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IOL News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Friday Challenge: Let's play 20 questions and see how much you know, or don't about our beautiful country
Test you knowledge with these 20 questions to broaden and deepen your general knowledge Questions: 1 Which South African Olympic swimmer went on the become the Princess of Monaco? 2 Where was the first Football World Cup played? 3 Who was first black captain of the Springboks? 4 Who is the teams' current captain? 5 Which star middle-distance athlete was recently found not to have violated world athletics rules? 6 How many months of the year end with 31 days? 7 What is the name of the national highway that stretches from Cape Town to Beitbridge? 8 What is the lowest denomination of currency currently in use in South Africa? 9 What is a guavadilla? 10 Which PSL team was know as 'the Swanky Boys' or Matsatsantsa a Pitori? 11 What came first: the chicken or the egg? 12 What is the capital of Lesotho? 13 What are the three most popular types of bunny chow? 14 Where is Putsonderwater? 15 Who is the editor of this newspaper? 16 What is a one-humped camel called? 17 Who was known as the 'Mother-of-the Nation'? 18 What is the fastest land animal? 19 Which precious mineral is South Africa the world's largest producer of? 20 Which famous South African golfer is know as the known as the 'Big Easy'?
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
All Whites reach highest world football ranking in more than a decade
New Zealand players celebrate winning OFC Qualifiers Final at Eden Park Photo: Andrew Cornaga / The Football World Cup bound All Whites have reached their highest FIFA ranking in 12 years. New Zealand moved up four places to 82nd in the world in the lastest rankings off the back of qualifying for next year's world cup in March and last month's win over African champions Côte d'Ivoire in Canada. Under head coach Darren Bazeley, the team has now climbed 23 places since he took on the role in 2023. This is the highest rank the team has had since they were 79th in 2013. "We really believe in what we're doing as a team, so it's good to see that reflected in our new ranking, but we know we can still improve our position to better reflect where we feel this team should be," Bazeley said. "We've been able to produce moments against higher-ranked teams over the last few years, with encouraging draws against the Republic of Ireland, the USA and Tunisia, but the win over reigning African champions Côte d'Ivoire in Toronto gives us real confidence that we can get results against big sides, which is hugely significant heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026. "We have some great games coming up, all against highly ranked teams, so when we get to the tournament next year we should be in the best place to perform." The All Whites plan to have a full calendar of international fixtures in the lead-up to the world cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA and they will next be in action in September in two matches against Australia. The biggest mover in the rankings was Costa Rica going up 14 places to 40th. Argentina is still number one, followed by Spain and France.
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
All Whites striker stays at Auckland FC in world cup year
Auckland FC's Logan Rogerson celebrates his goal. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Logan Rogerson has extended his contract with Auckland FC for another two seasons. The Hamilton-born striker had a memorable 2024/25 season which included scoring the club's first A-League hat-trick when he netted three times against the Wellington Phoenix . He scored in the club's first-ever game against the Brisbane Roar, as well as in both draws against Adelaide United. In all, Rogerson scored nine goals in Auckland's debut season, playing 28 games and registering two assists. Ahead of a pivotal Football World Cup year, 27-year-old Rogerson has decided that Auckland FC remains the best place to further develop his career and push for an All Whites spot. "I'm loving being back in New Zealand, loving this team, the fans, and what we have created. I'm settled here, happy here and can't wait to go again," Rogerson said. "Things have really worked out. Steve, Terry, and the coaches have a real vision for what we can achieve as a club and although we didn't go all the way last season, that defeat will ensure we push even harder this season." Rogerson, who has spent time in Europe playing in Finland Germany and Armenia, started his career as a youth player with Hamilton Wanderers. He has also represented New Zealand at age-group and senior international level and has one eye on making the All Whites squad that will play in next year's world cup . "Playing in a World Cup is obviously a big ambition of mine, playing regularly with Auckland FC gives me the best chance of fulfilling that ambition." Auckland FC director of football, Terry McFlynn signed Rogerson to the club almost exactly a year ago. "Steve Corica and I were big admirers of Logan. He fit the profile of the sort of player we were after, but also had just the right attitude and temperament. He's got no ego, just wants to play football and wants to win," McFlynn said. "He was a big part of our success last season, a big favourite with the fans, and we're delighted to have him locked in for another two years." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Mail & Guardian
