Coupe du monde : Konaté avant France-Espagne « Nous aussi, on a plein…

À quelques heures de la demi-finale de Coupe du monde entre la France et l’Espagne, le défenseur tricolore Ibrahima Konaté s’est exprimé au diffuseur les forces en présence au sein des deux nations, qui se rencontrent ce soir (19h GMT) à Dallas.

« il y a aussi des grands joueurs et des extraterrestres » dans la Roja, mais Konaté le souligne au micro de M6, « dans notre équipe, il y en a aussi plein. » Peu utilisé dans la compétition, il n’a joué une quinzaine de minutes contre la Norvège lors du dernier match de poule.

Le nouveau défenseur du Real Madrid sait qu’il aura affaire à une grosse nation en face et ne veut pas se focaliser que sur Lamine Yamal. « Ce n’est pas que Lamine Yamal, c’est l’équipe d’Espagne. C’est l’ensemble de leur collectif qui font qu’ils font mal, pas qu’un joueur en particulier. L’Espagne, ca reste une très grande nation avec de très grandes individualités. », a-t-il ajouté à la chaîne privée française. palladian.co.za

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The 154th Open starts at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England on Thursday. It is the 11th time that the year’s fourth Major will be played at the course in Merseyside. Eight South Africans will be teeing it up, hoping to be named Champion Golfer of the Year on Sunday.

Here’s a brief look at the eight South Africans taking part.

Hennie du Plessis

This will be the 29-year-old’s second Major this season after also featuring at the US Open last month. He has five career wins. He finished runner-up at the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf Invitational London, missing out by one shot to compatriot Charl Schwartzel. Most recently he finished second at the BMW International Championship at the start of July.

Casey Jarvis

One of the rising stars of SA golf, the 22-year-old won back-to-back this season at the Kenya Open and the SA Open, the latter securing him a spot in the field this week. He also played at the Masters in April. Jarvis boasts a joint low round of 59 on the Sunshine Tour, recorded at the 2023 Stella Artois Players Championship.

Jayden Schaper

It’s a third Major appearance in the year for the smooth-swinging 25-year-old, after playing the PGA Championship and US Open. Schaper tasted his first big success in December last year when he won back-to-back at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritius Open. As an amateur he won the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in 2019.

Michael Hollick

The 39-year-old will be on Major debut. Golfing success has come late in the career of Hollick, who picked up his first DP World Tour win last week at the BMW International Open in Munich, following an eagle on the 72nd hole. He once stepped away from the game to coach, but made a comeback in recent years.

Shaun Norris

The 44-year-old veteran of South African golf will make his seventh appearance at the Open this week. He qualified by winning the Mizuno Open at the end of May, his ninth win on the Japan Golf Tour and 15th professional victory. He missed the halfway cut at his last four Open appearances – in 2025, 2022, 2021 and 2019.

Aldrich Potgieter

The 21-year-old has got into his third Open via the back door, replacing the injured Louis Oosthuizen in the field this week. Four years ago Potgieter became the second youngest-ever winner of The Amateur Championship at the age of 17. He has two PGA Tour wins. His best finish at a Major came at this year’s PGA Championship when he placed tied 35th.

MJ Daffue

The 37-year-old will be on debut at the Open after qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports. He has played in one other Major, the 2022 US Open. After turning professional in 2012 after a good university career in the USA, Daffue won his first two professional titles this year at the NTT Data Pro-Am and DP World PGTI Open.

Jack Buchanan

The 21-year-old amateur got into the tournament by winning this year’s Africa Amateur Championship at Royal Johannesburg’s East Course in February. The Cape Town golfer said, “I believe the first Open that I went to was at Royal Birkdale in 2017 so to go back somewhere I was a kid watching not too long ago is going to be really special.”

Springbok legends Bakkies Botha and Bismarck du Plessis have reflected on what makes the All Blacks rivalry so special. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.

For Botha, long labelled rugby’s ultimate enforcer, Test rugby against the All Blacks was the benchmark by which he measured his entire career.

“To play against the All Blacks was the ultimate, and especially physically-wise,” Botha said at Tuesday’s announcement at FNB Stadium that Castle Double Malt would be the title sponsor of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour. “To play against amazing players like Ali Williams, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter was amazing.”

Botha said the return of marquee fixtures against New Zealand gives a new generation of players the chance to test themselves against the very best, something he never took for granted.

“I always tested myself against the All Blacks. When that haka is finished, something is gonna bleed or break.”

It’s the friendships forged on the other side of brutal Test battles that mean the most to Botha. He recalled a lesson from Frik du Preez that has stuck with him .

“He said to me, ‘Bakkies, I didn’t actually make good money out of rugby, but I made friends around the world’, and that’s definitely what makes rugby so special.”

MORE: Fitzy relishing Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

Du Plessis echoed Botha’s sentiments, describing the mutual respect between the two nations as central to the rivalry’s magic.

“What was always special about playing against New Zealand was the fact that they respected us and we respected them,” Du Plessis said. “Irrespective of who you are, irrespective of what you believed in, we respected each other.”

He recalled growing up as a young boy in Bethlehem and sleeping beside his father’s bed because it was the only room with a TV, so they could get up early to watch the Boks play the All Blacks.

“I never dreamed of playing for the Boks. I dreamed of maybe 20 games for the provincial side, or our town of Bethlehem.”

SPECIAL REPORT: Inside the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour

Reflecting now, he says rugby’s greatest gift was the friendships he made. He and Andrew Hore would hunt on the Wednesday, then bash one another on the Saturday.

“Professional sport took out friendships, relationships [like that].”

