Ntokozo Mbambo singing the national anthem. Photo: Screengrab.
South Africans stood shoulder to shoulder and united once again as award-winning gospel songstress Ntokozo Mbambo belted out a beautiful rendition of the national anthem which had thousands of Springbok rugby fans emotional.
Thousands of rugby fans once again turned up to support the Springboks as they took on Ireland in the second Test of their series in Durban on Saturday.
Millions more watched the game on DSTV, with many more missing the clash with the SABC not broadcasting the match.
Sadly, the Springboks lost the match by 24 to 25 after a last minute drop kick by Irish player Ciarán Frawley.
The Boks won the first Test 27-20 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria last Saturday to end a three-match losing run against the Irish.
Following actress and singer Keabetswe “KB” Motsilanyane’s beautiful rendition of the national anthem at Loftus last week, rugby fans were in for another treat at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
Emotions ran high again following the singing of the national anthem with the crowd singing along with Mbambo
Social media was also buzzing on Saturday as fans shared their excitement in a memorable rendition of the national anthem by Mbambo
Mbambo holds a special place in South Africa’s gospel circles, having been in the music industry for over 25 years.
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Meanwhile, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was in a spicy mood at the team’s pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of the lash with the Irish.
Kolisi was in no mood to entertain complaints about the Boks, famed in some corners and infamous in others, ‘Bomb Squad’, which received renewed criticism.
There is every chance that the Boks could do it again this weekend, if coach Rassie Erasmus felt the need to try and swing the momentum, and Kolisi was adamant that the team had grown used to the complaints about a legitimate tactic.
“It (complaints) happens so much that we just don’t care. If you look at the rule book you will see that none of the stuff we do breaks any rules,” said Kolisi when asked about the noise around it.
Additional reporting by Ross Roche
ALSO READ: Ntokozo Mbambo to serenade fans with national anthem rendition at Boks v Ireland game
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