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Politics' winning formula is an unapologetic progressive agenda
(Graphic: John McCann/M&G) I have not been able to watch a single match of the football Club World Cup. I have glanced a bit at some games or caught up with the scores on social media. It is not just the crass commercialism of the enterprise. While the world cup has been taking place in the United States, the self-styled 'home of the brave and land of the free', the US's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has been staking out parking lots at malls and court houses and rounding up anyone who they think looks like an immigrant. There are reports of citizens, or those who have applied and are waiting for asylum, being arrested. Students who have participated in the Gaza anti-genocide protests have been labelled as terrorists and a danger to the US government. In this time, the US government agreed with the Israeli government's unprovoked bombing of Iran and called it self-defence. The US government itself conducted a midnight bombing of Iranian nuclear energy sites, claiming that they were weapon sites. And what has now become normal is Israel, with the approval of the US, continuing to kill and shoot at Palestinians in Gaza who are scrounging for food and water. The world does not bat an eye when it is reported that a 100 people have been killed in Gaza in a day. Yet there has not been a single protest or even a measly statement by Fifa officials, club owners or football players against the US government's destructive actions. Players have been known to take off their shirts, revealing happy birthday messages to loved ones or their religious commitment, but not one of them have had the courage to exclaim support for the people who are the racist targets of ICE or the people of Palestine. I wonder if the Club World Cup will have a 1936 Berlin Olympics Jesse Owens moment? Owens' success in the sprints and long jump disciplines famously trashed Hitler's racist Nazi philosophy. But people are notoriously, deliciously dialectical and contradictory. If the football pitch, albeit overwhelmingly composed of people from working class backgrounds and so-called people of colour, cannot provide the inspiration to dare dream of an equal and better world, free from racism, poverty and inequality, then it will burst out elsewhere. In New York City, in the Democrat Party primary for mayoral candidates, the world was reminded that it is not a crime or naïve to believe in a better world. Zohran Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York. Cuomo and his family are regarded as Democrat royalty, and usually that would be enough to ensure he secured the nomination of the party. Cuomo was backed by Democrat aficionados like Bill Clinton, the mainstream media, as well as the billionaires in New York. New York billionaires, such as Bill Ackman and former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, together with other billionaires who had supported America's right-wing president, Donald Trump, pumped about $25 million into Cuomo's campaign to fight Mamdani. This is the largest Super PAC (Political Action Committee) in New York City mayoral campaign history. The election for the mayoral position is scheduled to take place in November this year. Cuomo is ambivalent about whether he will run as an independent. Eric Adams, the incumbent mayor, who famously jumped from being Democrat leaning to Trump as stories emerged of his alleged corruption, is expected to be Mamdani's main rival — although there are whispers of Ackman running, as opposed to supporting another candidate. Mamdani is only 33 years old, and has been serving as a member of the New York state assembly since 2020. Previously he was a university student. His only work experience besides being a politician, has been a housing counsellor and an attempt to be a hip-hop rapper. But Mamdani also represents being a global citizen, with cultural influences from all over the world. Zohran, like his father, Ugandan-American academic Mahmoud Mamdani, author of Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, was born in Uganda. He lived there until he was seven years old, when they relocated to New York. He also stayed with his father in Cape Town in the late 1990s. His father had a famous fight with the University of Cape Town when he pushed for a radical change in curriculum to one that is decolonised and African-centred. Zohran Mamdani is an immigrant. Besides his cultural roots in East and Southern Africa, his mother is Mira Nair, the Indian-American filmmaker. Her body of work includes Mississippi Masala starring Denzel Washington and the critically acclaimed Salaam Bombay. He is linked to the urbane