HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRVIN KHOZA: but at 69, perhaps it's time to step down

SALUTE! Irvin Khoza, 69 on Friday

Irvin Khoza is a very, very, very nice man.

THE BLOODY AGENTS: One small step forward for South African football, Dr Khoza. But what next?

Agents influence Bafana: Irvin Khoza

Regular readers of this column will know I’m never quite on the same page as Dr Irvin Khoza, the Orlando Pirates chairman who runs South Africa’s PSL.

I have to say, following his revelations on agent involvement with our national side, the Iron Duke is now one of my favourite people.

Here’s what the influential 66-year-old had to say on the issue which nearly saw me land in court last year: "I am saying this publicly. Unfortunately, for a long time, agents have been influencing the selection of players in the national team.

"That is why I was so hurt when people were saying there is no talent in the country. I said, 'no', the issue is the interference of the agents on some of our coaches.

"Shakes Mashaba has not allowed himself to be influenced and you can see the spin-offs. Every player in the country now knows that he has a chance if he is on form."

That last paragraph is the only one I struggle with. Mashaba’s selection of a number of agent Tim Sukazi’s players in his provisional squad for AFCON 2015 certainly raised a few eye-brows. The issue was not raised by me, but by rival agents. I will make no allegations on that front.

But selecting a number of players NOT EVEN PLAYING FOR THEIR PSL CLUBS is exactly the kind of clue real journalists look for when trying to expose inappropriate relationships between national coaches and desperate agents. Simply by naming those players in his 35-man group suggests there may still be a problem.

But for now, with Mashaba unbeaten in eight games and heading for Equatorial Guinea on a high, perhaps we should leave that debate unshaken.

Of far greater import is the admission from Khoza, a vice-president of the South African Football Association, confirming such shenanigans have taken place on a regular basis with Bafana Bafana.

When I queried the constant selection of Thabo Nthethe under the previous regime, just as the big centre-back was negotiating a commercial contract with Mr Price Sport, my world tumbled down. I was attacked on twitter, television appearances dried up, serious threats were made and Gordon Igesund slapped me with a defamation claim.

Here's a link to that particular episode: http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2014/02/response-to-gordon-igesunds-legal.html

When SAFA president Danny Jordaan convened an inquiry under Norman Arendse, not a single journalist turned up to offer evidence, though many were privy to the selection of players for reasons other than “form and talent”.

Arendse and his committee were pleasant enough last year at the hearing in Sandton. They listened to my reasoning, heard how one player was actually banned and hadn’t played all season when he was selected for Bafana, I showed them the death threats and vile verbal attacks I had been subjected to.

But then they cleared Igesund of all charges. To say I was shocked was an under-statement. Having failed to reach the AFCON 2013 semi-finals and qualify for the 2014 World Cup, the man I’d once admired saw his side torn apart by Nigeria and fail at the first hurdle when South African hosted the CHAN tournament  last year.

Though they did not have the courage to nail agent/coach collusion, Arendse's panel DID ban future Bafana coaches from sharing player agents and recommended agents should NOT be allowed in the team hotel before international matches.

I assumed collusion with agents would be the last straw. And in many ways it was. But I was left hung out to dry. Though I know I was right to raise the agent issue, and have subsequently rebuilt my relationship with Mr Makaab, Igesund remains, according to my sources, a sworn enemy. Other “journalists” without the guts to speak out simply transferred their unthinking allegiance to Shakes Mashaba when Igesund’s contract was not renewed.

Those journalist know who they are. The Sunday Times reads like a SAFA public relations sheet, other publications gleefully carried Dr Khoza's words while glibly neglecting to dig deeper in to the story.

Though many of these same journalists turned a blind eye to previous Bafana coaches favouring the clients of certain agents in their team selection, SAFA continues to pay for these writers to travel with the national team as long as they didn’t step out of line with the latest incumbent.

