Bafana Set To Face
Cameroon In Final Afcon Warm Up Match
The Cameroon Football Federation has confirmed they will take
on Bafana Bafana in a friendly international in Gabon on January 11.
The match will be played in Libreville, where both countries are in camp ahead
of the 2015 African Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea, and comes two days
after Bafana play Mali in the Gabonese city of Bitam. It will likely be the
final friendly game for Shakes Mashaba’s side, with another fixture against
Zambia scheduled for January 4 in Orlando. Bafana had been hoping to face a
team from North Africa ahead of the continental finals in preparation for their
opening Group C clash with Algeria on January 19, but a strong Cameroon side
with all their European-based players in place will also serve as excellent
preparation. A number of sides are using Gabon as a camp ahead of the
tournament because the conditions are similar to those of Equatorial Guinea, which
it borders to the west.
Former Orlando
Pirates goalkeeper Jacob Mokhasi aims to return to the PSL in the new year
after parting ways with NFD side Black Leopards. Mokhasi, who also had a
spell with Dedebit FC in Ethiopia, received his clearance from Lidoda Duvha at
the weekend. “I have terminated my contract with Black Leopards. I am a
free agent now,” says Mokhasi. “I can’t go into details about what
happened between me and Leopards except that I am currently talking to a few
teams with view of returning back to the PSL in the New Year,” adds the
ex-South Africa U-23 keeper.
Mamelodi Sundowns
will hone their preparations for the CAF Champions League by competing in a
tournament alongside DR Congo giants TP Mazembe next month. Mazembe’s
feeder club Don Bosco and Zesco United of Zambia will also participate in the
competition, which is scheduled for the second week of January in the Congo.
Downs publicist Kabelo Mosito says he is yet to be furnished with the details
of the event. The Brazilians have been drawn to face St. Michel from the
Seychelles in the preliminary round of the Champions League. The first leg is
set for 13/14/15 February, with the return duel slated for 27/28 February and 1
March. Should Pitso Mosimane’s men advance they will next face TP Mazembe.
Kaizer Chiefs hardman
Willard Katsande is giving back to the community by hosting a football
tournament over the holidays. The 28-year-old has forked out R70 000 for
the Willard Katsande Under 18 soccer tournament, to be contested for 20 teams in
his home area of Manicaland province. Katsande’s Kaizer Chiefs team mates
Kingstone Nkata and Ovidy Karuru will grace the occasion that will see teams
from Panhalonga, Chipinge and Mutare battle for honours in the two-day
competition. This is the third year running that Katsande who grew up in Mutare
is sponsoring the competition and the Warriors midfielder has pledged to
continue doing so as long as he can afford to. Katsande began his career in
Manicaland with Frontier Steel before moving to Feruka where he was discovered
by Premiership side Highway. He moved to Harare to play for Gunners before
embarking on his South African journey to join Ajax Cape Town. He left Ajax
Cape Town for Kaizer Chiefs in 2011.
Bafana Bafana captain Dean Furman could miss the friendly
against Zambia on January 4 due to his club commitments with English side
Doncaster Rovers. Bafana will play the Copper Bullets as part of
their preparations for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, taking place in
Equatorial Guinea from January 17 to February 8. However, Furman will only be
arriving in South Africa on the day of the match as Doncaster are in action
over the festive period. Bafana started a mini training camp on Friday, with 27
players of the 34-man squad reporting for national team duty in Johannesburg.
All the overseas-based players are yet to arrive as they still have matches for
their respective clubs. Ajax Amsterdam star Thulani Serero will, like Furman,
only link up with Shakes Mashaba’s squad in the new year owing to club duties,
albeit earlier on January 2. The 27 players in camp were taken for medical
assessment in Pretoria on Saturday as required for the CAF tournament. Mashaba
and his technical team will trim the squad down to 23 players on Tuesday. South
Africa has been drawn against Algeria, Senegal and Ghana in their Afcon group.
