Rantie and Sandilands to start against Kenya as Igesund reveals secrets of Bafana camp

Mind the holes: Igesund and Parker training yesterday

GORDON IGESUND has revealed he will play former Orlando Pirates striker Tokelo Rantie and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands for the first time in the must-win friendly against Kenya tomorrow night.

The Bafana coach, under pressure just three games in to his reign after the 1-0 loss in Poland on Friday night, refuses to buckle, insisting: “I always said the first four games would be about looking at the players, coming up with a settled squad for AFCON in January. That is my priority.”

Igesund also revealed how two key players – in-form Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and Orlando Pirates centre-back Siya Sangweni – had both suffered injuries while training at Nairobi’s national stadium.

A distinctly grumpy Igesund, speaking to Robert Marawa on Metro FM, said: “The conditions are not the greatest, it’s a very, very bumpy pitch.

“Siya Sangweni and Itumeleng Khune both hurt their ankles. There are holes everywhere. Both are treatable. Siyabonga will be okay I’m sure.

“I’ve asked for sand to be laid down, fill the holes up. It’s not great. I want to avoid injuries to our players and the opposition.

“Training today wasn’t great, the ball was bobbling. But it’s raining quite hard, so I’m hoping it won’t be so bumpy for the game. It might make it easier to keep possession.

“I’m definitely going to make changes, this is our whole plan for the first four games. I need to look at players, this is our last game like this.

“If we can get 75 percent of the team ready, great. We haven’t got any combinations yet. We haven’t had chance to decide how we counter-attack, defend, shuffle across. Our dead-balls… we haven’t done any of that yet.

“I want to turn this squad in to a unit, a team before January.”

Igesund, who lost 1-0 in Brazil and beat Mozambique 2-0 in  his first two games in charge, knows a win tomorrow night is imperative with Kenya ranked a lowly 128th in the world and 27th in Africa. Bafana are currently listed at 76 by FIFA and 19 by CAF, putting them 10th among the 16 qualifiers for AFCON 2013 in South Africa next year.

Igesund confirmed: “I will change three of four players. I’ll definitely start with Sandilands in goal. Rantie has to get a shout, I have to look at him. He’s the type of player I have to consider, he gets in behind defenders, he’s got pace, he’s got strength, he’s looking good in training.

“I won’t make too many drastic changes, I want to do well. Delron Buckley, with his experience, uses the ball properly, he will definitely get a chance tomorrow.”

Though Igesund bemoaned the injuries which have left him experimenting at right back, he added: “I won’t make too many changes in defence. We’ll look at Sangweni overnight. I’ll probably start with the same two centre-backs, Sangweni and Bongani Khumalo.”

Controversial selection Ricardo Nunes, the left wing-back born in Johannesburg and now playing his football in Slovakia, is likely to get another chance to prove his worth for the nation he left as an eight-year-old.

Igesund said:  “Ricardo puts a great ball in to the area. I think that’s where the game will be won tomorrow. We need to get the ball in there and get the big lads challenging.

“We’ve still got quite a bit of work to do. We will get better, obviously we will get better. We haven’t started coaching yet, the combination plays. We will create more chances.

“I wasn’t quite happy with the amount of chances we created Poland. All these little situations, every game is telling us more about our players.

“Dean Furman and Kagiso Dikgacoi I’m very happy with in midfield. They can both play as holding players. KD is getting forward for Crystal Palace in England… and in training. One can stay, one can go. We haven’t worked on these situations at the moment.

“I need sooner rather than later to get the bulk of the squad sorted out.

“It’s a good atmosphere here at the moment, everybody wants to play. That’s a very good sign, the attitude in training is good. Working hard, encouraging each other.

“The most important thing is when a team-mate respects you. That’s a big start, that’s what’s happened so far.”

Igesund revealed how he’d had a “familiarisation” session with his players while in Kenya, explaining: “I was watching training and I realised they didn’t know each other’s names. They were going er…er…er when they called for the ball. It’s normal. Some of them have never met before.

“It’s important they share rooms, find out if their team-mates married, got kids, hobbies. It’s all part of building a team that can work hard for each other, fight for each other. I want them to become friends, know that they’ve got each other’s back.

“It’s normal they didn’t know each other. When Rantie, Ndlovu came, certain players didn’t know each other. They were just whistling. They are very new to each other.

