BOLLOCKZ! Glyn Binkin on Bongani Khumalo's future, his fighting spirit, his talent - and Siya Sangweni's role in the AFCON failure

GLYN BINKIN has finally lifted the lid on Bongani Khumalo’s future in football – revealing he has no great pull to return to South Africa as “he has no family left here.”

Binkin also defended his player’s role at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year – pointing to centre-back partner Siya Sangweni’s role in the Bafana team that failed on penalties to reach the semi-finals on 

home soil earlier this year.

We spent two hours in the Ballz visual radio studio yesterday, discussing several of Binkin’s men – Morgan Gould and Mabhuti Khenyeza amongst them – but Khumalo’s situation is fascinating.

Binkin is understandably peeved about former Bafana captain Khumalo’s loan move to Championship side Ipswich falling through when Tottenham Hotspur changed their wage demands and insisted on being able to recall the Swaziland-born centre-back in January.

Binkin, who represents many of South Africa’s top footballers at home and abroad through “The Players' Club”, said: “Bongani’s been at Spurs for two and a half years now. He went on loan to Preston North End in 2011 on emergency loan and did really well until he broke a bone in his ankle.

“Then he went to Reading, started off okay, but after six or seven games, he lost his place and was unlucky. In January 2012 he went back to Spurs, even there he was training and playing in the reserves with Sandro, Cudicini, Kyle Walker.

“He was performing at a high level. Then he went on loan to PAOK in Greece. He only missed one game before AFCON where he captained South Africa.

“But while he was away, PAOK signed two permanent central defenders. He came back and found he had lost his place. But he’s always been a fighter, he upped his game.

“He was patient, he got back in the team and ended up playing 25 games in a League rated higher than Norway, Sweden and Denmark. They won the Champions League qualifying play-offs and was in unbelievable form.

“He came back to South Africa and went to train with Ipswich, played in a game on day three and did particularly well. Then he played another. He impressed. But when it came to talks with Spurs, the initial offer was declined. Spurs went back for more money, Ipswich agreed.

“But then Spurs insisted on a clause which said they could recall Bongani in January. Ipswich then had the opportunity to sign a centre-back permanently. The deal fell through.

“I don’t understand why Spurs did that. Now the first team are in Hong Kong, the development squad are in Portugal and Bongani is training on his own in London.

“Bongani’s always been a fighter. His life has been hard, people don’t realise that. His father – a linguistics professor at UNISA – is dead. His mother, a teacher, has also passed away. He is an only child. He has no family here.

“When Bongani was 15, he was scouted at a youth tournament in Ireland by Manchester United but his mother insisted he stay in South Africa and finish his schooling.

“He did that. Now he has this fight on his hands. There is no family reason to stay in South Africa. He could play here are earn good money with the big clubs in the PSL, but he wants to make it in Europe.

“I believe he has the ability and the fighting spirit to be the next Lucas Radebe, the next Mark Fish. A major defensive talent in Europe. There are a lot of similarities with Lucas. He struggled for a long time but he finally got the break at Leeds and now he’s a legend.

“Bongani is not going to give up. He will make sacrifices. He will forge a career in Europe.”

I asked Binkin if he thought Khumalo got a fair crack of the whip after he was lampooned for his “model C accent” while captaining South Africa during AFCON.

Binkin replied: “I don’t believe he had a bad tournament. He didn’t ask to be captain. It was an honour, he’d captained SuperSport to the title. Unfortunately he became a scapegoat.

“There were a lot of dynamics in that team that didn’t work in his favour. I have the ultimate respect for Siya Sangweni, he’s a fantastic player.

“But at the end of the day he’s a right-sided defender who scored twice in AFCON from the left wing! Did that suit the team? It was good that he scored, but it pulled the whole defence out of shape. Bongani got criticised for that. I don’t think that was fair.”

Glyn was a guest of BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, which happens every Thursday from 10am-noon. We also spoke to Wits coach Gordon Hunt, Mpumalanga boss Clive Barker and Tlou Segolela’s agent Tim Sukazi about the “political hazards” at Orlando Pirates. Those interviews will appear here later.

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!

The feel Goodison factor: Steven Pienaar ready to go back where he belongs

Supreme being: Steven Pienaar scores against Man U

Steven Pienaar’s frustrating 18 months at Tottenham Hotspur will end this week as South Africa’s iconic midfielder returns to Everton for a fee in the region of £5m (R60m).

While top players like Eleazar Rodgers change hands for a maximum of  a mere £550,000 (R7m) in the land of his birth, Goodison Park’s notoriously thrifty supremo Bill Kenwright is prepared to break the bank for Schilla, the Westbury wizard whose return to Everton on loan from Spurs revived the Toffees’ season last January.

With the side languishing in 12^th position before the loan danger’s arrival, Pienaar’s four goals and club-best six assists saw David Moyes’ side finish in seventh position – four points clear of neighbours Liverpool – and Moyes himself accepts: “Stevie just fits with Everton. My job is to get Pienaar back, I’ve been working at that for some time now. I know he’d like to be here.”

According to my sources, after an uncertain summer both clubs believe Pienaar will be playing for Everton when they kick-off the new Premier League season against Manchester United – who landed for their South African tour yesterday – at Goodison Park on August 20.

It was Pienaar’s £3m (R36m) cut-price move from Everton to Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham in January 2011 which led to my fall-out with South Africa’s “superagent” Rob Moore.

At the time, I said on SuperSport’s Thursday Night Live with Robert Marawa that it was a poor move. Moore called me from Barcelona and insisted I apologise for that statement but anybody could have told him Harry had enough midfielders on board in North London, with transformed Welsh full-back Gareth Bale having just made Pienaar’s left-of-midfield channel his own.

Now 30, Pienaar said at the time he was going to Spurs for Champions League football. Sadly, Tottenham fell just short of the top four in 2011 and were forced out when Chelsea won the trophy this year. And he made few friends among the notoriously fickle Spurs fans when he tweeted “well done Chelsea” after their rivals’ shock penalty shoot-out win over Bayern Munich that clinched the final European berth.

Pienaar’s contract was coming to an end at Goodison and with compatriot Bongani Khumalo also bound for Spurs at the time, it may have looked an attractive option. Less than two years later, Khumalo finds himself shipped out to Greek outfit PAOK Thessaloniki and Pienaar is “not needed” by new Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas.

The South African pair are not alone in leaving White Hart Lane – England midfielder Jermaine Jenas, French veteran William Gallas, England striker Jermain Defoe and Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes are among a long list of not-so-Hotspurs with “for sale” written across their foreheads.

Croatian Luca Modric, set to be sold to Real Madrid before the transfer window closes, may open up a space in midfield, but with Bale, Rafa van der Vaart, Scott Parker and Aaron Lennon staying put as the new boys Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen were unveiled last week, there is apparently no room for Pienaar despite his form for Everton last season.

The Bafana Bafana captain – who may yet the armband taken from him by new coach Gordon Igesund – was not included in the 25-strong picture of the Spurs squad in their new kit last week.

