THURSDAY, 12.30PM:
THE Congolese soccer officials, who left South Africa on Sunday right after their squad lost to Bafana Bafana in a crucial World Cup qualifier, have lodged a complaint with Egyptian match commissioner Fathy Nossier, claiming that their players were assaulted during and after the match. They alleged that missiles were thrown at their players during the match and in the tunnel on their way to the change rooms.
South African Football Association CEO Danny Jordaan dismissed their allegations. He said they were “misleading everybody and distorting the facts. We are the ones who should be complaining because they were unco-operative,” said Jordaan.
National coach Clive Barker said: “Obviously they feel bad about the loss. I don’t even want to bother myself about these claims.”
SPORT BRIEFS
SA DROPS TO 24 SOUTH AFRICA Have dropped to 24 in the latest world soccer rankings released by the International Football Federation (Fifa) on Wednesday. Brazil, Spain and Denmark are the top three.
NEW HORIZONS FOR SUNDOWNS MAMELODI Sundowns have received invitations from Greece and Czechoslovakia to play a series of soccer matches.
BOLAND GETS BACKING THE Boland cricket team, SA’s biggest provincial club, on Wednesday announced it has tied up a five-year R2,5-million sponsorship deal with Langeberg Foods Africa.
COMRADES CHANGES NEXT year’s Comrades Marathon finish will be moved from Maritzburg’s sports stadium to the Scottsville race course, according to Comrades Marathon Association chairman, Adrian Stowell. Next year’s race will be on June 16.
RICHARDSON WON’T BE BACK WEST Indies cricket captain Richie Richardson will not be returning to the Northern Transvaal to finish the second half of his two-year contract. Northern Transvaal Cricket Union CEO Elize Lombard said on Wednesday that the executive will decide soon whether to sign an overseas player to replace him.
ENGLAND BEAT SA WOMEN SOUTH AFRICA’S women’s cricket team lost to England by seven wickets at Lords in England on Wednesday. England are leading 2-1 in the five-match women’s one-day cricket series.