The same has happened more recently. When I had the temerity to question the presence of three particular players in the provisional squad for AFCON – unknowns barely appearing for their clubs in the PSL but all represented by the same agent – both the Bafana Bafana and SAFA twitter accounts blocked me.

I received messages from friendlier elements within SAFA House warning me to keep quiet or face serious trouble. Many on twitter, some with accounts barely a week old, tore in to me, using racism and my English accent to suggest a lack of patriotism.

But now, thanks to the much-maligned but ever-powerful Dr Khoza, the truth is out. Though the stain of match-fixing and under-performance still taints our national side, there is a feeling the no-nonsense Shakes Mashaba is adding a forgotten lustre to the Bafana brand once more.

If Khoza believes agents were involved in the selection of the national squad in recent years, then it’s pretty hard to refute the fact, to slap me with legal action. Quite why the SAFA vice-president didn’t act on this knowledge I just don’t know. He was in the perfect position to stamp it out, surely?

But I will say this. South African football deserves better than grubby agents slipping names to national coaches. We deserve a sport where match-fixing and age-cheating are dealt with firmly and decisively.

GETTING TO GRIPS: me and Danny Jordaan

I expected the newly-elected SAFA president Danny Jordaan to get a grip on these issues. To use his vast FIFA legacy fund for the good of the game. To clean things up, encourage the grass roots, listen to the lone voices willing to expose the truth.

But Jordaan remains on the side-lines. The match-fixing scandal has not been dealt with. The hoped for clear-out at SAFA House has not come to pass.

Jordaan appointed Mashaba at least partly because, as he told me “Shakes was the cheapest option” not out of any great loyalty to local coaches. He simply couldn’t afford Carlos Queiroz, who had been told during CHAN the South Africa hot-seat was his once more.

Jordaan has allowed Mashaba to alienate the greatest current talents of our game, ten years ago the same schism between foreign and local players ended a successful reign.

May Mahlangu is banned. Kamahelo Mokotjo was dismissed as “heavy” despite impressive performances for FC Twente. And most recently, our only Champions League player Thulani Serero was publicly vilified by those journalists I mentioned before, simply because the Ajax Amsterdam midfielder believed he had the right to the same holiday as Doncaster Rovers’ Dean Furman.

Dr Khoza has taken us one step forward this week. He has laid bare one aspect of the corruption in South African football. Mashaba, who appears capable of garnering results no matter what happens off the field, could take us another step forward later this month at AFCON, though it’s the toughest of tasks with Algeria, Senegal and Ghana in Group C.

But, whether Bafana thrive or fail, then what? Who was Wilson Raj Perumal’s contact during the match-fixing controversy before the 2010 World Cup? Who turned a blind eye to widespread age cheating at the academies of our two top clubs at around the same time? Who decided to scrap the charity cup and Vodacom challenge in favour of the Carling Cup and Q innovation?

Why does Bafana have no overseas scout? Why did the players only find out about their AFCON fate from the media AFTER squad announcements? Who is keeping an eye on potential young stars pushing for international inclusion? Did Mashaba actually attend his stage 3 coaching course or was he just handed the certificate? Who is Thabo “Youth Encylopedia” Senong, and how did he become a major force in our game?

These are questions – not accusations – that require answers. There are many more. Falling attendances in the PSL are rarely audited or published.  Accredited journalists are kept off the mailing list to avoid awkward questions. The marketing of our game is a joke. The PSL is run for a select band of clubs and chairmen, not the players or the fans.

What should be the biggest, most successful league on the continent simply oozes money… but it never filters down to the grass roots, where schools and clubs play on fields more suitable for growing vegetables.

Dr Khoza has taken a step. Revealed one poorly-kept secret stain. He says there will be no more agent influence on our national side. But are we sure it’s not on-going? Is this the start of a campaign against corruption or a fabricated finish?

To be clear, I started this campaign when Abdul Bhamjee was in charge of the old NSL in the early 1980s. A much younger Clive Barker was in charge at Umlazi Bush Bucks then, taking on and beating the Jozi giants. But our game refused to progress, to run with openness and transparency.

