Mulomowandau 'Erick' Mathoho has rejoined his teammates at training
Mathoho back at training in Morocco
Posted: 2011-12-02 13:08
South African National Under-23 central defender Mulomowandau 'Erick' Mathoho has rejoined his teammates at training. Mathoho was rested for the second Group B match that was played on Wednesday following a medical report submitted to head coach Ephraim ‘Shakes' Mashaba and his technical team.
Mathoho resumed a light training on Thursday afternoon but was on the sidelines of a very intense attacking and goal scoring session in preparation of a crucial showdown against Egypt on Saturday.
In the absence of Mathoho against Gabon, Mashaba played Thulani Hlatshwayo and Gladwin Shitolo in central defence.
Team doctor Desmond Lamula says Mathoho is under medical supervision.
“We have been treating Erick two to three times a day after the opening match against Ivory Coast. Our physiotherapist Nhlanhla Maphanga worked with him separately in the Thursday training session and he trained with the team on Thursday afternoon after which we determined his state of readiness for the match against Egypt,” explained Lamula.
All the players participated in the Thursday training session, and Shitolo was rested towards the end after sustaining a knock.
MTN8 Last Fan Standing jets off to Manchester
MTN8 Last Fan Standing jets off to Manchester
Posted: 2011-10-20 18:13
The 2011 MTN8 Last Fan Standing, Tumoetsile Mogamisi, will depart tonight to Manchester, England, to watch the first of the eight top football derbies in the world. Mogamisi outsmarted his seven counterparts in a football trivia quiz prior to the MTN8 Final and walked away with R1-million in cash as well as an overseas trip to watch eight top football derbies all over the world – all part of the MTN8 Last Fan Standing competition, which recorded over a million entries this year.
The trip to watch Manchester United includes a backstage tour of Old Trafford with former Bafana Bafana midfielder Quinton Fortune.
"I can hardly contain my excitement to tour Old Trafford and seeing the Manchester derby live," Mogamisi says.
Mogamisi will watch the 161st Manchester Derby between Manchester United and Manchester City on Sunday, October 23.
The Manchester Derby is regarded as one of the world's most renowned derbies, with the highest home attendance in the history of English football.
Mogamisi will be accompanied by the Last Journo Standing, Nkareng Matshe, senior sports writer at The Star, who outwitted seven other media members in a quiz which tested football journalists' knowledge about the beautiful game.
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala says he will respect coach Vladimir Vermezovic's opinion
Posted: 2011-09-12 07:58
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala says he will respect coach Vladimir Vermezovic's opinion about his performance during the MTN8 Final against Orlando Pirates on Saturday. Amakhosi finished the game without ‘Shabba' after he was substituted in the 81st minute for Willard Katsande much to the disappointment to the club's fans.
'VV' says Tshabalala was not at his best, which is why he replaced him nine minutes from time.
“In my team there is no player who is not replaceable,” Vermezovic says.
“I expect Bafana Bafana players to take responsibility and Shabba was not at his usual level and hence he was substituted.”
Tshabalala says will not take Vermezovic's words personally.
“I respect the coach's opinion and will take it like a professional. I will continue to work hard and make sure that in my next chance I double my efforts.”
After the disappointment of losing to Pirates in the MTN8 Final, Tshabalala says his team will now focus on doing well in the League.
“I was very disappointed to lose in the Final as we wanted to win the trophy. However, that is part of football and congratulations to Pirates.
“This is not the end of the world and our focus now is on the next League game where we want to try and make sure that we maintain our unbeaten record,” he says.
Bongani Ndulula says his goal in the MTN8 Final was fair
Ndulula: I was robbed
Posted: 2011-09-11 18:38
Bongani Ndulula believes he was let down by the referee, after his goal was disallowed during the MTN8 Final against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday. Ndulula thought he had written his name in Orlando Pirates' history when he headed the ball past Itumeleng Khune a few minutes before the end of the game, but Victor Hlungwane adjuged him to have pushed Amakhosi defender Dominic Isaacs in the process.
