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Blast from the past: Papwa trumps Player to win second Natal Open

Today in SA sport history: January 31

Sewsunker 'Papwa' Sewgolum wins his second Natal Open in 1965, beating Gary Player.
Sewsunker 'Papwa' Sewgolum wins his second Natal Open in 1965, beating Gary Player. (Pinterest)

1966 — Local golfer Papwa Sewgolum beats Gary Player, the overnight leader, and Harold Henning by one shot to win his second Natal Open at the Durban Country Club. He won the title two years earlier, when he had to receive the trophy in the rain because he wasn’t allowed into the clubhouse.

1982 — The top three finishers in the Flight Marathon in Benoni hand back their prize money saying it was too little. Zimbabwean Patrick Nhauro, who competed at the 1984 Olympics, was awarded R80 in bonus bonds while runner-up Mark Plaatjies and third-placed Hoseah Tjale were given R50 each. “It’s an insult,” national champion Plaatjies said. “The going price for a win in a standard marathon is normally R200 or R250 ... I have no use for a bonus bond anyway. We work hard to achieve our standards. This event was sponsored, there were over 600 runners here and each one was charged a R4 entry fee — where does all that money go to? We’ve been used by the organisers. After all, they get publicity from our efforts in their race.”

1993 — South Africa beat Congo 1-0 in a World Cup qualifying match at Stade Municipal, Pointe Noire. Substitute Harold Legodi scored the winner in the 87th minute, but it didn’t help SA advance to the 1994 showpiece in the US.

1996 — John “Shoes” Moshoeu scores two goals as Bafana Bafana thrash Ghana 3-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations semifinal at the FNB stadium. Shaun Bartlett netted the third. The win meant that SA, playing in their maiden continental tournament, had qualified for the final.

2004 — Bafana Bafana are humiliated 0-4 by Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations group match in Tunisia, equalling their worst defeat, suffered at the hands of the same team in 1992. It was the fourth match SA had played against Nigeria and Nigeria had scored 10 goals overall while SA had failed to net even one by that stage.

2008 — Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations aspirations come to an end in Ghana when they draw 1-1 with Senegal in their final group match. Elrio van Heerden put SA into the lead in the 14th minute, but a defensive blunder by skipper Aaron Mokoena gifted their opponents the equaliser. SA ended bottom of Group D with fewest goals scored, with two draws and a loss.

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