The Glamour Boys were eliminated from the MTN8 following their 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the quarter-finals.

Amakhosi will be hoping to return to winning ways when they face Sekhukhune in their next Betway Premiership encounter at the FNB Stadium.

Monyane acknowledges the challenge posed by a well-organised Sekhukhune side, while insisting that Chiefs are fully focused on securing a positive result before turning their attention to Mamelodi Sundowns.

“The MTN8 loss really tested us as a group and we have used that as fuel to improve all areas of our game, to sharpen up.

“It has been a wake-up call for all of us and we are preparing very hard to play Sekhukhune.

“They are a tough, hard-running team that is well organised so it will not be easy, but it’s a chance for the boys to put in the work necessary to get a good result and we are going to go for it.

“We know Sundowns are looming in the background but we are taking one step at a time and our full attention is focused on facing Sekhukhune.”

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Amakhosi’s journey in the competition came to a premature end after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Abafana Bes’thende at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

The Glamour Boys will look to bounce back and return to winning ways when they take on Sekhukhune in the Betway Premiership when they meet at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

Frosler says the team has addressed areas for improvement and is determined to bounce back with a positive result and all three points.

“Losing the MTN8 game was not ideal but we’ve got to pick ourselves up and go onto the next one.

“We’ve got Sekhukhune next, which gives us another chance to go and do what we need to do and try to get a positive result.

“We have discussed where we need to improve and we are motivated as a team to perform at our best and take the three points.”

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The partnership secures vital backing for the national side as they prepare to compete at the 2026 World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships in Tokyo, Japan, while simultaneously launching YesPlay’s ambitious Sports Corporate Social Investment (CSI) legacy programme.

Following an impressive fourth-place finish at their international debut in Argentina in 2023, where they narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, the national team, awarded their national colours, is poised to make an even greater impact on the global stage. The 16-strong touring party, comprising 12 players and four management staff including Head Coach Roelof Kotze, Strength & Conditioning Coach Pieter Terblance, Team Physiotherapist Khuliso Netshivhangani, and Team Manager Lauren Terras, will depart for Tokyo on the 28th of October 2026 for the tournament running from 31 October to 3 November.

For YesPlay, a brand already deeply entrenched in South African rugby through its sponsorship of the Toyota Cheetahs and its title sponsorship of the historic YesPlay Cup fixture between the Springboks and the Barbarians earlier this year, this partnership represents a profound commitment to grassroots development and sporting inclusion.

“At YesPlay, we believe that the true power of sport lies in its ability to create opportunity, inspire hope and bring people together,” said Tebogo Makamo, Chief Executive Officer of YesPlay. “Our partnership with the South African Deaf Rugby Association reflects those values. This is about far more than helping a team get to the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships. It’s about investing in people, championing inclusion, and helping to build a future where talent, commitment and character, not circumstance, determine what’s possible. We are honoured to stand alongside SADRA on this journey and look forward to seeing Team South Africa inspire the nation on the world stage.”

The partnership extends far beyond the touchlines of Tokyo. It serves as the foundation for a sustainable, nationwide rugby development pathway aimed at identifying and nurturing Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing talent from community and regional levels through to provincial and national representation. The initiative will also champion hearing awareness, promote South African Sign Language (SASL), and support hearing screening programmes, ensuring that inclusion becomes the standard across the sport.
“It has been one massive drive to get to this point” said Lauren Terras, Vice President of SADRA. “There were moments when we were genuinely concerned that we simply wouldn’t secure the funding needed to take our team to our second World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship. YesPlay did not hesitate to join our journey, and having a partner believe in our team, our players and what we are trying to achieve means an enormous amount to us. Now we want to make magic — both on and off the field. We want to make South Africans proud, continue putting SA Deaf Rugby firmly on the map and, this time, come home with that much-awaited medal.”

While YesPlay’s crucial front-of-jersey sponsorship provides the primary engine for the Tokyo campaign, South African Deaf Rugby, a charity that is largely self-funded, continues its search for a back-of-jersey sponsor to clear the final financial hurdle for the World Championships. Interested parties are encouraged to visit www.sadeafrugby.co.za or contact vp@sadeafrugby.co.za to help the team’s journey to Japan.
The final travelling squad will be announced later this month, marking another significant milestone as South African Deaf Rugby prepares to take on the world in Japan.

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The Rockets suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Brazilians at the Mbombela Stadium in the Betway Premiership.

