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

EXCLUSIVE: The SAFA statement that PROVES Thulani Serero had every right to report late for Bafana camp

THE BOYS, THE BOYS: official Bafana squad picture for AFCON 2015
taken this morning before they fly to Gabon tomorrow

JUST one last question for the South African Football Association in the wake of Thulani Serero’s controversial omission from Shakes Mashaba’s AFCON 2015 squad: can you explain THIS?

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE: SAFA statement, dated 29 December 2014

Yes, here it is, confirmation that Serero, South Africa’s only Champions League star, was only expected in camp on January 2. It’s all there, word for word. Posted on December 29, 2014. Go check it yourself at http://www.safa.net/index.php?page=articles&id=2645 it says: “Only two players will miss the training camp – Netherlands-based Thulani Serero, who is expected on Friday, 2 January while England-based Dean Furman will be in South Africa two days later (Sunday, 4 January).”

Yet on December 30, when Mashaba named his final 23 for Equatorial Guinea, Serero was AXED for failing to show up and Shakes said “He proved to be not as good as some of the others”.

What utter nonsense. What’s worse is that Mashaba and his SAFA cohorts then briefed the local football journalists on how to annihilate South Africa’s most talented player to protect their unbeaten coach.

The truth is of course, when Mashaba heard Serero was in Soweto before Christmas (he arrived home on December 22 to see family and friends) he “went berserk”, allegedly because Serero was telling people he was an automatic choice for AFCON from the provisional 34-man squad, which contained several players not currently good enough to play for their PSL clubs.

The SAFA statement actually proves that, in fact, Serero WAS an automatic choice, like Doncaster Rovers midfielder Dean Furman. Neither were expected to attend the Boxing Day camp, their places were assured. They had no need to join the camp and prove themselves. Much was made of the fact that overseas-based stars Andile Jali and Tokelo Rantie reported early… but they did so only because they were injured.

For Mashaba to unfairly exclude a foreign player is nothing new. Ten years ago he did the same with established world-class players like Lucas Radebe, Mark Fish and Quinton Fortune and, despite strong results, he was sacked for exactly that in 2003.

Mashaba is clearly going down the same route, stubbornly refusing to accept the demands of playing at the top level in Europe. Or is it something darker?

Much has been made of Dr Irvin Khoza’s recent admission that Bafana coaches have been “influenced by agents” and perhaps Shakes finds himself going down the same path. He picks unknown players represented by local agents but refuses to name proven European stars because their agents refuse to dabble in international selection.

If there is a different conclusion to draw, I am happy to accept it. But this article is an attempt to counter the appalling character assassination in the South African media over the weekend, where Serero was portrayed as “arrogant” and “unpatriotic”. The Sunday Times in particular went to great lengths to justify Mashaba’s questionable decision.

In truth, everyone knows Serero, in his own words “would love to have represented my nation at such a big tournament”. Ajax Amsterdam had written to SAFA requesting a Christmas break for their star and, according to the statement above, it had been granted.

With May Mahlangu banned and Kamahelo “Heavy” Mokotjo disappearing without appearing at the start of the Shakes reign, the Serero case is a further evidence of mismanagement and miscommunication from SAFA and Bafana which robs the nation of our finest talent.

Mashaba may be unbeaten in eight games, and we wish Bafana’s 23 all the luck in the world in their Group of Death later this month… but to my mind, SAFA’s statement PROVES Serero was unfairly dealt with. At the very least he deserves an apology, like the one he got from previous Bafana boss Gordon Igesund.

But we all know that will never happen.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THULANI SERERO'S AXE: he arrived early, didn't report for Bafana. Was it miscommunication or arrogance that drove Shakes Mashaba "berserk"?

AXED: Thulani Serero, South Africa's ONLY Champions League star
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THE story of Thulani Serero’s shock omission from South Africa’s final AFCON 2015 squad is not complicated. Nor is it particularly surprising. But, as a mole inside SAFA told me (see grab of DM below) it WAS very badly handled.

In the initial after-shock of hearing that Bafana Bafana’s only current Champions League player had been thrown out, head coach Shakes Mashaba issued a few surprising statements as he attempted to avoid the issue, much as Gordon Igesund did when confronted with the same player’s shenanigans a year ago in Durban (September 2013, that story is HERE http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/09/thulani-serero-putting-barcelona-ahead.html

Mashaba, who lost his Bafana post despite positive results a decade ago for his unyielding attitude to big name foreign stars, told us: “There are other players who proved better than Serero”; that “It would take a year if I had to discuss this decision” and “I’ve dropped 11 players, we should talk about all of them”.

