Mdaka credits PSL's Diski reserve league for Amajita's Afcon success
'It's amazing what we've been able to do.'
Amajita's first success in the U-20 Afcon came in their second final appearance, the first when coach Shakes Mashaba's generation of Benni McCarthy, Matthew Booth, Junaid Hartley and Stanton Fredericks lost 1-0 to hosts Morocco in the 1997 last game, 28 years ago.
South Africa sealed their ticket to the U-20 World Cup, to be staged in Chile from September 27 to October 19, by reaching the semifinals.
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The Herald
2 hours ago
- The Herald
Mulder eyeing triple hundred in Bulawayo
Wiaan Mulder could not have wished for more on his first day as SA's captain, scoring a maiden Test double-hundred that gave his side firm control of the second match against Zimbabwe. When he resumes on 264 on Monday, Mulder will be eyeing a triple hundred, with his side already in a dominant position on 465/4. The home team were again left pondering several decisions — starting with the composition of their bowling unit, why skipper Craig Ervine chose to bat on a flat and lifeless Queens Sports Club pitch and why they tried a short ball plan with a batter who grew up on the highveld and plays his domestic cricket at the Wanderers. It was an awful day for Zimbabwe, who showed signs of promise in the first Test but shot themselves in the foot on Sunday. That included the otherwise impressive Tanaka Chivanga, bowling Mulder off a no-ball late in the day, with the stand-in SA captain on 247. After choosing just two front-line seamers in the first Test, for this match, they have included Kundai Matigimu, to lend Blessing Muzarabani and Chivanga support, but on a dry surface, SA's choice to pick two front-line spinners looks like the right one. As the last session unfolded, the hosts looked increasingly strained, though Matigimu, who is playing his first Test and just his sixth first-class match, took the wicket of Lhuan-dre Pretorious. Mulder relished the opportunity to captain the side after Keshav Maharaj was forced to return to SA because of a groin strain. A week after scoring 147, the 27-year-old, who came to the crease in the 10th over, calmly set about acclimatising to conditions that were favourable for batting and helped himself to a third Test century. Except for an outside edge against Wellington Masakadza's left-arm spin and a misjudgement when trying to withdraw from a pull shot against Muzarabani, Mulder had an easy ride. It took 214 balls for him to reach 200, the second-fastest double hundred for SA behind Herschelle Gibbs, who achieved the landmark off 211 deliveries against Pakistan at Newlands in 2003. There were concerns for SA at the start with the openers, Tony de Zorzi and Lesego Senokwane, both failing. None of the three openers who have been given an opportunity in this series have caused Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton to be concerned about their spots when SA begins its challenge in the 2027 World Test Championship later this year. De Zorzi's been dropped twice in the slips, he has been caught there twice and on Sunday was dismissed by Chivanga trying to force a short ball off the back foot, which he hit straight to Nick Welch, who held a good catch at point. After making one and 13 in the first Test, Matthew Breetzke was dropped for Senokwane, but the debutant looked nervous and was stuck on the crease for most of his innings of three, in which he faced 36 balls. He was given out lbw, after missing a straight ball from Masakadza. Despite admitting before the Test that he was not an extravagant shot-maker, he needs to find a way to assert himself if he's going to be an attractive option for the Proteas. David Bedingham, who would have noticed how well Pretorius and Dewald Brevis played last week, knew he needed to produce an innings that quashed any doubts about his role. The nature of the pitch and the way Zimbabwe bowled would have aided his quest and he played with composure alongside Mulder. Two outside edges, neither of which went near fielders, were the only moments of concern for the elegant right-hander, and his innings featured plenty of stylish back foot drives and, of course, pull shots as Zimbabwe persisted with their ill-judged short ball plan. The third wicket partnership was worth 184 as Zimbabwe once again wilted under Bulawayo's blue skies. Bedingham would have been frustrated to miss out on a second Test century, but he was the victim of a good delivery from Chivanga, who briefly got the ball to reverse swing, just before tea. He was trapped lbw for 82, a wicket that gave the home team some belief, though it quickly dissipated after the interval. Pretorius unleashed some typically flamboyant shots as he made 78, sharing a partnership of 217 off only 185 balls with Mulder, though he was troubled when an errant throw from Matigimu hit him on the right wrist. That discomfort may have played a role in the loose shot he played that saw him sky a catch to Masakadza late in the day — though boredom could have been the cause too. — TimesLIVE
The Herald
2 hours ago
- The Herald
Foote praises Junior Boks' character after England victory
