Sport Matters

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 admit...

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...

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 ...

Rallying cry... Zambia's success in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations should be the foundation for Cosafa's quest to act big. The success of Zambia in the Africa Cup of Nations needs to be consolidated and be used as a foundation to strengthen the bargaining power of Cosafa region in African football. The Cosafa leadership needs to call an urgent meeting, in Lusaka, to deliberate on the meaning of Zambia’s victory for the region, and for the organization. Judging by the chaos that transpired in the last gathering of Cosafa in Botswana in December 2011, when the presidential election was the major issue, the organization acted clumsily and disgracefully in addressing the matter at hand. It was disgraceful that interests of outsiders were entertained by the executives who were only concerned about preserving their positions. I am one of those who feel Suketu Patel does not have the clout to duel with the big boys in Africa’s soccer politics. However let the fact that Pat...