Mashamaite’s Agent
Clarifies New York Outcome
Tefu Mashamaite’s business manager Jazzman Mahlakgane has
explained in detail how the governing body MLS rejected New York City FC’s
request to sign the player. The former Kaizer Chiefs captain will
not be signing for the MLS club despite being offered a deal, and Mahlakgane
takes it further by explaining how it all went down. “The offer was given to us
this past Monday by the club’s sports director as unofficial until the MLS approves
it. Both the club and I were comfortable to a point that his stay in New York
was [would be] extended until December when the league goes on a break. I need
to clarify to supporters and fans that Tefu wasn’t unsuccessful as a result of
what is termed ‘trials’ back home, but the cap system of MLS which controls the
club’s financials [and number of active players registered]. When the news
broke in the early hours of this morning, we were both shocked as Tefu was
already feeling at home and accepted by members of the NYCFC staff and players.
On a positive note, one would like to thank NYCFC for showing faith in Skipper
and going the extra mile to try and secure funds from the League to bring him
on board. To the technical team lead by Jason Kreis, the GM [sporting director]
Claudio Reyna and all the staff members one had the opportunity to interact
with during Tefu’s stay in NYC, I would like thank them. Tefu and I share the
same sentiment of great appreciation and we wish the club all the best in their
quest to play in the play-offs. I must also emphasise that the club was very
warm to Tefu from the time of his arrival until last night when the team
couldn’t succeed in their request. It is a great experience for Skipper and he
is taking this with him to the next journey. One urges the fans not to put
pressure on any of us, especially Tefu, but allow God to take care of the
situation. I must also thank the media guys who have been supportive to him
during this process, my family, Masha’s mother, Tefu’s friends and all the
prayers he received when we were in NY,” he adds.
Orlando Pirates have
confirmed their CAF Confederation Cup clash with CS Sfaxien has been moved back
a day to Sunday. The game will kick off at 20h15 (SA time: 21h15) at Taieb
Mhiri Stadium in Sfax, Tunisia. The Sea Robbers went down 2-1 to Egyptian
giants Zamalek in their Group B opener in Nelspruit on July 11.
New Maritzburg United
coach Mandla Ncikazi is upbeat about his team’s prospects for the UThukela
Mayoral Cup in Ladysmith on Sunday. United,
who have just completed a two-week training camp, will compete in the annual
event alongside PSL rivals Golden Arrows. “Impressive and encouraging. There
are certain positions that we are still looking at reinforcing and we are
engaging with the these potential players,” Ncikazi said of his club’s
preparations. “As a new coach at the helm, you want to win everything. As much
as we are preparing, I am sure, looking at the positivity at training, we’re
going to do well [at the Mayoral Cup],” he added. Ncikazi was unveiled as
United’s boss on July 2 following Steve Komphela’s move to Kaizer Chiefs.
Zeca Marques will begin his tenure as the new coach of Santos
on Wednesday following his resignation at fellow NFD club Black Leopards on
Friday afternoon. Marques walked out of his job at Leopards after a
training session at the back of a stretch of differences with club boss David
Thidiela, leaving Joel Masutha to take charge of the team when they played
against a Botswana first division side on Saturday in Polokwane. Marques has
already signed an agreement to take over at Santos on a deal running up to the
end of the season. The former Moroka Swallows mentor emerged top of the list of
coaches that were being considered for the job at The People’s Team. Though the 53-year-old had reported back for
pre-season at Leopards he had not signed a new contract as yet. Marques did
miraculously well for Leopards last season, taking the club from the bottom
half of the table in December through to the Play-Offs where they came within
touching distance of winning promotion. At Santos Marques replaces Farouk
Abrahams who led the team last season.
