Messi, Djokovic reinforce GOAT status on a thrilling World Cup & Wimb…

If you truly believe that World Cup icon Lionel Messi and Wimbledon legend Novak Djokovic aren’t the GOAT in their respective crafts, your levels of delusion need to be studied.

Will the Messi magic ever run out?

After another dramatic evening in the World Cup, the quarter-final lineup is complete. Defending champions Argentina survived an almighty scare, coming from 2-0 down to eventually beat Egypt in a thriller. The great Lionel Messi was at the forefront, as he usually is. The man from Rosario missed a penalty on 21 minutes but atoned spectacularly with an assist for Cristian Romero’s 79th-minute goal and then a goal of his own on 83 minutes. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez completed the stunning comeback in stoppage time. Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes to set up a quarter-final with Messi’s merry men.

Ageless Djokovic turns back the clock, again

1987 was a decent vintage. Born a mere 32 days before Mr Messi, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic is still on course for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title after an astonishing quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon. It took the Serbian five hours and fifteen minutes to eventually vanquish his Canadian opponent, the longest match he’s ever contested at SW19. His reward is a semi-final berth with World Number 1 and tournament favourite Jannik Sinner. The odds might not be in Djokovic’s favour ahead of their Friday showdown, but that’s never stopped Novak. betsport24.es

This will be his 15th appearance in the final four at Wimbledon, where he’s gunning for an eighth crown to take him level with Roger Federer as the tournament’s most decorated men’s player. There’s no longer a debate around who the tennis GOAT is. That man is now in a contest with himself, and he’s hungrier than ever before.

Djokovic and Sinner do battle on Friday.

Double Springbok World Cup winner Duane Vermeulen says the Springbok coaching staff are working on upskilling Evan Roos to be a quality all-round eighthman.

The former Bok No 8, and current SA Rugby mobi-unit coach, was speaking on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Springboks’ second Nations Championship Test match against Scotland at Loftus on Saturday, following the weekend’s 45-21 victory over England at Ellis Park.

Roos, who was the United Rugby Championship’s top try-scorer with 12 tries in the regular season, earns another rare cap after playing only one Test last year – against Italy.

It will be just his ninth Test after being on the fringes of selection, playing third fiddle to Jasper Wiese and Kwagga Smith despite driving success at the Stormers for years.

In fact, Roos lost out on opportunities for a year after his 2022 Test debut, while Vermeulen was still playing eighthman for the Boks.

‘A lot of energy’

“We want to give every single guy an opportunity to play, and it’s Evan Roos’s opportunity to lift his hand and say ‘listen, I am also here’,” Vermeulen said.

“This is a good game for him to show his worth and the impact he has on the game. He is the big go-to guy for the Stormers. His energy on the pitch is massive. We’d like to see a lot of that.

“He’s a fantastic player with a lot of energy. But there’s a difference between playing URC and Test-match rugby. Hopefully, we can get him there and he will produce the goods we are looking for.

The free-flowing style at the Stormers also worked against Roos as the Bok coaches had to teach him structure.

“With us there is a specific way of playing. With the Stormers there is a little bit more of a French style [flair]. They get away with it.

“It’s nice because it’s open field rugby and they can pass and run off guys.”

‘He’s a quick learner’

Vermeulen said some players who were used to playing freely found it difficult to transition straight into a structured approach.

“That’s the major thing, but he’s a quick learner and I like the way he plays and his intensity. Hopefully, he can showcase that.”

Another eighthman, Cameron Hanekom played just his second Test for the Boks against England. He, however, had to slot in at flanker after Siya Kolisi’s late injury and Pieter-Steph du Toit moved to lock.

Vermeulen said South Africa was blessed with loose forward depth, and he hoped Hanekom would also get another chance.