Happily, “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” aims to restore some of those grand traditions.

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour fixtures
Friday, 7 August: vs Stormers, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Tuesday, 11 August: vs Sharks, Kings Park, Durban
Saturday, 15 August: vs Vodacom Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 22 August: vs Springboks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Tuesday, 25 August: vs Lions, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Saturday, 29 August: vs Springboks, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday, 5 September: vs Springboks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Saturday 12 September: vs Springboks, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images

The post Bakkies: Something is gonna bleed or break appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

The Junior Springboks will contest a second consecutive Junior World Championship final after overcoming a spirited England side in a hard-fought semi-final in Tbilisi on Tuesday evening, with SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote praising the maturity, resilience, and depth of his squad.

The Junior Boks were tested throughout this thrilling encounter in the Georgian capital and England led 20-12 at the break, but once again found a way to lift their intensity when it mattered most, producing a composed second-half performance to book a place in Saturday’s decider against France courtesy of a 53-37 semi-final victory.

Foote said the key message at half-time was for the team to remain calm, stick to their structures and continue building pressure.

“At half-time, it was really about us looking after the ball a little better and making sure we could keep applying pressure on England consistently,” said Foote.

“England showed the spirit we expected from them and there were times when we probably started a little slowly again. The conditions weren’t easy and perhaps didn’t suit the style of rugby we always want to play, but what pleased us most was the maturity the players showed.

“They went back after half-time, stuck to our processes and executed very well in the second half.”

The Junior Springbok victory was once more built on another tireless effort from the pack, who laid the foundation up front while creating opportunities for the exciting attacking threats out wide.

Foote praised the work ethic and leadership displayed by his forwards throughout the tournament campaign: “The forwards have worked incredibly hard since this group first came together, and players in our leadership group have really stepped up, but all our forwards are putting in a huge amount of hard work.

“This was our fourth game in three weeks, so everyone is feeling it physically. The fact that they keep going and keep pushing is very impressive.”

As has been the case throughout the tournament, the Junior Bok bench again played a decisive role, maintaining the intensity and ensuring there was no drop-off when the replacements entered the fray.

Foote highlighted the value of a squad that has embraced every opportunity, regardless of playing time.

“The bench made a massive contribution,” said Foote.

“We’ve spoken throughout the tournament about the importance of the entire squad. Some players have had to wait patiently for their opportunities, but when they come on, they make a real impact.

“We have a very talented squad with great depth, and we are fortunate to be working with a group that has that quality. When the replacements come on, they really lift the team.”

The Junior Boks now turn their attention to France, who edged New Zealand 26-22 in the first semi-final to set up a mouth-watering clash on Saturday. The French arrive in the final as Six Nations champions – a fact not lost on the Junior Bok coach.

“France have been outstanding,” he said. “Against New Zealand they worked hard, stayed in the fight right until the end and showed tremendous spirit. They’re also the Six Nations champions, so we know they’re going to be a huge challenge.

“For us, it’s about recovering well, enjoying the opportunity to spend another week together as a group, and then looking forward to the final.”

While the Junior Boks played all their matches so far at the Avchala Stadium, the JWC final will take place at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, where kick-off is scheduled for 18h30 on Saturday evening.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has challenged the government to think bigger on the continental stage, urging the country to bid for the hosting rights of the 2028 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Speaking on Tuesday when hosting Junior Starlets and Harambee Starlets for breakfast at State House, Odemba stated that with Kenya co-hosting the men’s AFCON 2027, the structural foundation is already laid to bring the biggest women’s tournament to Kenyan soil.

With the country actively renovating and building world-class stadia like the Raila Odinga Talanta City International Stadium, in preparation for AFCON, Odemba pointed out that Kenya is uniquely positioned to transition directly into hosting the women’s showpiece the following year.

“President, we are hosting AFCON in 2027. There will be another WAFCON in 2028,” Odemba stated passionately. “President, you have already built the stadiums, the infrastructure is there, and we are ready. Bring WAFCON home. We request you.”

Hosting the tournament would mark a historic first for East Africa and cement Kenya’s growing status as a continental football powerhouse.

Before looking ahead to 2028, the Starlets’ immediate focus is conquering the 2026 edition in Morocco, which kicks off on 25 July, 2026.

To ensure millions of Kenyans can rally behind the team, Odemba made a direct appeal to the President to secure the broadcasting rights for the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, just as they did for the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

“We are watching the free-to-air World Cup. I request that you allow our national broadcaster to get the rights to air the WAFCON. It will be good for Kenyans to watch us play, to cheer, and to walk with us through the journey. If it is possible, Mr. President, we are going to be grateful,” Odemba noted.

With the Junior Starlets securing back-to-back FIFA U17 World Cup qualifications, Odemba highlighted the unique challenge of the tournament’s annual format.

Unlike senior competitions, the rapid-cycle nature of youth football demands continuous, elite-level coordination.

To maintain this momentum, she called for formal contracts for her technical staff while proposing a massive structural alliance between the ministries of sports and education.

“The Under-17 World Cup is annual, which means after the qualifiers, they play, then they begin preparation again. As the players have asked for contracts, I also kindly ask for contracts for my technical bench,” she explained.

She further urged the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Salim Mvurya, and his Education counterpart, Julius Ogamba, to collaborate closely with Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) to scout talent to have a team every year qualifying for the U17 World Cup.

“It will be good for us as a government to have a collaboration so that we can identify good talent and have consistency in qualifying. If we can qualify every year, then that means we’re going to be a powerhouse in football in the coming few years. And it is very possible, Mr. President.”