"We went 50/50 on the ball and fortunately I won the header to score the goal," Ndulula says. "I was surprised when the referee ruled it offside, claiming that I pushed the Kaizer Chiefs defender, because I did not do anything and just won aerial ball fairly.
"I was so sad because that would have been my first goal in a cup final, and also would have meant we avoided extra-time.
"But despite that I am happy that in the end we managed to win and keep the MTN8 trophy. Hopefully we can win still more trophies this season."
Pirates are set to host Santos in their next Premiership match on Wednesday, before meeting Kaizer Chiefs again on Saturday.
Oupa Manyisa, who got the winner against Bucs yesterday, says that victory is now history.
"The win against Chiefs in the MTN8 Final is now done and dusted," he says. "Tomorrow we start another new day and we are focusing on doing well against Santos on Wednesday."
2011 MTN8 - Match Report
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Orlando Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs to win the MTN8 Cup Final
Pirates win MTN8 Final
Posted: Sep 10 2011
Orlando Pirates retained their MTN8 title after defeating arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 after extra time in the final at FNB Stadium on Saturday night. Oupa Manyisa was once again the hero for the Buccaneers, scoring early in the second half of extra time in a match that saw few goal scoring opportunities created.
Pirates have now won four of the last five trophies on offer and this victory over Amakhosi is their first over their arch rivals in a cup final since 1988.
Goal mouth action was pretty rare in the first half of regulation time, with the teams more or less cancelling each other out in the middle of the park. Chiefs’ Tinashe Nengomasha was perhaps the most prominent player, bossing the midfield battle against Andile Jali and Oupa Manyisa.
Yet a half in which a defensive midfielder is the best player tells its own story: fluent attacking play was hard to come by and neither team was able to create any meaningful chances.
Strikers Ndumiso Mabena and Lehlohonolo Majoro each had headed attempts in the first half for Pirates and Chiefs respectively, but neither troubled the goalkeepers.
The second half was far more entertaining and it was the Buccaneers who took charge of the game, dominating possession and forcing Chiefs onto the back foot.
Defender Siyabonga Sangweni had two free headers which he should have scored from – one he put over the target, and the other forced Itumeleng Khune into a fine save.
Amakhosi rarely threatened after the break, but substitute Sthembiso Ngcobo twice came close to breaking the deadlock, forcing Moeneeb Josephs into a good save with a low shot before glancing a header just wide of the near post.
As the clock ticked into injury time at the end of the regulation 90 minutes, controversy struck. Bongani Ndulula headed home what appeared to be a winner for Pirates, but referee Victor Hlungwani adjudged the young striker to have pushed Dominic Isaacs in the back – a decision that appeared harsh on television replays.
Extra time followed a similar pattern to the 90 minutes before, but finally, on 107 minutes, Pirates broke the deadlock. Oupa Manyisa – who scored a long range screamer in the second leg of the semifinal against Mamelodi Sundowns – again struck from long range.
The midfielder’s effort skidded off the turf and burst past the arms of Khune, who would have seen the ball late but still should have kept the shot out of his net.
The goal proved decisive, with Chiefs simply unable to summon enough reserves to bring themselves back into the game.
HOME TEAM: Kaizer Chiefs (32) Itumeleng Khune (29) Jimmy Jambo (5) Dominic Isaacs  (3) Thomas Sweswe (2) Jimmy Tau (14) Siphiwe Tshabalala  81 (9) Josta Dladla 110 (8) Tinashe Nengomasha (6) Reneilwe Letsholonyane (25) Bernard Parker (20) Lehlohonolo Majoro 63 Substitutes (11) Abia Nale 110 (23) Sthembiso Ngcobo 63 (31) Willard Katsande 81 | AWAY TEAM: Orlando Pirates (16) Moeneeb Josephs (38) Ruben Cloete (21) Siyabonga Sangweni (14) Lucky Lekgwathi (4) Happy Jele (23) Tlou Segolela (20) Oupa Manyisa  107 (15) Andile Jali (5) Dikgang Mabalane 76 (26) Ndumiso Mabena 58 (18) Thulasizwe Mbuyane 114 Substitutes (9) Bongani Ndulula 58(7) Daine Klate 76(28) Rooi Mahamutsa 114 |
Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs praises defence in MTN8 win
'Slim Kat' praises defence
Posted: 2011-09-11 12:24
Moeneeb Josephs believes his defence played a pivotal role in Orlando Pirates' successful defence of their MTN8 title on Saturday. Bucs beat Kaizer Chiefs 1-0, with Siyabonga Sangweni named Man of the Match after a sterling display in the heart of defence.