Bafana Bafana players have assembled in
Johannesburg as part of a mini-camp in preparation for the upcoming African Cup
of Nations tournament next month. The 34-man preliminary squad have started
arriving for the camp. The training took place in Dobsonville at 10am on Sunday
morning, and was open for public viewing. Coach Shakes Mashaba will use the
next few days to analyse his players, before trimming 11 of them to the
required 23-man squad that will travel to Equatorial Guinea for the continental
showpiece, which will start on 17 January 2015. South Africa have been drawn in
Group C alongside Algeria, Senegal and Ghana, and face Africa’s number one
ranked team Algeria in their opening encounter on Monday, 19 January.
South Africa’s 34-man
preliminary squad for Afcon 2015:
Goalkeepers: Darren Keet, Jackson
Mabokgwane, Siyabonga Mpontshane, Brilliant Khuzwayo.
Defenders: Siyabonga Nhlapo, Patrick
Phungwayo, Anele Ngconcga, Ntsikelelo Nyauza, Kwanda Mngonyama, Thulani
Hlatshwayo, Mulomowandau Mathoho, Rivaldo Coetzee, Thabo Matlaba, Mzikayise
Mashaba.
Midfielders: Themba Zwane, Andile
Jali, Asavele Mbekile, Vuyisile Wana, Jabulani Shongwe, Reneilwe Letsholonyane,
Bongani Zungu, Thamsanqa Sangweni, Dean Furman, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Oupa
Manyisa, Mondi Cele, Mandla Masango, Thulani Serero, Thuso Phala.
Strikers: Ayanda Patosi, Bernard
Parker, David Zulu, Tokelo Rantie, Bongani Ndulula.
SuperSport United midfielder Enocent
Mkhabela was reportedly unhurt after being involved in a car accident while
heading home for Christmas. The incident took place on the N4 highway as
the 25-year-old was driving back to his home in Nelspruit for Christmas.
SuperSport United’s spokesman David Skosana confirmed the Matsastansta player
had been involved in the crash, yet emerged unscathed. Mkhabela has not enjoyed
the best of times on South African roads this year, having been arrested for a
short period earlier in October for allegedly resisting arrest and failing to
produce a driver’s licence.
Botswana
Premiership side Township Rollers are already looking forward to their CAF Champions League match against Kaizer Chiefs. Rollers, who have
former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Manqoba Ngwenya, have been pitted against
high-riding Amakhosi in what promises to be one of the most exciting fixtures
in the Champions League preliminary rounds. Rollers boss Summerset Gobuiwang
says people in Botswana are very excited about the prospect of watching
Amakhosi in their own backyard. Gobiuwang also revealed that his team would
count on the experience of Ngwenya in their encounter against the Soweto-based
side.
AmaZulu look set to delve into the
transfer market in a bid to revive their lagging fortunes. Usuthu are
facing the threat of relegation, as they prop up the Absa Premiership standings
with nine points from 16 games – nine points shy of escaping the drop zone. And team manager Japhet Zwane has
indicated they will try “beef up the squad” available to coach Steve
Barker. Barker’s men will resume
their campaign against high-flying Orlando Pirates on 11 February at Moses
Mabhida Stadium.
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Rashid
Sumaila remains stranded in Ghana with the league back in his homeland yet to
kick-off, two months after his loan move back to his former club Asante Kotoko.
The Ghana Premier League was supposed to have kicked off back in August,
but a long standing court case by King Faisal FC – who are challenging their
relegation – has delayed the start of the new campaign which is now only
expected to get underway sometime next year. The delay in the start of the
league in Ghana has meant Sumaila will have to wait until next year to play
competitive football again, with the only football that he has played, since
returning home, being mere friendly matches. Sumaila now appears likely to only
start playing competitive football in February when Asante Kotoko – who
finished as champions last season – start playing in the 2015 CAF Champions
League, with his loan deal set to end in June. The 22 year-old was forced to
head back home after The Brazilians chose not to register him as one of the
five foreign players at the club this season. Sumaila has since lost his place
in the national team and will not be part of The Black Stars squad at the AFCON
finals.
SuperSport United
goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is set to be out of action for the next five weeks
after a successful operation on his facial injury. Williams injured his
cheekbone during United’s Absa Preiership match against Bidvest Wits recently,
and the former under-20 national team goalkeeper had to be rushed to hospital
after colliding with Sameehg Doutie. Matsatsantsa goalkeeper coach Alex Hereida
confirmed that Williams has since been discharged from hospital after
undergoing a successful operation.
