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OPNION: Broos needs to get over himself, it’s Pitso’s time now
History has no blank pages, and the benchmark for every Bafana Bafana coach should be winning the Africa Cup of Nations. That is the standard set by the late Clive Barker and his golden generation of 1996.
Whether Pitso Mosimane can emulate Barker and become only the second South African coach to win the AFCON remains to be seen. However, for former Bafana coach Hugo Broos to suggest that Mosimane will take Bafana backwards because of the influence of football agents is, in my view, downright disrespectful. sos-zagle.org.pl
Mosimane is one of Africa’s most decorated coaches. Winning three CAF Champions League titles is not something you fluke your way into. It requires tactical intelligence, man-management, consistency and the ability to deliver.
It is also no coincidence that the University of Johannesburg conferred an honorary doctorate on him in recognition of his contribution to football. Broos improved Bafana and qualified for the 2026 World Cup, but let us not confuse improving a team with elevating South African football.
If we are comparing apples with apples, Barker won AFCON gold in 1996 and qualified Bafana for the 1998 World Cup. Jomo Sono guided the team to silver at AFCON 1998, while Trott Moloto returned with bronze in 2000.
Broos’ best AFCON finish with Bafana was also a bronze medal finish. That is a respectable achievement, but it still fell below the required standards. In the absence of tangible success, we tend to lower standards, create heroes out of those who achieve the bare minimum and Broos falls into this category.
Context matters, and the truth is that Bafana had qualified for the World Cup before Broos arrived. In addition, the 2002 and 2010 teams also finished with the same number of points as the current side managed at the 2026 tournament.
Broos’ saving grace was coaching in an expanded World Cup featuring 48 teams, which made reaching the knockout stages easier than in previous editions. Why is Broos eager to undermine the man who has inherited his job. Surely, if he believes Mosimane will fail, the sensible thing would be to allow him to fail on his own.
Instead, Broos seems to be suffering from a ‘no one can do it better than me’ syndrome. Broos had his chance. He did some good work, but he ultimately failed to emulate the class of 1996.
Uganda’s Slovenia-based star backs Hippos for regional glory
As one of 11 foreign-based players in the Uganda U20 squad, Ocen Genesis Odiya brings valuable international exposure to the side.
Edwin Kiplagat, Marabou News Agency
Slovenian-based Ugandan youngster Ocen Genesis Odiya is confident in the Uganda U20 national team, the Hippos’ chances ahead of the upcoming CAF U20 CECAFA regional championship, scheduled for September 15 to 25 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
As one of 11 foreign-based players in the squad, Odiya brings valuable international exposure to the side while relishing the chance to test himself against his regional peers.
“I think it’s been a really good experience, and we’re preparing really well for CECAFA and the coaches, everyone at the facility are really lovely and the players are ready mentally and we’re ready to go,” said the attacking midfielder.
“It is really a good opportunity for all the young players, for myself, for coaches to prove that we are good and we are really the best team.”
Odiya’s move to Slovenian second-division outfit NK Tabor Sežana in August from Gambian side Mbollo FC marked a major step in his career.
Speaking on his transition, the Ugandan youngster highlighted differences in club and international football.
“The coach’s playing style is almost the same with the Slovenian team I play for. I think the difference is our coaches coach a little bit younger players and the other ones are much older players, so they understand more and this the coaches have to keep pushing but we really understand what the coach wants us to play and I think it is really progressing with the same set up in Europe,” he added.
Odiya and Uganda have been placed in Group B alongside Djibouti and Sudan. Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda are in Group A, while South Sudan, Kenya, and Burundi are in Group C.
Uganda finished as runners-up at the previous CECAFA U20 qualifiers.
The CECAFA tournament also doubles up as qualifiers for the 2027 U20 AFCON set to be hosted by Ghana.
Marabou News Agency
The post Uganda’s Slovenia-based star backs Hippos for regional glory appeared first on Sports Network Africa.
Plum: Rennie picked wrong All Blacks problem
Former Sharks coach John Plumtree believes All Blacks boss Dave Rennie has focused on the wrong area with his criticism of the Springboks’ scrum ahead of Saturday’s third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test.
Rennie accused the Boks of “walking around” at scrum time after their 33-26 victory in Cape Town, prompting a furious response from coach Rassie Erasmus.