The Pienaar effect:

Before Pienaar’s return, Everton were 14^th in the Premier League.

After his arrival they were transformed in to the third-best side in the league.

Everton won 43% of their games with Pienaar, 37.5% without him.

Without Pienaar, Everton scored just 24 in 24 games. With him, they scored 26 in 14.

Pienaar played just 14 times for Everton but ended the season with the most assists, six.

In his half-season, Pienaar created 32 chances, third best among Everton players.

He also led the way in passes, pass accuracy and through balls.

For more of Pienaar’s incredible stats:

http://www.eplindex.com/14856/everton-steven-pienaar-vital-dispensable-opta-stats.html

My previous blogs concerning Steve Pienaar, Everton, Spurs and Rob Moore (note his comments):

 http://www.neal-collins.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-moore-is-less-re-appointed-bafana.html

http://www.neal-collins.blogspot.com/2012/02/curious-tale-of-steven-pienaars-year-at.htmlSteven Pienaar’s frustrating 18 months at Tottenham Hotspur will end this week as South Africa’s iconic midfielder returns to Everton for a fee in the region of £5m (R60m).

While top players like Eleazar Rodgers change hands for a maximum of  a mere £550,000 (R7m) in the land of his birth, Goodison Park’s notoriously thrifty supremo Bill Kenwright is prepared to break the bank for Schilla, the Westbury wizard whose return to Everton on loan from Spurs revived the Toffees’ season last January.

With the side languishing in 12^th position before the loan danger’s arrival, Pienaar’s four goals and club-best six assists saw David Moyes’ side finish in seventh position – four points clear of neighbours Liverpool – and Moyes himself accepts: “Stevie just fits with Everton. My job is to get Pienaar back, I’ve been working at that for some time now. I know he’d like to be here.”

According to my sources, after an uncertain summer both clubs believe Pienaar will be playing for Everton when they kick-off the new Premier League season against Manchester United – who landed for their South African tour yesterday – at Goodison Park on August 20.

It was Pienaar’s £3m (R36m) cut-price move from Everton to Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham in January 2011 which led to my fall-out with South Africa’s “superagent” Rob Moore.

At the time, I said on SuperSport’s Thursday Night Live with Robert Marawa that it was a poor move. Moore called me from Barcelona and insisted I apologise for that statement but anybody could have told him Harry had enough midfielders on board in North London, with transformed Welsh full-back Gareth Bale having just made Pienaar’s left-of-midfield channel his own.

Now 30, Pienaar said at the time he was going to Spurs for Champions League football. Sadly, Tottenham fell just short of the top four in 2011 and were forced out when Chelsea won the trophy this year. And he made few friends among the notoriously fickle Spurs fans when he tweeted “well done Chelsea” after their rivals’ shock penalty shoot-out win over Bayern Munich that clinched the final European berth.

Pienaar’s contract was coming to an end at Goodison and with compatriot Bongani Khumalo also bound for Spurs at the time, it may have looked an attractive option. Less than two years later, Khumalo finds himself shipped out to Greek outfit PAOK Thessaloniki and Pienaar is “not needed” by new Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas.

The South African pair are not alone in leaving White Hart Lane – England midfielder Jermaine Jenas, French veteran William Gallas, England striker Jermain Defoe and Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes are among a long list of not-so-Hotspurs with “for sale” written across their foreheads.

Croatian Luca Modric, set to be sold to Real Madrid before the transfer window closes, may open up a space in midfield, but with Bale, Rafa van der Vaart, Scott Parker and Aaron Lennon staying put as the new boys Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen were unveiled last week, there is apparently no room for Pienaar despite his form for Everton last season.

The Bafana Bafana captain – who may yet the armband taken from him by new coach Gordon Igesund – was not included in the 25-strong picture of the Spurs squad in their new kit last week.

The Pienaar effect:

Before Pienaar’s return, Everton were 14^th in the Premier League.

After his arrival they were transformed in to the third-best side in the league.

Everton won 43% of their games with Pienaar, 37.5% without him.

Without Pienaar, Everton scored just 24 in 24 games. With him, they scored 26 in 14.

Pienaar played just 14 times for Everton but ended the season with the most assists, six.

In his half-season, Pienaar created 32 chances, third best among Everton players.

He also led the way in passes, pass accuracy and through balls.

For more of Pienaar’s incredible stats:

http://www.eplindex.com/14856/everton-steven-pienaar-vital-dispensable-opta-stats.html

My previous blogs concerning Steve Pienaar, Everton, Spurs and Rob Moore (note his comments):

 http://www.neal-collins.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-moore-is-less-re-appointed-bafana.html

http://www.neal-collins.blogspot.com/2012/02/curious-tale-of-steven-pienaars-year-at.html

Harry Redknapp: The full incredible story of his trial...and his dog's bank account at Barklays

What you probably don’t know about Harry Redknapp, the famous Spurs manager currently in court for tax evasion in London, is just how popular the bloke is.

Father of the talented Jamie, now a television presenter after a successful career with Liverpool and England, Our ‘Arry is beloved of journalists and would be a popular choice to take over the England job if Fabio Capello resigns after Euro 2012 later this year.

Badly injured in a car crash which killed his close mate and Bournemouth FC owner Brian Tiler at the World Cup in 1990, ‘Arry is not your typical frosty football boss.

As he approaches what used to be a pensionable age – he’ll be 65 on March 2 – ‘Arry has manipulated Spurs into a position of title contention after taking over from the clueless Juande Ramos three years ago with the club languishing at the bottom of the Premier League.

Conviction for tax fraud for one of Britain’s great sporting icons, who took a break from his beloved bench to undergo heart surgery last year, is simply unthinkable.

Through a long, largely successful career in management (West Ham, Portsmouth, Southampton, Portsmouth again and now Tottenham) after a modest stint as a player mostly at West Ham and Bournemouth, he has always been good for a quote, a larf, a sound-bite.

I say always. There was the time he said he’d "sue the b*******" off one my old mate Rob Beasley, the News of the World football reporter who asked too many questions about his tax dealings. Still, at least he’s outlasted the newspaper.

Harry’s problem revolves around a bank account set up in his dog’s name – Rosie47 (the dog and the year of his birth) was allegedly the Monaco-based off-shore home for his ill-gotten gains.

Now, after all those years of entertainment, we are told by the court in Southwark that he has been "feigning ignorance" about his illegal dealings “for six years before his arrest” despite telling police “I’m not on the fiddle” as he and his former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric were questioned over two payments amounting to £189,000.

Redknapp insists his dog’s account – soon to be moved to Hounduras, Barklays Bank, apparently, using a pawpal transfer according to the wags – was built up through transfer profit bonuses. Mandaric, unfortunately, insists the money was “an investment fund” set up outside of football.

John Black QC, prosecuting in the tax evasion trial at Southwark Crown Court this week, recounted a conversation between Beasley and Redknapp. ‘Arry told the reporter: “I’ve got the best accountants in England, the Inland Revenue know about Monaco.”

