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IOL News
20 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995 I On this day: Tragedy, triumph and turmoil in dramatic third round
Former Springbok James Dalton was one of several players sent off during the Battle of Boet Erasmus on this day at the Rugby World Cup 1995. Photo: AFP Image: AFP The third round of the 1995 Rugby World Cup began in tragedy. The match between Tonga and Ivory Coast had barely kicked off when Ivorian wing Max Brito collected a high ball. He was tackled fairly, but following the ensuing ruck, Brito was left prone on his back. He had been paralysed in a freak accident. It remains the darkest day in the history of the Rugby World Cup. Brito was quickly airlifted to hospital, but the damage was permanent. He would spend 25 years in a wheelchair before passing away in 2022 at the age of 54. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ The match itself was otherwise forgettable, as the two teams fought to avoid finishing bottom of their pool. The West Africans showed improvement from their opening game, where they at times appeared unfamiliar with the rules. The more experienced Tongans were always in control and secured a 29–11 victory. The match was played in Rustenburg in front of about 8 000 local fans, who passionately supported the underdogs. When Ivorian flanker Alfred Okou scored his team's try, the celebration was so intense it felt as if they had won the game. The Australia vs Romania fixture was the first international played in Stellenbosch. The venue was selected in honour of South African rugby legend Danie Craven, who lived there for many years and passed away in 1993. The Wallabies wore striking green jerseys with yellow hoops to avoid a colour clash with Romania's yellow kit. They also used the match as an opportunity to give their backup players a run. Among them were future Australian rugby legends George Gregan, John Eales, David Wilson, Matthew Burke, Tim Horan, and Joe Roff — players who would form the core of the Wallabies' 1999 World Cup-winning side. They proved too strong for the Romanians, who conceded six tries in a 42–3 defeat, with flying wing Joe Roff scoring twice. One of the tournament's best matches took place at Loftus Versfeld between France and Scotland. Dubbed 'The Eliminator', the clash carried high stakes: the loser would face the formidable All Blacks in the quarter-final. The match had the intensity of a knockout fixture and was only decided in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The Scots had been leading 19–15 and were desperate for referee Wayne Erickson to blow the final whistle — only for French wing Émile Ntamack to score after a prolonged siege in the Scottish 22. It was the final movement of the match. Scottish hearts were broken, but they had missed their chances earlier. The usually reliable goal-kicker Gavin Hastings endured a nightmare with the boot, a stark contrast to the precision of French centre Thierry Lacroix. It was a brutal contest between the Six Nations rivals — France's Philippe Benetton (No 8) and scrum-half Guy Accoceberry both suffered broken arms. France edged it 22–19, with Lacroix kicking five penalties and converting Ntamack's try. Scotland flanker Rob Wainwright scored his side's sole try.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Xenophobic': Neighbours outraged over Mauritania's mass migrant pushback
Their situation seemed desperate; their demeanour, portrayed in several videos published by news outlets, was sour. On a recent weekday in March, men, women, and even children – all with their belongings heaped on their heads or strapped to their bodies – disembarked from the ferry they say they were forcibly hauled onto from the vast northwest African nation of Mauritania to the Senegalese town of Rosso, on the banks of the Senegal River. Their offence? Being migrants from the region, they told reporters, regardless of whether they had legal residency papers. 'We suffered there,' one woman told France's TV5 Monde, a baby perched on her hip. 'It was really bad.' The deportees are among hundreds of West Africans who have been rounded up by Mauritanian security forces, detained, and sent over the border to Senegal and Mali in recent months, human rights groups say. According to one estimate from the Mauritanian Association for Human Rights (AMDH),1,200 people were pushed back in March alone, even though about 700 of them had residence permits. Those pushed back told reporters about being randomly approached for questioning before being arrested, detained for days in tight prison cells with insufficient food and water, and tortured. Many people remained in prison in Mauritania, they said. The largely desert country – which has signed expensive deals with the European Union to keep migrants from taking the risky boat journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Western shores – has called the pushbacks necessary to crack down on human smuggling networks. However, its statements have done little to calm rare anger from its neighbours, Mali and Senegal, whose citizens make up a huge number of those sent back. Mali's government, in a statement in March, expressed 'indignation' at the treatment of its nationals, adding that 'the conditions of arrest are in flagrant violation of human rights and the rights of migrants in particular.' In Senegal, a member of parliament called the pushbacks 'xenophobic' and urged the government to launch an investigation. 