UTTERLY BAFANAS: Mashaba suspended, Rubber Doll in charge... but it won't end there for South African football

SUSPENDED: Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba

Bafana Bafana Head Coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba will not join the team on their trip to Mozambique as the Association has deemed it necessary to employ disciplinary measures after a regrettable incident at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, 12 November 2016.

Assistant Coach Owen da Gama will take charge of the team in the above-mentioned international friendly match against Mozambique on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 in Maputo.

As is our custom in matters such as these, the Association will not be making any further comments on this matter out of respect for the dignity of the Head Coach and the Association and the legally privileged nature of such proceedings.

This short statement from SAFA on Sunday, less than 24 hours after South Africa’s head coach Ephraim Mashaba had engineered a morale-boosting 2-1 win over mighty Senegal, came as a bit of a shock to football fans - and his Bafana Bafana team, who left for Mozambique for Tuesday night’s friendly in Maputo.

But in truth, the tide had been rising against Shaky ever since his abject failure to qualify for AFCON 2017. The battle raging within the walls of SAFA House over Mashaba’s future will not end soon.

Flash back to early September: After the 1-1 draw against Mauritania, a result which left South Africa in third place behind Group M qualifiers Cameroon, Danny Jordaan famously said: “This cannot be the beginning, this must be the end” and we waited, endlessly, for the failed Mayor of Port Elizabeth to swing his rusty axe.

Then came the BBC Africa interview with Nigerian-based Osasu Obayiuwana which included the immortal line from Jordaan: “Mashaba has to go, the uproar is too much.” SAFA head of communications rushed to Mashaba's defence, insisting nothing of the sort had been said. He was wrong.

Somehow, Mashaba survived to lead Bafana to their opening World Cup Group D qualifier in Burkina Faso. A farcical game, featuring a penalty-that-never-was against South Africa, ended in a 1-1 draw.

For months, I had been told SAFA’s warring factions had agreed a compromise solution: If Mashaba could get four points from his opening two games on the Road to Russia 2018, he would survive. Otherwise: OUT.

Then came Saturday’s farce. After 40mins under the cosh, Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey awarded another penalty-that-never was when Eleazar Rodger’s dive-header quite clearly hit Senegal defender Idrissa Gueye on the thigh.

Captain Tyson Hlatshwayo stuck the spot kick away and Thulani Serero added a second goal before the interval to give South Africa a deeply undeserved 2-0 lead. Senegal fought back to 2-1 but somehow Bafana survived to the final whistle to claim all three points.

Mashaba’s response was predictable… but understandable. He raved about the “football intelligence” of his players and ended by telling the SABC (he refused to speak to SuperSport): "Let me say to you, I've got to celebrate this win. It’s my second lease of life in football. I was already buried. The media had bought a casket for me. We weren't given a chance.”

That might have been enough to get Mashaba through the next 10 months - Bafana’s next World Cup qualifier isn’t until August 28 next year against Cape Verde - but Mashaba was simply unable to contain his glee.

With SAFA officials - and Mamelodi Sundowns billionaire chairman Patrice Motsepe - trying to offer their congratulations, months of fear and anxiety surfaced. Mashaba felt the need to ram his dubious victory down the throats of all present, including Jordaan and his CEO Denis Mumble.

Ever since Jordaan’s defeat in the mayoral race in Nelson Mandela Bay, Jordaan has been angling to get rid of Mashaba, if only to re-stamp his authority on the national football association. Shakes complained - vehemently and publicly - about Jordaan's "lack of support". He embarrassed his bosses. Though many would feel there was justification.

This was his excuse. Then came the press statement. And Bafana left for Maputo without their mentor, Rubber Doll Owen da Gama found himself thrust to the front of the queue.

Suspension for wagging a finger. Cut short in his prime for daring to have the last word. Mashaba will not go quietly. He earns millions as National Head Coach and many other avenues of income have opened up since he took over from Gordon Igesund.

