Roger that: Orlando Pirates coach De Sa reveals TP Mazembe experience makes him want to walk away from football

I feel like Rambo: Roger de Sa after the trip to TP Mazembe

Orlando Pirates coach Roger De Sa admitted yesterday he felt like “walking away from football” after the extraordinary scenes at TP Mazembe on Sunday.

The gritty 48-year-old saw his side escape from the Democratic Republic of Congo with a 1-0 defeat which sees the Buccaneers go through to the group stages of the African Champions League 3-2 on aggregate.

The game in Lubumbashi saw three SABC operatives detained as Mazembe blanked out coverage of a game which saw Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi sent off and TWO penalties awarded to the home team.

De Sa said: “I feel a bit like Rambo this morning. We expected trouble but nothing like that. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about it. All the things that happened. What they tried to do to us.

“In the end it’s not about football when you see the way TP Mazembe handled themselves. To be honest, I feel like walking away from the game. If somebody called me and offered me a job outside football I’d take it.

In the Lions den: The Pirates bench on Sunday

“But then you calm down, and you realise the national pride in our result. Look, what these people did is bad for the game, it’s bad for Africa."

Pirates made the trip north knowing TP Mazembe president Moise Katumbe Katwe runs the football team and governs the DRC province of Katanga. Buccaneers chairman Irvin Khoza, who also runs the PSL and is a vice-president of SAFA, had assured his side there would be no trouble having had Moise as a house guest just two weeks ago.

But De Sa said: “The intimidation, the officials, the way we were treated. It’s disgusting. Still, we’re through. There must have been a stronger force at work for that to happen.

“I warned the players what would happen. When we got to the ground, it was filled to capacity. They’ve build a great stadium, a huge fan base – so we walked on the pitch in our suits and we absorbed the crowd. They walked around, they sang. We felt no fear.

"I showed the lads videos of what has gone on in games like this before. We were prepared for it.

“But then, when you have referees and officials like that, I mean what can you do? Their first plan was to send off our captain. Then the penalties. Senzo Meyiwa was heroic. We were one goal away from going out.

“What do you do about it? They stopped all coverage of the game on television and radio. They took away the mobile phones so nobody could say anything. In the end the referee’s decision is final and we have nothing to show CAF or FIFA.”

Amid reports that the officials from the Seychelles refused to speak English and TP Mazembe failed to submit a formal team sheet, it appears further action should be taken but De Sa sighed: “We’ve known about this kind of thing for years.

“I just find it unbelievable things like this can happen. Some people there actually think it’s right to do these things, to win at all costs.

“It can’t be right. But we gradually built up to this. To be honest when we went to Zambia in the last round there were signs of it. Now we go to the group stages, and we’ll soldier on.

“I have to say all the lads were heroes. They played so well. At one point we even considered walking off when the penalties were awarded.

“But we stuck it out. And we’re through. I hope I can sleep tonight.”

By popular demand: the PSL Q2 table. And yes, Pirates are top, Arrows are bottom.

This is how the PSL Q2 table looks four games in, halfway to the second R2.5m bonus of the season:

1 Orlando Pirates    4..4..0..0..10..1..12
2 Mburg United       4..3..1..0..6..2..10 
3 Kaizer Chiefs        4..3..0..1..8..5..9 
4 Plat Stars                4..3..0..1..6..3..9
5 FS Stars                  4..2..1..1..3..2..7 
6 Bloem Celtic          4..2..0..2..3..3..6
7 Leopards                 4..2..0..2..3..6..6 
8 Chippa Utd            4..1..2..1..7..6..5 
9 Sundowns              4..1..2..1..4..5..5
10 Ajax CT                 4..1..1..2..4..5..4
11 Amazulu                4..1..1..2..2..3..4
12 Wits                        4..1..1..2..3..5..4
13 SuperSport U       4..0..3..1..5..6..3 
14 AmaTuks               4..0..2..2..2..4..2 
15 Swallows                4..0..1..3..4..9..1 
16 Arrows                    4..0..1..3..2..7..1 

Pirates and punishment: Why clubs MUST take responsibility for their unruly fans

Fan trouble: at the Orlando Stadium in August

THERE was a football story which very nearly slipped under the radar this week, a tale far more worrying than Bafana's 1-0 defeat against AFCON champions Zambia or Banyana's final 4-0 CAF defeat against those dodgy gals from Equatorial Guinea.

Very quietly, a day after announcing their “learning centre” to help the local community, Orlando Pirates took their case over fan behaviour to arbitration, claiming the Buccaneers CANNOT be blamed for the behaviour of their Ghostly fans.

It might not sound important. Especially when you consider the club run by the PSL chairman - Irvin Khoza was re-elected unopposed last week - announced on the same day they were closing their youth academy due to concerns over age cheating.

