He is likened by many of his devoted South African followers to a persuasive soccer version of Rhema’s Pastor Ray McCauley. Matsilela Ephraim Sono, affectionately known as Jomo Sono and lumped with the moniker of ”Black Prince”, waits at this moment for the fulfilment of his calling as Bafana Bafana coach at the World Cup on home soil in 2010.
Mamelodi Sundowns, a team who have earned the reputation in recent times of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, are threatening to do it again. The Brazilians went down 2-0 to a well-drilled, opportunist Jomo Cosmos at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Wednesday night and in the process surrendered much of their advantage in the intense Premier League title race.
Mamelodi Sundowns courted disaster in a calamitous second-leg, second-round CAF Champions League game against Uscafoot at the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday afternoon — and paid a grim penalty. Sundowns drew 2-2 with their unfashionable Madagascar opponents after the first leg between the teams had also finished level at 1-1.
He stood out as one of the African imports into the Premier Soccer League (PSL)firmament who was a credit to South African soccer — both on and off the field. Former Zimbabwean international central defender and Cape Town Spurs captain Makonese ”Francis” Shonhai has died after battling meningitis and tuberculosis for some time.
Supersport United coach Pitso Mosimane is still effectively missing — and remains under a cloak of mystery with a fair measure of intrigue. Given two weeks’ ”leave of absence” by the club to recover from a strenuous three years without a break, the coach, who has seemingly lost his Midas touch, was due to return to his post last Thursday.
Tyren Arendse, out of soccer for most of the season after being injured in an accident, fell to his knees and kissed the rain-soaked turf at Ellis Park on Wednesday night after Orlando Pirates scraped home with a narrow 1-0 Premier Soccer League win against a gallant Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Like eager, pervasive predators, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will be closing in on Premier Soccer League (PSL) log leaders and defending champions Kaizer Chiefs in intriguing league matches on Wednesday night. The success-hungry Sundowns are in a position to leap into a commanding lead.
Like a jackdaw furtively making off with a prized jewel, Cape Town-based Santos ”stole” off with a valuable 2-1 Absa Cup win against Moroka Swallows at a sparsely-filled, but shocked Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The stunning, deciding headed goal from Botswana international Dipsy Selolwane was scored in the 90th minute.
Moroka Swallows, like most clubs in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), may not find unearthing goal-scoring forwards an easy proposition. But on the evidence of Wednesday night’s 1-0 PSL win over Supersport United at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium, it is no problem at all to discover a dynamic full-back scorer.
Such is the intensity of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title race among log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates that no stone is being left unturned by the three delicately balanced contenders to maximise their challenge. Pirates have been granted a postponement of their game against Bush Bucks.