“I have given some thought to the teams that have qualified. When AFCON starts on January 19, we have to be ready for everybody, Ghana or Nigeria. There are a couple of big guns up there. Senegal getting knocked-out wasn’t a surprise. Cameroon was a bit of a shock.

“But the gap has closed, the teams in Africa are much closer together. It’s about playing well as a team, how badly do they want it?”

Upsets, upstarts and uproar: if AFCON 2013 is anything like the qualifiers, South Africa is in for a rip-roaring January

Dakar moments: an Ivory Coast fan is lifted to safety on Saturday night

SO it’s official. The Confederation of African Football lists these sixteen nations to kick-off the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa on January 19: Algeria; Angola; Burkina Faso; Cape Verde Islands; Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Ghana; Ivory Coast (ranked 1); Mali; Morocco; Niger; Nigeria; South Africa (hosts); Togo; Tunisia and Zambia (holders).

But that simple statement of fact hides so much drama after an absorbing – and violent – weekend of AFCON final qualifiers. Every one of them comes with a story, a tale of triumph over adversity.

Just over 500km west of Africa, the Cape Verde Islands epitomise the glorious unpredictability of international football. I’ve actually been there. Now a tourist hub, the islands were uninhabited before Portugal “discovered” the archipelago of 10 volcanic lumps of rock in the 15^th century.

But the world’s 51^st strongest footballing nation will be among the survivors popped in to the hat when the final draw for AFCON 2013 is made in Durban on October 24.

On Sunday, playing against four-time CAF champions Cameroon boasting the world’s best-paid player Samuel Eto’o, the islanders held on to win 3-2 on aggregate in Yaounde after their shocking 2-0 first leg win in Praia.

The sold out 60,000 Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium was silenced by an early Antonio Pereira goal. The legend that is Eto’o – back after an eight-month ban for boycotting a game against Algeria in a row over bonus payments - made the equaliser for Achille Emana and then hit the woodwork as the football-mad nation of 20million attempted to overcome a group of rocky islands with a combined population of 500,000.

A late goal from Fabrice Olinga – a 16-year-old product of the Samuel Eto’o Foundation - put Cameroon 2-1 up and two goals short of qualifying, but they could not stop the delirious islanders from reaching their first EVER major tournament.

Afterwards, Eto’o threatened retirement and offered to move in to football administration in an effort to “clear up the mess” in Cameroonian football.

Though the Cape Verde Islands are unlikely to bring many fans to South Africa, the opposite applies to the Ivory Coast, Africa’s No1 nation, currently 16^th in the FIFA world rankings.

Their match in Senegal was abandoned after 74 minutes with the Ivorians leading 6-2 on aggregate after two goals from former Chelsea superstar Didier Drogba.

Amid frightening scenes at the Leopold Sedar Senghor stadium in Dakar, players and fans had to be escorted from the stadium by police, who reported 10 injuries. Senegal coach Ferdinand Coly admitted: "For the players, it was traumatic, especially the young ones. We are going to face some difficult days but Senegal will accept the sanctions.”

As yet there has been no statement from CAF, though they DO list the Ivory Coast as having qualified for South Africa on their official website yesterday.

Nigeria are also expected to be well supported at AFCON – particularly after their 6-1 triumph over Liberia - but there was no joy for Zimbabwe, pipped on an away goal by Angola after a brace from former Manchester United striker Manucho Goncalves.

Mozambique, 2-0 up after the Elias Palembe-dominated first leg in Maputo, were sent packing after a 4-0 defeat against Morocco in Marrakesh, while another of our neighbours, Botswana, went out 7-1 on aggregate after a 4-1 home defeat against a useful-looking Mali.

Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor – now at Tottenham - was on target for Togo in a 2-1 win over 2012 co-hosts Gabon. The Togolese had a particular motivation behind their qualifying crusade, having originally been banned for the tournament for withdrawing from Angola 2010 when they were shot at by bandits on the way to the tournament.

South Africa’s World Cup qualifying rivals Ethiopia saw off Sudan on away goals after a 2-0 win in Adis 

Ababa made the aggregate score 5-5 but the rapidly improving Central African Republic, also in Bafana’s group fighting it out for Brazil 2014, were put out by a late Alain Traore goal for Burkina Faso.

Niger – Bafana’s nemesis in the last AFCON qualifying tournament - were going out against Guinea until late goals from Mohammed Chikoto and Issoufou Garba turned things around and made Niger, at 137, the lowest ranked team to make it in South Africa next year.