All in all, with two fans arrested for stoning the Zambia team bus outside Soccer City, it hasn't been a great week for South African football. SAFA CEO Robin Petersen remains on the brink of being re-deployed and livewire Malmo striker Tokelo Rantie could be OUT of AFCON after going off injured against the Zambians.

But it's the reluctance of the Iron Duke to accept his club's liability for the behaviour of their fans which is of serious concern, with the African Cup of Nations kicking off here on January 19 when Bafana play the Cape Verde Islands.

The thing is, Pirates tend to see themselves as above the law these days. The case in point - trouble during last season's Telkom KO final against Wits - is not the only problem. I was at the Orlando Stadium when serious trouble halted their MTN quarter-final against SuperSport United.

I stood among the Ghost while referee Robert Smith was forced to suspend the game briefly when fireworks were throw - and then scurried to safety when the whistle went and fans invaded the pitch, furious about Smith’s decision to red card Benni McCarthy.

I said at the time action should be taken, REAL fines handed out and the threat of playing behind closed doors should have been wheeled out. Instead, the PSL disciplinary committee chose to charge Kaizer Chiefs for far less serious misdemeanours at Loftus against Sundowns a month before along with Pirates.

And then, on the day Gordon Igesund led Bafana for the first time on home soil against Mozambique, both cases were adjourned.  No action was taken. Then we had pictures of Johan Neeskens being pelted by Msandawana fans at Moroka Swallows, images that were flashed around the world.

If ever there was a time to clamp down hard on fan misbehaviour it is now. Instead, the chairman of the PSL (who also runs the NSL and is a vice president of SAFA, though he has decided NOT to run for Olympic chairman) apparently chooses to dispute his club’s liability.

Think carefully about this. I am not waging war against Orlando Pirates or the Iron Duke. Nobody would be that stupid in the current climate. What I am saying is that, instead of clamping down on the kind of embarrassing incident which happened after the Zambia game this week, we are disputing who is responsible.

Pirates have good reason to take such action. Their fans have several outstanding cases against them. First the Telkom Final, for which they received a R250,000 suspended fine which they failed to overturn on appeal.

Then, according to the excellent Mark Gleeson, my old pal writing for the Sowetan, we have:

15 February: Pirates charged after supporters threw objects at the Black Leopards goalkeeper twice in the second half of their match.

19 May: Pirates fans invaded the pitch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium after their title-clinching win over Lamontville Golden Arrows. The charge took two months to materialise. Case put on hold.

25 August:Pirates were charged after supporters threw an assortment of objects onto the pitch during the MTN8 semifinal second leg when SuperSport United won 3-0 at the Orlando Stadium. As I mentioned above, an Nyala armoured car was called in to action to protect the referee and several fans in SuperSport and Kaizer Chiefs shirts – as well as a press photographer - were injured after a pitch invasion.

Gleeson says that, over the past two years, Pirates have paid R250,000 in fines and after losing their appeal over the Telkom final, they owed another R100,000.

With the three further charges above still outstanding months after the problems occurred, Pirates could now face a bill of R1million for incidents since December last year. In most FIFA nations, the threat of playing behind closed doors would now have emerged.

For the double-treble champions to “boast” such a track record but remain unpunished seems almost unbelievable.

Then, on Wednesday, we had Pirates going to arbitration to change the globally accepted understanding that clubs SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE for their fans.

If Pirates win their case, they will be able to shrug off the charges listed above, claiming they have nothing to do with their own fans’ behaviour.

The same will apply to Sundowns and Chiefs. But at the same time, how will future outbreaks of fan violence be dealt with? Who gets punished? Will security companies and the police be forced to attend in larger numbers – and could THEY then face fines for failing to control crowds?

Stadium security and conditions in Europe – particularly in Britain – were upped after a long history of hooliganism which kept women and children from watching football 20 years ago. But only because harsh measures were taken against the clubs involved – ALL English clubs were banned from Europe for five years after the Heysel disaster, several were forced to play in front of empty stadiums.

If Pirates – backed by their owner and PSL chairman Dr Khoza – succeed in escaping responsibility for their fans, who will keep the peace?

Of course the individuals who misbehave must be caught and punished, but it the club isn’t fined or forced to play behind closed doors, how will South African football EVER be able to ensure the security of vulnerable fans?

So far, we have had no public statement from Dr Khoza on the way his club is trying to escape responsibility for the fans who wear their replica shirts and buy their tickets.

But I’d suggest he think very carefully about who he supports here – his own PSL disciplinary committee, or the club he runs.

