Latest news with #Cupido
CAF
8 hours ago
- Sport
- CAF
Cupido sets rallying cry as Sundowns face make-or-break Fluminese tie
Published: Sunday, 22 June 2025 Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back Keanu Cupido says the South African champions have no choice but to 'give it everything' against Fluminense on Tuesday if they are to extend their FIFA Club World Cup adventure. The Brazilians sit third in Group F after a breathless 4-3 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Cincinnati – a match Sundowns led early before being punished by individual errors and an own goal. Fluminense's 4-2 win over Ulsan HD later the same evening means the Rio giants and Dortmund both have four points, with Sundowns on three. Going into their final Group F game against the Brazilian side, the defender knows they must give it their all to be able to advance from the tricky group. 'Against Fluminense, we need to do well,' Cupido told reporters after the match. 'We have to give it our everything if we want to go through to the next stage. 'I feel like we will go home, back to the hotel, recover, rest, and then take it from there. But as a team, we want to win, we want to look for something positive out of the match.' Miguel Cardoso's side had stunned Dortmund when Lucas Ribeiro slalomed from halfway to open the scoring on 11 minutes, but a stray pass by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams gifted Felix Nmecha parity and the Germans capitalised to lead 3-1 at half-time. Even after Khuliso Mudau turned a cross into his own net for 4-1, Sundowns rallied: Iqraam Rayners poached his second goal of the tournament before substitute Lebo Mothiba set up a frantic finale with a 90th-minute strike. Cardoso praised the 'bravery' of his players and claimed Dortmund 'will remember this match for a long time'. Cupido echoed those sentiments but stressed that lessons – particularly in decision-making at the back – must be applied immediately. Victory over Fluminense in Orlando will guarantee Sundowns a quarter-final berth regardless of Dortmund's result against win-less Ulsan. A draw would leave the South Africans relying on the Koreans to shock the Bundesliga side – an outcome Cupido is unwilling to gamble on. 'We came here to test ourselves against the best,' he added. 'Dortmund showed us what happens when focus slips. Now it's about mentality: recover, reset and throw everything at Fluminese.' Thousands of expatriate South Africans lit up TQL Stadium with vuvuzelas and will now travel to lend vocal backing in Orlando. Cupido believes that energy can tilt fine margins.
eNCA
3 days ago
- eNCA
Senior bank manager behind bars after multi-million drug bust
CAPE TOWN - A senior bank manager is facing charges of dealing in drugs and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The 40-year-old, Raed Cupido made his second appearance at Cape Town's Magistrates Court this week. Cupido was arrested on Tuesday last week during an intelligence driven operation conducted by members attached to the Anti-Gang Unit, Crime Intelligence and Provincial Organised Crime Detectives. Police pounced onto him at a Cape Town storage facility where he allegedly kept 15 bricks of cocaine of about 15 kilograms (1kg each) with an estimated street value of R18 million as well as one AK 47 rifle, an Uzzi, five 9mm pistols and an assortment of ammunition. The suspect is expected to make another appearance at the end of June and eNCA will make an application to film the court proceedings on the day.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Iqraam Rayners the hero as Mamelodi Sundowns hold off Ulsan HD to top Fifa Club World Cup group
Iqraam Rayners celebrates after scoring the only goal for Mamelodi Sundowns against Ulsan HD. Photo: AFP Image: AFP MAMELODI Sundowns beat Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening match of the Fifa Club World Cup on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning South African time) to go top of their group after the favourites Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense drew their match in the United States of America. Iqraam Rayners scored the match's only goal to walk away with the Superior Man of the Match award as Keano Cupido pulled off a superb tackle late in the game to ensure there was no late drama to deny the Brazilians victory at the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. It was the kind of last-ditch clearance that could so easily have been reminiscent of the own goal Cupido's father Greg scored way back in the 1986 Mainstay Cup final to give Sundowns victory over his Jomo Cosmos. An Ulsan attack from the right saw a shot beating Ronwen Williams, and as the ball trickled towards the empty net, an on-rushing Cupido stretched full length to direct it away as an Ulsan striker loomed large looking to slide it in. That was the victory secured in a match that Sundowns could well have won at a canter. The South African champions could well have been over as a contest by halftime, with the Brazilians having breached the Ulsan defence three times. Rayners opened the scoring on 36 minutes with a right-footed toe-poke from close range, after he'd received a typically sublime through-pass from Ribeiro. Yet the Capetonian could have had a first-half hat-trick, as he got the ball into the net on two other occasions, only for VAR to rule out those strikes. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The initial one came just before the half-hour mark after he'd forced a corner kick with a shot from close range, which the Ulsan defender deflected away from goal. Ribeiro sent the set-piece right at the near post, and Rayners reacted quickest to the ball, but VAR showed the ball had come off his arm before going over the line past the flailing goalkeeper HW Cho. He made amends some seven minutes later, though, and thought he'd scored a second just shortly thereafter when his combination with Ribeiro again pierced the Ulsan defensive line open. The Brazilian's magic shone through yet again as he delivered yet another pinpoint pass to send Rayners sailing through, and the striker made no mistake in finding the net. It, however, turned out that he'd steered a fraction offside prior to Ribeiro releasing the ball, and the goal was annulled. The match was delayed for a little over an hour due to adverse weather conditions – there was an ominous threat of lightning – with the teams having to go back into the dressing room after the players were introduced onto the pitch one-by-one. The hold-up had no negative effect on Sundowns as they started the match sprightly and nearly scored on 23 seconds, but had their shot cleared away and their calls for handball got waved off. While they dominated play in the initial quarter hour, Miguel Cardoso's men played somewhat cockily, and often chose to make what appeared to be difficult passes – a ploy that led to them being under unnecessary pressure. As a result Themba Zwane, surprisingly starting the match after Cardoso iced him out of the CAF Champions League final, conceded a free kick on the edge of the box, but Derjan Bojanic wasted it. The Croatian then shot tamely at Ronwen Williams from right in front of the box after Sundowns's causal play saw them lose possession. It was soon the Ribeiro-Rayners show though as the striking duo combined to find the Ulsan net on those three occasions albeit just once legally. Teboho Mokoena nearly made it 2-0 with his trademark free-kick two minutes before the break but the keeper was alert and punched the ball away for a corner kick.
