Shoes shines again

All Premier Soccer League (PSL) games have been put on hold until Wednesday night to make way for the first round of the richest tournament in South Africa, the Coca-Cola Cup.

The organisers could not have chosen a better time as the weather is hot and the fans have a thirst for seeing their heroes in cup action.

One of the biggest games of the weekend takes place in the Mother City on Saturday when 2001 winners and last season’s runners-up Kaizer Chiefs face the People’s Team, Santos.

One man sure to be the focus of attention is John ‘Shoes” Moshoeu. The gifted Chiefs midfielder has been in great form so far this season and has had fans calling for his inclusion to the national team — a plea finally heeded by Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim Mashaba.

His style of play, a mix of flair and passion, and his eye for goal have been major contributing factors to Chiefs’ storming start to the season. They are number one in the league table and coach Ted Dumitru has been handed the coach of the month award. Moshoeu is the PSL’s leading goalscorer with five, plus another in the charity cup.

Moshoeu and his partners in crime in the 1990s, Ace Khuse and Doctor Khumalo, dazzled the crowds with their natural skills of dribbling and tricks. He then left for a career in Turkey, where he played for Genglerbirligi, Fenerbahce, Kocaelispor and Bursaspor.

The shoe shine’s return home is not about money, he says, but because he loves soccer. 

The oldest player on the field for Chiefs says his shoes will do the talking. He wants to do things that other people have not yet done. ‘It is not about being rich and making lots of money, but to be remembered as this great person that once put a dent in the universe,” says Moshoeu.

‘I want to be the best player [in the league and cups] and if opportunities avail themselves, to become the top goal scorer.”

The Naturena-based side may have their eye on the league title, as that is what chairman Kaizer Motaung wants, but they will not be taking this weekend’s competition lightly. Says Dumitru: ‘We will not treat the tournament without interest as this will make us lose part of our determination.”

He has seen to it that his players are performing at their best and he has given the likes of playmakers Jabu Pule, Stanton Fredricks, Thabo Mooki and Moshoeu the chance to express their individual talents.

‘I give more responsibility to these players as they have natural skills,” says Dumitru.

The coach believes Moshoeu is not only a playmaker but a versatile and complete scoring machine.

The four players, who have the task of scoring and supplying the strikers, Patrick Mayo and Sibusiso Dlamini, with good-quality passes, will have a lot on their shoulder come Saturday. The young Chiefs players will look to Shoes for direction. 

While Chiefs may boast of great individual talent, Santos will be a hard nut to crack as they are a solid team.

The Cape side in recent times have ensured that they at least win one competition each season. They began their trophy hunt with the PSL title, followed by the Bobsave, BP Top 8 and then the Absa Cup.

Coach Boebie Solomons was unwilling to disclose what motivates his players in cup tournaments, but says: ‘We may not have five-star players but they are dedicated and committed to the team and that is what has made us successful. Chiefs should not be given much room to play as they have good individual players. But I am optimistic that our strength in unity will weather the storm.”

One thing that will be bothering Solomons is that several of his key players are injured and might not feature in the team on Saturday.

FIXTURES

Saturday: Santos vs Kaizer Chiefs (Athlone)

Sunday: Silver Stars vs Supersport (Peter Mokaba), Moroka Swallows vs Sundowns (Rand)

Wednesday: (double-header) Ajax Cape Town vs Dynamos, Jomo Cosmos vs Hellenic (Newlands)