THE LAB: Footballer Development Life Cycle

I have noticed that most arguments in SA about football have more to do with the fact that most people have no idea what development is & as one of the best Systems Engineer in the world I would like to shed some light in this matter.

In programming there is something called "System Development Life cycle" consisting of the following phases. 

• Planning
• Analysis
• Design
• Development
• Implementation

These stages are common in designing of systems in general & one could imagine the process of developing football players following the same stages, but in football the stages would be as follows.

Planning (SAFA): SAFA has to assess how long it will take us to get to the level we want and what resources do we need to get there.

Analysis (SAFA): SAFA has to analyze & decide how South African players are suppose to play football & how cant they play football, e.g. in Brazil all players are suppose to be good with controlling the ball including defenders.

Design (SAFA): SAFA must table down a comprehensive South African footballer design technical and tactical specification for each of the 3 roles defenders, midfielders and forwards, within the South African context.

Development (Academies): The Academies take the technical & tactical specification & use them as road maps to developing ideal South African Footballers.

Implementation (PSL Teams): PSL Teams should teach young players how to apply there technical and tactical qualities more effectively to win matches. Technical abilities are a prerequisite for this phase, and ideally no development of technical and tactical skills is supposed to be done here.

The biggest problem with African football in general is that everything is done in the implementation phase and the other phases are completely ignored. We fail to just give ourselves 5 years to do things correct way.

Regards,
Mr. Majesa (Prof "The Chosen One" Matwetwe)

"You are either learning or learning how to be unable to learn, either way you’re learning"

Intersexions - The Bafana version!!!!!

Well, this week, the former Bafana Bafana captain, Aaron Mokoena, is back in the news, firstly because of a press conference he called on Friday to address the media about being dropped by Pitso Mosimane as Bafana Bafana captain.

In the press conference, Aaron talked about his pain at being left out of the SA squad to face Egypt and how disappointed he was that Pitso had not even called him to tell him he was dropped, especially because he’s captain.

Come Sunday and Mbazo was now in the tabloids because he slept with a girl, Thabang, who is said to be his Bafana teammate Kagisho Dikgacoi’s girlfriend. Here’s the exchange…

(Aaron): thnx baby, but the part I liked the most was the love making afterwards. U good, u very good. But next time we should get CD’s ok. I hate taking the risk we took.
Thabang: yebo Gogo, I heard you loud and clear. Will never get us into trouble. So relax.
(Aaron): I can only relax if and when you tell me u got the pill.
Thabang: okay okay okay, I dnt want a brat either. I’m gonna go get them now.

Shame… almost sounds like the John Terry situation neh? I kinda feel sorry for him… On the one hand he is trying to get the nation’s sympathy for having been dropped from the squad and at the same time, his reputation gets tainted via a tabloid. Was it just a con-incidence? Asazi.

I would be very sad if indeed this Thabang girl is Kagisho’s girlfriend… but ke knowing these boys.. maybe she wasn’t the only one naye. Intersexions in the Bafana camp… I wonder who else has slept with someone whos’s slept with someone… HERE’S TO HOPING THAT THEY ARE ALL HEALTHY.

(Jacob) Zuma must just BAN sex in this country.

By Paballa "pabs" Mleya

Celebrating short-term achievements

Eish…. watching a game (Bafana Bafana vs. Egypt) with couple of my friends was a mission!

I watched the game, tried to concentrate, but going to fetch a Heineken now and then in my cooler bag was stress free…

I yawned a couple of times and my other friend hit me at the back of my head on regular intervals just so I do not sleep.

Nna gents I am for attacking, entertaining football and what was displayed by Bafana on Saturday night was the opposite… at the death, when Katlego Mphela scored.

I was surprised to see people shouting and screaming, as if we have won a Macufe Cup, eish I was not because I know that we won against a team that was not at its best… lemme tell ya’ll this now, and you can frame my statement.

Egypt will whip our asses by more than 2 goals on the return match, and they will do so convincingly… and I am sure most of ya’ll will tell me “bottom line is we won, we got 3 points so what”

But I know deep down that we, South Africans, celebrate mediocrisity, we celebrate short-term achievements, even if they are not significant. We may have 7 points, a point or 2 away from qualifying for the AFCON 2012… but what is the bigger picture?