But Plumtree believes the All Blacks’ real issue lies elsewhere, and says the visitors must fix their lineout if they are to get the front-foot ball their attack needs in Johannesburg.
“The All Blacks have got some problems,” Plumtree said on the PlayZN TMO podcast.
“For me, the scrum is not really the issue. The lineout is a problem for the All Blacks because they’re not getting quality ball. They’re not getting middle ball. What we’re looking at now is an All Blacks team that needs possession – and quality possession – and their lineout is not functioning.
“There are more lineouts than scrums in a game and the quality of that lineout ball for the All Blacks wasn’t good enough. Eben [Etzebeth] is getting his arm across [during the lineout jump]. I don’t know how many steals he’s had, but it must have been around four.”
BIG VIC: Eben stood up for Boks
While New Zealand improved their scrum performance from the first Test, Plumtree feels their lineout prevented them from building the momentum required to unleash their dangerous backline.
“If they can get to five or six phases eight to 10 times in this Test match this weekend, they can score five or six tries because their attack looks deadly in phase play,” he said.
“But the problem is if they’re not getting front-foot ball from first phase, they’ll struggle to get to four or five phases because the Boks are so aggressive defensively.”
MALLETT: All Blacks are cheating
Plumtree also questioned the timing of Rennie’s public comments on the scrum.
“Going back to what Dave said afterwards, I don’t think that’s the platform to talk about a technicality like that, and I think Rassie is right in calling him out,” he said.
MORE: Barney calls out Rennie’s scrum tactics
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
The post Plum: Rennie picked wrong All Blacks problem appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ebola en RDC: l'épidémie passe la barre des 3 000 morts
D'après les derniers chiffres officiels de l’Institut national de santé publique congolais, plus de 3 000 personnes sont décédées en lien avec Ebola dans le pays. L’épidémie – qui a été officiellement déclarée mi-mai – continue sa progression dans l'est du pays, avec 60 zones de santé touchées dans six provinces. Et pourtant, Africa CDC, l'agence sanitaire de l'Union africaine, estime qu'il existe des signes encourageants.
‘FNB Stadium is next level,’ says former Bok legend ahead of All Blacks showdown
Former Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn says the Bok players are in for an incredible experience when they take on the All Blacks in the third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.
Close to 90,000 people are expected to pack out the huge stadium, which hosted the soccer World Cup final in 2010, and has been used for three Springbok matches before – two against the All Blacks in 2010 and 2012, and one against Argentina in 2013.
Only two of the current Bok group have played at the stadium; Eben Etzebeth, who started against the All Blacks in 2012 and Argentina in 2013, and captain Siya Kolisi, who came off the bench against Argentina.
Steyn himself has played twice at the stadium, starting in the first Bok game there back in 2010, which was also former Bok captain John Smit’s 100th appearance, and against Argentina, and the former kicking ace admitted that the experience was just at a different level.
“I think just to play there in front of 90,000 people, it’s an atmosphere you’re never going to get anywhere else. A fully packed Ellis Park or Loftus is awesome, but to get 90,000 people behind you is just next level,” said Steyn.
“We don’t play a lot of Tests there, so to play against the All Blacks there is just an awesome opportunity.
“I haven’t been there in a long time. But the surface was good when we played there back in 2010 if I remember correctly. Most of our stadiums in South Africa have a good turf, so I think it’s just the atmosphere and the number of people that can fit in there that is very different.”
All Black losses
The Boks have lost both of their matches against the All Blacks at the stadium, heartbreakingly going down 29-22 after two late tries in 2010, while they were comfortably defeated 32-16 in 2012.
Then in 2013 they comfortably beat Argentina 73-13, but that was in front of a smaller crowd of just over 52,000, while over 94,000 attended the game in 2010, and over 80,000 the match in 2012.
It seems around 84,000 tickets have been sold so far for Saturday’s match, and whether the game will sell out is unknown, as the remaining tickets apparently range between R1650 and R4000.
But the Boks will hope to get 87,436 into the stadium – the ticketed capacity for this weekend’s match, which will make for an unbelievable atmosphere as they aim to take a 2-1 lead in the series, ahead of the fourth and final Test in Baltimore, USA.