Polokwane City will
not be offering Katlego ‘Killer’ Mphela a deal after the striker trained with
the Limpopo side. The former SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns and
Kaizer Chiefs marksman recently trained with Rise and Shine and it was thought
the team was keen on offering him a contract. However, City’s COO Tincy Tema
says the club will not be signing Mphela. “Mphela is no longer training with us
and we won’t be signing him,” he said. “There was a report that we are signing
him, but I can confirm that he didn’t impress our technical team,” Tema adds. Killer
also failed to get a deal with University of Pretoria after briefly training
with them. AmaTuks coach Sammy Troughton was quoted as saying they didn’t agree
terms.
Muhsin Ertugral
believes Stuart Baxter has a tough task ahead of him as new coach of Turkish
outfit Genclerbirligi. The English coach led Kaizer Chiefs to PSL glory
last season before making the move to Europe, penning a one-year deal with the
Super Lig side. Yet current Mpumalanga
Black Aces coach Ertugral, who was assistant coach at Genclerbirligi in the
late 1990s, has warned Baxter of the difficult task ahead of him under club
president İlhan Cavcav, who has been in charge since 1978. “He [Baxter] chose a
club which, on average, generally changes two coaches per season,” Ertugral
said. “The owner of the club is not very fond of coaches, and likes to get
himself unnecessarily involved. I wish Stuart luck – I know he is a great coach
who can adapt to the situation there because obviously the expectations are
sometimes really over what an average club can achieve. The demands of this
president are really ridiculous, and hopefully Baxter can stay until the end of
the season – I wish him that.” The Turkish-born manager, who was also at the
helm of Super Lig club Sivasspor in 2010, is however confident Baxter will do
the job required of him, despite being the ninth coach to take charge of the
club in the past five years. “I think he [Baxter] knows what to do – Turkish
football is very demanding and I know he is a very good coach who will be able
to adapt to the situation,” Ertugral adds. Baxter will take charge of
Genclerbirligi – who finished ninth in the standings – in their first league
encounter on 16 August against Rizespor, who ended just above the relegation
zone in 15th place last season.
Former Kaizer Chiefs
and Bidvest Wits defender Thomas Sweswe will resume his playing career back in
his homeland with ZPC Kariba. The 33-year-old had been banned for life by
the Zimbabwe Football Association for his alleged role in the ‘Asiagate’
match-fixing scandal, a sanction that was only implementable in his own
country, but had that punishment lifted last month. He has not played a
competitive topflight fixture since turning out for Wits at the end of the
2012/13 season, but did play four games for Black Leopards in the National
First Division at the end of the last campaign. “That Asiagate issue did affect
me a lot,” he said. “I had signed a good improved three-year contract with
Chiefs [in 2012] but they had to terminate it because this thing was taking too
long and they said it was affecting the name of the club and all that stuff. But after that I managed to get a two-year
contract at Bidvest Wits which wasn’t bad. I am just happy now that I have been
cleared and they found that I am innocent because this Asiagate issue badly
affected my reputation even though I knew that I was innocent,’’ Sweswe said. The
defender will be reunited with coach Sunday Chidzambwa at ZPC Kariba, another
individual implicated in the Asiagate scandal.
Jomo Cosmos boss Jomo Sono says he is still waiting for
striker Siyabonga Nomvete to pitch up for training as he looks to secure his
signature. Sono is interested in bringing Nomvete to the club ahead
of the start of the new season to add experience in their first season back in
the Premiership after a three-year absence. ‘Mjomane’ has met with the former
Bafana Bafana striker’s agent and been told that the player has accepted their
offer. “It’s up to him. We have made the offer. It’s up to him to accept,” says
Sono. “His agent told me that the player has accepted the offer, but I don’t
know. I want to see the player at training. If I don’t see him at training, it
means he has not accepted the offer.”
Bloemfontein Celtic
have completed the signing of Helder Pelembe and Mthokozisi Dube from Orlando
Pirates. Both Pelembe and Dube have joined Celtic on a one-year loan deal.
Phunya Sele Sele also announced the permanent signing of Musa Nyatama at the
weekend.
