Tabla de contenidos para April 2021 en Kick Off

When Manchester City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was marking Percy Tau in a league match against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this year, he was confused and lost like a sheep on astroturf as he twisted and turned chasing shadows throughout the match. Tau, who was making his long-awaited league debut after spending three years on loan in Belgium while waiting for his United Kingdom work permit, was making a meal out of the Ukrainian. And after the match South African fans were buzzing with excitement on social media, praising Tau’s performance while looking forward to more like that from him in future. Even though Pep Guardiola’s side won the match 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium, Tau’s performance was enough to convince even the most sceptical English commentators and pundits. Three…

1 Goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa Senzo Meyiwa is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper I have ever played with. In fact, he is one of the best goalkeepers this country has ever produced. We were together at Orlando Pirates and it’s so unfortunate that we can no longer witness his talent. He was at his peak when he passed on – he could have gone on and played overseas. When we were at Pirates, Benni McCarthy organised him an Iker Casillas jersey when Jose Mourinho was at Real Madrid and Senzo was so excited. 2 Right-back Cecil Lolo Cecil Lolo was my childhood friend, we played together at amateur level and we went together to Hellenic for Under-12 trials. He was one of the best and a smart guy who was playing his…

GAME Moroka Swallows Big XV v Mamelodi XI, Orlando Stadium, April 3. GOAL Steve Maseko for Moroka Swallows Big XV v Mamelodi XI, April 3. PENALTY George Shigo for Pretoria Callies v Kimberley Dalton Brothers, April 3. FINE R100 for Mamelodi XI for arriving late for the opening match of the league against Swallows. HATTRICK Patrick Ngwenya for Real Katlehong City v Kimberley Dalton Brothers, April 12. FLOODLIGHT GAME Moroka Swallows Big XV v Bantu Callies, Orlando Stadium, April 15. DRAW Mamelodi XI 2 Orlando Pirates 2, Mamelodi, April 17.…

KICK OFF: Let’s start with your feelings about Bidvest Wits disappearing, a club that developed you towards professional football. Ricardo Lorenco: Honestly, it’s a bit of a shame. A club so rich in history, one of the oldest club’s in the league, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be in this football journey. It’s sad because of how many good players came out of there, it was a great club, just gutted to see it go. I was there from 15 to 18 – it was my first taste of an academy set-up. How did you end up at Orlando Pirates after Wits led you to the taste of European football as a teenager? I went to Zwolle in 2014 but I was on trial at [Liga Nos outfit]…

By the time Wade du Plessis celebrates his next birthday in May, he will be just 24 months short of the 30-year milestone since he left Kaizer Chiefs in what he still describes as the biggest error he made in his career. After joining Chiefs in 1990, Du Plessis found himself picking up both personal awards and medals from the club’s success, but still decided against staying when he had the chance. Through the two-and-a-half years he spent at Chiefs in their golden years, he played regularly, totalling 86 games and lifting the league title twice in a row (1991 & 1992), as well as winning the BP Top Eight (1991 & 1992), BOB Save Super Bowl (1992) and the Castle Challenge (1991). He was voted Goalkeeper of the Year…

What lies ahead for SuperSport? To air your views, email your letters to forum@kickoff.com The views expressed in the letters published do not reflect the views of KICK OFF magazine, its editor, publisher or CT Media Publications (Pty) Ltd. The editor reserves the right to edit and shorten letters. Letters shorter than 200 words will be given preference. Please note there are no prizes for star letters at this time. SuperSport media and Engen have dumped SuperSport United as main and subsponsors, respectively. Now it is believed that the Tshwane club will be sold at the end of the season. Mamelodi Sundowns have already identified Sipho Mbule, the young, dynamic midfielder as their target, while Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be eyeing Bafana Bafana duo of goalkeeper…

The report of the Ngoepe Commission runs to 130 pages. That is almost three pages for each of the victims of the Ellis Park disaster, which the commission was created to investigate, and about as much acknowledgement as they are ever going to officially get. Twenty years ago this month, on April 11 to be precise, 43 people died and 158 were injured in the worst sporting tragedy seen in South Africa – one which still has found no one liable – which makes it also one of the biggest unpunished crimes committed in the country. Justice Bernard Ngoepe and Advocate Ishmael Semenya were tasked with investigating the cause but pointedly absolved of any responsibility to find capability. Then president Thabo Mbeki, who appointed the commission in the wake of…

