Bok playmaker out of third Test

Rassie Erasmus has confirmed Springbok fullback Damian Willemse will miss next Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks in Soweto through injury. sweetbonanza-app.com

Willemse limped off in the final play of the first half of the Boks’ 33-26 win over New Zealand at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, replaced by Manie Libbok.

RECAP: Boks bounce back in Cape Town

“Damian Willemse? Yeah, he’s injured his hamstring, he’s out for next week,” Erasmus said after the match.

The result levelled the four-match series 1-1 and returned the Boks to the world No 1 ranking, with Man of the Match Cheslin Kolbe contributing 21 points off the kicking tee.

ALSO: Springboks regain No 1 ranking

Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images

The post Bok playmaker out of third Test appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Cheslin Kolbe booted 18 points to guide the Springboks to an enthralling 33-16 triumph over the All Blacks at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

Perfect start. Perfect game. Perfect result. Rugby’s Greatest Rival series is alive and well after the Springboks dug deep to turn the tables on the All Blacks in front of a boisterous crowd.

FIRST HALF RECAP

The Springboks started like a house on fire with Jesse Kriel breaching the defence from close range to score as early as the second minute. This after Jordie Barrett’s clearance kick from the initial kick-off not finding enough distance and from the lineout, the Boks mauled, Deon Fourie and Siya Kolisi carried powerfully, the ball was swung wide and Kriel dotted down.

One early worry from South Africa were exiting and the defence in midfield, with Damian Willemse having three bad kicks in a row and Kriel missing multiple hits, which allowed the visitors to get into promising positions on the field.

One such moment resulted in the All Blacks having a 5m attacking lineout. Luckily Eben Etzebeth disrupted the ball at the set-piece, forcing a knockout and thus a defensive scrum for the Boks, laying the foundation for an easy exit from the danger zone.

However, all that mattered little as the All Blacks eventually broke the line to score.

With the scores level and New Zealand having played little to no rugby, there would have been some nervous people in the Springbok camp. But unlike last week at Ellis Park, the Boks weren’t put off by that. A quick-fire 10 points saw them open a 10-point lead.

The All Blacks were at their wits end with the Springboks’ power and resorted to the darks arts of the game. Seatbelt tackles were flying in. Tacklers were on the wrong side of the ruck. Others were not retreating behind at the ruck and entering illegally. Holding players back off the ball.

And all this was done in clear view of the match officials, but referee Angus Gardner rarely punish these obviously deliberate indiscretions much to the dismay of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who brought it under his attention multiple times.

Be that as it may, the South Africans got on with the job at hand. They leaked one try and scored another to reinstate the 10-point lead at the midway mark. With five minutes to go in the half, the Springboks made a double change in the front row Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx replacing Johan Grobbelaar and Deon Fourie respectively.

But the most important action late in the half was when Willemse went down injured after getting his positioning wrong as he attempted to make a tackle. As the teams were making their way off into the tunnel, Willemse was still down in centre-field, drawing the attention of Rassie Erasmus, who hurried onto the field to check on his fullback.

SECOND HALF RECAP

Unfortunately, for Erasmus and the Springboks, Willemse didn’t return for the second half, with Manie Libbok coming on at flyhalf and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu moving to fullback. That disruption didn’t have any lasting effect on the Springboks as Libbok did well on attack and particularly in defence.

After the restart, Kolbe – who was sensational on the night – nailed a long range shot at goal, and another angled penalty, extending the lead to 16. From there, it turned into a real arm-wrestle, or clash of styles.. The All Blacks tried with all their might to make it a high-tempo game, running every time they get on the ball. The Springboks, for all their attacking evolution in recent years, stuck to their power game. Brutal carries when on the ball, equally brutal tackles in defence.

When the All Blacks eventually danced their way through to score in the left hand corner, one would have expected that’s where their comeback starts. However, a third second half penalty kept the scoreboard ticking over the Springboks.

There would be a grandstand finish as the skipper Ardie Savea burrowed through a double tackle to score and Ruben Love slotted the touchline conversion to make it a seven-point game with three minutes to go. Suddenly there was a nervousness around the stadium and that feeling only intensified when Lood de Jager was sent off in the dying moments of the game.

But, as they did throughout that second half, the Springboks’ defence held firm under immense pressure to see out the game and clinch a much-needed win.

Opinion: Kenya’s Women in Sport Deserve More Than Applause

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 -Women’s sport is growing rapidly worldwide, but is Kenya doing it justice?

