Sporting beats Benfica 3-2 and wins the Men's Futsal Supercup

Lud de Jager, a player for the Springbok team, continues to fight for glory by overcoming difficulties related to injuries. Although he could already be considered a Springbok veteran, the tall player is still striving to remain in the squad.

When De Jager debuted for the Springboks at the age of 21 in 2014, few could have predicted that after 12 years he would only have 76 Test matches. Injuries cost him almost two full years of his career; in 2023 he played only one Test, and in 2024 none, which was a heavy test for any athlete.

Nevertheless, he has returned to the Springbok second line and utilizes every opportunity. De Jager noted: 'Obviously, I had more injuries than an average guy. But it's just part of my journey. You go through these setbacks, and then you come back stronger.'

He emphasized that any injury, no matter how severe or disappointing, is part of the journey, and it must be viewed as such. Standing at 2.05 m and weighing 125 kg, De Jager's physique does not look like that of someone created for longevity. His bulky frame always made him imposing, but perhaps also vulnerable.

Returning to full physical condition is not an easy task. He admitted: 'Getting match fitness is hard when you are not a natural athlete. I am not the best at training, and nothing compares to the intensity of a match and what you need in the game.'

However, the most serious obstacle in his career was not a ligament, knee, or shoulder injury. Right before the 2023 World Cup, De Jager contracted pericarditis—inflammation around the heart caused by a viral infection—and suddenly rugby lost all meaning to him.

'For the next four months, I couldn't do any physical activity,' he recounted. 'I felt completely broken—nothing. First, I climbed stairs and was out of breath. After two months, it got better. And eventually, you are back on the field.'

This experience changed his outlook on life. 'I took my health for granted,' he confessed. 'When you have heart problems, it really puts things into perspective.'

This new perspective accompanied him back to the Springbok squad. He stated: 'It's very important to us, but it's just a game. Now I enjoy every minute I get to spend playing.'

At 33, De Jager accepts that next year's World Cup in Australia might be the final chapter of his international career. He even laughs recalling himself in his youth. 'I always looked at older guys and thought: why is this guy still playing rugby at 33? Now I understand why. You still feel like you can do it.'

His recent return after injury was particularly welcome as it occurred during a series of matches in the Rugby World Cup rivalry. In world rugby, few events are as significant as a Springbok versus All Blacks match, and De Jager fully understands what that means. 'Playing against the All Blacks is always grand,' he said. 'But if you add history, stakes, atmosphere, and fans, it becomes huge. I am just grateful to be part of such a big rugby event.'

There is another reason why his return is important for the Springboks. De Jager and Eben Etzebeth started playing together in 43 matches, ranking second on the list of most experienced central defense pairs for the Boks. Only the legendary partnership of Victor Matfield—Bakkies Botha, with 63 joint matches, lasted longer. Despite De Jager's career often being interrupted, he is already thinking about who can continue his legacy. He pointed to two young players in the central defense: the outstanding Sharks player Emile van Heerden, son of former Springbok Fritz van Heerden, and the young Bulls player J.F. van Heerden.

De Jager noted: 'Emile has a very good work rate, he is strong and handles the out-line challenge well. J.F. van Heerden from the Bulls is also promising. These two stand out to me when it comes to central defenders who can represent South Africa in the future.'

However, De Jager remains in the team for now. He continues to dominate opponents, perform hard work, and strive for the next Test series match.

The captain of the Proteas T20I team, Bjorn Fortune, expressed satisfaction that his team managed to win the T20I Tri-Series title on Sunday. He noted that the team can now look back on Windhoek with positive emotions.

Previously, Proteas suffered an unexpected defeat against Namibia in the opening match at the stadium last year, followed by another loss to the host team early in the tournament. These results caused some disappointment, and Fortune admitted that frank discussions took place within the team after the second loss to Namibia.

However, after the team managed to overcome Namibia in the final group match and then defeated Zimbabwe in the final, Fortune's mood significantly improved. After winning by 48 runs, the captain stated: 'It is always pleasant to return and not remember past defeats every time, but this is a wonderful place to play cricket.' He also added that the team appreciates the fans and hopes to spend more time there in the future.

Match Result

Proteas secured a convincing victory by 48 runs over Zimbabwe, winning the T20I Tri-Series title in Namibia. This marked a concluding chapter for South Africa, which received the trophy.

Fortune was also pleased that various players were able to lead the team throughout the tournament. Dawid Brevis demonstrated excellent play in the first two matches, scoring two half-centuries, while Lhuandree Pretorious began showing good form mid-series. Connor Esterhuizen also capitalized on the opportunity when he was moved up in position in the last two games. Jordan Herman ensured that Proteas did not lose any players early on, despite the thigh injury that prevented Pretorious from participating in the final.

Herman's first-century in the T20I on Sunday played a crucial role in reaching 205/5 for Proteas. Bowlers also contributed to the run-scoring; newcomer seamer Duan Jansen topped the list with 11 wickets, and Fortune himself took 10.

Fortune emphasized: 'A very good way to end the series. I think the most pleasant thing was seeing different guys perform at different times. We saw Jordan do it for the team today, and that also strengthens the team for the future. We don't want to be a team that is too dependent on two or three players. So watching another player come out and perform was the highlight.'

Uzbekistan has successfully completed its campaign for the Asian U-20 Cup 2027 in China, securing a 3-0 victory over Syria in the final match of Group B. Thanks to this game, the team achieved a perfect record in the qualifiers.

The Uzbek national team won all three matches, scoring nine goals and conceding none. In the first match, Uzbekistan took the lead in the tenth minute following a cross by Kuvonchbek Abraev, when Dyer Ermanov won the aerial ball from Ahmad Khalaf and directed it into the upper left corner of the goal.

Syria nearly conceded a second goal in the thirty-fourth minute due to an error by goalkeeper Hadi Ismail, but Ulugbek Maratov could not capitalize on the chance. Uzbekistan continued to dominate the game until halftime but failed to increase their advantage.

In the second half, the Uzbeks returned to the field with an emphasis on attack. In the seventy-sixth minute, Abraev had a chance after advancing down the left flank, but he held up the shot and missed the opportunity. Five minutes later, the midfielder corrected himself: Abraev bypassed Amer Ammar and struck a precise long-range shot between the approaching Ismail and the left post.

Uzbekistan scored its third goal in stoppage time. In the fifth minute of added time, Joseph Dalal touched the ball inside his penalty area, leading to a penalty kick. Davron Tulaganov confidently converted the penalty.

This victory over Syria was Uzbekistan's third in the qualifiers. The team finished with nine points, scoring nine goals and keeping a clean sheet in all three games. Thus, Uzbekistan qualified for the final tournament of the Asian U-20 Cup for the third consecutive time.

In another Group B match, India defeated Bangladesh 3-0, remaining three points behind Uzbekistan. India approached a possible return to the final stage of the tournament for the first time since 2006.

India opened the scoring in the twenty-fifth minute. Danny Laishram received a pass from Hattim Faruk Ali and, in a one-on-one situation with Raj Choudhury, shot a low ball between the legs of the approaching goalkeeper.

After the break, India continued to control the match. In the sixty-sixth minute, Vishal Yadav scored with a header, sending the ball into the left corner. The final score was set in the seventy-ninth minute when Safiul Hossain capitalized on a poor clearance by Bangladesh captain Abdul Rihad Fahim and struck a powerful shot that hit the net under the crossbar.

Thus, Uzbekistan concluded its Group B qualification campaign with three wins out of three matches, scoring nine goals and allowing no goals from their opponents.