South Africa’s Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu lines up a kick during their once-off Test match against Wales at Twickenham Stadium in London in June FILE - South Africa’s Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu lines up a kick during their once-off Test match against Wales at Twickenham Stadium in London in June.
Image: Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto via AFP
It’s been a wonderful year for young sport stars in South Africa, with the next generation of idols starting to make their mark.
IOL Sport’s John Goliath picks his six young guns who announced themselves on the world stage in 2024.
South African rugby’s new wonderkid slotted in seamlessly after making his Springboks debut against Wales at the start of the Test season. He announced himself on the international stage with a brilliant long-range kick, while he also showed his class against Ireland.
But it was in the Rugby Championship where he made his mark, especially in the flyhalf position. Thrown into the deep end against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, Feinberg-Mngomezulu splashed around like a seasoned veteran, showing his vision and skill with ball in hand. He will be a match-winner for his country for many years to come.
The Limpopo-born lock has had a year filled with accolades after a stellar breakout season with both the Bulls and the Springbok Women’s team. Vainah Ubisi is on course to becoming a great of the game in this country, with her athleticism and power being showcased every time she takes the field.
Ubisi recently won the My Players Women's Players’ Player of Year award and has been nominated for the Springbok Women’s Player of the Year after helping the team qualify for the 2025 Rugby World Cup after they won the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup.
Tristan Stubbs burst onto the international cricket scene as a guy who can come in and hit the ball out of the park. But this year he has been given a lot more responsibility up the order for the Proteas in all formats, scoring centuries and showing that he is getting to know his game.
Stubbs played a couple of important innings in South Africa’s run to the T20 World Cup final in the West Indies and United States, coming in up the order, before being promoted in both the One-Day International and Test teams. Stubbs scored his maiden ODI century against Ireland in the United Arab Emirates, while he has scored two Test centuries batting at No 3 against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
South African teenage sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza played a big part in the SA 4x100 team’s silver medal-winning performance at the Paris Olympic Games. He had gone to the games as a reserve, but found himself in the spotlight after he replaced the injured Benjamin Richardson in the team, famously giving up ice cream for the cause.
A month later the Curro learner capped off the athletics season of his life by achieving the 100m and 200m sprint double at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima. Walaza blew away his competitors in the 200m to win in a time of 20.52. The 200m gold came a couple of days after he won the gold medal in the 100m.
The 20-year-old forward had a brilliant year for Orlando Pirates. The skillful Bucs starlet famously scored a last-minute winner in the Nedbank Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns and played a massive role in the Pirates second-place finish in the league last season.
This season he has continued with his development, playing a key role for Pirates quest to dethrone Sundowns at the top of the South African football tree. He also made his debut for Bafana Bafana, and there has even been speculation about a dream move to LaLiga giants Barcelona.
While South Africa’s 800m queen Caster Semenya is still fighting for her human right to compete in her favourite event, the heir to her throne Prudence Sekgodiso has made waves in 2024.
Sekgodiso was impressive in the Diamond League meetings this year, producing the fastest time in the world at the time in May in the women’s 800m when she clocked a personal best of 1:57.26 to win at the meet in Marrakesh, Morocco. She also won in Oslo, Norway. She finished eighth in the final at the Olympics, but more is to come for her in 2025.
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