HAPPIER TIMES: Mashaba and Jordaan, 2014

SAFA said yesterday: “Coach Mashaba has asked that we convey to the NEC, and the president of the Association, in particular, his sincerest apologies if he has offended anyone and he unreservedly asked for forgiveness for Saturday’s actions.”

That won't be enough. The longer-suffering SAFA media men (all Mashaba disciples) cannot end this dispute so easily. Expect another abject (but not quite genuine) apology. Expect legal threats. Expect weeks of turmoil around our national football team once more.

The only bright side is that SAFA have plenty of time to either re-instate Mashaba or appoint a replacement before Group D grinds back in to action with Bafana behind Burkina Faso on goal difference and Senegal lurking.

The question is: will Mashaba’s petty suspension shatter SAFA House or unite them? The victory over Senegal - no matter how it was achieved - has put Bafana in pole position in the Race for Russia.

We can’t afford a technical failure. Don’t think for a moment Jordaan, as president, will have the final say. His stock has fallen both in football and politics. This may be a battle Mashaba will win, if he plays his cards right.

PROUD TO BE MR MASHABA'S MONKEY: Why BafanaBafana need more guerrillas, less yes men

MONKEY BUSINESS: BafanaBafana coach Shakes Mashaba

TODAY I am a monkey. A footballing guerrilla. One who sits on the back of our national coach, awaiting eviction. This is my tail.

As South Africa basks in the glory of a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Angola, Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba did the talking for himself this weekend rather than relying on a series of questions from his son, as he did during a run of eight competitive defeats in charge of BafanaBafana.

To recap: There was the epic 2-2 draw in Nigeria, followed by three failures at AFCON 2015, then COSAFA penalty shoot-out defeats on home soil against Botswana and Malawi, followed by 0-0 against Gambia and 1-3 in Mauritania to kick-off AFCON 2017 qualifying. Tough times, by any standards.

There’s almost no point in mentioning CHAN, the competition for home-based players, where we crashed out to Angola last month, despite an away win in the second leg.

Clearly though, nothing is going to change. Selection will be eccentric, team talks will be confusing, flights to and from Bafana games will continue to be chaotic with barely an independent journalist making the trip to tell us what's really going on.

With SAFA president Danny Jordaan ruling Port Elizabeth and Technical Director Neil Tovey limiting his involvement to critical television performances, I decided to change tack.

I spent last week in #shakysupport mode (though I could never quite get it trending on twitter) despite the inexplicable absence of Kermit Erasmus and Keagan Dolly on the trip to Benguela and the inclusion of four injured players.

I stuck to #shakysupport even when Brilliant Khuzwayo refused to replace Itumeleng Khune in the squad (the Sunday Sun suggests he was partying in Umlazi rather than attending to family matters, but that’s another story) and wished Wayne Sandilands well when he was called up as the third goalkeeper.

When Jackson Mabokgwane of Mpumalanga Black Aces was named as captain, again, a public pat on the back. When Andile Jali got sent off after scoring from the penalty spot, there was no need to slam the man. Job done. The Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night should be one long celebration, Angola need a 3-0 win and they’re NOT going to get it.

No need for monkey business. So here’s what Ephraim Mashaba said when Bafana returned (on the same flight, remarkably) from Angola to the Maharani Hotel in Durban on Sunday: “I want those monkeys to sit on my back and I don't want them to jump off, please.

“The weight that they’re putting on me, it keeps me on my toes, because I'm also saying 'I've got to feed them, these monkeys' and how do I feed them? I deliver, that's all. Feed them by delivering.”

And of course, he’s right. No national coach deserves to escape criticism. Early on in his reign, the Sunday Times Sports Editor Dr BBK Shortarse claimed Mashaba was under scrutiny because of his “levels of melanin”. He has since been nominated for journalist of the year.

Mashaba did the same, claiming he is discriminated against because of his skin colour. Utter bunkum of course. Gordon Igesund has low melanin levels but got so tired of this monkey he tried to sue.