'We've seen these kinds of pushbacks in the past but it is at an intensity we've never seen before in terms of the number of people deported and the violence used,' Hassan Ould Moctar, a migration researcher at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, told Al Jazeera. The blame, the researcher said, was largely to be put on the EU. On one hand, Mauritania was likely under pressure from Brussels, and on the other hand, it was also likely reacting to controversial rumours that migrants deported from Europe would be resettled in the country despite Nouakchott's denial of such an agreement. Mauritania, on the edge of the Atlantic, is one of the closest points from the continent to Spain's Canary Islands. That makes it a popular departure point for migrants who crowd the coastal capital, Nouakchott, and the commercial northern city of Nouadhibou. Most are trying to reach the Canaries, a Spanish enclave closer to the African continent than to Europe, from where they can seek asylum. Due to its role as a transit hub, the EU has befriended Nouakchott – as well as the major transit points of Morocco and Senegal – since the 2000s, pumping funds to enable security officials there to prevent irregular migrants from embarking on the crossing. However, the EU honed in on Mauritania with renewed vigour last year after the number of people travelling from the country shot up to unusual levels, making it the number one departure point. About 83 percent of the 7,270 people who arrived in the Canaries in January 2024 travelled from Mauritania, migrant advocacy group Caminando Fronteras (CF) noted in a report last year. That number represented a 1,184 percent increase compared with January 2023, when most people were leaving Senegal. Some 3,600 died on the Mauritania-Atlantic route between January and April 2024, CF noted. Analysts, and the EU, link the surge to upheavals wracking the Sahel, from Mali to Niger, including coups and attacks by several armed groups looking to build caliphates. In Mali, attacks on local communities by armed groups and government forces suspicious of locals have forced hundreds over the border into Mauritania in recent weeks. Ibrahim Drame of the Senegalese Red Cross in the border town of Rosso told Al Jazeera the migrant raids began in January after a new immigration law went into force, requiring a residence permit for any foreigner living on Mauritanian soil. However, he said most people have not had an opportunity to apply for those permits. Before this, nationals of countries like Senegal and Mali enjoyed free movement under bilateral agreements. 'Raids have been organised day and night, in large markets, around bus stations, and on the main streets,' Drame noted, adding that those affected are receiving dwindling shelter and food support from the Red Cross, and included migrants from Togo, Nigeria, Niger, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and Benin. 'Hundreds of them were even hunted down in their homes or workplaces, without receiving the slightest explanation … mainly women, children, people with chronic illnesses in a situation of extreme vulnerability and stripped of all their belongings, even their mobile phones,' Drame said. Last February, European Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, visited President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in Nouakchott to sign a 210 million euro ($235m) 'migrant partnership agreement'. The EU said the agreement was meant to intensify 'border security cooperation' with Frontex, the EU border agency, and dismantle smuggler networks. The bloc has promised an additional 4 million euros ($4.49m) this year to provide food, medical, and psychosocial support to migrants. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was also in Mauritania in August to sign a separate border security agreement. Black Mauritanians in the country, meanwhile, say the pushback campaign has awakened feelings of exclusion and forced displacement carried by their communities. Some fear the deportations may be directed at them. Activist Abdoulaye Sow, founder of the US-based Mauritanian Network for Human Rights in the US (MNHRUS), told Al Jazeera that to understand why Black people in the country feel threatened, there's a need to understand the country's painful past. Located at a confluence where the Arab world meets Sub-Saharan Africa, Mauritania has historically been racially segregated, with the Arab-Berber political elite dominating over the Black population, some of whom were previously, or are still, enslaved. It was only in 1981 that Mauritania passed a law abolishing slavery, but the practice still exists, according to rights groups. Dark-skinned Black Mauritanians are composed of Haratines, an Arabic-speaking group descended from formerly enslaved peoples. There are also non-Arabic speaking groups like the Fulani and Wolof, who are predominantly from the Senegal border area in the country's south. Black Mauritanians, Sow said, were once similarly deported en masse in trucks from the country to Senegal. It dates back to April 1989, when simmering tensions between Mauritanian herders and Senegalese farmers in border communities erupted and led to the 1989-1991 Border War between the two countries. Both sides deployed their militaries in heavy gunfire battles. In Senegal, mobs attacked Mauritanian traders, and in Mauritania, security forces cracked down on Senegalese nationals. Because a Black liberation movement was also growing at the time, and the Mauritanian military government was fearful of a coup, it cracked down on Black Mauritanians, too. By 1991, there were refugees on either side in the thousands. However, after peace came about, the Mauritanian government expelled thousands of Black Mauritanians under the guise of repatriating Senegalese refugees. Some 60,000 people were forced into Senegal. Many lost important citizenship and property documents in the process. 