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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIFA Legacy Fund "Up and Running Within Days"... and Not Before Time

One year and two days after the gleaming World Cup closing ceremony at Soccer City, Danny Jordaan insists the promised $100m FIFA Legacy Fund is on the verge of materialising.

Jordaan, head of the South African organising committee, travelled to Zurich, Switzerland to conclude negotiations which will see the promised cash for “grass roots development” handed out to local communities.

Jordaan is believed to have finalised arrangements for the fund, which amounts to around R700m given current exchange rates.

So far just $25m of the promised fund has been spent – $20m on building the swanky SAFA headquarters near Soccer City which was completed before the tournament began and $5m on 50 buses already handed over to the regional SAFA branches.

On December 17, 2010, recently re-elected president Sepp Blatter said in Johannesburg: "FIFA are not a circus where we pitch our tent and remove them when the event is over. FIFA will leave a lasting legacy for the youth of South Africa.”

“We always said that the first World Cup on African soil should leave a lasting sports and social legacy. This trust is yet another concrete achievement in this area."

While the exchange rate has worked in his favour, Jordaan has been working for months to get the fund up and running, and he insists an eight-man board of trustees – two from FIFA, four from SAFA and two independent members – will be deciding on the fate of the fund “within days”.

Needy institutions – non-profit and charity organisations – will soon be invited to put their proposals to the trustees “for scrutiny and approval” along the lines of the lottery fund.

Jordaan, deputy president of SAFA, spent last Sunday near Bronkhorstspruit, north of Pretoria, opening a new pitch which was inaccurately described as having been paid for by the FIFA Legacy Fund in some areas.

The R6.3m ($900,000) project, which also features a clubhouse, has been completed in the rural community of Ekangala.

The development is just one of 52 artificial pitches promised as a World Cup legacy. Four have been completed so far - at Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, Upington in the Northern Cape, and in North West and the Eastern Cape. Two further projects “aiming to give marginalised communities access to quality” are “under construction”.

But those facilities are being paid for by a combination of funds from SAFA and the National Lottery Fund... not by FIFA’s promised Legacy Fund.

Speaking at Ekangala on Sunday, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said: "Before the World Cup we were doubted by everyone, but we managed to pull of one of the most successful and talked about tournaments in FIFA's history.

"We made a promise before the World Cup that we wanted the event to leave a legacy, and the beautiful pitch you see today is a result of all that.

"We cannot have the Radebes, the Pienaars, the Khunes and the Jalis without development, and the new pitch you see here and around the country speaks to that."

Jordaan chose the pragmatic approach. He said: "We want to urge the people here to own this and treat with the care it deserves. We don't want to come back here and see it vandalised, it's for football development, and that's what we want to see."

On a more congratulatory note, he added: "The World Cup was one of the most special moments in our country. The World Cup started when Mandela walked out of prison and ended when he was driven onto that pitch during the closing ceremony and waved to the crowd.

“The tournament saw black and white coming together and co-owning the country just like the non-racial South Africa Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo wanted.”

Looking ahead to the slightly-troubled 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he said: “We have established many benchmarks that the next host would have to achieve and surpass.”

Though Jordaan was understandably happy with the tournament he played such a major part in organising with FIFA’s Jerome Valcke, Jordaan will be only too aware of the problems the World Cup has left behind – and it amounts to more than unused stadia.

The 310,000 foreign visitors fell about one-third short of original expectations, and the $521m spent by fans was a long way short of the R33 billion ($4.8bn) the government spent on stadiums, infrastructure, a new airport in Durban, organisation and security.

Which might explain why he is so eager to get FIFA – who have so far reported record revenue of $631m in South Africa - to deliver on their Legacy Fund promise.

Spurs No1 Gomes Eager for Third Successive Summer in Africa

Tottenham’s Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is heading to South Africa for a third successive summer insisting: “Playing against Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will be perfect preparation for the English Premier League season.”