But  Beasley then mentioned Mandaric's explanation and ‘Arry said: "He don't know what he is f***ing talking about. What is he talking about? It is a bonus."

Redknapp insisted the cash came from profits made on the sale of Peter Crouch from Portsmouth to Aston Villa – he was later to sign the gangly striker again at Spurs.

He added: "If it was something dodgy I would have gone over there and brought it back in a briefcase."

When Beasley asked him whether he had paid any tax in the UK on it, Redknapp replied: "Haven't been asked to, Rob."

Redknapp said "there ain't nothing crooked in it" and told Beasley: "Don't say bung. It's nothing to do with a bung. It's paid by the chairman.

 "How can it be a bung when the chairman of the football club paid me? What's a bung? It's a f****** sick word."

It’s the idea of ‘Arry being paid the money in to an account in his dog’s name that has really captured the imagination though. Redknapp declared the account to tax inspectors just before he left Portsmouth for Spurs in 2008 and told police he thought the “Rosie account” was dormant and that he didn’t know Mandaric, now 73 and chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, had put any money in it.

Redknapp told the police: “Milan's probably lost it. I could show you people who I have lent money to in investments.

"It would blow your brains away, the money I have squandered but then I do trust people, that's the way I live my life.

"I was told I wasn't liable for income tax on so many occasions. For the sake of that amount of money or any amount of money, I don't fiddle. I pay my tax since I have been in football my entire life. I pay every penny."

But the prosecution says ‘Arry only mentioned the Monaco account after he was questioned during the Premier League-led Quest investigation in 2006.

Mr Black said: "The existence of the bank account was not registered to Revenue and Customs for a period of six years, two months... after Mr Redknapp was first arrested and questioned in the course of this investigation.

 “It's clear that it was only at this time that Mr Redknapp brought to the attention the existence of the Monaco bank account, feigning almost total ignorance of its existence, its operation and its contents."

Redknapp and Mandaric deny two counts of cheating the taxman. The trial continues...

Read Scoop!, South Africa's new Sunday tabloid for more from me on this story - available at Gauteng and KZN outlets. See also www.scoopnews.co.za

Steven Pienaar: If you're from Westbury Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur's a doddle!

Bafana Bafana captain Steve Pienaar insists he has “mixed feelings” but “no regrets” over his R35m move from Everton to Tottenham Hotspur in January.

Pienaar, voted Player of the Year by fans at Goodison Park in 2010, chose not to sign a new deal at Everton and moved to Spurs in a cut-price deal with just six months left on his contract.

But injury and selection problems – he was always going to have trouble forcing his way past a fit Gareth Bale on the left of Harry Redknapp’s midfield – have seen him play just one game for Spurs this season. And that was in a second-string Europa League outfit in the defeat against Rubin Kazan in Russia just before the international break.

Pienaar, outstanding in South Africa’s 1-1 draw against Africa’s No1 side Ivory Coast in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, told The Independent on his return to England his week: “Yes, it’s been a bumpy road at White Hart Lane. It has been a year of mixed feelings, but hopefully I can make it a successful move. Don’t have to show the Spurs fans what I can do, they’ve seen me play against them for Everton.”

But Pienaar rejected a late bid from Chelsea to move to their London neighbours – and ignored warnings from Everton boss David Moyes that he would live to regret his decision to leave Liverpool. But the 29-year-old from Westbury near Johannesburg said: "Regrets? No, not at all. It was a very hard decision to make. It was hard to leave Everton as club and Liverpool as a city. The people I had around me, the players, most of the supporters were very good to me, and I will always be grateful to them.

"It was hard to go, but in life you have to make decisions. I made this one as a footballer and as a human being, and I don't have any regrets about what I chose to do. Not at all."

Pienaar, who left South Africa’s Ajax Cape Town for their mother club in Amsterdam before moving to Borussia Dortmund, was once told he would never play football again when he suffered a serious nerve injury.

He admits: "I had a tough time at Ajax. When I damaged my nerve, they said I'd never play again. I came back strong. I had a difficult spell at Dortmund, and I came back strong. Things like that help you appreciate the things that you do have.

“Being a footballer is only a short career. Having been through all of that helps me appreciate the time I am on the field. It drives you to fight for your place.

“Harry Redknapp (currently off sick for a month after heart surgery) has been very supportive. I want to be part of this team, and I want to show I did not come here by mistake. I have come back twice already, and I will come back again.”

Pienaar has proved he can return from adversity before. Ever since he was first spotted by the Ajax scouts playing for Westbury Arsenal – not a name his current club will enjoy – Pienaar has shown durability, a willingness to succeed despite the odds.

Now running a charity for jailed Johannesburg teenagers, Pienaar offers this explanation of his bouncebackability: "When I grew up in Westbury it was the toughest place in South Africa outside of Soweto. The crime rate was high and life expectancy was short.

"Because our house was in the area where the drug gangs hang out, they'd say to me 'You be our look-out. If you see someone you don't know, whistle.' Sometimes I'd get involved but I was more afraid of my mum than the gangs.

“If she found money in my pockets she'd want to know where it came from. I'd say we'd played football against other boys for money. It was difficult to stay out of trouble. It was a dodgy area and the temptation was huge. I'd be so envious of the boys who'd turn up with new sneakers from their drugs money. But I knew I'd get a hiding from my mum if I got involved.

"Now I realise how fortunate I was to have a mum who was always on my case to get an education. She brought up four children on her own and it was because she was strict we escaped gangs and drug dealers."

When Moore is less: Re-appointed Bafana captain Steven Pienaar on his "nightmare" at Tottenham

Steven Pienaar was last night included in Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana squad for the Nelson Mandela Challenge against Ivory Coast on November 23 – before making his first start of the season for an under-strength Tottenham in their Europa League clash at Russian outfit Rubin Kazan.

Mosimane’s announcement will provide South Africa’s captain with a brief distraction – and a welcome chance of actually getting on the field.

Pienaar, player of the season at Everton just two seasons ago, admits his move to Tottenham Hostpur has turned into a “nightmare” and that he feels he is “bottom of the pile” at a club blessed with an abundance of talented midfielders.

Last night he twittered: “It's always hard coming to a new club and getting injured but I'm determined to prove my worth to the spurs fans. Greetings from Kazan.”

Last January, as 29-year-old Pienaar let his Everton contract dwindle to a conclusion under the guidance of agent Rob “You’d better apologise” Moore, Chelsea nearly swept in to claim the Johannesburg-born midfielder in a cut-price move.

Spurs prevailed and Moore’s most important asset went to White Hart Lane for just £2m (R24m). When I queried the agent’s eagerness to move his client from Goodison Park to White Hart Lane’s over-populated midfield, Moore told me: “It’s Steven’s decision, he wants to play Champions League football. Everton aren’t ambitious enough.”

When I quoted him on that, Moore demanded I send an apology to Everton surpemo Bill Kenwright. I did. And that’s the last I heard from Mr Moore.