Swaziland side Royal
Leopards’ coach Sfiso Ntiwane has welcomed their draw against Bidvest Wits in
the CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round game set for February next year. Leopards,
a police-force team in Swaziland, are currently the most feared team in the
Mountain Kingdom after they won all the domestic tournaments last season. ‘Igwe
Mabalabala’, as Leopards are popularly known in Swaziland, are currently number
one on the league table, with 30 points from 13 games. Ntiwane has admitted a tough draw, but says his side have an
advantage over The Clever Boys, with the PSL being broadcasted in Swaziland. Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Sbusiso
Dlamini last played for Royal Leopards, before he crossed the border to play
for Black Leopards a few years ago.
Out-of-favour Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands
has indicated his desire to leave the club in the January transfer window.
Sandilands has fallen down the pecking order at Sundowns this season with
just three appearances to his name in 2014/15, with Denis Onyango having
overtaken him in deputising for Kennedy Mweene. Glyn Binkin, who manages the 31-year-old, says that they are
looking at ‘doing something’ in January.
Since the arrival of Mweene at Downs at the beginning of last season
Sandilands has played just eight games, and recent speculation has linked him
with a move to Orlando Pirates.
Bafana Bafana will not be the only South
African representatives at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea
next year. Referee Victor Gomes and assistant referee Zakhele Siwela will
also be flying the country’s flag at the continental showpiece after the duo
were invited to officiate at the tournament. They will join an elite panel of
44 African referees at the event, which runs from 17 January to 8 February.
David Notoane and
Wendell Robinson will take charge of the national U-20 team on a tour of Qatar
and Russia as part of the squad’s preparations for the CAF Youth Championships
in Senegal. Amajita will travel to the Middle East on 7 January where they
will play a Qatar select side on 10 January before heading for Russia where the
squad will compete in a Russian Commonwealth tournament that will run from 15
to 26 January. Making the announcement, U-20 coach Thabo Senong, who will not
be able to travel with the team due to Bafana Bafana commitments, said both
Notoane and Robinson were capable individuals who were already part of the U-20
system. Amajita have been drawn in Group B together with Ghana, Mali and Zambia
while Group A consists of hosts Senegal, Nigeria, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire.
After the two assignments, Notoane will remain the U-20 assistant coach to
Senong, while Robinson will be the goalkeeper coach. Amajita will go into camp
on Saturday in Johannesburg and will train at the School of Excellence before
leaving for Qatar. They will leave for St Petersburg, Russia on 11 January.
There is a three-way
tie at the top of the Q3 Q-Innovation standings going into the festive season
break. Bidvest Wits, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns are all on seven
points, with the Students on top by virtue of a superior goal-difference.
University of Pretoria and Moroka Swallows are on four points, but have played
a game less. Orlando Pirates are in fourth place on five points following a win
and two draws while Polokwane City, who won Q2, are on three points from two
matches. Maritzburg United and Mpumalanga Black Aces are yet to secure a point
in Q3, while Ajax Cape Town, Chippa United and bottom-placed AmaZulu have one
point each.
SAFA have lauded
their achievements since president Danny Jordaan and his national executive
committee were elected into office on 28 September 2013. SAFA released a
document highlighting the challenges the organisation faced when Jordaan
assumed his duties. The document read: ‘We realised that immediate, urgent
challenges confronted the association which required a focused and co-ordinated
response.
These challenges included the following:
-SAFA recorded a total loss over the period 2012 / 2013 of
over R100 million.
-Lost sponsorship of Absa and Puma of over R60 million.
-Faced the threat of more sponsors withdrawing.
-2013 no national team qualified for CAF and FIFA competitions.
-Technical plan existed on paper but no resources were allocated, no strategy
for implementation was started and no
coordinated coherent context was finalised.
-The media profile was extremely negative.
-The relationship with the government and the Minister of Sport were strained.
-The relationship with CAF, FIFA, COSAFA were strained.
-The relationship with SASSCOC and the National Parliament were adversarial.
-Development and our junior national teams were neglected.’
In response SAFA adopted ‘Vision 2022’ in January 2014,
which they explained as follows:
-Vision 2022 consists of key focus areas for the total
reconstruction and development of South African football.
-Technical plan.
-Financial turnaround strategy.