Gomes came to the Rainbow Nation in 2009 as part of the Brazil squad for the Confederations Cup and was back last year as his nation reached the quarter-finals of World Cup.

Now he prepares for the Vodacom Challenge against the treble winning champions the Buccaneers and Arsenal-like under-achievers Chiefs telling the tottenhamhotspur.com website: “South Africa is a great place to play football, the atmosphere is special, a lot different to other countries.

“First of all, the people are so friendly and they love the game as everyone knows from the World Cup.”

With Spurs set to play at World Cup venues in Polokwane, Nelspruit and Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, the Brazilian is ready for a return to the din of the vuvuzelas and grinned: “The stadiums are fantastic - South Africa did very well for the World Cup. The feeling for the game there is unbelievable. It’s a great atmosphere to play football in.

“I think it will be ideal preparation for us and we have to be ready for the start of the season.

“We know it will be tougher than ever because everyone knows about Tottenham now and what we can do.”

Spurs plan to bring both their Bafana Bafana internationals, Steven Pienaar and Bongani Khumalo with them on safari. Pienaar arrived at White Hart Lane from Everton for £2m in January just a month after Khumalo landed from Pretoria’s SuperSports United for £1.5m.

But with a surfeit of central defenders at Spurs, Khumalo, 24, looks set to turn out next season on loan at Scottish champions Rangers, who have had a difficult pre-season so far under new manager Ally McCoist.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp made the loan offer to Rangers last week and agent Glyn Binkin confirms: “I think it will be an excellent move for Bongani, because Rangers are a big club.”

Khumalo, who has yet to turn out for the Spurs first team, fractured a metatarsal in his foot after playing six “outstanding” games on loan for relegated Championship club Preston North End last season.

Binkin insists: “Bongani is focused on fully recovering and he should be back at full training by the end of this week.

“He will be keen on the loan deal, because he wants to play football and gain the experience. If the opportunity arises he will go. I think it will be an excellent move for him.”

Spurs kick-off the Vodacom Challenge against the Amakhosi on Saturday, July 16 in Polokwane before facing Bucsalona in Nelspruit on Tuesday, July 19.

The Chiefs and Pirates go head-to-head in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, July 21 and Spurs take on the winners of the Soweto derby in the final on Saturday, July 23 at Ellis Park.

Tshabalala's Forest move is back on as Parker considers a move to Kaiser Chiefs... oh, and Booth's not happy

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala’s move to Nottingham Forest in England’s Championship could be back on – but the Amakhozi are discussing a deal with Dutch-based South African striker Bernard Parker.

Tshabalala, scorer of that sensational opening World Cup goal against Mexico for Bafana Bafana a year ago, has seen Forest’s interest revived by the arrival of former England boss Steve McClaren last month.

He replaced Billy Davies, the former Trent Bridge boss who decided against signing the dreadlocked dynamo last season. Tshabalala’s business manager Jazzman Mahlakgane told the Sowetan newspaper: "I can confirm that there are people who want Shabba to join their club in Europe in the new season but we are still awaiting an official letter to that effect from them.

"Shabba belongs to Chiefs, so they will have to engage the club as the employer. We are not under pressure because we know that we will get something good abroad.

"He is a great player, an international brand after scoring the goal in the 1-1 draw against Mexico.

"I think it's a matter of time before Shabba grabs his bags and goes abroad. I must admit that the support we have been getting from Chiefs has been incredible."

Chiefs general manager Bobby Motaung is quoted as saying, very generously: “There is no offer for Shabba at the moment, but let me make it clear Chiefs are always happy to release our players to go abroad if the offer is good."

Better news for Chiefs fans is that Parker, sent on loan to Greek strugglers Panserraikos by Dutch club FC Twente last season, could be lured to the gold-and-black if the Amakhosi’s top scorer Knowledge Musona’s move to Germany’s Hoffenheim is completed.