The Citizen
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
For all the tea in… Mzansi
Cupido said that everyone develops their own nuance in ceremony, and serving tea is quite technical. For all the tea in Mzansi, tea sommelier Craig Cupido. Picture: Supplied This is the story of a man who accidentally found his passion, a tale of tea, wisdom, taking pause and understanding appreciation. Craig Cupido is the reluctant hero of the brew and the star of his own realisation of ideals. And, besides that, at 51, he's the only bona fide tea sommelier in South Africa. It's a story that reads like a fairy tale. Cupido had studied electrical engineering but ended up as a truck driver. One fine day, he was delivering orchids to a remote farm in the Western Cape. It was a job nobody else wanted to do, because there were windy roads, tricky entrances and exits, and it was a tough offloading job, because you must be gentle with orchids. So, while the offloading happened, Cupido waited. And that's where his destiny met him. The truck driver discovers tea's refinement 'The flower beds on the farm were always neat,' he said. 'And this old man would sweep up eucalyptus leaves while I waited.' He brewed tea while they spoke, he in Mandarin, Craig in English. 'He was learning English, and I think I was part of his practice,' Cupido said. 'But the tea he made, the whole process, it stuck with me.' He kept going back. More tea. More conversation. Eventually, the gentleman introduced him to his son-in-law. ALSO READ: The Funeatery's playful food, inspired proprietor Tea business The son-in-law was in the tea business, supplying loose-leaf blends to hotels in Johannesburg and Cape Town. 'He had between 600 and 700 teas at the time,' Cupido said. 'That's how I met my tea master,' he said. 'He took me in, taught me, and that's where the journey really started.' He learnt the art of the tea ceremony. 'It is supposed to be an expression of yourself,' he said. 'You can't just copy what someone else does. If you can't express yourself, it's not real.' Cupido said that everyone develops their own nuance in ceremony, and serving tea is quite technical. 'The first drop and the last drop from that pot are two different teas,' he said. 'So, if I serve you first, and someone else later, the experiences aren't the same. That's why we use what's called a fairness cup, smaller brews that are served at the same time, so everyone gets the same taste.' Tea is for sharing Not just a teapot but a Yixing pot must be used. It's a small, clay pot without any dyes or colouring. It's got a fat belly. For Cupido, it's all part of the ritual and the sensory experience that accompanies it. 'There is method to the practice,' he said. 'From fragrance in the cups to the feel of a warm lid in hand, it's about more than taste. 'You feel the glow, you take in the scent, and you sip from a cup without handles,' he said. 'It's appreciation. It centres you.' 'Caffeine in tea lifts the spirit, and L-theanine calms the mind,' he said. 'Together they help you see people more clearly, feel more present. You're not just drinking tea. You're creating space for others.' Some teas are for grounding. Others for the lightness of being. 'Pu-erh tea is one of my favourites,' he said. 'It's earthy, peaty. It comes from trees that are hundreds or even thousands of years old. When I drink it, I feel rooted.' White some tea, he said, is for gentler days. Oolong tea is enjoyed when there's a need for connection. 'Every tea has a personality,' he said. 'It's just about knowing what energy you want to feel.' Every tea has a personality There's an old English adage that every problem can be solved around a cup of tea, Cupido said. He added that it's true because a good cup of tea can change the mood around a table, impact thinking, and enhance an individual's emotional and intellectual presence. Cupido has spent more than two decades refining his tea ceremony as resident tea sommelier at Cape Town's Mount Nelson hotel. His tea menu lists 75 blends. 'I love listening to our guests and understanding their flavour preferences,' he said. 'Tea is very personal, and I've seen people drink a tea they've never had before, but it reminds them of something long forgotten,' he said. 'It's that moment. That's what I want to create. 'It's about giving the tea a space to express itself,' he said. 'Slow, thoughtful, and intentional.' Supermarket tea doesn't interest him. 'Those bags are filled with the dust left over from the tea-making process,' he said. 'And many of them are sealed with plastic or bleached. It's not the same. There's no story in it.' He loves the narrative and the journey, and even at 51, after two decades of tea, he said that there's no end to learning about the magical brew. 'I think I'll be a student forever,' he said. 'Every time I think I know something, I learn something new.' NOW READ: Il Gusto offers good food and good cheer
