The derby has lost its spark

After watching a boring Soweto derby, one can admit that the "biggest match" on the PSL calender has lost its status. A scoreless draw inside a near capacity crowd at the Orlando Stadium left the fans disappointed at the display from both teams.

After the match both coaches did not sound disappointed at all with the result which raises many questions. I wonder if the two foreign coaches understand the importance of the derby to the fans, sponsors and the players. Do they stress to the players the importance of displaying a good brand of football and winning.

The Soweto derby has always been charactirised by flair, passion and willingness to die on the pitch. However, recently it has been the opposite. Both coaches and players see this fixture as just another PSL fixture, which defeats the purpose of calling it one of the biggest derbies in the world.

I would like to suggest that this fixture be sold as just another fixture.
http://www.kickoff.com/static/league/match_report.php?league_id=1&fixture_id=3013

Chiefs bring down Arrows

Two first half goals brought Golden Arrows down to earth when they lost to Kaizer Chiefs at Orlando stadium just three days after their historic cup victory. In an uneventful night the light at Orlando Stadium went off again. This time it was not enough to stop the game which was almost over.
On the night, Kaizer Chiefs managed to steady their defence to a very important victory over Arrows. Chiefs achieved their victory early in the first half with two quick goals by Letsholonyane and Kaizer Motaung, Jr. The Arrows players looked lethargic and lacking enthusiasm a few days after a great performance against Ajax CT.

Arrows should have equalized, though, after Shange was set up but Bartman again came to Kaizer Chiefs’ rescue with a brilliant save. Arrows looked like the shadow of the side that walloped Ajax by six goals. In the second half Arrows played better but they still could not break the Chiefs defence marshaled by Sweswe.

PSL DC Update

Premier Soccer League Prosecutor, Zola Majavu has confirmed that Jomo Sono and Jomo Cosmos will appear before the PSL Disciplinary Committee on charges of Failure to comply with a directive of the League.

This after Sono failed to avail himself for the post match television interview in the Absa Premiership match between BIDVest Wits and Jomo Cosmos played on 04 October 2009.

The hearing will take place at the League’s offices on 02 November 2009 at 17h30.

In a PSL DC Hearing held last night, Moroka Swallows player, Collins Mbesuma, pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct relating to unsportsmanlike behavior.

This relates to an incident where he violently kicked Francis Chansa in the face in the Absa Premiership match between Moroka Swallows and Bidvest Wits played on 23 September 2009.

Mbesuma was fined R20 000 of which R15 000 is suspended for 12 months with the R5 000 payable immediately.

Mbesuma has also been ordered to send a written apology to the League, the player and Bidvest Wits.

Mbesuma and Moroka Swallows were also ordered to pay the costs of the two sitting amounting to approximately R42 000

The future looks bright for Bidvest Wits

Today I attended the Bidvest Wits FC facilities launch. This launch is a very significant one because it not only shapes future of Bidvest Wits but also the future of football in South Africa. However, I am very disappointed by the low attendance by journalists because it is events like this that we need to cover.


The Bidvest Wits set-up

The club has decided to put more money into the development of young players in Johannesburg. With the new facilities set-up Wits can grow to become “a world class soccer club”, as Stan Whiting says. About 20 players under the age of 20 years will be given an opportunity to train and live in the facilities. The club will also offer them better education and life skills training.

After spending over 20 million rands buying players that have not really helped the club’s success, Wits have rather decided to their roots. They well-known for promoting youngsters and giving them a chance to play at the highest level, i.e. Junaid Hartley, Stanton Fredericks, Lovers Mohlala, Bradley Carnell etc. Recently, they have promoted about 9 players from their developments side. Roger de Sa says, “we need to nurture players to understand the Wits culture and we need to work within budget when bringing in new signings”.

Wits have also created good working partnerships with Johannesburg based amateur teams, such as Robertsham F.C, Randburg F.C etc to sign their best talent to the club. These clubs work as feeders for senior team and their development teams. Wits have also enlisted former players (who coach amateur sides), i.e. Gardner Seale, Bull Lehoko and others, to work as scouts in the Gauteng region.

The Development model

Stan Whiting says, “we took the model of the most successful academies in world football, like Sao Paolo (Brazil), England and Holland. Bidvest Wits even have a working relationship with Sao Paolo through the Shona Khona programme that recruits young players to Brazil. When they (players) return to South Africa, Wits have first option to sign the players.

Wits have decided to invest in youngsters, which cannot be said about some big teams who believe in buying success. Investing in young talent is great but giving them a chance to play is another and Roger De Sa has not been afraid to throw his young players into the deep end.

Written by

Wanda Wela Mgwebi
Http: //mzansisoccer.blogspot.com

MTN 8 FINAL – WAFA WAFA


Golden Arrows vs. Ajax Cape Town

The MTN 8 final fever has hit Soweto and Saturday will see two MTN sponsored sides go head to head. The winner will walk away with a cool 8 million rands and the cool MTN trophy. Orlando Stadium is the venue and 8: 15 pm is kickoff time where one team will walk away winners of this prestigious competition.

