Local soccer cannot seem to avoid controversy
Ntuthuko Maphumulo
Just as the Premier Soccer League (PSL) was about to breathe a sigh of relief that the end of its off-the-field problems was in sight, trouble blew up on the field.
Efforts by African Wanderers and Bloemfontein Celtic to extend their stay in the elite league finally ended this week as an arbiter decided the two clubs must accept their relegation.
Having won that round, the PSL will have to prove once and for all that it is not a toothless body when it deals with league champions Orlando Pirates, who brought the game into disrepute last week against Ajax Cape Town.
Pirates were seven minutes from the final whistle, and trailing 0-1, when Joseph Ngake was booked for the second time. Rather than accept his red card, Ngake and other Pirates players including sometime national captain Thabo Mngomeni surrounded the referee and protested against the decision.
The official was pushed and shoved and may have been verbally abused to the extent that the match was abandoned.
Minister of Sport and Recreation Ngconde Balfour is adamant the league should take action against the two Pirates players.
Before this fracas, however, the league started on a good note when Manning Rangers almost relegated last season thrashed the Greek Gods, Hellenic, 7-0 in their first match of the season.
While Rangers regained the form that brought them the championship in 1996, Moroka Swallows, who also escaped the relegation axe by a whisker, drew 1-1 against Classic. Rangers and Swallows will meet this weekend in a league match.
The two sides promoted from the first division, Amazulu and Black Leopards, started their campaign in the premier league on an encouraging note. Black Leopards beat Free State Stars 1-0, while Amazulu drew 0-0 with Lamontville Golden Arrows.
The first big cup campaign of the season is in full swing, with four of the contenders for the exclusive BPTop 8 crown already eliminated.
The first to go was Supersport United, who led 3-0 in the first half against Orlando Pirates, but lost their composure in the second half to go down 4-3.
Free State Stars managed to hold Sundowns to a draw after 90 minutes but could not handle the pressure in extra time, and bowed out of the competition when Themba Mnguni scored a golden goal.
Kaizer Chiefs got sweet revenge on Ria Stars, who had ousted them from a previous competition, as they won 2-0. Jomo Cosmos then faced Santos and handed out a 3-0 drubbing to a side now steered by last year’s PSL-winning coach, Gordon Igesund.
These results set up a dream semifinal stage, with Jomo Cosmos, Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs all still in contention for the staggering R1-million first prize and a trophy to put in the cabinet.
Cosmos take on Sundowns this weekend in the first semifinal at Loftus stadium. Cosmos have reached the Top 8 final once in 1991, where they lost to Kaizer Chiefs while Sundowns have won the cup twice and been in the final four times.
Cosmos public relations officer Sinky Mnisi said: “It is going to be an extremely tough match and we are going to try and win.” Mnisi said they were hungrier than Sundowns and this time they meant business.
Sundowns, meanwhile, have a lot in their minds. The three-time league champions lost their PSL crown last season and have looked jaded in the first few games of this campaign.
PRO Alex Shakoane admitted: “It is difficult to motivate the players for they have won everything over the past few years.”
Sundowns will be hoping to get this Top 8 match comfortably behind them as they look ahead to continental competition. Shakoane said: “They will be using the Top 8 game as preparation for their [African Champions League] game against Julius Berger next week in Nigeria.”
But Shakoane said pride and half of the prize money will be at stake for the players if they do not win.
The second Top 8 semifinal will be between Soweto giants Pirates Top 8 defending champions, Telkom charity cup winners and league champions and Kaizer Chiefs Vodacom Cup winners and runners-up in the league title race.
Chiefs and Pirates will face each other next week at FNB stadium. This large-capacity neutral venue was chosen because of the clubs’ large number of supporters.