MUST-SEE SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK
CAF AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS GHANA V BAFANA BAFANA, THURSDAY, 9PM
After starting his tenure with a victory – a 2-1 friendly win over Mali last month – Bafana Bafana coach Molefe Ntseki has his first real test when his team take on the Black Stars in their first Afcon Qualifier at the Cape Coast Stadium.
Ghana will be desperate to start their campaign with a victory after their football association recent corruption scandal, while the team has had less-than-ideal displays on the field.
The West Africans are hardly the force they were of old, and will begin a journey to banish the disappointment of their Afcon tournament earlier this year where they were knocked out of the competition in the Last 16, losing to Tunisia on penalties.
BAFANA BAFANA V SUDAN, SUNDAY, 3PM
If Ghana prove to be a test, than Ntseki and Co’s second match-up of the week against Sudan will be an exercise in managed homefield expectations.
No matter the outcome of their match against Ghana on Thursday, Bafana Bafana must win their home games in this qualifying campaign and a victory at Orlando Stadium will go a long way to creating a belief that they can qualify for the biennial tournament in Cameroon next year.
South Africa’s record against Sudan is solid – Bafana Bafana have won both games the two nations have played and should, crucially, bag points at the weekend.
NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE, FROM THURSDAY, 8AM
Lee Westwood returns to defend his title at the 39th edition of the NGC this week but all eyes will be on the powerful South African contingent at Africa’s Major.
Erik van Rooyen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Justin Harding have all won on the Tour this year, while George Coetzee and Louis Oosthuizen are finding the type of form that could see them as champions on Sunday.
Veteran three-time winner Ernie Els is also in the mix before he heads off to the Seniors Tour next year, while 2017 winner Branden Grace will once again be confident that he can do the business at the Gary Player Golf Course.
Richard Sterne and Zander Lombard close out the SA contingent and will all be looking for a good start on Thursday to stamp their authority on the proceedings.
INTERNATIONAL RUGBY: BARBARIANS V FIJI, SATURDAY, 4.25PM
In what will be his final match, Tendai Mtawarira leads the South African contingent this weekend for the Baabaas.
After a wonderful career, spanning 13 years, 117 Test caps, a World Cup victory, a Rugby Championship title and a British and Irish Lions triumph, the Beast will hang up his boots in what will be an emotional day for him and all South Africans.
He will be joined by World Cup winners Herchel Jantjies, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi against the islanders in what will be a lekker outing for all.
Fiji, meanwhile, will want to run hard at the Baabaas to expunge their recent failure at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, where they were beaten by Uruguay and once again failed to reach the knockout stages.