A year to forget as SA national teams falter

In many sporting codes, 2022 was a year to forget for SA national teams, with Banyana Banyana the only national side who had a memorable year after finally clinching the Wafcon title in Morocco in July. Our reporters – Sihle Ndebele, Neville Khoza and Athenkosi Tsotsi – reflect on a sports year that was.

Bafana Bafana failing to qualify for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar

Bafana’s failure to qualify for the Fifa World Cup meant the nation missed a third consecutive World Cup. The last time they played at the showpiece was in 2010, as hosts. In a nutshell, Bafana have not qualified for the World Cup finals since 2002. Their dream of qualifying for this year’s showpiece evaporated into the air following a dubious 0-1 defeat to Ghana in their final Group G match, but Hugo Broos’s side didn’t help their cause by failing to win all their home games by more than a goal margin.

Zero-medals for Team SA at the World Athletics Championships

The standard of athletics in SA was brought into question when the team failed to win a single medal at the World Championship in Oregon in July. The World Champs were a disaster for Athletics SA, from travelling issues with player documentation, to a lacklustre performance in the grand stage of athletics.

Proteas choking at the T20 World Cup

The Proteas once again dropped the ball in an ICC competition, this year they were knocked out in the group stages of the T20 World Cup in Australia. The deflating part is that the game that confirmed their exit was a loss to the Netherlands. This surpassed all their past chokes at World Cups. Everyone associated with the Proteas should account for the horrid showing at the T20 showpiece.

Lack of PSL representatives in Qatar

The ongoing World Cup in Qatar has no player plying his trade in SA. The PSL was represented at the past two World Cups in Brazil and Russia in 2014 and 2018 respectively, hence the unavailability of SA-based players in Qatar set tongues wagging. In Brazil, former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Rashid Sumaila and goalkeeper Fatau Dauda, then with Pirates, made the final World Cup squad for their nation Ghana. In Russia, Nigerian international Daniel Akpeyi was the sole PSL representative.

SOME POSITIVES

Banyana conquering Africa

Having lost five Wafcon finals in the past, 2022 was finally Banyana's year of success as they clinched the Wafcon title in Morocco, beating the hosts 2-1 in the packed-to-rafters Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The triumph saw Banyana players being rewarded handsomely by different government divisions.

Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwela flying the SA flag in Qatar

While Bafana failed to qualify for the World Cup, Gomes and Siwela represented the nation by being among  the match officials in Qatar. Gomes had a brilliant year altogether, having handled Afcon and Champions League finals early this year. In Qatar, Gomes officiated in a Group D match between France and Australia on November 22 and a game between Spain and Japan in Group E on December 1. 

Stormers win United Rugby Championship title

The Stormers, under the guidance of coach John Dobson, won the inaugural United Rugby Championship in June, beating the Bulls 18-13 in the final. This feat was achieved against all odds as the Cape Town-based side is under administration. Dobson galvanised his troops, keeping them focused on the field as he also had his hands tied with office work. The win was one for the history books.