I bet you a lot of teams, even the so-called minnows, do not fear Bafana currently; Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, all know that they can take on Bafana any day even though they’re not as well supported, financially and otherwise.

Egypt knew that chances of beating us were 80%... even in our backyard, and if you watched the game you’d have seen by they way they attacked compared to SA… now to me, that is the sign of a powerhouse and that is where I believe we should be as a soccer playing nation, with the resources and talent we have.

We have 2014 coming up, are we streamlining the young guns with that in mind because I would think if we want to aim big and achieve big things, we would play these boys against top opposition like Egypt… anyway, IT IS MY OPINION AND I HAVE ALWAYS AND WILL STICK BY IT until I see our boys moving in that direction.

Like someone said, the Pitso Mosimane’s of this world will call 23 or even 50 players for squad games, but 99% of the usual suspects will play… the new, talented young guns will come collect cheques and never experience or get to play against the Mohamed Aboutrika’s of this world.

Remember, the former and 2 other experienced Egyptian players (who won them cups) even started at the bench… what does that tell you about ‘vision’… my 2 cents worth… you do not have to personally attack me tu assomblief.

By Prince Mawela

SAFA's Call to Aaron 'Mbazo' Mokoena

Aaron 'Mbazo' Mokoena receives a call from SAFA (South African Football Association) a night before the Bafana Bafana squad is announced for the Egypt game.

SAFA: How are you Mbazo aka the Axe men.
Mbazo: I am marvelous my...

SAFA: This call has been long overdue, been long coming. You see Mbazo you have 104 Caps for Bafana and you have been there all the time. Infact when under 23 were knocked out of the Olympics in Sydney you were there with them and for them.

When Bafana got knocked out in the AFCON 2000, 2004 and in 2008 (you were even made captain - always there my men) World Cup in South Korea.

You were there with the team and for the team even when Lucas suspiciously got injured you availed your self to be the captain and take his carry from where he left off (true leader). When the team fell from the top 20 to number 70 in FIFA rankings you were always there Aaron…

***Mbazo Close to tears…

SAFA: Again in 2009 During the Confederations Cup you lead the team from the back.

***Tears falling from Mbazo’s eyes…

SAFA: And when Diego Forlán Silenced 56 million Vuvuezelas you were always there for the team, Infact you tried to block the ball with your back but it went inside the goals eish...

***At this point Aaron can’t control it and burst into full tears trying to say thank you SAFA…

SAFA: When Bafana lost to the Youthful USA side you were there for the team!!! In fact throughout the bad experiences and bad patches in the national teams you were always there for the team...

***Aaron Mokoena: Thank you guys for your appre... (SAFA cuts in)

SAFA: Aaron what we are saying is 'Hayi maan you are bad luck' ... Futshek, You have been dropped from the National team, Uyibhadi maan... don’t call us we will call you...

By Xolisa Tango Nqodi aka Xoli

An open letter to Pitso Mosimane

I was beginning to gain respect for Pitso Mosimane, he seemed to have done a good job of taking over from the Brazilian ghaffer without any hassle.

I'm also in awe of the way he quietly does his business like monitoring the progress of some of the overseas players and giving great advice to players when things are not going smoothly in their clubs.

Example of this is the advice he gave KG (Kagisho Dikgacoi) when he didn't seem to feature in the starting line up for Fulham, now he's playing regularly and is a key member of his Championship side.

With all that being said however I feel that the way he treated and disrespected Aaron 'Mbazo' Mokoena came as a shock to me and surely he should have dealt with that situation diferently. I'm really not impressed and I think Mbazo deserved better.

This is the man who sacrificed his club career for Bafana, when the likes of Steven Pienaar faked injuries and the Benni McCarthy of this world were being pre-madonnas, Aaron never turned down a call up and has been a loyal servant for his country thought the years.

I understand that players come and go, and maybe his time with the national team from what I see may be over, but Pitso should have showed him the respect that he (Mbazo) earned and deserved when or if the curtain on his career as a bafana captain is closing down.