Equatorial Guinea, 4-0 down after the first leg against the Democratic Republic of Congo, went 2-0 up after 35 minutes in Malabo but the miracle recovery was not to be as Youssouf Mulumbu replied for the Congolese in a 2-1 defeat which put them through 5-2 on aggregate.

Any hope Libya had of overhauling a one-goal loss first time out against Algeria – officially the second strongest side in Africa - did not last long in Blida with El Arbi Hilal Soudani and Islam Slimani scoring within seven minutes and the home side cruised to a 2-0 victory, 3-0 on aggregate.

The 16 survivors from the original 47 who entered the tournament WILL attract fans to South Africa – the Ivory Coast’s host of superstars should help make up for the absence of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana – but the failure to show ANY of the AFCON qualifiers on local television over the weekend was a disastrous marketing move.

Mvuzo Mbebe, CEO of AFCON 2013, has his work cut out. But if the tournament itself produces half of the drama of the final round of qualifiers, we should be in for a cracker after Christmas.

FIFA WORLD AND AFRICAN RANKINGS OF THE 16 QUALIFIERS:

16           1             Côte d'Ivoire                    

24           2             Algeria               

27           3             Mali                    

31           4             Ghana                

41           6             Zambia                              

45           7             Tunisia               

51           10           Cape Verde Islands                        

63           13           Nigeria

75           18           Morocco

76           19           South Africa                     

83           20           Angola               

91           23           Burkina Faso                    

93           24           Togo                   

103        30           Congo DR                         

118        33           Ethiopia

137        42           Niger

Friday night in Warsaw: the friendly against Poland nobody really wanted. PLUS: the weekend's final AFCON qualifiers

Ready for Warsaw: Gordon Igesund's Bafana in Poland yesterday... that's Ricard Nunes, middle row, third from right

It’s the friendly football match nobody wanted. South Africa versus Poland on an unforgiving Friday night in Warsaw. Gordon Igesund tried to get it called off. Steven Pienaar retired to avoid it. Even original host city Bydgoszcz rejected Bafana, and the Poles were forced to shift the game to their capital.

That’s not a bad thing. Apart from having too many zees, a riot broke out in Blydgoszcz when they hosted the 2011 Polish Cup final. And we can expect the odd racist chant tomorrow night, the Poles are famous for it. Would you want to play for fun against a team with the unpronounceable nickname “Bialoczerwoni”?

But the game goes on for South Africa against a rugged side filled with Bundesliga stars and ranked 22 places above them by FIFA. And remember, Bafana Bafana have won only once in Europe - that was against not-so-mighty Malta in 2005.

New Poland manager Waldemar Fornalik, with one eye on Tuesday’s key World Cup qualifier against England, must be wondering why they bothered.

His inspirational captain Jakub Blaszczykowski injured an ankle last weekend playing for German champions Borussia Dortmund against Hanover 96 and is out of BOTH games. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny of Arsenal remains crocked and most bizarrely of all, local Legia Warsaw striker Marek Saganowski suddenly finds himself diagnosed with heart problems.

Still, he has star man Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski to pit against the fearsome Orlando Pirate Siya Sangweni and struggling PSV Eindhoven keeper Przemyslaw Tyton will make way for former Manchester United understudy Tomasz Kuszczak, now at Brighton, in goal, which should cheer South Africa's expat Polish population estimated at over 30,000.

On an unbeaten run of EIGHT home games, Fornalik – brought in after hosts Poland crashed out of Euro2012 in the group stage - has also called up Legia Warsaw winger Jakub Kosecki and Gornik Zabrze’s Arkadiusz Milik – an 18-year-old with five goals in seven matches this season - but neither have yet been capped by the Poles.

Fornalik says of 22-year-old Jakub, the son of Polish legend Roman Kosecki, who scored twice last weekend against Wisla Krakow: "He's a young player who has played very well this season. Those goals are proof of that. Like Błaszczykowski, he plays well on the flanks and has excellent 1-on-1 skills."

Igesund, who is more intent on preparing for a mid-summer AFCON 2013 at home than playing in Eastern Europe in autumn, has his full named squad to choose from, though veteran strikers Siyabonga Nomvethe and Benni McCarthy were left at home in rehabilitation rather than frail care.

