Sport Matters

It is a known fact that coaches have a short lifespan at South African club Chippa United, thanks to trigger-happy owner Siviwe Mpengesi. In the past month alone he fired two coaches, the hardworking Clinton Larsen and sacked Larsen's replacement Duran Francis after just two matches. Today, on October 1, the club announced Norman Mapeza as the new coach but that's not the end of the coaches' merry-go-round horror story at Chippa United. When Mapeza finally takes over the hot seat, the current stand-in coach Mbuyiselo Sambu, who was in charge when United lost 1-0 to visiting Bidvest Wits today, would have to make way. That will mean the Chilli Boys would take instruction from the fourth coach in just over three weeks! I suspect that's a world record, however, I want to believe Mpengesi is looking for longevity in Mapeza. Staying power and indomitable spirit is what the former Zimbabwe international is known for, both in his playing and coaching careers. For examp

Many South African football fans have expressed frustration over the appointment of "unknown" Molefi Ntseki as the new coach of the national team Bafana Bafana. I can understand their frustration: Ntseki is not known for any achievement as a football coach at a high level. Though I have seen him being interviewed on TV, I can't say I know his voice. His outlandish dress sense, as seen in the picture above, has not helped  endear him to shocked fans. One friend of mine on social media expressed fear for Ntseki, saying his shirt and jacket, and furrowed shaven head, reminded him of fierce Basotho cattle rustlers operating in Eastern Cape highlands just over the border from Lesotho. Granted, Ntseki has never coached a team in SA's premier league, or in another league anywhere in the world. But referring to him as unknown is a tad over the top, a decription used merely for promoting the so-called shock over Ntseki's announcement than entertaining any logic ove