Pitso must do the right thing, he must appologise to Aaron in a press conference and must outline his plans for the future.

Good luck to Bafana against Egypt on Saturday.

By Mzukisi "The ChickMagnet" Ngqeza

Tribute: Tlou Segolela

I know that I am a Kaizer Chiefs fan, but this is truly a tribute to how SA football should be (in my opinion).

I remember the first glimpses of him, very raw speed and energy. Asked my buddy if he is a product of the Orlando Pirates development? He said yeah, the nice thing about this is he is so young and fearless.

The following year, we at it again at the annual Telkom Charity Cup in Maf-town. He again makes an impression, and have a couple of mazey runs. I sit there thinking, maybe there is a chance after all for the purpose of our developy,ent systems.

Orlando Pirates shocked a lot of people when they started acquiring many players in the similar position as Tlou Segolela, now I think this is typical SA diski syndrome, we are not patient enuff to observe a talent from start to finish, we want ready made products... all the time.

So many examples, Teko Modise was never a prospect, he was what I call an "accidental star"... same as Siphiwe Tshabalala, Katlego Mphela, etc. Make no mistake, these players are what the Premier Soccer League is about, but it is sad that they have to work that much harder to be where they are. The road to stardom is unkind for these players.

As hard as it is for these players, they are always one game away from being the "worst player" in the PSL. Our expectations are so unrealistic that we believe that these horses must work at 100% all the time, on and off field.

Getting back to my original point of this, The loan move to Bloemfontein Celtic was a shock to me (and a couple of other football lovers), but some say it was a stroke of genius. To me, it is not worth the hype, a player of Segolela potential should have been noted and nicely eased to the pressures of Orlando Pirates. If you observe the amount of players going back and forth via "loan" moves, you have to conclude that the intention is not to really give that said player a chance at playing football (despite what the officials say).

They are systematically getting rid of him. Tlou was a lucky one to make it hard for the CEO or whoever makes such disgusting decisions to ignore him, and it did not help that the fans demanded him, despite having purchased a PSL player of the year in his positions + playing a one time darling in the similar position + having a Botswana international as an option there + Cheneneneeneneneneneneneee (you get my point moes).

Tlou was nearly lost to the wilderness called "loan move"... thank goodness that we are now witnessing progress in the making. Tlou is a typical SA talent, that started at the youth development and working to become a legend... although a lot can happen, as he is still 23, he should be viewed as an example to teams who lack patience (and the fans).

The right attitude by fans and club administrators, will improve the attitudes of the players if they know that we got their backs.

Sure, I know about the other nasty side, but remember, that no one is perfect. We are all human, we have faults and what makes us progress is to work thru our faults. You might bump into Tlou at a night club a little tipsy... chill. Do not label him a poep dronk and a flop. If there are any club officials that might read this, remember not to write off your talent quickly, work with it as a major project that you can say, he came from the roots to LEGEND in one effective system we have invested so much in.

This is a little tribute to Tlou as a player, I hope he will inspire patience to the clubs and fans.

Regards,
Bra Pule

Kaizer Chiefs are rebuttably average, Ladies & Gents!

Guys let's be critical. Of the top 4 teams in the Premier Soccer League, the only team that has quality is Mamelodi Sundowns. Kaizer Chiefs like Orlando Pirates have the same quality or lack of. Ajax Cape Town have hungry young stars and are fast developing into a quality side.

Yesterday I looked at Orlando Pirates. Now, let's look at Kaizer Chiefs inconsistent team:

Khune - Class
Baartman - Quality

Metsimetsi - Below Average
Ngobeni - Average
Tau - Class

Sweswe - Average
Nehayo - Quality
Isaacs - Average

Matle - Average
Punch - Average
Jambo - Average

Mbooi - Below Average
Molekwane - Average
Baloyi - Average

Sibeko - Has been average for the past 15 years he's been with CHIEFS
Nale - Average
Dladla - Average