Truth is, like Gord and Pitso before him, Shaky DOES need monkeys on his back. His ability as a coach is completely unproven at any level, his tactical acumen is a little old-fashioned. His substitutions are eccentric, his eagerness to rotate captains and goalkeepers is legend. Clearly Tovey’s appointment, months later than Jordaan promised, has had no impact.

But hey, we beat Angola, and we’ll probably beat them again on Tuesday night. But hold on, Mr Mashaba, the monkeys won’t be going anywhere. Next up? The group stages of the 2018 World Cup. And because we have the disadvantage of being a CAF nation, only the winners go through from the five groups of four. At least, unlike 2014, there will be no play-off against a seeded group winner to follow.

The road to Russia 2018 is a long one, a cold one... especially for Africa, where only FIVE out of 54 nations can qualify.

So too is the road to AFCON 2017 in Gabon, where one point from two games leaves Bafana needing to beat Cameroon TWICE to stand any chance of topping the group.

Braver primates will continue to plague Mashaba, even after this fantastic win in Angola. The yes men, and there are plenty of them, will say he’s evolved beyond gorilla warfare.

Me? I’ll just carry on pointing out the rights and wrongs, with a minimum of gibberish. That’s the job. Right on the monkey.

WORD OF GORD: The full statement on his demise from "deeply disappointed" Igesund

It's over: South Africa's national head coach Gordon Igesund

Here is the full statement produced by Gordon Igesund after SAFA announced they would not renew his contract as South Africa's national head coach:

"Firstly I would just like to start off by saying that it has been my distinct privilege and honour, as well as the highlight of my career to have been the South African Men's Senior National Team coach for these last two years.

"Of course I am deeply disappointed with SAFA's decision undertaken yesterday to not extend my contract beyond August, however this is football and it's the nature of the game.

"I have called this press conference in order to have the opportunity to personally thank those who have supported me throughout the ups and downs - from the SAFA executive committee right through to the technical staff and players. There are too many names to mention each and everyone individually, but certainly I would like to thank the likes of Danny Jordaan, Serame Letsoaka, Barney Kujane and Alex Heredia who have worked closely with me throughout this journey. 

"Together we have had a good run, which has seen the foundations having being laid for the vision, and plan I had for Bafana Bafana in order for them to move forward.

"This is illustrated through the introduction of many young players introduced under my reign some of which, like Dean Furman, May Mahlangu and Ayanda Patosi for example have gone on to establish themselves as true leaders and future stars of this team of ours.

"We also managed to overcome the old stigma of not being able to score goals at the top level. Over the last 32 matches we have managed to score in excess of 1.5 goals a game. 

"In official matches, we played 14, won 7, drew 5 and lost just twice. There have also been a number of friendlies for me to test ourselves and the victory over current world champions Spain will be a night I will never forget and South Africa should never forget. That game, that result is an indication of what is possible with a plan and a vision. Bafana does have the talent and the ability to compete, and defeat the very best and we must never forget that.

"All in all, looking back, as a South African I am incredibly proud of the fact that we have seen the team move up the world FIFA rankings whilst under my tenure and hope we can continue to do so moving forward under my successor.

"Whoever that is, I wish him all the best with his appointment and will always be available to assist Bafana Bafana wherever possible.

"I believe this team can do wonderful things with the vast talent I have seen and I believe I hand over a national team that is in a far better state than the one I inherited.

"Under the current guidance of SAFA I have no doubt we will continue to improve and I wish everyone involved with the national team the very best going forward."

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

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.

Oh, and here are my first round World Cup predictions made on http://www.kickoffpredictor.com/

ROUND 1 PREDICTIONS 

Thanks for making your predictions for Round 1 of KICK OFF Predictor.
These predictions were made on 6/4/2014 2:03:55 PM
Your predictions are: 

Brazil 2

vs

Croatia 0

Mexico 1

vs

Cameroon 1

Spain 0

vs

Netherlands 0

Chile 3

vs

Australia 0

Colombia 2

vs

Greece 0

Uruguay 2

vs

Costa Rica 1

England 0

vs

Italy 0

Ivory Coast 1

vs

Japan 0

Switzerland 2

vs

Ecuador 2

France 1

vs

Honduras 0

Argentina 4

vs

Bosnia and Herzegovina 0

Germany 2

vs

Portugal 1

Iran 0

vs

Nigeria 1

Ghana 1

vs

USA 1

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!

