A buzzing capital city, a sold-out stadium, a rousing triumph: Usain Bolt is not alone

Fastest man on the planet: Usain Bolt on Sunday night

What a showdown: a sold-out stadium in the capital with support split evenly between the two big guns of their sporting sphere. The long-awaited clash of the titans. And almost from the start, just one dominating force; unstoppable, devastating. In the end it was a no-contest, a crushing victory which will live in the sporting memory for years to come.

But perhaps we should leave Kaizer Chiefs to lick their wounds rather then re-live the events of Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, where big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns cruised to an emphatic 4-1 win over the mighty Amakhosi.

With Thamsanqa Sangweni, Tebogo Langerman, Lebohang Mokoena and the impressive Edward Manqele all scoring before the 37^th minute, many were considering calling in the army to protect the senseless slaughter of the hapless Zebras.

Yes, the season-opening MTN8 quarter-final – which also produced wins for Orlando Pirates, Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United – was quite something.

As I predicted last week, Sundowns’ Dutch coach Johan Neeskens left new Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter clutching at straws like this: “If we could have kept it in reach when we came in at half-time, we could have turned a few things around and maybe would have had a chance in the second-half.

"This result tells you that we have a lot of work to do. We'll lick our wounds, we'll sharpen our knives again and we'll get back to the job. It's certainly not going to be a pleasant evening."

In fact, for most sports lovers, it was a very pleasant evening as we went on to that other clash of the titans in another capital – London, which is in the midst of a ridiculously entertaining 30^th summer Olympics.

In the sparkling new stadium in run-down Stratford, South Africans were riveted by the men’s 100m final which saw the showman Usain Bolt justify his arrogant pre-race antics with a sensational victory over fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake. To have confidence like that, the bloke has to be running world records at every training session, despite his recent injury problems.

Whilst proving lightning Bolts CAN strike twice, Bolt’s first-ever successful defence of the defining event of the modern Olympiad saw a record SEVEN men break the 10 second barrier.

Bolt’s time of 9.63secs was a new Olympic record but just a stride short of his world record 9.58. That wasn’t the point: "I’m one step closer to become a legend,” he said, “This means a lot, because some people were doubting. A lot of people were saying I wasn't going to win, I didn't look good. There was a lot of talk.

"It's an even greater feeling to come out here and defend my title and show the world I'm still No. 1. So I'm happy with myself."

Bolt isn’t entirely content though. Here’s what he said about the security in London: “I was in the line, we were waiting to run and the guy was telling me to line up straight. I was like, ‘Really? We’re about to run and they are going to make me stand in a straight line?’ There are just some weird rules here.

“Then they saw my skipping rope. They said I can’t bring it in, and I asked, ‘Why?” They just said, ‘It is the rules.’ So if I have a rubber band that I need to stretch, I can’t take it in. And when I asked why, they say, ‘It’s just the rules.’ It’s just some weird small rules that don’t make any sense to me, personally.”

And so ended another weekend of frantic Olympic gold mining. South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first amputee to compete in the Olympics, Kenya did the traditional thing in the 3,000m steeple-chase, Great Britain’s Andy Murray crushed Roger Federer to win gold at Wimbledon, the drunken fan who threw a bottle at the 100m starters was soundly thumped by Dutch judoka bronze medallist Edith Bosch, who tweeted: “Een dronken gast voor mij gooit een flesje op de baan!! IK HEB HEM GESLAGEN. Ongelofelijk!!”

Most South Africans will understand that to mean: “One drunken guest in front of me threw a bottle on the track. I WHACKED HIM! Unbelievable.”

And after translation, a little lesson in spelling. Note the difference between the following two sentences: South Africa has won gold. Australia has one gold.

In fact, South Africa has a record-equalling three golds and one silver so far. And we still have Richard Murray (triathlon, today), Sunette Viljoen (javelin, Thursday), Bridgitte Hartley (women’s K1 500, Thursday), Siphiso “Skizo” Nhlapo (BMX, Friday), Caster Semenya (800m, Saturday) and Bury Stander (mountain biking, Sunday) to come.

Yes, Team South Africa have pleny to look forward to. And I offer the estimated 15 million devastated Amakhosi this: “Khosi 4-1 life!”

And finally, it's done: Tower Mathoho joins Kaizer Chiefs

Born to be a Chief: Tower Mathoho

Kaizer Chiefs have won the battle for the Tower. Yes, they have secured the services of Mulomuwandau Mathoho, the Bloemfontein Celtic centre-back who impressed but just missed out on signing for Holland’s Ere Divisie club FC Twente in Enschede last year.