Bernard Parker, the prolific Kaizer Chiefs striker, will lead the line with Dino Ndlovu, who has recovered from the shoulder injury he picked up in the 1-0 defeat against Brazil in Sao Paulo.

The Maccabi Haifa striker said: "If we play with the same mentality we had in Brazil, we should be fine. It’s good to be back. I have played some matches in Israel and my injury is fine.

"The spirit is high which should perhaps work in our favour, we should be okay against Poland."

We're banking on a team that looks like this: Khune; Nthethe, Khumalo (capt), Sangweni, Nunes; Myeni, Dikgacoi, Furman, Buckley; Ndlovu, Parker.

But all eyes will be on unknown Portuguese-South African Ricardo Nunes, 26, who left South Africa as a youngster to join the Benfica academy. Now playing for MSK Zilna in Slovakia, Igesund has had two days to assess the talents of his Johannesburg-born left-sided wingback.

Nunes admits:  “I’ve only seen South African football on the internet, but some of my African team-mates at Zilna talk about the skills there. And I saw the Brazil highlights, so I am confident we can beat Poland.

“I am very excited to be here with my new international team-mates. It was a very special moment to be called up by the land of my birth. I had to sort out my papers first with Fifa before I could accept the call-up but I’m here now!”

While Igesund goes about his unenviable task in Warsaw – I can’t see Bafana winning, a draw would be great - the real African action this weekend comes with the second legs of the AFCON 2013 final qualifiers.

By Sunday night we will know the identities of all the 15 teams headed to join hosts South Africa in January.

Traditional continental big-guns Cameroon need to overcome a 2-0 deficit against the Cape Verde Islands, with Indomitable Lions superstar Samuel Eto’o due to return to the team.

Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast are 4-2 up against Senegal, but the Elephants can’t afford to slip up in Dakar. Reigning African champions Zambia have put their squad on double-bonuses as they defend a slender 1-0 advantage over Uganda in Kampala.

Elias Pelembe must recover from his mugging last week - which forced him out of Mamelodi Sundowns' defeat against Platinum Stars - to lead Mozambique to Marrakech after their rousing 2-0 first leg win of Morocco in Maputo. The Mambas would be basically playing at home if they get drawn to play at the Mbombela Stadium.

The full AFCON fixture list looks like this:

Saturday 13th

Malawi (0) v (2) Ghana (Lilongwe; 14:h30)

Black Stars should cruise to their 19^th AFCON appearance

Botswana (0) v (3) Mali (Gaberone; 15h00)

Sadly, the Zebras have no chance even in Gaberone

Uganda (0) v (1) Zambia (Kampala; 15h00)

No Rainford Kalaba, but I back the champions to edge it

Tunisia (2) v (2) Sierra Leone (Monastir; 20h15)

Eagles of Carthage can get through on a 0-0 draw

Senegal (2) v (4) Ivory Coast (Dakar; 20h30)

South Africa needs Didier Drogba and the Toures to qualify

Morocco (0) v (2) Mozambique (Marrakech; 21h00)

Black Mambas have every chance of making it, just

Nigeria (2) v (2) Liberia (Calabar;  17h00)               

Super Eagles will be popular here but it’s tough

Sunday 14^th

Cameroon (0) v (2) Cape Verde (Yaounde; 16h00)

With Praia knowledge, Lions should be indomitable

Angola (1) v (3) Zimbabwe (Luanda; 17h00)

Cracker in Luanda, the Warriors should just about make it

Togo (1) v (1) Gabon (Lome, 17h30)

Emmanuel Adebayor should be fit, should be enough for Togo

Equatorial Guinea (0) v (4) DR Congo (Malabo, 20h00)

Plenty of local Congans happy to see their side waltz in

Burkina Faso (0) v (1) Central African Republic (Ougadouguo; 20h00)

CAR not the easy victims they used to be, could make it

Algeria (1) v (0) Libya (Blida, 20h00)

Desert Warriors should add to Libya’s current woes

Ethiopia (3) v (5) Sudan (Addis Ababa; 15h00)

Will we see 8 more goals? Hard to call

Niger (0) v (1) Guinea (Niamey, 17h00)

Niger were lucky to escape a beating in Conakry.

The Sundowns crisis: sadly this is an attempted explanation, not a solution.

When will the Sun top going Down: Johan Neeskens

If there’s one thing Mamelodi’s long-suffering fans deserve, it’s an explanation of the deepening gloom at Sundowns.

