Sports News 12:30
BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 23 July 12:30 pm
Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:
# First up, we have rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus plans to take a strong team to Buenos Aires for next month’s one-off Test against Argentina. He says Los Pumas is a quality side which beat them in their last Test in Argentina in 2024, and they realise how tough it is to beat them at home. Erasmus will split the national squad in two soon, with one travelling to Argentina to play the Pumas on 8 August, while the rest will remain behind to start preparing for the All Blacks Test series.
# Soccer: African governing body CAF has significantly increased the prize money for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco on Sunday. The champions will now pocket almost 33-million-rand, the runners-up 12.4-million-rand and the third-placed team 8.2-million-rand. Each of the 16 participating teams will receive 2.5-million-rand. CAF president Patrice Motsepe says the financial upgrade underscores their commitment to growth and long-term sustainability of women’s soccer in Africa:
More soccer news: South African governing body SAFA says reports that Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has been offered a one-year contract extension are false and misleading. Reports circulated earlier this week that the association was extending his contract due to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers starting in September. Broos remains under contract until the end of this month. SAFA says an official announcement on the make-up of Bafana Bafana’s technical team will be made once the appropriate internal processes have been completed.
# The Commonwealth Games are starting in Glasgow, Scotland, today. More than three-thousand athletes from 74 countries will compete across 215 medal events in ten able-bodied and six integrated para sports. South Africa sent 112 athletes. Glasgow stepped in when the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the Games in July 2023. Glasgow 2026 CEO, Phil Batty, believes the slimmed-down, cut-price version of the event can save it for future generations:
# And cricket: Afghanistan had appointed the experienced Rahmat Shah as new captain of its one-day and Test teams, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz as vice-captain. This follows after Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down on Tuesday, ending a five-year stint during which Afghanistan finished sixth at the 2023 World Cup. Rahmat’s first assignment as captain will be the five-match ODI series against Ireland next month. The Afghanistan Cricket Board says with extensive experience in international cricket, leadership, and the team’s overall structure, Shah is well positioned to take on this important responsibility.
Stay tuned for more news………….