Though Parker is on a high weekly wage in the Netherlands, he is considered surplus to requirements and a return to South Africa is on the cards, as I said on eTV's Sunrise programme in South Africa this morning.

Zimbabwean Musona, 21, leaves for Germany later this week with agent Mike Makaab telling the BBC: "Knowledge is still in South Africa, but we expect him to leave at the end of the week or early next week at the latest.

"Though Celtic in Scotland have also shown an interest, Hoffenheim are in pole position and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next week or so. He's going for a physical assessment and medicals so we just hope that all goes well."

Motaung confirmed: "We've negotiated the offer club to club so now it's more about the player and what he wants."

Parker trained with SAPL clubs Wits and AmaZulu after his Greek tragedy last season - Panserraikos were relegated – and though his agent continues to search for overseas interest, Chiefs would be the perfect platform to keep Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane aware of his goal-scoring talents.

Meanwhile South Africa’s stalwart centre-half Matthew “Booooooth” Booth is unhappy with his treatment at Mamelodi Sundowns. With new manager Johan Neeskens taking over, Booth has been effectively dumped at the HM Pitje Stadium, and when invited to the club’s prize-giving, he said on Facebook: “Wow! Talk about a kick in the balls and a slap in the face...Sundowns has just sent me an invite to their awards evening!!!..haha...u gotta laugh!”

Booth slammed the club again on Robert Marawa’s Discovery Sports Centre on www.metrofm.co.za on Wednesday night, insisting Sundowns were wrong to “let him go”.

Don't worry, Sepp Blatter is dealing with all this match-fixing. After Princess Charlene's do at the Oyster Box!

YOU know football’s in trouble when FIFA president Sepp Blatter starts jumping up and down and threatening to call Interpol.

The 75-year-old was doing exactly that in Harare this week, threatening life bans for all those implicated in the current rash of match-fixing scandals around the football-speaking world.

While South Africa, his next port of call, are being investigated over two pre-World Cup friendlies a year ago – a 2-1 win over Colombia at Soccer City and that record 5-0 defeat of Guatemala at Polokwane – Turkey, Italy, South Korea and Zimbabwe are also currently entangled in endless match-fixing scandals.

Blatter, recently re-elected in a one-horse race to stay in charge of world football until 2015, said on his one-day visit to the Zimbabwean capital: “We will ban all those involved in shady deals in this country if they are found guilty. This is a country that has talent which no administrator would want to see going to waste. You have work to develop that talent and not to kill it through things such as match-fixing.”

Blatter, who will be at Durban’s Oyster Box hotel tonight to help Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco celebrate their nuptials, didn’t seem to see any irony in his dealings with the controversial President Mugabe, not considered one of the world’s greatest leaders of men.

After he toured the Zimbabwe FA Village at Mount Hampden and visited President Robert Mugabe at State House, the Swiss stroller, accompanied by slick right-hand man Jerome Valcke, added: “We have instruments in place that we can use to deal with those elements that are fond of bad behaviour in football. These instruments are there and they shall be used against all those found on the wrong side of the law.”

Mr Mugabe was rubbing his hands at such words, even mention of Interpol failed to worry the old despot as Blatter added: “From now on, FIFA be working with Interpol to investigate some of these malcontents. At FIFA, we do not tolerate corruption and that should cascade to associations countrywide.

“We will make sure that all those that are found guilty do not come back to football for good. They do not deserve space in football.

“We want to see players from Africa taking up their space in the world football. All that depends on you and the people that you work with. Africa has talent. I love Africa and I shall continue working with Africa to develop the continent further.”

Blatter then offered financial assistance to ZIFA in their fight against corruption – and in their bid to develop talent in a continent “with more potential than Latin America”. It amounts to something like $2.5m.

Nothing like the $55m he promised in the FIFA World Cup legacy fund for southern neighbours South Africa. And nothing has been seen of that little windfall yet, despite my recent enquiries.

Still. Give them time. I’m sure all the grass roots footballers will benefit. Soon.

