FRIDAY, 1.30PM:
AMAZULU Football club skipper Francis Shonai has been given a free transfer by the club after it battled to sell him for a year.
Santos FC’s newly appointed CEO Afzal Khan said at his introduction by Santos chairman Goolam Allie in Rondebosch on Thursday that he wants the club to start winning trophies within two years.
Khan will administer the struggling club’s day-to-day business and will manage the first team.
Vaal Professionals chairman George Thabe said on Thursday that the club’s Ethiopian coach, Anteneh Eshete, has been sacked. Eshete will, however, stay on at the club in another post. Former Dynamos coach, Bulgarian Vassil Takov, will take over Eshete’s position in a bid to take the club to Premier League success.
SPORT BRIEFS
NAM TO HOST AFRICAN CRICKET TOURNEY
NAMIBIA will be the host nation of the first ever Africa Cricket championship in which twelve countries including South Africa will take part. The nine-day event will start on October 9 and will end on the 18th in Windhoek. The participating countries will be Namibia, Kenya, Swaziland, Uganda, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Lesotho and Tanzania. The competition was previously called the Zone Six tournament.
GUNSTON 500 ENTRIES TOP 200
THE Gunston 500 surfing contest, which starts in Durban on Tuesday, has attracted entries from 160 international and 77 local surfers.
SIX SA BATSMEN AVERAGE 50
SIX South African batsmen are averaging more than 50 runs in the current series against England. Gary Kirsten leads the pack with 78,33, his skipper Hansie Cronje follows on 75,50. Jonty Rhodes averages 74,66, Jacques Kallis is on 64,33, Daryll Cullinan is on 58, and Lance Klusener scores at an average of 54.
SUPER BOWL REPLAY MOVED
THE Bobsave Super Bowl final replay between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns has been rescheduled to Sunday July 26 at the FNB Stadium.
BASIMANYANA U14 CHAMPS
THE South African Under-14 soccer team, Basimanyana, won the Cites Foot Multinational Tournament with a superb 4-0 win over Mexico. The match was played as a curtain raiser to the France Croatia semifinal match at the Stade de France on Wednesday. Stanley Ngebulani, Moses Mphelo, Sibusiso Mkhobeni and Mighty Molefe scored the tournament-winning goals.
C-WEALTH CYCLING TEAM
THE 10-rider cycling team for the Commonwealth Games was announced by CGA chairman Mthomi Tyamzashe on Thurday.
The Team: David George, Robert Hunter, Simon Kessler, Jacques Fullard, Alistair Andrews, Malcolm Lange, Erica Green, Anke Erlank, Anriette Schoeman, Karin Avenant.
NO BOOZE IN BLOEM
THE Free State Rugby Union and Free State Cheetahs have decided not to allow spectators to take liquor to their seats at the Free State Stadium, after many complaints of alcohol abuse during the Test match between Ireland and the Springboks on June 13.
TEAMS TO PLAY IRELAND
THE South African cricket team travel to Downpatrick in Northern Ireland on Thursday for the first of their two one-day games against Ireland on Friday.
Friday Team: Gerry Liebenberg, Brian McMillan, Daryll Cullinan, Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Hansie Cronje, Mark Boucher, Pat Symcox, Steve Elworthy, Mornantau Hayward, Paul Adams.
Sunday Team: Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Pat Symcox, Brian McMillan, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje, Gerry Liebenberg(wk), Shaun Pollock, Steve Elworthy, Makhaya Ntini, Mornantau Hayward.
SPRINGBOKS LEAVE FOR TRI-NATIONS
THE Springbok rugby squad will leave South Africa on Thursday night to begin their Tri-Nations campaign.
Tri-Nations schedule:
July 11: Australia vs New Zealand (Melbourne)
July 18: Australia vs South Africa (Perth)
July 25: New Zealand vs South Africa (Wellington)
August 1: New Zealand vs Australia (Auckland)
August 15: South Africa vs New Zealand (Durban)
August 22: South Africa vs Australia (Johannesburg)
KNOX BACK TO SA
FORMER Wallaby flyhalf David Knox is returning to South Africa to play for Natal in this year’s Currie Cup. Knox left Sydney on Wednesday after agreeing to a contract on Tuesday.