Though there were groans all round from the estimated 15 million Amakhosi fans yesterday when Free State Stars top-scorer Edward Manqele was sold for a staggering R7m to Mamelodi Sundowns, the towering inferno on Twitter yesterday was the chase for Mathoho.

Over a week ago, Patrick Baloyi, my lively colleague on The New Age, told us Mothoho would become  Chief. But when Sundowns offered to double Manqele’s R500,000 signing on fee and wages of R70,000 a month last month, it looked like Bobby Motaung had been caught short on both players.

But no. Today I can reveal that Tim Sukazi, Mathoho’s agent, was never going to let that happen. While Manqele’s future was determined by his club, Mathoho’s determination to join South Africa’s biggest brand won the day.

Sukazi said: “It as a bit of a shock when we discovered two Sundowns officials camping outside the Mathoho household in Venda. But Erik’s dad chased them away from Tshiondo. The move was always Kaizer Chiefs.”

And I can reveal, with little help from the Star’s Nkareng Matshe, how Chiefs managed see off Trott Moloto as he came to the foot of the 22-year-old Tower, determined to persuade yet another top young star join the Sundowns hordes by waving Patrice Mtsepe’s chunky cheque book.

When Bobby and Chiefs made their approach to Celtic for Tower’s services in May, Sundowns stepped in and offered the thrice-capped Bafana defender better personal terms – Manqela is reported to be on a three-year R90,000-a-month deal at Chloorkop – whilst also offering two players to Bloemfontein.

The Sundowns deal was supposed to R3million in cash plus Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Buhle Mkhwanazi but when one of the players revealed they hadn’t been consulted, the deal fell through.

On Facebook, I received two messages telling me Tower had turned up at Naturena yesterday “with avocados for the lads” to sign his contract as the Manqele deal was echoing around South Africa’s footballing corridors of power.

Then this from Celtic CEO Khuymbulani Konco: “We have received letter from Mathoho saying he wants to go to Chiefs even though we have reached an agreement through Phunya Sele Sele for a move to Sundowns with two players we wanted. But we are under no pressure, Tower has two years left on his contract.”

And finally, after weeks of wrangling, Konco was able to confirm: “Yes, we had been talking to both clubs but we spoke to Bobby Motaung and we made progress.”

Chiefs and Celtic are expected to release a joint statement on the move – with a stated transfer fee of R5m – over the weekend before Tower can begin forging a pre-season central partnership with fellow Bafana defender Morgan Gould, who moved from SupersSport United to Chiefs a month ago.

 Gould and Mathoho join Siyabonga Nkosi as part of Stuart Baxter’s new-look squad for the 2012-2013 season, though Mthokozisi Yende is the latest Chief headed for the exit door to make way for Bobby’s new boys.


These quotes from Khuymbulani Konco have just dropped on kick-off.com:
"I keep on saying that until we announce that the boy has been sold, he still belongs to Celtic. I keep on repeating the same story … you can quote me on that and say 'Khumbulani says; there is no deal that has been signed.' Nothing.
 
"Sundowns are also still in the picture, so don't rule out Sundowns … look, the only reason there is a delay is that Celtic are still looking for a replacement for Mathoho. If we get someone that we are comfortable enough that he is a suitable replacement for Mathoho, then the boy will go but before that, no. 
 
"If we get a replacement today, we will sell the boy today but if we get a replacement in a year's time then we will sign the agreement to sell Mathoho in a year."

Kaizer Chiefs: Is the sun going down on Bobby Motaung's grand plan?

Worth a few Bob: Motaung

BOBBY Motaung’s endless struggle to make Kaizer Chiefs the biggest club in South Africa struck a major obstacle as the sun went down last night.

General manager Motaung, son of the club’s creator, brother of the once striking Junior (and the very striking Jessica, Chief’s marketing guru) claims to have signed Erik Molomowandau “Tower” Mathoho from Bloemfontein Celtic. Great move. Born on the same day (March 1) as me and a certain Robert Marawa, the 22-year-old is  one of the better centre-backs in Africa and would form a dynamic duo with Morgan Gould, picked up from SuperSport United last month.

The two will probably play next to each other for Bafana Bafana as they seek a long-awaited win over Gabon in an international friendly in Mbombela on Friday night.

Just how Bobby, apparently working “closely” with new boss Stuart Baxter despite the distance separating Soweto and Wolverhampton, persuaded Celtic supremo Jimmy Augousti to part company with the Tower on the cheap remains a bit of a mystery.

