UPHILL BATTLE: Shabba and Baxter |
Kaizer
Chiefs' shocking 3-0 demise in Kinshasa on Saturday, like Orlando Pirates
supreme effort at TP Mazembe last year, will never be seen in South Africa. In
fact, despite all those shenanigans in Lubumbashi last season, not a SINGLE
Mzanzi journalist travelled to AS Vita on Saturday. Bizarre.
Fortunately
the AmaKhosi’s efforts at over-turning that dire deficit at Soccer City on
Saturday will be visible to all as Stuart Baxter’s men attempt to reach the
Group Stages of the African Champions League.
I
can uncover no feasible reason from either the SABC or SuperSport as to why the
crucial Champions League second round clash between South Africa’s most popular
football team and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s finest went untelevised.
Nor can any of the big soccer internet sites and newspapers explain why they failed
to send a SINGLE reporter to the game.
So
the nation went in to the big showdown BLIND. All I could muster during Sunday
afternoon’s disastrous first leg in the Stade des Martyrs de la PentecĂ´te was
this SMS from Baxter on the morning of the game: “Just going to squad meeting.
Chaos reigns is Congo but lads have done well so far to stay focused.”
As
the game unfolded on fuzzy video links, even fuzzier radio streams, computer crashes and twitter updates, it became clear that the home team’s 22-year-old
striker Firmin Ndombe Mubele, capped six times by the DRC, was going to be the
star of the night.
His
first goal popped up on seven minutes. A few Chiefs chances later, he doubled
the lead in the 35th minute before completing his hat-trick and
the scoreline a minute after half-time. AS Vita also allegedly hit the woodwork
twice.
Two
of those goal, apparently, were “wonder goals”, a pair of classics.
How can I be sure on the basis of blurry images and hearsay? Simple. Baxter was
on the SMS within minutes of the final whistle.
This
is his concise summary of events:
“We
missed chances and they scored two wonder goals.
“At
1-0 we have a set play and that leaves Masha (Tefu Mashamaite) free with the
keeper. He misses and they go straight down the other end and score. 3-0 comes
from a Van Basten copy (a reference to a cracking volley for Holland in the
1988 European Championship final) minutes after half-time.
“It
was a good game but we will have to dig deep in Joburg. Talk when we get back,
Neal.”
And
that’s it. Apart from a few messages and pictures from Kaizer Chiefs communications
manager Vina Maphosa (and the patchy video below), we have little else to go on before AS Vita’s
all-conquering heroes – who qualified for the Congo league play-off last week –
arrive in South Africa for the second leg.
On
twitter, we attempted to find ways in which we could #welcomeasvita, ranging
from playing live Steve Hofmeyr songs in the hotel lobby to piling the
Congolese squad in to a dodgy taxi for the trip to Soccer City next Saturday. There was even a suggestion which should send Kulubhuse Zuma to their pre-match meal.
But
while SuperSport United coach Cavin Johnson complained to me that his side’s
1-0 defeat at Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel in the CAF Confed Cup had been marred by
poor refereeing – centering on a disallowed Mame Niang goal – Baxter has yet to
tell us of any shenanigans in the DRC on Sunday.
So
assuming the PSL’s “penultimate” ref Victor Gomes doesn’t officiate next
Saturday – he gave FIVE penalties in a single game three weeks ago – Baxter
will have to rely on an emphatic 4-0 win at home or face playing with the
also-rans in the CAF Confederations Cup..
But
as I said to him before he left the Congo: “If David Moyes and Manchester
United can recover from 0-2 in Greece to win 3-0 against Olympiacos after the
season they’ve had, Kaizer Chiefs can do at least that against AS Vita.”
With
his champions six points clear at the top of the PSL, Baxter and his men have
lost just two out of 21 games since early November – to Platinum Stars and AS
Vita. They have NEVER lost a home league game in 18 months under the
Wolverhampton-born coach.
Yes,
4-0 would be miraculous. But stranger things have happened.
FULL VIDEO BELOW, shorter version HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVW-nW3Nuck
FULL VIDEO BELOW, shorter version HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVW-nW3Nuck
BOLLOCKZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names.
You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal & Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.
BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice and charity bets for our Wingzofchange charity!
Get immediate access to 16,000 woodworking plans.
ReplyDeleteTeds Woodworking has over 16,000 woodworking sketches with STEP BY STEP instructions, pics and blueprints to make all projects simple and easy.