GOODBYE DOLLY! Why South Africa's shining talent must go to Europe, before it's too late

SOUTH AFRICA'S BEST PLAYER: Keagan Dolly

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born on February 5, 1992. He has won 75 international caps for Brazil and scored 50 goals for his country.

Keagan Larenzo Dolly was born on January 22, 1993. He has played 4 times for South Africa and scored two memorable goals against Gambia last year.

Neymar Jnr, born in Mori Das Cruzes near Sao Paulo, played for Santos in his home nation until the age of 21 when he finally accepted Barcelona’s advances.

Dolly, born in Westbury near Johannesburg, played for Ajax Cape Town before moving to Mamelodi Sundowns. Nearly 24 (the same age as Neymar), he was transferred for a reported R6m, has had offers of R10m from Europe, and now finds himself unable to move overseas.

Like Neymar before he left Brazil, Dolly has won just about everything domestically. League, both cups and this season, the African Champions League.

The crowning glory came just last week when Keagan was named in the CAF Africa XI ahead of Arsenal’s uber talented Alex Iwobi, who was named as a substitute.

Curiously, though his €750,000 buy-out clause has been met by both French club Montpellier and Greek giants Olympiacos, Dolly remains in South Africa with his coach Pitso Mosimane - last week voted Africa’s Coach of the year - saying “Keagan could do with another season in the PSL.”

In the same breath, Mosimane admits: “If Dolly gets the chance to go overseas, then he must go.”

All very confusing for Dolly, who should have won at least 30 Bafana Bafana caps in his short career, not to mention a move to Europe three years ago, if South African football REALLY wanted local youngsters to thrive internationally.

But a combination of the now-defunct Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba’s bizarre national selection policies and the PSL’s Dispute Resolution Chamber are denying Dolly the chance to be South Africa’s Neymar.

After his debut against Sudan in 2014, Mashaba chose to leave Dolly behind until close to  the end of his disastrous AFCON 2017 qualification failure. The DRC? They chose to allow Sundowns to change the buy-out clause on the contract he signed in 2015 - and new deal the PSL insisted on as there were “registration problems” when Dolly went back to his old club Ajax Cape Town on loan.

The DRC chose to accept Sundowns claim that they had “made a mistake” with the buy-out clause in Dolly’s new contract, effectively rendering all future PSL contracts disputable. A lamentable decision.

Has any other business EVER been allowed to claim they “blundered” on a signed contract? What would Masanadawana’s Champions League rivals think if they thought Dolly’s contract was not worth the paper it was written on?

In fact, Sundowns altered the eight sentences of the buy-out clause NINE times before Dolly was brought in - without his representatives - to sign a new five-year deal in August 2015. Sundowns were aware of every word in the new contract, they demanded it. They got it.

The old contract demanded a £1.5m buy-out, which is now the fee which will have to be met by and new suitors following Dolly’s Africa XI selection.

Effectively his value - thanks to an incredible DRC decision - has risen from R10m to R22m which would be a modern South African record equal to the £1.5m record paid by Bournemouth for Malmo’s Tokelo Rantie three years ago. And we all know how that ended.

With South Africa languishing at 60 in the FIFA rankings, no English club would approach that figure - especially with Dolly failing to play anywhere near the required 80 percent of South Africa’s competitive fixtures over the past two years. A work permit is out of the question for any South African right now. At any price.

Many said Neymar’s move to Europe came a little late at 20. Dolly is nearly 24. And unless somebody looks long and hard at the PSL’s DRC - who also found against Siboniso Pa Gaxa when Kaizer Chiefs had actually tweeted about his "until 2018" contract - South Africa’s brightest star is unlikely to achieve is full potential.

What next? An appeal to SAFA and even the international Court of Arbitration for Sport. Expensive. Disruptive. Not recommended.

So here’s the verdict from one who is not frightened to speak out against corruption and injustice: the DRC are not a fair, objective body fit to judge on player contracts.

With the same people representing Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns as well as the PSL against players, justice is currently unavailable. The DRC is, as we like to say in South Africa, “captured”. 

Dolly has won all he is likely to win at Sundowns. Even if he goes overseas, the new South African coach, if he’s sensible and not guided by sinister forces like Mashaba, will have no choice but to pick South Africa’s brightest “young” talent (some would consider 24 middle-aged in football terms).

Dolly has nothing to lose. He has already had to foot a mammoth R200,000 legal bill in an unsuccessful attempt to set himself free. Remarkable that, given it was Sundowns who admitted to making the contractual “error”.

With at least two fresh bids on the table following the DRC’s bizarre decision, my advice Keagan? Go to Greece, France or wherever the footballing road takes you. South Africa doesn’t have a single player (barring the veteran Steven Pienaar at Sunderland) in any of the big leagues.

