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IOL News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Keep calm and win the URC final against Leinster, says Bulls' Willie le Roux
At 35 and a two-time Rugby World Cup winner, Le Roux has seen it all before and has some sage advice for his teammates. Such is the enormity of the United Rugby Championship final against Leinster in Dublin on Saturday, that the Bulls cannot afford to put any extra pressure on themselves as they approach the trophy match just like any other fixture of the competition. Le Roux's Strategy for Seizing Opportunities in the Final Against Leinster 'We need to treat this match the same as we did our first game of the season, you don't want to put it on a pedestal and not be willing to try something, not be willing to run from your own half. If you see an opportunity, you must take it, you have to take your chances,' Le Roux told 'It's all about getting the balance right, knowing when to attack and when to kick. You want to make sure you get your forwards in the right field position. But in a final against a team like Leinster, you might only get one or two chances to break through and score.' Known for his enterprising play throughout his career, Le Roux would always be alert to every hint of an opportunity. 'A turnover on your own tryline might be a chance, that might be your best chance of the whole game. If your chance happens in the first minute of the match, then you must be able to pull the trigger. Finals are about fine margins, and they can come down to one moment, whether that be a mistake or a piece of brilliance.' Meanwhile, Bulls hooker Akker van der Merwe echoed the sentiments of Le Roux. "It's obviously a big game, but we don't want to make it bigger than it is. It's easier to say than do, but we just want to go out and enjoy ourselves. Rugby is about the big moments, but you also can't afford any soft moments, especially in a final." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
12-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Safa criticised for mishandling Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka situation
It was also revealed that Mdaka's salary is below R50,000 per month. This is in stark contrast to Bafana Bafana 's Belgian coach Hugo Broos , who reportedly earns a six-figure monthly salary. Mdaka led Amajita to the junior Afcon title last month, but according to reports, Safa has not processed bonuses due to the coach, while the footballing body's bonuses have been paid following the tournament. Challenges Facing South African Football Coaches: Issues with SAFA Support "The people that want to be coaches will most certainly be asking themselves, is this really the treatment that the coaches are getting? Which is not good for our youth football or South African football in general,' Mnguni told "The sad thing is, you can see that he's an old person; he's been around for a long time in football. My concerns are not solely about him as an individual, but more so about his family, his children, and wife, that his name is in the public like that and his salary has been made public information." "So, for the mental state of the family and the children, I think that's the sad part, that we just know such things all over the media. And could this have been handled better? Yes, definitely it could have been handled better, but the situation needs to be solved swiftly and needs to be addressed by Safa.' Mnguni went on to reveal that he has been trying to further his coaching qualifications, and has received little assistance from Safa. "Dealing with Safa is difficult. It's so difficult to go through Safa. I've won the league back-to-back. I've been trying to do my Caf B licence, and I find it difficult, even if I meet all the requirements, but I find it difficult just to say, Can I just do this course? Sometimes I feel like you need to know someone at Safa just to do this course.' "To be quite honest, I don't feel like it's easy to get communication through Safa. We are coaching youth football. I think we should be the ones who are prioritised for these coaching certificates because we need that knowledge so that we can develop better players. But if we find it this difficult to do a course, we won't reach our true potential.' @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Aaron Mokoena: Bafana Bafana's Afcon mission to ‘raise the bar'
Mokoena though, said it was the best way for Bafana to prove themselves. Improving on their previous exploits, however, will be no easy feat as it would mean making the final of the African showpiece footballing event. Bafana famously went on to finish third at Afcon last year, and with the next tournament coming up in Morocco in December - the current crop of SA stars will have another chance to show how much progress they have made. Former Bafana Bafana skipper Aaron Mokoena believes South Africa can go even further than they did at the previous Africa Cup of Nations ( Afcon ). Raising the Bar: South African Football's Triumphs and Future Prospects 'Going there, it's all about really raising the bar. It's never easy. I have tasted that. I know it's never easy to play in the African Cup of Nations. But I always say to be the best, you have to rub shoulders with the best. And on our continent, you get the best in the Africa Cup of Nations,' Mokoena told 'Hopefully, the guys will absolutely raise the bar. I think it's been a good year, not only for Bafana Bafana. Let's look from the bottom. We had under-17 qualify for the World Cup, the Under-20s have won the African Cup of Nations and have qualified for the World Cup, and now our Bafana have qualified for the African Cup of Nations. We're in a good position now to qualify for the World Cup as Bafana Bafana.' With Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates both making it to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League (the Brazilians also made it to the final), it was another satisfying year for SA football fans, believed Mokoena. 