However, Parker believes a brief lapse in concentration ultimately proved costly, but remains confident Galaxy can learn from the setback and build on their promising display as the season progresses.

“Tough one, hard one to swallow, we had a game-plan, stuck to the game-plan, we showed tenacity, we showed the unity, and the main objective for us was to attack the space behind which we did well, got a couple of chances,” Parker told SuperSport after the game.

“We managed to get a goal, managed to get another goal on set-plays, which we worked a lot on, we scored last week on set-plays, we continue to get a goal again on set-plays but overall I’m proud of the boys in terms of how they conduct themselves.

“Just a lapse of concentration after being in front, we put in an extra defender to make sure we keep it solid in the central space of the field and then Sundowns added more attackers as well and they overloaded the sides and that’s where the two goals come on the right side for them to win the match.

“But I’m happy with the boys, the way they conduct themselves, just a little bit of lapse of concentration. I hope we will learn from this, there’s still a long season ahead and for us to build on this in terms of the way we want to play and how we play,” he concluded.

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As the All Blacks launched into their traditional pre-match haka, Nonu stood face-to-face with his former international teammates before delivering an emotional response of his own, sending the Durban crowd into raptures.

The moment was particularly special for Nonu, a 103-Test All Blacks veteran and two-time Rugby World Cup winner. Now on the opposite side, his response highlighted the enduring pride, respect and connection he still has with the iconic New Zealand jersey and its traditions.

The crowd erupted in applause as the memorable exchange unfolded between one of the All Blacks’ modern-day greats and the current generation of New Zealand internationals moments before kick-off.

The emotional exchange added another unforgettable moment to a historic occasion, as the Hollywoodbets Sharks welcomed the All Blacks to Kings Park for the first time in a clash that brought together one of South Africa’s premier provincial sides and one of rugby’s most iconic international teams.

WATCH: Ma’a Nonu perform haka against All Blacks

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The Brazilians secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over TS Galaxy in their Betway Premiership opener at the Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Galaxy striker Victor Letsoalo, who scored a brace, was named Man-of-the-Match, but the Sundowns mentor believes that substitute Mkhulise should have walked away with the award.

Cardoso believes Mkhulise deservedly earned the Man-of-the-Match award after providing the energy and crucial goal Sundowns needed to secure the result.

“I think he deserves to be man-of-the-match today, sorry by all the work Letsoalo did. But I think today the Man-of-the-Match will very deservedly be Pitso Mkhulise by what he means, what he means for the club for us,” Cardoso told SuperSport after the game.

“He is a player with a fantastic character because he is able to sometimes sustain the aggression of not being called.

“But we know that we have a brother, a friend, somebody that has quality and when we bring him, we know what to expect.

“Today, he gave us the luck we needed, the energy that we needed the goal. I put him on my shoulder.

“I took him in front of the fans because he deserves to be carried by me because he also carried us to get the result we needed.”

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For Hele, who played in her 33rd Test, the return to the green and gold after injury was as good a feeling as making her international debut way back in 2018.

She last played for South Africa in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England almost a year ago and missed the early part of the season due to a hand injury that required surgery.

Now, back to her best, the Hermanus-based loose forward cannot wait for the second Test match this weekend, to be played at Churchill Park in Lautoka, where kick-off is scheduled for 13h00 (03h00 SA time) on Saturday.

“Yes, it was great being out there again,” Hele said from Nadi, where the Bok Women are based for the week.

“Coming back from rehabilitation, one is not always hundred percent sure how the body will react in a match situation. So I was pleased the way it went, given that I did not play for a while.

“Once the match started, I felt really comfortable and I could just focus on doing my job out there, which was great. It felt great to get back in the physical part of the game and I felt like I was myself again, so very happy with that aspect of it.”

Hele had 16 ball carries and made 127 metres, and her physicality was a menace to the Fijian defence.

“My fitness and conditioning was good – in these type of games you need to be at your best when it comes to fitness, so I am very happy the way it played out. There were some nerves at the beginning, but that is normal,” she said.

Hele was one of several players who did not start in the home series against the USA last month, so she could relate to those starting for the first time in a while: “I was happy for those who started for the first time in a while to be given that opportunity as they could step up and show what they are capable of and they did. From a personal point of view, I just went out there to make sure I fulfil my role to the best of my abilities.”

Hele is expecting the second Test to be as challenging as the first.

“It was tough out there, the wind was quite strong at times and when you play Fiji, you need to expect the unexpected,” she said.