That hasn’t happened for years. It’s time for Keagan Dolly to make the break. Before it’s too late.

SENEGAL PAY THE PENALTY! Like a well-oiled machine, Bafana are firmly on the road to Russia

OUTRAGEOUS: Senegal players - and officials - were furious
when referee Joseph Lamptey gave handball for THIS, when
Idrissa Gana Gueye was clearly hit on the thigh 

THE defining moment of Bafana Bafana’s unexpected 2-0 win over the mighty Lions of Senegal on Saturday is not one to remember with any great pride.

It came after a tough 40 minutes for South Africa against a side packed with European stars on a muggy Polokwane afternoon. Eleazar Rodgers, who battled gamely throughout, dive-headed goalwards and quite clearly hit Senegal defender Idrissa Gueye on the thigh.

But this is where referee Joseph Lamptey and his mates earned that Moment of the Match award. With not a single appeal from Bafana, Lamptey pointed to the spot, awarding a quite unwarranted penalty to the home team. Replays show it went nowhere near that bandaged hand.

Even Mark Gleeson, the SuperSport commentator I grew up with in Clubview a million years ago, said: “Now that’s a hometown decision” before captain Tyson Hlatshwayo hit a tame penalty past Diallo, who got a hand to it.

Seconds later, with Senegal’s galaxy of EuroStars still stunned, Thulani Serero, Ajax Amsterdam’s non-playing midfielder, ran on to the ball as it left the box and the ball wriggled in to the corner.

After 40 minutes of admiring Senegal’s superior touch and distribution, Shakes Mashaba found himself with a 2-0 lead and a view of years of riches still to come. Not bad for a man who is constantly chided by SAFA president Danny Jordaan.

In direct defiance of his bosses (or some of them) Mashaba threw on Bradley Grobler, the 28-year-old SuperSport United striker in the second half, ignoring the man SAFA asked to come to South Africa for the first time in his life, Dutch-born Lars Veldwijk.

The 24-year-old, whose dad left South Africa aged 14, languished on the bench throughout, though his height - at 6ft 5in, just an inch smaller than our loftiest Tower Mathoho - might have helped.

Senegal fought back with substitute Ndoye scoring after a lengthy goal-mouth scramble featuring two goal-line blocks from Itumeleng Khune.

We should, we must, celebrate a victory over Senegal, now the second best side in Africa. Mashaba has us at 13 on the continent, these were three unexpected points, a real boost for the national squad after Mamelodi Sundowns equally unexpected African Champions League triumph.

Tiyani Mabunda, a surprise starter after his late call for the injured Dean Furman, said: "It wasn't easy in this game. I got a knock. It's nothing compared to what we've done for the nation.

"If this is what it takes to make the nation proud, I'm willing to go for it. The fans came out, they're signing gave us a push."

Mashaba, with his side now top of the qualifying group, said: "There's nothing else one can say. We are celebrating, we needed this win. Fans brought positive energy to the team. We should have scored four goals in this game if it was our lucky day.

"The two goals made life easy for us. They didn't expect us to score goals against them. I think we did very well.

"We always say to the boys, second half it's dangerous. Don't defend too deep. Senegal are too big, our back four did very well, Mathoho, Rivaldo.

"What about the match intelligence of the players individually? They did it. You don't need to be throwing the ball away. Fatigue took its toll. They were right on it, I'm telling you.

"This is one of the most hectic games they've played in their life."

He finished with: "Let me say to you, I've got to celebrate this win. My second lease of life. I was already buried. The media had bought a casket for me. We weren't given a chance."

All true of course. But somehow, it does’t feel right. The penalty, and several other decisions, appeared to go against the visitors. Senegal were clearly a technically superior side though, as South Africans know only too well, the well-paid foreign stars aren’t too good in such troubled situations.

We ended with Khune keeping Senegal out behind a shaky defence and going down injured as per the usual recipe. But the 2-1 lead stood until the final whistle.

Aliou Diouf, the Senegal coach, spent most of the game in a state of suspended disbelief, though Bafana fans may point to the opening game in Burkina Faso as another example of African refereeing at its finest.

My thoughts went back to that penalty-peppered 5-0 pre-World Cup win over Guatemala at the same Peter Mokabe ground in 2010. I said it at the time and it was confirmed later: match fixing, though the same people still run SAFA. Is it fair? Should we celebrate such an obvious case of dodgy refereeing?

Guess we have to. It won’t change. CAF can’t deal with lasers and flates, so referees and linesmen aren’t going to take any flak.

So congratulations Bafana Bafana. Good luck in Cape Verde. And Senegal. Months away (August 28 next year), but you may need it.

