South Africa ease to first win

South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved four penalties in the post-match shootout against the Cape Verde Islands to carry his country into the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations after a 0-0 draw in their quarter-final on Saturday.

Mothobi Mvala scored the decisive kick to make it 2-1 on penalties and win South Africa a semi-final place for the first time since 2000 but they were fortunate to get past the smallest nation in the tournament at Charles Konan Banny Stadium.

South Africa now take on Nigeria in Bouake in their semi-final on Wednesday.

It was a game full of missed opportunities but Cape Verde, who have a population of 600,000 but draw most of their players from a large diaspora in Europe, had most of the chances and were only denied a last-four place by Williams.

South Africa survived several scares with Williams making a brilliant save to take the game into extra time before continuing his heroics in the shootout by saving four of the five kicks taken by the Cape Verdians.

South Africa dominated the early exchanges but went off the boil after the cooling break, midway through the half, and it was Cape Verde who finished the first half strongly.

They could have been ahead had captain Ryan Mendes taken his chance as the ball fell favourably for him in the box but after several touches to get into a shooting position, his effort was blocked.

There was an even better opportunity for Garry Rodrigues when he was free on goal after breaking down the left but he hit a soft shot straight at Williams.

Another chance for Rodrigues in the 70th minute as South Africa failed to clear a corner was blocked and Kenny Rocha and Jovane Cabral also came close minutes after.

But they should have sewn it up in stoppage time when Gilson Benchimol got goalside of the defenders and onto the end of a pass from the midfield, hitting the ball perfectly on the half volley but Williams made an outstanding save, deflecting the ball onto the woodwork and collecting the rebound.

Cape Verde veteran goalkeeper Vozinha had little to do in the 90 minutes but made two excellent stops at the start of extra time, first a point-blank save from Mihlali Mayambela and then turning a header from Evidence Makgopa over the bar.

Vozinha also made one save in the shootout but it was Williams who emerged as the hero.

Cape Verde have punched above their weight from the start of the tournament, upsetting Ghana in their opening match and finishing ahead of record winners Egypt in their group.

Earlier on Saturday, hosts Ivory Coast scored in the last minute of extra time to come from behind and beat Mali 2-1 in Bouake. The Ivorians meet the Democratic Republic of Congo in their semi-final on Wednesday.

In spring, the world is an exquisite place. The days are longer with endless opportunities for adventure, the flowers are in full bloom, and the sun is beaming. So, there is no doubt that it is one of the finest seasons for vacations. While there are many destinations to visit in spring, a few stand out. So, take a look at these 5 best places in the world, which are ideal for springtime travel!

Photo: Collected / Yusheng Deng / Unsplash

Kyoto, Japan

Spring in Japan can bring to mind the image of lush pink cherry blossoms. Well, Kyoto is among the greatest locations in the world to see the wonderful cherry blossom trees that are a hallmark of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Wandering around the city's historic temples and gardens, especially at the Ryoanji Temple, one may take in the exquisite pink petals of the blossoms in all their splendour. Another option to enjoy the captivating city view would be to wander along the Philosopher's Path, which is a walkway bordered by cherry blossom trees that circle a canal and give life to pink magnificence.

Photo: Collected / Despina Galani / Unsplash

Istanbul, Turkey

Often referred to as the "city between two continents," Istanbul presents a distinctive fusion of Asian and European cultures, and in spring it is a traveller's paradise. Its many attractions include wonderful buildings such as the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, as well as excellent shopping options in its vibrant bazaars.

However, nothing is more brilliant than seeing its several parks, such as Gulhane Park and Emirgan Park, in their full glory during the spring, while enjoying börek or köfte. Travellers should be sure to get an accommodation featuring a view of the Bosphorus Strait since it provides unmatched views of Istanbul's skyline!

Franschhoek, South Africa

When springtime in the north approaches, one may escape to Franschhoek, a town renowned for its cuisine and a centuries-old winemaking legacy. Here, visitors have the opportunity to discover the intricacies of grapes, which are regarded as nature's most adaptable fruit.

Moreover, Stellenbosch, a university town with bustling streets brimming with shops, galleries, and cafés is only a short drive away. Travellers may explore the roads in the Franschhoek Valley, which curve around multi-coloured floral meadows bathed in mild sunshine, from March to May and spend pleasant days at Maison Cabrière — Boutique rooms, that open directly onto private terraces, each patio overlooking a manicured garden.

Photo: Collected / Josh Hild / Unsplash

Cinque Terre, Italy

In spring, the Cinque Terre seaside towns are a sight to behold. Visitors may choose from a variety of activities, such as wandering down the cobblestone streets or riding the train to tour each of the five towns, all of which provide stunning sunrise and sunset views of the Mediterranean Sea and hilly landscapes.

Additionally, visitors may spend some beach time at Monterosso al Mare or take a boat trip down the Italian Riviera to see the raw and rugged scenery. While in Cinque Terre, visitors should try various Italian cuisine as the region produces an abundance of mouth-watering seafood!

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The ideal time for travelling to Amsterdam is probably in the spring when the whole nation blossoms. The fields that stretch between Amsterdam, Leiden, and Haarlem come alive with a burst of colour as the landscape emerges from the enchantment of winter. The horizon is filled with breath-taking flowering, such as tulips and hyacinths, which one may easily explore by bicycle, vehicle, or on foot.