“The crowd also goes wild when they have the ball, you can hear the noise going up and the pressure building from the crowd when they are in possession.

“It was most pleasing though that we executed our plays very well, we stuck to our guns and did not allow them to dictate matters. We came into this match well prepared, we worked hard back home and came here with good clarity on what we wanted to achieve. From that perspective, we really did well.”

The Test at Churchill Park will bring new challenges, she warned: “We know they will come back stronger. But that is good for us too, as we respond well to pressure. We also gained confidence from our own performances and we saw our hard work being rewarded. We stuck to our system and the system rewarded us.”

Hele was part of the team that suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in the only other time the two teams met – at the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand – when Fiji scored in the final play of the match to snatch the win.

“We have buried that one now,” she said. “That defeat in New Zealand was still hurting and with this performance, we buried that for good.”

Another feature of Hele’s play, also came through in Suva – playing with a smile. And she had good reasons to do so.

“You don’t know how much you will miss that jersey until it happens, but I just realised it again,” said Hele.

“To be back in the team made the rehab worth the while. The mental side of the rehab is always the toughest. Patience is often a virtue as sometimes rehab has it ups and downs and for me it is 90% mental, 10% physical. So I am very pleased that I could be back doing what I love, playing for my country and inspiring others.”

The team for the second Test will be named on Wednesday. The squad will be without Lerato Makua and Eloise Webb, who picked up injuries last week, but could be bolstered by the return of team captain, Babalwa Latsha.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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Depending on who you speak to, midfielder Matome Mmolai could soon become a household name at Orlando Pirates – and the timing of his arrival could hardly be better following the departure of talisman Relebohile Mofokeng.

Unlike the Bafana Bafana international, however, Mmolai is not a product of the Pirates academy.

At 23, he arrives at Mayfair via the Motsepe Foundation Championship after impressing for Leicesterford City, making his rise all the more remarkable.

His agent, Basia Michaels of QT Sports, believes Pirates supporters have every reason to be excited.

“He can play at the highest level. No doubt about it. He has guts, he’s ballsy and plays like a man with nothing to lose.

That’s the sign of someone who plays without fear or trepidation. I pray the fans are kind to him because I believe he’ll become a superstar and a fan favourite very quickly,” she tells SoccerClub. Mmolai’s road to Pirates has been anything but conventional.

He returned to Leicesterford City in January 2026 after what he believed would be a move to Betway Premiership side TS Galaxy fell through.

The Rockets attempted to sign him on a free transfer before his club intervened and insisted the player return unless an agreement could be reached between the teams.

What initially looked like a major setback ultimately became the turning point in his career. Michaels watched it all unfold.

“I went to Dobsonville to watch a Leicesterford City game. It’s something I do often, but he’d just returned from TS Galaxy because of the registration issues. I watched him for less than 15 minutes and knew I wanted to manage him,” she explains.

“He was playing against Kruger United and completely bossed the midfield. At first, I didn’t even know who he was. I asked for a team sheet, saw his name and immediately started making calls.”

Those calls led Michaels to Mmolai’s uncle, Masilo, before she met the player’s mother and eventually the midfielder himself.

“After speaking to the family, he signed with QT Sports. From there a number of clubs reached.

I won’t name them all, but there was significant interest.” Michaels admits not everyone agreed with her decision to take Mmolai to Pirates.

“Some club owners told me I’d made a mistake and thrown him into the lions’ den. But that says everything about the player’s ability. As I continued watching him, it became clear he was ready for the next step,” Michaels elaborates.

According to Michaels, the man who now handles most of Pirates’ transfer dealings, Mpumi Khoza, soon made contact and negotiations gathered pace.

“The asking price was met for the new ‘President’,” she said, using the nickname Mofokeng was given while with the Soweto giants prior to his move to Belgium.

It turns out Mmolai also earned the same moniker in the lower divisions, which came because of the supposed authority Mmolai displayed in midfield during his time with Leicesterford City this past season.

Now the midfielder has the opportunity to prove that the faith shown in him was justified as Pirates usher in a new generation following Mofokeng’s departure.

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Bafana Bafana begin their road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania this month as a new post-World Cup era begins for the national side.

They have been drawn in a pool they will expect to qualify from, though it will not be easy with one team having already booked their place at the finals.

Bafana have been drawn with co-hosts Kenya, led by South Africa’s record goalscorer in international football, Benni McCarthy, a difficult Guinea side and minnows Eritrea.

