World Sports Report – South Africa Edition: Last Week in US Sports

All Times in SAST – Braai-Ready for Late-Night Action

WorldReport.press South Africa Desk | 8 December 2025

Howzit from Joburg, Cape Town and Durban! Last week was a proper jol for US sports fans in Mzansi – with NFL thrills, a historic college football twist, Connor McDavid’s wizardry, and NBA Cup drama all hitting prime evening and midnight slots on SuperSport, ESPN Africa, and NBA League Pass. Whether you’re firing up the braai or dodging load-shedding, here’s your full recap with SAST timings to keep you in the game.

NFL Week 14: Steelers Snatch AFC North Lead, Packers Top NFC North – Playoff Race Heats Up

Week 14 delivered division-shaking results, perfect for Sunday evenings in SA:

• Pittsburgh Steelers def Baltimore Ravens (via overturned TD in final minute) Monday 8 Dec, 3:15 AM SAST (Sunday Night Football) The Steelers leapfrog into AFC North first – a nail-biter that had early birds buzzing!
• Green Bay Packers 28–21 Chicago Bears Sunday 7 Dec, 19:00 SAST Packers grab NFC North lead with Jordan Love’s poise and Josh Jacobs’ 142 rush yards.
• Buffalo Bills 39–34 Cincinnati Bengals Sunday 7 Dec, 19:00 SAST Josh Allen’s 4 TDs light up a shootout – Bills stay alive in AFC wild card.
• Tennessee Titans 31–29 Cleveland Browns Sunday 7 Dec, 19:00 SAST Titans’ upset shakes the 2026 Draft race.

With four weeks left, seven teams per conference are in striking distance – tighter than a Springbok scrum!

College Football Playoff 2025: Indiana Hoosiers Shock as No. 1 Seed

Revealed Sunday morning SAST (late Saturday US), the 12-team bracket dropped a bombshell:

1. Indiana Hoosiers (13-0) – Top seed & first-round bye (after beating Ohio State 13-10 in Big Ten final – ultimate underdog story!)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1) – Bye
3. Georgia Bulldogs (12-1)
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1, Big 12 champs after 34-7 over BYU)
5. Oregon Ducks (11-1)
6. Ole Miss Rebels (11-1)
7. Texas A&M Aggies (11-1)
8. Oklahoma Sooners

First round: 20–21 Dec from ~4:00 AM SAST (ESPN) – early wake-up for the faithful. National Championship: 19 Jan 2026 in Miami. Can Indiana’s fairy tale go all the way?

NBA Emirates NBA Cup: Group Stage Ends – Thunder Dominate, Quarters Set

Group play wrapped with fireworks, quarterfinals locked for local markets:

• OKC Thunder (19-1, 11 straight wins) top seed
• Other advancers: Lakers, Spurs, Magic, Raptors, Knicks (group winners); Suns & Heat (wild cards)

Highlights: Celtics edge Raptors 121–113 (Jaylen Brown 30 pts); Knicks down Magic 106–100 despite Wagner injury. Quarters: 9–10 Dec from 20:00 SAST (DAZN/SuperSport) – semis & final in Vegas 13 & 16 Dec.

NHL: McDavid’s Hat Trick Powers Oilers to 9-4 Rout of Kraken

Thursday late-night SAST (early US): Edmonton Oilers 9–4 Seattle Kraken (4 Dec, 4:00 AM SAST) Connor McDavid’s 13th career hat trick (ties Messier for 4th in Oilers history) + assist, including a filthy toe-drag. Leon Draisaitl adds 1G-3A; Oilers surge to 12-11-5. Canadian teams shine: Jets (league 2nd), Leafs keep winning.

This Week’s Mzansi Viewing Guide (All SAST)

• Thu 11 Dec: Rams @ 49ers – 3:15 AM (Thursday Night)
• Sat 13 Dec: Army vs Navy – 13:00 (SuperSport tradition)
• 20–21 Dec: CFP First Round – from 4:00 AM (ESPN)
• NBA Cup Quarters: Tue/Wed from 20:00 (SuperSport Action)

Grab the biltong, sync your DSTV, and let’s make some noise – US sports are heating up like a Highveld summer!

Tags: US sports South Africa December 2025, NFL Week 14 SAST, Indiana Hoosiers CFP No.1 seed, McDavid hat trick, College Football Playoff bracket Mzansi, SuperSport NFL schedule