University of
Pretoria have completed the signing of Namibian defender Willem Mwedihanga. Mwedihanga
has penned a three-year deal with AmaTuks. The 29-year-old was a free agent
after his contract at AmaZulu expired at the end of June. Mwedihanga started 20
games for Usuthu last season. Tuks have been busy in the market of late,
notably recruiting Thabiso Nkoana, Sibusiso Mthethwa, Vukile Mngqibisa, Kabelo
Lichaba and Harry Edge. Sammy Troughton’s side have also made an offer to
ex-Orlando Pirates striker Lennox Bacela, while former Bloemfontein Celtic
midfielder Joel Mogorosi is on trial with the Tshwane outfit.
It looks like Itumeleng Khune’s wage demands might throw off
any chances he has of moving to Mamelodi Sundowns. Khune was thought
to be among the highest paid players in the league before his contract at
Kaizer Chiefs ran out last month. His reported high demands could prove to be
out of reach even for the big-spending Chloorkop side. Sundowns coach Pitso
Mosimane did not mince his words when asked if they are chasing the clubless
keeper. “I believe Khune is the number one keeper in the country. It’s not
easy to sign a player. If you want to sign a player, you must also afford
him,” says the outspoken coach. “I’m not saying we can’t afford him but it
must be market related. Look at Elias Pelembe, he had to leave and take a pay
cut at Bidvest Wits. I wish he could have taken the pay cut here. It’s tough
and this is to show that people must play for their money and it must be market
related and South African players must understand that now. People are being
given clearances at big teams and going to smaller teams for less money.”
Mosimane added: “There’s competition now, the young ones are pushing and
if you don’t play for your money, you find yourself with a big name but not
having a team and you go to other teams and they can’t afford you. It’s a
problem and our players must realise that there’s no money in Europe and South
Africa is affected now, so they must earn their money and enjoy it while they
are still earning much.”
Kaizer Chiefs
football manager Bobby Motaung has expressed gratitude for the cow given to the
club by Swazi king Mswati III. Amakhosi and Orlando Pirates played in the
King Swazi Cup this past weekend at the Somhlolo Stadium. Both Soweto clubs
were knocked out in the semi-finals, but it was still a worthwhile exercise
with the 2015/16 kick-off just a few weeks away. “A gift of such as this one is
very big in African culture and we appreciate it. We will share the gift with
the rest of Amakhosi family when we get back home,” Motaung said on the club’s
official website.
Following the successful launch of the power red away jersey
in June, adidas was proud to unveil the new Orlando Pirates Football Club home
kit for the upcoming 2015/16 season. The club has retained its
iconic black strip, which made a dramatic return in 2013 with the highly
successful Black is Back campaign. However, this year’s jersey has lighter
shading on the chest which gives it more depth and a striking, more modern
look. We also see the return of the popular V-shaped neck, as well as the
classic skull and crossbones embossed on the back of the jersey. The 3D badge
which proudly adorns the heart of the jersey completes the design, which is on
global par with adidas football giants Chelsea, Manchester United and Juventus.
Mamelodi Sundowns
beat Ajax Cape Town 3-1 in the Final of the eTV Charity Showdown at the Lucas
Moripe Stadium. Cuthbert Malajila was the hero for the Brazilians with two
goals. Anthony Laffor got the other, while Mario Booysen got an own-goal for
the Urban Warriors. Pitso Mosimane’s side booked their spot in the final with a
2-0 win over the University of Pretoria, thanks to goals from Teko Modise and
Khama Billiat. Ajax Cape Town, meanwhile, needed a brace from Bantu Mzwakali to
secure a 2-0 win over Jomo Cosmos in the second semi-final.
Teams:
Sundowns XI: Mweene, S Zwane, Langerman, Booysen, Arendse,
Tau, Moriri, T Zwane, A.Laffor, Mokoena, Malajila
Ajax XI: Johnson, Kammies, Jacobs, Jenniker, Mendes,
Phohlongo, Jacobs, Losper, Cale, Nguye, Sasman
South Africa’s
national Under-23s were held to a 1-1 draw by their Zimbabwean counterparts in
an Olympic qualifier in Harare on Sunday afternoon. Keagan Dolly produced a
moment of magic in the second half, dribbling past a number of defenders before
slotting past the gaolkeeper. The hosts
were then awarded a questionable penalty in the 83rd minute when captain Kwanda
Mngonyama was adjudged to have handled in the box, and Walter Musona scored
from the resultant kick to make it 1-1.
