Photo credit: ICC

A thrilling week of sports has reached its conclusion, marked by captivating showdowns in the Africa Cup of Nations, the poignant moments at the Australian Open, and the electrifying debut of the U19 Proteas in their opening World Cup game.

AFCON

The Africa Cup of Nations commenced on January 13th with the host nation, Ivory Coast, facing off against Guinea-Bissau. As of the 19th of January, only two teams have advanced to the knockout stages.

Cape Verde secured their place by defeating Mozambique 3-0, propelling them to the top of the table and beyond the reach of their group opponents.

Meanwhile, defending champions Senegal secured their spot in the knockout rounds by overcoming Cameroon 3-1 on the same day, ensuring their position at the summit of the group.

⚽️ Senegal and Cape Verde secure spots in the knockout stages, leaving uncertainty for Cameroon, Guinea, Mozambique, and Gambia in their AFCON campaigns.

📲 Download our app and relive every moment- link in bio. #AfricanAthletes #PodiumPursuit #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/UIsz9qyLLf

— THE PODIUM PURSUIT – ProTouch Africa 🌍 (@Podium_Pursuit) January 20, 2024

10km Valencia

In the 10km Valencia race on the 14th of January, Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich made history by becoming the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier, clocking an astonishing 28:46. The 22-year-old Kenyan shaved off 28 seconds from Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s world record of 29:14, set in Castellon, Spain, in 2022.

Agnes Jebet Ngetich becomes the first woman to break the 29min barrier in a 10km.

The Kenyan clocks an incredible 28:46 in Valencia to break the world record by almost half a minute. pic.twitter.com/p755XU5SB5

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 14, 2024

Australian Open

On the 14th of January, South Africa’s Lloyd Harris engaged in a gripping first-round battle against France’s Quentin Halys in the Australian Open. The match concluded with a score of 4-6, 7(7)-6(5), 7-5, 7(7)-6(2), resulting in Harris exiting the tournament.

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur faced a tough second-round clash on the 17th of January, succumbing to Russia’s Mirra Andreeva with a scoreline of 0-6, 2-6.

Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur will donate part of her prize money to help the Palestinians because you can't see what's going on as a human and remain silent . Much respect 🙏 pic.twitter.com/T8F5f0nNKN

— Rania (@umyaznemo) January 16, 2024

U19 Cricket World Cup

The U19 Proteas Men’s team commenced their World Cup campaign in grand style on January 19th, triumphing over the West Indies by a convincing 31-run margin on home soil.

🏏 South Africa sets the pitch on fire! 🔥 Kicking off the U19 Cricket World Cup with a bang, defeating the West Indies by 31 runs.#AfricanAthletes #PodiumPursuit #U19WorldCup #CWC24 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/fGrdoAlWVp

— THE PODIUM PURSUIT – ProTouch Africa 🌍 (@Podium_Pursuit) January 19, 2024

ABOUT PROTOUCH AFRICA

PROTOUCH AFRICA is a purpose-led and Sports Tech business founded in 2016 with a focus on enabling 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 in Q1 of 2024 by assembling an ecosystem of top-performing athletes, their fans, and the brands that support them.