An exhilarating weekend of sports showcased remarkable achievements for African stars, from the Springbok’s triumphant victory to a Tour de France podium, making it a week filled with unforgettable moments.  

Springboks vs Australia

  The highly anticipated clash between the Springboks and Australia occurred at the iconic Loftus Versfeld Stadium on July 8th. In a display of dominance, the Springboks secured a resounding 43-12 victory, setting the stage for an excellent start to their Rugby Championship campaign. Kurt-Lee Arendse’s stellar performance, with three clinical tries, propelled South Africa to a well-deserved win. South Africa’s relentless pressure resulted in two penalty tries, widening the gap between them and the Australians.   This remarkable performance will undoubtedly bolster their confidence as they prepare to face off against the All-Blacks on July 15th in Auckland.    

Six-try #Springboks start 2023 with a bang 🇿🇦#StrongerTogether #RSAvAUS #TRC2023 pic.twitter.com/U69YTADCyT

— Springboks (@Springboks) July 8, 2023

 

COSAFA Cup

  In the COSAFA Cup, the first phase of the Group stage came to a thrilling conclusion, with Mauritius suffering a 2-0 defeat to Lesotho on July 7th, allowing Lesotho to claim the top spot of Group C. Meanwhile, Mozambique and Angola battled it out, resulting in a hard-fought 1-1 draw.   Moving on to the second round of the group stage on July 8th, Bafana Bafana faced Botswana. The South Africans gained the upper hand after Tebogo Kopelang of Botswana received a red card in the 64th minute, ultimately leading to a 2-1 victory for South Africa and securing their spot at the top of Group A. Following this thrilling match, Namibia narrowly lost 2-1 to Eswatini.

Full-Time Score:

🇿🇦SOUTH AFRICA 2 🆚 BOTSWANA 1🇧🇼

Goal Scorers :
• Thatoyaone Kgamanyane 🇧🇼
Jersey Number 10

•Mokete Mokgaila 🇿🇦
Jersey Number 7
•Iqraam Rayners 🇿🇦
Jersey Number 18

Player of the Match:Iqraam Rayner🇿🇦@Hollywoodbets #COSAFACup2023 pic.twitter.com/Nsi5BIjmv8

— COSAFA (@COSAFAMEDIA) July 8, 2023

Sunday, July 9th, brought more excitement to the pitch as Zambia emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Comoros, who suffered a setback when their right-back Bakri Youssouf was sent off in the 77th minute due to a second yellow card. The day concluded with a 2-0 victory for Malawi over Seychelles, propelling Malawi to the top of Group B.  

Tour de France

  In the cycling world, Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay showcased his prowess at the Tour de France with an impressive performance. In stage seven on July 7th, Girmay came tantalisingly close to securing a Tour de France victory, securing a spot on the podium in third place. However, his performance dipped in stages eight and nine, resulting in a current ranking of 149th. With 12 stages remaining, the race is still wide open.   Meanwhile, South Africa’s Louis Meintjes, a seasoned participant in this iconic event, displayed his capabilities by maintaining a consistent top-30 performance from stage seven to stage nine. Currently sitting at 24th overall, Meintjes is determined to pursue victory as the competition unfolds.  

ITT Africa Youth Championships

  The International Table Tennis Africa Youth Championships concluded on July 8th with a display of exceptional talent and fierce competition. Egyptian prodigy Elbasoumy Habiba secured a confident 11-8 victory over Algerian competitor Morice Tania, earning the gold medal in the U15 Girls’ Singles Final.   Tunisian athlete Essid Wasim found himself in the winner’s circle after a hard-fought 11-8 triumph over Nigeria’s Fabumi Mattew, emerging as the champion in the U15 Boys’ Singles Final. In the U19 Girls’ Singles Final, Egyptian compatriots Badawy Farida and Younes Mariam engaged in a thrilling battle, with Mariam claiming a narrow 11-13 victory.   The U19 Boys’ Singles Final featured an intense showdown between Nigeria’s Kuti Matthew and Adegoke Muizz Olawale, with Olawale emerging victorious with a confident 11-5 win.   Photo Credit: SA Rugby  

ABOUT PROTOUCH AFRICA

 

PROTOUCH AFRICA is a purpose-driven and for-profit Sports Tech, business founded in 2016 with the purpose to enable African Athletes to perform on the World Stage. It is pioneering new ways for fans to interact and engage with their favourite teams, leagues and athletes and enable alternative revenue streams.

 

ProTouch Africa’s Podium Pursuit Project is focused on creating a transparent and sustainable funding mechanism for the next generation of African Athletes. Its vision is to launch the World’s first fan-owned impact investment platform for African Athletes, by assembling an ecosystem of top-performing