South Africa U23: Goss, Macheke, Mngonyama, Rikhotso, Zulu,
Mobara, Dolly, Modiba, Konqoba, Ntshangase, Kambule
Banyana Banyana
managed a hard fought 1-0 win over the Harambe Starlets of Kenya in a 2016 Rio
Olympic Games qualifier at Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday. The match was
the first leg of Round 3. MaIndies player, Lebohang Ramalepe scored the only goal
of the match late in the second half. Banyana Banyana were missing USA-based
striker Jermaine Seoposenwe and goalkeeper, Roxanne Barker who plays in
Iceland. Banyana Banyana hold an advantage going into the second leg which will
be played next weekend (Sunday, 2 August 2015) at the Machakos Stadium in the
capital Nairobi.
Mbabane Swallows won
the King’s Cup in Swaziland after beating Royal Leopards 4-2 on penalties
following a 1-1 draw in the final. Leopards and Swallows reached the final
game after knocking out South African contingent Orlando Pirates and Kaizer
Chiefs in their semi-finals. Swallows beat Chiefs 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0
draw on Saturday morning while Leopards advanced 3-1 over Pirates in another
shootout following a 1-1 draw. Swallows were awarded 600 000 Lilangeni (R600
245) for the win.
Orlando Pirates are impressed with Ugandan trialist Yasser
Mugerwa, who played for the club in the King’s Super Cup in Swaziland on the
weekend. Pirates coach Eric Tinkler handed a start to Mugerwa in
Bucs’ 3-1 loss on penalties to Royal Leopards at Somhlolo Stadium on Saturday.
Mugerwa’s compatriot Saidi Kyeyune, who is also being assessed in Mayfair,
featured off the bench for the Buccaneers in Mbabane. “First half he
played well, but I think second half his legs started going a little bit,”
Tinkler said. “I think the intensity of the game was high which he is not
used to, plus the occasion. Saidi also came in. We have seen lot of good things
at training and this was a good test to see if they got the character and
ability to play for a big team like Orlando Pirates.”
Combative midfielder
Nhlanhla Shabalala has parted ways with NFD-bound AmaZulu. The 29-year-old,
who joined Usuthu on a three-and-a-half-year deal in December 2013, leaves the
Durban outfit after seeing limited game-time last season. Shabalala previously
spent over a decade with Ajax Cape Town before suffering a fall out with
then-Urban Warriors coach Muhsin Ertugral. Other players to have left Steve
Barker’s team in the off-season include Mbulelo Mabizela, Bongani Ndulula,
Nkosinathi Mthiyane and Philani Shange, with the latter pair switching to
Chippa United. Marc van Heerden and fellow left-back Sifiso Hlanti have also
attracted interest from Absa Premiership sides.
Kagisho Dikgacoi made
a successful return to playing this week when he turned out for 45 minutes for
Cardiff City against Forest Green Rovers. The former Bafana Bafana regular
received high praise for his performance, which comes just months after a
serious knee injury that left him unable to move his leg. Dikgacoi has been on
a boot camp, worked with a renowned boxing trainer and put in extra hours in
the gym, and looks to be on course to resume his career with the English
Championship side after an injury-plagued 2014/15 campaign. “Kagisho has dug
deep and worked hard to get where he is now,” boxing trainer Darren Wilson, who
has been helping Dikgacoi with his rehabilitation, told WalesOnline. “He wants
to do it, he is keen to make progress. There were times last season when we
worked together and he wasn’t able to move his feet because of a knee injury.