Collins Mbesuma: The former Chief who saved Pirates when they needed it most

Double trouble: Collins Mbesuma has scored twice, twice

“It’s not going to be easy because Orlando Pirates have good strikers. But I will do my best.”

Those were the words uttered by Collins Mbesuma when he signed on the dotted line for Dr Irvin Khoza on August 15, 2012, a full seven years after leaving the employ of the Iron Duke’s arch-rival Kaizer Motaung.

A quick refresher course: way back in 2004/2005 Mbesuma – then barely out of his teens - scored a record 39 goals in all competitions to help Ted Dumitru’s Amakhosi pip the Bucs to the PSL title. The lad from Luanshya was hailed as the next big thing to come out of Africa.

But the European dream didn’t quite work out. Mbesuma, though wanted by Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers, chose a notoriously dodgy transfer to Portsmouth, where he played just four games before things fell apart at Fratton Park.

That was followed by a loan move to Portugal’s Maritimo and an unhappy spell with Bursaspor in Turkey, where his time-keeping was called in to question amid a welter of suspensions.

Mbesuma returned to South Africa in 2008 and tried his hand with Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows before finding his feet again at Golden Arrows in Lamontville, where he played 43 games and scored 18 goals to attract the attention of Dr Khoza and his man with the cheque book, Screamer Tshabalala.

Nobody expected much from the experienced feet (and head) of the 28-year-old Zambian, who played only a minor role in his nation’s historic African Cup of Nations triumph last year.

Mbesuma’s best days were behind him, we were told. And they came in the gold-an-black half of Soweto. In that emotional Zambian AFCON triumph last year, Mbesuma played a total of 42 minutes, he was written off as past it and lacking commitment.

He arrived at Pirates as Augusto Palacios’s final signing, saying: “I will just have to prove myself. I want to be successful with Pirates and win things with them. I think I need competition and I know Pirates is a big team so I just want to compete.”

Compete? He’s done more than that. A lot more. With Tokelo Rantie inexplicably allowed to slip away and Takesure Chinayama and Benni McCarthy injured, Mbesuma has proved the unlikely saviour for the new Bucs coaching duo of Roger de Sa and Eric Tinkler.

When they needed inspiration while trailing promoted upstarts AmaTuks 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld a fortnight ago, it was Mbesuma who provided the goals either side of Andile Jali’s penalty to seal a much-needed 3-1 PSL victory against the unbeaten students.

And when they came up against lively Leopards in the Telkom Knock-out on Saturday, there he was again, striking both goals in a 2-0 triumph which left most people raving about the form of Lehlogonolo “Vieira” Masalesa and Sifiso Myeni, both De Sa products from his Clever Boys days.

Yes, De Sa can claim some credit for his former Witsies, but without Mbesuma’s goals, where exactly would Pirates be right now?

With last season’s top-scorer McCarthy approaching fitness and Chinyama also due to return, De Sa has only praise for Mbesuma’s unexpected revival: "I have never doubted Mbesuma's scoring abilities. We are working on improving his fitness and he is making progress. He is showing a lot of commitment and has been doing a lot of work after training."

Mbesuma bubbles: “I must thank Irvin Khoza for giving me a chance to play for Pirates when most of the experts were doubting my ability.

“I feel I have regained my old confidence and I am playing alongside players who can make my job easier, it makes me proud to play for Pirates.”

Question is: with Mbesuma scoring four goals in two games – and another in a friendly during the international break – will there be room anybody else against AmaZulu on Sunday?

A shortened version of this story appeared as my Neal & Pray column in The New Age newspaper today. See www.thenewage.co.za every Tuesday...

Music to the Iron Duke's ears: Benni McCarthy ready to work with new Orlando Pirates boss Roger de Sa

Big job: Roger de Sa, the new Orlando Pirates boss

Benni McCarthy’s response to the Roger de Sa appointment was exactly what chairman Irvin Khoza would have hoped for.

He replied to my twittered concerns over last season’s Telkom Knock-Out final rift in public saying: “Cool, Calm and Collective. I wanna continue winning things wit Pirates so have to play it cool.”

McCarthy, out for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in his 10-minute appearance for Bafana in their 1-0 loss in Brazil on Friday, also found time to reassure an anxious Ghost on Twitter.

I’ve sorted some of the twitterisms, but here’s what South Africa’s record goal-scorer had to say: “Hope we can win more trophies and conquer Africa with Roger de Sa. I'll make sure the coach gets the very best from everyone in the team.

“Wow, if you think the appointment of our new coach will end my career! I've got God on my side. We the players will work hard to make life pleasant for the fans and help the new coach settle in good.

 “The rift with Roger ended after the Telkom Knock-out final, which we won (smile). It’s gone and forgotten, now we must work as a team to see what we can win together.

