THE ASTONISHING RESURRECTION OF CAPE TOWN CITY FC: yes, it's a modern day miracle

TRAIL BLAZER: Eric Tinkler

RESURRECTION can be a tricky business. The last documented example was some bloke called Lazarus over 2000 years ago. And you wouldn’t expect him to get up and out-run all the healthy disciples gathered for his miraculous comeback would you?

But that’s exactly what Cape Town City have done. With some gusto. After opening their second coming with a 2-0 win over Polokwane City on August 23, born-again City beat a side called Kaizer Chiefs three days later.

Last month they beat African champions Mamelodi Sundowns amid a current run of SEVEN consecutive wins that has seen them top the PSL twice and reach the Telkom KO final. Saturday’s thumping 4-1 thrashing of Free State Stars in the TKO semi-final was no shock, it was simply further evidence of an astonishing rebirth.

John Comitis, the former Ajax Cape Town chairman who just last week fell off the PSL executive gravy train, appears to have successfully breathed life back in to the long dead football club known as Cape Town City.

The giants of the old all-white NFL, City won titles in 1973 and 1976, before they were officially buried after liquidation in 1979. African Warriors purchased the lifeless cadaver. There was no pulse, the club was six feet under, pushing up daisies.

But then along comes Comitis and, as I revealed two weeks before the face, the official unveiling decades after the faux cremation: Cape Town City FC were given a second life for a reported fee of R50m.

The brief five months since that announcement on June 29 have been eventful. Remember, Comitis did a deal with the Morfou brothers at Mpumalanga Black Aces to move their franchise 1,538km south.

Fourteen players made the journey. The PSL top scorer Collins Mbesuma was left behind. So was the much-vaunted junior link with Manchester City. And the fans from eMalahleni to Mbombela? Ignored.

It was a deal which broke FIFA rules, a deal which nearly led to Free State Stars being replaced in the PSL by twice-relegated Moroka Swallows. A deal which should NEVER have happened.

But Comitis is nothing if not determined to win a personal war against his old club Ajax Cape Town. He let Muhsin Ertugral, the Turkish coach who lifted Aces to a record fourth place last season, go to Orlando Pirates. In return, he picked up the man Irvin Khoza didn’t want to fire, Eric Tinkler as a sweetener.

With former Pirates assistant Craig Rosslee working behind the scenes, Tinkler added a few foreigners, adopted the old blue-and-gold City colours and somehow, after being “10 players short” a few weeks before the season started, he put out a side good enough to top the PSL and reach the TKO final before the club had got halfway to their first birthday.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how Tinkler has managed this. Lebogang Manyama was made captain after seven months of injury, Shu-Aib Walters is a vastly under-rated goalkeeper, Aubrey Ngoma, the former Orlando Pirates dynamo, picks up Man of the Match awards like confetti. Lehlohonolo Majoro, unwanted inland, made his way down the N1 to contribute a few goals.

Not a bad collection of journeymen. But as Tinkler said on Saturday, that's not the secret: “These players work for each other. That’s all a coach can ask for. I’m happy for them. That’s how it works here. This is an opportunity to make history.”

The man vilified for finishing seventh in the PSL and reaching the African Confederations Cup knows his stuff. He'll trouble Stuart Baxter in the TKO final against SuperSport United. I defended him all last season. He was a nugget on the field, and he’s proving just as tough on the bench in the Mother City.

The Scorpion kick: South Africa's Itumeleng Khune does a Rene Higuita, twenty years on. Don't try this at home!

STING IN THE TALE: Itumeleng Khune's Scorpion. Video of BOTH below

HERE it is, the Itumeleng Khune scorpion kick used by the Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper against Mpumalanga Black Aces on Tuesday night (Oct 27, 2015).

In a clash of two unbeaten PSL clubs, Khune was voted Man of the Match for a series of superb saves - including a point blank header from top scorer Collins Mbesuma - which saw his club triumph 1-0.