Later we were able to add in more movement and he has kept working. We had a
number of sessions together last season, he enjoys it and wants to get the
gloves out a couple of times a week. Kagisho is a class player when he is at
peak fitness and he will be a key man for Cardiff this season. The boy wants to
get there and he’s putting in the effort.” Dikgacoi has not played competitive
football in almost a year after choosing to move to Cardiff in the second tier
on a three-year contract, rather than stay in the Premier League at Crystal
Palace, who offered him just a one-year deal.
Jomo Cosmos will play
their home matches at Olen Park Stadium in Potchefstroom at least until
November. Ezenkosi will use their alternate home venue, Olen Park, because
their main home venue, the Fezile Dabi Stadium in the Free State, will not be
ready until November as new turf is being put in.
Morgan Gould says he
is back doing light training following the Achilles tendon injury he sustained
almost four months ago. The 32-year-old defender limped off just before
halftime of the 2-0 CAF Champions League defeat to Raja Casablanca in April. He
tells the club’s website that while he is not yet joining his teammates in full
training, he is slowly but surely making his way back. “I am still busy doing rehabilitation work. I
am already working out on the pitch again, although not as yet with the team,”
he says.
Ajax Cape Town have
announce the signing of Prince Nxumalo and Thomas Chideu following their
impressive training stints with the club. Nxumalo is no stranger to Cape
Town as he spent some time with National First Division side, FC Cape Town,
before SuperSport United signed the Durban-born player. Prince is a fantastic
acquisition to the current squad, as he adds a terrific element by means of his
pace, power and immense work ethic. Zimbabwean, Thomas Chideu also recently
spent some time training with Roger De Sa and his technical team here at Ikamva
and a decision was reached to offer him a contract with the first team, which
he gladly accepted. Chideu joined Highlanders in January after spending the
previous 12 months in England where he was involved in a schools exchange
programme. He opted to pursue a move to Ajax Cape Town instead, which we are
extremely pleased about. Fellow Zimbabwean, Milton Ncube, who also joined Ajax
CT from Highlanders a few seasons ago, is another example of the talents and
professional nature of the players Highlanders are producing.
Mamelodi Sundowns
ended their pre-season tour of Zambia with a 1-1 draw against Nchanga Rangers
in Ndola on last Thursday. Sundowns recorded 1-0 victories over Super
Division champions Zesco United and Mufulira Wanderers in their previous two
games on the trip. Pitso Mosimane’s men will open their Absa Premiership
campaign away to Platinum Stars on August 8.
Mpumalanga Black Aces
are set to host a pre-season tournament featuring Absa Premiership rivals
University of Pretoria, Platinum Stars and Bidvest Wits on July 25. The
competition will take place at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, with a draw
taking place at the venue on July 21 to decide the match-ups. The first
semi-final will start at 10h00, with the second semi at 12h00. The losers will
play for third place before the Final at 17h00. According to Aces’ website,
tickets are available at Computicket and Shoprite at R40 for adults and R10 for
U-18s. AmaZayoni and Dikwena recently contested the Maize Cup Final, with the
latter winning 1-0.
Willard Katsande and
Menzi Masuku have lost their starting places for Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando
Pirates in the latest Carling Black Label Cup teams. Line-ups as things
stand:
Kaizer Chiefs: Khuzwayo, Masilela, Xulu, Moleko, Gaxa,
Tshabalala, Letsholonyane, Maluleka, Lebese, Parker, Zulu
Orlando Pirates: Mhlongo, Matlaba, Sangweni, Mahamutsa,
Jele, Myeni, Sarr, Manyisa, Rakhale, Erasmus, Majoro
With just over a week to go until the 2015 Carling Black
Label Cup clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, time is running out
for Champion Coaches to change their line-up. A new innovation this year, the
Booster Votes, has shaken things up in the line-ups of both sides by giving
winning fans the opportunity to add 50,000 votes to the total of their
favourite players. That means that as of Thursday, George Maluleka has replaced
Willard Katsande in the Kaizer Chiefs line-up, while Sifiso Myeni has come in
for Menzi Masuku in the Orland Pirates team. But there is still time for plenty
of change to what have otherwise looked like settled line-ups.