On Saturday at the Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, the most expensively assembled squad in the country slumped to yet another PSL defeat, this time a limp-wristed 1-0 surrender against Platinum Stars.

To their credit, after the attack on Johan Neeskens following the defeat at Moroka Swallows a week before, the fans took this one on the chin. Heavy security, one arrest and creeping fatalism appear to have calmed the Msandawana fans, once proud to follow South Africa’s answer to Brazil.

But they deserve an explanation for a run of eight games without a win since the streaky 1-0 victory over promoted Chippa United when they kicked off their PSL season on August 11.

In six league games since then, a strike force which includes some of the most expensive stars in the country has produced just two goals and a single point. They haven’t scored in 360 minutes of PSL action in a slide which sees only AmaZulu below the Brazilians in the table.

In the midst of all this, I met two men who know the inside story at Sundowns at a coffee shop not far from their Chloorkop training venue last week.

Though both could be considered to have their own agenda, the lurid tales of life under billionaire Patrice Motsepe made for a fascinating morning. Bank cards with R53million credit being used to buy drinks, Johan Cruyff’s academy being paid an annual R1million and meetings lasting deep in to the night, not all of them involving the unfortunate Neeskens.

Most worrying off all was the repeated claim that a “gang of former players and hangers-on” are constantly chipping away at the Dutch legend’s authority, talking to players behind his back, railing against a man who likes to be driven in the back seat by members of his highly-paid technical staff.

Two characters at the club like to involve themselves heavily in the transfer of players and the signing of contracts. They apparently feel foreign coaches don’t have a proper grip on their beloved club and believe Motsepe’s largesse should come their way rather disappearing off into a European bank account.

There were suggestions that a third man – a member of the Sundowns board with something of a track record – actually encourages fans to cause unrest and knows the individual who attacked Neeskens at Dobsonville.

I have names, but I won’t divulge them. Clearly such tales are nonsense, the fanciful imaginings of men with axes to grind. Possibly.

What can be said is this. General manager Kenneth Makhana has not be a great success, I have many twitterers calling for the return of his popular predecessor Natasha Tsichlas. The ever-growing technical team appear to be following their own agenda. The 30-strong squad is top heavy and over-burdened with midfielders and strikers.

Up front, Neeskens found himself greeted by a galaxy of stars after Trott Moloto’s busy off-season: somehow he managed to add the sought-after Edward Manqele and Eleazar Rodgers to a strike force which already included Emmanuel Baffour; Richard Tebogo Henyekane, Anthony Laffor, th nearly forgotten Kaltlego “Killer” Mphela and Nyasha Mushekwi, the Zimbabwean cup specialist who was denied a move to Furthe in the German Bundesliga.

Juggling with so many expensive acquisitions cannot have been easy for Neeskens, a man who has spent most of his career working as a No2 in highly-organised, cohesive structures.

There can be no question Neeskens has lost the dressing room. With Elias Pelembe given the weekend off for personal reasons at Atteridgeville on Saturday, Teko Modise looks to have lost the spark again, chances were missed, an acceptance of inferiority is creeping in.

And of course, Motsepe – a mining magnate with R23billion to play with – has problems underground of late. When he talks strikers, it has little to do with football these days.

He did find time to back Neeskens over the weekend. Before a “normal” meeting with the players, he announced: “Johan is a great coach. We’ve made it clear we believe in him, we support him.”

With the fans chanting for former Bafana boss Pitso Mosimane’s return, Motsepe added: “Our supporters must be educated. You win, lose or draw, you go through ups and downs. Those who threaten violence must not be allowed to enter our stadiums.”

So Neeskens is not under threat. And he’s not about to resign, despite the sharpening of vuvuzelas among some elements at the club. So there you are Sundowns fans, you have your explanation. But sadly, no solution.