Meanwhile, here’s a quick round-up of yesterday’s football corruption news.

In TURKEY yesterday, seven officials were jailed and a further 25 were “being prepared for interrogation” over Fenerbahce’s Spor Toto Super League triumph last season. Fenerbahce will be probably be stripped of their title and relegated to Turkey’s second division.

Two further clubs, Sivasspor and Eskişehirspor may also be punished with Turkey’s newly-re-elected Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying: "Fenerbahçe is not the only club that is being investigated. We are talking about a large match-fixing organization. I hope the investigation will be completed in a fair manner soon.”

In ITALY, federal prosecutor Stefano Palazzi said yesterday Inter Milan bribed Serie A referees during the 2004-05 season in the “Calciopoli” match-fixing scandal.

Palazzi claims former Inter president Giacinto Facchetti violated the ethics of football and attempted to provide an unfair advantage to the Nerazzurri. The investigation kicked off last year after the trial in Naples of former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi, a scandal which saw Juve relegated and stripped of two Serie A titles.

Now, predictably, Juventus are calling for Inter to be stripped of their 2006 Scudetto, while Inter insist they are innocent of all charges. Italy’s football association is expected to make a decision at its meeting scheduled for July 18.

In ZIMBABWE, even while Blatter was speaking, the local papers are claiming footballers, top coaches, officials and journalists “face imminent arrest” over their roles in Zimbabwe’s “Asiagate” match-fixing scandals, quoting Ralph Maganga, the Zimbabwe FA lawyer.

Maganga said: “There are very interesting names of some coaches, players, officials and even journalists in the report who are mentioned but they will be made public when it is published and when the police have finished their investigations.”

FIFA security chief Chris Eaton and Investigative Officer Terry Steans are looking into events surround Zimbabwe’s part in a series of games in Asia in 2009 where “results were determined by betting syndicates working in cahoots with local football officials, national team coaches, selected players and local sports journalists”.

In SOUTH KOREA, Hong Jeong-ho, captain of the nation’s Olympic football squad, is the latest player to be questioned by prosecutors over corruption in the K-League.

An official said yesterday: "Hong told us last Friday that he had nothing to do with the case. For the time being, we told his club Jeju to keep him on the bench."

Eleven K-League players have been indicted for allegedly accepting cash from gambling brokers in exchange for offers to make deliberate mistakes in games. Several more players are either under arrest or being questioned.

It’s not pretty is it? Hopefully Uncle Sepp, in charge of the world game since 1997, will manage deal with all these problems before he walks away in four years’ time. Presumably, after his do at the Oyster Box with Prince Albert.

You’re doing a great job Mr Blatter. As you said in Zurich before they re-elected you a month ago, football is in a very healthy state. Just ask that nice Mr Jack Warner, FIFA’s man in Jamaica who retired last week. Just before he could be cleared of corruption charges.

I'll be discussing this on eTV's Sunrise with Stacey Holland tomorrow morning at 7am. Tune in if you can... or listen to Robert Marawa's superb Discovery Sports Centre every night on www.metrofm.co.za.

Spurs' Bongani Khumalo Gets Champions League Football: With Rangers!

Bongani Khumalo is set to play Champions League football next season – for Scottish champions Rangers.

The BBC accounced today that South African central defender Khumalo, 24, signed from SuperSports United by Spurs for £1.5m last January, could go to Ibrox on loan.

Khumalo played six games on loan for relegated Championship club Preston North End before injuring a metatarsal last season – and has yet to play a game for Spurs, despite three appearances on the bench before he was shipped off to Preston.

As Spurs started pre-season training yesterday before the Vodacom Challenge trip to South Africa next week, Khumalo and 21-year-old midfielder Jake Livermore both found themselves being offered to Rangers after talks between boss Harry Redknapp and Rangers owner Craig Whyte.