'I was a victim too,' Sow said. 'It wasn't safe for Blacks who don't speak Arabic. I witnessed armed people going house to house and asking people if they were Mauritanian, beating them, even killing them.' Sow said it is why the deportation of sub-Saharan migrants is scaring the community. Although he has written open letters to the government warning of how Black people could be affected, he said there has been no response. 'When they started these recent deportations again, I knew where they were going, and we've already heard of a Black Mauritanian deported to Mali. We've been sounding the alarm for so long, but the government is not responsive.' The Mauritanian government directed Al Jazeera to an earlier statement it released regarding the deportations, but did not address allegations of possible forced expulsions of Black Mauritanians. In the statement, the government said it welcomed legal migrants from neighbouring countries, and that it was targeting irregular migrants and smuggling networks. 'Mauritania has made significant efforts to enable West African nationals to regularise their residence status by obtaining resident cards following simplified procedures,' the statement read. Although Mauritania eventually agreed to take back its nationals between 2007 and 2012, many Afro-Mauritanians still do not have documents proving their citizenship as successive administrations implement fluctuating documentation and census laws. Tens of thousands are presently stateless, Sow said. At least 16,000 refugees chose to stay back in Senegal to avoid persecution in Mauritania. Sow said the fear of another forced deportation comes on top of other issues, including national laws that require students in all schools to learn in Arabic, irrespective of their culture. Arabic is Mauritania's lingua franca, but Afro-Mauritanians who speak languages like Wolof or Pula are against what they call 'forced Arabisation'. Sow says it is 'cultural genocide'. Despite new residence permit laws in place, Sow added, migrants, as well as the Black Mauritanian population, should be protected. 'Whether they are migrants or not, they have their rights as people, as humans,' he said.
CAF
12-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Keita own goal sends Morocco into last four, books World Cup ticket
Published: Monday, 12 May 2025 Morocco edged debutants Sierra Leone 1-0 in extra time to book their place in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, thanks to a dramatic late own goal from Amara Keita. The tense quarter-final clash at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on Monday saw the North Africans dominate proceedings but struggle to break down a resolute Sierra Leone defence. It was a heartbreaking end for the tournament debutants, who pushed Morocco all the way before a cruel deflection settled the tie. The decisive moment arrived in the 115th minute when Keita inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure, giving Morocco a place in the final four and sealing their qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year. Sierra Leone's resistance was gallant throughout, despite being reduced to ten men in regulation time. Substitute Samba Bah was sent off following a VAR review in the 90th minute for a reckless challenge, leaving the West Africans to navigate extra time a man down. Morocco, Group B winners and one of the tournament favourites, had entered the match unbeaten in their last 12 games in open play at the U20 AFCON. Despite creating several chances through Jones El Abdellaoui, Ismaël Baouf, and Adam El Mokhtari, they were repeatedly denied by the heroics of Sierra Leone goalkeeper Mohamed Bai Kamara and a stubborn backline. Sierra Leone had their own moments of threat, notably through talisman Momoh Kamara, whose long-range effort in the 113th minute forced a fine save. However, the West Africans—who had stunned hosts Egypt 4-1 in the group stage—couldn't find the breakthrough this time. For Morocco, the win marks their second semi-final appearance since 2005 and maintains their unbeaten run at the 2025 finals. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi's side showed patience and composure, eventually breaking down a well-drilled opponent who had conceded the most goals of any team in the quarter-finals. Sierra Leone exit the tournament with pride, having exceeded expectations in their first-ever U20 AFCON appearance. With standout performances from Kamara and Alpha Turay, they have left a strong impression on the continental stage. Morocco will now look ahead to a semi-final clash with either South Africa or DR Congo, confident in their defensive resilience and tactical discipline.