Mamelodi Sundowns results this season:

06 Oct 2012	PSL	Mamelodi Sundowns	0–1	Platinum Stars	Lucas Moripe Stadium
30 Sep 2012	PSL	Moroka Swallows	2–0	Mamelodi Sundowns	Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium
26 Sep 2012	PSL	Mamelodi Sundowns	0–0	SuperSport United	Lucas Moripe Stadium
15 Sep 2012	PSL	Golden Arrows	1–0	Mamelodi Sundowns	Moses Mabhida Stadium
02 Sep 2012	PSL	Mamelodi Sundowns	1–2	Maritzburg Utd	Lucas Moripe Stadium
26 Aug 2012	MTN8	Moroka Swallows	3–2	Mamelodi Sundowns	Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium
22 Aug 2012	PSL	Kaizer Chiefs	2–1	Mamelodi Sundowns	Soccer City Complex
18 Aug 2012	MTN8	Mamelodi Sundowns	3–3	Moroka Swallows	Lucas Moripe Stadium
11 Aug 2012	PSL	Mamelodi Sundowns	1–0	Chippa United	Lucas Moripe Stadium
05 Aug 2012	MTN8	Mamelodi Sundowns	4–1	Kaizer Chiefs	Loftus Stadium

Idols winner Khaya Mthethwa on God, singing, his dad, Orlando Pirates... and Mario Balotelli

Champ: Khaya and me this morning

Khaya Mthethwa is South Africa’s shiniest new star. But a single sleepness night after winning the biggest reality show in the history of South African broadcasting there he was, an ordinary bloke with a beaming smile.

A Buccaneer. With a touch of Mario Balotelli thrown in.

Truth is, the man crowned winner of Idols is a thoroughly nice chap – and an ardent supporter of English Premier League Champions Manchester City, not to mention South Africa’s PSL treble champions Orlando Pirates.

I caught up with him in the cramped lobby outside my producer’s box at 702 in Sandton. There was the usual congratulatory hug then I asked the vital question: which football team do you support?

“It’s got to be Manchester City,” he grinned, “They’re the best team I’ve seen. Mario Balotelli? Oh yes!”

But locally? “Orlando Pirates… I’m a Buccaneer! I love my football, I play when I can, always loved it. I played at school. And Andile Jali should be in the Bafana Bafana squad!”

Khaya is not typical starry-eyed wannabe using reality television to hit the heights. He’s a God-fearing lad from Durban. Eager to please, modest, grateful. He started his morning at 702 with my Early Breakfast host Shaka Sisulu, referring to him as “Mr Sisulu” and replying to questions about media pressure by recalling: “I got some valuable advice from one of the judges, Gareth Cliff. He said, as long as I live my life thruthfully, I have nothing to fear from anyone.

“Right now, at this moment in this studio at 10 to six in the morning, I am the happiest man in South Africa. And I hardly feel tired at all!”

Later, on John Robbie’s breakfast show, Khaya revealed: “I am a completely different person to the man I was three months ago. Then I was a musician struggling to make a living, to prove to my parents I could make it.

“At school we were all forced to audition for the school choir, my teachers would ask me to sing and I never really wanted to!

”But both my parents are pastors at our church and that’s where I fell in love with music and I decided that this is what I wanted to do.

“I remember the first audition in uShaka Marine World in Durban. I was nearly falling asleep, I’d been waiting for so long to do my piece, the queues were huge. But the judges gave me my chance.

“The most important thing was to convince my dad I was doing the right thing. But after the Theatre Week he was convinced. My whole family came to watch every one of my live Idols shows. Even when they should have been doing other things. I’m so grateful for that.

 “I look up my father, he is my hero. He taught me to be the man I am today.

“You won’t believe the amount of work DSTV do behind the scenes to make sure I am prepared for this moment. It’s enormous. They teach you how to deal with the hype, the social media, the attention. It’s like they stick you in a microwave, push a button and you come out ready.”

Robbie, the former Irish rugby player and tough-tackling, award-winning interviewer, didn’t take it easy on Mthethwa. When he compared him “all young and athletic” to the three men in court for the murder of former heavyweight boxing champion Corrie Sanders this week, Khaya didn’t flinch. He said: “I just hope I can be a role model for young people in South Africa, that they can see what can be achieved. There is another way.”

Robbie warned the devout Christian how his faith would be tested, how he would experience things he had never expected as a reality television star. But Khaya took it all on the chin, leaving Robbie raving: “Honestly, I’ve never watched Idols in my life. I only grabbed Khaya in the corridor outside because I knew he’d won, and I‘m always interested in winners.

“I have to say, after talking to him, he is one of the most impressive young men I have ever met. An absolute joy to talk to.”

There are political undertones of course. Khaya’s victory – the first Idols win by a black South African in eight attempts – came at the expense of the extremely attractive rival finalist Melissa Alison with a record THREE MILLION votes cast in the weeks building up to Tuesday night’s sparkling finale at Mosaiek Tatro in Fairland.