“Coach Palacios brought the best out of the team in difficult times. Give credit where its due.

“I seriously have no clue what the reasons were (behind yesterday’s announcement). The coach was struggling with his back for a while though.”

And he told his 30,725 followers: “Thanks for the get well wishes I'll be back soon, fitter and stronger most definitely.”

But Benni alone cannot ease the fears raised by De Sa’s appointment, confirmed to me by Khotso "Nic" Ditshego this morning an hour before the "high noon" press conference. The Iron Duke has now employed four coaches in two seasons – but his Buccaneers have plundered six trophies in that time, including two PSL tiles.

With the ghost of Ruud Krol still hanging over the Pirates, Brazilian Julio Leal and Peruvian caretaker Augusto Palacios failed to thrive at a sometimes violent Orlando Stadium.

Now along comes De Sa, who famously accused McCarthy of being “paid by the kilogram” when Pirates beat Wits in last season’s Telkom finale. McCarthy said afterwards that De Sa and his assistant Eric Tinkler were “dead to him” but both parties appear to be willing to work on their relationship.

It’s another relationship – De Sa’s break-up with his former partner Nicole Henderson – which stirs further controversy.

Last July, as Wits tumbled down the PSL table, the Randburg Magistrates Court heard how De Sa “harassed and threatened” Henderson and her new boyfriend Deon van Rensburg with violence. In court documents, Henderson and Van Rensburg went into detail how the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper sent them abusive SMSes.

A month before, De Sa had been slapped with a protection order which instructed him not to “assault, threaten, harass, intimidate, verbally or physically abuse” the mother of his two chidren.

But Henderson told the court: "Roger tracks me down. I am not sure if I am being followed. He is mentally abusing me with ugly words.

"If he knows we are together, it goes on through the night. He is threatening to beat up my boyfriend. He told my kids he has a baseball bat and gun in his car. He has threatened to give me a hiding too.

"I don't think he is mentally stable at the moment and I am scared of what he might do. He is completely acting out of character, almost psychotic."

Van Rensburg, a Free State-based businessman, also sought help from the North Gauteng High Court last May to control De Sa’s post-relationship depression.

Van Rensburg showed the court De Sa’s text messages which read: "Hey fat p***sy! Come visit and face me man to man. Coward!; Always know where u r. U don't come to me. I will to u. F****d my family. U gonna pay. Hope u coming to Jhb! So we meet. Still running?; Next time I see u! U know. Be ready and be a man. If it takes 10 yrs. Its on. G Night Babe. XXX"

Henderson’s representative told the court: "According to Henderson the First Respondent (De Sa) was involved in numerous relationships with other women while he was also involved in the relationship with her. His tendency for affairs led to tension. They had regular fallouts. She told me she had left him in May 2011 ..."

In turn, Da Sa insisted: "I do not have a firearm and am not in possession of any firearms. It is the applicant who has a firearm that is not licensed, being a small pistol.

"I always have a baseball bat in my car, which is usually under my seat, for protection.”

"I deny that I am not mentally stable. I find it strange that the applicant, as a hairdresser, has the qualification to make any verdict on my mental health.”

After two spells in charge of Wits lasting nearly 10 years, De Sa was fired by Wits on July 9 last year. He insisted: “No, I was not fired because of those reports. They have been one-sided and my side of the story has not been heard so I would not like to dwell much on them.”

Maputo-born Rogério Paulo Cesar De Sá, who guided Wits to the Nedbank Cup in 2010 and represented South Africa as a footballer and basketballer, is no shrinking violet.

Now 47, Roger’s dad Octávio Augusto César De Sá (1935–1990), played in goal for Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon between 1956 and 1960 before moving to Mozambique. Roger arrived in South Africa in 1974, aged 10.

De Sa played for – and captained - Moroka Swallows and Mamelodi Sundowns – and was in the 1996 African Nations Cup winning squad, though he won only one cap for Bafana Bafana.

De Sa started coaching Bidvest Wits towards the end of his playing career in 2001, aged 37 and was named PSL Coach of the Season in 2002–03. He rejoined The Students in June 2007, after two years in charge at Cape Town club Santos.

De Sa, who also acted as Bafana Bafana’s goalkeeping coach under Carlos Queiroz, said yesterday: “This has to be the right time as I had years ago contacted the chairman for this job to no avail. When I got the chairman's call I was obviously delighted as I believe I am up to the task at hand.”

The resignation of Augusto Palacios, who was only confirmed in the permanent coaching role at the start of the season after winning the PSL title as a caretaker last term, was not unexpected.