Technically, those were lies. Serero wasn't even in camp to compare him with other players. But understandable given the circumstances. Meanwhile Serero was on the official Ajax website saying he would "love to represent my country at such an important tournament".

Was this another case of Mashaba dropping a young foreign star while picking EIGHT tried and failed stars from AFCON 2013? Or did he have just cause for axing 24-year-old Serero, who appeared to have kissed and made up with both Igesund and SAFA?

Decide for yourself. Here’s what happened:

Thulani Serero, unlike the six members of the provisional squad based in Belgium and England, DID have a Christmas break. The Ere Divisie shuts down for the Festive Season  Ajax Amsterdam don't play again until January 16. So Serero leapt on a plane to his friends and family in Soweto, just outside Johannesburg, and was seen attending the Discovery football tournament before Christmas.

While Dean Furman, Anele Ngcongca and Darren Keet played over Christmas, Serero arrived in Johannesburg on December 22. I believe the flight booked for him by SAFA a week later was either cancelled or ignored. Meanwhile the local PSL players gathered on Boxing Day to prepare with Mashaba and his technical team, attending medical checks before an initial training session on December 28.

While Andile Jali (knee) and Tokelo Rantie (shoulder) turned up for camp early to have their injuries cleared after missing recent games for Oostende in Belgium and high-flying Bournemouth in England, Serero did NOT appear.

According to my source at SAFA, Serero was in Jozi and the surrounds telling players already in camp he was “an automatic choice” and would join the final Bafana 23-man squad for Equatorial Guinea on January 2.

And that’s the problem. While Furman, Keet and Ngcongca were allowed some leeway, Serero’s Christmas Break and early arrival in South Africa got the players talking. And word reached Mashaba who “went berserk”.

This is the true story of Serero’s exclusion. I am told Serero was not aware that he had to report for Bafana with the Boxing Day crew because he had a later flight booked. When I said that on twitter, SAFA Communications Director Dominic Chimhavi, an honourable man who does his job properly, told me I was mis-informed.

I asked him to correct me, get to the truth. I asked: “Did Serero arrive early in South Africa? Did he fail to report for Bafana? Did he know when and where to report?”

Chimhavi, who has subsequently deleted his tweets, confirmed: “That’s a yes to all three questions.”

Shortly afterwards the DMs and SMSs began arriving as Twitter responded to these revelations. Among the messages from angry SAFA officials, Bafana loyalists and agents claiming their players had to be informed of their fate by the media, one good source stood out.

Good source: my DM on Twitter revealing Serero details

I cannot name the bloke, but here’s what he sent me, you can just about read it on the screen grab!

“Same to you mate. I actually enjoyed the interaction. The young boy (Serero) shot himself in the foot, although the matter was not properly handled.

“He arrived in the country on 22 Dec, never went to camp but attended Soweto Games and boasted to those in camp that he will see them on 2 Dec.

“Shakes lost it. He went berserk.”

 I checked on the date and the source corrected it to Friday, 2 January – tomorrow, saying: “Sorry, yes Friday 2 Jan; making himself an automatic choice. These young boys!!!”

So there it is. Serero IS good enough, as he was during qualifying. Nobody should question his talent. His exclusion should have been truthfully dealt with. In fact, he should be banned as "fatigued" May Mahlangu was for failing to attend the last Bafana gathering, if SAFA are to be seen as consistent.

Our “Group of Death” AFCON opponents Algeria, Senegal and Ghana will be completely flummoxed by the arrival and departure of Serero and Ayanda Patosi, foreign-based stars who flew 18000km for NOTHING.

They will also question the absence of Mahlangu and FC Twente’s Kamahelo Mokotjo, cast out after travelling to Johannesburg, Khartoum, Cape Town and then back to Enschede without a minute on the pitch during Mashaba’s opening two Group A qualifiers against Sudan and Nigeria.

They will also wonder whether Rantie, the two-goal hero away to Nigeria in the final qualifier, is fit after his partial shoulder dislocation suffered during a minute-long appearance for Bournemouth in November. Certainly he has not played for the Cherries since as they lead the Championship, en route to the Premier League.

And Jali’s knee, which forced him out of Oostende’s last Belgian league game, will be a concern too.

But as I have said before, unbeaten Mashaba topped his qualifying group. He has a knack of doing the right thing when the critics stand open-mouthed. Apart from the mysterious absence of Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite, I cannot fault his final squad given Serero’s tale.

The starting XI for Algeria on January 18 is all that matters now. With Reneilwe Letsholonyane suspended for the opening game after his red card against Nigeria, Chippa United’s Thamsanqa Sangweni – brother of Orlando Pirates former Bafana captain Siya – has to be a contender ahead of the likes of Thuso Phala and Oupa Manyisa, hardly burning up the PSL with SuperSport United and Pirates this season.

