Good luck to Langerman

Changed man... Tebogo Langerman revealed how he had in the past undermined the importance of CAF club championship until most recently.

All eyes in African football are on Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend, as the South African and continental champions make their Fifa Club World Cup debut. Sundowns meet host and Japan champs, Kashima Antlers, on Sunday December 11.

The Antlers, from Ibaraki Prefecture on Japan's main island Honshu, are simply the glamour boys of Japanese football. They have won that country's premier league eight times, an no other team in the J League has won the title more than three times.

So, it's clear Sundowns quarterfinal opponents in the Fifa tournament are no pushovers. The match taking place in 72 300 capacity Yokohama International Stadium, the home ground of Antlers' fiercest rivals F Merinos, does not proviude offer any reprieve because the Japanese seek success for their country in this tournament.

Naturally I want success for Sundowns, more so for for the Pretoria club's midfierlder Tebogo Langerman. Ahead of the final CAF Champions League against Egypt's Zamalek, Langerman confessed to an attitude that has delayed SA club's progress in international football for many years.
Langerman told Sowetan newspaper in Johannesburg that the CAF tournament has greatly improved his form and skills as a footballer, which also led him to be regularly for national duty. The hard running offensive midfielder said previously he did not take CAF fixtures seriously. He does not offer a clear reason why but judging by his comments in the story, it was just an attitude thing he shared with other SA players. It is incredible how South African players had over the past two decades thought they would have any impact in international football if they did not excel in CAF competitions.

Thankfully Langerman realised his mistake and his change of heart is out there for all to see as his career enjoys a high he has never experienced in his 7 years in the pro ranks. Hopefully other players in SA will dump their foolish attitude and start taking CAF championships seriously. Not trying to earn the right to play in the club world cup translates to lack of ambition by those who still feel CAF Champions League does not matter.

Well done, Langerman. I am behind you 100% and good luck in Japan.

Comments

Rest in peace Zet, thanks for the good times

Legends. . . Zithulele Sinqe runs ahead of another roadrunning super star Willie Mtolo in 1986 Each time when I drive past ERPM in Boksburg, along Rondebult Road, one name springs to mind: Ernest Seleke. The association comes from the memory of Seleke running in a vest with ERPM emblazoned across the chest area. Back then, in the 1980s, I did not even know that ERPM was an abbreviation for a mine, and that the initials stood for East Rand Propriety Mine. To me ERPM was Seleke, not the gold mine it actually was. Stock, as the lithe running machine was known, was a marvel to watch on TV during that time of my schooldays. However, he was not alone among the crop of SA runners who were nurtured and sponsored by the mines to excel in their sport – both on track and on the road – at that time. There were many products of the mines and parastatals but I can immediately single out Xolile Yawa, Matthew Temane, Gibeon Moshaba, Matthew Batswadi, Ben Choeu and much later Zithulele Sin

Memphis shows how far we have fallen

Against all odds. . . Dutch forward Memphis Depay overcame a difficult childhood to shine on world stage. One of the unlikely stars of the Netherlands squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is without a doubt winger Memphis Depay. He is used sparingly in the Dutch team, usually coming on as a second half substitute. The reason for that is clear: Depay is still being developed for big things in future. He started playing regularly at his club PSV Eindhoven only from last season. Secondly, he only turned 20 in February this year, so he still needs protected, gradual introduction to the senior national team. And after just eight caps for Oranje, he's doing all-right. Though the factors above are important to note, it is Depay's childhood which is more crucial to mention. He grew up without a father after his Ghanaian immigrant father left the family following divorce from Memphis' mother. Depay refers to this episode in his life by insisting to be called just Memphis,

The enemy within at Kaizer Chiefs

The new Premier Soccer League in South Africa is in its third week and already there's trouble at one of the biggest clubs, Kaizer Chiefs. The upheaval stems from within, thanks to the club's restless supporters. Restless is an understatement to describe a largely belligerent horde ready to trash and clobber, as they showed once again at Mbombela on Sunday 20 August after losing to TS Galaxy. Chiefs are not winning matches because they are goal-shy, scoring just 1 goal in their opening three matches of the league. That is not the scoring rate to win football matches. But instead of directing their anger to the team's forwards, and to some extent the rest of the outfield players, the supporters are blaming the coach and the goalkeeper. Chiefs No 1 keeper Brandon Peterson is a having a torrid time from the fans, despite his form saving the team from serious embarassment game after game. Against Galaxy last week a stopped four certain goal attempts, and earlier in the month

Sport Matters

Search This Blog