Masango - Average
Nengomasha - Qulaity
Yeye - Class

Shabba - Class
Yende - Quality
Siyabulela - Quality

George lebese - Quality
Ngcobo - Below Average
Motaung Jr - Below Average

Lewis - Below Average
Khune - Average
Musona - Quality

By Thabzberry (The NINII One)

Check OUT Orlando Pirates - Orlando Pirates are overrated, Ladies and Gentlemen - http://www.teamkickoff.com/forum/topics/orlando-pirates-are-overrated

An Open Letter to the President

Mamelodi Sundowns Revival

General Manager
The team needs to hire somebody that will run the club at heart. I think I can do that job should I be given a chance to do that and with all the resources that Sundowns has at the moment, I see no reason why they should struggle the way they are.

Mamelodi Sundowns don’t need somebody who will run the club for the sake of making a living and somebody who will abuse power and authority. The General Manager has to be in touch with both the Technical Team and the players to make sure that all parties are happy to be associated with the club. This is the area that I feel Sundowns need to strengthen a lil bit so as for the team to get more good results.

The Club should not sign the players just because it has a financial muscle to do it. This has to be discussed with the Technical team first before. Before the end of the season, Sundowns released some players without the approval of the technical team (Bongani Twala, Fanyana Mokoena, Kurt Leintjies and Gareth Ncaca etc). Seeing that Mamelodi Sundowns knew that they would be employing Antonio Lopez Habas who knew the players very well, I believe he should have been consulted first before releasing those players.

Also, the club went on to sign Method Mwanjale, Nyasha Mushekwi, Lionel Mutizwa, Tshepo Ramokala, Sibusiso Khumalo, Thapelo Tshilo, Buhlebuyeza Mkhwanazi, Jabulani Shongwe and Richard Henyekane. This is another area that I feel the club wastes finances and talent at.

The president might have all the money in the world but that doesn’t mean it should be abused and spent unnecessarily. Mamelodi Sundowns need to change the strategy and consult the Technical Team before signing players. Seeing that the club has a Development Academy, how will players like Siyabonga Ngubane, Jabulani Shongwe and Buhlebuyeza Mkhwanazi get a chance to perfom if the team goes to the market to buy expensive and experienced players?

The club should have a limit and there should be a policy of signing players. The club should not sign a player older than 27 from the other teams unless the player is exceptionally good and is player that can sort a certain department like scoring goals. You can’t break the bank and sign a midfielder whereas we have an Academy that should be providing us with such players.

There are some players that I feel the Club should not have signed, not that they are bad players but there was no need to sign them because we were covered in those areas they operate in. Players like Eduardo Ferreira, Richard Henyekane, Teko Modise, Tshepo Ramokala, Thapelo Tshilo, Method Mwanjale, and Lionel Mutizwa,these are very good players but we did have players that operate same positions as them. The club did however made some good signings, Sibusiso Khumalo, Nyasha Mushekwi and the players promoted from the development.

By Zothani Oscar Bashin Simelane

Read more on the Article below: http://www.diskihelp.blogspot.com/

Should the Bafana Bafana squad for the Egypt game look like this?

Should the Bafana Bafana squad for the Egypt game look like this?

Bafana Bafana will face a stern test from Egypt in their game on March 26. It’s going to be their toughest encounter yet under Pitso Mosimane and we expect them to make us proud. One thing for sure is that we are going to need our best team for the game and here is my idea of what the team should look like, depending on injuries and availability of players.

Goalkeepers
1. Itumeleng Khune
2. Wayne Sandilends
3. Darren Keet.

Defenders
4. Anele Ngcongca
5. Sboniso Gaxa
6. Tshepo Masilela
7. Mzuvukile Tom
8. Bongani Khumalo
9. Aaron Mokoena
10. Morgan Gould
11. Siyabonga Sangweni.

Midfielders
12. Steven Pienaar.
13. Simphiwe Tshabalala.
14. Tlou Segolela.
15. Matthew Patterson.
16. Kagiso Dekcacoi.
17. Reneilwe Letsholonyane.
18. Andile Jali.
19. Thanduyise Khuboni.