South Africa topped the group briefly but after Burkina Faso's 2-0 win over Cape Verde, here's Group D as it stands:

 Burkina Faso 2 4
South Africa 2 4
Senegal 2 3 Cape Verde 2 0

HERE IT IS, IN FULL: The South African Football Association's apology for wrecking the weekend's football fixtures

Shakes on a plane: Mashaba got an early flight home,
leaving his Bafana players behind in Honduras

There's no point in embellishing this. Despite repeated requests for clarification, SAFA waited until 4.25pm on Thursday afternoon to reveal just how chaotic their organisation has become.

While South Africa's foreign contingent got early flights out of Honduras and are already back with their clubs, the home-based Bafana stars were left to fly out late, forcing the postponement of four PSL games scheduled for the weekend.


And here's the kicker: national head coach Shakes Mashaba flew out early, leaving his players behind, like a father deserting his children. He's already home, presumably to help assistant Thabo Senong with the CHAN game against Angola still scheduled for Saturday at the Rand Stadium.

It beggars belief. After that 1-1 draw in Honduras in the early hours of Wednesday morning (half of which was blanked out on our television screens without explanation from SABC), the truth is Bafana Bafana knew they wouldn't be able to get their players home in time.

Here's the SAFA apology released this afternoon:

Due to unavailability of flights from Central America direct to South Africa, the Bafana Bafana squad will only land in South Africa on Saturday morning from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

We would like to apologise to the PSL, clubs and fans for the inconvenience which resulted in the postponement of four matches scheduled for this weekend.

We would also like to thank all the stakeholders for their cooperation regarding this matter.

Having cocked-up their departure by trying to travel to Costa Rica via Atlanta in the United States without transit visas, Bafana were forced (at some expense to the hosts) to travel to Central America via Rio de Janeiro in Brazil 12 hours later. They also failed to persuade three late-travelling Orlando Pirates players to join them after the Buccaneers semi-final triumph over Al Ahly in Egypt.

Then, just like their five-day mystery-tour return from Equatorial Guinea after a disastrous AFCON earlier this year, the long trek home began, with denials and excuses thrown about like confetti.

Openly on twitter, time and again, I asked SAFA Communications Director Dominic Chimhavi and Bafana Bafana Miscommunications boss Matlahomo Morake when the team would arrive home. Even now we have no time, just a day: SATURDAY.

And yes, the PSL resumes hours after they land (I'm told most of the players will arrive at around 7am) so   the entire South African football programme has had to be rescheduled. Fortunately, crowds are so tiny few fans will be bothered. But for Kaizer Chiefs and their thousands, Bafana Bafana's awful incompetence HAS to be accounted for.

In a week when former SAFA official Ace Kika was banned for SIX YEARS for his part in the 2010 match-fixing affair, our national football association simply seems hell-bent on self-destruction, with president Danny Jordaan too busy being Mayor of Port Elizabeth to actually get involved.

As if to highlight SAFA's incompetence, Mpumalanga Black Aces chairman George Morfou took matters in to his own hands, flying his goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane home simply by booking the flight privately. Mabokgwane is already home, though he needn't have bothered. Aces clash with Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday has already been postponed.

The rescheduled games: 

Tuesday:

Chippa United vs SuperSport United

Bidvest Wits vs Jomo Cosmos

Kaizer Chiefs vs MP Black Aces

Wednesday

Platinum Stars vs Ajax Cape Town

When Shaky Meyer apologised to the nation: doesn't anybody in South Africa know when to resign?

THE TWO STOOGES: Meyer and Mashaba

THIS is not life and death. It's sport. But as different parts of South Africa recover from the devastation of defeats to Arsenal, Kaizer Chiefs and the Springboks, it's important to consider THE NEXT STEP.

Obviously, there have been calls for Arsene Wenger's head for nearly a decade. And NOBODY is demanding the sack for Steve Komphela in his first season, despite Saturday's MTN8 final defeat against Ajax Cape Town.

But something CAN be done about the men who guide our major sports teams: Heyneke Meyer and Ephraim Mashaba. Here's where we begin:

Here’s what Shakes said after Bafana Bafana lost to Mauritania 3-1 in Nouakchott, a result which left the nation on ONE point from two AFCON 2017 qualifiers: “Why should I apologise? I have done nothing wrong. Apology for what? Didn’t this team ever lose? Did the people expect never to lose?”

And here’s what Heyneke Meyer said after the Springboks shock defeat against Japan in their opening Rugby World Cup clash in Brighton on Saturday: "We represent a proud nation and I apologise to the nation. We have got to take it on the chin and get back on track. As coach, I take full responsibility.”

Of course, saying sorry isn’t what it’s all about. South Africans would rather win that hear an apology any day.

And the truth is both our football and rugby national coaches SHOULD resign after a string of poor results with both round and odd-shaped balls.

