Sports

2010 W/Cup: Another Ingredient For S’ African Unity

Published

15 years ago

July 11, 2010

In 1994, South Africa shed the shackles of apartheid to enter into a democracy under the leadership of struggle icon, Nelson Mandela. But this did not mean that a country, once systematically divided along racial lines, was automatically set on a path of unity.

During the apartheid years, sport was used as a major tool for resistance against the system of racial segregation with South Africa being banned from competing on the international stage in most sporting codes, including cricket, rugby and football. These sanctions served the purpose of both highlighting the unjust system in the country at the time and of applying pressure on the National Party to end apartheid.

As the first democratic president of South Africa, Mandela sought to work toward the goal of bringing together a once divided people and to lead South Africa on a path to success. In what for many seemed an insurmountable task, the Nobel Peace Prize winner did not just look to the corridors of government for a solution but also to the playing field, a possible indication as to why South Africa has hosted numerous sporting events since.

The first of many major sporting events hosted in the country, South Africa hosted the IRB Rugby World Cup in 1995, a tournament which saw South Africa lift the trophy at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg.

Top South African cricket administrator, Dr Ali Bacher, is himself no stranger to the importance of sport in South Africa’s history, having captained the South African cricket team in 1970 against Australia just before SA Cricket was kicked out of international participation. He also pushed for the breakdown of racial divisions in the sport and shared a poignant moment with Mandela on the issue of sport and national unity.

Bacher speaks about the mood leading up to the Rugby World Cup. This event saw calls for the removal of South Africa’s sporting emblem, the Springbok, due to its link with the predominantly white dominated sports of the past. Mandela saw this argument as a chance to send a strong symbol to the white and Afrikaans population, many of whom feared reprisals from the apartheid years, by lending his support to their cause.

“To give an indication of his (Mandela’s) wisdom and insight, in 1995, halfway through the Rugby World Cup, he came out publicly to support players wearing the Springbok emblem which, to many, represented a sporting code that only whites could play for in the apartheid era. A television crew came to me to ask about the response from South African cricket and I said that we wanted a neutral emblem that will satisfy both white and black. Soon after, Mandela invited me to lunch and he took me out onto the patio with two of my board members. He started to explain that he understood that amongst Afrikaans people, rugby and the [Springbok] emblem were very important. He told me he wore the rugby jersey and the emblem and went out onto the field (on the day of the Rugby World Cup final) because he wanted to thank them for their support for him as South Africa’s first ever black president,” reminisces Bacher.

He was referring to the now famous post-match celebration which saw Nelson Mandela come out onto the field wearing a South African rugby jersey with captain Francois Pienaar’s number on the back.

“In South Africa, the majority of the black population supported soccer while the majority of whites supported rugby. Mandela rallied the black people to support rugby and united a country. The man that made it all happen was our revered icon, Nelson Mandela,” continues Bacher, who also reflects on the role reversal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“I see a difference now in 2010. At the grounds, thousands of whites have been dressed in Bafana Bafana clothing going out to support the national team, where previously it would be mainly black people. I see black families and white families talking about the national team, taking pictures with each other. These are small things for people from overseas but from a South African point of view this is very significant. We have arrived at a state of true unification in this country,” said Bacher.

Another sporting icon who has witnessed firsthand the power of sport in South Africa’s psyche is former Bafana Bafana football player, Mark Fish, who was part of the team that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 1996 at the very site where Soccer City stadium now stands.

In another successful sporting tournament hosted by South Africa, the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations was more than just a football tournament as Nelson Mandela once again came out in the captain’s jersey to handover the trophy to the victorious team.

“In 1996 we represented a nation and saw what we are seeing now (in 2010). White people came to [the then] FNB stadium to support football and the nation. It was brilliant. Before, these people would know the rugby team but after 1996, with Mandela supporting the team, they knew who we were.

It was the highlight of my football career – not winning the trophy, but seeing how people came together and united behind Bafana Bafana. That’s why I think we ended up winning the tournament. The way the country got behind us was absolutely phenomenal,” said Fish, who believes the World Cup has also had a dramatic effect on the nation.

“We have seen a nation get behind Bafana, people are talking about football. The challenge for us as a nation and a footballing nation is to keep the standard that we have now reached. We can build on this if we continue to work together as a nation”.

Sports

Forest Embarrass Liverpool At Anfield

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.

Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.

Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.

Igor Jesus had a second ruled out for handball, but Forest doubled their advantage 39 seconds after the break when former Liverpool defender Neco Williams set up Nicola Savona for a crisp finish in front of The Kop.

Liverpool could barely raise a response in a desperate display, Forest increasing their lead 12 minutes from time when Morgan Gibbs-White scored after Alisson saved from Omari Hutchinson.

It means Liverpool, who lie 11th before Saturday’s late fixture, have now lost six of their past seven Premier League games as Slot’s near £450m summer spending spree comes under further scrutiny.

Forest, meanwhile, are surging away from the relegation zone and are up to 16th.