Strikers
20. David Somma
21. Katlego Mphela.
22. Bernard Parker
23. Thulani Serero

That’s my Bafana squad. My starting line up would look like this:

Itumeleng Khune – Anele Ngcongca, Bongani Khumalo, Aaron Mokoena, Tshepo Masilela – Steven Pienaar, Kagiso Dikgacoi, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Simphiwe Tshabalala – David Somma, Katlego Mphela.

That’s how I see it. What are your views?

By Siphiwe Hlongwane

Nike Launches Mercurial Vapor SuperFly III

Mercurial Vapor SuperFly III – Backgrounder
The Nike Mercurial Vapor SuperFly III is the seventh generation of Mercurial which continues a legacy of providing players with cutting edge innovation that delivers incredibly lightweight, fast, and responsive performance on the pitch.

Informed by insight from some of the world’s fastest players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexandre Pato, the Nike design team created a boot that enables rapid acceleration and multi-directional traction at game changing moments.

Today’s highly technical and physical game is about exploiting the slightest gap, capitalizing on a momentary lapse of concentration and keeping the opposition on the back foot. Testing with elite players in some of Europe’s top leagues revealed that speed around a defender and the ability to make quick changes in direction were critical, with toe-off traction and minimizing slippage top priorities.

The new Mercurial Vapor SuperFly III gives players the traction, fit and control to make that one chance count.

Custom Fit
To help athletes stay focused on their game Nike Football is providing a unique service enabling players to customize their new boot for maximum comfort and performance.

Available at select Niketown locations, boot room consultants will guide customers through a complimentary custom fit service where the Mercurial Vapor SuperFly III is molded to the foot for a personalized feel and fit at game time.

Seamless Traction
Adaptive traction technology and pressure-activated studs in the forefoot extend up to 3 mm when needed to allow players to speed up or slow down and make rapid changes of direction in adverse pitch conditions. Through the Nike Research Lab, Nike found that players slipping in leading competitions like world championship finals – 845 slipping events over 63 games, or roughly 14 per game at one major tournament – created a renewed focus on boot performance, traction and fit.

Flywire Technology
Innovative Flywire technology in a streamlined upper ensures ultra-lightweight support. The highly engineered cabling structure provides a dynamic fit that holds the foot in place for a better feel and fit.

Carbon-Fiber Chassis
Provides a lightweight flexible platform, allowing players to stay close to the ground and traction elements. The contoured design mirrors the shape of the foot for enhanced fit and feel, and the lightweight, perforated sockliner provides low-profile cushioning and support while reducing boot pressure.

Streamlined Upper
Refined composite upper with fewer layers and Teijin synthetic leather maintains durability and improves the boot’s fit, comfort and performance on all pitch conditions.

Traction On Demand
With a focus on toe-off, first step traction to reduce slippage, tri-blade configuration means directionally positioned blades maximize cutting and direction changing speed in all pitch conditions. Central traction arms enhance acceleration and breaking.

Enhanced Configuration
For the ultimate fit for athletes the boot features denser spread at the forefoot for lateral and cutting stability. Midfoot separation increases range of motion with enhanced lateral lock from heel to toe.

Color Schematic
To match the blinding speed of the new Mercurial Vapor SuperFly III a striking color combination and graphic treatment around the heel and in-step increase visibility and presence on the pitch.

FA Cup clash could decide how Arsenal, United end season

Arsenal have had a topsy-turvy time of it since their calamity against Birmingham in the Carling Cup final a fortnight ago.

Victory against Leyton Orient seemed set to get them back to winning ways but a draw against Sunderland, with referee Anthony Taylor playing no small part in that, and defeat at the hands of Barcelona, see the Gunners flirting with relative disaster once more.

A loss against tight title rivals Manchester United this weekend will not only see them knocked out of the FA Cup, obviously, but deal a shattering mental blow with a tie against United in the league still to come.

The 2010-11 Manchester United side is something of a curiosity. Firstly, this is easily the weakest team Sir Alex Ferguson has fielded in years. Sure, Edwin va der Sar remains evergreen between the sticks, Nemanja Vidic is at his shirt-tugging, stubborn best, Nani is as creative as he is pathetically theatric and when Dimitar Berbatov scores, he tends to get many and Javier Hernandez has done well with his limited chances.