But it was THIS MOMENT which has swept the football-speaking world.

Twenty years after Rene Higuita of Colombia stunned England fans with his effort at Wembley, Khune grinned afterwards: "I promised to do it in an official match… what a relief.”

Higuita produced his acrobatics (using two legs, not one) in a friendly... but Khune's cheeky clearance stunned the FNB Stadium, once known as Soccer City, venue of the 2010 World Cup.

Higuita used the kick to deny Jamie Redknapp's speculative effort in a dull 0-0 draw on 6 September 1995, while Khune produced his magic in a must-win clash at the top of South Africa's domestic league.

Khune's final word: "Every day you are blessed with opportunities to get better."

Relegated AmaZulu cough up R82m to replace Aces in the PSL: another nail in the coffin of South African football

USUTHU! anxious AmaZulu fans

DESPICABLE. DISGRACEFUL. DISASTROUS. Those are the words that come to mind as we sit here tonight, contemplating a footballing world where a relegated club can simply buy their way back in to the top flight after finishing bottom of the table.

The irony for me, of course, is that it's my favourite PSL club AmaZulu who are attempting to burgle their way back in to South Africa's crumbling PSL via the back door, using cash and an utter disregard for what FIFA calls "sporting integrity".

AmaZulu are not one of those recently formed infant clubs like Choppa, sorry Chippa, United, who sack coaches and move cities at the drop of a hat.

The jolly green giants of KwaZulu Natal captured my support when I worked and played in Durban in the early 1980s. The warcry "USUTHU" combined with the glamour of players like Joel Faya and Henry "Shaka Zulu" Cele persuaded me to write to their kit manafacturers to procure the last available xxxl replica shirt just last year.

Article 30 of the NSL constitution clearly states promotion

CANNOT be bought (from @TiisetsoMalepa)

But what they are doing is simply WRONG. To pay Mpumalanga Black Aces R82m (amounts vary) to take their place in the PSL as well as five or six of their players CANNOT BE RIGHT for South African football.

They did it once before of course. In 2007, they bought Dynamos' PSL place after relegation, and in those grim days such ridiculous shenanigans appeared acceptable practice.

But then came the FIFA circular number 1132 from Jerome Valcke, dated December 2007. Under the heading SPORTING INTEGRITY, PRINCIPLES OF PROMOTION AND RELEGATION, the despicable loophole was firmly closed.

Quoting article 2 (e) of the FIFA statutes, Valcke re-iterated the view that promotion and relegation were sacrosanct, that the global association exists to "prevent all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of matches or competitions, or give rise to the abuse of association football."

In Spain, weeks before, Granada had purchased another club's name and identity in order to secure promotion, a move of such sporting injustice that FIFA felt they had to act,

The most important part of the new regulations? "A club's entitlement to take part in a domestic league championship shall depend principally on sporting merit".

It goes on to insist ONLY promotion and relegation ON THE FIELD OF PLAY would be acceptable.

The full link to that FIFA document, signed by the now-embattled Jerome Valcke, can be found HERE http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/circular_1132_en_34078.pdf

But of course, Irvin Khoza has been in charge of our PSL since the early 1990s. Quite how that happened, or how he came to be owner and chairman of Orlando Pirates remains shrouded in mystery. And boy, are we paying for it.

When AmaZulu went down in 16th and last place at the end of last season claiming Free State Stars had "fixed" their salvation, Khoza said nothing. His CEO Brand de Villiers muttered something about an "ongoing investigation" in to Free State Stars' remarkable escape from the lower reaches of the PSL. We've heard nothing since.

