| Nick Said |
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 For your viewing pleasure
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Thursday announced that it had agreed to a deal with satellite-TV broadcaster SuperSport, which will pay a reported R300-million a year over the next five years for the rights to broadcast PSL matches. And all hell broke loose. |
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The kids are alright
It will become one of those great quiz questions on South African soccer in years to come. Which team beat runaway champions Mamelodi Sundowns in four out of four matches in the 2006/07 Premier Soccer League season? The answer, of course, is Ajax Cape Town, who have been like a breath of fresh air this campaign. |
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Was it really that bad?
It is estimated that about 70% of South African football fans support either Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates, which begs the question: Are the Soweto giants really good for our soccer? The 2006/07 season has been described as boring, lacking intensity and poor in quality, but for me this has been one of the more interesting campaigns in recent times. |
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Sundowns' failure a worrying sign
Mamelodi Sundowns may have cruised to the Castle Premiership title this season, but they were taught a footballing lesson by Egyptian side Al-Ahly in the CAF Champions League recently. That should have provided a wake-up call to South Africans who believe that the Castle Premiership sets the benchmark in terms of African league competition. |
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How words can hurt
So Fifa has been forced to issue an apology after president Sepp Blatter was "misquoted" when he named a list of countries that could step into the breach should the tournament be taken away from South Africa. What was not made clear, though, was that he was talking in respect of a natural disaster or other such tragedy. |
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A feminine touch
One of the major talking points this week has been the Castle Premiership debut of female referee Deidre Mitchell in the match between Santos and Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday. While her appointment for the game is an extremely rare event worldwide, I'm left wondering: What is all the fuss about? |
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Mission impossible?
Mamelodi Sundowns are currently in Egypt preparing for their CAF Champions League third-round, second-leg encounter with Cairo giants Al-Ahly on Friday night. But can the Brazilians pull off what would be a major coup for the club and oust the current continental kings? |
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Leadership letting us down
With the Castle Premiership all but wrapped up, the real battle in South African football at the moment is in the promotion play-offs in the Mvela Golden League. Looking at some of the clubs involved in the race to join the elite, one has to wonder whether there should be more stringent criteria imposed on who exactly can own football clubs in this country. |
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Building for the future
It will have been heartening for South African fans to see the recent performances of the national Under-23 team, Amaglug-glug. They have produced a few gems who could be real contenders for a place in the senior side come the 2010 World Cup -- and Carlos Alberto Parreira would have been watching their recent matches with interest. |
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What a difference a coach makes
What a pleasure to see a confident, happy and ruthless Bafana Bafana in action over the weekend as they celebrated their first competitive fixture under coach Carlos Alberto Parreira with a resounding 3-0 victory over Chad in an African Nations Cup qualifier in Ndjamena. There was a spring in the step of the South African players that we had not seen since 2004.
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Trading a World Cup for a honeymoon
I am sick and tired of banging on about Raymond Hack and his troupe of clowns at the South African Football Association. No, my ire has found a new target this week: a man who, for years, has managed to dupe the South African public into believing he's something he's not -- but now has finally shown his true colours. |
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The lost generation?
The story of Mbulelo "Old-John" Mabizela is a sad, but not too uncommon, one as South African football -- and society at large -- struggles to come to terms with issues of alcohol and drug abuse. Mabizela is perhaps the most extreme case of a growing trend we are seeing in our football. |
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Middendorp failed to understand 'SA way'
The axing of Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp this week came as no surprise. In fact, what was most surprising of all is that he held on to his job for so long at a club that expects instant success. The German was unpopular with the fans almost from day one after employing what was perceived as negative tactics. |
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Time to say goodbye
Just how long beleaguered South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Raymond Hack will remain in office should be a cause for concern for football fans around the country. We simply cannot go on as we are. Appointed in March 2005, the Johannesburg lawyer has steered the organisation from one disaster to the next. |
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World Cup can boost African renaissance
South Africans may be basking in the joy of hosting the 2010 World Cup, but we should not forget that this is a time for the whole continent to rejoice. The event provides all of Africa with the chance to open the eyes of the world to our rich potential -- that which will perhaps be the most important legacy of what has been described as "Africa's World Cup". |
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A good start for Parreira
Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will have gained a better idea of what lies in store for him with Bafana Bafana after holding his first training camp with the national team last week. After a fruitful four days with the players, the Brazilian singled out ball possession and finishing as his two major areas of concern. |
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Sundowns a shoo-in for league title
Mamelodi Sundowns' 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend signalled the start of their charge to the Castle Premiership title this season, with no other clubs able to muster the resources to match them over 30 matches. Whoever said money can't buy happiness was never the chairperson of a football club. |
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Doing it for the kids …
Perhaps the appointment of new Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has worked a trick for our soccer, even before his arrival in the country last week. The Brazilian was openly scathing about South Africa's lack of development structures and since then we have seen a marked improvement in the South African Football Association's focus on the junior national teams. |
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Pirates on a sinking ship
When Micho Sredojevic's contract with Orlando Pirates was mutually terminated last week, the Serbian described how he "felt like Mandela being released from prison". It is sad that the "grand old lady" of South African soccer has been turned into something of a circus with problems on and off the pitch. |
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How McCarthy can make or break Parreira
Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira officially takes up the reins of the South African national side next week, and a momentous challenge awaits the World Cup-winning coach. It may seem obvious, but I believe Parreira's success or failure as national coach will be determined by whether he can find a regular goal scorer. |
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| MORE ARTICLES |
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| High time for end to Green Point stadium woes |
| Pressure builds for top Soweto coaches |
| Sticks and stones ... |
| The right man for the job |
| Is it time to import talent? |
| Where's the fizzle in Operation Dribble? |
| Egos reign in the shambles that is Safa |
| Perceptions are everything |
