WeeklySA_AdminBANYANA TROUNCED
Banyana Banyana have been taught a football lesson by Denmark in an international friendly. The African champions were without key players in Thembi Kgatlana, Sinoxolo Cesane, Linda Motlhalo and Hildah Magaia due to visa issues.
South Africa were trounced 5-0 in Aalborg. The good news is that the quartet will be available for the England fixture next Tuesday.
VINICIUS FOUR ARRESTS
Four people have been arrested and questioned in Spain on suspicion of conducting an online hate campaign encouraging Atletico Madrid fans to racially abuse Real Madrid star forward Vinicius Jr, police said.
The men were detained on October 14 and 15 and then released as investigations continued into social media slogans that urged fans to wear face masks so they could insult the Black Brazil international without being identified, police added on Thursday.
They were the first detentions announced by police linked to the campaign, which set out to target the 24-year-old in the build-up to the Spanish capital’s derby on September 29 at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium. It used the hashtag #MetropolitanoConMascarilla (Metropolitano with a Mask).
Vinicius Jr, who has faced abuse at several matches, last year called LaLiga – the nation’s premier football league – and Spain “racist” after hearing slurs from the stands during a match at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium.
VIRGIL’S 100th MILESTONE
Virgil van Dijk is in line to captain Liverpool for the 100th time across all competitions against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
The No.4 was handed the armband on a full-time basis in July 2023 and will bring up the milestone if selected to face the Gunners at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League.
Liverpool haven’t failed to score in any of their last 17 Premier League meetings with Arsenal since a 0-0 draw in August 2015.
If the Reds win this game, it’ll be their second-best start to a Premier League season after nine matches (24 points – currently on 21). The only other occasion in which they’ve won 24 or more points at that stage of a Premier League campaign was in 2019-20, when they last won the title (25).
VUYISILE SAILS INTO HISTORY
South African sailor Vuyisile Jaca is in disbelief after being nominated for the World Sailor of the Year accolade at the 2024 World Sailing Awards.
Jaca made history at the beginning of the year when she was part of the first all-female crew to win the around-the-world Ocean Globe Race, also being the first African black woman to do so.
The KwaMashu-born sailor and her crew raced around the world in 153 days, two hours, 16 minutes and 53 seconds. Speaking to SABC Sport, Jaca says she’s thrilled by her nomination.
“Unbelievable, I look at the nomination list every morning just to see if it really is me, they didn’t make a mistake. I don’t even have the words to explain the excitement and how grateful I am to be nominated,” said Jaca.
NOT SO POLISHED
Two referees have been banned from officiating in Uefa matches until June 2025 after a bizarre incident on the morning of a Champions League qualifier between Rangers and Dynamo Kyiv.
Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial were replaced as VAR officials before the third qualifying round match in Lublin, Poland on 6 August after reports of “improper behaviour”.
Polish media reports alleged the pair had been drinking and were stopped by police with another man in the early hours having moved a road sign, with Frankowski later confirming details of the incident in an interview.
Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary body said on Friday the Polish duo were banned for violating “basic rules of decent conduct” and for bringing the sport and Uefa into disrepute.