From experience, Kenya’s women’s sports personalities feel they are treated as children of a lesser god.

Ironically, women’s sports, from Athletics, volleyball, football, and hockey, have been the most successful in the country.

For instance, the national women’s under-17 team, Junior Starlets, became the first ever football team for both men and women to enable Kenya to compete at a FIFA World Cup.

The Junior Starlets first qualified for the World Cup in 2024 before returning to the global stage this year.

If you narrow it down to Athletics – Kenya’s most successful sport- most of the gold medals have been won by women, whether it’s at the Olympic Games, World Championships or Marathons.

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships, out of the seven gold medals, six were won by women.

Turning focus to volleyball, the national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, are the most successful team on the continent with a record 10 titles.

We celebrate them when they win, we praise their courage when they compete, we post their photographs on social media when they bring medals and trophies home, we call them heroines when they achieve something extraordinary, but too often, the support disappears when the cameras do.

For years, Kenyan women in sport have demonstrated that they are capable of competing at the highest levels despite operating in environments where resources, visibility and institutional support are often inadequate.

Yet, instead of building on that potential, the country continues to ask them to achieve more with less.

The question Kenya should be asking is not whether our women have the talent. They clearly do.

The question is: how much more could they achieve if the system actually worked for them?

The Starlets showed what could have been

After 10 years, the Harambee Starlets returned to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), qualifying for their second continental competition.

The national women’s team competed in the 2026 WAFCON, where they once again bowed out in the group stages.

After years away from the continental stage, Kenya had fought through qualification to earn its place among Africa’s best.

Representing the country at such a tournament should have been a moment of complete focus, preparation and belief.

Instead, questions surrounding the team’s welfare and delayed allowances became part of the conversation.

In football, performances must always be analyzed honestly. But it is equally important to ask whether the players were given the best possible environment to succeed.

When athletes have to worry about allowances and welfare before representing their country at one of the biggest tournaments on the continent, the problem is bigger than what happens on the pitch.

It becomes an institutional failure; both the Ministry of Sports and Football Kenya Federation are to blame for denying the Harambee Starlets ample preparations.

For context, Harambee Starlets played in the WAFCON without playing a competitive friendly despite camping in Miramas, France.

We cannot expect athletes to perform like professionals while treating their preparation and welfare as an afterthought.

The Harambee Starlets may not have achieved the results at WAFCON Kenyans wanted, but blaming the players for the failure and ignoring the environment they were operating in is an injustice.

A national team can only be as prepared as the system around it allows, and when that system fails, the consequences eventually show on the field.

-Malkia Strikers Not Spared Either-

The situation is not limited to football.

Their history in African volleyball speaks for itself. They have represented Kenya on the continental and global stage and continue to carry the expectations of a country that knows exactly what they are capable of.

Yet, even a team with such a successful history has had to raise concerns about unpaid allowances, lack of kit and the resources needed to compete.

The team had to stage a protest a few days before the 2026 CAVB African Championships that serves as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games Qualifier, for their allowances to be sorted.

This is particularly frustrating considering the importance of the tournaments they participate in.

These are not meaningless matches.

These are competitions that can determine continental titles, World Championship opportunities and, in some cases, qualification for the Olympic Games.

Imagine having a team with a genuine opportunity to represent Kenya at the Olympics, yet allowing concerns about allowances, training conditions or equipment to become part of their preparation.

Instead of discussing tactics, opponents and how Kenya can maximise its chances of success, athletes are sometimes forced to fight for the basic support they should already have.

That should concern everybody.

Because the question remains: will our athletes receive the necessary support before we ask them to deliver extraordinary results again?

The talent is there. The system is the problem.

Perhaps the most painful part of this entire conversation is that Kenyan women continue to prove that the talent already exists.

The Junior Starlets have shown that Kenya has a future in women’s football.

The Harambee Starlets have demonstrated that, despite the challenges surrounding them, they can compete for places at Africa’s biggest tournaments.

Malkia Strikers have repeatedly shown their ability to compete with and overcome some of the best teams on the continent.

Then there is athletics, where Kenyan women have continued to establish themselves among the best athletes in the world.

The evidence, talent and ambition are already there.

What often appears to be missing is the consistency of investment, planning, accountability and leadership needed to take these athletes and teams to another level.

Imagine what Kenyan women’s sport could look like if these athletes had uninterrupted training camps, proper facilities, quality equipment, reliable allowances, medical support and long-term development programmes.

Imagine if preparation for a major tournament started months and years before the competition rather than becoming a rushed process at the last minute.