But Khaya, a staunch Christian and a member of Joyous Celebration, insists he “gets sad" about the race issue. It was left to his close pal and radio presenter Akhumzi Jezile to say: “I’ve never seen so many black people excited about Idols.”

And as Khaya prepares for a new life armed with a winners’ cheque of R1m and a recording contract with Universal Music, Jezile added: "I believed in Khaya from his first audition. When he decided to enter, he came to my mom's house carrying a stack of CDs. The only one I remember was Bruno Mars. And that was what got him through his first audition – Bruno’s The Way You Are."

Stekelenburg axed by Ajax in a week that was always going to be full of Double Dutch

Dutch too much: Maarten Stekelenburg is gone

MAARTEN STEKELENBURG’S umimpressive reign as head coach of Ajax Cape Town came to a grinding halt yesterday in what has been a distinctly dodgy week for Dutchmen in the PSL.

Even before compatriot Johan Neeskens was subjected to violent vuvuzelas after his Mamelodi Sundowns lost at Moroka Swallows on Sunday, Stekelenburg was vividly vilified by Urban Warriors fans in Cape Town on Saturday following a shocking 5-1 defeat at the hands of promoted AmaTuks. It was always going to be a week of Double Dutch.

Ajax CEO George Comitis told us on Saturday night: “We need cool heads, this is not a time to panic,” but he had changed his tune yesterday, telling the pen-wielding crowd assembled for Stekelenburg’s public execution: "As of today, Maarten is no longer our head coach. Sometimes you have to shake it all up. We needed to change before it was too late.

“It was a tough decision that we made over the past 19 games, we will find ourselves in trouble if we don't fix it now. We haven't decided on his replacement yet, we will look for someone with Dutch influence and SA experience."

Former Sundowns boss Hristo Stoichkov, Dutchman Ruud Krol and 1996 Afcon winner Neil Tovey are possible names to conjure with but the mother club in Amsterdam may have another obscure youngster or ailing veteran in mind.

Stekelenburg has struggled since he stepped in to the sizeable shoes of Foppe de Haan in 2011, a fact confirmed by Comitis, who said hopefully: "We would look at bringing back someone like Foppe, but we have no decision yet."

Former Head of Technical affairs and current chief scout, Jan Pruijn, get his chance to impress when he takes charge as caretaker against rock-bottom AmaZulu on Saturday. Wilfred Mugeyi will assist against the only side below Ajax in the current PSL standings.

Stekelenburg, just 39, was always a gamble. Cape Town was his first senior coaching post after an unremarkable playing career with  Dutch lower league sides SV Argon, SV Huizen and Amsterdamsche FC were followed by numerous coaching qualifications, a job at the Ajax academy in Amsterdam and a stint as De Haan’s youth development manager in the Mother City.

Comitis admitted: "Maarten lost the belief of the board. We believe were we need a more experienced coach because he is dealing with more experienced players. We have a three-year plan with the current squad.”

Exactly what that plan is remains unclear. In six games this season they had won once before Saturday’s Aubrey Ngoma-inspired hammering.

Neeskens, attacked at Dobsonville on Sunday, remains in place before Saturday night’s win-or-flee clash with Platinum Stars at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. General manager Kenneth Makhanya and Technical Head Trott Moloto issued a joint statement on the Sundowns website yesterday saying: "The issue of the coach's position with the club is hypothetical as it has never been discussed.

"Sundowns wishes to record that reports that he is facing the chop are without foundation, and management has given the coach full support to pursue the objectives of the club.

"No ultimatum has been given to the coach, or anybody, and Mamelodi Sundowns is confident that the club will turn the corner. Clubs the world over go through rough patches, but come out much stronger.”

The picture that shames South Africa: Johan Neeskens attacked but carries on

In fear of his life: Tiyana's picture of Neeskens yesterday

JOHAN NEESKENS is 61. He played in two World Cup finals for Holland four decades ago. He is the one name in South African football guaranteed to garner global attention.

And yesterday, unruly Mamelodi Sundowns fans decided it would be a good idea to attack their Dutch coach when the bumbling Brazilians went down 2-0 to high-flying Moroka Swallows at Dobsonville.