Don't worry Kaizer Chiefs. Last night's own goal wasn't the worst we've ever seen. Have a look at this little lot....

It seems unfair to single out a youngster for a blunder in only his second major start for a big club. But hell, Simphiwe Mtsweni's own goal at Soccer City last night takes some beating.

Caught on the far-post, the 19-year-old left back appeared to have time to control, clear... do anything he wanted. Instead he chose to stick the ball in the corner, not quite what third-choice AmaKhosi goalkeeper Brilliant Khuzwayo was hoping for.

Fortunately Mtsweni's equaliser in last night's Nedbank Cup tie against third-tier club Buffalo from East London wasn't decisive. Chiefs went on to win 2-1 to progress to today's Nedbank Cup quarter-final draw. And luckily there weren't many there to witness his blunder. But here it is...





Of course, Mtsweni is not the first AmaKhosi to produce a bizarre own goal. Team-mate Bernard Parker's bizarre header while playing for South Africa against Ethiopia last year had far greater consequences than last night's effort. And it was a far better finish.

His header simply flew past Chiefs team-mate Itumeleng Khune to put the Antelopes 2-1 up and send Bafana Bafana crashing out of the 2014 World Cup, though I suspect Gordon Igesund would have struggled to make it through the play-offs against Nigeria even if he'd won Group A.






Still. It could be worse for the Chiefs pair. How about this last night in the English Premier League? Hull City defender James Chester's effort wasn't just hilarious, it was also the WINNER for West Ham in a desperate relegation battle. BOOM!





And the worst own goal of all? Impossible to say. There have been so many examples of football's most inexplicable act. But here's one that may make Messrs Mtsweni, Parker and Chester feel a little bit better this morning:

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Response to Gordon Igesund's legal threats: look forward to meeting you in court, Gord

Legal threats: Gordon Igesund

GORDON IGESUND has finally gone a step too far. The Bafana Bafana head coach's fate will be decided on Thursday when he delivers his CHAN report to “Iron Lady” Natasha Tsichlas and her SAFA technical committee.

This morning I received a warning from Igesund’s lawyers saying I can no longer write about their client (the letter can be found at https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=74OueIF9mywUN0tZqFigcA). Obviously, these words indicate just how I feel about that. In 40 years of journalism I have never been accused of defamation, let alone warned to keep my opinions to myself. I have only ever written what I feel is in the best interests of the game. ANY game.

On Thursday, Igesund will have to explain just how hosts South Africa managed to fail at the first hurdle in a tournament restricted to home-based players only; how a tournament in which he promised "to go all the way" ended in abject failure.

Throughout the first year of Gordon's reign I was the great supporter; I initiated the oft-trending hash tag #ingordwetrust  in June 2012 and we talked long and hard about that opening game in Brazil, which was narrowly lost 1-0 in Sao Paulo.

In his first public appearance after his appointment in June, 2012, Gordon and I shared a sneaky cigarette at the Sandton Convention Centre as we talked about whether his late assistant Thomas Madigage should wear his famous ZCC hat on the bench for Bafana Bafana.

The ups and downs came thick and fast after that, with his two mandated tasks – reaching the AFCON semi-finals on home soil in 2013 and qualifying for the 2014 World Cup – both ending in failure.

Throughout stinging criticisms on the social networks I stood by Igesund. He was doing his best, I thought, he was looking everywhere for players who could rescue the nation’s ailing footballing reputation.

But then came the Thulani Serero affair. Igesund threw the Ajax Amsterdam midfielder – our highest performing star following Steven Pienaar’s international retirement – out of the team hotel when he complained of groin pain after a long-term injury during training.

I came out in support of Serero – and Igesund spent an hour haranguing me on the telephone. He insisted: “Do you know who I am? I am the head coach of South Africa…” and to my eternal shame I wrote this http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/09/thulani-serero-putting-barcelona-ahead.html after that conversation.