The Ajax caretaker coach says, “We have a 60 – 40 % chance of winning the final.” On paper Ajax are the favorites to win this encounter as they have played in more cup finals. Golden Arrows are playing in their first ever final since their promotion to the elite league. Manqoba Mnqithi seems to think that his charges will not be overcome by the occasion. “Our objective has always been to win the final this season. Ajax’s cup pedigree belongs in the history books”, the Arrows coach says.

Going into the match Ajax have an upper hand. However, Golden Arrows seem to have a full complement of player compared to Ajax. Ajax has almost 10 players out and two key players doubtful, Brett Evans and Nhlanhla Shabalala.

The Players

The Ajax coach has seen little of Golden Arrows but he has pointed out that they are dangerous in attack and that Richard Henyekane is the main threat. “Arrows play a good game and they score some good goals, especially Henyekane”, the Ajax coach says. The Ajax central defense pairing has looked solid in recent matches but they were badly exposed by Kaizer Chiefs 3 weeks ago. Arrows play a more direct, aggressive brand of football, which could really test the Ajax defense.

Arrows’ defense will have to pay close attention to under-20 international Thulani Serero, Franklin Cale and unsung hero Sifiso Vilakazi. On the other hand Ajax will do well to plan against Golden Arrows silent assassin, Nhlanhla Zothwane. He is a player who can turn the game on its head with his ability to create goals and finish them with great aplomb.

Who will be the last man standing?

PSL DC Update

DC Update

Platinum Stars were found guilty this evening on charges of misconduct.

This related to their failure to attend the match meeting three hours before kickoff in their Absa Premiership encounter against Golden Arrows on 26 August 2009.

Stars were fined R50 000 wholly suspended for 12 months and were ordered to pay the costs of the DC, amounting to approximately R21 500.

Another Bafana coach is fired!!

Call it a parting ways or firing the coach. Bottom line is; SANTANA IS GONE.

He has been fired after 8 defeats in 9 matches. However, I believe that the reason for his sacking has a lot to do with the team’s overall performance lately. The performance of the team has been dismal and the team spirit was very low.

Can we really blame the coach for the players’ performance? Remember, this is the same team that played with heart, guts and spirit just 4 months ago.

What role did the players have in the firing of Santana? Our players are to blame because they let the country and the coach down with their dismal performances. They did not show any hunger and willingness to win. They collapsed under pressure from media and the public. Santana’s mission was to put together a team that would do at least qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup next year. This vision should have propelled them to do better and show that they deserve to be in the final 23 member squad.

8 losses, 1 win
Losing so many friendly games was always going to get the coach fired. Clive Barker was also fired after losing too many friendly matches. Of course, there were other factors, i.e. compensation issue. I believe that he was also fired because he kept playing the same “tried and tested” OLD guard. Do you see the similarities?

The “Leader”
Mokoena has also been taking a lot of criticism from the public about his performances for the team. In trying to not buckle under pressure, Santana stuck with his “trusted” captain and leader of the team. I have never seen a coach who insists on playing a guy who makes so many mistakes. Mokoena has not played a good game for Bafana in 5 years but has remained the first player on every (Perreira, Queiroz and Baxter) coach’s list. Maybe he is a great player.

I believe that Mokoena needs a move away from the English Premier league. His game has not improved since he started playing in England. He makes the worst tackles and decisions for an “experience”. It does seem that his teammates have lost confidence in him because he has failed to inspire them on the field.

What did Santana do right?
During the Confederations Cup everyone in South Africa started to believe that the team had a chance at next year’s world cup. Although, he played a defensive game, the team played very well. They should have at least beaten Brazil in the semi-finals. Santana’s system gave the players confidence because we seemed to keep the ball much longer than the opposition and were finding space. The players played with confidence, freedom and dictated the rhythm of the game. However, we were let down by our scoring and lack of good passes to our attackers.

So what did Santana really do right in his job as a Bafana Bafana coach? SANTANA gave South Africans and the team HOPE.

What next?
Pitso Mosimane and Jairo Leal have been appointed caretaker coaches. This is good news because Pitso Mosimane there will be a bit of continuity in the team, for now. Appointing a new man would really upset the team “structure”. We all know where the problem is and we have to ‘fix’ it. Is it possible to do that?

The New man
The new man has got to be a person who has coached the team before or someone with vast international and world cup experience. This description however excludes Jomo Sono. Sono took Bafana to the 2002 World Cup and he also had his own challenges that led to the team not qualifying for the next round.

1. He selected Andre Arendse ahead of the experienced Hans Vonk. Arendse let in 2 soft goals against Spain and one against Paraguay.

2. He left Delron Buckley and Steven Pienaar on the bench. These two players had already had European or international experience.

3. In the first match against Paraguay he played two defenders (Cyril Nzama and Aaron Mokoena) on the right.

Is he (Sono) the man to take us forward? I think not.