Spurs failed to qualify for the Champions League last season – with Manchester City spending like Julius Malema in Mauritius that was always on the cards - and Pienaar’s career has slumped as I predicted when he decided to take a pay rise rather than stay loyal to Everton and their adoring fans.

It isn’t all Moore’s fault. An ironic clash of heads with fellow South African Bongani Khumalo was the first major blow as the two Bafana Bafana internationals trained together at Chigwell. Both joined the club in January and Khumalo, represented by Moore’s partner Glyn “No Reply” Binkin, has yet to play for the Spurs first team – the former Supersports United captain has since gone out on loan to Championship also-rans Reading and, like Pienaar, is struggling to get a game.

Pienaar, one of the first names on Everton boss David Moyes’ team-sheets for three seasons, has played just 12 games for Harry Redknapp since January, with his Bongani-bonking concussion in February followed by a groin injury in April.

When the new season began, Pienaar and Khumalo came out to South Africa with Spurs for the Vodacom Challenge full of promise – but Pienaar’s groin flared up in their final pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao. The specialist recommended surgery which ruled the lad from Westbury out until mid-September.

All that is history. But exactly what has happened to Pienaar since then? He didn’t feature in South Africa’s embarrassing CAF exit at the hands of Sierra Leone last month and with West Ham’s Scott Parker added to Redknapp’s midfield and Gareth Bale excelling on Pienaar’s favoured left-hand side, he has yet to play in the first team.

Pienaar, who finally got a start in last night’s low-key clash in Russia, admits: “It's been the most difficult period of my career. When you join a new team, you want to start fully fit but I got injured quite early and it slowed down my progress.

“Before the operation we thought we would wait and see how the groin injury developed but it just got worse. I had the operation, things were going well, but then I had two setbacks. Sometimes when you try to get back early, that happens.

“But I'm over the nightmare now so hopefully I can get back in the side.”

Redknapp was unable to impress Redknapp first hand last night – the 64-year-old was in hostpital recovering from “minor heart surgery” and assistant Kevin Bond was left in charge. But Pienaar remains determined to resurrect his career: “When you get injured, you fall down the pecking order. You are basically the bottom of the pile. I have been working to win a place in the team.

“You have to make sure you get fit, be patient and train hard.“

Whether Bafana Bafana fans will actually see Pienaar in action against the mighty Ivorians next Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth – and in a friendly against Zimbabwe away three days later – remains to be seen. Given his current plight, he may just fly out because he needs a game.

But don’t hold your breath. Despite the FIFA rules, a recuperating Redknapp will decide to captains Bafana, not Pitso Mosimane.

Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers: Moeneeb Josephs, Wayne Sandilands.

Defenders: Tsepo Masilela, Punch Masenamela, Musa Bilankulu, Morgan Gould, Bongani Khumalo, Siyabonga Sangweni, Happy Jele, Anele Ngcongca, Bevan Fransman, Siboniso Gaxa.

Midfielders: Daylon Claasen, Hlompho Kekana, Oupa Manyisa, Thanduyise Khuboni, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Granwald Scott, George Maluleka, George Lebese, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Teko Modise, Steven Pienaar.

Strikers: Kermit Erasmus, Siyabonga Nontshinga, Brad Grobler, Katlego Mphela.

Pienaar lands in Johannesburg, McCarthy returns from Disneyland. Which one's Mickey Mouse?

The two most recognisable faces of South African football nearly crossed paths at Heathrow Airport in London on Wednesday night – Steven Pienaar on his way to Johannesburg and going places, Benni McCarthy on his way home from Disneyland and going nowhere.

While Bafana Bafana captain Pienaar is looking forward to three Vodacom Cup games with Tottenham Hotspur, South Africa’s record goalscorer McCarthy is desperately seeking a club to extend his career.

At 33, Benni appears to be quite relaxed about his future. According to Ed Aarons, the British journalist who worked in South Africa, this is what his agent Rob Moore said about Benni’s quest for a future: "I spoke to Benni and he’s just got back from Disneyland with his family, but Benni just wants to take a bit of time to decide his next move.”

Cast out of West Ham after scoring precisely zero goals in 18 months of argument about his weight, Benni is apparently sought after in the United Arab Emirates and America’s MLS, where old professionals never die, they just play that way.

Alternatively, we hear Ajax’s Cape Town branch are keen on bringing McCarthy back to the mother city after a goal-happy 12-year career in Europe which took in Celta Vigo, Porto and Blackburn before the disastrous £2m move to the Hammers.

Hopefully he’s left Mickey Mouse behind and is currently working hard at pre-season training, though exactly where and when that happens remains open to question.

And Pienaar? He turned up at Oliver Tambo International yesterday full of beans, ready to take on Kaizer Chiefs in Polokwane on Saturday after admitting to being an Orlando Pirates fan when he grew up in nearby Westbury. Spurs play Pirates at Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday.

Pienaar is the new face of South African football. Presentable, hard-working, eager to please. With the Luca Modric-to-Chelsea row growing by the day, he will use the Vodacom Challenge as a perfect opportunity to prove his worth to boss Harry Redknapp, who signed him from Everton for a bargain £2m in January.

He twittered this week: “It’s always amazing to play back home. I can’t wait. I supported Pirates as a kid before I moved to Ajax Cape Town.”

Prior to that, Pienaar offered his views on the Rainbow Nation’s hosting of last year’s World Cup to FIFA, saying: “Many people, especially in Europe, thought that we couldn’t manage a World Cup in our country. At the end, we all proved them wrong.

“The world celebrated a fantastic World Cup on the African continent, with crazy supporters and the unforgettable sounds of the Vuvuzelas.

“The future will show us if we can keep up the spirit from the World Cup, but I am convinced that we can do it. I think a World Cup in my country was a fantastic opportunity for us and the African people to make a strong statement on ending discrimination.”

Yup, Pienaar isn’t afraid to be political. He added: “Growing up in South Africa, a country that for many years suffered under racial discrimination, I kept myself busy with football and tried not to think about apartheid around me. It was a tough time in South Africa and many innocent people suffered under apartheid in my home country, but we have to forget about the past and build on our future.

“Nelson Mandela is our ‘Father of the Nation,’ and he played a major role in trying to put an end to discrimination in South Africa and the world. Even when he was in jail, he never gave up fighting for freedom or for our rights. He showed us that we all have to fight for a better life, for freedom and for an end to discrimination in the world.

“Sport is the best thing to unite people. Nelson Mandela taught us how sports can change people’s minds and bring them together as a happy family. I remember the Rugby World Cup in our country when he brought our nation together. Sports can change people’s minds and prejudices not only in South Africa but around the whole world.”

Spot on Schillo. Perhaps it’s time big Benni tried to change people’s minds and prejudices.

Now read Ed Aaron's superb blog on McCarthy: http://edaarons.blogspot.com/2011/07/bennis-homecoming-fat-or-fiction.html

Pienaar reveals his dark Vodacom Challenge secret in black and white: I was a boyhood Buccaneer!