Rangers’ veteran manager Walter Smith retired after his side’s title triumph over arch-rivals Celtic last season and has been replaced by charismatic former Ibrox striker Ally McCoist.

But a week after the World Cup ended last season, six months before Khumalo’s move to Spurs, Smith was quoted as saying he was keen on bringing both Khumalo and Bafana Bafana striker Katlego “Killer” Mphela to Glasgow.

Spurs boss Reknapp, whose side narrowly failed to qualify for the Champions League last season, said yesterday: "I met with Craig Whyte, the Rangers chairman. They are looking for some loans and I mentioned a couple if they were interested.

"We have Jake Livermore and Bongani Khumalo, he scored against France at the World Cup. He needs to get some experience but he’ll do well I’m sure."

Despite the Rangers talks, Khumalo and compatriot Steven Pienaar are expected to fly to South Africa with the Spurs squad for the Vodacom challenge clashes against Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, kicking off on July 16.

Vodacom Challenge fixtures

aturday, Jul 16 2011

15:00 - Kaizer Chiefs vs Tottenham Hotspurs Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane

Tuesday, Jul 19 2011

20:15 - Orlando Pirates vs Tottenham Hotspurs Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela

Thursday, Jul 21 2011

20:15 - Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Saturday, Jul 23 2011

15:00 - Tottenham Hotspurs vs Derby Winner Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg

Axed Aaon Mokoena told he can't leave Portsmouth, they've only got ten players!

South Africa’s most capped international Aaron Mokoena has been told he cannot leave financially-challenged English championship Portsmouth.

Mokoena – who elicits the roar of “Axe” whenever he touches the ball at Fratton Park – has seen his career fall apart since his brave FA Cup final display against Chelsea in May last year.

Pompey were relegated from the Premier League after a points deduction for going in to administration just before Mokoena led the host nation through their World Cup campaign. Despite their troubles Portsmouth avoided relegation from the Championship last season but Mokoena, still only 30, found himself banished to the bench – and dropped by Bafana Bafana manager Pitso Mosimane despite his record 104 caps.

On Monday, his agent Dietmar Wendorff rocked Pompey supporters – perhaps the only British fans to understand the meaning of “Mbazo” – by saying: “Like any player, Aaron is not happy sitting on the bench because he wants to play. I know the basic transfer fee for Aaron and we will start negotiating at £1million."

But boss Cotterill, who has just 10 first team players signed up for next season due to Portsmouth’s financial problems, told the local newspaper yesterday: ““I’m not sure we would let anyone leave at this moment in time. That is purely down to our lack of numbers.

“Somebody rang me up and told me Aaron wanted to leave but I have not heard anything about that, certainly I have not heard anything from him. Then his advisor has come out and denied that he wants to leave.”

Wendorff claims he has had interest from Qatar, Russia, Turkey and Dubai for the battler from Boipatong but Cotterill laughed: “They are amazing these agents, I have never even heard of this one.

“I’ve said it before and I will say it again, a lot of these agents decide to do a bit of talking.

“The prime example was the agent of Hermann (Hreidarsson) earlier last season and then when I asked Hermann about it, he said he didn’t know anything about it.

“I am pretty sure if I bothered to ask that question to Aaron he would probably give the same answer.

“I don’t actually know what is going on with that. One thing for sure, though, if anybody wants to leave we are not pinning them down to stay here – but I haven’t had anybody coming up to me to say they want to leave.

“There will be a change around here. There has been a big change around after a year and probably after two years there will be a bigger change around. We can’t afford to let somebody go – unless they want to pay a decent fee.”

Mokoena found Ricardo Rocha picked ahead of him after injury problems midway through last season and Portsmouth have now signed Jason Pearce, another central defender from neighbours Bournemouth. Cotterill may also bring Greg Halford back from his impressive loan spell at Premier League club Wolves if the clubs fail to agree a price for the central defender.

This story appeared on the back page of The Star in Johannesburg this morning, www.thestar.co.za.