.

South African captain Graeme Smith said on Thursday that he wanted to square the two-Test series against Pakistan, leaving behind the defeat in the first Test earlier this week. ”I think in many ways the defeat in Lahore was a bit disappointing and we let ourselves down in lot of areas,” Smith told reporters.

Susan Webber’s five-goal streak led South Africa’s rousing 12-0 victory over Kazakhstan on Thursday in the Afro-Asian Games women’s field hockey competition. Pietie Coetzee, Kerry Bee and Sharne Wehmeyer scored two goals each. Bronwyn Ross contribute one in South Africa’s opening Pool A league match.

Fullback Norman Ligairi and flying winger Aisea Tuilevu scored two tries apiece on Thursday as Fiji kept its quarterfinal hopes alive with a 41-13 bonus-point win over Japan at the Rugby World Cup. Ligairi secured the bonus competition point with a brilliant solo effort in the 66th minute.