'I remember we came back with the bronze (AFCON 2024) and it's been a good year for South African football, really. I mean, we had Sundowns competing in the CAF Champions League, which is good for Bafana Bafana. We had Orlando Pirates competing in the Champions League. That's a plus. We had Stellenbosch competing in the Confederation Cup. 'So, the more we have teams competing in African competitions, the better for our South African football. I mean, next season, to show that there is a progression, there is growth among the players and the clubs, we will have four teams that will be participating in the African continent competition.' @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
05-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Vernon Philander backs Proteas attack against ‘vulnerable' Aussie top order
FIRM BELIEF Vernon Philander (pictured) backs South Africa's potent pace attack, led by Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi, to exploit Australia's vulnerable top order in the upcoming World Test Championship final at Lord's. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix Philander, who played 64 Tests and 30 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), had every confidence in the current attack against the old foe. Rabada, in particular, will be under scrutiny as he recently served a one-month ban for testing positive for a banned recreational substance (cocaine). With the pace attack set to be led by Kagiso Rabada , Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi , the Proteas will indeed have a dangerous arsenal of quicks at their disposal. Former Proteas seamer Vernon Philander believes South Africa's current bowling attack will be able to get the better of the Australian top order in the World Test Championship ( WTC ) final starting at Lord's, in London, on Wednesday next week. Proteas Poised to Exploit Australia's Vulnerability Against Moving Ball at Lord's "Tactically, the ball nips around at Lord's and Australia's top order could be vulnerable, especially since our bowlers have the ability to get the ball a touch fuller,' Philander told 'The likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowl more back-of-a-length, with the ball going over the top of the stumps; we want to bring the stumps into play more. "The Australian batsmen are generally aggressive and come hard at you. Which shows you the importance of the new ball; having control with that is important, and you don't want to leak early boundaries. You don't want to allow them to get into their strides.' With the seam movement likely on offer in London, Philander said the Proteas were simply better suited to the conditions. "Australia have a bit of a defect against the moving ball. Technically and mentally, South Africa's batsmen perhaps have the upper hand with the general overhead conditions in England and the Duke ball being completely different to the Kookaburra." "So, the Proteas bowlers will certainly want to exploit that. Marnus Labuschagne has been short of runs, as has Steve Smith to an extent in the previous couple of seasons. So, there's a window of opportunity there, their shortfalls will be in the back of the mind." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
The Star
04-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Ryan Rickelton aims high as Proteas take on Australia in WTC final
Having missed out on selection for South Africa's Test series against Australia three years ago, Ryan Rickelton will be keen to contribute significantly as he opens the batting for the Proteas against the old foe in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's, in London, starting next week. The 28-year-old now has 10 Tests under his belt since his debut in 2022, and seems to have firmly established his place at the top of the order. That's due in large part to the 259 he scored against Pakistan in the New Year's Test in Cape Town this year. In fact, Rickelton has two centuries in his last three Tests, and he will take on the Aussies with newfound confidence. "Bygones are bygones. It's in the past. I just have a really great opportunity to play against Australia in England in front of my family. They'll all be there, and my friends as well. So, what a cool week that'll be, and if I can contribute with the bat and put in a performance, that'll make it even sweeter,' Rickelton told "I've always watched Australia since I was a young boy, and they've been such a dominant force in world cricket for a long time. So, this is a dream come true for me.' Rickelton's performances of late have seen previous opener Tony de Zorzi shift down the order, and the responsibility of opening alongside Aiden Markram is massive. "I'm a bit nervous; it's a new opportunity for me. It was a new opportunity to open the batting in the New Year's Test, let alone the final against Australia. But, in saying that, I just want to bat, so if that's where I need to do my job, then hopefully I can prepare accordingly and try to set the game up for the team and dig in for a period of time. "With a new ball, generally it requires a bit of searching, which offers up some runs, so hopefully I can do myself justice and face a lengthy or a good sum of balls and back myself. If I face a few dozen deliveries, I'll be able to get some runs as well." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