Poor security – and a paucity of policemen – saw Sundowns fans hit Neeskens with vuvuzelas, leaving him cowering in the tunnel. As a passionate supporter of the plastic horn, I was assured by everyone during the World Cup in 2010 that the vuvuzela would NEVER be used as a weapon. How wrong we were.

Tiyani wa ka Mabasa from kickoff.com snapped pictures of the incident before Neeskens was ushered away and locked in the dressing room. He emerged battered but unbowed and said: “I am frustrated and so are the fans, but it’s normal in football. Its for the club, its for the players, its for myself, but I can handle the pressure and we have to keep working hard and we have to come out of this.”

 “I am not a quitter, I want to continue to fight, but I can’t do it alone. We need to work together.”

Where many might have taken a riot squad Nyala direct to Oliver Tambo international airport, Neeskens was philosophical: “It’s okay if another coach is coming, it’s up to the board of Sundowns to decide if I will stay or not. The players also need to start to take responsibility on the field.”

Brave words. Words which reinforce the view that the Dutchman, capped 49 times by the Oranje, is no run-of-the-mill second-class European import. When he guided Holland to the World Cup final in Germany, 1974 and Argentina four years later, he was hailed as one of the greats, second only to the great Cruyff.

He won the European Cup with Ajax in 1971 and moved with “the other Johan” to Barcelona in 1974 where further honours awaited. A goal-scoring midfielder popular with fans wherever he went, Neeskens scored 111 goals in his professional career – 17 of them for Holland.

At the tail-end of his career in 1979, Neeskens moved to New York Cosmos, where he met a certain Jomo Sono. He recalls: “Jomo played a year with me there and I thought he was a very good player. A very attacking, skilful player who took players on, and he was also popular in the USA."

Neeskens was still playing professionally aged 40 in Switzerland with FC Zug in 1991 before he embarked on a career in coaching.

Neeskens has never hit any great heights as a head coach. He has spent most of his post-playing career an assistant - to Guus Hiddink with the Netherlands and Australia and Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona.

His only stint as a No1 before his appointment at Chloorkop was at  NEC Nijmegen in 2003. He led the Ere Divisie club to their first European appearance in twenty years in 2003, but was fired in 2004.

Sundowns was never going to be easy. Neeskens found himself backed by a technical team which included big characters like Trott Moloto and Daniel “Mambush” Mudau. People who felt they knew better than a Dutchman in Africa.

It’s true the Brazilians have had a poor start to the new season. Without a win in seven games after their astonishing season-opening MTN8 4-1 trouncing of Kaizer Chiefs, Neeskens appears unable to halt the slump -  just as he did when Sundowns let slip a seven-point lead at the top of the PSL after the winter break last season.

But that is no reason to break down fences. No cause to chant the name of Pitso Mosimane, who left Bafana Bafana with little to recommend him earlier this year. And it’s definitely not worth battering a much-respected footballing legend with a vuvuzela.

I spoke to Sundowns PRO Kabelo Mosito on eTV’s Sunrise show yesterday morning. He talked about holding a fan meetings to explain such behaviour is unacceptable. I told him I’d like the video tapes sent to the police for examination, that I’d like to see the guilty fans banned for life from watching their beloved Brazilians. That’s how it SHOULD work.

A month ago, after watching fans invade the pitch and tunnel area after Orlando Pirates lost to SuperSport United 3-0 in the MTN8 semi-final, I called for action to be taken.

Irvin Khoza, chairman of the Buccaneers who doubles as PSL boss, chose to charge his own Ghost and the rival Amakhosi for an earlier bout of bottle throwing. But the promised disciplinary action was postponed on the morning of South Africa’s win over Mozambique earlier this month.

Today, acting PSL CEO Cambridge Mokanyane said: "We condemn this kind of behaviour in the strongest possible terms. What we saw at Dobsonville Stadium is completely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

"This faction of supporters is letting our football down; their actions are damaging the image of a product which has a reputable name around the world.

"We will not allow this kind of behaviour at our stadiums. The safety and security of both the players and the fans is our priority."

But after four incidents, the escalating violence in South African football WILL now attract international interest. And that can’t be good for anyone as Sundowns prepare to play Platinum Stars at the Lucas "Masterpieces" Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Sunday night. We can only pray Msandawana end their miserable run of form.

You can read earlier version of this story as my Neal and Pray column in The New Age tomorrow. www.thenewage.co.za.