”Was John Matshikiza’s column (‘The good, the bad and the ungrateful’) a belated audition for Winnie Mandela FC? Ronald Suresh Roberts replies.
Business tycoons Tokyo Sexwale and Patrice Motsepe’s involvement in local soccer has been described as a positive step to end the sport’s Cinderella reputation in South Africa. ”We commend Motsepe and Sexwale,” said Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla at the official launch of Sexwale’s Mvela Golden League at the weekend.
English Premiership side Everton are in talks with European champions FC Porto to sign South African striker Benny McCarthy, private radio TSF reported on Tuesday. McCarthy was the Portuguese league’s top scorer last season with 20 goals but is not seen as a favourite of Porto’s new coach, Vitor Fernandez.
An aggressive 125-run partnership between Sanath Jayasuriya and Saman Jayantha on Tuesday helped Sri Lanka set a massive 309-run target for South Africa in the fifth and final one-day international. Sri Lanka went into the match with four consecutive wins and hope to sweep the series 5-0.
The family of Mark Thatcher have quit his Cape Town home, bound for the United States. Thatcher was arrested in South Africa last week on suspicion of financing a coup attempt in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. Thatcher’s Texan wife Diane and two children left their house on Monday evening, speeding past waiting journalists and through rush hour traffic escorted by guards in a second vehicle.
Reports of a family feud and racism in the family of high jumper Hestrie Cloete could have cost her the Olympic gold medal, her trainer Martin Marx said on Tuesday. Speaking on his return from the Olympics where Cloete scooped a silver medal, Marx said: ”She was under a lot of pressure but Hestrie takes pressure fine.”
England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has called a news conference on Tuesday amid speculation that he is to retire from international rugby union. The veteran back-row, who has played 73 times for his country and was on the team that won the World Cup last year, took over the captaincy after Martin Johnson retired.
Former world number one Serena Williams’s march towards reclaiming her US Open title began in stunning fashion on Monday when she overpowered Sandra Kleinova 6-1, 6-3 in a first-round match. Men’s top seed Roger Federer hammered out a 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 win over Spain’s Albert Costa.
England coach Clive Woodward has stunned the rugby and football establishment after it was reported he is looking to walk away from rugby to become a football coach. According to the Daily Mail, Woodward is hoping to gain a foothold in the English football scene so that he can one day lead the national team.
Sanath Jayasuriya top-scored with 79 runs and captured three wickets on Tuesday as Sri Lanka trounced South Africa by 49 runs in the final one-day international despite a fighting century from Jacques Kallis. Sri Lanka swept the series 5-0. Batting first, Sri Lanka amassed 308 runs, losing eight wickets in 50 overs.