Steven Pienaar chose to reveal a dark secret in black and white on his own website yesterday. He admitted on www.stevenpienaar.com just before travelling to South Africa for the eagerly-awaited Vodacom Challenge: “I supported Orlando Pirates as a kid.”

Pienaar will join his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates against South African champions Pirates and their arch-rivals from Soweto, Kaiser Chiefs in a triangular showdown culminating in the final on July 23.

Current Bafana Bafana captain Pienaar, who was raised in Westburg near Johannesburg, admits he went on to support Ajax Cape Town, his first professional club.

But the 58-times capped South African, who moved to Spurs from Everton last January, explains: "Orlando Pirates are one of the oldest teams in South Africa and from where I’m from, 90 per cent of the people support them

"I’m one of those fans - I supported Pirates as a kid before I moved to Ajax Cape Town, then I supported Ajax Cape Town."

Pienaar joined Ajax Cape Town in 1999 before moving to Dutch parent club Ajax Amsterdam in 2002, his springboard to Everton and the English Premier League.

Pienaar recalls his links with various Buccaneers on his website, adding: “Yes, I played with Sibusiso Zuma in the national team, he played for Pirates and Mark Fish, everyone knows him, a famous player from South Africa who played in the Premier League for Charlton and Bolton.

"I also played with OJ Mabizela, who joined Spurs. A lot of players have come through Pirates and made it to the national team. They are a top team in South Africa."

Pienaar – who may be joined by Bafana Bafana colleague Bongani Khumalo on the tour, unless his impending loan spell at Rangers forces him north – will kick-off the Vodacom challenge against the Amakhosi in Polokwane on Saturday before making the trip to Nelspruit to face treble-winners “Bucsalona” next Tuesday.

Spurs will play the victors of the Chiefs v Pirates derby in Port Elizabeth on July 21 in the final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, on Saturday, July 23.

Tottenham's Bongani Khumalo does a Beckham and heads for Preston as the loan ranger

BONGANI KHUMALO is due to make his English League debut for rock-bottom Championship club Preston North End against Swansea at Deepdale on Saturday after finally accepting a Beckhamesque loan deal on his road to stardom.

Khumalo, who moved from South African champions SuperSports United to Tottenham Hotspur for £1.5m in the January transfer window, has yet to make an appearance for Harry Redknapp’s side. Like David Beckham in his early days at Manchester United in 1994, Khumalo has gone to Preston, England’s first ever League champions, to earn his Spurs.

Beckham, then 19, played five games for Preston in 1995, scoring twice and establishing himself as a future star. Preston boss Phil Brown revealed he sent an email to Redknapp a month ago suggesting the move, which Brown describes as a "massive favour".

Brown added on the club’s website: "I am absolutely delighted. Hopefully Khumalo will be a massive success here.”

Ironically both Preston and Spurs share the nickname Lilywhites, though their fortunes have differed mightily in recent years. After a strong performance in Bafana Bafana’s historic 1-0 win over Egypt on Saturday night, Khumalo’s “loan ranger” deal – which last until the end of the season - was announced before Spurs confirmed rival centre-half William Gallas had signed a two-year contract extension at White Hart Lane.

The Gallas decision – he will now stay at the club until 2013 - means the veteran former Arsenal and Chelsea Frenchman is one of SIX centre-backs ahead of Khumalo in the pecking order as Tottenham continue their Champions League quest. Former England defender Jonathan Woodgate is currently injured (again), but Redknapp can also call upon compatriots Sebastien Bassong, Younes Kaboul, England centre-back Michael Dawson and the experienced Ledley King, who is approaching full fitness after months of struggling with his incurable knee problems.

Khumalo was always expected to go out on loan to a smaller club, but early appearances on the bench for the first team during a defensive injury mini-crisis meant the decision to farm him out to Brown’s Preston was delayed until the loan window closed last Thursday.

Steve Caulker, the 19-year-old Spurs central defender competing with Khumalo for a future at Spurs, has been loaned out twice in recent years, playing 44 games for Yeovil in 2008/09 and 29 for Bristol City this season.

Khumalo performed admirably in South Africa’s last-gasp 1-0 win over African champions Egypt at Ellis Park last Saturday next to his old SuperSports partner Morgan Gould, who was voted Man of the Match.

The move came outside the January transfer window because clubs below the English Premier League are allowed to take players on loan from 8 February until 24 March. Fellow Bafana Bafana international Kagisho Dikgacoi's loan move from Fulham to Crystal Palace also went through during the loan window, though Khumalo’s was completed just before the 5pm deadline last Thursday.

Preston’s Deepdale ground in Lancashire is one of the historic bastions of English football - the club were one of the founder members of the Football League back in 1888. They became the first winners of the League and FA Cup double that season when they were unbeaten and didn’t concede a single goal in either competition. They also won the League the next year, in 1890. Their last major trophy was the FA Cup in 1938. They haven’t been in the top flight of English football since 1961, though they did reach the Championship play-offs in 2009.

Khumalo, the Swaziland-born 24-year-old from Pretoria, is expected to make his debut against third-placed Swansea on Saturday. Preston, a city of around 115,000, was a post-industrial revolution boom town but is a long way from the Jacaranda City or Tottenham, where he enjoyed the company of compatriot Steven Pienaar.

Though they are currently bottom of the Championship, Preston have enjoyed a bit of a revival of late, beating fellow strugglers Scunthorpe 3-0 away and Coventry 2-1 at home in their last game on March 19 in front of 12,269 at Deepdale, their home since 1875 with a capacity of around 22,000. They are now just three points adrift of Scunthorpe at the foot of the Championship.

Who the hell is Neal Collins (nealcol on Twitter)? See www.nealcollins.co.uk.

Lalas Shoots Down The Loan Ranger: Beckham May Have To Stay on Holiday

Harry Redknapp’s loan ranger master-plan was in tatters last night after former LA Galaxy manager Alexi Lalas poured cold water on David Beckham’s chances of appearing in a Tottenham shirt later this month.

Lalas, in charge of Beckham’s MLS club from 2006-2008, said: "The reason David went on loan to Milan for the last two years was to prepare, in theory, for the World Cup.

"I think that was commendable and understandable to a certain extent - but now it is happening again I'm not sure."

Redknapp has been most vocal in his interest in taking Becks – England’s most capped outfield player – on loan, though Newcastle and Blackburn have also expressed an interest this week.

But Lalas told BBC Radio 5 live: "Soccer fans in the US say David Beckham has given a lot, but he's also taken a tremendous amount out of Major League Soccer."

Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy’s second most famous player, has already rejected the chance to go out on loan as he did so successfully with Everton before the World Cup. And American fans remain furious over the six-month Achilles tendon injury 35-year-old Beckham suffered playing on loan for AC Milan against Chievo in March.

