WEDNESDAY, 1.00PM:
BAFANA BAFANA defender Mark Fish became the most expensive South African player when he signed a four-year contract with the newly promoted English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers, for a transfer fee of about R19-million from Italian Serie A side Lazio on Tuesday.
Fish first broke the South African transfer record last year when he joined Lazio from Orlando Pirates for a fee of $1,8-million.
Fish’s lawyer Gary Blumberg said: “Fish has always harboured ambitions of playing in Italy and England, now he will have achieved both goals.” He said Wanderers first spotted Fish when Bafana Bafana lost 2-1 to England at Old Trafford in May.
Wanderers manager Colin Todd confirmed the deal. He said they are waiting for Lazio to send through Fish’s international clearance. “They did not want to let him go and I believe there were four Italian clubs also in the running to sign him, but we were persistent and in the end we managed to persuade him to join us,” he said.
Fish becomes the third Bafana Bafana member to play in the English Premier League after skipper Lucas Radebe, who plays for Leeds United, and Barnsley’s Eric Tinkler.
SPORT BRIEFS
AMANDA SEEDED IN OPEN WORLD number five women’s tennis player Amanda Coetzer is the only South African among the singles seeds for the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadow in New York on Monday. She is seeded fifth in the tournament.
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