With Kenya assured of a place, it means Bafana, Guinea and Eritrea are in a straight shoot-out for the other spot from the pool.

The qualifiers will take place in three FIFA international windows – 21 September to 6 October, 9 to 17 November and 22 to 30 March 2027.

The 24 teams that qualify will compete in the finals, which are scheduled to take place from 19 June to 17 July next year.

Bafana qualified for the last two editions, earning a bronze medal at the 2023 finals but going out in the round of 16 in Morocco earlier this year.

They have not earned their place at three successive finals since 20042008, such has been the patchy history of the side over the last two decades.

Expanding the competition from 16 to 24 teams has helped the current side. Here is a look at their three qualification group opponents.

KENYA
World ranking (June 2026): 109
Previous AFCON appearances: 6 – last in 2019
Best finish: Group Stage (six times) Kenya are led by former Bafana star McCarthy, which will add spice to the fixtures they play, even if, for the East African side, they are nothing more than preparation games to get them ready for the finals.

There is a South African thread that runs through their technical team, with Vasili Manousakis, who was an assistant coach with McCarthy at Cape Town City and AmaZulu, also involved. Former Bafana gloveman Moeneeb Josephs is also the goalkeeper coach and there are various other South Africans involved on the fitness and analyst side.

Certainly, they will know all about Bafana Bafana. Kenya have often been viewed as a country packed with potential, but they never seem quite able to get it together.

Their highest-ever ranking was 68 in the world in 2008, and the recent retirement of stalwarts like Victor Wanyama will not have helped, though he had been out of the national frame for some time.

They have a few players plying their trade in the lower leagues in England and around Europe, but not really what you would call household names.

They will be a tricky opponent and fired up to do well against Bafana, who they have met four times before. South Africa have won three of those to go with one draw.

GUINEA
World ranking (June 2026): 81
Previous AFCON appearances: 14 – last in 2023
Best finish: Runner-up (1976) Guinea did not qualify for the last finals in Morocco but were at the three prior to that and are a dangerous side.

They will likely be the most serious challengers to Bafana, who do not have a promising record against the West African team.

They have clashed on four previous occasions since their first meeting in 2006, and Guinea have won two of those to go with a draw and a single Bafana victory.

And that single Bafana success was in the African Nations Championship finals last year, a tournament for home-grown players only, so you can question whether it really even counts.

The biggest dangerman for the Guineans is no doubt Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy (below), who is one of the best forwards in the Bundesliga.

They have several players in France and Spain, and even defender Mamady Cissé, who plays for Atlético Mineiro in Brazil. They are coached by the Portuguese Paulo Duarte, who does not have a great record against Bafana, having faced them four times before while with Burkina Faso and Gabon. Bafana have won three of those games and drawn one, scoring 10 goals in the process.

ERITREA
World ranking (June 2026): 184
Previous AFCON appearances: None
Best finish: None Eritrea have never been to the Africa Cup of Nations before and had largely withdrawn from international football until recently.

But they entered the 2027 qualifiers and defeated Eswatini over two legs to book a place in the group stages. They are certainly the minnows in the pool, but will be unknowns for all teams and that gives them a slight edge.

Their talisman is undoubtedly Ali Suleiman, who plays for Kahrabaa Ismailia in the Egyptian league and was actually born in Saudi Arabia.

He scored three goals for the side against Eswatini and is a consummate finisher when given the chance. The team is coached by the Egyptian Hesham Yakan, who was a stalwart defender for Zamalek back in the day and also played 64 times for the Egyptian national team.

Bafana Bafana have never faced Eritrea in international football and, while they will expect to win both matches, neither game will be a given.

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Van Wyk became Sundowns’ first signing of the new season after he completed his transfer from Austrian outfit SV Ried.

The 24-year-old went on to make his first start for Sundowns and got his name on the score sheet as they secured a 3-2 victory over Polokwane City in the quarter-finals of the MTN8.

He paid tribute to the late Jayden Adams after finding the back of the net, dedicating his goal to the former teammate.

“It feels amazing especially playing in front of this amazing crowd, I mean the fans showed up and supported us until the 120 minute,” Van Wyk told Sundowns TV.

“I just want to dedicate my goal to Jayden Adams because he was an important player at this club and he continues to be an important player at this club.

“The fans can expect great football from us, I mean personally I wouldn’t be hear without this team.

“The performance I gave was a good one, the team performance was a great one and also it’s our first game, but I feel like we did so well.”

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