Challengers: Where underdogs and upstarts take centre stage
You want the moments when the expected leader slips and someone new forces the story. This tag collects pieces about challengers — from surprise sporting runs to political shake-ups and courtroom battles. Expect fast results, bold moves and the kind of upsets that change rankings, alliances or public mood.
What you’ll find here
We group stories where someone is trying to unseat the favourite. In sport that could be Ben Shelton charging into the National Bank Open final, or Wolves grabbing an unlikely win at Old Trafford. You’ll see match reports, player form updates and tactical reads that explain how an underdog wins. In politics you’ll find moves like Ramaphosa’s firing of a DA deputy minister and the fallout that follows — the kind of decisions that shift coalitions and headlines.
Legal and public-interest challenges also make this list. We track tough trials and watchdog moments where challengers demand accountability, like the coverage around Advocate Malesela Teffo and the tribunal probing Judge Selby Mbenenge. These pieces show how challengers operate in courtrooms and corridors of power, often against established institutions.
How to use this tag
If you want quick updates, scan the latest headlines on this page. Click through for match details, quotes and what the result means next — for a team, a politician, or a legal case. Want context? Open the feature stories and analyses that explain the tactics, the politics and the economics behind the upset. We label articles clearly so you can jump straight to sports, politics, or court coverage.
Follow-ups matter. A single upset can change transfer plans, spark coalition tension, or lead to new investigations. We track those threads: transfer rumours after a surprise run, nomination lists following a shock result, or official responses after a high-profile courtroom showdown. You’ll get the next-move angle, not just the score or headline.
Looking for recommendations: start with a recent upset story to see the reporting style, then open a deeper piece to get background and predictions. If you want live action, check articles marked as live or match reports — they’re written to keep you current without clogging the timeline with noise.
Want to stay updated? Use the site’s tag feed or sign up for alerts on topics you follow. We publish brief recaps, in-depth analyses, and reaction pieces so you can pick how much detail you want. If a challenger story matters to you, we’ll make sure you know why it matters next.
Questions or tips about a challenger story? Reach out through our contact options and flag what you want covered. We read tips, and sometimes a reader’s note points us to the next big upset.