I went in to exile for 25 years and returned to a brave,new, democratic nation as a South African citizen. To answers these questions with talk of my colour or some kind of hidden agenda is puerile. Let’s weed out the coaches, “technical directors”, agents and administrators who are destroying our reputation, holding back the national sport.

Ultimately, surely, that is the only solution. And while we're at it: how's that statue for Senzo Meyiwa going? Has anybody been arrested?

The uncomfortable truth: Why Irvin Khoza can't run Orlando Pirates and the PSL

The Iron Duke: Irvin Khoza

AFTER two years back in South Africa, it's time to address one of the serious problems surrounding the PSL, indisputably the richest league on the continent. It’s time to ask salient questions about the all-powerful Irvin Khoza, despite my twitter timeline being haunted by the Ghost of Soweto. Time to lay my cards on the table without fear or favour.

This isn't the blog I intended to put up today. My thoughts are drawn to Gordon Igesund's first Bafana Bafana squad and the resignation of England Test cricket captain Andrew Strauss, both of which will be announced today.

But the demands from Orlando Pirates fans on Facebook and Twitter knows no limits. They want me to explain why I feel their beloved Iron Duke should step down from his position of PSL chairman as soon as possible, for the sake of the game.

I should point out I've never met the man. Back in the 1980s, when I was heavily involved in South African football, the Iron Duke was a shadow in the foothills of football, a minor extra without an illustrious career in the game like the powerful figures of the time, Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono.

Khoza's rise to prominence, his incredible journey to a controlling position at Orlando Pirates, is easy to explain. The 64-year-old is a political genius, a master of diplomacy, despite an arrest for tax fraud in 2001 and two fines for insurance fraud.

He now holds a majority interest in the Orlando Stadium, has vast power within SAFA, decides the direction of the national team and - after playing a leading role in a highly successful World Cup on South African soil - he was able to focus on his beloved Buccaneers and they promptly picked up two successive trebles.

I'm told Khoza also has a stake in the Ellis Park sporting precinct, I've seen his mansion in Soweto - and he even has President Jacob Zuma in his family tree, though I won't go in to that here.

The conflict of interest inherent in Khoza's position as the major power at Orlando Pirates, the PSL and SAFA shouldn't need to be explained, but here I will list my reasons why I believe all is not right given the current status quo.

ONE: When Orlando Pirates fans got out of hand on Saturday night at Khoza's Orlando Stadium, I was there. I pointed out the paucity of trained stewards, the lack of warnings from the public address system and the presence of fireworks and bottles among the unsearched Ghost which led to a brief stoppage of game and several injuries.

On Monday on eNCAnews, eTV Sunrise, KayaFM, here and in The New Age, I highlighted a list of measures which should now be taken to ensure there is no repeat of the violence which broke out during a shock 3-0 MT8 defeat at the hands of SuperSport United.

With Khoza's Pirates fined FOUR TIMES since March last year, I called for immediate and punitive action. A big fine, a game played behind closed doors and further punishment for the apologetic Benni McCarthy, whose needless red card ultimately led to Saturday night's trouble, which I witnessed from a position amid the furious Buccaneer fans.

What did Khoza's PSL do? They charged arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs AND Orlando Pirates with failing control their fans. Once more, we witnessed the shrewd political machinations of the Iron Duke. The AmaKhozi DID throw a few things at Lotus Versfeld on August 5 but that was nearly a month ago, and there had been no calls for further action from ANYBODY. It was not a major incident.

It's arguable Chiefs deserved some sort of censure for their away fans that day, but in football, the conduct of travelling supporters is difficult to monitor. It may be that Khoza had no part to play in this decision to charge BOTH of South Africa's giants on the same day.

But as long as the Iron Duke runs both the PSL and Pirates, it's hard to see yesterday's move as anything other than an attempt to deflect attention away from the problems at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday night, where Khoza is ultimately responsible for security and fan behaviour.

