Nomvethe injured, Lefa Trains...1980 revisited

Good day!

Not the best of mornings, the weather is been acting up recently, nothing we can do much about. And today we've got bad news and a bit of good news.

First the good news. Lefa Tsutslupa was back at training on Tuesday, which is really good news. Just that he is back is good news. He's the captain of the team, he's a good player. I can't tell you how much we missed him, but I know we could have used his services in some of our past games.
He is back but obviously not match fit and correctly the coach will not want to use him on Saturday. We've come so far already without him. Saturday will be a high stakes game, he might be behind the pace and it is unnecessary to put any pressure on a player just coming back from injury.

Now 50% of the price money on Saturday will go to the players when the cup is won. Lefa mention on our official site that:

"This cup will go to the hungrier team, and I believe that will be Swallows"

That should not be the only incentive for the players. Wining the cup for football's sake should always be the primary motive, wining for the supporters should come in close second. The rest is a bonus for them and they can do as the please with it. But remember boys, your careers are fairly short, take you wining's and invest properly. Consult a financial adviser if you are unsure.

By the way, the must be about three thing that really interest man in life:

• Sport
• Money
• Woman

I blog about sport, am married and just talked about money (of which I don't have) a few sentences back.

 

To the bad news, Siyabonga Nomvethe has had to go through surgery yesterday. Not exciting news at all. He's been our focal point of attack. As stand-in captain, he's really lead from the front, quite literally. Nomvethe looks to me like a captain that wants to lead by deeds and he's been doing that pretty well. So if he doesn't make it for Saturday, it won't be a train smash but we'll miss another very useful player.

Get Better soon Bhele!!!

Those that don't know, the last time Pirates played us in a cup final was in 1980. That was the Mainstay Cup final that Pirates won. No final has ever been played by us and Pirates since then. Thanks mostly to Pirates choking when called to duty. So the final in Durban takes on a huge importance, because those days of Ace Mnini, Vadar Mophosho and the like of Jomo Sono from the Ghost side needs to be brought back to live. Football is starting to take form, to follow the natural progression.

Swallows vs Pirates in any final in a natural progression.

Cheers and see you soon.

Pirates Making noises already...Fickle supporters

Good day!

I listen and watch many sport shows as you probably do yourself. But what amused me mostly yesterday was Pirates fans, already declaring the MTN 8 cup their own even before the ball is kicked.

They can go ahead and do that at their own peril. Not long ago, it was the Other team that had they "goldish" tails wagging furiously after scoring just one away goal against Pirates in the first leg. That, to their supporters was it, one leg in the final for them and once they are through with Pirates the cup would be waiting for them in Durban for collection, according to them the had the parcel number for the trophy.

Well, we all know the Other team lost and their supporters' fickle nature shone through. Starting at the stadium by throwing tantrums missiles onto the pitch. It continues to this day in the office corridors, no hello's from them or inviting anyone for tea breaks. Ha ha ha to them!!!!

For the Birds, this is a great step in the right direction. The form we have show lately can be improved upon. Heads should be kept down, more effort in training should be the order of the day. We've come this far, and amid all the noises that are coming form the Ghost camp and supporters, we should just raise the bar once more in Durban.

As Swallows fans, we should know that our place is right behind the team. In loses and in wins, we are the Beautiful Birds supporters. Where we will compete with others  for the best supporters around. Its easier to support the team now that they in the final. This should be continued through once the cup final is over to get the team back up the league table.

Short and sweet today....I know!!! Got to go have tea with a Pirates man. The Other guys  are still grumpy...

cheers and see you soon

Pirates through...The real deal, the way football was!!!

Good Day,

What an awesome weekend this has been, both in non-footballing and footballing terms. A mate's wedding on Saturday is the reason I couldn't watch the game. I got see the highlights late on Saturday and I can tell you I was still as excited as watching the real game itself.

I had my doubts going into our game but my cup was more half full. And so the Birds did to Ajax what they did to us a few weeks back at the same Dobsonville stadium. We led 2-0, they came back and made it 2-2 and we nailed the final screw in.

Ha ha Ajax!, Their coach was talking about them being the favourites going into this game. Tail between legs must have been the order of the day going back to Cape Town. I love it when a coach can go to the media and talk about being favourites and then be made to eat a nice serving of humble pie.

Saturday's result made for and even awesome day yesterday. The onus was on Pirates to get a result against the Other team and they did. For once Pirates stood up and did not disappoint.