That put him out of the World Cup and saw him appear only as a bit-part player in the regular season last year, playing just five games. The MLS’s best paid player was booed by Galaxy fans when he came back from his loan spell at the San Siro in 2009 and Lalas admits: "When Landon Donovan comes out and says he won’t go on loan this year, it certainly puts pressure on David."

Redknapp has toned down his need for Beckham, whose MLS season kicks-off on March 15, admitting: "Weeks fly by and this month will have come and gone before we know where we are. It's a difficult one. But let's wait and see, it's not in my hands.

"He'd be great to have around the place and I'm sure he's got a lot to offer as a player and a person. As a professional, he's top class."

Blackburn’s new owners – India’s chickens-to-chemicals Venky Group - have said their club are "open whenever David is ready to come". They have also confirmed a £6.2m bid for Brazilian Ronaldinho.

Beckham remains keen to gain some playing time in the Premier League to enhance his chances of adding to his record 115 England caps. Under pressure Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, in charge of Milan when Beckham was his loan ranger, said: “Beckham could be good support for Tottenham if he comes back. But we are not interested. In that position we have good players."

Take a lesson from Gazza, Gareth. Stick with Spurs and Redknapp

The Gareth Bale phenomenon is nothing new. Great players have emerged overnight before, and once, with similar hype, in the lily-white shirt of Tottering Hotspur.

It was only when I was talking about Paul Gascoigne on Sky News and South Africa’s Metro FM today that it dawned on me. Gazza WAS Bale twenty years ago.

Gascoigne, for the benefit of younger readers, was a phenomenon. A young wizard from Tyneside, snapped up from Newcastle by Terry Venables and turned into a superstar in his early 20s.

At Italia 90 Gazza’s tears and skills captivated a nation, dominated the World Cup. He single-handedly took Spurs to the FA Cup final a year later, before suffering a serious knee injury in the first minute against Nottingham Forest at Wembley.

By then, aged 23, he already decided to leave Venables – a father figure much like Harry Redknapp - and White Hart Lane, beginning a journey that took him to Lazio in Italy and Rangers in Scotland for plenty of pounds. Six years later, his powers had diminished but he still shone at Euro 96 in England, ask any Scottish fan.

Now he’s just entered the Providence Project rehabilition centre in Boscombe, near Bournemouth. It’s his TENTH attempt at rehab. He became newsworthy today because he was due to be sentenced for drink driving in Northallerton, north Yorkshire. The case was adjourned until December 13 because he hadn’t briefed a lawyer. He nearly ended up representing himself. Delay or not, he faces at least 12 weeks in jail if found guilty.

Google the bloke if you’re a youngster. Gascoigne was the best around. But once he’d left the protection of Venables and Spurs, the rot set in. Drinking, burping and farting didn’t endear him to the Italian press, at Rangers he drove his car into Loch Lomond and beat his wife Cheryl, also a media star.

Then we come to self-harming and suicide bids, bulimia and obsessive compulsive disorder, if you believe the Hunter Davies biography “Being Gazza: Tackling My Demons”. It’s all there. Oh, four bottles of whisky a day or twenty pints of extra-strong lager. That’s there too.

A brief stint at non-League Boston as a 38-year-old player didn’t last in 2004 and he never quite took the coaching badges he was due to sit. He was put in charge of lowly Kidderminster a year later, but lasted just 39 days before the players complained he was drunk at training.

Most recently, Garforth Town, in something called the EvoStick Division One, announced he was their new boss. He never took the job. While Diego Maradona, a great player with a similar background, was taking Argentina to South Africa and the World Cup, Gazza was involved in a car crash that left him with a punctured lung.

Since then? Two drink driving offences, an infamous appearance at Raoul Moat’s siege and a further difficulty with cocaine, charges pending. Nothing short of a tragedy for a man of such talent. A man who had so many friends when he was making an incredible £90,000-a-week thirty years ago in Italy.

Look, I’m not saying Gareth Bale will go the same way if he was to leave the protection of Spurs. After his two classic performances against European champions Inter Milan over the past fortnight, he has risen to Gascoigne status as quickly as anybody, though he was playing well on the left last season too.

What worries me is this: Bale will now come under pressure to make the big move. Spurs, though they’re a good side under the astute and entertaining Harry Redknapp, don’t yet qualify as a major club like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea or Manchester United.

Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick both used White Hart Lane as a launch pad for Old Trafford on that basis, just as Gascoigne had done all those years before at a similar age.

Should Bale do the same? If United, Sheikh Mansour’s Manchester City or Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea made a £50m bid in January, will Spurs have any choice?

Well, yes, they will. It’s time for Spurs to be a big club. To believe in the Redknapp phenomenon which has seen the club climb from Juande Ramos’s rock-bottom in the Premier League to today’s Eurocentric peak.

To his credit, ‘Arry has come out today and said from the golf course: “We don’t want to sell him and we’re looking to build a team at Tottenham. We’re a club that’s going places – we’ve got a new training ground coming, change of stadium, the whole thing is going forward.

“They wouldn’t buy Gareth for £30m, that’s for sure. If he had a value, if we wanted to sell him, his value would be way in excess of that sort of figure. Our chairman Daniel Levy has said on many occasions we’re not looking to sell our best players now.”

Bale himself said: “I don’t take much notice of the hype. I try not to look at newspapers and just keep my feet on the floor. I'm just happy at Tottenham now; I just want to keep playing my football there and keep progressing as a player.''

But as former Spurs man Jason Cundy has been saying all afternoon on TalkSport radio: “Every player has a price. And Bale has the right to demand what he’s worth, just like Wayne Rooney.”

Sadly, he’s right. Bale will now be advised to demand a new contract – despite signing a five-year deal in the summer – before the big bids start landing in January. The last deal took him from £25,000-a-week to around £55,000. But that won’t be enough now. Not after what we’ve seen against Inter.

The big agents, the Pini Zahavis and Paul Stretfords of this world, have made sure of that. And when a player is “doing a Gazza” he can command any fee, any wage. The temptations will be enormous. Back in October, Bale’s agent Peppino Tirri was already saying he would consider a move to Italy’s Serie A. You can just imagine him rubbing his hands now.

My advice? Despite that fact I support Arsenal, stick with Spurs, Gareth. You’re only 21, Redknapp is building something special. I bet Paul Gascoigne wishes he’d never left El Tel and Tottenham in 1990.

It's official: Bongani Khumalo signs for Spurs, and it could be crucial for Harry's hopes

South Africa’s hottest prospect Bongani Khumalo has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Tottenham for £1.5million (R18 million) in the January transfer window.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp admits: "Bongani is not expensive. We had him over on trial and we like him. He's got potential and we've got a tie-up with his club SuperSports United so we've taken him on.

The move, predicted here two months ago, opens up the prospect of Khumalo being joined by fellow Bafana Bafana international Steve Pienaar at Spurs. Redknapp has expressed an interest in the Everton midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer.

Redknapp said: "It will be a great chance for Bongani. He's a great lad. He comes from a poor background and he's desperate for a chance and we're going to give him a chance."