Shaken by Gordon’s response, I then spoke to various people about the Serero incident and wrote this http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/09/thulani-serero-other-side-of-bafanagate.html in an attempt to redress the balance.

From that point on – September 2013 – the relationship with Igesund was broken. I had helped Gordon publicly at every turn on several different platforms and dug hard on the Ethiopians losing points for fielding an ineligible player, backed him to the hilt, but we no longer talked; even after the sensational friendly win over World No1 Spain.


And even when I was forced to shave my head when Gordon lost in a friendly to an amateur Norway line-up http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/01/hair-today-gone-tomorrowhow-i-was.html I had kept the faith. But still not a word from Igesund.

At around this time I became aware of various problems within the Bafana camp. There were allegations of favouritism – as there were surrounding his predecessor Pitso Mosimane – and I touched on the subject, only to be harangued by Mike Makaab, the man who represents both Igesund and Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back Thabo Nthethe.

I was particularly aggrieved when Igesund publicly berated Russian-based defender Siyanda Xulu, 22, over a single pass during training and dropped him from the starting line-up, keeping Nthethe, 29 at the back.

That simmering resentment continued during CHAN, when Nthethe was the only member of a creaking back four to keep his place throughout the tournament. This led to threatening phone calls from Gordon’s son Grant at 2am and demands for an apology from Makaab. Throughout this, Gordon refused to take my calls.

Makaab insisted that I apologise for suggesting he influenced Igesund’s selection. That apology appeared here http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2014/01/bafana-bafana-apology.html and it’s true, I can’t prove anybody sways our national head coach BUT IN MY OPINION certain players are favoured and nobody disputes that Makaab and Igesund have long maintained an agent/client relationship.

Makaab said an apology would end threats of legal action. He thanked me for doing it publicly on twitter - but this morning the legal letter arrived.

On Wednesday, January 22, as the furore over CHAN failure swept football-speaking South Africa,  I told a national radio station that an agent had visited the team hotel before the Spain game. I argued again that some players are favoured for their affiliation rather than their talent.

SAFA president Danny Jordaan, also appearing on the show, responded: “This will be investigated” and Igesund’s lawyers are angry that their client now appears to be “under investigation”.

Of course, since then, further allegations have arisen against Igesund. On January 26, several Sunday papers suggested Igesund was behind a pre-CHAN bonus row that nearly resulted in a strike. Obviously, Igesund IS "under investigation" and rightly so.

I have no idea what will happen on Thursday. Perhaps Igesund will talk his way out of trouble, pointing out (rightly) he had a sub-standard squad and not enough time to prepare. Or perhaps he will work out his contract and a new regime will begin after the World Cup. Perhaps he will even do the honourable thing and resign for failing to achieve his mandates.

Close shave: Gordon and I after I was
forced to shave my head after
Bafana's Norway defeat

But it is my opinion that South Africa would be best served by not renewing Igesund’s contract – which runs until July this year. He failed – narrowly – to reach the AFCON semi-finals on home soil. He failed – despite Ethiopia’s points deduction – to reach even the play-offs for Brazil 2014. And he failed – utterly – at CHAN.

I also believe Gordon’s selection process throughout CHAN was flawed. He chopped and changed in all positions, leaving players confused and uncertain. Though Gordon described his training sessions as being “like World Cup finals” I heard different, from several sources.

He also promised he would go out to win in the final Group A clash against Nigeria, where Bafana needed just a draw. Instead, he fielded a lone striker and was forced to make a first-half substitution when the Super Eagles took an early 2-0 lead.

There is plenty more that could be said here. But I’ve had enough. The late night phone calls. The threats. The prospect of a first appearance on a defamation charge in 40 years of journalism does not phase me. I should just shut up and apologise, as I did before.

But I have a right to my opinion, based on what I read on the social networks and what I hear from those involved in Igesund's turbulent reign. I have a right to change my mind about Igesund, who won the domestic PSL title with a record four different clubs.