But that is where the good news ends. Giggs and Scholes show class and age in equal measure. Rio Ferdinand is a crock, Chris Smalling has promise but remains short of guile and composure, Rafael is begging for a lengthy ban, Carrick is Carrick and the poor Rooney has the benefit of tap-ins set up by Nani to thank for an acceptable goal-scoring return. Well that and a moment of inspiration against Manchester City.

Yet still, United are still pushing on three fronts, leading the league and favourites against Arsenal this weekend. That is further testament to the guile of Ferguson and his ability to instil a winning mentality in his teams.

Of course the back-to-back losses against Liverpool and Chelsea have exposed the team’s fragility and showed the rest of the Premier League what can happen if you take the game to United and put their central defensive pair under pressure.

Arsenal need to do that this weekend. A midfield of Wilshere, Eboue/Rosicky, Nasri and Denilson will have enough in it to boss their United counterparts. Especially if they maintain a high tempo. If Vidic plays, he will know refs are onto his shirt-tugging ways and with Mr Taylor’s shenanigans still fresh on the mind, Arsenal can expect a fairer deal from the match officials.

The key will be Van Persie, can he maintain the pressure upfront for Arsenal?

This article first appeared on www.newstime.co.za

By Siyabonga Ntshingila
http://www.sportsleader.co.za/siyabongantshingila

Nike Introduces The New French Football Away Kit

NIKE INTRODUCES THE NEW FRENCH FOOTBALL AWAY KIT, COMBINING PERFORMANCE INNOVATION WITH ICONIC FRENCH DESIGN

Nike today unveils the new national team away kit for the French Football Federation, celebrating the new era in French Football.

Nike's partnership with the French Football Federation was launched in Paris in January this year, and is encapsulated by an overall campaign titled 'Vive Le Football Libre'. The striking new design of the away kit captures the spirit of the French team whilst bringing superior performance innovation and unparalleled elegance on pitch.

The new away jersey takes strong visual cues from the 'marinière', a piece of French history since the last century, and now a timeless French style icon. The marinière first appeared as the uniform of sailors in the French navy in the 19th century and was first seen in civilian wardrobes in the early 20th century. Soon, it would become a symbol of French culture, adopted by free-spirited individuals in France and beyond.

The jersey has a tailored fit that allows freedom of movement on pitch. The lightweight fabric features Nike Dri-FIT technology and engineered ventilation systems to help keep players cool, coupled with ergonomic cut and soft cotton feel for player comfort.

The kit also embraces Nike's Considered Design approach and - along with the home kit launched earlier this year - is Nike's most environmentally sustainable kit to date, with shirt and shorts made from microfiber polyester that is entirely derived from recycled plastic bottles. For the shirt, this material is combined with organic cotton (96% recycled polyester, 4% organic cotton).

The kit is seen for the first time in photography shot by a true icon of the fashion and photography world, Karl Lagerfeld. The photo, which captures the revolutionary elegance of the away kit, features Alou Diarra, one of the faces of the new era of the French team.

The FFF away kit will be available at retail from March 26, and for pre-order from March 11, on www.nikestore.com and www.fff.fr

Arsenal vs. Barcelona: Completely balanced and can go either way

Arsenal:
Strength: Alex Song being absent is a blessing in disguise for me because grafters like Song really do not do that well against AM like Lionel Messi, e.g. Barcelona (Ronaldinho) vs. AC Milan (Gennaro Gattuso) 2006.

These type of AM are not direct & become extremely difficult for the grafters to apply there normal game, they end up being yellow carded very early in the match and spend there entire match trying to apply themselves intelligently instead of physically. Arsenal started playing well when Song was subbed.

The other problem with grafter based defensive systems is that they are very linear and deal with a player at a time instead of marking the whole team, hence Inter Milan did not man mark Messi or dedicate anyone to him, they just applied a zonal marking system called "Caging" and controlled how he received and distributed the ball. To mark Messi you need a Sergio Busquets type of midfielder instead of a Javier Mascherano.