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia hope for the real deal from Africa
KUALA LUMPUR: Are Cape Verde the real deal? Will the West Africans be coming to Kuala Lumpur with their national team? If they do, Cape Verde, aka the Blue Sharks, are capable of tearing apart Harimau Malaya. After all, they are ranked much higher than Malaysia — world No. 72 against world No. 131. Malaysia will play Cape Verde in a Tier 1 international friendly at KLFA Stadium on May 29 and in a closed-door test match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3. While fans are excited over Cape Verde's visit, memories of Malaysian football's most embarrassing moment — the Zimbabwean hoax of 2009 — have come flooding back. At that time, Harimau Malaya were duped into facing a club side, Monomotapa United, who posed as the Zimbabwe national side. The African visitors donned national colours in Kuala Lumpur, with people posing as Zimbabwe coaching staff. The FA of Malaysia (FAM) was not amused, and accused the Zimbabwe Football Association of deception and disrespect. Monomotapa lost 4-0 in the first match and 1-0 in the second to Malaysia. National coach Datuk K. Rajagobal had then said that he was told it was the "real Zimbabwe squad". From 2008 to 2009, Harimau Malaya played five matches against teams claiming to represent African nations, including Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Lesotho, but questions lingered over the authenticity of some of these line-ups. Now, after 16 years, Malaysia are set to play another African nation, Cape Verde. Inevitably, questions are being raised again — will it be the real Cape Verde? Former Football Coaches Association of Malaysia vice-president Dr Zulakbal Abd Karim said such incidents had happened before, but he trusts FAM's current leadership. "In the past, it could have happened, African teams coming here, claiming to be something. But I believe FAM has experts like Harimau Malaya CEO (Rob Friend) and they would know more than us. "Secondly, the info and media reports show a team of high calibre, and when they come, we will know if it's the first or second team. We have professionals to do a background check," said Zulakbal. Meanwhile, football observer Sayf Ismail said while it is important for Malaysia to play higher-ranked teams, he warned of the potential pitfalls. "It's a good move to play teams better than us. But we also have to ensure they send a competitive team and not junior teams or highly experimental teams. "But it's their prerogative to send those they feel can win, and they have their priorities to test out younger players against Malaysia. "But we have to make sure that the negotiations and understanding between both the countries are mutually beneficial."
CAF
11-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Black Satellites face resurgent Egypt in U20 AFCON quarter-final clash
Published: Saturday, 10 May 2025 Ghana will face hosts Egypt in a high-stakes quarter-final showdown at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 on Monday afternoon in Suez, as both sides aim to keep their title hopes alive. The Black Satellites topped Group C with a perfect record, defeating DR Congo and the Central African Republic after an opening 1-1 draw. Compact in defence and clinical in attack, Desmond Ofei's side are now among the favourites to lift the trophy for a record fourth time. Their highlight so far was a gritty 1-0 victory over defending champions Senegal, which not only ended the Teranga Cubs' hopes of back-to-back titles but also underlined Ghana's resurgence on the continental youth stage. Jerry Afriyie, Joseph Aidoo and Abdul Sulemana have been key contributors, but it is Ghana's disciplined midfield structure and high-pressing game that have made the difference. Their ability to manage tight matches and punish mistakes has been central to their rise. However, standing in their way is an Egypt side that has experienced a rollercoaster campaign but now seems to have rediscovered momentum at the right time. After a strong start with a 1-0 win over South Africa, the Young Pharaohs suffered a shocking 4-1 defeat to Sierra Leone, before edging Tanzania 1-0 to advance as one of the best third-placed teams. It's a far cry from the dominance Egypt would have hoped for as hosts, but the team has shown resilience and will now look to feed off home support in the knockout stages. Coach Osama Nabih will be banking on midfield architect Ahmed Kabaka, who has created more chances than any other Egyptian in the tournament. In goal, Abdelmonem Tamer has grown in stature, while the return to form of forward Ahmed Sharaf could prove crucial. History also favours Ghana in this fixture. The West Africans defeated Egypt in the group stage of the 1993 edition and went on to win that tournament. But Egypt will hope that playing on home soil can tip the scales in their favour. With both teams boasting rich U20 histories, Monday's clash promises to be a tactical and emotional battle. Ghana are chasing their fourth title, while Egypt are seeking their first since 2003 and aiming to avoid a third consecutive group-stage elimination. Kick-off is at 15:00 GMT at the Suez Canal Stadium. The winner will take on the victor of Morocco vs Sierra Leone in the semi-finals.