Thank you Pirates you completed my truly fabulous (not so long) week-end. Setting up a final to behold, something never seen in recent memory. Ladies and Gents this is what football used to be like, when legends clashed and the two teams in the final of the MTN 8 are legendary. This will be the "Soweto Derby" of note, we are witnessing in our lifetime, things we could only hear in narrations, passed down from generation to generation.
It has now come to life.

"The Beautiful Birds vs Orlando Pirates in the final of the MTN 8"

Nothing beats that and if anyone dares tell you otherwise, you can send them to Durban on October 2 to witness for themselves the epitome of South African football. Football is being brought back to life and we are the bearers of this unenviable task, many fell by the way side. Some so called Soweto Giants that wears yellow and black, the rich boys from Pretoria, one by one they all fell.

Football will be revived, something we will do with great panache for we are the "Beautiful Birds". Pirates must also count themselves very fortunate to be afforded the opportunity to play against the Birds in a Cup Final. They are the ones who've been slacking off in recent memory. So I am happy for them for seizing this opportunity to show to South Africa and the world what football once was like.

Here's to life being the way it was, here's "THE" Soweto Derby, here's to Pirates reaching the final, HALLELUJA!!!!.

Have to leave it here today.

Cheers and see you soon

National Braai Day!!!

Hello hello hello.....

What a beautiful day we have today....It is the last day of the week everybody! Hurray!!!!! When was the last time we had an extended version of the normal days?

I believe tomorrow is National Braai day!!! How much awesomeness do you need if you can have a National Braai day? South Africa rocks! I know for some every Friday in Braai day, but for us mere mortals, tomorrow is  when we try to up our game.

There was some PSL action last night. With Sundowns wining in Cape Town against Santos. A well take goal by Mphela, who form is coming back. You can have a look at the rest of the results here. Nothing of note with yesterday's result, except maybe for the Students getting a lesson from new boys Vasco.

The Beautiful Birds weren't playing as you know. The PSL had decided to postpone all games involving teams in the MTN 8 semifinal. I am not sure I agree with their reason and fail to understand how that benefits these teams. We are still in the early stages of the season, teams are fresher now, so they could do with a bit of additional midweek games. If they can't cope with a midweek game and a Saturday cup game them maybe the should not compete in the PSL.

Nomvethe says on our official site:

"We all know what a great opportunity we have of playing in a major cup final and are determined to prove to certain people who are writing us off, how wrong they are. The Birds will reach the final this time,"  

I totally agree with him. But more importantly the team needs to prove to themselves and us the supporters that we've taken lesson from our last two games and will continue to work hard and improve. He continues to talk about the spirit shown in the AmaZulu game which was tremendous coming back from 2-0 down. It is great to witness that and I hope the team knows that some teams will now let us come back from two nil down.

Our defence is leaking unnecessary goals, really soft goal and that is the area that needs attention. Defensive work in not only for defenders these days, the whole team should defend from the front. Pressing high up the pitch will also relief a lot of pressure from our defenders. When we lose the ball, there's absolutely no need to throw arms in the air if the ref doesn't blow for what we perceive to be unfair play, knuckle down, hunt for that ball again. This is futher emphasised by our coach, he says:

"We will close Ajax down. If we close the spaces and disrupt their passing game we will succeed. Also we have to be tough and hit them hard in the one-on-one situations. We need to interrupt their passing game, in other words keep Ajax under pressure from the kick-off." 

Ajax won in Dobsonville after we came from 2-0 down, they want to play the game on the ground. I think it will require a lot of running from us to press them, put them under pressure and force them to commit errors or release the ball early. Anyhow, I think it will be a game to behold, so make sure you are at the stadium.

I will be travelling this weekend to rural South Africa. If by some miracle I get an internet connection, you will get my blog over the coming days. Otherwise you have to wait for Monday. Sad I won't be able to get to the game. Its my mate's wedding so can't miss that.

Those at the game sing loud for the boys.

Cheers and see you  soon...

PSL Awards....Awesome!!!!

Good day to you...

A beautiful Wednesday morning today. After the awards ceremony held yesterday, you can't have better than this weather.

I need to explain the process of the Awards yesterday. It was purely per invite, and me being as privileged as I am, I did get my invite. And I was one of the trio of judges that included none other than David Tlale and Deon Chan. Awesome line up I know!!

As you know the PSL has all sorts of awards each end of the season. They now thought it better to have this specific award at the beginning of each season. The awards are for the best looking kit of the teams involved in the PSL.