Imagine if the same urgency shown when a team wins was present before they stepped onto the field.

Because success in sport is rarely accidental. It is built.

And Kenya, through the Ministry of Sports and respective federations, has a responsibility to build an environment where talented women can succeed.

sexual exploitation

There is another battle that Kenyan women in sport are sometimes forced to confront, one that has absolutely nothing to do with their ability to play.

It is the battle against objectification, sexualisation and, where misconduct occurs, sexual harassment and exploitation.

A female athlete should be able to walk into a training camp, a federation office, a changing room or a competition knowing that the people around her are there to help her develop and succeed. Not to take advantage of her.

Unfortunately, conversations surrounding women athletes can sometimes become more focused on their bodies, relationships or private lives than on their actual sporting achievements, and that is one of the most disappointing parts of how women’s sport is consumed.

A woman can train for years, sacrifice time with her family, fight through difficult conditions to represent her country at the highest level.

She can score the goal, make the save, win the match, break the record, or qualify for a major international tournament, yet the story that receives the most attention can sometimes have nothing to do with her performance.

It can be about her body, personal life, or a scandal surrounding her.

That is not the attention women’s sport needs.

Female athletes should not have to become spectacles before their sporting ability is taken seriously.

It’s for this reason that the European Broadcasting Union, in July 2026 during the European Athletics Championships, introduced new guidelines for broadcasters on using more respectful camera angles when covering live athletics events.

The issue becomes even more serious when athletes are subjected to sexual harassment, exploitation or abuse by people within the sporting environment.

Sport is built around power.

Coaches can influence an athlete’s development, officials can influence opportunities, administrators can control resources.

People in positions of authority can sometimes have significant influence over whether an athlete gets selected, travels with a team or receives an opportunity.

That power must never be abused.

No athlete should feel that her career depends on tolerating inappropriate behaviour.

No athlete should feel forced to remain silent because speaking up could cost her a place on the team.

And no athlete should have to choose between protecting herself and protecting the career she has spent years building.

Federations and sporting institutions have a responsibility to create safe environments for athletes.

There must be clear safeguarding systems.

There must be confidential and accessible ways for athletes to report misconduct.

There must be proper investigations.

And there must be protection for athletes who come forward.

Most importantly, there must be consequences.

If an individual is accused of misconduct, the allegations must be investigated fairly and seriously.

If that individual is found guilty of sexual abuse, exploitation or any other criminal offence, their position, influence or connections within sport should not protect them. They should face the full consequences of the law.

The media has a role to play.

There is also a responsibility that falls on the public and the media.

We have to ask ourselves why the sexualization of female athletes can sometimes attract more attention than their actual sporting performances.

Why can a woman’s appearance generate more conversation than her achievement?

Why can gossip about an athlete trend faster than news about her representing Kenya at a continental or global competition? And why do we sometimes wait for controversy before paying attention to women who have been quietly performing at an incredibly high level for years?

The problem is not simply that women athletes need more coverage; they need better coverage.

Coverage that focuses on their performances, their journeys, their challenges and their achievements.

Coverage that treats a women’s international football match with the same seriousness as a men’s match.

Coverage that asks why a successful volleyball team is struggling with resources instead of only remembering them when they win.

Coverage that follows the Junior Starlets’ development even when they are not playing at a World Cup.

And coverage that refuses to turn women into objects simply because objectification generates clicks and engagement.

The media, fans and federations have a responsibility to safeguard women’s sport.

Une semaine après la claque reçue au Vélodrome, Strasbourg devait réagir. Le Racing l’a fait avec caractère, au terme d’une rencontre spectaculaire face à Lens (2-1).

Pourtant, les Alsaciens ont longtemps couru après le score. Florian Thauvin avait donné l’avantage aux Sang et Or sur penalty, atteignant au passage la barre symbolique des 100 buts en Ligue 1. Mais cette équipe de Strasbourg n’a jamais renoncé. Plus entreprenante au fil des minutes, elle a fini par faire craquer un Lens qui restait pourtant sur deux succès convaincants contre le PSG puis Auxerre. Et dans cette remontée, un jeune homme a changé le destin de la soirée : Gessime Yassine.