10 Donald Khuse 50 Goals ‘Ace’ Khuse joined Chiefs in 1989 from Mamelodi Sundowns, where he had been a leading figure in the mid-to-late 80s, having also previously turned out for Orlando Pirates. He is one of the rare players to have featured for all three of South Africa’s socalled ‘Big Three’, but not unique with the likes of Marc Batchelor and Collins Mbesuma later repeating the feat. Khuse left Chiefs in 1993 after winning a move to Turkish side Gençlerbirliği, but not before helping them to three league titles and eight major knockout trophies, including the full sweep of the current domestic honours. He racked up a half-century of goals, netting some crucial ones to boot, including against Moroka Swallows in the final game of the season that helped…

With Miguel Timm (Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila) 1 Tshakuma Tsha Matzivhandila midfielder Miguel Timm was born in Durban but moved to Johannesburg with his parents at the age of five. His parents are now living in the United States of America, while he remains in South Africa with his wife and daughter to ply his trade in the PSL. 2 Timm has an older brother named Kyle, who was also a professional footballer, and they were together at Bidvest Wits back in 2011/12, though they never featured in that season. Kyle, 34, is currently assistant coach of Colorado Springs Switchbacks – where George Lebese plays – in the United States. 3 In 2002, both Timm brothers were playing in the Orlando Pirates development academy – Miguel, at age 10, with the…

Let’s honour Jomo Sono I think it is time that SAFA, if not South Africa as a Republic, should honour Jomo Sono for his contribution to the football fraternity. Jomo’s name should be recognised, he’s been too productive for SA football, but our government seems to be too blind to see that. If you still remember the squad that won us the 1996 Afcon, it was made up of Jomo Sono’s products. The likes of Helman Mkhalele and Mark Fish, just to mention a few. Remember, it is the same squad that represented us at the 1998 World Cup in France. With another product of Jomo Sono, Phil Masinga, whose goal against Congo-Brazzaville in 1997 qualified us for France. The very same Jomo Sono took us to the Afcon in…

Kaizer Chiefs have 11 players who are already over 30 in their underperforming squad. If they are to plan for the future, then the chopping should start with the oldest who are making minimal contribution in the team. The older crew also makes up the high earners. There is Itumeleng Khune, Bernard Parker, Willard Katsande, Lebogang Manyama, Leonardo Castro and Khama Billiat. Daniel Akpeyi, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Daniel Cardoso, Erick Mathoho and Kgotso Moleko follow closely behind. “Nothing was going to go right this season for Chiefs, knowing very well that they cannot sign new players. What is happening at Chiefs is a big knock for Gavin,” says former Chiefs midfielder Robert Nauseb. “Some of the mistakes that have been made by Khune have been questionable. Does he want the coach…

Having his fellow countryman Deon Hotto also excelling at Orlando Pirates means the value of Namibian footballers is on the up and bringing a feel-good factor in the land of the Brave Warriors. Not since Mohammed Ouseb, Robert Nauseb and Ronnie Kanelelo has Namibia had players excelling at any of the big three. “It is beautiful, especially now that the club [Sundowns] has opened up a branch in Namibia, so the love is too much,” says Peter Shalulile. “It is different and something that I have never felt before. I have always believed that there is quality in Namibia but then the trouble is that we don’t pay attention to football in the country. “That is the sad part and for us who are playing here, we just need to keep raising the…

AFRICAN WANDERERS ‘Abaqulusi’ were expelled in the inaugural year of the NPSL but returned in 1973 and spent the next two decades yo-yoing between the top and second tier, eventually relegated in 2001 and now playing at amateur level in KwaZulu-Natal. BANTU CALLIES Later renamed Pretoria Callies, the latest version of the club is back in the GladAfrica Championship this season. Callies were last in the top flight in 1985, relegated after the first year of the NSL. BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC Celtic were regularly relegated in the NPSL year but have been a more stable force over the last two decades, although their 1985 Mainstay Cup victory remains a club highlight along with the 2005 SAA Supa8 and the 2012 Telkom Knockout. KAIZER CHIEFS Chiefs went on to become the dominant…