Sport Matters

The better-known talking point ahead of Bafana Bafana's opening 2026 World Cup match against Mexico on Thursday, June 11, is that it mirrors the opening fixture of the 2010 tournament. On June 11 that year, South Africa and Mexico kicked off the World Cup at FNB Stadium, with Bafana carrying the hopes of a nation on home soil. But there is another fascinating twist to Thursday's encounter in Mexico City. Forty years ago, current Bafana coach Hugo Broos lined up for Belgium against host nation Mexico in the opening match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Played on June 3 at the iconic Estadio Azteca, the match marked the start of a tournament that would become one of football's most memorable spectacles. It is the very same stadium that will host South Africa and Mexico when the 2026 World Cup gets underway. Belgium lost that opening match 2-1 to the hosts, but Broos and his teammates recovered impressively. Led by stars such as Erwin Vandenbergh, they embarked on a remarkable...

Sudan’s improbable march into the knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is already one of the tournament’s most powerful stories. On Saturday, January 3, in Tangier, the Falcons of Jediane face continental heavyweights Senegal in the round of 16, carrying with them not only tactical plans and match-day hopes, but the weight of a nation shattered by war yet unwilling to surrender its dreams. That Sudan even qualified for the Morocco tournament borders on the miraculous. Forced into exile by a brutal civil war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the national team has lived up to its falcon moniker by soaring far beyond its broken homeland to survive. Home matches were staged abroad, preparations scattered across foreign soil, including Saudi Arabia, and players lived as displaced men rather than celebrated athletes. Yet, against all odds, Sudan squeezed through Group E as one of the best third-placed teams be...

African football stands on the cusp of another compelling chapter as the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, December 21. While the opening fixture between hosts Morocco and Comoros at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat may not immediately stir memories of classic AFCON showdowns, the tournament itself carries a weight of expectation that extends far beyond the first whistle. Morocco arrives as both host nation and one of the continent’s most formidable footballing powers. The Atlas Lions have enjoyed a golden period in recent years, highlighted by their historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and consistent dominance at youth and club levels. With a squad brimming with Europe-based stars, tactical maturity, and home support behind them, Morocco are widely tipped as favourites to lift the trophy. For many fans, AFCON 2026 represents an opportunity for the North African giants to finally translate their promise into continenta...

South Africa’s three major national teams — the Springboks, Bafana Bafana and the Proteas — all delivered statement victories last weekend, setting the nation alight with pride and reminding the world of the country’s enduring sporting pedigree. It was a rare moment when rugby, football and cricket converged to produce a collective surge of national confidence. In Turin on Saturday, the Springboks defeated Italy 32–12 in a Test match that reaffirmed their status as the number-one team in world rugby. While the Azzurri have long outgrown their reputation as easy beats, few expected them to topple the reigning world champions. Yet the context of the Springbok victory made the result especially remarkable. South Africa were forced to play with 14 men for almost the entire match after lock Franco Mostert received a red card in the 11th minute for a tackle on Italian flyhalf Paolo Garbisi. Apart from New Zealand referee James Doleman, few observers — including commentators and analysts — ...

Many football fans around the world, including in South Africa, mistakenly believe that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted solely by the United States. In fact, the tournament will be co-hosted by three North American countries: Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host the opening match on Thursday, June 11, 2026. With a capacity of 87,000, it will become the first stadium in World Cup history to host three opening matches, having previously done so in 1970 and 1986. The opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca promises to celebrate Mexico’s rich football heritage while offering a glimpse into the broader cultural legacy of the Americas. Expect the ceremony to showcase elements of Aztec history. The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica—the root of the modern name “Mexico”—were the architects of a sophisticated Mesoamerican civilization centered in what is now central and southern Mexico. Their capital, Tenochtitlan, was founded in 1325, and ...

South Africa’s biggest football clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, find themselves in a rare shared situation this weekend — both are in Lubumbashi, DR Congo, for continental battles. First off the mark are Chiefs, who on Saturday meet AS Simba in the CAF Confederation Cup at the TP Mazembe Stadium. Kick-off is at 3pm SA time. On Sunday, Pirates take on Saint Eloi Lupopo in the CAF Champions League at the 35,000-capacity Stade Frédéric Kibassa Maliba. While Lupopo are based in Lubumbashi — the DRC’s second-largest city after Kinshasa — Simba hail from Kolwezi, about 300km northwest of Lubumbashi. They have been forced to stage their CAF home fixtures in Katanga’s capital because their home province, Lualaba, lacks a CAF-approved stadium. Simba booked their spot in the 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup by winning the Coupe du Congo, the national cup competition, defeating MK Kinshasa 1–0 in the final. Jacques Mangoba netted the decisive goal in the 90th minute, sealing both the t...