That leaves Sundowns midfielder Bongani Zungu, who scored in the Nelson Mandela Challenge against Ivory Coast last month, to provide width, something he did with some style in his early days at AmaTuks. Full-back Thabo Matlaba, not a fixture at Pirates right now due to squad rival Patrick Phungwayo, likes to get forward too and Parker tends to drift wide at Chiefs. Team-mate Mandla Masango provides a wide alternative, as does Phala.

Here's my AFCON starting XI to play Algeria in the opening Group C game on January 18: Darren Keet; Anele Ngcongca, Tower Mathoho, Tyson Hlatshwayo, Thabo Matlaba; Thami Sangweni, Dean Furman, Andile Jali, Bongani Zungu; Bernard Parker, Tokelo Rantie.

My source tells me Jali’s knee will be ready for Algeria, if not for the friendly against Zambia at Orlando on Sunday. The same applies for Rantie, who has not played for six weeks. Further friendlies against Mali and Cameroon in Gabon will give Mashaba room to experiment.

Feel free to tweet your Bafana starting line-up to www.twitter.com/nealcol or comment below. And please click on the red button above to vote for me in the SA Blog of the Year awards!

AFCON 2015 special: Farewell Thulani Serero, good luck Shakes Mashaba, the complete guide to South Africa's January jaunt

Ready for action: Soccer Laduma's Joe Crann's take on Bafana
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SO Ephraim Mashaba has added Thulani Serero, the world class Ajax Amsterdam midfielder, to his growing list of unwanted players, though he failed to explain exactly WHY when he announced his final squad for AFCON 2015.

With Serero joining May Mahlangu, Ayanda Patosi and Kamahelo Mokotjo in the list of foreign players not needed for Equatorial Guinea. the storm clouds are brewing for Shakes, who has had his job as South Africa's head coach terminated due to ignoring the big-name foreign stars before.

Personally, I think it's madness (and may have something to do with Serero turning up in South Africa but failing to rush straight to the Bafana Boxing Day camp) but Mashaba got through qualifying - with Serero - unbeaten and top of Group A ahead of the reigning African champions Nigeria. So the criticism button is on mute, We have to stick to the "Shakes knows best" hashtag for now.

But forget all that. Apart from the absence of Kaizer Chiefs central defender Tefu Mashamaite, I understand the Mashaba attitude to players he considers unpatriotic for putting their European careers ahead of national pride.

It's worth noting the average age of this Bafana squad is 25.3, less than a year younger than Gordon Igesund's 23 (26.2) at AFCON 2013 on home soil. EIGHT players survive from two years ago - Bernard Parker, Yeye, Matlaba, Ngcongca, captain Furman, Rantie, Manyisa and Phala.

But what happens next for Bafana Bafana, now that they have finally qualified for an on-off Afcon shifted from Morocco to Equatorial Guinea due to the threat of ebola and (some say) poor ticket sales?

With the PSL on hold until February 10 the next big step is the friendly against Zambia the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

OFFICIAL: the final 23 names for AFCON 2015

The 2012 AFCON champions finished second in their qualifying group behind Cape Verde but are the ‘pot one’ representatives in Group B for Equatorial Guinea. I’d imagine Shakes will experiment a little in his final preparation on home soil, resting the foreign players, trying a few combinations in the midfield and up front with Andile Jali’s knee, Yeye's post-Nigeria suspension and Tokelo Rantie’s shoulder all worth considering.

The squad will then fly to Gabon, west and south of tiny Equatorial Guinea, where they will play a friendly against Mali – in Group D for AFCON – before their final warm-up against Cameroon – also in Group D - in the capital Libreville.

From there, they head to Mongomo, a tiny city of 7,000 souls right on the border with Gabon, which gave rise to current President Teodoro Obiang, who has ruled the nation since erm… 1979. Given the local dictator was born in the region, much has been done at the local stadium, known as  Estadio Santiago Nguema Eneme, with the capacity raised from 5000 to 15000.

Spanish pitch experts IberGreen claim to have relaid the dodgy surface in “record time” over the weekend, though it might still be a problem when they host the Group of Death, as South Africa’s gang of four in Equatorial Guinea will soon find out.

So how does the AFCON 2015 schedule look? First up: the opening ceremony in the Bata Stadium on Saturday, 17 January, starting at 4pm CAT, which will be followed by the opening game between the hosts and Burkina Faso an hour later.

On Monday, January 19, Bafana Bafana face what will be the toughest test of this tournament: Algeria in Mongomo, at 8pm. The Algerians, impressive during the World Cup, are now Africa’s top ranked side and with a FIFA ranking of 15, their gathering of French-born, French-bred professionals may not be household names around the world but they are a seriously efficient outfit.