I will not be silenced. I have nothing to lose. I earn less than R7000 a month. I do not own a home and I drive a third-hand Citroen C2. I have no other assets and I certainly can’t afford a lawyer to defend myself.

But if it’s a court battle Igesund wants, bring it on. My only motivation is to improve the standing of South African football. To weed out corruption and favouritism. That is my story.


Full text of the legal letter from Igesund's lawyer can be found HERE:

https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=74OueIF9mywUN0tZqFigcA

Inside story: the curious tale of Bafana Bafana, Carlos Queiroz, Roger de Sa and Gordon Igesund

Job swap? Gordon Igesund and
Pirates ex-boss Roger De Sa

Roger and out. To some Orlando Pirates, that news came as a blessing. Brighter Buccaneers know full well it could prove to be DeSasterous.

The minute Roger de Sa livened up transfer deadline day with his resignation just minutes after the window creaked shut on Friday night, I tweeted exactly what I believe to be true: That the Mozambique-born former Bafana goalkeeper is all set to join Carlos Queiroz in the Bafana Bafana set-up after the World Cup in Brazil.

With Gordon Igesund yet to submit his CHAN report to SAFA’s technical committee that may have appeared a little premature. Gordon’s contract runs until July, a lot of people think Igesund deserves more time.

But the hand had been forced. In the Sunday Times, Roger said: “Right now my batteries are flat. I had a heart-to-heart with Dr Irvin Khoza (the Pirates chairman) and told him I was battling to motivate myself in the morning.

“I said I wanna go. He was quite surprised. But I told him I couldn’t give 100 percent. It’s not good for me, for you, the club or the fans.”

With that, Roger was gone. But he can go with his head held high. When he took over from Augusto “Bad Back” Palacios last season, Pirates were 10^th in the PSL. They ended third and he leaves with a remarkable record of reaching three successive cup finals. With Eric Tinkler in the caretaker role, Pirates could yet reach third when they’ve caught up with the rest.

True, he lost the Champions League, MTN8 and Telkom Knock-out at the final hurdles, but he did bring in R13.7m in the process. And most of the players, for all the “sinister” forces at work in the club, had good things to say about Roger’s reign.

The truth is, Pirates had a Belgian coach with African experience (I won’t name him), living in the Protea Wanderers hotel for weeks last year waiting for De Sa to slip up in the African Champions League.  He didn’t. He produced miracles at TP Mazembe and in the group stages to keep his side in the running against all expectations.

And throughout his reign, De Sa had to put up with interference from Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala, Khoza, Floyd Mbele and several others on matters of team selection and tactics before, during and after vital games. Ask Lucky Lekgwathi, Fatau Dauda and Tlou Segolela about the chaos behind the scenes.

It had to come to an end. Roger’s patience had been tried to the limit, and he was pelted by missiles when Pirates drew with AmaZulu last month.

But relief was at hand. A couple of weeks ago I heard (from an impeccable source) Carlos Queiroz had approached Pirates, asking if Roger, 49, could assist him during Iran’s World Cup quest in Brazil later this year. Roger’s late dad Octavio knew Queiroz, 60, and the pair worked together before, both during Queiroz’s previous Bafana reign (2000-2002, played 20, lost four) and with Portugal at the World Cup here in 2010.

Despite insults and denials on my twitter time-line, Pirates fans woke up on Sunday morning with the newspapers echoing my tweets: Roger did not simply leave because he was weary at Pirates, he left because he has exciting new opportunities ahead.

Cape Town is not one of them. Yet. Ajax Amsterdam insist they have not even spoken to De Sa, though most of the football media put together Muhsin Etrugral’s recent departure with De Sa’s resignation to make a phantom marriage of convenience.

Etrugral, returning to Turkey following a bereavement, was quoted yesterday saying: "I have not spoken to anybody from Pirates. I'm flying to Istanbul to sort out some family matters."

