Charity tournament: It’s for a good cause but the four teams won’t be handing out favours on Saturday
SOCCER: Nelson Rashavha
THE 1995 soccer season kicks off in earnest on Saturday, and as usual the Iwisa Charity Spectacular should produce controversies, hype, rousing football, plenty of ball skills and, hopefully, lots of goals for spectators to relish.
The show starts with a David versus Goliath scrap in the morning. New Mamelodi Sundowns coach Clemens Westerhof has gone on record as saying he will win the league championship in his first season in south Africa, with the African Champions Cup to follow in 1996.
But for all Westerhof’s presence on the bench, Bennett Masinga, Daniel Mudau’s technical superiority, and new action-man Linda Buthelezi’s bite in midfield, the Brazilians are not going to impose any inferiority complex on opponents Mahwelereng Real Rovers.
Sundowns crashed spectacularly in a Bob Save Super Bowl tie in Pietersburg last September. Indeed, young Rovers caught many teams by surprise last year with their brilliant football. Young striker Andries Sebola finished second in the league goalscoring charts and midfielder Alex “Barnes” Bapela proved an underrated, but wily organiser and finisher.
Fresher legs should stand Rovers in good stead in the wide open spaces of Soccer City against the cocky Brazilians, but lack of experience could count against them. Rovers’ football — dynamic, uninhibited, exciting all-attack stuff — won them many admirers last year, and performing in front of 100 000 spectators should be a unique experience for the country bumpkins.
Quite incredibly, for the third time running, Kaizer Chiefs — who meet Orlando Pirates in the second match – – are looking only a shadow of their former selves. Chiefs’ known pride, depth and ability to buy ready-made players appears mere history. Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala and Augusto Palacios are still establishing themselves.
Chiefs have acquired new recruits in Fortune Koloba, Sipho Khuse and Jerry Mthethwa, but already they have lost two friendly matches. Friendlies or not, two dismal defeats against the likes of AmaZulu and Wits University will not have done wonders for morale.
The concept of numerical superiority in attack might not feature much in his tactical approach, but Palacios is a professional coach and a specialist in training, who won’t dwell on past shortcomings. Expect the new-look “AmaKhosi” — minus the disgruntled Neil Tovey who has excited the new coach of Sundowns — to produce an enthusiastic performance when they step into the Soccer City cauldron just after midday.
It should be remembered too that Chiefs have the proudest record in the Spectacular, winning six successive times between 1986 and 1990.
Chiefs were underdogs last year after the departure of big stars overseas, but Doctor Khumalo produced some of the season’s best moments when scoring three unmatchable penalties to help his side win their seventh trophy after beating Pirates in the final. The devoted Amakhosi fans take special delight when the big enemy bites the dust.
Pirates coach Mike Makaab, whose team lost to Chatsworth Rangers last week, says he will use the Spectacular as long-term preparation for the defence of the league title and participation in the African Champions Cup.
South African goalkeeper Wade du Plessis could make his debut for the league champions, but these have not been the best of times for the “Buccaneers”. Some senior players appear unhappy with their relationship with the club.
But, as is often the case on the big occasions, Pirates will be motivated when facing their old rivals for a spot in the final.