But nobody in South Africa appears to have the balls to resign when they’ve cocked-up. Meyer and Mashaba will not doubt go on until they are paid-off, taking their lead from the nation’s politicians.

But there are crucial differences between the two failing national coaches, both of whom have broken records for unexpected failure in recent weeks.

Mashaba is NOT expected to beat teams ranked in the top 20 of world football. Japan were ranked 13 in the world of rugby union before their astonishing win over the Boks, probably the greatest shock since William Webb-Ellis handled the ball without a red card in 1823. 

Meyer has the chance to redeem himself against Samoa (12), Scotland (10) and the USA (15) while Mashaba must defeat Cameroon (42) twice, Gambia (142) and Mauritania (114) to qualify for AFCON.

It’s all a bit squiffy of course. Rugby is generally played by former English colonies (yes, parts of France were once British, so was the USA) while football has become the world game despite Webb-Ellis's best efforts.

That’s why, when we consider these disasters for our national games - here we must include the Proteas’ recent failure in Bangladesh - it’s important to consider levels of expectation.

Meyer is under far greater pressure on that front. Pool B of the current Rugby World Cup was considered the easiest of all. Now, having lost to Japan, there are serious concerns that he won’t even get to the quarter-finals. Personally, I think the Boks will make it that far and no further.

While Mashaba has gone off to AFCON and COSAFA and returned without a win, Meyer is expected to live up to the Bok reputation: two World Cup wins and a world ranking of 3 precludes failure to get out of the primordial pools.

Mashaba’s side are currently ranked 72 and sliding. They haven’t won in EIGHT competitive games (unless you count to CHAN qualifiers against mighty Mauritius) and in truth, nobody expects miracles.

We have Angola (88) FOUR TIMES in the coming montha. Two of them for CHAN qualification, then the two massive clashes which will decide which nation goes forward to the World Cup 2018 qualifying groups.

Even if Shakes gets past Angola, he must top the group and then win a play-off to get to Russia. His predecessor Gordon Igesund couldn’t even finish top of their group for Brazil 2014, despite eventual winners Ethiopia being docked points for fielding an ineligible player.

So we expect very little from Mashaba. Just the occasional win over friendly opposition - they go to Central America for to play Costa Rica and Honduras next month - and perhaps the odd Mandela Challenge triumph.

Mashaba can pick who he wants. He can ignore classy George Lebese and Dutch-based Kamohelo Mokotjo while selecting players who are not active for their clubs. He can make poor substitutions and dreadful team-talks for months to come.

But Meyer is firmly in the spotlight. After dozens of “Springbok Farewell” dinners and parades, every move he makes is under scrutiny. For heaven’s sake: he’s picked a 38-year-old fulcrum in Victor Matfield, he only picked eight players of colour and he appears as lost tactically as our old-fashioned Mashaba.

If Meyer wheeled out his son to ask questions in press conference or called our rugby writers "small boys" he'd be gone already. Shakes has no such problems.

What we can be sure of is this: Despite the loud backing of Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula - which doesn’t appear to help - both men are under huge pressure.

If Meyer doesn’t reach the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup, he’s gone. I’d pull Nick Mallett in from the cold to replace him rather than another dull bore (spell check). If Shakes Mashaba crashes against Angola, he’ll probably survive though Gavin Hunt and Steve Komphela, even Stuart Baxter, would do a far better job.

SAFA’s Dennis Mumble insists Shaky is safe “for two years” which is perhaps the most troubling statement I’ve heard since Steve Komphela said his side have adversity for breakfast.

I say: Do the honourable thing chaps. Heineken Meyer. Shaky Mashaba. Russell Domingone. Apologise when you fail the nation. And resign if you can't turn things around.

Goalless and distinctly Shaky: we can't blame Mashaba for missed chances but for everything else: AAAAAARGH!

LAUGHABLE: Mashaba and Jordaan

THE smallest nation on the African continent? Gambia. Even smaller than Swaziland. Population? Under two million. They don’t even have a professional football league at home.

But somehow South Africa’s 55 million must live with the frustration of another goalless draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday against the side currently ranked 160 in the world.

And all this after those appalling 0-0 draws with Botswana and Malawi at the COSAFA Cup, which BOTH ended in penalty shoot-out defeats. Guess who was hosting that one. Three home games, no goals. Urgh.

And before that? One point at AFCON 2015 after an impressive qualifying campaign under Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba. We haven’t scored since the first half of our last game in Equatorial Guinea, where South Africa left with the equal-poorest record in the tournament.

Some insect species have lived an etire life-time, born, married, had kids and taken a pension since South Africa last won a competitive football match under the guidance of the man who insisted we would win AFCON 2015 and might still win the World Cup in 2018. Bollocks of course.

