Sport Matters

Indispensable. . . the All Blacks engaging in their best war tool - team talk. I   never toasted England’s victory in anything like I did on Saturday when the Roses defeated the All Blacks in a high voltage encounter that had Twickenham screaming from all sorts of emotions until the final whistle. I am happy for England because New Zealand’s unbeaten run was fast becoming a tag of invincibility, something the sport of rugby does not need for itself. Apart from ending NZ’s unbeaten run that had gone through 20 matches undisturbed, England were huge on the night, awesome. I don’t know what they had for their pre-match meal but I never saw the England rugby team stand so tall, and yet so vigorous in its movements, whether in attack or defence. I don’t wish to name anybody in their squad because it was a thorough team work they dished out on Saturday. So pumped up were England that they looked like they could win another match soon after the final whistle had gone at Twickenham.

V for veteran. . . Johannes Kekana won the City to City marathon between Joburg and Cenurion, now he wants the Soweto title, despite his age.  South Africa’s premier standard marathon (42.2km), the Soweto Marathon, is upon us again - on Sunday. And once again, South Africa’s prowess in marathon-running is under the spotlight, for valid reasons. Before unknown Michael Mazibuko won the men’s race last year, the title had been in the hands of visiting athletes, mainly from Lesotho. At the age of 24 Mazibuko emerged at the right time for marathon running, albeit Kenya introduces international marathoners from the age of 20. His victory last year, which was totally unexpected, raised hopes for the country which in the past had produced some of the finest marathon runners in the world. The Soweto Marathon used to be the stage where these great home brewed marathoners used to meet. I caught the tail end of that era when I was a sports reporter. Previews ahead of the Soweto race u

Joy for Bafana. . .  Happy scenes for South Africa fans might not amount to any significant success on the soccer field if the local football fraternity continues to isolate itself from the rest of the continent. The leaders of African football are in South Africa for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations draw later today. Under normal circumstances, the gathering in Durban by CAF and FA executives from across the continent should not look odd in one of Africa’s premier cities, if South Africa was not at odds with the fortunes of football in Africa. The South African football public normally does not care about the events on the continent. I don’t have to go far back to cite the most recent example for my argument. This past weekend when in South Africa we were immersed in the affairs of domestic questions, this time via the Telkom Knockout, the focus of the rest of the continent was on the conclusion of CAF Champions League’ semifinal programme. For the record, Esperance de Tunis and

You have a chance. . . this is the message new Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund has been preaching to South African players where they are in the world. Two of South Africa’s major sports are managed by two new coaches – Heyneke Meyer for rugby’s Springboks and Gordon Igesund for soccer’s Bafana Bafana. But being new in their jobs, and the fact that both got the hot seat after being overlooked in the past, about sums all that is common between the two coaches. It is incredible that while Igesund is generally seen to be Bafana Bafana’s saviour by the football fraternity, after years of underperforming by the team, Meyer carries himself as Sprinboks’ messiah. He was however brought down to earth with a thud in his first championship in charge – the recently ended Castle Rugby Championship. Arrogance in team selection proved to be Meyer’s Achilles heel. The resounding victory over a disjointed Australia at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld was about the only highlight in the series

Big time. . . Josia Thugwane celebrates with the SA flag after winning the marathon in 1996 Atlanta Olympics. With him is second placed Lee Bong-Ju from Korea. So far so good for the London Olympics, despite the slightly sour bit earlier on about certain events taking place in front of empty seats. The records are tumbling down everywhere, and from the South African point of view, swimming is providing the best cheer in the opening week. Despite the hustle and bustle of London, my thoughts are in Peterborough, 140km north of the capital. Though the medium size city has its attractions, and a rich history, Peterborough is hardly in the news. It is not in the news now as the games surge ahead, though other England cities have been drafted in to host certain events. However one of my lasting memories of the Olympic Games is embedded in this city on the banks of the gentle River Nene. One day in 1996, when I was a sports reporter, I happened to be waiting at a bus station o

On warpath... Al Merreikh players celebrate another victorious moment inside the usually packed Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan. Merreikh are formidable campaigners in CAF contests. The gripping PSL 2011/12 season is over, and congratulations are in order to league champions Orlando Pirates and the SA cup winners SuperSport Unites are in order. The two teams now must carry the momentum forward into the CAF competitions, a territory that has almost become a taboo subject for South Africa football fraternity. It boggles the mind how SA football expects to progress and “conquer” the world when it totally ignores the continental championships. We have dreams of matching the biggest clubs in the world, as can be seen with the overwhelming excitement when the Vodacom Challenge comes, with the invitation of one overseas club, more often from England.   The Vodacom Challenge, which is a private enterprise of Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and their jersey sponsor Vodafone,

Heavenly. . . even though soccer is a like a religion to many fans, God cant be expected to endorse any team. After weeks of proclaiming God’s favour for their survival in the Premier League, Black Leopards and Jomo Cosmos finally get a chance to take the matter in their hands today. Both owners of the two clubs, David Thidiela for Leopards and Jomo Sono, have evoked the mercy of God for their football problems, saying the Almighty has a plan for them and all that jazz. I don’t begrudge Thidiela and Sono’s beliefs, but in football God is neutral. I don’t know about other sports but I suspect the same vibe goes. There is no way God can select any team for relegation because that would be bias, which is an unholy thing to even think about it. The fact that some clubs are more wealthy than others, or more organized, does not mean heaven is whispering words of wisdom in their ears, so that they could be more dominant over the others. Inequality and forgettable decision-making ar

