Basadi in Action Sports

African football received a major boost at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 after Nigeria secured their place in the Round of 16 with an impressive 3-1 victory over defending champions Korea DPR. The result was one of the biggest talking points of Friday’s action, as Nigeria showed their ability to compete against the best teams in the world. After opening their campaign with a defeat to Poland, the Nigerian side responded with back-to-back victories to advance to the knockout stage. Nigeria’s progress comes as the tournament’s group stage continues to produce important results, with several nations already securing their places in the last 16. Spain, the United States, China PR, Japan, Germany, Argentina, Poland and Brazil are among the teams to have progressed, alongside Nigeria and Korea DPR. For Africa, Nigeria’s achievement is particularly encouraging. Beating the reigning champions sends a strong message about the continent’s potential at youth level and gives the tea...

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) delivered a statement performance on home soil, sweeping aside UP-Tuks 5–0 to be crowned the 2026 Varsity Football champions in emphatic fashion. @VarsityDiski From the opening whistle, UJ showed exactly why they had been one of the standout teams throughout the tournament. Their attacking intensity, composure and dominance proved too much for UP-Tuks, as the hosts turned the final into a one-sided affair. Mpho Dlamini opened the scoring before Lindelwa Mabuza took centre stage, finding the back of the net twice to complete a brilliant brace. Kabelo Mokoena and Sbongakonke Mzobe added further goals as UJ powered to a comprehensive 5–0 victory. Mabuza’s outstanding final capped a remarkable individual tournament, with the UJ star taking home both the FNB Player of the Match award and the Suzuki Golden Boot. Dlamini was rewarded for her contribution with the Goal Rush award. Despite UJ’s dominance, the tournament’s top individual honour went to TUT’s S...

Ibanathi Msindo’s football journey is a powerful story of talent, sacrifice and unwavering family support. The University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) midfielder has established herself as one of the standout players in the 2026 Women’s Varsity Football campaign, but her journey to the big stage began on the streets of Pampierstad in the Northern Cape. Ibanathi Msindo  Born on 25 July 2002 and raised in Pampierstad, Msindo developed a love for football from an incredibly young age. Barely three years old, she was already kicking a ball around, and by the age of seven, she was playing street football with her nephews. Despite often being the only girl among the boys, Msindo more than held her own. Her passion for the game continued to grow, eventually leading her to club football.  At 15, Msindo joined Nicko Taurus Academy after she and her mother moved to Kagiso on the West Rand, partly to give her greater opportunities to pursue her football dream. However, tragedy struck just as Ms...

University of Johannesburg mentor Nthabeleng Modiko is pleased to have led the Orange Army to the second Varsity Football final in a row after beating the outgoing champions, University of the Western Cape, 1-0 in the semifinals at Wits University stadium on Monday afternoon.  A repeat of the 2025 Varsity Football final came in the semifinal with last year's victors, the University of the Western Cape, facing old foes in the University of Johannesburg. The Orange Army went into this fixture still licking wounds from last year's defeat and aiming to get one better than the previous edition. 'Dunga' is pleased her charges managed to beat UWC to book a spot in the final. Former Banyana Banyana star says revenge was never on the forefront of her mind heading to the encounter but had her eyes glued to the final.  Dunga says her side has been in more finals only to come second and looking forward to going one better "Reaching back to back finals is something we are proud...

After six years away from the Varsity Football final, the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) women’s team is back on the biggest stage and they come with belief, unity and a strong sense of purpose.  © Varsity Diski Tuks booked their place in the 2026 final with a hard-fought victory over TUT, a result that capped a campaign in which the team steadily grew in confidence and cohesion. For the Tuks coach, Sibusiso Themba, the journey to the final has been challenging but deeply rewarding. “At the start, we were still finding our feet, but the way the ladies came together is amazing.” The coach believes the team’s greatest strength has been its collective spirit. Rather than relying on individual brilliance, Tuks have built their campaign around togetherness, with every player including those coming off the bench playing a role when called upon. “ We win as a collective, not as individuals,” the coach explained. “We fought together as a team, and that is how we managed to get to the fin...

The 2026 Varsity Football Women’s competition delivered a dramatic Round 4 as the semi-finals produced two thrilling contests, with UJ and UP-TUKS emerging victorious to secure their places in this year's final. UJ 1–0 UWC: Lindelwa Mabuza’s moment of magic The first semi-final was a tightly contested battle between University of Johannesburg (UJ) and defending champions University of the Western Cape (UWC). UJ eventually edged the defending champions 1–0, with Lindelwa Mabuza producing a moment of brilliance to decide the contest. Mabuza unleashed a spectacular long-range strike that proved to be the only goal of the match, sending UJ through to the final. Her stunning effort also earned her the SportPesa Goal Rush Award. UJ's defensive resilience was equally important as they held on to protect their narrow advantage and book their place in the championship decider. Sthembile Sandleni was instrumental in UJ's hard-fought victory and was rewarded with the FNB Player of the...