We’ll discuss the “poor background” bit later, but Tottenham's official statement yesterday read: "We are delighted to announce that we have reached a pre-contract agreement with SuperSport United for the transfer of Bongani Khumalo to the club in January 2011 subject to a work permit being granted.

"The club has enjoyed a successful association with Supersport United having formed a long-term partnership with the South African champions back in 2007."

With Ledley King’s knees ever-troublesome, Michael Dawson still recovering from injury and Jonathan Woodgate unavailable for months, towering defender Khumalo – whose Christian name means “happiness” - could yet be the key to Tottenham staying in the Premier League’s top four this season.

Redknapp’s creaking centre-back pairing of William Gallas and Sebastien Bassong were anything but watertight as they leaked four early goals against Inter Milan last Tuesday.

The 23-year-old, 6ft 2in Khumalo, who scored in South Africa’s World Cup win over France in June, barely put a foot wrong during the tournament and enjoyed a successful two-week trial at White Hart Lane in August.

Khumalo, born in Swaziland but a regular in the South Africa side with 19 caps, should have no trouble gaining a work permit before the big move which should happen pretty darn quick after the New Year dawns. Spurs fans will be hoping they are still in contention for the title at that point – and have survived the Champions League cut after that epic 4-3 defeat against holders Inter in Group A.

Redknapp would have signed Khumalo during the summer but he gambled on the old war-horse Gallas (a 33-year-old on a free transfer from arch-rivals Arsenal) and lost Dawson when he sprained his ankle playing in England’s 4-0 win over Bulgaria early in the season.

At the time, SuperSports United chairman Khulu Sibiya made it known he would have let Khumalo go “for just a little more money”.

Today the club released a statement saying: “Supersport United are pleased to announce that a pre-contract agreement with Tottenham Hotspur for the transfer of Bongani Khumalo with effect from January 2011 has been concluded, subject to a work permit being granted.

“In paying tribute to the player, Supersport United Chairman, Khulu Sibiya, expressed his delight with the opportunity granted to Khumalo who joined the club at the beginning of the 2007/2008 PSL season.

“Bongani has been an exceptional player for Supersport United. His three and a half years at the club has seen him develop into one of the best footballers in the country and his contribution was a major factor in the club winning three consecutive ABSA Premiership League titles. Everyone at the club wishes him well in his future career at Tottenham Hotspur.

“ We are equally proud of the fact that Bongani is joining our partners, Tottenham Hotspur, with whom we have enjoyed a fantastic and fruitful relationship since 2007 and we are convinced that this relationship will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years to come.”

But there is always the lingering memory of one Mbulelo OJ Mabizela and his time in North London.

Mabizela scored a cracker on his debut for Spurs in 2003 but never settled. Khumalo should have no such problems and is widely expected to rival everything achieved by Lucas Radebe in a glorious decade with Leeds United which came to a close in 2005.

Despite Redknapp’s insistence that he is form “a poor background”, Khumalo’s mum is an English teacher and his late father was a lecturer in African languages at UNISA. He is articulate and well-balanced and will have all the support he needs in London. He says: “As a professional you need to carry yourself very well. It’s vital you train well and set a good example on and off the field. I live in that lifestyle.

“You have to stay motivated, stay strong mentally. I have always wanted to play in England and obviously in the Premier League, and it is my dream to move to Tottenham. It is up to me to make sure it works.

"Playing in the Champions League would be another dream. I think the Champions League is the closest level to the World Cup in terms of quality and the play, so it would be great to make the move."

Yes, that’s the way the lad talks. With conviction. Khumalo explains: “My mum was an English teacher at a high school, so English was always the main focus. I speak English the way I was taught.”

The great chief himself, Radebe, adds this: "Bongani is destined for great heights in his football career,” while Gavin Hunt, the coach who has seen Supersport United win three consecutive South Africa Premier League titles despite their tiny fan base, says: "People should realise that Bongani is a player who has the quality to play in one of the top leagues in Europe.

"He has matured so well in the last few years and I am so pleased that he has been given the chance to experience this World Cup in South Africa."

KHUMALO: the story so far:

1987: Born in Manzini, Swaziland, when his parents were working there.

1989: Moved to the township of Mamelodi near Pretoria aged two.

2001: Played junior football for Arcadia Shepherds, the once-famous Pretoria club responsible for grooming such luminaries as Aston Villa’s European Cup winner Peter Withe and former Blackburn, QPR and Coventry star Roy Wegerle.

2005: Moved to the University of Pretoria, who operate a second division side in South Africa.

2007: Signed for SuperSports United.

2010: He drives a Seat Leon Cupra (“the beast”) and told me during the World Cup: “We all want to play for big teams overseas and if the opportunity comes I’ll jump at it.”

VERDICT: Bongani, there’s no way you’ll “do an OJ” when you come over in January. But if you need a sympathetic bloke to show you London, I’m here pal. Despite the fact I grew up playing for Arcadia Shepherds’ arch-rivals Berea Park, you’re welcome to share my house with my four crazy kids any time. All I ask in return is that you turn out, just once, for my team Goldhill Baptists on the common in Chalfont St Giles, recently voted Buckinghamshire’s Best Kept Village. It’s 23 miles from London. We’re the current national over-35 FA Cup holders and are currently unbeaten atop the South Bucks Church League Division One. I’m the other centre-back. You won’t regret it.

Bongani Khumalo: With Dawson Injured, Will Redknapp Regret His Decision?

AND suddenly, Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp is left ruing his decision not to sign South Africa’s finest defender Bongani Khumalo before the transfer window slammed shut last week.

When his England defender Michael Dawson lurched over on the Wembley turf during the second half of last Friday’s 4-0 win over Bulgaria, Redknapp and his Spurs followers had their hearts in their mouths.

With Ledley King already reduced to training on the massage table and Jonathan Woodgate so injury prone he’s not even in the current 25-man squad, Spurs are, as our ‘Arry likes to say: “Down to the bare bones” at centre-back.

And Khumalo, who spent a “highly successful” trial period at White Hart Lane last month, is back home, waiting to captain South African champions SuperSports United against Mamelodi Sundowns at the HM Pitje Stadium on the 18^th after South Africa’s 2-0 win over Niger.

If the big move comes, it won’t be until the window creaks open again on January 1.

Dawson will be out for “at least eight weeks” after spraining his ankle and knee on England duty, leaving Spurs with veteran French defender William Gallas, Younes Kaboul and Cameroon’s Sebastian Bassong to cope at West Brom on Saturday.

All they had to do, according to SuperSports United chairman Khulu Sibiya, was offer a little more money and they would have had Khumalo, the 23-year-old sensation who scored against France and was a World Cup ever-present in South Africa.

Sure, north London has not always been a slick route for South African footballing émigrés, just ask Mbulelo OJ Mabizela, who came over from Orlando Pirates and sank without trace after scoring a cracker on his debut in 2003. Mabizela is now back home with the Platinum Stars. Not because he couldn’t play, but because he was all at sea in London.