Sadly, in his lucid moments, the man now known as Shaky is also forced to repeat the same dull mantra tried endlessly by his predecessors. “We should have scored three or four in the last 15 minutes. If we’d done that, we’d be talking something different after the game.”

Yes Shaky, you’re right. But we’ve been saying that for years now. Mashaba goes a step further: “It’s not just a national team problem, it’s a South African problem, no team in the country scores goals.”

That’s simply not true. We cannot blame Mashaba for the glaring misses from Thabo Matlaba and Thuso Phala on Saturday, but we CAN ask about his selection policy.

After taking a look at the PSL’s top scorers Moeketsi Sekola (Free State Stars, 14), Lerato Lamola (Bloemfontein Celtic, 13) and Puleng Tlolane (Polokwane City, 11) and NFD goal-getter Phumelela Bhengu (22 for Thanda Royal Zulu), Shaky went in to the opening AFCON 2017 qualifier with a whole new forward line.

Inexplicably, Bonginkosi Ntuli, Vuyisile Wana and Gift Motupa were suddenly elevated to stardom, alongside Tokelo Rantie, who got married last Saturday.

Predictably, Rantie – who played 128 minutes in TOTAL for promoted Bournemouth last season, never turned up. The honeymoon was clearly too good to cut short. Kermit Erasmus, with 15 goals in all competitions for Orlando Pirates this season, went public on twitter to tell us he wasn’t a back up player. And he was on holiday in Holland.

So Mashaba plumped for Thamsanqa Gabuza, who scored three times for Pirates in the Confederations Cup against some outfit from Gabon after the season closed. During the actual PSL season, Gabuza failed to score a league goal while Erasmus and Lehlohonolo Major netted 18 between them.

And when it came to match day, Mashaba promptly ignored the other strikers chosen in the squad and plumped for Gabuza.

It makes no sense to do that. It de-motivates the players picked for the original 23 and leads mischievous journalists to believe some players are only slipped in to the squad to please certain agents.

It’s not just up front that Mashaba dithers. It's all over the field; often he calls up players who haven't even been playing regularly for their clubs, often on the advice of a friendly agent. Oh, and he likes to rotate goalkeepers and captaincy too, insisting: "What does a captain do anyway except toss the coin at the start of the game?"

Just look at the lack of leadership on Saturday, the lack of drive, urgency. But it's more. His substitutions on Saturday, as Gambia ran out of steam in their first competititive match since being banned for U20 age cheating in 2014, were laughable.

He whipped off Gabuza, the only real striker, and shoved on Thuso Phala, who promptly put a glorious chance straight in to the arms of the Gambian goalkeeper from six yards.

In the end, man of the match Thabo Matlaba had the best chances from left back, one well saved, the other fluffed high in to the Durban night sky.

Shaky says international selection has to be about consistency and form. But he leaves FC Twente’s Kamohelo Mokotjo – picked as the central midfielder in the Dutch Ere Divisie’s team of the season – at home, while picking Ayanda Patosi and the “banned” May Mahlangu.

It’s inexplicable. It’s obvious. This is a man who laughs off preparation, insisting he doesn't like spying on future opponents. This is a man who admits he's a motivator, not a tactician. A shouter not a thinker. 

But I've said all this and nobody listened. And the truth is, we have to give Shakes some breaks. SAFA are far too busy with the current FIFA allegations to deal with another Bafana Bafana coaching change. And Dean Furman, Tower Mathoho, Tefu Mashamaite and Rantie made last week pretty difficult.

We keep the faith. Group M has a long way to go. Cameroon and Mauritania will be touge than Gambia. The friendly against Angola could be disastrous. Yet we must believe in our coach and his unusual, often eccentric methods.

But please, Shaky… just this once. Let’s pick our strongest players FROM THE START. 

ELEPHANTASTIC: FINAL VERDICT ON AFCON 2015: it was everything we expected, but not quite what we hoped for

The Elephant in the Room: Ivory Coast celebrate AFCON2015

AFCON 2015. The tournament that should never have taken place. The tournament that defied expectations. The tournament that defied Ebola. The tournament that defied logic, right down to that extraordinary penalty shoot-out after a drab final.

It’s only football. We know that. The Ivory Coast Elephants were always the heavyweights. But the ups and downs in Equatorial Guinea over the past three weeks have been even more knuckle whitening than normal, surely?

The lows? We’d have to start with South Africa’s own fortunes in Mongomo, ancestral home of the despot President Theodorin Obiang, in charge since 1979 and grinding his people in to the ground. Bafana Bafana couldn’t even conjure a win in Group A as they ground us into the ground.

They went out of the tournament with one point and a desperate record equalled in its awfulness only by Burkina Faso. Yet they led in all three games. Heart-breaking.

