Johannesburg – While 2021 will not go down as the year that gave us major fireworks, thrills and frills, there were still some unforgettable moments that will remain a talking point for many years to come.
We run the rule over some of the year’s major highlights …
Woman club boss Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize takes the PSL bosses head on:
The unpredictable Royal AM boss refused to play in the promotion/relegation playoffs and took the PSL to various courts in the land.
The flamboyant MaMKhize shocked the country when she later bought the status of Bloemfontein Celtic, a huge blow for residents of Bloemfontein and other areas of the Free State.
Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and World Cup tournaments:
In what was an eventful year, SA will watch next year’s Afcon and Fifa World Cup tournaments on their TVs after Bafana failed on two occasions and bombed out in heart-breaking fashion.
Coach Molefi Ntseki was in charge of the Bafana team that was doing so well in their Afcon qualifying campaign before going into the last match against Sudan, where they needed a draw to book their tickets to Cameroon.
The Sudanese showed them flames with a rat-a-tat first-half spell that resulted in a 2-0.
Ntseki was sacked and Hugo Broos was appointed.
Broos followed the same pattern as Ntseki and again Bafana were knocked out in controversial manner by Ghana.
Safa launched an appeal with Fifa that the referee, Ndiaye Maguette, manipulated the result of the Ghana match. Fifa dismissed the SA case and said that the protest was inadmissible.
Kaizer Chiefs stage a no-show:
In a matter that has given the PSL a major headache, 31 Chiefs staff members tested positive for Covid-19 and the glamour club asked for their remaining matches of 2021 to be postponed.
The league refused Chiefs’ request but the club stuck to its guns and did not honour DStv Premiership fixtures against Cape Town City and Golden Arrows. The league has still not ruled on the issue.
Proteas choke again:
In the T20 World Cup in the UAE, and besides having a decent tournament, their participation was marred by star player Quinton de Kock who refused to take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
This divided the country and opened a huge debate about his stance and SA’s past history. He later changed his mind.
Springboks retain their number 1 World Ranking:
Though the South Africans were defeated by England in the final match of a difficult 2021, the Springboks can console themselves with the fact that they have achieved something that no other South African World Cup-winners have managed to do by keeping their number one ranking for next year.
Marathoner Stephen Mokoka wins the Cape Town Marathon:
Against all odds, Mokoka showed why he is still one of Mzansi’s top runners when he stormed home in the Cape Town Marathon in October.
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (now known as Marumo Gallants) win Nedbank Cup and qualify for CAF:
After a rocky start in the elite league, TTM rewrote the history books when they won their first major trophy by lifting the Nedbank Cup after beating Chippa United 1-0 at the Free State Stadium in May.
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