After four games without a goal and emphatic 3-0 defeats against SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows at a grumbling Orlando Stadium, chairman Khoza’s statement read: “Augusto Palacios has had to step aside as a result of a persistent back problem that resulted in hospitalisation last week.

“Augusto Palacios will revert to his position in the development structures of Orlando Pirates Football Club with due consideration to his recovery which is expected to take several months after undergoing major spinal surgery.

“Roger is a team player who has worked in various capacities for our senior and junior national teams including being roped in to the technical team of the Portuguese national team during the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

“I have no doubt that he will find the new challenge at Orlando Pirates a worthwhile enhancement to his career.”

De Sa will take charge for the first time against Platinum Stars on September 18 and you have to wish the man luck. Clearly Roger and his family have had a tough year, but – like Stuart Baxter at Kaizer Chiefs – he claims he is up to coaching one of the nation’s biggest sides despite his personal ups and downs.

Just how he will cope with the egos in the squad and the passion of the fans is hard to say. The pressures at Wit and Santos were nothing compared to the stress of leading the Buccaneers. He’ll need all the luck he can get.

Less than 24 hours before the big PSL kick-off: Irvin Khoza brings us the Q innovation

The supreme leader: PSL and Pirates boss Irvin Khoza

This is the full text of Irvin Khoza’s amazing PSL press conference yesterday. With his own Orlando Pirates kicking-off the new season against Golden Arrows at 8pm tonight, the Iron Duke appeared completely unruffled by the last-minute nature of his announcement.

I guess when you run both the South African Professional Soccer League AND the double-treble winning club that has dominated that League for the last two years, you can do what you like.

In what he calls “the Q innovation” Khoza announced that there would be R1.5m cash prizes awarded to the teams that finish top of the PSL at the end of each quarter, with the eventual title winners earning R10m. I think what Khoza is saying is that there will be four mini-leagues (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4) all added up to a final table.

I don’t think I have ever seen the regulations of a league championship announced on the same day that the competition kicks off, not even at amateur level – but that’s not to say it’s not an interesting innovation.
My beef is with the non-sponsorship of the NFD and the offering of huge sums to journalists for correctly predicting results. That can't be right. Without any further ado, here is the FULL text of PSL chairman Khoza’s announcement this morning from the PSL official website. I'm off to dry the washing.

I have said time and time again that you cannot dry today’s washing with yesterday’s sun.

What was good enough yesterday might not be enough tomorrow. Knowing the real reasons why you are successful helps you hone in on what works and discard what doesn’t.

Sometimes it is not what you are doing but how you are doing it. Ours has become a world of instant gratification where ‘now’ is the only time. In case you are wondering where I am headed with all these philosophical annotations, here is where?

I have called you here ladies and gentlemen of the media to announce an innovation to the ABSA Premiership. It is an innovation borne out a careful sustained examination of the PSL against a backdrop contained in the annotations I made earlier.

There is no doubt that the ABSA Premiership has become a competitive league that is guaranteed to go to a photo finish season after season. In fact in the last five years the ABSA Premiership was decided in the final matches played simultaneously under circumstances where duplicate trophies and helicopters were held on ‘stand by’.

There is heightened excitement and conversation from the last eight fixtures of the league. This conversation transcends club support. It is about the permutations and probabilities.

It is about performance of teams against their rivals where factors such as venue, time of day even day of the week seem to have a bearing. It is about factors as rational as for example rival teams fighting for title contention versus a place in the top eight or avoiding relegation, to factors as irrational as teams and venues dubbed ‘hoo-doo’ teams and venues against certain teams.

The PSL Executive has therefore decided to add an innovation to the ABSA Premiership that will create and sustain the excitement and conversation experienced in the final eight fixtures of the premiership, to last for all of each team’s thirty fixtures of the season.

To achieve this, the ABSA Premiership League will from this season, from today, be divided into Four Quarters, Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Q1 will have eight fixtures; Q2 seven; Q3 eight and Q4 seven. This means after every team has played eight games Q1 is over and Q2 starts with the re-set.

Similarly after every team has played an additional seven games Q2 will be complete and Q3 will commence with the re-set. So will Q4 commence after every team has played eight games in Q3 and the re-set.

This innovation is called the Q-innovation.

There will be a prize of R1.5 million for the teams that finish the different quarters at the top. This is over and above the R10 million prize for the overall ABSA Premiership League winner.

The prize money for the winner of the ABSA Premiership and the four Quarters is R16 million.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, the greatest benefit from this innovation is how it makes every game count - every single one of the 240 ABSA Premiership games. It migrates the conversation from ‘just my club’s games’ to ‘every game played’.

Scenarios like, “How is the club that is an equal contender for the top spot against us is going to fare against the team we just drew against today or yesterday”, creates an across the board interest in all the games of the league in real time. It is like watching games on a split screen, all with a bearing on each other.

