Author: Lehlohonolo Scheepers

Lehlohonolo writes about South African sport for a living and thinks about it the rest of the time — football, rugby, cricket. Match reports, previews, profiles, the features that take a week. He is the reason ScoreLine's copy is clear, and the reason it gets checked twice before it reaches you. He supports Kaizer Chiefs, so he understands better than most that a result is never just a result. Gold and black, every weekend, no matter what the table says.

Hwang In-beom Inspires Korean Comeback South Korea made a winning start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an impressive 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Thursday night. After falling behind early in the second half, the Asian giants showed resilience and quality to turn the match around through goals from Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu. The victory sees South Korea join Mexico at the top of Group A after the opening round of matches. The match was played in front of nearly 45,000 spectators and delivered plenty of drama as both teams…

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Hosts Make Dream Start in Mexico City The 2026 FIFA World Cup got underway in dramatic fashion on Thursday night as co hosts Mexico defeated Bafana Bafana 2-0 at a packed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. In front of a passionate home crowd of more than 80,000 supporters, Mexico delivered a strong performance to claim all three points in the opening match of Group A. Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured victory for Javier Aguirre’s side, while South Africa’s hopes were severely damaged by two red cards. The match marked South Africa’s return to the FIFA World Cup…

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South Africa’s next generation of cricketers suffered a frustrating four-day defeat in Worcester on Tuesday, as England Lions chased down 147 with six wickets in hand to take the opening match of the series against South Africa A at Blackfinch New Road. The Proteas A side were bowled out for 146 in 31.3 overs, setting a target that ultimately proved well within the Lions’ reach. England’s top order navigated the chase with relative comfort, reaching 148 for four in 28.1 overs to seal a convincing six-wicket victory. It was a result that will sting the South African management, particularly given…

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South Africa A served up one of the most dominant one-day performances you are likely to see this summer, chasing down 199 against England Lions without losing a single wicket at Blackfinch New Road in Worcester on Sunday. A target of 199 was always going to be manageable on a good batting surface, but to knock it off in just 30.3 overs with all ten wickets intact was something altogether special. Flawless Chase at Worcester England Lions posted what looked like a competitive 198, bowled out in 47.1 overs. Their innings had enough substance to suggest South Africa A would…

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 is nearly upon us, and for South African football fans, there is one fixture above all others that has the nation holding its breath. Bafana Bafana step onto the grandest stage in world football when they face Mexico in the host city of Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June, kicking off at 21:00. It is a moment years in the making, a return to the World Cup for South Africa, and the anticipation back home is electric. Bafana’s Big Moment South Africa face a Mexico side that will be playing in front of a passionate…

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South Africa’s FIFA World Cup campaign has officially begun after Bafana Bafana arrived in Pachuca, Mexico, ahead of the 2026 tournament. The delegation touched down at their designated base camp following a long journey from Johannesburg, marking the start of what the nation hopes will be a memorable return to football’s biggest stage. The arrival in Mexico represents a significant milestone for South African football. Having qualified for the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, Bafana Bafana now have the opportunity to test themselves against the world’s best teams on the global stage. A…

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Never before have 10 African nations qualified for a FIFA World Cup. In 2026, they did. It took two years, 54 nations, nine groups of qualifying football, a single-location playoff in Morocco, and one final intercontinental showdown, and the nations who made it earned every single ticket. The story of Africa’s qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the story of a continent stepping into a new era of global football relevance. Record representation, historic qualifiers, dramatic late-round twists, and the exits of giants. Here is how it all unfolded. Why Africa Had More Spots This Time In…

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in the tournament’s history. Forty-eight teams, twelve groups, a brand new knockout round, and 104 matches across three countries and 39 days. If the old format is still the one in your head, here’s everything that’s changed, and what it means for Bafana Bafana and the African teams at the tournament. The fundamental shift is simple: the World Cup has expanded from 32 teams to 48. But the way those 48 teams compete, how they qualify from the group stage, and how the knockout bracket works is what most fans haven’t fully…

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Sixteen years. That is how long South Africa have waited to return to a FIFA World Cup. In 2010, the world came to them. In 2026, they go to the world, and they do so with a moment that no other nation at this tournament can claim: they play in the opening match. South Africa’s first match is against Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, the tournament’s opening fixture. For a nation that hosted the World Cup in 2010, there is a symmetry to beginning the 2026 edition on the biggest possible stage. Bafana Bafana will…

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In 2022, Morocco changed African football forever. Semi-finalists. Giant-killers. A nation and a continent announcing themselves to the world. Four years later, the Atlas Lions return to that same world stage with an even bolder ambition, to go further. Ranked eighth in the world and confirmed as Africa’s highest-ranked nation heading into the 2026 tournament, Morocco do not arrive as hopeful underdogs. They arrive as a team that has already proven it belongs in the final four of the world’s biggest competition and believes, with genuine reason, that the trophy is within reach. Why 2022 Changed Everything At Qatar 2022,…

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