Then, when AmaZulu (and relegated bed-fellows Moroka Swallows) were charging about trying to persuade Bloemfontein Celtic, Polokwane City, Platinum Stars and Chippa United to sell their PSL status, Khoza said NOTHING. Neither did sports minister Fikile Mbalula, always so loud and pointless on other sporting subjects, nor Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African Football Association, now unelected mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Throughout the build-up to this craziness, South African football failed to show leadership. Already in trouble over pre-World Cup match-fixing and the infamous $10m African Diaspora Fund, presumably they had other things to talk about. Like how our national football team didn't have enough players to field a team 24 hours before the clash with Mauritius at Dobsonville, or why it took nearly a year to appoint Neil Tovey as our Technical Director though he was always the only viable candidate.

And in to this awful mess, with PSL attendances slipping to record lows and the transfer market crumbling in to a slew of free transfers, bonuses for agents and contract non-renewals, AmaZulu's dreadful attempt at resurrection apparently makes barely a ripple.

But consider this, if the move goes ahead:

1 Will anybody bother to watch the "relegation dog-fight" next season if they know the side struggling to survive can simply buy their way back in?

2 If Spar's best buddy Patrick Sokhela, the AmaZulu owner, has R45m (or more, R82m according to certain reports) to spend, WHY DIDN'T HE BUY A FEW PLAYERS and avoid relegation rather than spending nothing and changing coaches three times as they slipped through the trap door?

3 What of the Aces' fans who loyally supported their club - the only PSL franchise in Mpumalanga - throughout last season? Do they get their money back now they find themselves supporting an NFD club? Will the Mbombela Stadium survive?

4 Turkish coach Muhsin Etrugral, who started pre-season before any other club in the PSL, now finds himself preparing for a season in the PSL without his top players (at least five have been told they must now move to Durban and play for AmaZulu in the PSL next season) is he REALLY going to meekly accept this deal?

5 Given Bafana Bafana's awful form - one point in AFCON2015, two penalty shoot-out failures in CONSAFA and a 0-0 draw against Africa's smallest nation Gambia to kick-off AFCON2017 qualifying - shouldn't we be considering spending money on players and creating better teams rather than buying promotion? 

What AmaZulu are doing amounts to a betrayal of South African football; the easy way out, the last-minute Iron Duke style of doing things. Instead of spending millions on fighting relegation, bringing in better players, offering bigger win bonuses, Sokhela sees fit to sack coaches and splash millions purely for status. It can't be right.

Our only hope, surely, is that FIFA or CAF will step in to make sure such a deal CANNOT happen. Sporting integrity will NOT be ground in to the dust. Sadly, given the state of both our continental and world footballing bodies, I won't be holding my breath.

PITSO MOSIMANE NAILS IT: the full text of Mamelodi Sundowns coach's post-match interview. "Referee Thabo Nkosi stole the show"

Man of the match? Ref Thabo Nkosi

PITSO MOSIMANE was understandably upset after tonight's 1-1 draw against Mpumalanga Black Aces in Mbombela. The Mamelodi Sundowns coach, known for his post-match outbursts, was inconsolable after seeing his side denied a last-minute winner... and boy, did he let us know.

In a dramatic interview with SuperSport's ultra-professional Carol Tshabalala, Mosimane has probably landed himself in hot water with the PSL, but the man is nothing if not passionate. At one point in the interview, he simply couldn't talk as he choked up in fury over Bongani Zungu's "winner".

Though Pitso has a right to be furious - referee Thabo Nkosi had given the goal but changed his mind after seeing the linesman's flag - it did look like Zungu fouled goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane before scoring.

How they stand: the PSL table after draws for Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns tonight

Having chased down Kaizer Chiefs last season to clinch a long-awaited league title for Masandawana, the former Bafana boss came close to conceding to the AmaKhosi, who play resurgent AmaZulu tomorrow night with a seven point lead.

And at one point, Pitso called for referee Thabo Nkosi to win the Man of the Match award and compared him to the controversial Victor "Penalty King" Gomes, who once awarded FIVE penalties in a Sundowns match.


On a night when Orlando Pirates came from behind THREE TIMES to draw 3-3 as Platinum Stars striker Mogakolodi Ngele scored a brilliant hat-trick, Sundowns certainly battled their hearts out... but will their two dropped points decide the title?

HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF PITSO MOSIMANE’S POST-MATCH INTERVIEW

PITSO: “It’s a game of two halves, first half, we let ourselves down by not picking up on the goal. I’m happy to be wrong, I think Dennis Onyango was fouled on the first goal… (stops, unable to carry on, overwhlemed by emotion)

CAROL: “I know it’s difficult to break it down without talking about the disappointment… looking at how they came out today, how do you think they can come back…?”

PITSO: “How do you motivate the players who work so hard, give their best, what do you say to them about all this?

“I think (referee) Thabo must be the man of the match, did very well, he stole the show, he reminds me of Gomes. He also steals the show. I don’t want to talk about Thabo's performance, he knows his performance.

“It’s unbelievable Carol. It’s unbelievable. You spend the whole year fighting to win the league and protect the league (title) but tonight, we’re asking for favours. It’s history for me how this title was won.

“But I have to accept. Because if I don’t accept they’re going to keep coming. The PSL’s going to come to me. And you know the story with Pitso. Check all the fines, all the fines received in the PSL, I’ve got the heaviest one but I’ve never been sent off."

CAROL: “But I’m concerned now. You’re saying it’s gone?”

PITSO: “I’m not saying it’s gone. Listen to me. If it’s gone, we’ll know how it is gone. Some of the things are not in your hands hey. What a change of decision there. Unbelievable. I saw the hand pointing the other way. It’s life, it’s football. Thabo stole the show.”

CAROL: “You feel as if the performance deserved three points?”

PITSO: “Before Mamelodi Sundowns won the league last year, it had been six, seven years, out of anything. We strengthened and we won the league last year. It’s going to be very difficult to win the league this year. But we will try our best.

“I don’t know what I’m going to say to the players, try hard or what? We pray for a miracle? It’s okay Carol. You know what’s hard? I work so hard eh, then somebody just takes it away.”

Are we witnessing the rise and fall of the Kaizer Chiefs empire? Or is it just a lack of Knowledge?

Dogged approach: Baxter and Barker

The rise and fall of the Roman Empire swept away entire civilizations and plunged the world in to centuries of despair now known as the Dark Ages. There was a real fear generations of Knowledge would simply be forgotten.

Fortunately, not many of us were around to witness that, though I'm reliably informed the Italian defenders were put to the sword, boss "Screamer" Nero fiddled and his squad burned.

The estimated 15 million AmaKhosi in South Africa may have felt they were witnessing the fall of Kaizer Chiefs last night with the same feeling of shock and awe; the emperor Stuart Baxter stood powerless in the emptying Calabash while his champions simply fell apart against the invaders from the north, led by a tiny terror known as The Dog.


Quite how Mpumalanga Black Aces managed to sack the Chiefs empire I'm not sure. Supersub Miguel Timm's late winner was simply a ridiculous coup de grace on a night of abysmal failure.


While Itumeleng Khune celebrated his 200th game in goal sitting on a deckchair, his strike-force were simply absent. Kingston Nkatha, not the most popular of gladiators from our northern neighbors, was replaced by the former killer Katlego Mphela. He was rubbish. Matthew Rusike flattered to deceive, George Lebese didn't even flatter.


The big men who normally do manage to score simply couldn't. With Eric Mouth of the Lion Mathoho again mysteriously missing from the centre-back pairing, it was left to Morgan Gould and Tefu Mashamaite to fail from the usually reliable set-pieces though Simphiwe Shabalala's delivery remained impeccable.


And with an alaraming lack of Knowledge Musona, top scorer Bernard Parker - obviously suffering from that long-standing ankle injury - missed the chance of the night before returning to his cloak of invisibility.


Unbeaten at home since Baxter's arrival in 2012, Chiefs have now lost successive Soccer City encounters with equal levels of bemusement. As Baxter groaned last night: "At worst we should have drawn both these games 0-0, instead we have managed to lose them both."