On Friday, January 23, it’s Senegal with their array of foreign-based stars, including Newcastle’s Papisse Cisse, kicking off at 8pm.

On Tuesday, January 27, South Africa play Ghana at Mongomo at 7pm. Though former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has ditched some of the great names – Muntari, Essien and Boateng – they remain a potent force with Asamoah Gyan apparently back in favour. As I’ve explained below, this is by far the toughest group in the tournament. South Africa will do well to come away with anything from those three African giants.

If Shakes and his boys surpass all expectations and finish in the top two in Group C, they go to the quarter-finals in Bata or the capital Malabo on Saturday, January 31 or Sunday, Febuary 1.

The semi-finals take place on Wednesday February 4 or Thursday, February 4 at the same two venues.

And finally, the final at the Bata Stadium on Sunday, February 8, though the third-place play-off is on Saturday, February 7 at Malabo.

Phew. Sadly, few South Africans will be there to enjoy the action live. SAFA sent me the Champion Tours itinerary for Equatorial Guinea. Just watching the group games would set me back a cool R82500 but that rises to R145000 if Bafana Bafana go all the way to the final. Guess I’ll have to sell the family jewels to get there.

Given the draw, South Africa will do well to get more than a couple of points in Equatorial Guinea. I don’t think I’ve ever seen luckier hosts and less fortunate South Africans – and I’ve covered a lot of them, rugby, cricket, football. But nothing quite like how this tournament panned out.

Below, I’ve given current FIFA rankings in an attempt to highlight just how hard it will be for Bafana Bafana. The easiest team in South Africa’s Group C (Senegal, 41) are way tougher than the hardest team in the hosts’ GroupA (Congo, 62) and it’s surely not by chance.

This is how the groups breakdown:

GROUP A
Equatorial Guinea 125
Burkina Faso 71
Gabon 67
Congo 62

TOTAL: 325

GROUP B
Zambia 78
Tunisia 31
Cape Verde 33
DR Congo 60

TOTAL: 202

GROUP C
Ghana 35
Algeria 15
South Africa 57
Senegal 41

TOTAL: 148

GROUP D
Ivory Coast 25
Mali 58
Cameroon 40
Guinea 55

TOTAL: 178

Unbelievable draw that. Still, having been quoted the price of a family car to make the trip, it’s unlikely I’ll be remonstrating personally with Presidents Obiang or Hayatou. Just as well I guess.

Good luck Shakes Mashaba. As I’ve said all along, you’ll need it.

Brave new world for Bafana: new assistant coach Owen da Gama on the rocky road ahead

In the hot seats: Da Gama and Mashaba

AMIDST the hullabaloo over Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba naming his first Bafana Bafana squad, one name escaped scrutiny. Perhaps Owen da Gama avoided the microscope because he was a surprise choice as assistant coach rather than one of the new, young players.

Da Gama’s sudden rise to the penultimate step on South Africa’s slippery footballing ladder comes after his involvement with Mashaba in the Nedbank Ke Yona talent search over the past few months. A few twitterers questioned 53-year-old Da Gama’s presence on the South African bench, but let’s make this clear: he has to get the benefit of the doubt, just like many of Mashaba’s youngsters as they head in to a four-day camp before tough AFCON 2015 qualifiers against Sudan in Khartoum on September 5 and Nigeria in Cape Town on September 10.

I spoke to Owen a few minutes ago. More of that later. But let’s have a look at the full Da Gama story first. It is a fascinating saga, not untypical of our game. He was a useful player, spending some time in Belgium and Ireland, and has had a long and varied career in coaching. But it was not always a fairy tale, particularly when he was accused – but cleared - of soliciting money from players to play in the first team at Platinum Stars a few years ago.

A youngster with Arcadia Shepherds (my old foe as a kid in Tshwane in the 1970s); Owen Joao Cornelius Da Gama was a striker; his spell as a professional at Pretoria Callies was pretty useful – he scored 17 goals in 35 games under former Glasgow Rangers legend the late Kai Johansson in the old NPSL, also turning out for Colchester United and Dynamos.

On the back of his exploits for Callies, Da Gama signed a three-year deal with Belgian club Beerschot in 1985 and was loaned to Derry City in Ireland where he won the League of Ireland title and scored a hat-trick in a cup final en route to becoming the club’s top scorer and PFAI Player of the Year in 1986. Playing for a Catholic team in Northern Ireland who competed in the neighbouring Republic of Ireland, those were heady days in front of fanatical support during The Troubles.