Still, as I said when the draw for this African Cup of Nations was made, the limited talents of Shakes Mashaba were never going to get us out of Group C once the dodgy hosts had got their hands on Issa Hayatou’s warmed balls. Pity Ephraim forgot to check who was actually in the Group of Death before he started laughing it off and – laughably – promising a repeat of our great 1996 triumph.

On Saturday, under thermo-nuclear levels of secrecy, Mashaba reported to the SAFA technical committee, dominated (unusually) by Natascha Tshichlas, Ria Ledwaba and Fran Hilton-Smith, Danny Jordaan’s three princesses.

I’m told Shakes was rapped over the knuckles for his treatment of young foreign stars Thulani Serero and Kamahelo Mokotjo and told the search for a modern, highly qualified Technical Director remained a priority. I bet he didn’t like that. Still, he wore a lot of nice shirts during the tournament, between goalkeeper changes.

While South Africans came back down to earth after that fabulous unbeaten qualifying success which left champions Nigeria in disarray, we have had to watch the knock-out stages dominated by Equatorial Guinea cheating, Africa’s No 1 Algeria under-performing and Tunisia sulking.

Weapons of destruction: missiles thrown by fans on Thursday

And then came that awful semi-final. I said on twitter Ghana looked reluctant to add a third goal against the hosts in last Thursday’s second semi-final and BOOM, when they went 3-0 up, we were treated to awful scenes from the home crowd in a nation where so many live beneath the bread line yet still throw plates when they’re angry.

Actually, we missed most of the nastiness which left 14 Ghanaian fans in hospital, the Dictatorial Guinea television producers wouldn’t allow us to see the crowd trouble, the missile throwing, the real nastiness.

And when the final came around on Sunday night, the host nation were denied live coverage of their own tournament at the death. Unbelievable. While commentators and analysts praised long-serving Presidents Obiang and Issa Hayatou, African football slipped to a new nadir with trouble exploding before Zamelek’s game in Egypt just as the final kicked off.

It's a mess. Tunisia have yet to apologise for their accusations of bias after Dictatorial Guinea’s dodgy late penalty in the quarter-final and Morocco, the hosts who pulled out over Ebola fears (but still hosted FIFA’s Club World Cup) are out for the next two AFCONS.

The host nation were given a mere slap on the wrist for their half-hour of mayhem. They were fined $100,000 while Tunisia and Morocco face bills of millions; and Equatoria Guinea played their 3^rd place play off WITH fans, losing to the DRC in an eminently missable consolation clash.

Sadly, much of the “dream final” between Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire was eminently missable too. The highlights? Ghana’s Christian Atsu, the Chelsea striker on loan with a cushion at Everton, hit the post, Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard wore a nice pink tabard and a clearly unfit Asamoah Gyan managed to stamp on an Elephant without punishment.

It was always going to go to penalties, and the drab 120 minutes was soon forgotten as Ghana took a 2-0 lead after four penalties, blew it… and the goalkeepers decided it with 35-year-old Boubacar 'Copa' Barry scoring where his counterpart Razak Braimah failed.

After 22 penalties Barry, a last-minute replacement, was the bemused hero. Asamoah Gyan, the Ghana captain who came off with a minute to play and missed the penalty shoot-out, may well turn out to be the scapegoat, as he was at the World Cup in 2010.

In essence, it was a repeat of the 1992 final, with the Ivory Coast ironically turning the Orange Africa Cup of Nations in to a feast of orange. Yaya Toure lifted the trophy while Andre Ayew wept inconsolably, remembering his father Abedi Pele’s upset when he missed out on the same final 23 years ago.

For Ghana coach Avram Grant, in his lucky blue polo shirt, barely a flicker of emotion. He lost the Champions League final with Chelsea when John Terry fluffed his penalty against Manchester United in Moscow. He’s used to heartbreak.

AFCON WINNER: goalkeeper Barry is carried aloft

Herve Renard, the first man to win AFCON with two different nations, said: “It’s coming from God, but you have to be strong. I believe in history and I’m a lucky coach.

“We are strong because everybody worked very hard. Didier Drogba didn’t win this cup with Ivory Coast, it’s a shame he’s not there. It’s a shame he’s not here. I’d like to give him part of this, dedicate it to him.

“You don’t achieve something in one month, the team spirit made the difference. I discovered (Ghana’s) Andre Ayew at a young age, I felt sorry for him but he’ll be back.”

Ghana coach Avram Grant groaned: “It’s painful to lose and be the better side on the pitch. When you win you can say anything, this is football. Penalties are painful. It’s not the first time this has happened to me.

“We have a good team for the present. In a short time we did a lot of good things. We are crying now, they gave good heart, good football. Good for the future.”

Former Arsenal veteran Kolo Toure, now with Liverpool, said: “Penalties are all about God to me. We waited a long time for this. My generation waited for 23 years. I’d like to dedicate this win to my brother who died during the World Cup.”