The delightfully unlucky 1-0 defeat against  Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday was followed by the late sucker punch from Clive Barker's men and Itumeleng Khune was left with little to celebrate in his 200th game for Chiefs.


Barker? All smiles: "Wonderful, Marvellous." The little man even claims his Aces - who purchased a world record 35 players this season - could have been title contenders had they had a few more weeks of preparation. Remember Aces could have - should have - had a penalty too in the first half as Willard "Assault and Vinegar" Katsande clattered the dangerous Ndoro.


Down the road in Tshwane, it was so different. Pitso Mosimane, the all-conquering rival with Patrice Motsepe's billions behind him, led Mamelodi Sundowns to the top of the table with a streaky 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic.


Now three points clear of Kaizer Chiefs, who have a game in hand, Pitso is ready to sack Soweto. So too is Gavin Hunt after a sneaky late win over Platinum Stars from his Clever Boys. it's getting tight. Here's what Pitso said:

"Times are tough, you can see how strong Celtic are. In my opinion they played better than us. But at this point in time it is about getting results. It's not about playing pretty football.

"We must stay humble, there is a long way to go. We will see what we can do in the cup this weekend [against Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals]."

Chiefs too go to Nedbank Cup action - on Saturday against SuperSport United - and then we return to the PSL where Sundowns must face THE DOG on Wednesday while Chiefs go to Polokwane City. Wits are home to flightless Moroka Swallows.

Unlike the fall of the Roman Empire. This one's not over. Yet.

BOLLOCKZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. 

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

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice.

The Dogged approach: Sir Clive Barker on OJ, his Aces in the pack... and football under Apartheid

Dog days:  Aces coach Clive Barker

CLIVE BARKER believes OJ Mabizela can recover the form he once showed at Tottenham Hotspur – by propelling newly-promoted Mpumalanga Black Aces to the top eight in the PSL this season.

Speaking on my football show BOLLOCKZ! on www.ballz.co.za, Barker said: “OJ has been fantastic. A revelation. He reminds me of Muhammad Ali when he takes his top off! With him we’ve got half a chance to win a Cup competition too.

“He seems to be really enjoying it at Aces, OJ doesn’t need reminding of what happened to him in the past. When I look at him, in that holding role in the middle of the park where Spurs initially played him, he’s a terrific character. A competitor. He reminds me of Mark Fish!”

Mabizela started out at Maritzburg United before moving to Orlando Pirates, where he scored against a touring Tottenham Hotspur. He was duly shipped off to London, scoring on a beauty on his debut against Leicester in 2003.

Homesickness and “a poor attitude” meant “Old John” returned to South Africa after only nine first-team games at White Hart Lane, but after spells at Mamelodi Sundowns, Platinum Stars, Bidvest Wits and Chippa United, Barker has done what he’s good at: get the best out of a 33-year-old who was generally considered to be past it.

Barker, who coached Bafana Bafana to the now-legendary 1996 African Cup of Nations triumph, said: “When you win everything seems okay but when you lose, it’s not so good on the bus home.

“It’s not just OJ. Bafana Nhlapo is the in-form goalkeeper at the moment, he’s hot, gone four games without conceding a goal (before Sunday’s 1-0 defeat against Polokwane City)

“I’d be disappointed if we don’t finish in the top eight this season, we’ve got quality players with the right attitude. I just think we all bind, at the moment we’re very happy about what happened against Mamelodi Sundowns, beating the top team in the league. But you don’t want to tempt fate.”

At 69, Barker’s revival has taken many by surprise. Including his wife.: “It’s all good for me, Yvonne is heavily involved in her ballet at the moment, giving a week-long course in Hilton, so I can get on with it.

“I’m not going to tell you how old I am – I’ll just say I’m close to Sir Alex Ferguson! There you go, you can work it out!”

And with that we cast out minds back to another era – the early 1980s when The Dog was a pioneering force for football under Apartheid.