In 1989, Apartheid prevented a move to Spanish First Division Club Figueres – no South Africans were allowed work permits in those days. Errol Hughes brought him back to South Africa’s Leeds United as player-coach with some success, before a stint at Moroka Swallows where scored twice in the 1989 Bob Save Super Bowl final against Mamelodi Sundowns. Da Gama ended his playing days at Dynamos when he picked up a career-ending knee injury in 1990.

And that’s when the coaching began. In 1992, Da Gama took Dynamos from relegation fodder to third in 1992 and returned under new owner Peter Rabali to lead Dynamos in to the new-fangled Premier Soccer League in 1996.

He then took Silver Stars – now Platinum Stars – from the Vodacom League to the National First Division in 1998 but left to run his own computer business in Pretoria.

There, he part-owned and coached PSM Parkhurst in the Vodacom League, finishing second before returning to Silver Stars where a remarkable run of 9 wins in 11 matches saved the club from PSL relegation in 2000.

Three years later, after relegation from the top flight, his Stars knocked mighty Orlando Pirates out of the 2003 ABSA Cup and won their place back in the PSL. In 2005 Stars ended on a high in 5^th and he was voted PSL Coach of the Season at the end of the 2006 season. Simba Marumo (now head of our player’s union) scored a hat-trick to win them the Telkom Knockout against Ajax Cape Town in Atteridgeville.

By 2007, Silver Stars finished 2nd in the league and were playing in the 2008 CAF Champions League. That’s when Da Gama decamped to Orlando Pirates, replacing Bibey Mutombo after six games with the Buccaneers bottom of the PSL. Da Gama’s revival saw them rise to 8^th but he left Orlando in June 2008 for a topsy-turvy year at Free State Stars as Director of Coaching and caretaker coach when David Duncan was ousted.

Bloemfontein Celtic and another relegation-saving campaign followed. He lifted Siwelele off the bottom of the table to 14^th in 2009 and guided them to 6^th the following year.

But now we come to the nub of the problem. In August, 2010, Da Gama returned to his old stamping ground. Silver Stars had become Platinum Stars, with the platinum-plated might of the Royal BaFokeng Kingdom behind the club in the North West.

Stars finished 10^th in 2011 but the following season came allegations that Da Gama was asking players – and/or agents – for R5000 to play in the first team.

Da Gama strongly refuted those claims and himself called for an investigation. He was suspended in March 2012 and cleared of ANY WRONGDOING in May after what he calls “weeks of pure hell” – but soon resigned as he felt he “no longer had a working relationship with some officials at Platinum Stars” and was paid out on his contract.

Since then, in November 2012, he helped his old club Dynamos survive in the National First Division after a 6-match winless run, something of a tradition for the man born in Volksrust in August 1961. The also-traditional swift departure followed four months later.

Da Gama played a part in the early careers of many of South Africa’s top stars. He lists among his successes Surprise Moriri at Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United’s Thuso Phala and Mulomowndau “Tower” Mathoho, now at Kaizer Chiefs and named in today’s Bafana squad.

Da Gama’s elevation to national assistant coach was confirmed in Cape Town Civic Centre yesterday by new head coach Mashaba – they had been working together on the Nedbank Ke Yona talent-search, naming their team yesterday to take on last year’s winners Orlando Pirates. Thabo Senong, the 34-year-old “encycopedia of youth” will fill the bench as second assistant and former Pirates goalkeeper Lucky Shiburi was named goalkeeper coach.

The South African Football Association remains without a Technical Director – former women’s TD Fran Hilton-Smith will apparently fill that role on a contingency basis – and Mashaba told us after naming his squad: “There is huge talent in this country.  I chose a big squad because we are playing two crucial matches; we don’t want to leave anything to chance.

“We are aligning ourselves with SAFA’s Vision 2022. The youngsters we have selected are part of that long-term vision.

“Along the way we will come across several competitions like the 2015 Morocco AFCON, the 2016 Rio Olympics, 2017 Libya AFCON, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“But we also looked at current form, and some players are unfortunate not to be part of the squad, they are talented but don’t have the momentum yet as the league just started. All we ask for now is support from the public for this project we are working on.”

Shakes will get that support. In spades. His work with the Under 20s is well known and reasonably successful. He’s done the big job before, with results second only to Sir Clive Barker. But there is a critique emerging. Darren Keet, impressive in Belgium, is left out of the goalkeeping selection for AmaJitas’ No 1 Dumisani Msibi of SuperSport United. A fully-fit but axed Siyanda Xulu, on the bench for Russia’s FC Rostov in Europe last night, plays second fiddle to Bafana U20 defender Ayabulela Magqwaka who admits: “I just burst in to tears when I heard I’d been picked.”