In summary, AFCON 2015 was exactly what we expected, though not quite what we might have hoped for. From the moment Morocco withdrew, we knew Equatorial Guinea would be hard-pressed to run the show without a hitch.

A pitch invasion and a drab final won’t spoil the memories for Ivorians. But for Ghanaians and South Africans, we move on. And hopefully for uapologetic Tunisia and 7 times winners Egypt – where 14 died in violence before a Zamalek game last night – there will be a brighter future too.

But to be honest what would really cheer me up: a free and fair election in Dictatorial Guinea. But I guess that's too much to ask.

FOURMIDABLE! South Africa's U17 AmaJimbos crush Tanzania... and are one step from Niger

Master Stroke: AmaJimbos coach Molefi Ntseki

THREE weeks ago I said the future of South African football was bright. On Saturday afternoon at Dobsonville Bafana Bafana’s Under 17 stars proved my point.

In a rousing second leg clash, the AmaJimbos blasted FOUR without reply against tormented Tanzania, a result which will send a serious message to their final obstacle before the African Youth Championship in Niger next year – Egypt or Congo.

Watched by about 1,000. including South Africa’s Banyana Banyana women’s team, Dobsonville was dazzled by coach Molefi Ntseki’s lovable lads.

In front of 5,000 in Dar es Salaam a fortnight ago, South Africa’s finest teenagers were unable to score on the rubber-based astro-turf of Azam Football Club, a surface described as “heavy” by their inexhaustible captain Nelson Maluleke.

On the dry Gauteng surface at Dobsonville, the tidy home of Moroka Swallows, the AmaJimbos thrived. Tanzania went behind after just four minutes and despite an attempted second-half revival a mixture of South African winter – some of the Serengeti Warriors were wearing gloves (!) – altitude and pure pressure led to rapid submission.

It was surprise striker Edwin Sekhwama, drafted in from the School of Excellence, who opened the scoring, breaking clear to poke the ball under Tanzania keeper Metacha Mnata after just four minutes.

Before the match, assistant coach Shawn Bishop told me: “We’re playing Edwin alone up front, with Mamelodi Sundowns’ winger Notha Ngcoba changing wings to bamboozle Tanzania.”

It worked like a charm. Though the first half failed to produce another goal – leading to a rollicking at the interval from coach Ntseki – Bafana’s young guns were in charge for the first 45 minutes.

And when Tanzania threatened to grab what would have been a decisive away goal early in the second half, SuperSport United goalkeeper Mondli Mpota produced a brilliant one-handed save, denying Seif Said Seif, to keep South African noses in front.

The visitors rattled Mpota’s bar with a free-kick too, but then Ntseki changed things, going with three up front and throwing on Port Elizabeth lad Khanyisa Mayo, son of former Bush Bucks and Kaizer Chiefs striker Patrick.

Supersub Mayo finally ended the Tanzanian resistance, stabbing home a near-perfect cross from Sekhwama and then bravely heading a second over the advancing Mnata to make it 3-0.

And a rousing victory was capped by the goal of the day from Thendo Mukumela, who came romping forward, beat two down the right, then cut in to score a sensational fourth.

Ntseki – and the entire SAFA contingent – were cockahoop afterwards. “I call this Operation Niger,” said Molefi afterwards, “I knew we would find a way past Tanzania, and we did. Now we are one step from the AYC in March next year against Congo or Egypt. I don’t care who we get, we’ve proved we can score goals and win crucial games.”

If the AmaJimbos reach the semi-finals in that tournament, the top four African sides automatically qualify for the World Cup in Chile next year which, Ntseki admits, “would be quite an achievement.”

Perfect timing: Centre back Keanu Cupido

But for now, South Africa can celebrate a serious triumph after the obstacles placed in their way in Tanzania a fortnight ago, where a nearby Mosque kept the players up all night in a hotel with poor food and one rickety lift.

On a run of six games unbeaten - the AmaJimbos won four friendlies on artificial surfaces in Botswana and Lesotho before the trip to Dar es Salaam - serious optimism pervades the group, anchored by the timing of towering Keanu Cupido, the rock solid centre-back from SuperSport United. Rarely have I seen a Bafana selection look so complete.

The highlight? Captain Maluleke hugging my son Matthew, 9, afterwards, grinning, high-fiving. “We did it!” he yelled. "Now for Egypt!"

Oh, and THIS video of the singing in the tunnel before the game. South Africa flummoxed the Tanzanians with their singing at Azam in the first leg. And when the visitors attempted to turn the tables in Soweto, the AmaJimbos simply raised the roof. Quite a curtain raiser.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za. 