C’était un dribbleur hors pair. Le football algérien, et plus particulièrement celui de Sidi Bel Abbès, est en deuil. L’ancien milieu offensif de l’USM Bel Abbès et de l’équipe nationale, Amar Ahmed, s’est éteint dans la nuit de dimanche, à l’âge de 75 ans. Né le 22 juin 1951 à Sidi Bel Abbès, Amar Ahmed a effectué toute sa carrière sous les couleurs de l’USMBA, dont il a porté le maillot de 1969 à 1981. Meneur de jeu élégant et fidèle à son club, il fut l’un des artisans de la génération dorée qui a marqué le football belabbésien aux côtés de Bahri, Belkedrouci, Boutareg, Chibane, Drid, Zoubir ou encore Mehdad. Considéré comme l’un des joueurs les plus talentueux de son époque, il était réputé pour sa technique et ses dribbles déroutants. Élu meilleur jeune footballeur d’Algérie en 1968, il a porté les couleurs nationales chez les cadets, les juniors puis chez les seniors, avec sept sélections entre 1971 et 1972, inscrivant un but sous le maillot national.
« À Dieu nous appartenons et à Lui nous retournons. »
– RED

L’article ALG : L’ex-international Amar Ahmed est parti est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.

Scotland need flyhalf Finn Russell to produce the magic to beat the Springboks in South Africa for the first time, writes MARK KEOHANE.

Russell is Scotland’s flyhalf conductor. When he plays there is always hype and there is always hope.

Russell has never played the Springboks in South Africa wearing his Scotland colours.

He was in South Africa in 2021 with the British & Irish Lions, but his tour combined elation, frustration and despair.

The elation came from being selected and the frustration from being unavailable for the first two Tests of the three-Test series because he was still recovering from an achilles injury.

Russell finally saw Test match action in the third and final Test, coming on as an early replacement. He scored 11 of the Lions’ 16 points in a dramatic 19-16 defeat, which also secured the series win for the Springboks.

ALSO: Boks expect Scottish chaos

Russell was praised for his wizardry on the ball and his ability to find vulnerability in a Springbok defensive system that had proved miserly all series.

It was a little too late for Russell and the Lions. To add to the despair and disappointment, Covid-19 lockdown forced the entire tour to be played in empty stadiums.

In media interviews previewing the inaugural Nations Championship, Russell bemoaned not experiencing South Africa and the Springboks as he had envisaged due to the lockdown restrictions. He said the prospect of going to South Africa for a Test match in front of packed crowds in July would be a first for him.

MORE: Scots’ biggest weapon set to fire at Boks

Russell is hopeful that July, a Test month of firsts for him, will also be a Test month of firsts for Scotland in South Africa in the professional era. The Scots have never won against the Springboks in South Africa, and Russell has also never played in Argentina and Fiji, the destinations for Scotland’s other two Nations Championship matches.

Russell is a fan of the Nations Championship concept, where the reward in each Test is league points for the finals weekend at Twickenham, where teams rank from six plays six down to one plays one.

He wants Scotland to achieve that No 1 spot after they mixed the magical with the dire in the recent Six Nations. Scotland lost to Italy but hammered England and beat France, only then to get hammered by Ireland.

TOWNSEND: Boks provide the toughest test

Russell, who was the highest-paid player in the sport when signing for Paris-based Racing 92, remains one of the most sought-after No 10s in the game. He has significant playing pedigree, having started his career at Glasgow (81 matches).

He has been central to Johann van Graan’s rebuild of Bath in the English Premiership and Europe, and wants that one big hurrah in South Africa against the Springboks.

Russell, nearing 100 Test caps, will probably play out his Test career at the World Cup in Australia next year when he will be approaching 35.

But as Van Graan repeatedly says, there is still so much magic in Russell’s hands and feet, not to mention his mind, that he remains one of the biggest influences on match days, be it for Bath or Scotland.

And if Scotland are to win for the first time in eight attempts in South Africa, it will be down to Russell.

– This column first appeared in the July 2026 issue of SA Rugby magazine. The August 2026 issue is also available to read for FREE.

Photo: Franco Arland/Getty Images

The post Scottish wizard out to cast spell on Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Jean-Luc du Plessis describes the hunger and excitement in the Stormers XXIII camp as the seasoned playmaker prepares to lead the Cape outfit in the Currie Cup.

WATCH: New Stormers boss on his ultimate goal

🫡 This is your captain speaking. We will have Jean-Luc du Plessis leading the DHL Stormers XXIII in the Carling Currie Cup this season. #inittogether #XXIII pic.twitter.com/sN9hD23MP9

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) July 7, 2026

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

The post Watch: Stormers skipper champing at the bit appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.