Ajax Amsterdam’s Thulani Serero, so important as the fulcrum towards the end of Gordon Igesund’s Bafana tenure, is also out, and there is no place for May Mahlangu, who scored four times in early season action for Goteborg, attracting attention from West Brom among a host of European clubs.

Curiously, Ayanda Patosi – declared unfit by Lokeren in their Europa League qualifier against Hull City last night – is IN. So is Dean Furman, currently playing in England’s third flight, and Tokelo Rantie, who is only being used in brief spells by Bournemouth. The striking department, unavoidably, looks awfully weak.

So I called Owen Da Gama for his take: “This appointment is a surprise, but it’s also exciting to be involved in such a massive project. I helped choose the players. I’m very, very confident. The Shakes masterplan is the same as SAFA’s. It’s unbelievable when you look at the depth of that statement.

“Foundations are being laid in place. I’ve always tried to lay foundations wherever I’ve gone. We’re looking to the future but there’s no doubt about it, we want to win from the start, do as well as possible. We understand the challenges.

“It’s all a process. As much as we don’t want to send the message of immediate success, the main focus is Shakes wants to create strong patriotic frameworks. Nobody is guaranteed a place. Should these players come from overseas, they must have respect. Even if you play for Manchester United.

“The biggest problem we’ve had is certain matches are shunted, overseas players are suddenly not available. Serero is pedigree, but we are sending a strong signal out that everybody is going to be considered, must fight for a position. We had Siyanda Xulu and Serero on the list.”

Da Gama and I are the same age, we both played with a certain Roy Wegerle on opposite sides in the 1970. He now has my best wishes after a good phone call. The nation is behind Mashaba’s new Bafana.  But he knows Sudan will be a tough trip without Serero, Xulu and Mahlangu. And Nigeria in Cape Town even tougher.

Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers:

Itumeleng Khune, Senzo Meyiwa, Dumisani Msibi.

Defenders:

Buhle Mkhwanazi, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Thabo Matlaba, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Ayabulela Magqwaka, Mulomowandau Mathoho, Anele Ngcongca, Rivaldo Coetzee, Sibusiso Khumalo.

Midfielders:

Themba Zwane, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Oupa Manyisa, Andile Jali, Dean Furman, Ayanda Patosi, Keagan Dolly, Mandla Masango, Kamohelo Mokotjo.

Strikers:

Tokelo Rantie, Bongani Ndulula, David Zulu, Bongi Ntuli.

Bafana reserves:

Darren Keet, Ronwen Williams, Ntsikelelo Nyauza, Bongani Zungu, George Lebese, Percy Tau, Nhlakanipho Ntuli, Siyanda Ngubo.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' Youtube 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.

Australia 1-1 South Africa: good result, but no need for a hero's welcome

Scorer: Ayanda Patosi

Gordon Igesund, take a bow. You failed at AFCON, you didn’t qualify for the World Cup, we were a laughing stock at CHAN and lost 5-0 to Brazil. But in Sydney yesterday, Bafana Bafana confounded Brazil-bound Australia.

A 1-1 draw against the Socceroos is not going to spark a hero’s parade at Oliver Tambo International but with New Zealand to come this week, it wasn’t a bad result given the circumstances.

Blitzed by withdrawals and heading towards the end of his contract, South Africa’s head coach gave Australia the worst possible send-off to the World Cup next month. They are drawn in something of a Group of Death with Chile first up, followed by the Netherlands and champions Spain, who haven’t lost a major tournament in three attempts.

If they can’t beat Bafana, with Thabo Nthethe and a grieving Tower Mathoho at the back, they are unlikely to get much out of that trio.

At this point, a special mention for Mulomowandau “Mouth of the Lion” Mathoho. While his multi-capped Kaizer Chiefs team-mates chose to take a holiday rather than representing the nation, our Tower chose to travel to Australia and when his cousin died he stayed to play in Sydney – he will return home today for the funeral.

That takes some guts. And Mathoho showed plenty of that as the Australians dominated the early exchanges. Senzo Meyiwa – watched by habitual No 1 Itumeleng Khune (he confirmed as much to me on twitter) – made six saves in the first 20 minutes and the Orlando Pirates stopper was excellent if unorthodox throughout.

His one mistake came just after Ayanada Patosi’s excellent curling goal for Bafana. Caught by a looping cross, he forgot just how high little Tim Cahill can jump. Bang, 1-1. Everton will confirm Cahill can confound with his head, despite his lack of height.

There was barely time to take a breath between the two goals which marked this final friendly for Australia. But there was plenty of time to take stock of Igesund’s new-look Bafana.

