South Africa makes World Cup knockout rounds for the first time after defeating South Korea
via The Namibian2 min read
South Africa secured a historic qualification for the World Cup knockout rounds by beating South Korea 1-0. This achievement marks their first time advancing past the group stage since hosting the tournament in 2010. After an initial 2-0 loss to Mexico, South Africa drew with the Czech Republic and then defeated South Korea in a decisive match. Thapelo Maseko scored the winning goal in the second half. South Africa's coach Hugo Broos expressed his happiness for the team's five years of work. South Korea's coach Hong Myung-bo notably left captain Son Heung-min out of the starting lineup. South Africa will now face co-hosts Canada in Los Angeles on June 28. In another Group A match, Mexico defeated the Czech Republic 3-0, securing the top spot with a perfect record and advancing to a last-32 match on June 30.
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Three Namibian runners, including defending women鈥檚 champion Lavinia Haitope, Simon Mathias, and Elton Hiskia, will participate in the Nelson Mandela Bay Half-Marathon in Gqeberha, South Africa, this weekend. The athletes, who recently won their categories at the 2025 QKR Navachab Half-Marathon, were officially sent off on Tuesday. Berthold Karumendu, the Navachab half-marathon race organiser, stated that this trip is an investment in Namibian athletics, providing an opportunity for local runners to compete against elite athletes from across Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The Nelson Mandela Bay Half-Marathon is a premier road-running event and a national championship race in South Africa. Karumendu also mentioned that this initiative is part of a broader vision to elevate road running in Namibia, aiming to make the QKR Navachab Half-Marathon internationally recognized within three years. This effort aligns with Namibia鈥檚 NDP and Vision 2030 objectives to foster athletic excellence and inspire future runners. The team is scheduled to depart for South Africa tomorrow.
The FNB Namibian Eagles concluded the T20 Tri-Nations series undefeated, triumphing over Nigeria by 93 runs. Namibia scored 220/5 and restricted Nigeria to 127/9, finishing atop the log with eight points, ahead of Hong Kong four points and Nigeria zero points. Young players were instrumental in the victory, with Alex Volschenk scoring 73, Junior Taanyaanda 35, and captain Gerhard Erasmus adding 51. JC Balt took four wickets for 20 runs, including a hat-trick. Taanyaanda was the series' top scorer with 165 runs at an average of 82.50, also hitting the most sixes 13 and fours 13 alongside Erasmus. Jan Frylinck achieved the highest individual score of 110, while Erasmus had the highest strike rate of 201.33. Balt led in wickets with seven and had the most economical figures 3.85. Coach Craig Williams expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, particularly highlighting Taanyaanda's international debut, where he scored 74 not out, 56, and 35. Williams noted Taanyaanda's commitment and strong work ethic, and his successful transition to opening batter despite not typically playing that role for his club. Namibia is set to play Nigeria in a three-match 50-over series, with several other young players joining the squad, including Tangi Nuujoma, Zacheo van Vuuren, Tiaan van der Merwe, Adriaan Coetzee, Henre Oppermann, Michael Muller, Kyle van Santen, and William Lottering, under the captaincy of Nicol Loftie-Eaton.
Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, accused in an organized crime case, will now face charges related to a controversial police tender separately from his co-accused, who include several senior police officers. This separation has led to speculation that Matlala may have entered or is considering a plea deal with the State. Matlala appeared alone in the Magistrate's Court in Pretoria on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and is expected in the regional court on Thursday, June 25, for proceedings that may clarify his position with the State. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that "talks have happened" regarding a deal, but emphasized that any agreement requires official approval from a magistrate. The case centers on Matlala's company, Medicare 24 Tshwane District, which was awarded a police tender budgeted at R360-million in 2024, but the State alleges collusion resulted in the contract being awarded for R228-million before it was canceled. At least 12 senior police officers and suspended National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola also face charges in this case, with Masemola accused of contravening the Public Finance Management Act. The matter against the officers is set to resume on June 26. Kganyago also clarified that this case is distinct from another criminal case against Matlala, driven by the South African Police Service, involving 25 charges related to three separate shootings and money laundering, with that trial potentially starting on July 20, 202