I am describing this conversation in singular and not plural although there are millions of supporters and fans conversing. I deliberately did not call it conversations because although millions are conversing, they are conversing about different aspects of the same topic. It is this convergence in conversation that this innovation seeks to consolidate.

This conversation happens in your different media platforms. The millions of supporters and fans consume their soccer through your reports and broadcasts. It is through your observations, words and images that the excitement and conversation are fuelled. Your words and images – written, heard and seen.

It is for this reason that we decided to not limit the excitement and competition to the teams alone. The PSL Executive has therefore decided to challenge you ladies and gentlemen of the media to make predictions based on your experience and thorough knowledge of the teams, game and conditions. You are after all doing this week in and week out.

The difference is that you will be submitting your predictions to the Auditors – Delloite.

The forms will be sent to every journalist on our Green 4 CRM system that is used, amongst other things, to send you invitations and media releases. This is to ensure that no journalist covering the ABSA Premiership is excluded.

The forms will require you to provide, amongst other things, your id numbers for verification purposes. It is important that you provide the information requested in the form.

As experts and celebrities in this space, your predictions will make for interesting reading. Especially since you are expected to get it all right given you only have to predict win, lose or draw – and not the scores.

With it being the nature of the beast, it expected that you will advance creative and compelling reasons for your predictions, especially the ones that miss the mark.

At the end Q1 the names of the winners, those that correctly predicted the team and points of the team that will win Q1, will be put into a draw. The winner will win R500 000 in the three categories of print, radio and television.

Your will be required to enter your predictions for the first four fixtures win, lose or draw. At the end of each team’s fourth fixture you will be requested to enter your prediction for Q1 winning team and points it will win by.

These will be kept by Delloite until the end of Q1 when the draw will be made. If not one entry predicts the correct team and points, the entries correctly identifying the team will be put into a draw from which the winner will be drawn.

The prize for the winner will in this case be R250 000 for each category – print, radio and television.

Entries for this weekend fixture, which is game one for every team this season, will close at 19h00 this evening.

Entries for all subsequent fixtures will be due one hour before kick-off of first game in that fixture block.

For example the deadline for the game 2 fixture will be 18h30 on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 for all the game 2 fixtures taking place on Wednesday 21 August and Thursday 22 August. Entries should be emailed to this email address: Qinnovation@psl.co.za.

The PSL has extensively consulted and enquired if this competition involving journalists that cover its space raises any ethical issues.

We are satisfied that just like journalism awards recognise and reward journalist without compromising the integrity of the profession, this competition does not compromise the ethics and integrity of the journalist covering the ABSA Premiership.

This inclusive competition will instead enhance the job already performed by the journalist in this space without any negative influence. You ladies and gentlemen are already making these predictions. All that is added is that you will be doing the prediction with a possibility of recognition and reward for you or charity.

I am mentioning charity as the PSL Executive has provided for journalists who are precluded from winning prize money by their employers or for any other reason can nominate a charity of their choice to be a recipient beneficiary of their prize.

SAFA's master-stroke: Lucas Radebe returns as Bafana team manager

Top Bloke: Lucas Radebe and me last year

LUCAS RADEBE is back. Seven years after his retirement from football, South Africa's most successful player returns to the game - as Bafana Bafana's new team manager.

Less than 48 hours after naming Moroka Swallows boss Gordon Igesund as the nation's 15th new coach, the South African Football Association produced their 43-year-old master-stroke.

With president Kirsten Nemetandani presiding and Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khosa prompting, former Buccaneer boss Igesund now finds himself with a bullet-proof protector in Radebe, the man who played 200 games for Leeds United from 1994-2005, winning 70 Bafana caps and helping to lift the 1996 AFCON crown.

The trick with Radebe is that the factions in SAFA - and in the PSL - cannot touch South Africa's answer to David "Golden Balls" Beckham.

While Igesund, sharp and to the point, may put a few noses out of joint even before his opening friendly against (gulp) Brazil in September, Radebe will be there to offer advice, motivate the squad and deflect criticism.

During the selection process for the new coach, Radebe dropped obvious hints about his future role, telling Football411: "Firstly, it was not a bad idea to sack Pitso Mosimane because we need new ideas for the team and I'm sure Pitso accepts that we needed a change because we were not getting the results.

“Secondly, I think it was a good idea to shortlist local coaches, because I don't think we need somebody from overseas. It is best to get someone with a better understanding of our football."

Tellingly, he added: "I think the new coach will need a big technical team to help him with the selection of players, a motivator because players need that and so on to make sure they've got all angles covered.