But Khumalo, articulate, contained, ever-so-serious, clearly believes he is ready to follow in the footsteps of former South Africa captains Lucas Radebe, still a hero in Leeds where they named a pop group after his beloved Kaizer Chiefs, and Aaron Mokoena, who taught Portsmouth fans exactly what an Mbazo can do in football boots.

In this strange Premier League versus Media Madness world, Khumalo just has to glimpse Benni McCarthy’s plight at West Ham or this week’s Wayne Rooney headlines to know what to expect.

The response is all it could be: “I enjoyed my trial with Spurs and all I can say is that, at this stage, the deal is pending and an announcement will be made later.

“As a professional you need to carry yourself very well. It’s vital you train well and set a good example on and off the field. I live in that lifestyle.

“When you play, and you watch the stands, it adds more energy to your play. You know what it means to the fans.

“You have to stay motivated, stay strong mentally. The next step would be to move overseas, to play in the European leagues.”

"It would be a dream come true if the transfer materialises. I have always wanted to play in England and obviously in the Premier League, and it would be a dream to move to Tottenham. If it happens, it would be up to me to make sure it works.

"Playing in the Champions League would be another dream. I think the Champions League is the closest level to the World Cup in terms of quality and the play, so it would be great to make the move."

And for linguists reading this, relax. He really does talk that way. Khumalo explains: “My mum was an English teacher at a high school, so English was always the main focus. I speak English the way I was taught.”

Oh, and his late father was a lecturer in African languages at Unisa. If only Fabio Capello’s parents had been something similar, the England camp might be a lot happier right now.

But I digress.

Radebe, who changed the way South Africans are seen in England, insists: "Bongani is destined for great heights in his football career,” while Glyn Binkin, who represents both players, is not going to let wheeler-dealer ‘Arry have his man on the cheap. Before the expected move in January, Binkin warns: "At this stage, absolutely nothing has been finalised and discussions are ongoing between representatives of the various parties.”

Khumalo, born when his parents were working in Swaziland in 1987, is 23. Resident in Mamelodi near Pretoria from the age of two, he started out at Arcadia Shepherds, the once-famous capital club responsible for grooming such luminaries as Aston Villa’s European Cup winner Peter Withe and former Blackburn, QPR and Coventry star Roy Wegerle.

Then he moved on to the University of Pretoria before signing for SuperSports United, who have dominated the South African Premier League for three years despite their marked lack of support.

There, he is under the watchful eye of South Africa’s own Alex Ferguson, Gavin Hunt. A no-nonsense coach who told me England were rubbish before the World Cup even started, Hunt says: "People should realise that Bongani is a player who has the quality to play in one of the top leagues in Europe.

"He has matured so well in the last few years and I am so pleased that he has been given the chance to experience this World Cup in South Africa."

Hunt, who has himself been linked with jobs in England, is aware of interest in Khumalo from Rangers in Scotland, and from elsewhere in Europe.

But for Bongani happily remains with the Matsatsantse, and lists his favourite Premier League player as Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic.

He drives Seat Leon Cupra (“the beast”), smiles too infrequently and concludes: “We all want to play for big teams overseas and if the opportunity comes I’ll jump at it.”

FOOTNOTE: Bongani, if you do come over in January and you need a sympathetic bloke to show you London, I’m here pal. Despite the fact I grew up playing for Arcadia Shepherds’ arch-rivals Berea Park, you’re welcome to share my house with my four crazy kids any time. All I ask in return is that you turn out, just once, for my team Goldhill Baptists on the common in Chalfont St Giles, recently voted Buckinghamshire’s Best Kept Village. It’s about half-an-hour from London. We’re the current national over-35 FA Cup holders. I’m the other centre-back. You won’t regret it.

The Hand of Yid: Defoe cheats to see Spurs through. You just can't deny it.

After the Hand of God and the Hand of Frog, it would be deeply unfair to ignore the latest great footballing injustice: The Hand of Yid.

Look, there’s no denying it. Just because he’s a lovable little Englishman, Jermain Defoe can’t be allowed to get away with the blatant handball which turned last night’s Champions League qualifier Tottenham’s way at White Hart Lane. It’s cheating. It’s wrong. UEFA should look at the tapes and punish both the player and the club.

Isn’t that what we English cry whenever Johnny Foreigner uses a hand to gain advantage?

Argentina’s Diego Maradona has never been forgiven for punching one in against England in 1986, Frenchman Thierry Henry is still roundly condemned for his basketballing antics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup play-off and Luis Suarez was castigated (but not castrated) for briefly becoming an extra goalkeeper when Uruguay scraped through their quarter-final against Ghana at the World Cup in July.

Throw them out, we cried. Ban them forever, the headlines proclaimed.

So why should Defoe’s cheating be treated any differently? Can you imagine if the boot had been on the other erm... hand? Spurs fans, who like to call themselves Yids in the club’s faintly self-parodying Jewish tradition, love to complain. Ever since the double in 1961, they’ve been going on and on. Their manager, Harry Redknapp, never has enough over-paid players and always has more traumatised injury victims that an episode of Casualty.

I say it’s time for neutrality, since we’re dealing with the harmless (and armless) Swiss. Imagine how Young Boys, 3-2 after up the first leg in Bern, must have felt with that lucrative place in the group stages at stake? Peter Crouch headed the opener to level the “£20million” tie after just five minutes, then Defoe committed his unforgiveable sin.

With the ball dropping behind him, the 5ft 7in mini-dynamo clearly controlled the ball with the crook of his left arm before turning neatly past protesting Swiss defenders to slot home the winner. Great finish, clear handball.

Crouch made it 3-1 after an hour (5-3 on aggregate), and Defoe then found himself substituted while goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who had been begging to be subbed after an early injury, was left out in the rain by boss Redknapp. Curious.

Crouch was given the ball when the ever-impressive Gareth Bale was brought down in the box with ten minutes left, and duly scored his third – only the second European Cup hat-trick in Tottenham’s history.

But to focus on Crouch’s scoring ability – on and off the field – would be to miss the point.

Defoe did his best to explain away the use of his arm in scoring, and the guilty look before he commenced celebrating his goal. He said: "There may have been a bit of an arm, but you take them all. I did have a glance at the referee." With the ref, linesman and new-fangled “sixth official” next to the goal all missing his one-armed banditry, Defoe had little choice but to grin sheepishly at the post-match cameras. Before the game of course,

Defoe had let it be known he needed a hernia operation (he will have surgery tomorrow and misses England’s first two Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgarlia and Switzerland) but was prepared to play through the pain against Young Boys. He added: "Everyone wants to play in the Champions League. On Tuesday nights, you don't want to be at home watching Eastenders.”

But Spurs provided the soap opera moments in the teeming rain of north London last night. The little sinner, the cockney market trader shouting the odds from the sidelines, the massed ranks of anxious extras... and a starring role for the the lanky bloke caught in the love triangle. It was all there, complete with the fairy-tale ending.