Orlando Pirates
defender Mbongeni ‘Shoes’ Gumede is poised to join AmaZulu on loan. Usuthu
said on their website the U-23 international will switch alliances provided he
passes a medical in Durban. Meanwhile, Gumede and AmaZulu midfielder Tshepo
Liphoko were involved in a car accident on Tuesday. The pair escaped injury,
but Liphoko’s car sustained damage, according to the NFD club’s team manager
Japhet Zwane. “They came out all right and are close friends having been
together at Pirates. Both are in a positive frame of mind about it. Tshepo’s
car will have to be fixed because it got knocked quite a bit.”
Jomo Cosmos are on
the verge of signing Sipho Mngomezulu, who played for Moroka Swallows in the
past season. The right-back will add to the eight new players that were
announced by Ezenkosi last Thursday. “We are not finished signing new players.
We are on the verge of signing Sipho Mngomezulu and the striker from Mozambique
[Luis Miquissone], but he will come at a later stage,” Sono confirmed from the
club’s press conference. Newly promoted Premier Soccer League side Jomo Cosmos
have announced the signing of eight new players. Ezenkosi made the
announcement in Sandton, Johannesburg
and the chairman and head coach of the club, Jomo Sono, says his team is not in
the league to simply make up the numbers. The new signings include three
foreign players including two Malawi internationals in Miciam Mhone and
Mohammad Sulumba. List of new signings (previous club in brackets)
1. Mohammad Sulumba (Blantyre United, Malawi)
2. Miciam Mhone (Blue Eagles, Malawi)
3. Sibusiso Mdamba (African Warriors)
4. Pako Mahaabo (Maluti FET College)
5. Michael Gumede (Thanda Royal Zulu)
6. Uhuru Seleman (Simba, Tanzania)
7. Conrad Madolo (Garankuwa United)
8. Mxolisi Macuphu (Royal Eagles).
Sono says: “We have signed some very exciting players. Watch
out.”
Maritzburg United coach Mandla Ncikazi is hopeful new signing
Manti Moholo will add value in the middle of the park for his team. United
announced the capture of Moholo on a three-year deal from Orlando Pirates. “I
like him, I hope he will have a positive impact in the middle of the park when
called upon to perform,” Ncikazi told the club’s website. Meanwhile,
Moholo is pleased to have a permanent base following loan spells at Golden
Arrows and Chippa United. The midfielder made 17 League starts for the Chilli
Boys last season.
Ayanda Patosi scored
one and created another as KSC Lokeren thumped Lille 4-1 in a pre-season
friendly last Wednesday evening. The Bafana Bafana midfielder started the
match against the French Ligue 1 side at Daknamstadion and found the back of
the net in the 84th minute. Another African, Ghanaian midfielder Eugene Ansah,
had made it 3-1 just minutes earlier. Lokeren are undefeated in five pre-season
matches so far, having beaten Deinze (3-2), Lommel United (2-0) and Dessel
Sport (3-0), while also drawing against Sint-Truiden (1-1).
The Premier Soccer
League today released dates for the country’s three cup competitions. The
MTN8 will kick-start the season, with the quarter-finals taking place on August
5. The two-legged semi-finals will be played on August 15 and 29, with the
final scheduled for September 19.
MTN8 quarter-finals match-ups:
Kaizer Chiefs vs Maritzburg United
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Bloemfontein Celtic
Bidvest Wits vs SuperSport United
Orlando Pirates vs Ajax Cape Town
The Telkom Knockout, which features all the top-flight
teams, will start with the Last 16 on September 30 and the weekend of October
3. The quarter-finals are on October 24, the semifinals on November 7 and the
final on December 16. The Nedbank Cup proper will start in the first week of
March with the Last 32. The Last 16 follows in the first week in April, with
the quarter-finals set for April 23. The semi-finals take place on May 14, with
the season officially ending with the final two weeks later.
University of
Pretoria have completed the signing of Thabiso Nkoana in a swap deal that sees
Grant Kekana moving in the opposite direction to SuperSport United. Nkoana
has agreed to a three-year deal with Tuks which also keeps him in his hometown.