Word was that Chiefs would pay no more than R3.5m “for any player” as they attempt to close the gap on arch-rivals Orlando Pirates, who have on six trophies in the past two seasons. The Sowetan newspaper is talking about an R5m fee, claiming deal is not done, but the excellent Patrick Baloyi records the sum as R3m for a done deal.

Tower’s market value was probably three times that. Yet according to my esteemed colleague Baloyi at The New Age, it appears, after an unsuccessful trial with Holland’s FC Twente last season, Mathoho has decamped to Naturena despite the haggling.

Tower’s agent, Tim Sukazi, explains it thus: “The constitution of this country ensures we do not deal in the slave trade in football. Gone are the days when players could be coerced into joining clubs against their own choices."

Strange that. In Europe, a contracted player goes to the highest bidder when personal terms are settled. And there is little question Sundowns would have bid more than Chiefs for Tower, and just about anybody else they fancy.

Next up after Gould (transfer fee not disclosed) and Mathoho? That would be the Free State Stars striker Edward Jabu Manqele who will turn 25 on June 16.

Today we are told that Manqele, who burst on to the scene with 10 goals for the little stars of Bethlehem last season, is also available for a remarkably modest fee. And, according to kick-off.com’s “source close to”, he has been offered a R75 000-a-month salary plus a R600 000 signing-on fee.

Now normally, signing-on fees are only offered to players who are out of contract and available on a free transfer. I find it hard to believe Manqele was made available on that basis by Stars, but details of the young striker’s contract are sketchy.

Problem is, Bobby may not have offered enough. According to a third club interested in Manqele, Patrice Motsepe’s billions have come in to play. The Sundowns supremo offered to double the Chiefs offer last night.

Kick-off.com quotes their source as saying: "Chiefs have offered Edward a very, very good contract, but the boy is now confused because Sundowns keep upping their offer as well.”

Manqele, plucked from Vodacom League Trabzon FC by Bafana interim boss Steve Komphela last year, is quoted as saying: "I am still in the dark. I will know my future with Free State Stars next week Monday, and for now I would rather not comment on which team I prefer to join."

That’s wise. Because, of course, Chiefs – the richest club in South Africa with a huge Vodacom sponsorship, huge sponsors and an estimated 15 million Amakhosi behind them – are not quite playing the game.

Bobby, who told us last year he didn’t need a CV to work for the family business, insists: “Manqele is one of our targets, but as negotiations are challenging, I cannot confirm when we will reach an agreement with his club.”

That’s when, not if. Yet Bobby’s refusal to pay more than R3.5m is patently ridiculous. That amount – around 320,000 pounds in British terms – would barely buy you a Conference (fifth division) journeyman in England. And if you think R70,000 a month is a reasonable offer for one of the best young strikers in the country, consider this: Yaya Toure is on 250,000 (R2.7m) a WEEK at Manchester City – where mere squad players earn a minimum of R3m a month.

Chiefs, with all their resources, should be competing at a far higher monetary level to satisfy the non-rising Amakhosi, frustrated as they watch the Buccaneers plunder silverware with alacrity. Instead, Bobby is trading on the Chiefs brand to bend young stars to his bargain-basement desires.

We all know Sundowns pay over the odds. Even if Manqele went to Chloorkop for the rumoured R140,000 a month, Elias Palemba and Teko Modise are reported to be on nearly three times that after their moves from Supersport and Pirates.

We also know that many top young stars go to Mamelodi purely for the money… and disappear amid the dozens of expensive young things competing for Johan Neeskens’ attention.

It’s financial madness of course. But ask any Arsenal fans if money matters – and they’ll tell you all about England’s 2012 champions Manchester City. Just as Bobby is trying to operate within daddy’s budget, Arsene Wenger attempts to keep within upcoming UEFA constraints in Europe. And the Gunners, like the Amakhosi, went trophyless again last season, missing out on the big signings as they attempt to deal within a tight structure.

For City’s Sheik Mansour, read Sundowns’ Motsepe. Pay the money and you win the titles.

Motaung, who has also spotted Leopards' Zimbabwean striker Kingston Nkatha despite the fact he is “not for sale”, is unfazed. He tells Baloyi: “We have been working hard in ensuring that we sign players that fill Chiefs’ standards and we all know what Mathoho can offer. His jersey is waiting at Naturena.”

We’ll see, Bobby, we’ll see.