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Blast from the past: Ledwaba gets up off the canvas to win world title

Lehlohonolo Ledwaba is the third South African to win the IBF junior-featherweight title after he outpointed American John Michael Johnson for the vacant crown at the Carousel in 1999.
Lehlohonolo Ledwaba is the third South African to win the IBF junior-featherweight title after he outpointed American John Michael Johnson for the vacant crown at the Carousel in 1999. (Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images)

1906 — Playing with 10 debutants, the Springboks play their first Test outside South Africa as they take on Scotland in Glasgow. But they go down 0-6 as their opponents score two unconverted tries. Seven of the eight forwards were international first-timers, and even SA captain Paddy Carolin was playing in only his second Test. Carolin’s halfback partner, Uncle Dobbin, was in his third.

1992 — SA’s cricketers play to a draw against India in Durban in the first Test of their first home series in 22 years. Captain Kepler Wessels scored 118 in SA’s first innings of 254.

1996 — Lehlohonolo Ledwaba wins his first world title as he survives a knock-down in the middle rounds to outpoint Mexican Cruz Carbajal for the WBU bantamweight title at Nasrec near Soweto.

2001 — Herschelle Gibbs scores 196 runs, more than half of SA’s 362 first-innings total in the drawn second Test against India at St George’s Park. SA won the two-match series 1-0.

2001 — Centre Trevor Halstead scores two tries as the Springboks demolish Italy 54-26 in Genoa. 

2004 — Bafana Bafana beat Nigeria for the first time, downing them 2-1 in a Nelson Mandela Challenge match at Ellis Park. Shaun Bartlett and Benedict Vilakazi put SA 2-0 up before Makinwa Ayodele pulled a goal back for the visitors. That was the fifth meeting between the two nations since SA’s readmission in 1992, and the first time SA had even scored a goal against the West Africans.

2007 — Bafana Bafana are beaten 1-0 by the US in a friendly at Ellis Park. Steve Cherundolo put the visitors ahead in the first half.

2010 — Once again, Bafana Bafana are beaten 1-0 by the US, this time in a Nelson Mandela Challenge match at Cape Town Stadium. Juan Agudelo scored with nine minutes of full time remaining.

2012 — Hooker Adriaan Strauss scores two tries as the Springboks beat Scotland 21-10 at Murrayfield. Flyhalf Pat Lambie kicked the conversion and three penalties.

2013 — The Springboks score four converted tries to beat Scotland 28-0 at Murrayfield. Flank Willem Alberts, fullback Willie le Roux, wing JP Pietersen and replacement prop Coenie Oosthuizen dotted down, with flyhalf Pat Lambie doing the kicking duties.

2015 — Bafana Bafana beat Angola 1-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to advance into the group stages of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. SA’s score in the second half, through an own goal by Manucho Diniz, gave SA a 4-1 victory aggregate victory.

2018 — Handré Pollard scores 18 points as the Springboks defeat Scotland 26-20 at Murrayfield. The flyhalf scored one of SA’s two tries, kicked both conversions and landed three penalties. Centre Jesse Kriel scored the other try, with replacement Elton Jantjies slotting a penalty.

2018 — Lebo Mothiba scores his fourth international goal in five matches as Bafana Bafana draw 1-1 with Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at FNB Stadium. The visitors went ahead early after an own goal by Buhle Mkhwanazi. But Mothiba netted after being well set up by teammate Percy Tau. The result saw Nigeria seal their spot at Cameroon 2019, but SA still needed to avoid defeat in their final qualifier, away against Libya.

2018 — The Proteas beat Australia by 21 runs in a one-off T20 in Carrara, Brisbane, reduced to 10 overs a side because of bad weather. Captain Faf du Plessis’ 27 was the top score in SA’s 108/6.

2019 — Brad Binder completes the Moto2 season by winning his third consecutive race, finishing first in the Valencian Community motorcycle grand prix in Spain. But his strong finish to the year wasn’t enough, and he ended second overall just three points behind Moto2 champion Álex Márquez of Spain.

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