South African sports fans have plenty to celebrate this week with the Proteas cricket team reaching the T20 World Cup semi-finals yesterday, 24 June, and a night of football celebration at the Premier Soccer League (PSL) awards. 

It seems the Proteas have finally broken their semi-final drought, securing a spot in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2014. 

In a thrilling encounter in Antigua, South Africa edged out the West Indies by three wickets. The match had all the elements of a classic: rain delays, revised targets, and the inevitable Protea drama.

The game began with South Africa putting the West Indies into bat. The West Indies were restricted to 135-8, thanks to a stellar performance from Tabraiz Shamsi, who claimed three wickets for just 27 runs.

As the Proteas began their chase, the weather had other plans. Rain interrupted proceedings, and the target was recalibrated to 123 runs off 17 overs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. It came down to the wire, but Marco Jansen clinched the win with a glorious six, sending the Proteas into wild celebrations.

Shamsi, named player of the match, later commented, “There was no pressure, no crazy thoughts in the dugout even when rain interrupted the game. We were all very calm.”

Aiden Markram expressed that there was “a lot of relief” in the South African camp after securing their first T20 World Cup semifinal spot in a decade. However, he emphasised the importance of his team needing to “put on [our] best game in the semifinal”.

The Proteas will play India in the semifinals on Thursday, 27 June. As fans gear up for this high-stakes encounter, they’ll be hoping the team can continue their winning streak and finally shed the dreaded “chokers” tag that has haunted South African cricket for far too long.

Perhaps this time, the Proteas will go all the way.

In other sporting news, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates were the main attractions at the Premier Soccer League (PSL) awards ceremony on Sunday, June 23. 

The Buccaneers dominated the evening, securing eight of the 13 top awards, including five out of the eight DStv Premiership honours. The Brazilians took home six awards from a successful season.

Sundowns were honoured with the PSL Chairman’s Award for their unbeaten run in 29 league games and for securing their seventh successive league title. Coach Rhulani Mokwena was named Coach of the Season, while goalkeeper Ronwen Williams won both the Goalkeeper of the Season and Footballer of the Season, becoming the third goalkeeper in PSL history to win the latter.

Amidst these triumphs, Orlando Pirates’ Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng also stood out. Maswanganyi scooped the Players’ Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Season, and Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament awards, while Mofokeng earned the titles of Young Player of the Season and Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player.

The PSL awards, usually a source of debate, saw unanimous agreement this year on the deserving winners, highlighting the clear standout performances throughout the season.

The Proteas’ breakthrough in the T20 World Cup and Mamelodi Sundowns’ impressive run in local football are not just sparking national pride but also setting high expectations for future achievements.