A destination on many people's bucket lists is the Keukenhof. From March on, this enormous floral garden is a sight to see. However, if a tourist is interested in seeing tulips in their native environment, then they need to consider going to the charming village of Lisse. Located near the tulip fields, the Hotel Restaurant de Engel allows guests to begin their spring adventure as early as possible with the best views to offer!

Afghanistan are enjoying an outstanding campaign with three stirring triumphs -- against defending champions England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka -- that have the side pushing for a first-ever appearance in the knockout stage of an ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

A third victory of the tournament means that Afghanistan are leading the chasing pack for the semifinal qualification places, after winning just a single World Cup fixture in their history prior to this event.

Afghanistan have achieved their winning feats without completely relying on main man Rashid Khan, who has matured into a mentor in a squad packed full of young talent.

"Rashid Khan is the best player and he is a very energetic guy so all the team is full of energy around him," captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said after Monday's victory over Sri Lanka.

The talented Rashid, who celebrated his 100th ODI appearance for Afghanistan against Sri Lanka, is the team's top wicket-taker for the tournament with seven in six matches.

But Afghanistan's success hasn't been built solely on the brilliance of the leg-spinner, with the whole attack contributing and the team's batting standing up.

"There's such an amount of talent," coach Jonathan Trott said after watching his squad's seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Pune.

That structure was clear to see in a chasing effort that featured outstanding half-centuries from three of the top five, with Afghanistan's confidence visibly growing throughout a composed batting effort against Pakistan.

"The Pakistan chase gave us a lot of confidence and belief that we can chase any kind of target," Hashmatullah said.

Afghanistan's patient and professional run-chase followed the simple blueprint spelled out on a whiteboard in the changing room.

Television cameras picked up a batting plan, scrawled on the board, that set targets for each 10 overs -- 50 runs after 10 overs, 100 runs after 20 overs, and so on.

While not being the most complicated of tactics, the simplicity of the messaging was a reminder that there is plenty of time when chasing down a target of 242 – something that some other teams have seemingly failed to appreciate in the tournament.

"I think when it's batting first, it's a little bit different," Trott said when asked about the whiteboard strategy.

"But sometimes, certainly like the Pakistan game, chasing 280 and starting on zero, it's a long way away. But if you break it down, it seems a lot more manageable.

"It's those sorts of things, the little things, you know, motivating the players and keeping them in touch with where we want to be. And it's also a feel-good factor. If you know you're on the right track, it's also a nice feeling as well.

"We don't want to limit the guys on what they can do batting first. We want them to assess the conditions and make sure we go out there and get as many as we can. So, it just worked out."

The Netherlands await Afghanistan next up, where a win would put them squarely in the semifinal conversation.

Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan will miss the three-match Twenty20 series against India due to injury, but the team has plenty of experience in reserve, skipper Ibrahim Zadran said Wednesday.

Rashid, a leg-spinner with 347 international wickets across formats, underwent lower-back surgery in November but remains part of the travelling squad which will play the opener on Thursday in Mohali.

"He is not totally fit (but) he is travelling with the team. We hope he gets fit soon," Zadran told reporters.

"Without Rashid we will struggle but not that much. His experience is important for us but this is cricket, you should be ready for any kind of situation."

Rashid, 25, is a pillar of a world-class Afghan spin attack that also includes Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi.

The three matches are a tune-up for this year's T20 World Cup in June and Afghanistan will be up against a formidable home side, with skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli both back in the short-format team.

"Playing against India on their home soil is a difficult task, but we came here to play well against them and show our skills," said Zadran.

"We have lots of good T20 players, all our boys are playing good cricket, so I am sure they will play well."

The cricketing minnows put up an impressive show in last year's ODI World Cup in India with victories over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.

Zadran, a 22-year-old opening batsman, said fans' raised expectations will motivate the team to elevate their performance.

"Not only Afghanistan people are expecting lots of things, but all around the people are expecting (a) lot of things from us nowadays, because we played a wonderful World Cup," he said.

Zadran said the team hoped to "play positive cricket and show our skills on the field".

Former South Africa pacer Shabnim Ismail created history on Tuesday when she bowled the fastest delivery ever recorded in women's cricket.

Ismail broke the record with a delivery that clocked the speed of 132.1km/h (82.08mph) when bowling for the Mumbai Indians in their Women's Premier League (WPL) clash against the Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

It was the first time that a delivery in women's cricket has been clocked at a speed greater than 130km/h, with Ismail's thunderbolt smashing into the pad of former Australia captain Meg Lanning on the second ball of the third over of the match.

Ismail, who appeared for South Africa in all eight previous ICC Women's T20 World Cups and only retired from international cricket following last year's tournament on home soil, had previously been clocked as bowling at 128km/h (79.54mph) against the West Indies in 2016 and at 127km/h twice during the most recent edition of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2022.

When quizzed about breaking the record during a post-match interview, Ismail played down the effort and indicated she "doesn't actually look at the big screen when I'm bowling."

Ismail's efforts were in vain as she delivered four expensive overs to finish with figures of 1/46 as the Indians went down to the Capitals by 29 runs in Delhi.