Now is the time for budding Bafana Bafana stars to stand up and be counted as South Africa take on Nigeria in a tough 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier in Abuja on Sunday. Kick-off is at 5pm South African time. There is no Benni McCarthy, and three midfield aces in Teko Modise, Delron Buckley and Lerato Chabangu are all nursing an assortment of injuries.
Mamelodi Sundowns had their minds on Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final and paid the price when Free State Stars thumped the defending Premier Soccer League champions 4-0 in the final league fixture of the season. Meanwhile, Santos ended in third position on the league table after beating Platinum Stars 1-0, and Orlando Pirates beat AmaZulu 4-1.
Orlando Pirates could be forced to face arch enemies Kaizer Chiefs in the Absa Premiership Soweto derby at the Mmabatho Stadium on Saturday afternoon without their midfield talisman, Teko Modise. The Bafana Bafana playmaker faces a late fitness test on an injured toe he sustained in last Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat against Platinum Stars at the Johannesburg Stadium.
Santos had goalkeeper Wayne Roberts to thank as they advanced through to the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup after beating Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Roberts made saves three times in the shoot-out after the match had ended 2-2 after full-time.
”Yo-yo man” Benni McCarthy is back in the Bafana Bafana squad to play Paraguay on March 26 — strengthening the suspicion that the enigmatic striker requested coach Carlos Albero Parreira not to include him in the squad for the recent African Nations Cup tournament in Ghana.
A pedestrian Bafana Bafana outfit needed an own goal to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in a friendly international match at the Germiston Stadium on Tuesday evening. Gilbert Mushangazhike struck first for the visitors in the 12th minute. Sthembiso Ngcobo equalised in the 73rd minute and his feeble shot at goal deflected off James Matola late in extra time to give the hosts an unforeseen victory.
Even after parting ways with coach Khabo Zondo after a string of poor results, Bloemfontein Celtic’s ambitions of improving their position on the log suffered a blow. With caretaker coaches Benjamin Reed and David Modise at the helm, Celtic lost 1-0 to the title-chasing Orlando Pirates on Wednesday afternoon.
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/ 24 February 2008
Bloemfontein Celtic beat Amazulu 3-2 in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at a packed Seisa Ramabodu Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday. In other matches, Mamelodi Sundowns handed victory to Wits University, Orlando Pirates were beaten by Santos, and Ajax beat Cosmos.
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/ 26 January 2008
There is unlikely to be a place in the starting line-up for South Africa hero Elrio van Heerden when they tackle Tunisia in the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. Van Heerden, who plays for Belgian club Bruges, came off the bench three days ago to score one of the best goals in the biennial tournament.
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/ 23 January 2008
Elrio van Heerden scored two minutes from full-time to salvage a 1-1 draw for South Africa against Angola on Wednesday in another 2008 African Nations Cup Group D thriller. No team arrived in Ghana more desperate to impress than South Africa after descending from champs to chumps in a 12-year freefall.
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/ 2 December 2007
In coach Owen da Gama’s first game in charge for Orlando Pirates, they lost to Thanda Royal Zulu in a cup game. Da Gama’s charges showed their improvement since his arrival by beating the Royals 3-1 in a Premier Soccer League game at Johannesburg Stadium on Sunday.
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/ 30 November 2007
South Africa have ditched star striker Benni McCarthy for the 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana. Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira also dumped first-choice defender Bradley Carnell and midfielders Delron Buckley and Macbeth Sibaya from a 23-man squad named on Friday.
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/ 24 November 2007
The sultry Durban weather did not deter Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs from entertaining a capacity crowd with four fantastic goals in a pulsating Premier Soccer League match at the Absa Stadium on Saturday. Chiefs striker Mabhudi Khanyeza scored one of the quickest goals, in 17 seconds, to be seen in South Africa.
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/ 23 November 2007
Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has been hoarding candidates for the South African squad to participate in the African Nations Cup in Ghana early in the new year. On Friday, he added to his not inconsiderable collection when he introduced a host of new names in the squad to play Lesotho on Tuesday night.