inner city culture of Uganda and the US, with his hip-hop rap career. His mother's roots are in South India, and therefore her cultural religious background is Hindu, whereas his father is of Islamic origin. He is African, Asian, American and, with the British colonialism of both Uganda and South Africa, we could even say he is also European. Mamdani's central message to New Yorkers was that it was his stated objective to make New York affordable for all New Yorkers, especially the working and middle classes. New York is the most expensive city to live in the US. He describes himself as a democratic socialist, exclaiming that he is inspired by the words of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who said: 'Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country'. He also quotes King saying: 'What good is having the right to sit at a lunch counter, if you can't afford to buy a hamburger?' Mamdani promised that, if elected, he would freeze rents for at least two million tenants, and would make certain bus routes have faster buses that are also free. He would provide universal day care for all New Yorkers. And he would pilot at least one government-owned grocery store in each of the five New York boroughs. He promised as well to employ social workers and counsellors to assist New Yorkers with mental health issues. Currently, the police are expected to help New Yorkers who mentally break down. In the past Mamdani has publicly supported the Palestinian struggle, and he maintained that message throughout the campaign. He has called the 7 October attack by Hamas a war crime because it targeted civilians. His campaign was not based on expensive television and radio commercials. Rather, he met everyone, personally walking the entire length of the city. Besides getting donations from the average New Yorker, his campaign also attracted 47 000 volunteers, who knocked on nearly every New Yorker's door. After his stunning victory over Cuomo, countless mainstream and social media commentators started to speculate whether his campaign will have a direct effect on how the Democrat Party positions itself. Much has been made of his age and that young people, especially those who did not vote before, supported Mamdani. We can expect that the media and consultant talking heads will make it seem that it's his age, embracing of social media as the reason for his success, and harping on about his cultural identity — first Muslim, first South Asian and so forth. This is a deflection. It is a continuation of the dumbing down of political activism. It seeks to make politics and who we support as theatre and entertainment, with savvy marketing gimmicks. Please do not fall for it. The reason for Mamdani's appeal, even for Jewish people who knew of his support for the Palestinian struggle, is because of its authenticity; a genuine commitment to stand up to and deal with the daily struggles of the people. It is unafraid to be progressive and seeks no approval from the elite. I hope the elite in South African politics are taking note. It is not about filling stadiums or glossy election manifestos. Or the numbers of views on TikTok and YouTube, but a believable commitment to a progressive agenda. Mirror Zohran Mamdani. Create a practical programme based on making life more affordable for the majority of South Africans. Let these programmes be your centre, not an opportunistic economic transformation programme that mainly revolves around lining your pocket and those of your friends. In the South, many of us are playing political football in parliament and government, whereas outside of the political industry, people are being killed and maimed, and are starving and traumatised, just hoping that someone of note will join them in the struggle for a better South, better Africa and better world. Donovan E Williams is a social commentator. @TheSherpaZA on X.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olise steals the show: three key players from Bayern v Boca showdown 3️⃣
Boca fought for the full 90 minutes, but Bayern's individual flashes of brilliance earned them the three points. Michael Olise Without a doubt, the Frenchman took the prize as the standout player of the match. He made mistakes like everyone else, but he was unstoppable for the Xeneize defense. Advertisement Not only was he the instigator of each attack, but he scored the goal that gave the Bavarian team victory at Boca's best moment. Miguel Merentiel Everyone who wears the blue and gold in their heart knew the match was going to be extremely tough. However, if there was any hope, it was going to be in the only attacker that Russo put on the field. The Beast fought for every ball and scored a stunning goal for the blue and gold history, bypassing Tah and Stanici The 12th Man Made Their Presence Felt If Boca resisted in the worst moments of the match like the first half, it was thanks to the push from their fans. The chants were felt among the 22 who took to the field, leaving one of the great images of this Football World Cup. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 CHANDAN KHANNA - AFP or licensors