Weaknesses: Without Theo Walcott & RVP having questionable fitness level - it is clear Arsenal’s counter attacking would be compromised.

Barcelona:
Strength: There ‘Playmaking Style Total Football’ designed by Rinus Michels aka “The Engineer” puts tremendous pressure on any team coming to Nou Camp. Possession football oriented teams are the ones who normally receive the heaviest scores at Nou Camp, which explains such high score against Spanish teams as compared to other European teams and this does not help Arsenal much.

Weakness: Carles Puyol, Víctor Valdés and Gerard Piqué are out, now this is a crucial weakness because according to “Playmaking Style Total Football” changing to CB and the keeper is like changing 6 players in the squad. The keeper mostly plays as sweeper, Pique usually players as a CF when they are failing to score, Puyol sometimes plays as midfielder.

Conclusion is should Arsenal park the bus, due to absence of Pique they could get away with a scoreless draw or a 2 nil win.

By Prof "The Chosen One" Matwetwe

An Open letter to Jali and Serero

Dear Andile Jali and Thulani Serero.

South Africa is a country blessed with an abundance of raw and natural talent. But only a few manage to make it to the top and actually make an impact. And you boys are just two of the few lucky ones.

Some made it but somehow fame and fortune become too much for them to handle and they fell by the way side. Today they wish they can turn back the hands of time but unfortunately it’s too late for them. You boys may be wondering why am I writing this letter to you, well let me not keep you guessing.

This season you boys managed to capture the imagination of the South African football community and got a lot of tongues wagging. You have let us witness your God given talent and you are currently doing justice to it. We see you as the future of our football and you are giving us hope that there are better things to come from our football, that one day we are going to be able to compete and triumph over the best the world has to offer.

But what worries me boys is that you not the first ones to show so much promise. We’ve had players who were so skilful that even the great Ronaldinho had nothing on them when it came to natural ball skills, we’ve had players that were earmarked as future bafana captains. But where are they now? Some just vanished to thin air because of their undesirable behaviour, others are now playing in amateur leagues and bragging about their good old days when they are infact still under the age of 30.

A few others have been offered lifelines buy some good Samaritans but they will never again live up the promise they once shown. They will be remembered as the ones who almost made it, but I’m sure that you boys know that almost doesn’t count. Do you boys want to go that route as well?

I’m sure that’s not what you want but what you boys should know that football can be extremely cruel and your promising careers can end in a blink of an eye. Believe me I am not trying to scare you.

So in a nutshell this is what you should know: The game doesn’t owe you anything, but you owe it a lot of respect for putting you where you are today, so serve the game with respect and it will reward you in abundance. Don’t let the people who are calling you “ iskhokho” fool you, you are not yet the stars you can be so keep your heads and work hard. The fans that are adoring you like small gods today will destroy you tomorrow if you guys give them a raw deal, so know that not everyday is the same in football. The likes of Lucas Radebe didn’t make it by chance, it took tons of discipline and determination, so learn from them and you will never go wrong. An odd bafana call up doesn’t mean you have made it either, it just means that there are better things to come if you keep on behaving and working hard.

We want to see you guys playing in the best leagues in the world, for the best teams. But talent alone won’t take you there, it takes more than that. Boys don’t let yourselves and the passionate South African football community down. Don’t deny the world a chance to see your great talents.

If ever you get frustrated like some of the players I know and decide to take the easy way out (Going AWOL), I will hunt you down with sjamboks and knobkerries tow and send you running back to your clubs, and I’m not joking!

Yours in football.

Siphiwe Hlongwane

Where exactly is the Absa Premiership title heading?

The Absa Premiership race is fast approaching the home straight. The title race is becoming more intense as the contenders battle it out for top honours. Orlando Pirates are currently favourites to lift the league trophy, but it is almost certain that this race will be decided in the last three matches of the season. Today I am looking at the top contenders chances of winning the league title as we approach the grand finale.