We shall find out if real action is taken against the Buccaneers on September 7, when the hearing in to both situations is held.

TWO: Though nobody is questioning Orlando Pirates' position as the premier team in South Africa after their two successive PSL championships, it was a bit of a surprise when FOR THE SECOND SEASON RUNNING, the Buccaneers were "drawn" to play Golden Arrows on the last day of last season.

Pirates duly won the PSL with that come-from-behind victory against Golden Arrows inspired by a Benni McCarthy brace. What are the odds on that happening, given the League fixtures are supposed to be drawn at random with the help of computer scheduling?

And, unless I've been misinformed, Khoza's relationship with Arrows chairperson Mato Madlala and her family goes back a long, long way, to the re-founding of the franchise in 1996. Again, this could be pure coincidence, but with the Pirates chairman in charge of the PSL, what are we to think?

THREE: With his side just hours away from opening the new season against, ironically, Golden Arrows, we had Squveve suddenly bursting on to our television screens to tell us all about the new-fangled “Q innovation” with sponsors ABSA.

Though I have no problem with the idea of giving the quarterly winners of the PSL R1.5m and the ultimate champions R10m, I said immediately that the added concept of providing R500,000 to journalists who correctly predicted the most results every quarter. That goes against journalistic ethics and, arguably, could even taint the attitude of certain media pundits.

To have the chairman change the rules of the PSL hours before his own team – aiming for a hat-trick of titles - kicked-off the season would be seen an unusual in any league in the world. To offer money to journalists rather than fans for their predictions? Unthinkable.

And the fact that only “certain” journalists have been approached for their predictions makes the whole thing curiouser still. Somehow media men critical of Khoza were left off the list – I can only speak for myself. PSL PRO Altaaf Kazi used to email me everything last season. Now I’m persona non grata, which is why I chose to sit in the stands at 

Orlando last week rather than the press box. 

Is that why neither of the major South African football websites mentioned the game-stopping trouble at the Orlando Stadium in their match reports on Saturday night? Of course, I could be wrong, but with Khoza in his dual position of power, it’s hard to put two and two together without making half a million.

FOUR: Whatever happened to PSL CEO Stanley Matthews? Why did he stand down when everything appeared to be going so well? I met Matthews a couple of times before his sudden departure in July, have tried to get him to talk to me about the problems which led to his resignation. I’ve heard nothing. Nobody has. It’s as if he never existed.

Could it be that he stood up to the machinations that were going on behind the scenes at the PSL? As a former SuperSport United executive, he would have railed against potential bias being shown toward any particular club. At the PSL awards at Gold Reef City I was particularly interested to see the relationship between Khoza and Matthews. And between the Pirates boss and Amakhosi founder Kaizer Motaung.

There was no doubt who was in charge, even at a largely social occasion. A couple of weeks later, Matthews was gone. So was Altaaf Kazi. We can only guess at the root causes of their unhappiness, but Khoza has done nothing to explain.

I will let this argument stand at that. Four good reasons why Irvin Khoza SHOULD NOT be allowed to run the PSL and the South African champions. I could go in to the failure of Danny Jordaan’s FIFA-backed bid for the SAFA presidency, the bizarre posse of unwanted Pirates who headed to promoted Chippa United shortly after their promotion or the PSL’s strange silence on the corruption charges against Bobby Motaung earlier this month.

But I won’t. I daren’t. Instead, chew over the four scenarios above. Understand that I have no bias here. It is in the interests of South African football to have an efficient administration, and we all know Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are integral to the success of the PSL.

What I fear is this. If South African football is run as a monopoly, with the chairman having direct links to the president of the country, FIFA and/or CAF will act. Just as they threw Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel out of the African League after a missile-throwing crowd invasion last week, Pirates must put their ship in order.

Justice must be seen to be done. And, though Pirates fans won’t like it, the only way to do that is to appoint a neutral PSL chief and a new CEO. Not to mention a proper head of SAFA rather than a compromise candidate.

It won’t be painless. But in the long run, South African football will benefit.