-Commercial strategy.
-Communication strategy – rebuilding the SAFA and Bafana Bafana brands.
-Rebuilding and redeveloping stakeholder relationships.
-Rebuilding our structures – LFA, regions , Provinces .
-Building academies, national technical centre and nine provincial academies.
-Building an efficient world class administration.
-Integrate and align the work of the support structures – Legacy Trust ,
Development Agency, Infrastructure Trust
with Vision 2022.
-Review: the Provincial plans, the governance , statutes, funding models,
revenue base, structures, legal framework of SAFA and align it to achieve
maximum success in implementing Vision 2022.’
Since putting the plan in place, Safa listed their successes
as follows: ‘SAFA reported a financial surplus of R9.8million during the first
year of the new NEC. This has been accomplished through new and retaining
existing sponsorships, funding from the 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust and
assistance form the SAFA Development Agency.
-We attracted various new sponsors, whilst also strengthening relationships
with existing sponsors and bringing back old withdrawn sponsors.
-NIKE became the new technical sponsors for all national squads.
-Motsepe Foundation became the new sponsors for the ABC Motsepe Second Division
League.
-Burger King/Grand Parade Investments became sponsors of the U-17 and U-19 boys
/girls Interprovincial Championships.
-AVIS returned to the SAFA fold as a vehicle supplier.
-SASOL renewed its sponsorship of Banyana Banyana and women’s football.
-SIYAYA – as a the new broadcast partner and effectively the overall game
changer, will allow SAFA to realise
massive impact on its commercial properties and financial sustainability – as
the relationship becomes effective from
June 2015.
Unprecedented successes of the national teams, through the
change in focus on development, with the following teams reaching qualifiers
and CAF competitions: Banyana Banyana: 2014 African Women Championship in
Namibia.
-U-17 boys: African Youth Championship 2015 in Niger. The semi-finalists
qualify for the U-17 FIFA World Cup in Chile (17/10 to 8/11 – 2015).
-U-20 boys: African Youth Championship 2015 in Senegal. Semi-finalists qualify
for the World Cup in New Zealand (30/5 to 20/6 – 2015).
-Bafana Bafana qualifying unbeaten (and with one match to spare) for the Africa
Cup of Nations 2015 – for the first time since 2008.
-And of course, U-20 boys winning the COSAFA tournament.’
SAFA also stated their targets for the national teams in
2015 as follows: ‘U-17 boys team – qualification for the 2015 FIFA World Cup,
Chile.
-U-20 boys team – qualification for the 2015 FIFA World Cup, New Zealand.
-U-23 men’s team – qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
‘Banyana Banyana – qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
‘Bafana Bafana – more competitive matches against top teams in the world.’
The Premier Soccer
League has confirmed that the domestic January transfer window will open in 14
days’ time on 5 January, 2015. In terms of the NSL rules, the transfer
window is the month of January, but with the League’s holiday office closure,
registration will commence on 5 January 2015. The domestic window will close on
Friday, 30 January 2014 at 5pm, again in terms of the rules which don’t allow
registrations outside of office hours.
South Africa Players
Abroad
Bafana skipper Dean Furman
played two games in three days for English League One side Doncaster Rovers as
they won 2-0 at home to Coventry on Friday and drew 0-0 at Peterborough on
Sunday. Furman played the full 180 minutes.
Goalkeeper Darren
Keet played for Kortrijk as they lost 3-2 at home to Gent in Belgium on
Friday.
Anele Ngcongca
and Andile Jali were meant to meet
in the Belgian league at the weekend but their game was postponed due to heavy
snow. Jali revealed afterwards he was injured and would not have played in any
event.
Ayanda Patosi
played the final 30 minutes for Lokeren as they lost 2-0 at Standard Liege to
slip to eighth, a poor end to a horror December for the side.
Steven Pienaar
was not involved in the match day squads for Everton for either of their
defeats against Stoke City and Newcastle United. Perhaps those rumours of a
move to Real Sociedad are true.
Tokelo
Rantie
made a return to the bench for Bournemouth on Sunday as they won 2-0 at
Millwall to open up a four-point lead at the top of the Championship table. The
Premier League beckons for Rantie next season … good news too for Bafana coach
Shakes Mashaba.