Orlando Pirates

The Buccaneers have made their intentions clear, they want the league title and their performance on the field is testimony to that. The atmosphere from within the club is that of a team that has smelled blood and they are going for the kill, everyone from the supporters, the technical and the players has seen the promised land and they are marching towards it with every game they play. Their good form has seen them going fifteen games without a defeat. If they can keep that up than it is safe to say that this one is in the bag for them.

One thing that has put the bucs in a firm position to win the league is the good form and hunger that their players have shown. Depth in their squad as well as Ruud Krol’s excellent tactical decisions in crucial moments of their games has seen the happy people doing becoming top favourites for the title, and only a drastic loss of form will see them losing the grip towards the end. But that is highly unlikely.

Ajax Cape Town
This should go down as one of the Urban Warriors best seasons ever, if not the finest. The young Cape side has gone about their business of challenging for the title without most people taking notice. If they go on to win the league it will become one of the finest moments in South African football and victory for their excellent commitment to youth development.

Coach Foppe de Haan has done a great job with the team. They play good football and and are effective and getting the necessary results. The only thing that can let Ajax down is if they fail keep their nerve under pressure as the boys are separated from men towards the end of the season. But are indeed dark horses and in football anything is possible. Watch this space.

Kaizer Chiefs
For Amakhosi the story is quiet sad, this is a team that showed great promise the whole season but somehow when it matters most they have failed to deliver. They’ve had a few chances to go on top of the log but inconsistency and an element of bad luck keeps on creeping in. many factors have played a role in their inability to keep the momentum going. Musona's loss of form really hit them where it hurts most, as well as their failure to kill off the opposition when the game was there for the taking.

They have been dropping points in crucial matches and that is hurting their chances of winning the league. But football is a funny game, often cruel as well, Chiefs might just peak at the right time and go on to win the title when most people are beginning to right them off. They are still very much in the race and they can still win league if Pirates fail to keep their current form.

Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns only have themselves to blame for the position they find themselves in. besides the inevitable loss of form that they suffered after a perfect start, internal squabbles have dented their chances of seriously challenging for the league title.

At the moment they are picking up the pieces and they are trying to put their title challenge back on track, but is it a little too late? Only time will tell. They will be hoping that the teams above them drop points and they keep on winning. They still have a real chance to win the league though and anyone who writes them off can do so at their own risk. Football is so unpredictable.

By Siphiwe Hlongwane

South Africa needs a reserve league, urgently!

The way our junior national teams coaches struggle to get the players they need for their matches is a disgrace. It shows how ignorant this country is when it comes to development.

It is stupid to expect any degree of success from the senior national team when the youth teams are being ignored. The best football nations in the world owe their success to their up to date development structures. Sadly for this country, football development is just not being handled correctly or taken seriously.

In all fairness, we can’t expect our junior national teams to succeed in competitions like the world youth champions and the Olympic games without good players and adequate preparation. Qualifying for the above mentioned games will always be a struggle and South Africa will remain the weeping boys of world football. Until the custodians of our game sit together and plan a better way forward, we can just forget about being a force to be reckoned with in the international arena.

It is disappointing that a country that claims to be a football nation doesn’t have a reserve league. Coaches Shakes Mashaba (under-23’s) and Khabo Zondo (under-20’s) would not be struggling so much to put teams together for their games if they had young players playing competitive football weekly. Amabinneplaas would have taken a stronger development team to their tournament in Sudan. By not taking our junior national teams and the development structures seriously, we are missing an opportunity to develop our football and our players to meet the high standards that are currently being displayed all over the world.

PSLteams will always be reluctant to release their regular players for junior national team duty, especially when they have crucial matches in like at this stage of the league campaign where the likes of Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates cannot do without inform players like Thulani Serero and Andile Jali just to name a few.

There are many talented youngsters in the Psl teams who are kicking their heels on the bench or watching their teams play like spectators on the stands instead of playing competitively every week in the reserve league to stay sharp and focused. Unfortunately it is these fringe players that our youth coaches have to call up for national duty and it’s not an ideal situation for the country.

Safa, the Psl and all other relevant stakeholders must sit down and find a way to have the reserve league up and running. It will definitely benefit everyone the state of our football will be much better.

By Siphiwe Hlongwane