Muvhuso "Hands of Thunder" Nedzanani It was   a pleasure last week to see the determination with which Jeffrey “Mongoose” Mathebula approached his world title challenge against Takalani Ndlovu. Though he won by a split decision it was still enough to see him eventually win a credible world crown – the IBF junior-featherweight belt. While Soweto-born Ndlovu enjoyed better pickings in the past decade, thanks to his dedication and disciplined approach to the game, the more talented Mathebula drifted from one disappointment to another with a largely lateral progress in his career. In a nutshell, Mathebula has himself to blame for delayed rewards, all for his misplaced overconfidence and gimmickry. I still cannot come over the ridicule he made of boxing seven years ago in Phokeng, Rustenburg, when he and his Malamulele homeboy Oscar Chauke chatted, laughed and hugged each other through their scheduled six-rounder. Mathebula won the sham of a fight on points and, even m

Inspirational. . . Black Leopards captain Mongezi Bobe. It’s cup weekend in the PSL, with eight Nedbank Cup matches taking place across the country. In my opinion however the most important match on the weekend is the CAF fixture between Black Leopards and FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo from DR Congo. But as is the norm, the South African soccer public – and media – will act like contests in the domestic competition are more crucial than the international fixture to be hosted in Giyani tomorrow. Already, judging by the few discussions from people around me, radio sports bulletins and newspaper coverage of the weekend ahead are already treating the Leopards game in the Confederation Cup as an afterthought. That’s where SA football falters, with its stubbornly inward-looking attitude. We are desperate to have our league affirmed to be among the best in the world and yet we do not care about CAF competitions. If we really want to be among the best then our hearts and minds should be i

The beginning. . . cross country running is the cornerstone of athletics careers for Kenyan runners. Last week my spirits were very low due to unpleasant personal circumstances, which included lack of opportunity to travel to the African Cross Country Championships in Cape Town. The championships took place on Sunday, and my interest in the event was to gauge South Africa’s current standing in terms of international competition in athletics. Cross country running is the cornerstone of Kenya’s dominance in middle distance running. Even its athletes for the much shorter 800m track event must first show their mettle in cross country. Apart from providing the kind of terrain most African athletes are naturally familiar with – grassy and uneven fields, hills, rocky and muddy patches here and there – cross country running instills a winning culture without the benefit of fancy resources. (In many cases runners compete barefooted.) During isolation and the few years after admittanc

Unsung hero. . . Kaizer Mabuza is a new boxing world champion but his hometown is oblivious to his feat.    Not every town can boast a world champion in any sport or activity. If such an occasion happens it must be welcomed with celebration and recognition by the winner’s townsfolk. Would you believe it, South Africa has a new sheep shearing world champion! And by that I am certainly not putting you out for woolgathering. His name is Mayenzeke Shweni, and was crowned world champion in the blade shearer category on Saturday, at the World Shearing Championships held in Masterton, New Zealand. Shweni is from the farming town of Sterkspruit, in northern Eastern Cape, near the Lesotho border. And because of the vast distance between me and that area surrounded by Drakensberg mountains, I honestly would not know if the people of Sterkspruit – or the Ukhahlamba district municipality – are planning a welcome ceremony for their new champion of the world. In case you thought I am pulli

London here we come... Sulette Damons celebrates her goal with teammate Nicolene Terblanche (20) during the 2012 Olympic hockey qualifying tournament's final match against India. Congratulations are in order for the South African women’s hockey team after they won an international qualifying tournament for 2012 Olympics. The significance of their victory is that there is no longer any doubt about their mettle as the squad prepare to participate in the London Olympics later this year. Even more remarkable is that the SA ladies earned their right in fine style, hammering tournament host India 5-2 in the final match. The tournament was held in New Delhi, and that the SA team won in front of a hostile crowd bears testimony to their mental resolve apart from their inch-perfect physical conditioning. The team had already qualified, through the African qualifying tournament. But the Olympic sports organization in South Africa, Sascoc, ordered the ladies to play and qualify throu

South African soccer is numb with shock from its fallen fortunes, despite the best resources the game enjoys in Africa’s biggest economy. The victory of Zambia in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has, to a great extend, highlighted how we have fallen behind in Africa’s pecking order. I subscribe to the argument that the ills of South African football will be healed by a strong domestic league. And that strength must immediately translate to competiveness on the continent. It is therefore imperative for Orlando Pirates and Black Leopards up the ante in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively. Leopards had a stuttering start yesterday when they were held to a 1-1 draw in Polokwane by Motor Action from Zimbabwe. The Limpopo side now face an uphill in the second leg either in Harare where Motor Action are based, or in Mutare where the club play most of its home matches in the 10000-capacity Sakubva Stadium. Pirates today get a chance to set the tone for their