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/ 21 November 2007
Teko Modise netted twice to give Bafana Bafana a 2-0 win in an international friendly against Canada at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Tuesday. The Orlando Pirates playmaker netted a splendid goal from 20m in the 39th minute and got his second on the stroke of halftime with a well-taken penalty.
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/ 19 November 2007
After a humbling defeat against the United States, Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will be taking a squad devoid of overseas-based players into Tuesday night’s friendly match at Durban’s King’s Park. It is a decision in contrast to that of the Canadians who have included 17 European-based players in their squad.
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/ 15 November 2007
SuperSport United thrashed Orlando Pirates 3-1 in an Absa Premier League match at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday night. Siboniso Gaxa, Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mashego netted for SuperSport and Teko Modise got the consolation goal for Pirates.
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/ 7 November 2007
Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has called for common sense to prevail in the quest to build a winning team for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Brazilian named two squads for games against the United States and Canada — but due to the Premier Soccer League schedule, the local players he selected will arrive late for training.
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/ 4 November 2007
The emerging Orlando Pirates lost 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns at a packed Loftus Stadium in an Absa Premier League game played on Sunday. Esrom Nyandoro scored first for the two-time league champs in the 37th minute and then Lucas Thwala netted the equaliser four minutes later.
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/ 1 November 2007
It might not have been the kind of ”Hand of God” goal that Diego Maradona immortalised, but battling Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns secured a much-needed 1-0 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic at the Free State Rugby Stadium on Wednesday night with what could be termed ”a gift from the gods”.
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/ 25 October 2007
South Africa claimed their second sporting title within five days thanks to a 4-3 penalty shootout victory against Zambia in the Cosafa Castle Cup final on Wednesday. The success of Bafana Bafana following a goalless draw in Bloemfontein came five days after the Springboks lifted the Rugby World Cup with a 15-6 triumph over England in Paris.
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/ 16 October 2007
Despite having a battalion of 43 players at his disposal, Orlando Pirates coach Owen da Gama faces a dilemma as his team prepare for a Premier Soccer League game against Bloemfontein Celtic on Friday night. Pirates captain Lehlohonolo Seema, Lebohang Mokoena, Kelebogile Mabe and Bheki Khumalo could miss Friday’s clash.
It was almost with a measure of relief that Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira announced his ”strongest available” 22-man squad on Wednesday to tackle foxy world champions Italy in their Siena lair on October 17.
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/ 29 September 2007
A first half free kick from Teko Modise was enough to ensure victory for a makeshift South African side in the Saturday’s Cosafa Castle Cup semifinal against Botswana at Atteridgeville, near Pretoria. Modise netted in the 32nd minute to set up a final meeting with Zambia next month, at a venue to be decided.
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/ 16 September 2007
The growing suspicion that South African soccer teams had forgotten how to play quality soccer was happily debunked in Durban on Saturday night when Mamelodi Sundowns edged out Orlando Pirates 1-0 in an entertaining, skilful SAA Supa8 final before a near-capacity, appreciative 45 000 crowd.
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/ 13 September 2007
Expect a touch of sadness at Saturday night’s SAA Supa8 final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates at King’s Park Stadium in Durban — likely to be a highly charged, electric occasion. The close association both clubs had with late Sundowns player Gift Leremi will account for the lingering pall.
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/ 12 September 2007
South Africa held Uruguay 0-0 on Wednesday in an international friendly to regain some pride after a weekend mauling by Zambia. But the 2010 soccer World Cup hosts needed help from Zimbabwe referee Tendai Bwanya to contain the visitors, who finished fourth at the Copa America in Venezuela two months ago.
South Africa star striker Benni McCarthy will end a 19-month international exile when he plays against Zambia in Cape Town next weekend. The Blackburn Rovers striker, second highest English Premiership scorer last year, was included on Wednesday in a 22-man squad for an African Nations Cup Group 11 qualifier on September 9 at Newlands Stadium.