He grins: “I remember when you and I were involved at Bush Bucks in Durban in the 1980s. You were part of that campaign that kept football going. Then you went overseas to Fleet Street – it’s nice to have you back here!

“You sum it up exactly. We did things that were unthinkable under Apartheid. I look at it and I think a lot of names should be remembered. We walked out at Orlando Stadium, they threw things at us, it was a chance to get even with what was going on at the time.

“A lot of footballers made big sacrifices, they should have streets named after them. Scotsman Andy Standton, the big goalkeeper Dave Watterson, little Daniel Ramarutsi… we had big strong lads at Bush Bucks!

“I’ve always argued that was the best side ever put together in South Africa. Bennet Gondwe, Professor Ngubane, Raul Gonzales (father of Chile’s Mark Gonzalez)… Mark Tovey at centre-back. Neil was a good player and captained Bafana to that AFCON but his brother was a better defender.

“Those were great days. I remember you taking Mark Gleeson to his first game to watch us. Those were pioneering days. It was a dream. The football was fantastic.

“Those were great times and we’re still going! We must have a cup of coffee with Lawrence Big Bear Ngubane!”

BOLLOCKZ! my own football show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 9am. See the Ballz channel on www.youtube.com for our growing collection of interviews with the big names in South African football.

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.

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice and how we are doing in using @thumperpigeon's R5,000 to make money for the Ballz charity WINGZ OF CHANGE.

The big-kick off tonight: Stuart Baxter's AmaKhosi go from the hunters to the hunted in Mpumalanga

THE big PSL kick-off tonight sees double-winning Kaizer Chiefs take on promoted Mpumalanga Blacks Aces at Mbombela – and AmaKhosi boss Stuart Baxter admits: “We are no longer the hunter, we are the hunted.”

Facing a side bolstered by 68-year-old AFCON-winning coach Clive Barker and an estimated 16 transfer window signings, Baxter told me on BOLLOCKZ! “The boys are conscious of the difference now after last year. Everybody knows what they’re getting now, they’re chasing us.

“They’re all working, it’s a double whammy, in the past everybody wanted to beat Kaizer Chiefs, ow they want to beat the champions - let’s get on with it!

“We’ll get us to being the hunted not the hunter. Clive Barker, a like a lot. But I don’t know much about his team with all those signings! We’ll prepare our game, Knowledge Musona is as ready as he can be having just come back to the club.

“Even at Manchester United at Chelsea, players have to settle but Musona is looking solid in training, a great asset. But as you say, Aces aren’t your usual promoted team.

“But they could also start slowly, so many are new. Clive will win them up for this and it could be a very tough game.

“We’ve got AmaTuks in the MTN8 quarter-final a week later. It’s a Barker double – Clive and Steve – it’s a tough start. They both organise their teams well, make sure they’re competitive.

“Clive’s team will be structured and organised. We’ve got Moroka Swallows early on as well. The only injury problems are Siyabonga Nkhosi’s calf injury and Keegan Richie went down yesterday with an aggravated Achilles tendon.

“And George Lebese is suspended from yellow cards which are hanging over from the season before.

“Apart from Orlando Pirates, all the teams like SuperSport United and Wits are trying to be like Platinum Stars, coming from off the radar with no pressure on them.

“People have invested a lot of money, that’s where the trouble will come from!”

The opening round:

TONIGHT        Mpumalanga Aces      20:00     Kaizer Chiefs

TOMORROW    Golden Arrows           15:00     Ajax Cape Town

TOMORROW    Moroka Swallows       15:00     University of Pretoria

TOMORROW    SuperSport United       20:15     Free State Stars

TOMORROW    Maritzburg United        20:15     Polokwane City

SUNDAY         Bloemfontein Celtic      15:00     Mamelodi Sundowns

SUNDAY         Platinum Stars              15:00     Bidvest Wits

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 10am-noon. 

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

#BOLLOCKS is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!