Carlos Perreira is another man who once coached the senior national team. He seems to have the right credentials but it also took him a long time to get the team to play well. He failed to qualify for the second round at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

Remember Bafana lost to the USA in our own backyard. That game was one of the worst matches we have played in years. Bafana were totally outplayed by the US.

People have called for the appointment of Gordon Igesund. Simply put! Gordon Igesund is not the right man for this job. Remember, he played a very defensive game while coaching Manning Rangers, Santos etc in African Champions league. His little experience in African competitions and the PSL has not prepared him for the hottest seat in the country.

Gavin Hunt
Is he good enough and does he have the right experience for the job? What has he done for Supersport United to deserve the Bafana job?

I hear, “he has won the PSL league title twice in succession. He has a FIFA A or B coaching license”. These achievements are not enough for the Bafana coaching job.

Question: What does he need to get the job?
Answer: The right experience.

Who will take over from Santana?
Your guess is as good as mine.

PSL Results

Results:

Golden Arrows (3)(Henyekane, Zothwane, Manqana)  vs.  Bidvest Wits (3)(Miller, Haskins, Miyeni)

Freestate Stars (0) vs. Platinum Stars (1) Murakami

Mpumalanga Black Aces (0) vs. Supersport Utd (5) (Salmon (2), Gould, Klate (2)

Mamelodi Sundowns (2) (Mpela (2) vs. Kaizer Chiefs (2) (Musona, Tshabalala)

Sundowns vs. K. Chiefs

Mphela, Musona, Pelembe and Khenyeza for Europe.

A great game for Sundowns who had more goalscoring chances. Mphela's pace and Khenyeza's strength troubled the Kazier Chiefs defence but the day belonged to Arthur Bartman the Kaizer Chiefs goalie. He made great saves that kept his team in the game.

The game started with Chiefs invading the Sundowns goal. Motaung jr and Nhleko should have scored and their failure to score gave Sundowns a lifeline. Downs came back into the game and Mphela's efforts were well saved by Bartman.

The first goal came from the penalty spot and Mphela sent the keeper the wrong to way scoring his first of the match.

In the second half Chiefs hit back via the speedy Musona after he was played through by Nhleko. Chiefs scored a second from a well taken freekick by Tshabalala. Mphela levelled matter with a great shot from right side of the box. The score ended 2-all but Sundowns should have won this encounter given the chances they had.

Mphela / Khenyeza

This combination should be given a chance at Bafana level and see what happens. They have a good understanding. However, international football is different; they will not be given as much space and time on the ball. The defenders are much bigger and quicker. The Kaizer Chiefs coach was full of praise for this pair and he believes that their careers lie elsewhere not in the PSL.

Pelembe
The Chiefs coach believes that he belongs in Europe. Maybe he does but age is not on his side and the fact that Mozambique will not be in the World Cup in South Africa counts against him.

Musona

He is the future. He could make a break in Europe next season. He has an eye for goal. His pace would give any defence a tough time.

Bafana Bafana

Santana must be a worried man after watching his terribly understrength side lose an unimpressive Iceland side. The team looked uninspiring and lacked ideas in attacking areas. Today's team lacked experience. They rushed every pass or held on to the ball too long, especially Dikgacoi and Modise. Cale was starved of the ball early in the first half because of this.

We needed the creativity of Steven Pienaar and aggression down the wings. Cale who was given his first start for Bafana did not have any spark. The less said about Modise's performance the better. Modise is not a winger, PERIOD. I have always supported the idea of having a Steven Pienaar clone.

A perfect replacement for Pienaar could be Van Heerden but he also seems to have lost his confidence. He gives the ball away cheaply and does not run past opposition defenders anymore.

What is the solution? The solution will not come by firing the coach. The coach has made his mistakes and his team selection is still a big concern. The employment of Gavin Hunt, Clive Barker and Jomo Sono is a start. We need a team of experts (like in Cricket and Rugby) who are going to scrutinise the coach's team selection and match tactics.

For example, against Iceland he should not have replaced Sibaya with Mhlongo. Maybe he should have replaced his with a more attack minded player. The coach needs a team that will challenge his authority and thinking.

What is your take on this view?

South African football in the past week

During the past week there has been little action on the pitch but certainly a lot off the pitch. It has left me with a couple of questions;

Is Jomo the right man to critique Santana? Jomo Sono is currently the coach and owner of Jomo Cosmos. His team is struggling in the league. Judging by the way his team plays he (Sono) should focus on building his team. At this point it looks like he has a lot on his plate.

Muhsin Ertugral is leaving Ajax Cape Town and is joining a Turkish team. Do you think he is going to succeed in Turkey?

What does Santana need to do to make Bafana Bafana win? Is he the right man for the job?
What will happen to South Africa if he is fired?

What is wrong with South African national team?

South Africa also known as Bafana Bafana have lost 7 games out of 8. Their only win came against minnows Madagascar who gave them a tough time. Most football fans have been calling for Santana to be sacked.

Sacking Santana is not going to help change the situation the team finds itself in. This leads me to ask, what is wrong with South African football?