“Look, it was a swap that also involved money and it was complicated in the
end. However, it is done now,” said coach Sammy Troughton. Nkoana, 22, scored
eight goals in 15 starts last season while on loan at Ajax. Meanwhile, Tuks
have parted ways with Siyabonga Shoyisa a month after surprisingly placing him
on the transfer list. The club also confirmed that Junior Sibande, Sifiso
Nzimande, Siphelele Luthuli, Dikgang Ngcobo and Alan Robertson have been placed
in the shop window. Sibande has been linked with several clubs while Robertson
is expected to move to AmaZulu, with Luthuli and Ngcobo also set for First
Division clubs as they are still Under-23.
Kermit Erasmus’ agent Rob Moore confirms the striker was
approached by an agent claiming to represent Zamalek and was even presented
with an offer.However, he said he suspects it was a ‘fly-by-night’
agent hoping to make a quick buck. Erasmus had been offered a deal that would
have seen him earn around R350 000 per month. Moore confirmed the offer, but
believes it was a rogue agent. “I’ve
been in this game for 20 years and I have seen all these wannabe agents
come-and-go,” Moore said. “Last night I spoke to Jesualdo Ferreira, the head
coach of Zamalek. He was the Porto head coach just after Benni [McCarthy] left
Porto, so we had a lot to talk about and have a laugh. He said that he knew
nothing about any deal for Kermit and also, he confirmed that Zamalek already
have three foreign players and cannot sign any more.” It seems Erasmus wasn’t
the only one conned – a Pirates official said that the club had been offered an
undisclosed fee for the player, believed to be in the region of R20-million. The
Buccaneers this morning released a statement distancing themselves from the
Erasmus rumours, saying “no official communication between the club and
Zamalek” has taken place. An irate Moore says it’s not the first time something
like this has happened with one of his players. “I, like many people in
football, are sick and tired of these wannabe and fly-by-nighters trying to get
into the game, when they have no idea of what they are doing and who they are
dealing with,” he says. “Erasmus was approached by an agent claiming to
represent Zamalek and he was shown a supposed offer on a Zamalek letterhead.
Funny thing is that there is no Zamalek stamp or staff member’s name on the
offer. When I spoke to another senior member of the Zamalek management last
night – that was the first thing he pointed out to me, without me even
mentioning it! These people are amateurs and are dangerous — they mislead
players who often don’t know better. I had the same situation with May Mahlangu
last year – when he received a supposed offer from Hull City, which was also on
a Hull City ‘letterhead’. Problem is that that agent didn’t bargain on the fact
that I have known Steve Bruce, the manager of Hull City, for many years, and I
was able to immediately call Steve up and confirm that the offer was a fraud. In
this game fans don’t realise the lengths that these Mickey Mouse agents will go
to in order to get a slice of the cake. Often they don’t manage any players of
their own and all they do is try jump in the middle of things by trying to
muddy the waters and bamboozle players who may not be the wiser.” However,
Moore has not completely ruled out the chance of something happening for
Erasmus during this transfer window – provided all the parties are happy. “Kermit
has one year left on his Pirates contract and all I want is for him to focus on
delivering his best for Bucs for the next 12 months. If something otherwise
happens this transfer window, that will only be because Pirates, Kermit and
myself are happy with an alternative.”
Mamelodi Sundowns are
planning one last bid for Sibusiso Vilakazi. The Bidvest Wits midfielder
and 2013/14 Footballer of the Season remains hot property, with the likes of
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates also credited with interest. The Students
have so far refused all offers for their star man, insisting they will only be
tempted into selling him to an overseas club. But Sundowns, backed by owner
Patrice Motsepe’s billions, could test Wits’ resolve with one final big-money
bid according to a source close to Sundowns.
The assault case
against Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Lebese has reportedly been withdrawn by
the public prosecutor, according to Eyewitness News. Lebese was facing
charges of assault and malicious damage to property after being arrested in
February for allegedly attacking his girlfriend and damaging her car. The case
previously saw several postponements at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. The
26-year-old Lebese penned a contract extension with the Glamour Boys last
month.
