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Pirates’ Ouaddou says Bafana stars must ‘come to the party’
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdselam Ouaddou says many of his Bafana Bafana players need to step up or he will have to consider resting them until they have recovered fully from their exertions at the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals.
Pirates’ Ouaddou – ‘We have been playing one or two men down’
The Buccaneers head coach was clearly not happy with the performance of the likes of Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis and Kamogelo Sebelebele in the 1-1 Betway Premiership draw with AmaZulu on Wednesday evening.
“My worry is when I am going to fully recover the international players,” said Ouaddou at the post match press conference. sports24.club
“Today we had a fantastic performance from (Nkosinathi) Sibisi. He played his role. And Sipho Chaine played his role. But since the beginning of the season we have been playing one or two men down.
“I hope soon it is possible (to recover these players), because it is an emergency. Every point is important … and we need quickly for our international players to land on our planet.
“The USA is finished and we need them quickly to be part of the team spirit here and the expectations of the fans. Football is difficult, if we wait until December for them to get fit, it will be late. We really need them to come to the party.”
‘Players are not robots’
Ouaddou does have empathy with the exertions of his Bafana players.
“We are not the only club. There are clubs in Europe with the same problems with internationals,” he added.
“Some are tired physically and some are tired mentally. We have increased the teams in the World Cup to 48 and now we want 64. Players are not robots, they need to rest. So it is not a surprise but we have to find a solution. Or we have to give them rest and have them ready in October.
“Only Sibisi and Sipho are doing their job and I want to be straight with them. At a club like Pirates the fans are waiting and the club is waiting and you don’t have time.”
Pirates’ next game is a Premiership clash with Chippa United on Sunday at Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
R1,350 for best seats at Loftus
Fans can still snap up the cheapest tickets for Saturday night’s Vodacom Bulls-All Blacks clash at Loftus, but will have to fork out significantly more for the best seats in the house.
SA Rugby’s ticket pricing has been a major talking point since prices had to be slashed for the Springboks’ Nations Championship Test against England at Ellis Park in July due to sluggish sales.
The Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour opener between the Stormers and All Blacks attracted 47,130 fans to the 55,000-capacity Cape Town Stadium, with ticket prices blamed for the match not selling out.
On Tuesday night, just 14,759 turned out at the 46,000-capacity Kings Park for the All Blacks’ clash against the Sharks, although the cold, wet weather was also a factor.
ALSO: SA Rugby to review ticket pricing
Attention now turns to the 50,000-capacity Loftus Versfeld, where the Bulls host the All Blacks on Saturday night, and tickets remain available across several price categories.
The cheapest seats are priced at R250 and are situated in the upper-level corners of the stadium, with limited availability remaining.
There are R350 tickets available in the upper stands, including sections closer to the halfway line.
TEAM: Bulls get Bok boost for All Blacks clash
Fans wanting to sit on the lower level will have to pay more. Tickets starting at R650 are available around the tryline, while R850 will get fans closer to the 22m and halfway lines.
Premium seats around the halfway line on the lower level are priced from R1,350.
The post R1,350 for best seats at Loftus appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Bulls get Bok boost for All Blacks clash
Flyhalf Curwin Bosch is among four Springboks named in the Vodacom Bulls starting XV for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour match against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Fullback Willie le Roux, scrumhalf Embrose Papier and flank Marcell Coetzee also bring valuable experience to Johan Ackermann’s side.
One of the biggest talking points is the return of Hanro Liebenberg. The hard-working loose forward is back in Pretoria after a successful stint with the Leicester Tigers and slots straight into the starting XV.
There is also considerable interest around Bosch, who returns to South Africa after two years in France. The gifted flyhalf has built a reputation as one of the game’s most dangerous attacking playmakers and prolific point scorers.
BOSCH: My best is good enough for Boks
Another new arrival, former Sharks and Munster wing Thaakir Abrahams, will wear the No 14 jersey, with ex-Sharks fullback Hakeem Kunene on the bench.
The selection also rewards dynamic No 8 Jeandré Rudolph, one of the standout performers from the Bulls’ 2025-26 Vodacom URC campaign.
History suggests the hosts’ challenge on Saturday will be a formidable one.
In four previous meetings dating back to 1949, the All Blacks have won three. The one exception remains one of the most celebrated victories in South African provincial rugby history, when Northern Transvaal defeated New Zealand 29-27 in August 1976, almost exactly 50 years ago.
COETZEE: Bulls have to be clinical
BULLS – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Thaakir Abrahams, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Juann Else, 1 Alu Tshakweni.
Bench: 16 Jaundre Schoeman, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Khuta Mchunu, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Katlego Letebele, 23 Hakeem Kunene.
Photo: Vodacom Bulls
The post Bulls get Bok boost for All Blacks clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ackers hails contribution of ‘brilliant’ new recruits
Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann believes his new signings will make an impact against the All Blacks at Loftus Versveld on Saturday, writes MORNÉ ESBEN.
Flyhalf Curwin Bosch, loose forward Hanro Liebenberg, wing Thaakir Abrahams and utility back Hakeem Kunene have all been included in Ackermann’s match-23 to take on the All Blacks at Loftus on Saturday.
TEAM: Bulls get Bok boost for All Blacks clash
Ackermann says he’s been encouraged by the integration of the new signings, praising the experience they have brought into the squad.
“Brilliant! All four of them have been amazing. They’ve settled in with the team, they’ve contributed and you can see they’ve been around the block,” he said.
“They’re easy to coach and bring a lot of experience into our camp, culture and character so I’m looking forward to see how they’re going to play, but also gel with the team during the season.”
Like all the other South African URC clubs, Ackermann has had to make do without a host of Springboks but is still able to call on seasoned veterans in captain Marcel Coetzee, Willie le Roux and Embrose Papier. Ackermann has however lamented the unavailability of some of his X-factor players like Junior Springbok Cheswill Jooste, who he feels would’ve been perfect for this clash.
COETZEE: Bulls have to be clinical
“Cheswill came back from the Junior World Championship and we gave him two weeks off to recover. Then he only had two weeks in which to prepare – of which one he was very sick. So when he returned on Monday, I spoke to the medical team and the feeling was not to risk him because he hadn’t done any speed and contact work in three weeks.”
The Bulls coach has enormous respect for the challenge posed by the All Blacks under Dave Rennie.
Ackermann expects New Zealand to bring a relentless tempo to Loftus, something he admits his team would normally require a full pre-season to handle.
“We know how the All Blacks play. I know Dave Rennie well. All his teams play at a very high tempo and they want to speed everything up,” he said.
“Lineouts, scrums, they keep the ball alive so to play at that tempo is something I enjoy and it’s something we strive towards. But to be able to do that, you would need to have a really good pre-season.
“You need to be fit and prepared to sharpen your skills on that level and we needed a few more weeks to get to that level.”
BOSCH: My best is good enough for Boks
Photo: Vodacom Bulls
The post Ackers hails contribution of ‘brilliant’ new recruits appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
CAN féminine : le Cameroun brise le rêve marocain et file en finale
Le Cameroun a fait tomber le Maroc devant son public et rejoint le Malawi en finale de la CAN féminine 2026. Au terme d’une demi-finale particulièrement fermée, les Lionnes indomptables ont résisté aux Lionnes de l’Atlas avant de s’imposer lors de la séance des tirs au but. Pendant 120 minutes, les Marocaines ont cherché la […]
L’article CAN féminine : le Cameroun brise le rêve marocain et file en finale est apparu en premier sur Shoot Africa.