Without further delay let me get to the result and remember you are getting this here first! What I will do is start with teams that ranked lowest and finish with the team that won. And also give a bit of and explanation next to each team rank:

16       Vasco Da Gama

The judging panel felt that the black and white of Vasco is unimaginative, added to that was that there is also Orlando Pirates that prides themselves with black and white.

14      Maritzburg United and Black Aces

These teams are ranked together here as the wear the same blue colours. As judges we felt it is a colour that is very easy to chose. You just look up the sky and no thought process follows.

12     Golden Arrows

Their yellow and green is not brought to live and then yellow is already taken by others who've been here longer. Sorry.

11     Santos

Santos only beat Arrows because their yellow is combined with red. Red is for danger but they are not such a dangerous team. Only pretending to be dangerous when the weather is horrible in Cape Town

10     Wits University

This team uses a semblance of blue but they've been in the PSL longer so the are ranker higher than those at position 14. And for students, they could pick the best brains for their design team. Lazy buggers!!

9       Ajax Cape Town

Ajax uses the colour of their mother team in the Netherlands, Ajax Amsterdam. There is no local influence to their look so they are even luck to be ranked so high.

8       AmaZulu 

This team wears a very deep green, which can be great on any other person's hands. But their kit reminds most South Africans of Nigeria as it looks very similar. As all of us judges are South Africans, we felt we can't let Nigeria continue to humiliate South Africa even in kit designs. We've had enough losing to them.

7       Free State Stars

As far as we were concerned as judges, this is the only team that uses Red currently in the PSL. They are not effective in the use of red and that danger that is associated with red does not come out. 

6       Bloemfontein Celtic

Another Free State team. They use green predominantly, they are only ranked so high because the are the only team that uses stripes in the kit. Also their fans are know to adore their teams kit and will only by original merchandise.  

5       Platinum Stars

They just fortunate to be sponsored by Puma. Puma has done wonders with their variation of blue. 

4       The Other Team

First the explanation of the Other team had to be provided to the judges by the PSL itself and it is as follows:

"The other team is explained as the team that wears yellow and black currently sponsored by mike Nike. This team when wining loves their yellow, but otherwise when they want a pick-me up and want to feel important, they call their colours Gold and Black. They also claim to be from Soweto even thought they wanted to build the stadium very far from Soweto in Krugersdorp"

Now we, as judges felt, we had to give them such a high ranking for being the first to use Yellow and the first to really call Yellow Gold and to have their followers believe it is actually Gold. Great work there!!!!

Well done to the Other team

3       Mamelodi Sundowns 

The rich boys of SA football are also sponsored by Nike, the wear the colours of Brazil so no imagination on their part. But as judges we felt as they are the team that had 44 consecutive passes against the other team, the deserved position 3.

1       Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows

We felt as judges that Pirates have regressed from their fabulous kit last season. They are the originator of black and white so that gave them a huge advantage. Their current home kit thus however resemble a rugby kit rather than that of football. What could have swayed the judges mind was that they a sponsored by Addidas which makes fabulous kits. Addidas also sponsors Bafana Bafana and we had to be really patriotic with this one!

In fact judges felt Pirates ranked at 1.5 and Moroka Swallows really remained true to their slogan of the "Beautiful Birds". Their kit looks awesome beyond comprehension. The only team that uses the fabulous maroon colour and effectively used by Puma in their design.

The PSL congratulated Moroka Swallows more than Pirates for winning this award and urged the other teams to start thinking just a tiny bit more...

And that is it from the awards ceremony.

Cheers and see you soon.

Madness in our Football....

Good day to you.....

Not the best weather we can have around today, its partly cloudy with a bit of irritating wind, the kind that makes you sneeze all the while. I seem to be coming up with some flu bug....

Talking about flu, are there online doctors, I mean,  I can just submit my symptoms online, you know the usual staff: running nose, sore throat, nasal congestion/blocked nose and a headache. All they'll have to do is check for  the latest release of anti-biotic and send a prescription to me.
Simples!!!
Whilst at it, please send a sick note as well.

Back to football, you guys must have seen the merry go round in our football at the moment. Steve Khompela in now appointed as Free State Stars coach. He was their coach not so long ago. He left in a huff, went Platinum stars, and the ever so philosophical Steve, philosophized a bit with Stars  and as always without much philosophical end product.
What is that they say in South African football when they fire a coach? Yeah!

"We have reached and amicable agreement to part ways with the coach"

Gotcha!!! So he ends up back were he started! He was at the under 23's as well.