The 2026 Varsity Football Women’s tournament has reached its business end, with an action-packed weekend at Wits producing plenty of goals, competitive encounters and four teams securing their places in the semi-finals. © X (@VarsityDiski) UJ continued their impressive campaign to finish top of Group A. They opened the weekend with a convincing 4-0 victory over WSU, before being held to a 1-1 draw by UL. The result saw UJ finish the group stage unbeaten on 10 points. UWC also finished strongly, following their commanding 6-0 win over UL with a 2-0 victory against TUT. The defending champions secured second place in the group and will now face UJ in the semi-finals. In Group B, UP-Tuks claimed top spot after a 3-1 win over CPUT and a crucial 2-1 victory against Wits. TUT also booked their place in the last four, despite their 2-0 defeat to UWC, following an impressive run that included an emphatic 11-1 win over CPUT. The weekend brought the group stage to an end, with Wits, WSU, CPUT an...

The 2026 Women’s Varsity Football  competition produced another action-packed round on Saturday , 8 August, as Round 3 delivered plenty of goals, standout individual performances and important results across the four fixtures. © X (@VarsityDiski) UWC 6–0 UL: Kotjie stars with a hat-trick The University of the Western Cape (UWC) continued their impressive campaign with a commanding 6–0 victory over the University of Limpopo (UL). Tiffany Kotjie was the standout performer, completing a brilliant hat-trick to spearhead UWC's dominant display. Her performance earned her the FNB Player of the Match award. Mmabatho Mogale also made her mark, claiming the Goal Rush Award as UWC produced one of the biggest victories of the round. UJ 4–0 WSU: Dlamini leads the charge The University of Johannesburg (UJ) secured a convincing 4–0 win over Walter Sisulu University (WSU). UJ controlled proceedings and converted their opportunities effectively, with Mpho Dlamini earning the FNB Player of the Ma...

The 2026 Varsity Football Women's tournament heads to Wits University this weekend for another exciting round of action, with Rounds 3 and 4 set to play a key role in shaping the race for the semifinals. © X (@VarsityDiski) After an entertaining opening weekend, teams will be looking to build momentum and secure valuable points as the competition reaches its halfway stage. Every match carries added significance, with little separating the teams and each result capable of influencing the standings. Supporters can expect a weekend of fast-paced football, fierce university rivalries and quality performances from some of South Africa's brightest student-athletes. With places in the knockout rounds up for grabs, the intensity is expected to rise as every team fights to keep its title hopes alive. Fixtures Round 3 – Saturday, 8 August 13:00 | UWC vs UL – Wits Bozzoli Fields 15:00 | UJ vs WSU – Wits Bozzoli Fields 17:30 | CPUT vs UP-Tuks – Wits Stadium 19:30 | Wits vs TUT – Wits Stadi...

The countdown is on as the 2026 Varsity Football Women’s tournament prepares to take centre stage, bringing together some of South Africa’s top university teams for another exciting season of football.    © X  (@VarsityDiski) · The tournament kicks off on Saturday, 1 August 2026, with matches set to take place at Tuks Stadium over the opening weekend. Eight universities will compete for the prestigious title, with each team determined to make a strong start to their campaign. TUT, UJ, Wits, UWC, UL, Tuks, CPUT and WSU will all battle it out for championship glory. Varsity Football Women continues to play an important role in the growth of women’s football in South Africa, providing talented players with a platform to showcase their skills while representing their universities at the highest level of student sport. With some of the country’s most promising young footballers set to take part, supporters can expect exciting matches, strong competition and unforgettable momen...

At just 19 years old, Gositang “GG” Motshegwe is already writing a story that stretches far beyond borders. From the streets of Johannesburg to the competitive fields of American college soccer, her journey is one of courage, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief in her dreams. Gositang Motshegwe  © BackpagePix Now a midfielder for Hampton University Women’s Soccer in the United States, GG represents a growing wave of South African talent boldly chasing global opportunities — and making their mark. Growing up in Johannesburg, GG’s football journey began in an uncommon yet powerful way. At just 12 years old, she broke into the University of Johannesburg (UJ) boys’ academy — a move that would test her resilience and sharpen her competitive edge early on. “I began my soccer journey at UJ, joining the boys academy team at 12,” she recalls. “I was later moved to the women’s second team, and eventually into the first team in the Hollywoodbets Super League.” That progression at a young age ...