"It won't be a bad idea to involve former coaches such as Clive Barker, but the bottom line is they must put together a technical team that will cover basically everything."
Following Igesund's appointment, Radebe told kickoff.com: "Gordon has a great track record, we all have to support him. There are a lot of expectations, if things go wrong the public will be on his back.
"But Gordon showed at Swallows he can lead players, motivate them. We need a leader, we need confidence. He will bring that back to Bafana. We have to support him all the way."

SAFA remain coy on Radebe’s role – and the appointment of former Kaizer Chiefs stars Fani Madida and Doc Khumalo as assistant coaches. Chief Operations Officer Dennis Mumble said as the story grew around the football-speaking world: "We have no problem with speculation about those three, but it cannot be said that Safa has decided on them – that would be unfair to Gordon as he still has to discuss his preferences with us.”

Igesund himself told KickOff.com: "I still have to discuss this with Safa. I will tell them who I believe should be my assistants."
You only have to meet Lucas Valeriu Radebe (born 12 April 1969) to know the role he will play on his long-awaited return to the game. I met him with agent Glyn Binkin in 2010 at the Moses Madhiba Stadium just before the World Cup and again last year with Robert Marawa when I was working in Abu Dhabi at the Laureus Sports Awards (see picture).

Famous for his charitable works, he oozes charisma, makes women go weak at the knees and generally talks sense, footballing or otherwise.

Now 43, Radebe grew up in Diepkloof , not the poshest end of Soweto, before being “resettled” aged 15 in the so-called homeland of Bophuthatswana, home to Sun City and little else back then. One of 11 children, he played football to keep off the streets, beginning life as a goalkeeper.

As he developed, Radebe became a handy midfielder and started his professional career at Kaizer Chiefs. After a shooting incident and much haggling, he moved to Howard Wilkinson’s 1991 First Division champions with Philemon “Chippa” Masinga in 1994. Even then, the move was worth £250,000 (nearly R3million) to the Amakhosi.

George Graham, something of an expert on central defenders, transformed “The Chief” into one of the Premier League’s great centre-backs, while Masinga was sold, Radebe was transformed. The adoration in Yorkshire even led to the formation of popular music group Kaiser Chiefs, named by Leeds-loving musicians in honour of Radebe.

When I first twittered about Radebe’s return to the Bafana fold on Saturday, the Elland Road faithful immediately got in touch, eagerly trying to find out what their former idol is expected to do in his new role. He captained Leeds in 1998-99 and held the defence together under David O’Leary when the club enjoyed some of their most successful seasons in recent memory.

Radebe turned down Manchester United, Roma and AC Milan as Leeds, spending money like there was no tomorrow, challenged for domestic and European honours. Sir Alex Ferguson said at the time: “Every club needs a Lucas Radebe.”

Radebe has been an ambassador for FIFA’s SOS Children's Villages and received the FIFA Fair Play Award in December 2000 for his work on behalf of Africa’s impoverished.

A major mover in football’s anti-racism campaigns, he was awarded a Contribution to the Community Award by the Premier League in 2003 to celebrate their 10^th anniversary.

In 2004, he came 54th in a vote naming the Top 100 Great South Africans and is a great pal of golfer Tiger Woods, with whom he helps to raise funds for various children's causes.

It hasn’t all be plain sailing. Radebe’s wife Feziwe died of cancer in October 2008 and in December of the same year he needed treated for a heart complaint after collapsing while at the gym.

In April 2010 he won the PFA Merit Award, saying: “Football has played such a big part in lifting my community. I'm very proud.”

Previous Lucas Radebe blogs:

http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-just-24-hours-with-little-help-from.html

http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2011/02/laureus-sports-awards-in-sunny-abu.html

Why the Soweto giants should be able to match the passion of El Classico

ONE glance at this week’s fascinating El Classico and you know exactly where you want to see that level of competition, that win-at-all-costs mentality; a combustible derby that drives fans wild, Brazilians nuts... and forces special men like Jose Mourinho to stick his finger in Catalan eyes.

Bring it on at the next Soweto derby, I say. Quite possibly in the MTN8 final if Orlando Pirates see off Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs outgun Ajax Cape Town over the two legs of the semi-finals kicking off this weekend.

When Barcelona edged Real Madrid 3-2 to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-4 on aggregate, the world looked on breathless. Scintillating football, two dynamite goals from the diminutive Lionel Messi, a red card for Marcello for scything down Cesc Fabregas on debut – all bathed in the implacable glow of hatred that erupts when two tribes go to war and football goes to Hollywood.

South Africa’s Premier League can offer exactly that. The parallels are all there. Just like La Liga, the local set-up offers only two real giants – trophy-grabbing Barcelona (Orlando Pirates) and frustrated also-rans Real Madrid (Kaizer Chiefs) with sides like Valencia (Ajax Cape Town), Villarreal (Mamelodi Sundowns) struggling to compete despite a lack of resources and, ultimately, a far smaller fan base.

