The CEO of South Africa’s 2010 World Cup bid, Danny Jordaan, returned from his one-month trip abroad to inform and assure South Africans that the bid was still on track despite the shenanigans in the South African Football Association. Jordaan said: “As I speak to you now I have no doubt that our case is still strong.”

The Amaglug-glug — the South African under-23 soccer team — are in a dismal position. Recently the Zambian under-23 team defeated the South Africans 1-0, once again almost dashing the youngsters’ dreams of Athens. All’s not lost though. On Saturday the Amaglug-glug meet Zambia again and a win will put them back on track to qualify.

The Absa Cup, which starts on February 25, will present 32 teams with a chance to win R1,5-million while giving lower-division players a chance to showcase their skills against the Premier Soccer League teams. The draw on Sunday was not kind to four premiership teams, including Sundowns, who will take on Chiefs.

The tragedy about this weekend’s African Cup of Nations is that if its North African contenders Tunisia and Morocco are indeed the best on the continent, only one of them will be in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany as both are in the same group in the qualifying stages.

As the Castle Premiership enters the home straight with the last 13 games left in the season, the test of strength in depth and consistency by the 16 clubs in the league begins in earnest. The next three months will produce the title chasers, champions, super-eight finishers and relegation candidates.

The South African women’s national soccer team, Banyana Banyana, are only three games away from securing their first-ever Olympic qualification. Banyana Banyana have already thrashed Namibia 13-0 and 13-1, and Angola 6-2, en route to qualifying for Athens 2004.

The Spar South African women’s national hockey team seem to be the only team flying South Africa’s sporting flag high after a few codes disappointed the nation in recently. The team returned this week from a four-nations tournament in Athens with gold medals. They beat Britain 3-1, Spain 1-0 and Australia 4-3 to win.

Bafana Bafana has managed to regress in the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) – from winners in 1996 to a first-round exit this year. The tournament left the South African team battered, beleaguered and bruised. They returned home on Friday to lick their wounds.

The Greek gods have finally deserted Cape Town’s Hellenic. Owner George Hadjidakis sold his club for R4-million to Benoni businessman Makhosini Ndlovu. The 46-year-old club has finally given in to financial pressure after twice escaping relegation by the skin of its teeth.