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote credited his players for their composure and character after they recorded their second pool victory at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy with a great win over England in Rovigo on Friday evening. Despite a slow start, the SA U20s remained calm and delivered the knockout blow in a superb opening 10 minutes of the second half, followed by a commanding defensive performance, to beat the defending champions by 32-22. England led 14-0 after 12 minutes but the Junior Boks clawed their way back and at 22-19 behind at the break, they were in the contest. Thirteen unanswered points early in the second half — including a penalty goal of almost 60m by Vusi Moyo and a bonus point try by Haashim Pead for his second brace of the tournament — put the Junior Boks in the pound seats and they repelled England's constant attacks thereafter for a great win. With a full house of 10 log points from their two victories, a spot in the semifinals is within reach, but Foote said they are still building and are only looking at the next match against Scotland on Wednesday. 'We'll take a lot of confidence from this victory, but Scotland are a good side, they ran England close in the Six Nations, and we certainly will not underestimate any team ever — we'll keep our feet on the ground and focus on the next job,' Foote said. 'Having said that, I thought the boys showed massive character tonight to come back from 14-0 down, take the lead with some great attacking play, and then keep England out for the rest of the match. 'I have to applaud the leadership in our team as well — the players never panicked and those two penalty goals by Vusi early in the second half gave us momentum, after which I was super proud of our defence at the end.' Foote said they realise they have to play for the full 80 minutes, and that they are getting closer to that. 'We were a bit slow at the breakdowns early in the game, where we turned over ball that gave England momentum and fatigued us. 'But as a team, we spoke about getting better, the harder the game gets. We remained calm and stuck to getting the next job done, staying with our processes and keeping the scoreboard ticking over. 'I also think our combinations are starting to click on defence, something we identified as an area to work on earlier in the season, and how the guys defended at the end was huge. 'The players deserve credit for their bravery on defence and executing on the field — they showed great character, which is testament to the culture and belief in this team.' SA U20 captain Riley Norton gave England credit for their strong start and said they knew it was going to be a great battle against the defending champions. 'We knew it was going to be tough, but I'm very proud of our defence at the end, as it's something we pride ourselves on as South Africans,' Norton said. 'We're out here giving everything for our country and we're all very proud of the win, but we're still building, and we'll take massive confidence from this game. 'To be honest, it's not quite sunk in yet. We will celebrate tonight, but tomorrow we go again — it's five days until we face Scotland and we have the bigger picture in mind, so we're very excited for the next three games.' The Junior Boks' final Pool A game against Scotland kicks off at 3.30pm in Calvisano, after which the three pool winners and the best-placed team in second position will qualify for the semifinals next Monday. — SA Rugby Communications
The Herald
2 hours ago
- The Herald
Cream of SA's schoolboy crop on show at Under-18 Craven Week
SA's leading schoolboys will be in action at the FNB Under-18 Craven Week tournament at Hoërskool Middelburg in Mpumalanga, starting on Monday, with the final day scheduled for Saturday. The final instalment of SA Rugby's 2025 Youth Weeks programme will feature 16 teams competing across the matches played on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. After the tournament, the SA Schools and SA Schools 'A' teams will be announced. They will face each other at Hoërskool Middelburg on Thursday July 17, while the Under-18 International Series will follow in August. Nine players who featured in the SA Schools and SA Under-18 teams in 2024 have been included in their provincial squads again. They are Josh Neill, Markus Muller, Briint Davids, Jordan Jooste (all WP), Ethan Adams, AJ Meyer (both Free State), Zekhe Siyaya (KZN), André Poulton (Lions), and Joshua McKenzie (EP). Eight teams are in action on the opening day of the tournament, with the Western Province XV and the Griffons meeting in the first fixture at 9.30am. Free State, who went down to Western Province in the final match of the 2024 tournament, will face South Western Districts thereafter. The opening ceremony at 2pm will be followed by a clash between the Pumas — the hosts of this year's tournament — and the Limpopo Blue Bulls. Western Province, who finished last year's tournament unbeaten, will be in action on Tuesday, along with the Leopards, Valke, Border, Suzuki Griquas, Sharks, Eastern Province and Boland. All the games will be broadcast by SuperSport. Monday 9.30am: Western Province XV vs Griffons 11am: Free State vs South Western Districts 12.30pm: Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions 2pm: Opening ceremony 2.30pm: Pumas vs Limpopo Blue Bulls Tuesday 10am: Leopards vs Valke 11.30am: Border vs Griquas 1pm: Sharks vs Eastern Province 2.30pm: Western Province vs Boland — SA Rugby Communications