The seat he vacates at Stars is occupied by Owen Da Gama, and as you would have guessed it, that's exactly where he started his coaching career. He was poached by Khoza when he had some success with then Silver Stars, but was fired at Pirates before we even knew he was there. Ended at Bloemfontein Celtic, and probably reached and "amicable" agreement there as well ending back at Stars.

But in all of the very merry, merry -go-round's in our football, one name keeps popping up. Khoza's pirates is there or there about. Ask Gordon Igesund, Roy Barreto, Owen Da Gama...etc..etc. Khoza's modus operandi is that:

"Any coach who show any semblance of success, just a tiny bit, that coach will be hire to coach the black and white, the Ghost. But before everyone knows we'll quickly reach an amicable agreement with them" 

But this condition doesn't apply to those that make it their business to make sure that the "happy people" don't actually win anything. Kosta Papic, anyone? Ruud Krol appears to be towing the line as well, but Krol must be at 90% of reaching his own amicable agreement. You'd know this if you listened to Robert Marawa's show yesterday.
The essence of the story is that Krol is challenging Mr K to a boxing match, Krol is implying that there is management interference with the team. Well, Mr K is apparently been seen in Durban with the ANC NGC! (I need to re-iterate that we are not a political blog). But a word of advise for Krol, I totally, honestly believe thats the quickest way to reaching an amicable agreement. So good going man!

And you all know why I am a Swallows man, and If you have ever had that wonderful dream, that dream when you are flying around and just being free flying, loving it and wanting to fly some more, mhhmmmm.

You know if you've had this dream that you are true swallows man.

Not much happening in our local football scene, I mean real football on the pitch, so I'll leave it here today.

Cheers and see you soon

Last ditch draw...Point gained

Good MonDay to you

It's a definate case of a point being gained in a very difficult away game. A slightly positive result that I had expected, anything else my head would be burried somewhere unbeknown to the rest of human kind. But as it is, I am now saved by that last minute equaliser from Ncaca. A thunderous strike from outside the box, well timed, well executed and well placed shot. Well done Gareth, and the assist deserve equal mention. And I can gaurantee you I would not have been the only one to find relief in our second goal, look no further than our coach.

You can look at my Friday blog and I mentioned already that the Zulu kingdom now just uses their spears for decorative purposes. It looked to me, with  Mangoba Mnithi on board, they had cleaned them up this weekend and tried hard to bring every Bird in the sky down. Fortunately for us, I think those spears have just gone blunt and we flew just a tad higher than we did against the Cape side in recent times.

There's something about our perfomances that I can't put my finger on. Amazulu's first goal came against the run of play dominated by Swallows. We had a neat passing game around the tenth minute that resulted in a shot by Leonard straight at the Amazulu keeper. If someone has keept count of those passes, please let me know at upthebirds@gmail.com. It was magically to watch that type of football in the local scene and something to be used as a yardstick for future perfomances. But almost immediately after that we conceded. A combination of comic defending by our team and some neat work from Amazulu, cleanly put away by Dlamini on the 12th minute.

Their second goal was another combination of our amateurish defending and a white Zulu warrior showing our defense how to take advantage of opportunities like that in the penalty area. We've got some of the tallest defenders in the PSL and we should not get beaten from a high ball like that, but we are!!!!! I did complain about our midfield combination, so far we have not used the same combination in all of our games. I understand the coach my be trying to find the right one, but how is that going to work if you don't give one combination an extended run to develop their understanding. The only result that we had something close to positive was away to Ajax. Then it was Nergazhe and Ngaca in midfield. And you will agree with me that the introduction of Ngaca brought about a change to our game yesterday. I am not a coach but it seems clear this is the combination that works for Swallows at the moment.

Our equalizer came from none other that Nomvethe. Not surprising and if anyone in that team deserve a goal, its him. At his age, a lot of the young kids would do well to learn from him. He never stop running for the team, dedicated and shows his commitment. His goal was well taken as well following some good passing moves.

Overall, its a slightly positive. But anything more positive than that will require extensive work on our defense. We cannot continue to concede like that (we've conceded in four of our five games so far) if we are to challenge for silverware. Coming back from two nil down is staff of legends. It shows great mental strength and long may this develop, Not the coming from behind, the mental strength.

Our midweek game against the Other team has been postponed, so we have enough time to gather our thoughts and prepare for Ajax in the second leg of the MTN 8.

That's were I leave it today....

Cheers and see you soon