Kingston Nkhatha's wonder goal for Kaizer Chiefs against Aces at Soccer City is too good not to see again. Have a long at the Zimbabwe striker's effort HERE... it's as good as anything you'll see globally this weekend:

SHAKES MASHABA FOR BAFANA: South Africa take the sensible option, but will it bring success?

He's back: Shakes Mashaba

COME on, admit it. The naming of Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba as South African’s new national head coach on Saturday was a bit of an anti-climax. It was a cost-effective and eminently sensible appointment, but not one to get the football-speaking world talking.

On a day when our rugby Sharks and cricketing Proteas had disappointed and Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates played out yet another goalless draw in front of 90,000 fans, there was a general air of low expectation about the whole thing.

Let’s get the positives down first: Mashaba was, by some margin, the cheapest option on SAFA’s table. That money can be pumped in to development rather than high-risk wages. His salary will probably amount to around a quarter of the R22m figure being bandied about for Carlos Queiroz, the only other name presented to the technical committee.

Mashaba is local, popular… and has done the job before. Three times. There should be no surprises when PSL clubs refuse to release players and foreign clubs jealously guard their Bafana youngsters. He should be able to deal with the agents, media and politicians who will involve themselves in his business.

Masahaba has a good track record during those spells in charge of Bafana (second only to Clive Barker) and a long association with success at junior levels including our last successful qualification for the Olympic games in 2000 and the Under 20 World Cup in 1997.

But all that was, in football terms, a lifetime ago. Though he won the COSAFA Under 20 tournament in Lesotho just last December, Mashaba wasn’t even in the running for the big job until SAFA realised he was the cut-price option barely a fortnight ago and, prompted by President Danny Jordaan, went public with his ambition.

Though it’s possible to see both England’s Roy Hodgson and Brazil’s recently expired Big Phil Scolari as similar to the Mashaba situation – local coach, spotted history, been suggested before – it would be unfair to judge Shakes just yet… Joachim Loew at Germany and Belgium’s Marc Wilmots show the other side of that equation.

Of course it’s easy to say SAFA are no great Shakes when we had big foreign names like Steve Keshi, Herve Renard, Patrick Kluivert, Carlos Queiroz and erm… David Moyes in the frame. I suspect a few of those big egos won't be happy to be over-looked for our beloved Shakes.

It worries me to read those stories from Mashaba’s last turbulent reign, when he was suspended and eventually fired for refusing to allow South Africa’ foreign contingent to arrive late for camp. Even now, Mark Fish – one of the players caught up in that particular storm - is not convinced. As he said on my show Soccerballz last Thursday: “Shakes would be a step backwards for South African football.”

Mashaba, now 63, will have to have a little more patience this time around with players like Ajax Amsterdam’s Thulani Serero and FC Rostov’s Siyanda Xulu, two key men in Bafana’s future when they try to balance the club v country equation.

I worry too that Mashaba has been working with kids for the past decade, apart from an unspectacular spell in charge at Swaziland in 2008. And that he does not have the technical or practical experience over the past decade to close the gap on the rest of Africa, let alone the world. The appointment of a Technical Director will be vital in making up that gap.

It's not just development that hampers South African football; training methods, match preparation, technological advances and modern dietary preparation have moved on apace too.

But for now, we can only take his word for it. Shakes himself, talking from the AmaJita U20 tour of West Africa, said: “My first duty would be to thank Mr Jordaan as well as the entire national executive for their gesture. Words fail me. I'm sure I won't be a disappointment.

“I will pull out all the stops to make sure that our people become part and parcel of our national team. The only way to do that is by bringing results.”

Ah. Results. The AFCON 2015 qualifiers start next month with Sudan and Nigeria. Generally a new boss gets a honeymoon period. But a pair of opening defeats could easily see the tide turn against South Africa’s new head coach. By November 19, AFCON qualifying will be done. Let’s hope Shakes isn’t.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za. 

FULL LIST OF FORMER BAFANA COACHES

(including caretakers/interim appointments)

Stanley "Screamer" Tshabalala (1992)

Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba (1992)

Augusto Palacios (1993)

Clive "The Dog" Barker (1994–97)

Jomo Sono (1998)

Philippe Troussier (1998)

Trott Moloto (1998–00)

Carlos Queiroz (2000–02)

Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba (2001)

Trott Moloto (2002)

Jomo Sono (2002)

Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba (2002–03)

Jomo Sono (2003)

April Phumo (2004)

Stuart Baxter (2004–05)

Ted Dumitru (2005–06)

Pitso Mosimane (2006)

Carlos Alberto Parreira (2007–08)

Joel Santana (2008–09)

Carlos Alberto Parreira (2009–10)

Pitso Mosimane (2010–12)

Steve Komphela (2012)

Gordon Igesund (2012–2014)

Shakes Mashaba (2014-)