Le grand soir de Gessime Yassine

À seulement 20 ans, le jeune talent a profité de cette soirée pour se révéler sous les projecteurs. Déjà très actif dans le premier acte, il a constamment cherché à provoquer la défense lensoise et à créer le danger. Après la pause, son influence est devenue décisive. Servi par Giovanni Reyna, Yassine a trouvé l’ouverture dès la 48e minute pour inscrire le premier but de sa carrière en Ligue 1. Mais il n’allait pas s’arrêter là. À la 85e minute, il a récidivé en reprenant un centre de Sebastian Nanasi et a définitivement fait chavirer la Meinau. Arrivé de Dunkerque cet hiver pour 7 millions d’euros, le Marocain a donc attendu son premier grand coup dans l’élite pour signer un doublé. Une soirée qui pourrait bien marquer un tournant dans son ascension.

Lens a résisté avant de finir par céder

Le scénario est frustrant pour Lens, qui avait pourtant les armes pour repartir avec un résultat. Abdallah Sima, particulièrement remuant, a posé de nombreux problèmes à la défense strasbourgeoise et obtenu le penalty de l’ouverture du score après une nouvelle accélération. Derrière lui, Thauvin a assumé son rôle de capitaine en transformant l’occasion et en inscrivant son 100e but en Ligue 1. Dans les cages, Robin Risser, formé à Strasbourg, a également longtemps retardé le réveil alsacien grâce à plusieurs interventions importantes. Mais le Racing a progressivement pris le dessus après la pause. Strasbourg a davantage poussé, Lens a reculé et Yassine a finalement puni les Sang et Or. Même les dernières offensives lensoises, dont une tête dangereuse de Florian Sotoca dans le temps additionnel, n’ont pas suffi à inverser le scénario.

Une victoire qui peut lancer la saison

Pour Strasbourg, cette victoire représente bien plus qu’un simple succès. Elle permet au Racing d’effacer rapidement le souvenir de la défaite à Marseille et surtout de montrer qu’il possède les ressources nécessaires pour répondre dans les moments difficiles. Mais cette soirée appartient avant tout à Yassine. Ses deux premiers buts en Ligue 1, inscrits dans un match aussi intense, donnent une autre dimension à son début de carrière dans l’élite. La Meinau a célébré une victoire, mais elle a surtout découvert un joueur capable de faire basculer une rencontre à lui seul. Après une telle prestation, le nom de Gessime Yassine risque de résonner beaucoup plus fort dans les prochaines semaines.

The post Ligue 1: Strasbourg renverse Lens appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.

IMMAF President Kerrith Brown has begun an official visit to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, holding preliminary discussions regarding the potential hosting of the IMMAF African Championships in April 2027.

President Brown was joined by representatives of the national MMA federation and welcomed by a delegation of sporting and government stakeholders to discuss the requirements for staging a major Continental IMMAF Championship.

The discussions covered potential venues and sporting infrastructure, athlete accommodation and transportation, visa support, medical provision, security, broadcast and media capabilities, volunteers, and more.

A major focus of the discussions was also the long-term development of MMA in Côte d’Ivoire and across Africa, particularly through youth participation, women’s development, coach and officials’ education, safeguarding, anti-doping, and the creation of sustainable athlete pathways from grassroots participation through to international competition.

Brown highlighted IMMAF’s continued commitment to strengthening its African National Federations and providing young athletes across the continent with opportunities to represent their countries on the international stage.

Speaking during the visit, Brown said: “I have been extremely encouraged by the welcome we have received in Côte d’Ivoire and particularly by the number of key stakeholders who came together to discuss the future development of MMA.

“Our ambition is not simply to bring an event into a country and leave. We want to create a lasting legacy through youth development, education, safeguarding, opportunities for women and girls, and a pathway for athletes to progress from their communities to their national teams and ultimately the world stage.

“We are now exploring the possibility of bringing the IMMAF African Championships to Côte d’Ivoire in April 2027. This visit gives us the opportunity to assess the infrastructure, meet the relevant stakeholders, and understand what can be achieved together.

“I would love to see Côte d’Ivoire become an important centre for the development of MMA in Africa and, if we can successfully build that pathway together, potentially host even larger IMMAF international events in the future.”

The visit will continue with further meetings and assessments of potential venues, infrastructure, and operational requirements. Any future hosting decision will be subject to the completion of IMMAF’s assessment and agreement between the relevant parties.

IMMAF continues to prioritise the expansion of structured, safe, and sustainable amateur MMA across Africa, with athlete development and strong National Federations at the centre of its strategy.

The post IMMAF President Kerrith Brown visits Côte d’Ivoire ahead of 2027 African Championships appeared first on SportsAfrica - Sports news | Live scores | Match highlights | Betting tips.