Nothing is set in stone yet. It could be that Ajax, with backing from Amsterdam, could yet go for Roger. It’s possible Igesund could talk his way out of trouble when he tries to justify his CHAN disaster this week. The exchange rate will make it difficult for SAFA to pay Queiroz the required salary – he’s on R22m a year with Iran.

But ultimately, I believe Roger and Carlos (both born in Mozambique) will be in charge of South Africa after doing the World Cup together with Iran later this year. I think Gordon will be sacked – and rightly so – and he could even go to Orlando Pirates next, given his agent Mike Makaab’s relationship with Dr Khoza.

Sadly, none of the principle characters involved can confirm or deny much of these details as there is too much at stake. South African football thrives on secrecy and back-stabbing. Any conversations right now are strictly off the record, nothing can be said out loud for fear of upsetting Dr Khoza, Makaab, SAFA or Igesund.

But I for one would be more than happy for South Africa to begin their post-CHAN recovery in July with Queiroz and De Sa running the show for Bafana in their new Nike kit. In the meantime, Shakes Mashaba (or Igesund if he insists on working out his contract) will take charge for pre-World Cup friendlies against Brazil and other heavyweights.

But remember, South Africa will not be in Brazil later this year. Iran and Queiroz will. And we all know why.

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

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

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

EXCLUSIVE: SAFA President Danny Jordaan laments "people who play politics with South African football"

DYNAMIC DUO: Nelson Mandela and Danny Jordaan
celebrate South Africa being awarded the 2010 World Cup

NEWLY ELECTED SAFA president Danny Jordaan reacted with disbelief today when he was asked to respond to rumours suggesting kit sponsors Puma had “just” terminated their contract with Bafana Bafana.

Jordaan, elected to the top job on September 28 after a long-running battle with ineligible rival Irvin Khoza, Jordaan snorted: “This is so strange! How can you kill a person twice?

“Puma announced they were withdrawing their sponsorship on January 4 this year when Kirsten Nematandani was president. We have known about this for months. The Sunday Times wrote all about it eight months ago.

“But now, today, they say Puma have withdrawn. I have the letter from January showing Puma had already pulled out.”

Jordaan, who saw off Khoza’s proxy Mandla "Shoes" Mazibuko to win the presidency last month, always knew the knives would be out for him once he became the most powerful man in South African football.

Now 62, Jordaan has spent his life fighting against sporting injustice – he turned his back on his own cricket and football career and was banned for his part in the Apartheid sports boycott in the days when Khoza was not involved in sport (see these links http://www.iol.co.za/sport/a-tale-of-drugs-money-and-cars-1.90760#.UmACvdJHIXE and http://mg.co.za/article/2001-08-31-ghosts-come-back-to-haunt-the-iron-duke among many others) - and Jordaan remains confident he can lead South African football to a brave new era.

Only one winner: Khoza and Jordaan

Now a key part of CAF while helping Morocco and Brazil to prepare for upcoming AFCON 2015 and World Cup 2014 tournaments, Jordaan laughed: “Somebody is playing politics with South African football again. That’s what they do. But it doesn’t bother me, we have plans in place.

“Everyone’s saying sponsors are deserting SAFA now I’m president, but I can tell you the ABSA decision was taken BEFORE I took over.

“I have their letter, dated September 26. But people have their own agendas. They are putting politics ahead of football.

“As Gordon Igesund told you this morning Neal, we are ready with our Master Plan to change the face of our football. Our technical committee has come up with the names and our Under 17 and Under 20 teams will get new coaches and we will see a revival.

“We have the R500m FIFA Legacy Fund available to help with development, and we are dealing with that every day.

“These are the real stories. Not some eight-month old tale about a sponsor withdrawing. Please tell your friends: you can’t go to a funeral twice!”

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

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

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

One mediocre question for Mike Makaab: Who best represents the future of South African football: Thabo Nthethe, 28 or Siyanda Xulu, 21?

Getting shirty: ProSport International CEO Mike Makaab

MEDIOCRE. Definition: Moderate in quality; ordinary. See synonyms at AVERAGE.