The stupid row with Igesund over Thulani Serero’s injury appears to have been forgotten. The Ajax Ere Divisie winner flew all the way Down Under and shone in midfield, where he will anchor South Africa’s engine room long after Gordon departs.

With Thuso Phala of SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns title-winner Hlompho Kekana quiet, Serero got through a lot of work – and took a look of heavy challenges – but emerged unbowed.

Igesund said: “The journey starts now. This is a competitive bunch of players, they will go places. 

"SAFA’s vision is to be No 3 in Africa and among the top 20 in the FIFA world rankings and these boys will play a major role in the realisation of that dream.

"This tour will mark the beginning of a new era in South African football.

“I am very excited with what I have seen from them in the few days we have been together. They are eager to learn and want to leave a lasting impression.

“I now hope to take this momentum to New Zealand and if they produce the same form, we will enter the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on a high. I have massive belief in this squad. The players have the right attitude, are talented and they know what they want.”

But let’s not fool ourselves. This was a good result for Bafana but not a great performance. Too often the ball was wasted in midfield, possession was lost far too easily – and despite the muscular efforts of Bournemouth’s Tokelo Rantie, there was no sign of a revival up front for South Africa’s blank-shooting strikers.

What we did see was that the great “legends” of Bafana – who spectacularly failed to achieve qualification for the World Cup despite Ethiopia being docked three points during qualifying – are not badly missed.

There is depth in South African football. And we have young talent like Siyanda Xulu at Rostov, Peterborough’s Kagiso Nthle and AmaTuks Buhle Makhwanazi still to come.

So there is light at the end of the Bafana tunnel, whether Igesund departs when his contract expires in August or not. But for Australia? I won’t be betting on them in Brazil!

Thulani Serero: the other side of Bafanagate: "I would never turn my back on my country"

Thulani Serero, right, with his agent Mike Ntombela,
the former Mamelodi Sundowns star

HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF THULANI SERERO’S RESPONSE TO BEING SENT HOME BY SOUTH AFRICA BEFORE BAFANA’S WORLD CUP QUALIFIER AGAINST BOTSWANA ON SATURDAY:

"I will never turn my back on my country. I’m what I am today because of the continued support I get from various people in South Africa.

"I would not have travelled to Durban from Holland if I did not want to play. The truth of the matter is that I started feeling an excruciating pain after Wednesday’s training.

“Later in the evening, I went to coach Gordon to explain to him that I suspected my niggling groin problem was coming back. It was the same pain I felt when I was out of action for several months last year.

"I love South Africa and will always be available to play for Bafana Bafana. I also do not choose games.

"I will never do such a thing. I have played for Bafana in the past ahead of Champions League games. The other thing is: I’m not the coach, so there is no guarantee I will play."

Via Mike Ntombela, http://ntombelasportmanagement.wordpress.com

The question neither Ntombela nor Serero address in this prepared statement is: Will Thulani return home to tell Ajax he felt "excruciating pain" while training in Durban, thus risking his place against Barcelona on September 18? 

I have asked former Mamelodi Sundowns star Mike Ntombela if he or Thulani Serero will appear on BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za this week, it 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 inwww.thenewage.co.za. 

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

Thulani Serero: putting Barcelona ahead of Botswana... and upsetting a lot of people

Going Dutch: Serero and Ajax Amsterdam boss Frank De Boer

Next Wednesday night Thulani Serero, a 23-year-old Sowetan with useful feet, is due to play at the Nou Camp for Ajax Amsterdam in their opening Champions League showdown against mighty Barcelona in front of a capacity crowd of 99,786 people.

Last Saturday, the man from Mapetla was due to play for South Africa against Botswana at the Moses Mabhida stadium in a 4-1 win (rendered meaningless when Ethiopia beat the Central African Republic 2-1 to finish top of CAF World Cup qualifying Group A).

Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund didn’t see it as a choice. Like any international manager he assumed Serero would be ready and able to play for both country and club after a R60,000 business class flight to King Shaka airport.

It is now common knowledge that Serero claimed he had “tight muscles” and could not play for his country 48 hours before kick-off. After establishing the 2011 PSL Player of the Year was fully fit, Igesund had him removed from the team hotel and a SAFA disciplinary hearing is likely to follow his report on the incident.

But that is only the tip of the Thulani iceberg. In a series of phone calls with various members of the squad, I can reveal:

1 Serero was reluctant to play for Bafana during AFCON in January, when he also claimed to be unfit despite a clean bill of health.

2 The youngster upset senior Bafana players by telling them on the team bus: “When South Africa needs to win, they call me”.

3 Serero refused to “warm down” in the swimming pool with the rest of the squad, telling the squad’s fitness coach: “I don’t do water”.

