MMA champion Dricus du Plessis and world cup winning South African rugby captain, Siya Kolisi. (Instagram/dricusduplessis)
What a time to be a sports fan in South Africa.
Across various sporting codes, we have been treated to exceptional performances from many of our heroes. They have excelled in rugby, cricket, football, mixed martial arts, the Olympics and on the racing front.
The members of the South African women’s cricket team can hold their heads high for making consecutive finals in the T20 format of the game.
The match ended in defeat but the team was impressive throughout the tournament.
Among those deserving accolades was captain Laura Wolvaardt for her impressive batting performance, with a total of 223 for the tournament, the only batter to score over 200.
Fellow opener Tazmin Brits ended up on 187. With the ball, Nonkululeko Mlaba was exceptional throughout with 12 wickets at an average of just 11.3 and an economy rate of 5.6 runs an over.
The all-rounder Marizanne Kapp was her usual sensational self, contributing with both bat and ball, and ended up with a splendid economy of 4.6, which is rarely seen in this format of the game.
In the final, the Proteas leaked too many runs through wides and extras. The team lacked the usual discipline with the ball as they fell short to an impressive New Zealand team which overcame a 10-match losing streak prior to the tournament to end up winners.
It could be said that too much pressure is put on the openers who regularly excel, leaving those following without much experience, especially in such a run chase. But chasing 158 was out of reach for the Proteas, despite an impressive opening partnership and the experience that followed.
With two successive final appearances, hopefully a third time will yield a win.
Still on the cricket front, Kagiso Rabada recently took his 300th test wicket, joining the likes of Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald and Morné Morkel. One can wonder how much higher that number would have been if South Africa played more tests.
Overall, the Proteas, in various series, remain one of the top sides in the world.
The Springbok team has been announced for next month’s series that will feature tests against Scotland, England and Wales. It promises to be exciting and will probably cement the Boks as the world’s best, if anyone has any doubts.
Bafana Bafana look primed to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament.
The team needs to secure two points in the final two games to be certain of a spot and it is likely they will. There is an upward tick in performances, with Hugo Broos working his magic.
If this trajectory continues, who knows, maybe a World Cup place will be secured in the not-too-distant future? The team finished third at the 2023 Afcon.
Dricus du Plessis, the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion, retained his title this year after a clinical finish to a close battle with former two-time champion Israel Adesanya. He will probably face Sean Strickland early next year in South Africa.
Let’s not forget Brad Binder, who finished seventh in the most recent Australian MotoGP. He remains in fifth in the overall standings, a remarkable feat.
In the rallying world, MotoSports racer Brad Cox is enjoying success. He was crowned World Rally2 Champion in Morocco recently after competing against the world’s best at the 2024 Rallye du Maroc.
He will be competing in the 2025 Dakar Rally where, for the first time, he will take part in the RallyGP class.
Next year, South Africa will be hosting the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship from 18 to 24 May in North West and Limpopo, where Cox will be competing on home soil.
“Having the title ‘world champion’ next to your name is great, and I’m really proud.
“Proud of the effort it took and the sacrifices to get to this point.
“It’s not just me, it’s my team, my family, my sponsors … it’s a massive group effort and to have it pay off is amazing,” he said recently.
“Now we get ready for Dakar. This is a building block and has given me confidence,” Cox said.
South African sport is in a golden era that should not be overlooked.
Our teams and the personnel who surround them are performing remarkably well on a global scale.
With football still one of the most popular sports in the country, the hope is that this upward trajectory can get the country where it was before — winning the Afcon and competing in the World Cup.
Nelson Mandela believed that sport had great potential to unite the nation and we see and feel this when our teams and individual contenders do well.
The country needs these heroes, because they put us on the map and inspire millions to strive further and do better.