SOCCER: Andrew Muchineripi
JUST one month after the leg-weary footballers of South Africa were given a long-overdue break, the call to action has been sounded for the annual Iwisa Charity Spectacular at FNB Stadium on Saturday. Title holders Kaizer Chiefs face Sundowns in the first semi-final at 10am, followed by Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows at noon. The final kicks off at 4.15 and any match finishing level after 90 minutes will be settled by penalties.
While the aim of the football feast is to raise more than R1-million for various charities, the clubs also benefit with R80 000 for the winners, R60 000 for the runners-up and R30 000 each for the beaten semi-finalists.
The Charity Spectacular may be a unique international football event because the contestants are chosen by the football fans of South Africa through a phone-in service and postal votes.
It came as no surprise that tradtional giants Chiefs and Pirates gained the most votes while Swallows pipped Sundowns for third place. Real Rovers, who played in the previous two Spectaculars, came fifth and Jomo Cosmos sixth. Continuing on the theme of uniqueness, is South Africa the only football-playing nation where bags of postal votes could be discounted because of a “technicality”? It happened to Cosmos.
The mind boggles as to why a postcard containing the name of a club can be ruled offside. Perhaps the organisers should put us all out of our misery and reveal the dark deeds that led to this action. Hopefully, the controversy will end there and football will be the sole talking point come Saturday night because a potential problem lies in the wise decision to limit the crowd to 80 000 spectators.
In previous years the temptation to squeeze an extra few (thousand that is) in to the home of South African soccer proved too great to resist and one Spectacular was watched by a crowd estimated at 115 000.
One shudders to think what would have happened in the event of a fire or even a fight and this year the Premier Soccer League has publicly vowed that only 80 000 tickets will be sold.
But what happens to the inevitable ticketless ones when they arrive at the ground on Saturday? We trust those responsible for security have thought this one through and formulated appropriate plans. Filling the ground certainly will not be a problem as the chance to watch three matches involving Chiefs, Pirates, Swallows and Sundowns for R25 represents remarkable value even for cash-shy soccer supporters.
The Chiefs-Sundowns showdown is a repeat of the previous final, which the Amakhosi won 2-1 in a match remembered by many for what happened after the final whistle.
Obviously disappointed Sundowns coach Clemens Westerhof was approached for comment by a SABC-TV journalist, who quickly developed into a candidate for the South African Olympic team as he sprinted away from a furious, threatening coach.
Clashes between the clubs in the 1996-1997 Castle Premiership ended in emphatic home victories at Johannesburg and Odi stadiums, so the stage is set for a needle contest.
This match will mark the debut of Chiefs coach Paul Dolezar, who has coached in Morocco and Gabon. The Frenchman may have signed a two-year contract, but unless the team makes an immediate impact, witty headline writers may be tempted to drop the final three letters from his surname.
Pirates are also seeking a new coach which appears strange given the considerable success of incumbent Ronald Mkhandawire since he replaced Russian Victor Bondarenko toward the end of last season. The Buccaneers were unbeaten at home and in Africa under the softly-spoken Zambian, who was also at the rudder when the men in black and white lifted the 1995 African Champions Cup.
Helman Mkhalele will be sadly missed down the left flank by Pirates this season as the electrifying pace and amazing ball control of the Midnight Express have been exported to Turkey.
However, Pirates officials are hoping Mkhalele will be released by Gazientespor for the Spectacular and no footballer will receive a warmer reception should he run on to the lush green grass at Soccer City.
Moroka Swallows have been extremely vocal during the close season and now the time has arrived for action to replace words with most interest centring on new Brazilian striker Wonder Moreira.