Sports

Bundesliga: Oliseh Stars As Bayern Rebound To Thrash Freiburg

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Michael Olise scored twice and provided a hat-trick of assists as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from two goals down to thrash Freiburg.

The visitors stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes when Yuito Suzuki scored from close range and Johan Manzambi rose highest to head home Jan-Niklas Beste’s corner.

Bayern, who had not lost in the league since March, responded superbly and had restored parity by half-time.

Teenager Lennart Karl fired into the bottom corner from Olise’s pass in the 22nd minute and set up the Frenchman for a fierce finish in first-half injury-time, although Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu should have done better.

Bayern took control in the second period as Dayot Upamecano headed home Olise’s corner to put them ahead for the first time.

England captain Harry Kane netted his 14th league goal of the campaign on the hour mark, before Olise made it three assists when he threaded a pass through for Nicolas Jackson to finish at the first time of asking in the 78th minute.

Winger Olise completed a sensational afternoon with his second of the game six minutes later, driving at the Freiburg defence and curling into the far corner.

A 10th victory in the first 11 games left Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg remain 10th in the standings.

Vincent Kompany’s side visit Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday with both sides having a perfect record of four wins so far in the league phase of the competition.

AS FAR Morocco Win African Women’s Champions League (8)

AS FAR held firm to beat debutants ASEC Mimosas 2-1 in the African Women’s Champions League final and become continental champions for the second time.

Hanane Ait El Haj put the Moroccan club ahead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after Safa Banouk had been tripped by Aboa Yapo.

ASEC Mimosas rallied after the break and Ami Priscal Diallo netted a fine header from Sopie Brou’s cross to drag the Ivory Coast club level 10 minutes into the second half.

But AS FAR were handed a second spot-kick in the closing stages when Noura Diarra committed a rash challenge on Sofia Bouftini.

This time it was Zineb Redouani who stepped up to stroke home in the 85th minute and restore her side’s lead.

Asastasie Gbehi came close to forcing extra time but she poked wide of the post in stoppage time, and the centre-back was sent off after the full-time whistle for dissent.

AS FAR move level with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as two-time winners of the title, having first lifted the trophy in 2022.

The Rabat-based side will now take on Chinese’s Wuhan Jiangda on 14 December for a place at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup.

The winner of that match will face European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals of the inaugural competition early next year in London.

Sports

Barca Impress On Return To Camp Nou

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga on Saturday with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Club in their first match at the Spotify Camp Nou since May 2023.

Robert Lewandowski scored their first goal back in their iconic home, which had been closed for extensive renovations, in the fourth minute.

Ferran Torres then netted twice in the second half, each assisted by wonderful skill from Lamine Yamal, who was aged just 15 in his only previous Nou Camp appearance.

Fermin Lopez also struck in the 48th minute, while visiting midfielder Oihan Sancet was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez just six minutes later.

Large sections of the Nou Camp remained closed for the game, which was played in front of a 45,157 crowd.

The rebuilding work, which was originally scheduled to be finished in November 2024, will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000.

Barca moved to 31 points from 13 games and top on goal difference, but Real Madrid had the chance to replace them, if they won at Elche in their game in hand, late last night.

Poland striker Lewandowski got his side off to the perfect start when he drove his low shot in off the arm of Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon for an eighth league goal of the season.

The home side extended their lead in first-half added time as Yamal’s superb pass off the outside of his foot set up Torres for a good finish.

Lopez made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, drilling a shot past Simon from near the penalty spot.

Sancet’s tackle from behind on Lopez was initially deemed a yellow card, but upgraded to red after the referee consulted with the video assistant referee (VAR).

And just before full-time, Yamal twisted and turned before sending Torres away to claim his second goal, which was originally disallowed for offside but overturned following a VAR check.

It was a dream return to their ground, with the reigning Spanish champions having mostly played at the 55,000 capacity Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill since renovations on the Nou Camp began in June 2023.

They were forced to play two matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to their women’s team, this season after failing to get a permit for the Nou Camp through safety reasons.

Pogba Returns To Action In Ligue 1 (6)

Paul Pogba played his first minutes of professional football in more than two years as he came off the bench during Monaco’s 4-1 defeat by Rennes at the weekend.

The 32-year-old was introduced in the 85th minute at Rennes’ Roazhon Park, though his side were already four goals and a player down, following a red card for captain Denis Zakaria.

French World Cup winner Pogba broke down in tears when he joined Ligue 1 club Monaco last summer, after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 19 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Pogba’s last competitive appearance was 811 days ago, when he featured for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli on 3 September 2023. He left Juventus by mutual consent in November 2024.

Pogba was provisionally banned from football for four years after a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test in August 2023.

Pogba maintained it was a mistake and that he was given a supplement without knowing it contained a banned substance.

The former Manchester United midfielder was permitted to return to football in March following the decision to reduce his ban.

Pogba watched from the bench as goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas put Rennes out of sight.

Fellow substitute Mika Biereth pulled a goal back for Monaco in the 95th minute, but a second consecutive 4-1 defeat means Sebastien Pocognoli’s side drop to eighth in the table with 20 points after 13 games.