Like Barcelona, Pirates are the people’s team, with a huge following and three trophies behind them, like Real Madrid, Kaizer Chiefs are the historical favourites who often appear to back by parastatal forces such is the desire for success – but despite vast spending they just can’t get one over on Pirates, as we saw at the recent Carling Black Label Cup Final, where Itumeleng Khune’s penalty gave the Buccaneers victory in a shoot-out.

If you brave the cold night air and gaze at the stars, legend has it you can still see Khune’s penalty orbiting the globe. Or so Irvin Khosa, the Piratical Iron Duke, would have us believe.

But come back to earth. Consider the further parallels between Spain’s La Liga and the Absa Premier. How about the third force? Those separatist Basques at Real Sociedad (Amazulu) and the isolated populist strongholds like Real Mallorca (Bloemfontein Celtic) and Zaragoza (Platinum Stars)... and the also rans in the big cities like Atletico Madrid (Moroka Swallows) and Getafe (Supersports United).

Essentially though, it is all about the two giants. They have the resources, the fan base, the sponsors, to push themselves way beyond the rest. Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs should be contenders for continental domination, they shouldn’t be skirmishing with the also-rans domestically.

With Benni McCarthy (an inflated version of Lionel Messi) back on home soil, the promise of an African Champions League becomes real if Bafana Bafana’s top scorer can just stay fit. Real Madrid fans (and Gary Bailey on Supersport) insist the same is true of Messi and Barca. One injury to the little one and all is lost.

Kaizer Chiefs, with Bernard Parker (a hard-working Cristiano Ronaldo) signed up and Lehlehonolo Majoro (a spikey-haired Kaka) urging them on, can look to the skills of custodian Itumeleng Khune (a superior Iker Casillas) to keep their challenge on line.

Oh, we can dream. Saturday, September 10. The MTN8 final. Forget the Spanish Super Cup, this one’s worth R8million to the winners.

Imagine Siphiwe Tshabalala opens the scoring for Chiefs with a 30-yard cracker reminiscent of his World Cup opening effort against Mexico just over a year ago.

Pirates respond with a flurry of horrific challenge before McCarthy, making his long-awaited first start for the Buccaneers, bending home a 25-yard free-kick with Khune confounded just before half-time.

On the sidelines, Amakhosi boss Vladimir Vermezovic reverts to his Russian roots and sticks his finger firmly in the eye of Bucsalona’s Brazilian boss Julio Leal. In the ensuing riot, Chiefs owner Kaizer Motuang, with General Manager Bobby and player-son Junior in attendance, bashes the Iron Duke with marketing manager and daughter Jessica’s handbag.

Somehow peace is restored. Early in the second half, the resurgent Josta Dladla gets on the end of a Bernard Parker cross to volley brilliantly past Moneeb Josephs, just minutes after being scythed down. Dladla celebrates with blood running down his shins and, amid incredible scenes, Tinashe Nengomasha is red carded for showing an elaborate v-sign to Irvin Khosa in the stands.

Josephs, furious, throws his gloves away and dons an outfielders shirt, determined to make his presence felt.

And Pirates hit back, with Isaac Chansa levelling to complete the Zambian’s comeback from a worrying ankle injury.

It’s all too much. Extra-time looms. And then it’s McCarthy, too fat for West Ham, not fit enough for WC2010, breaking through the middle, he beats too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, and rams the winner into the top corner. Cue pandemonium.

In the zebra stripes, substitutes Mthokozisi Yende and Thomas Sweswe are then sent off as a mass brawl erupts but the jubilant Pirates, looking ahead to an African Champions League victory, ignore the angry Amakhosi fans to dance their victory jig.

The skull and crossbones flies high. The world is tuned in to witness a truly astonishing clash between South Africa’s Sowetan soccer giants. The global audience is unanimous in agreement: what a derby, right up there with Real v Barca, Celtic v Rangers, Man U v Man C. Phew.

Ah, we can dream. In fluent Spanish.

MTN8 Semi-finals:

Saturday, 20 August 2011

Kaizer Chiefs vs. Ajax Cape Town 20h15 MTN05

FNB Stadium

Sunday, 21 August 2011

Orlando Pirates vs. Mamelodi Sundowns 15h00 MTN06

Orlando Stadium

Saturday, 27 August 2011

Ajax Cape Town vs Kaizer Chiefs 20h15 MTN07

Cape Town Stadium

Sunday, 28 August 2011

Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Orlando Pirates 15h00 MTN08

Loftus Versfeld.