Licking self-inflicted wounds after agonizing semi-final exits, Thomas Tuchel and the departing Didier Deschamps must summon the motivation for a fixture neither side wants to play.

From debutants Carlu Sadie and Vusi Moyo to the heavyweight showdown between Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jac Morgan, these are the five matchups that could prove decisive when the Boks face Wales.

Braving the cold night, Nigerians are sleeping on the pavement in front of their embassy in Pretoria as they wait to return to their home country, two weeks after the March and March national anti-migrant protests on 30 June. Traffic cones have been used to cordon off a section of the road, where a group were sitting, pleading for help. Nigerians plead for help outside embassy “Please, we need help,” said one, who fled from Ladysmith. He has been living in South Africa for 15 years. “We need another flight to go home; we don’t have anywhere to stay because they told us to go.” Another said they needed help for the women and children. “We are sleeping in the street. Some good Samaritans have brought us food, not the embassy.” Suddenly, tensions started rising when one group threw a brick at another group – and bottles started flying. Aid groups respond to growing demand At the Malawi high commission a few blocks away, it was more orderly. Foreigners were standing in queues to get medical supplies and food for the day, as Josef Mustafa from the Institute for Islamic Services and his team arrived to serve lunch. Mustafa said they have seen an increase in the number of arrivals at the high commission. “In the beginning there was an average of 200 to feed, then 400 – and now about 500, especially when buses don’t come. It takes the buses three days to fetch people, and only 65 and 70 fit on a bus,” Mustafa said. The institute provides foreigners with meals, winter essentials such as scarves and shoes, and medical supplies. Mustafa said forced removals were still taking place. “On Fridays we expect a large number going into the weekends. It is the pattern we are seeing.” Mustafa said they haven’t returned to the embassies of Mozambique or Zimbabwe because they were empty. “They seem to be taking care of their people.” Embassies struggle to keep up One of the staff working at the Malawian high commission, speaking anonymously, said buses are picking up people every day but couldn’t keep up. “On Wednesday there were four buses. Every day there are more buses coming in, with up to 300 people a day. Last week, we had more than 500 people fleeing here because there was a door-to-door march in their location. “Three days before that, it was people from Pretoria West, then it was Laudium, then Mamelodi. We have people coming here as far as Mpumalanga,” she said. Women and children ‘in need’ Two doctors, who did not want to be identified, handed out medical supplies to foreigners before going to work. They were concerned about the more than 40 children who had to sleep in the basement of the embassy during the cold weather. “They are in need,” one said. Earlier this week, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said South Africa has deported and repatriated more than 50 000 foreign nationals in recent weeks, as authorities intensify efforts to manage migration amid growing public concern and regional tension.

Lionel Messi was instrumental in Argentina advancing to the Fifa World Cup final by beating England 2-1 on Wednesday night. Messi had a hand in both of Argentina’s goals as the reigning champions came from behind to secure the win. But will he and Argentina be able to pull it off again? Their opponents in the final are Spain, who seem to have peaked at the right time in the tournament. The way they prevented a star-studded France from playing in their semifinal suggests that Messi and his teammates might slip at the last hurdle.

Kaizer Chiefs have reportedly been dealt an early injury setback ahead of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season, with Khanyisa Mayo expected to miss the opening month of the campaign after undergoing a hernia operation. The blow comes only weeks after the Soweto giants activated their purchase option to sign the 27-year-old permanently from CR Belouizdad in a deal reportedly worth around R9.8 million (€600,000). Mayo also did not travel with Fernando Da Cruz’s squad for the club’s pre-season tour in Spain. KHANYISA MAYO TO MISS KAIZER CHIEFS START According to SABC Sport journalist Mazola Molefe, the striker’s recovery will keep him out of the opening weeks of the season. “SABC Sport has established that Kaizer Chiefs striker Khanyisa Mayo is expected to miss the opening month of the 2026/27 season after undergoing a hernia operation,” wrote Molefe. The respected journalist also revealed why the forward was absent from the club’s pre-season preparations. “The forward is understood to have had surgery shortly after the end of the previous campaign and did not travel with the Amakhosi squad to Spain for their pre-season tour under new coach Fernando Da Cruz,” Molefe added. Amakhosi have already played two pre-season friendlies in Spain without Mayo, drawing 1-1 against Rangers FC and Al Kholood Club as Da Cruz continues building his squad for the new campaign. AMAKHOSI SHOW FAITH Mayo joined Amakhosi on a season-long loan from CR Belouizdad in September 2025, following in the footsteps of his father, Patrick Mayo, who became a fan favourite during his spell at Naturena. Although the striker scored on his debut, injuries and disfavour from the previous technical team restricted him to just 15 appearances and two goals in all competitions. Despite that difficult first season, Kaizer Chiefs showed faith in the former Cape Town City striker by making his move permanent ahead of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign. The club will now hope Khanyisa Mayo completes his rehabilitation quickly and returns after the opening month of the season to make an impact under Fernando Da Cruz.

Eskom has informed customers in Sandton of a planned electricity supply interruption to allow for maintenance on the distribution network. The power utility says the outage will run from 6:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, 19 July, giving technicians a full day to complete the necessary work on distribution power lines in the area. Affected suburbs listed by Eskom The interruption will affect customers in Benmore Gardens, Hurlingham, parts of Morningside, Parkmore, parts of Sandhurst, Sandown and Strathavon. Eskom has urged residents in these areas to plan around the extended outage window and to treat all electrical appliances as live at all times during the disruption, as a safety precaution against unexpected reconnection. The utility apologised for any inconvenience the maintenance work may cause, adding that the interruption is necessary to keep the distribution network functioning reliably. Eskom also cautioned that the planned work could be affected by circumstances beyond its control, meaning the maintenance may not go ahead exactly as communicated if unforeseen issues arise. How to stay updated Residents wanting further information or wishing to report supply-related issues can contact Eskom through several channels. These include the “MyEskom Customer” self-help app, WhatsApp on 0860037566, or the Alfred chatbot via Alfred.Eskom.co.za/chatroom. Bill-related queries can be checked online at csonline.Eskom.co.za between 8:00 and 16:00 on weekdays, while the contact centre remains available around the clock on 08600 37566 for supply-related enquiries.

Prosus is set to pocket about €2.1-billion from the sale of its remaining stake in Delivery Hero to Uber.

Frontier labs have backed Demis Hassabis’s call for a self-regulator, but critics warn it hands Washington the off-switch.