It was a soothing stroll in King’s Park for what was little more than a Manchester United reserve team as Orlando Pirates suffered a humbling and humiliating 4-0 Vodacom Challenge defeat in Durban on Saturday afternoon. From as early as the third minute when Norwegian international striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ended a three-year, injury-plagued scoring drought, with the first of two first-half goals for The Red Devils
Reigning Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns resumed their winning ways when they beat visiting Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in a preseason friendly played at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Sundowns revelled in the traditional cricket venue with its smooth and well-manicured turf as they spread the ball around with great ease controlling much of the possession throughout the encounter.
World leaders pledged on Sunday to keep Africa’s woes in mind and to track actively their progress on cutting poverty and supporting development, a move welcomed by campaigners. British Prime Minister Tony Blair put assistance for Africa at the top of the agenda at the Group of Eight summit he hosted in 2005 but this year’s host Russia initially ignored the topic.
National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi has denied links to alleged illegal activities including drug smuggling, according to the <i>Sunday Independent</i>. This comes after reports in the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> linking him to Glenn Agliotti, the subject of a drugs probe by the Scorpions as part of its investigation into mining magnate Brett Kebble.
Western Province left no doubt that they are back as a major force on the domestic rugby scene with a courageous 20-13 Currie Cup victory over the Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday. As was the case the previous week against the Bulls, Luke Watson and company were given no chance of pulling off a victory, but again they defied the odds.
The Blue Bulls returned to some vital form as they demolished the Pumas 48-17 in Witbank on Saturday. Buoyed by a powerful forwards performance and some excellent running by their backs, the visitors turned what should have been a tricky encounter into an afternoon of tries and gave new coach Pote Human a morale-boosting victory.
The Sharks lost by a solitary point (22 – 23) to Griquas at Absa Park in Kimberley on Saturday in week four of the Absa Currie Cup to relinquish their unbeaten record in the competition. On a beautiful afternoon, with a cool breeze gently blowing through the stadium, the conditions were ideal for the Sharks to grasp the upper hand.
Discovery‘s six astronauts will learn on Sunday whether they have the final all-clear to fly home as analysts examined the space shuttle’s heat shield for potential micro-meteorite impacts. Nasa declared Discovery‘s left wing free of damage on Saturday, hours after the shuttle undocked from the International Space Station.
The leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised nations will seek on Sunday to close a widening rift over how best to calm violence in the Middle East. Israel’s bombing of Lebanon has forced its way to the top of the agenda of the G8 summit in St Petersburg, driving a wedge between the United States, a strong backer of Israel, and those who say Israel is being too violent.
The fairy tale of Zinedine Zidane vanished in an instant of visceral rage at the World Cup final. But what followed has proved strangely more compelling — more human, more profound, more universal. His now-legendary headbutt fascinated viewers around the world, competed with war zones for global headlines, and obsessed philosophers and sports fans alike.