Bafana out to end Nations campaign in style
The main event
It has been a season of great moment for South African soccer. A string of solid performances at international level; triumph for the Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates, and coach Gordon Igesund in landing the PSL title in his first season with them; drama at Ellis Park where 44 fans lost their lives in South Africa's worst soccer tragedy as Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs squared up in a stadium that literally burst at the seams.
It is to be hoped that significant lessons were learnt from the tragedy, enabling Safa and the PSL to ensure that such shocking negligence is never allowed to occur again.
Today sees a fitting close to the season at Absa Stadium in Durban, where Bafana Bafana play against Congo in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The national side have already qualified for the finals in Mali next year and shouldn't have too much trouble with Congo, having beaten them 2-1 in Pointe Noire in the first leg. But the game will be important for players needing to cement their places for the two World Cup qualifying matches still to come.
The first of those is on June 30 in Ougadougou against Burkina Faso, and the final match is scheduled for Bloemfontein against Malawi next month. Bafana need just one point from these two matches to qualify for the World Cup proper in Korea and Japan next year.
Today's match on e-tv is a special occasion for several players whose roots stamp them as proud sons of this province. Three who are certain to play are Delron Buckley, Sibusiso Zuma and Siyabonga Nomvete, while Manning Rangers' Sipho Ndzuzo has earned a first invitation to the national squad and may get his chance as a replacement off the reserves bench. All are a special credit to KwaZulu-Natal.
Rugby
You never know what to expect from the French and Fabien Galthie's young team will be in town this week to show their paces against the Springboks in the second Test at Absa Stadium on Saturday.
On Tuesday the British Lions' opposition gets tougher with the fourth match of their tour against Australia A at Gosford. On Saturday they play the Waratahs in Sydney, while the All Blacks take on Argentina in New Zealand.
Tennis
Pete Sampras loves grass - the strictly legal kind, of course. He was off like a classy racehorse out of the starting stalls in the Queen's tournament last week. Catch what you can of Pistol Pete and the Queen's tournament this week and stock up on the strawberries and cream for the real deal starting at Wimbledon with daily saturation coverage from June 25.
Golf
It's the final day of the US Open at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and all eyes will be on South Africa's Retief Goosen. He's led from the start - let's hope he can hold off an awesome field for one more round.
Cricket
THE truly thrilling - if you're not English, that is - ODI triangular tournament between England, Pakistan and Australia has produced rivetting viewing. England aren't having much luck but their time must surely come with new young talents like Marcus Trescothick and Owais Shah to call on.
Come on, the Poms. Anything to bring those cocky Aussies down a peg or two.
Week's action replay
Did you mos vang ou Pieter de Villiers in his onderhoud with SABC Afrikaans news? Jislaaik, be spoke better boere taal than the interviewer.
The Cape Town lad who is now a ware Fransman looks as if he could prove a mean SOB in the front row of the scrum, nogal!