South African striker Tokelo Rantie scored and provided an
assist in AFC Bournemouth’s 4-1 pre-season friendly win over MLS side
Philadelphia Union. The Cherries are currently in the US preparing
for their maiden Premier League campaign. Rantie, who came on after the break,
set up Marc Pugh in the 62nd minute before converting a penalty with five
minutes remaining. The Bafana Bafana international will be under pressure to
perform in the new season, having scored five goals and provided five assists
in 41 outings for his team in the Championship. Rantie joined Bournemouth for a
club-record fee of £2.5 million from Swedish outfit Malmo FF nearly two years
ago. Bournemouth have scheduled six more friendlies before opening their League
account against visiting Aston Villa on August 8.
The dates for the two
Soweto Derbies of the 2015/16 Absa Premiership season has been revealed. The
headline fixture in South African football involving Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando
Pirates takes place on October 31 and January 30, with both matches at FNB
Stadium.
Zimbabwean PSL side
Hwange are demanding R2 million for the signature of striker Evans Rusike, who
seems to have made a positive impression on trial at Maritzburg United. The
23-year-old – who turned out for The Warriors at the COSAFA Cup and also scored
against Comoros in a CHAN qualifier in May – is being considered as a potential
replacement for his compatriot Terrence Mandaza, who recently left the Team of
Choice. Maritzburg are now set to decide whether or not they will part ways
with the money to secure the services of Rusike, who has also been on the radar
of three local clubs.
Nyasha Mushekwi’s
agent Ralph Nkomo says the player prefers to stay in Europe beyond November
when his loan with Swedish club Djurgardens comes to an end. The Zimbabwean
forward is attracting huge interest from clubs in Germany, France and Holland
following an impressive spell that has seen him shooting to top of the Swedish
Allsvenskan scoring charts with 10 goals. However, while Nkomo confirms the
interest, he is quick to point out that Mamelodi Sundowns hold all the aces
regarding the immediate future of the 27-year-old. Mushekwi is contracted to
Sundowns until next year and this means that any club wishing to enlist his
services would have to reach an agreement with the Chloorkop-based club. “Nyasha’s
heart is in Europe, there is no doubt about that. He has settled in very well
in Sweden and is enjoying his football more than ever,” Nkomo said. “Ideally,
he would like to stay in Europe but all this depends on Sundowns. Yes, there is
interest from a number of clubs but this is not the time to be talking about
the actual teams that have enquired about him. Everything will become clear
soon after the Swedish season ends but it is really up to Sundowns to decide
whether or not they will consider offers from other clubs,” Nkomo added.
SuperSport United
striker Jeremy Brockie is excited about the different dimension new Australian
signing Isaka Cernak will bring to the potential title challengers. The
attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or on the left-wing, has joined
Matsatsantsa on a three-year deal to add to the Australasian quota at the club.
Brockie knows a thing or two about Gordon Igesund’s new addition having played
with him at A-League club Wellington Phoenix. “I played with him for three or
four months at my previous club. He’s a direct winger who likes the ball at his
feet and he’s got a lot of pace and has an eye for goal. He’s another good
addition to the team,” says Brockie. “He brings something different. We have
Thuso Phala on one side who is very powerful and skilful. Isaka loves getting
the ball at his feet and taking on players and has a good passing game on him
too.” SuperSport have also added New Zealand international defender Michael
Boxall to their squad as they prepare for an Absa Premiership title challenge
next season.
SuperSport United
have handed out-of-favour midfielder Benett Chenene his clearance. Chenene
has been training with United’s reserve team since the start of pre-season
after club CEO Stan Mathews announced that he was not in the coach’s plans for
next season. The former Orlando Pirates midfielder was initially offered to
Polokwane City but turned down the offer to move down to Limpopo. “Chenene has
been given his clearance and is free to move to any team of his choice,”
confirmed a Matsatsantsa official.