Mark Clattenburg will return to refereeing for the first time since his outrageous exhibition of wayward whistling at Stamford Bridge on October 28. But while the 37-year-old from Newcastle goes back to work, Chelsea’s Nigerian international John Obi Mikel faces a charge of misconduct from the English Football Association, with the outcome expected later […]
After two enthralling semis there is only one way to tag the Telkom Knock-out showdown on December 1 between miraculous Mamelodi Sundowns and blooming Bloemfontein Celtic: it’s the Teko Modise final. On Saturday night, Msandawana defied their status as the PSL’s worst side this season, holding off Gavin Hunt’s bus-parking, bar-busting SuperSport United 1-0 in […]
By Neal Collins There was a football story which very nearly slipped under the radar this week, a tale far more worrying than Bafana’s 1-0 defeat against AFCON champions Zambia or Banyana’s final 4-0 CAF defeat against those dodgy gals from Equatorial Guinea. Very quietly, a day after announcing their “learning centre” to help the […]
When Bafana Bafana entertain the reigning African champions Zambia on Wednesday night in honour of Nelson Mandela at Soccer City, two of the nation’s form players will be watching the game on the television.
By Neal Collins Banyana Banyana’s epic attempt to lift the CAF Women’s crown may have come to an abrupt halt when they lost to hosts Equatorial Guinea 4-0 yesterday – but look under the veneer of a one-sided final and you’ll find there are a couple of very good reasons for their failure to lift […]
By Neal Collins Last season Loftus Versfeld was sold out for the PSL crunch clash between champions Orlando Pirates and big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns. The missus and I had to sneak through the gates with a little help from sympathetic gatekeepers in Tshwane. It was standing room only for the clash between Johan Neeskens and Julio […]
The African Cup of Nations Group of Death is NOT South Africa’s Group A! Here’s how we know…There is one simple way of showing
By Neal Collins A reffing disgrace. There is no other way to describe a weekend of enthralling – but highly controversial – action in the English Premier Division. In two days of screaming injustice, the so-called greatest football league in the world contrived to produce THREE questionable results thanks to the whistle-while-you-work brigade. At Arsenal, […]
It’s the friendly football match nobody wanted. South Africa versus Poland on an unforgiving Friday night in Warsaw.
By Neal Collins Khaya Mthethwa is South Africa’s shiniest new star. But a single sleepness night after winning the biggest reality show in the history of South African broadcasting there he was, an ordinary bloke with a beaming smile. A Buccaneer. With a touch of Mario Balotelli thrown in. Truth is, the man crowned winner […]