Molefi Ntseki's local-based Bafana qualify for Chan
Coach Molefi Ntseki's local-based Bafana Bafana have qualified for the African Nations Championship (Chan) for the first time since 2014 with their 2-0 victory against Malawi at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday.
The South Africans lost the first leg in Lilongwe 1-0 so progress 2-1 on aggregate in the Confederation of African Football's (Caf) competition for local-based national teams.
The Bafana developmental side, consisting mostly of fringe players not being featured much recently at their Betway Premiership clubs, took the lead in the second leg and levelled the tie via TS Galaxy striker Victor Letsoalo's 12th-minute strike.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
New look Orlando Pirates face uphill battle to dethrone well-oiled Sundowns
New Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, left, shaking his predecessor Jose Riveiro's hand earlier this year. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BACKPAGEPIX Orlando Pirates are gearing up to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns and the rest of the Betway Premiership next season, but if the previous campaign is anything to go by, toppling the would-be champions will require far more than just ambition and new signings. By all accounts, the Buccaneers enjoyed one of their best seasons in recent years, collecting an impressive 61 points from a shortened 28-match season — impacted by Royal AM's mid-season disqualification. Despite this strong showing, they still finished 13 points behind Sundowns, who extended their domestic dominance in what was yet another seamless season for the Chloorkop-based outfit. That same 13-point gap also separated Pirates from third-placed Stellenbosch, underlining how far ahead the top two clubs were from the rest of the pack. However, while the Sea Robbers showed signs of real progress, the major challenge remains: how to close the gulf between themselves and Sundowns. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The Soweto-based outfit has not been shy about their intentions. The club has moved swiftly in the transfer market, securing a number of key signings aimed at strengthening the squad for the upcoming campaign. These reinforcements are meant to not only keep the team competitive domestically but also bolster their CAF ambitions after finishing in the last four with a 3-2 loss to champions Pyramids. However, the excitement around the fresh talent comes with potential challenges. The biggest curveball for the Soweto giants is the unexpected departure of Spanish coach Jose Riveiro. After laying down a solid foundation over the past three years, his exit threatens to disrupt the momentum that had been carefully built. In his place comes Moroccan tactician Abdeslam Ouaddou, who faces the immediate task of adjusting to a top-tier team while instilling his own identity and style. With a new coach at the helm, there's every chance that the team's playing philosophy may shift. Ouaddou may have different tactical preferences and could opt for new combinations or players not heavily relied upon last season. This period of adjustment could slow down the team's momentum, especially early in the campaign. Adding to the complexity is the influx of new players — potentially close to 10 or more — into the squad. While this offers depth and competition and a lot of excitement, it also means several players will need time to settle in, build chemistry, and adapt to the demands of the new coach and system. Such transitions rarely yield immediate success.


The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Orlando Pirates news: Ndah, Mofokeng, Saleng, Zindoga
Orlando Pirates inundated with key injuries last campaign, look set to be reunited with Nigerian international Olisa Ndah. The highly-rated centre-back has been out since last September after sustaining a tibia fracture. Meanwhile, the arrival of Abdeslam Ouaddou has sparked rumours between the Buccaneers and Marumo Gallants striker Junior Zindoga. According to insiders, the Moroccan manager is keen to lure his former attacker. Serious question marks are lingering over the futures of Relebohile Mofokeng and Monnapule Saleng, who are both being linked with moves away. The latter hasn't featured since December 7 following salary demands Orlando Pirates deemed unjust. A four-month hiatus then ensued. No clubs have shown interest this offseason, but many believe he will move this winter. Meanwhile, Mofokeng has several clubs – FC Cincinnati, Al Ahly and Zamalek – vying for his services. However, his father, Sechaba, believes Europe is the ultimate destination. 'My biggest wish is to see Rele overseas in 2025/2026. I'm praying every day. I don't want to see him in the Betway Premiership again this season. I know God will answer my prayers,' Sechaba said '[Whether it's in] Spain, England, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland — Rele can play. I believe that with all my heart. Take him to Barcelona? He can play. PSG? He can play. Any country. I'll be happy — but not Saudi Arabia,' he added. 'Not yet. He's still young. He needs to compete in UEFA competitions. If he goes to Saudi now, he won't experience that. Yes, he'd be rich — but happiness is more important. You can have all the money in the world, but if you're not happy, it's worthless.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.


The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Will SA Rugby drop Springboks ticket prices amid public backlash?
South Africans are calling on SA Rugby to drop the prices of Springbok home game tickets. This comes after scenes of an 'empty' DHL Stadium after the national rugby team beat the Barbarians on Saturday, 28 June. On social media, Springbok fans have shared their opinions about empty seating at the cold and wet DHL Stadium in Cape Town. For many, the 'overpriced' tickets on sale were to blame for the disappointing scenes. Sports broadcaster Cindy Poluta posted on X: 'At some point, SA Rugby will have to reevaluate ticket pricing for Springbok games. A half-empty stadium is not on.' Others Springbok fans agreed… @MasakhaneC : 'Elitist pricing for a national team is not on! ' @davidson_home : 'The normal man in the street cannot afford the prices for one, how do they take the family for the day, it is absolutely sickening and only enriching SA rugby. Greed is a terrible thing'. @wendsfrench: 'We thought of going to next Saturday's game at Loftus- for 6 of us it would have been R12500. Too much!' According to TicketMaster, there are still seats left for South Africa's game against Italy on 5 July at Loftus. Tickets to watch the Springboks in action are priced between R1250 and R2500 per person. The South African contacted SA Rugby for comment amid the public backlash. The organisation revealed that the DHL Stadium game between the Springboks and the Barbarians – which received an 80% capacity amid poor Cape Town weather conditions – was hosted by a promoter. It also noted that every Springbok test match on home soil was sold out last year. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.