4 He told the Bafana medical team he was not fit to play but didn’t want to be publicly declared injured as it would have ruined his chances of playing at the Nou Camp.

5 Serero told journalists he was not in the starting line-up and was “tired of travelling for meaningless games in Africa”.

Igesund vehemently denied the last point, insisting: “I swear on my son’s life, Serero was IN my starting line-up. I told him that last Thursday. The rest of my team hadn’t even been picked by then.

“And even if he was on the bench, how do you think that sounds to people like Kagiso Dikgachoi, who is playing for Crystal Palace in the English Premier League, and Dean Furman who was struggled to get back in the Doncaster team since he came to play for us against Nigeria?

“Nobody is bigger than his country. I am the Bafana head coach Neal, I have to do what’s best for the nation. Serero’s behaviour was completely unacceptable. I was livid, I tell you.”

Though Serero has returned to the Netherlands without comment, the story rumbles on – with Igesund running the risk of huge criticism if the ousted South African plays a starring role for Ajax in the Champions League.

Igesund refuses to back down. His full explanation of events goes like this: “On Thursday I had already informed Thulani that he had been excellent at training, he’s performing well and I need him to take it to the next step. I know the kind of guy he is, and I wanted him to be ready to produce his best for South Africa for the first time.

“I said to him everyone in this country knows he plays in Holland and I asked him to show the people in this country what kind of a player he is. I told him, and this is the truth, that I was going to start him on Saturday and that I wanted him to start expressing himself.

“He trained on Thursday and he then went to my team doctor to tell him he’s got a tight muscle in his thigh/groin area. The doctor checked him out and said he is okay, no groin injury.

“The doctor had six or seven players in the team with tight muscles. He still trained and again he was the outstanding player, there was no problem with his movement.

“On Friday, our assistant coach Serame Letsoake came to me and he said Thulani had approached him to tell him he doesn’t want to play. I was quite shocked so I called Thulani, my doctor and Serame to a meeting in my room. I asked Thulani, ‘Are you injured’? He said, ‘I have a tight muscle and I’m scared I might injure myself’. So I said, ‘Thulani, you got to work with me here son. You know I want you in the team and now you say you don’t want to play’.

“The doctor was there and I asked him, ‘I want to know has Thulani got a slight injury?’ The doctor said he doesn’t have an injury and he’s got a tight muscle. When the doctor tells you that, he isn’t making it up. He’s a doctor for God’s sake.

“It turns out Thulani told the doctor that he doesn’t want to play because he’s got a big game in Holland next week. Of course I was annoyed - why did he even fly to Durban?

“Serero seems to have developed a big head, like he’s better than all the other players here. I had called the Ajax coach Frank de Boer and he said Serero needed game time.

 “I don’t know what went wrong. He flew business class that cost R60 000 to fly over here with the intention of not playing. The truth of the matter is that Thulani Serero turned his back on us because he wants to play in the Champions League. That is insulting in my opinion.

“I was very surprised.  There was no patriotism, I couldn’t take that, especially when I have a bunch of players who really want to pull on that Bafana jersey.”

Igesund had the player removed from the team hotel though he pointed out: “Serero was given the privilege of staying at the hotel next door and was offered meals and a lift to the airport.”

The story doesn’t end there. Igesund says: “I don’t like to make hasty decisions but Serero will have to face a disciplinary hearing after a write my report for SAFA. Do you really think I would have done all this without a good reason?

“I honestly believe I’ve done my job. I made the decision. I stand by it. I’ve done what’s right for the team and for the country. Some might say it harsh, but you’ve got to face up to your responsibility."

Like just about every other football journalist in South Africa, attempts to talk to Serero and the man who took him to Holland, Mike Ntombela, are proving fruitless.

My fear is this: If Thulani Serero produces a magical performance against Barcelona on the 18^th, or if he stars throughout the tournament in a group which also includes AC Milan and Celtic, then what?

It’s one thing to overlook foreign-based South Africans who don’t appear on our televisions very often. It’s another to have burned your bridges with a man who could become South Africa’s premier footballer over the next couple of months.

And we all know what happened with Everton’s Stevie Pienaar when he felt he wasn’t sufficiently valued by Bafana Bafana. Can we really afford to push a second world class footballer in to the international wilderness?

Igesund’s closing statement is telling: “In life, there are decisions to be made. Serero is 23 and playing for a very big club in Holland, and if he is talking about retirement then he has to make his choices in life. You live and die by the choices you make. If he wants to put his club first, like Stevie did, I will never victimise him in any way.”

I will make every effort to get Thulani Serero on BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za this week, it 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 inwww.thenewage.co.za. 

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