[French médiocre, from Latin mediocris : medius, middle; see medhyo]

Thank you Mr Dick Shunary. So when I said last Saturday that I was shocked the “mediocre Thabo Nthethe” had been selected to play for South Africa ahead of Siyanda Xulu, I was a little miffed when THIS turned up, publicly on my twitter  timeline from Mike Makaab: “I'm surprised at your comment about Nthethe Neal!”

Yup, five days after the event, Makaab chose to chew me out because I’d described Nthethe as average. Born in Bloemfontein, the 28-year-old is a seasoned PSL defender for Bloemfontein Celtic with 15 caps for Bafana Bafana. I have no beef with Makaab’s client or his enduring role with the Siwelele.

I explained the tweet was aimed not at damaging Nthethe but to illustrate my surprise at the decision not to use Siyanda Xulu at centre-back, given that – like the controversially expelled Thulani Serero – he had been flown in (business class, at a cost of over R60,000) from Russia for what might have been a vital World Cup qualifier against Botswana.

Against Nigeria, the centre-back pairing of Nthethe and Tower Mathoho had been picked apart. Xulu hadn’t even had a call from Bafana for that high-powered Madiba birthday friendly, I spoke to him on my Ballz radio football show BOLLOCKZ and Siyanda was mystified by the lack of contact.

Xulu is 21, he moved from Mamelodi Sundowns to FC Rostov last year. At the end of last season he was voted man of the match twice as his unfashionable riverside outfit survived relegation in the high-powered Russian League.

This season, Rostov are sharing second place and a month ago Xulu marked the world’s best-paid player Samuel Eto’o out of the game in a 1-0 win over Anzhi Makhachkala, the oil-rich giants from Dagestan.

Xulu told me how “Sam looked a bit frustrated about not getting a goal” and was roundly praised for his performance in a match which ultimately led to the dismantling of Anzhi’s multi-billion structure and the departure – on a free transfer – of Eto’o to Chelsea last month.

So when Xulu arrived in Durban to find he was consigned to the bench (along with Kamohelo Mokotjo, 22, from Dutch Eredivisie leaders PEC Zwolle) I was fairly surprised. Hence the "mediocre" tweet.

Curiously, Makaab’s ProSport International clients featured. Nthethe - whose Celtic have conceded 10 goals in four games this season - and goal-scorer Bernard Parker both took their places in the side with Parker captaining a VERY mediocre Bafana against Zimbabwe four days later.

Makaab, still in public on my timeline, then pointed out that Andile Jali, another of his clients, was also omitted from the starting line-up. But of course, the Orlando Pirates midfielder came on as a substitute, neatly fulfilling the needs of any player hoping for a move to the UK, where work permits are only handed to those who have played 80 percent of their nation’s competitive fixtures.

And I remember my surprise when Gordon Igesund, another of Makaab’s clients, picked Thamsanqa Gabuza from Golden Arrows for his first squad to play Brazil last year. And there was another of his men, Thanduyise Khuboni from the same club, who appeared a permanent fixture for Bafana during Pitso Mosimane’s turbulent reign.

Unfazed by this apparent good fortune, Makaab - who I respected as a player, coach and agent until this point - then asked me: “Are you suggesting something about selection of the team? You say you're not afraid to speak, so say it - I have nothing to hide.”

 So there it is. Makaab himself has asked the question: does South Africa’s biggest agent play a part in the selection of the Bafana Bafana team? I made no such suggestion. I would never dream of doing so having supporting Gordon Igesund throughout his topsy-turvy, mandate-mangling reign in charge of our beloved Bafana.

Igesund has enough problems on his hands without his agent getting involved in “putting journalists right” for passing mild opinions.

My question (and one you should feel free to answer on www.twitter.com/nealcol or by commenting below) is this: Does the future of Bafana revolve around the 28-year-old Nthethe from Bloemfontein Celtic or the 21-year-old Xulu in Russia?

I think I know the answer to that one.

I have asked Mike if he will appear on BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za this week, it airs every Thursday from 10am-noon. He has my number. 

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!