"We were rock solid. My defence held firm and kept Chiefs at bay. I actually had very little to do," Josephs tells KickOff.com.
"The one real save I made was from distance and credit to the defence," he adds.
Bucs' defence is seemingly continuing where they left off last season, and are probably even stronger now, after Sangweni was roped in at the start of the season.
During the club's 2010/11 awards function in June, Irvin Khoza gave the defence a special award for the achievement of conceding the fewest goals (23 League goals in 30 matches), alongside Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic, thus ensuring Pirates lost the fewest matches, four, on their way to winning the treble.
Josephs, Senzo Meyiwa, Rooi Mahamutsa, Ruben Cloete, Happy Jele and Lucky Lekgwathi shared R100,000.
Oupa Manyisa won the MTN8 for Orlando Pirates with a great goal
Manyisa's third stunner for Bucs wins MTN8
Posted: 2011-09-11 11:04
Oupa Manyisa rates his goal against Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 Final last night as one of the best in his career. Manyisa has scored three goals for Orlando Pirates since he turned professional in 2008/09 – all of them stunners – and scored his second long-range screamer in succession last night at Soccer City.
The 23-year-old has also beaten both Bafana Bafana goalkeepers, Wayne Sandilands and Itumeleng Khune, to help the Mighty Buccaneers snatch their first trophy this season.
Speaking an an interview with KickOff.com, Manyisa says he "had a feeling" he would score before the match.
"I had great feeling before the start of the game that I would score a goal against Kaizer Chiefs," he says.
"I was so happy when I did, and to win the MTN8 cup for the second time in succession!"
Manyisa says last night's goal is a special one for him: "I always enjoy scoring great goals, but this one was so special because it helped my team win and helped us defend the trophy."
The Randfontein-born midfielder credits senior players at Pirates for helping him improve his performance and stay level-headed.
"The senior players at Pirates have been a great help to improve my game," he says. "They always motivate and encourage me to remain calm and stay level headed. I believe with hard work I can still improve a lot."
Vlad V's reminder to Pirates fans
Posted: 2011-09-08 14:59
Kaizer Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic was in a defiant mood today as he insisted his team is capable of handing Orlando Pirates a beating on Saturday. Amakhosi clash against Bucs in the MTN8 Final at the FNB Stadium in what is expected to be an epic battle.
Pirates have gotten the better of Chiefs twice already this season in the Vodacom Challenge and Carling Black Label Cup, but what lingers in Vermezovic’s mind now seems to be Chiefs’ 3-1 victory in the League last season, as well as the 3-0 success in the Telkom Knockout Final over the perennial rivals.
“A lot of people are talking about these last two games in pre-season and people forget the [Telkom Knockout] Final last season. They forget the 3-1 and the 3-0 wins for us, but Orlando Pirates players didn’t forget these two games. They [Pirates players] will be thinking about that,” Vermezovic said.
“It is not [necessarily] a reminder for the Pirates players, because they know it, so I’m just reminding the Pirates supporters,” he declared.
However, the Serbian admitted the Pirates his team thumped last season is of a different class now.
“They play with a lot of confidence now, so anything is possible,” he added.
Robert Sithole has been appointed the referee for the MTN8 Final
MTN8 Final referee revealed
Posted: 2011-09-09 10:47
KickOff.com has been reliably informed that Robert Sithole has been appointed the referee for the MTN8 Final. Bucs take on perennial rivals Amakhosi on Saturday night at the FNB stadium and Sithole will be in charge of the clash.
He will be assisted by Zakhele Siwela and Leon Mngqibisa, while Zolile Mthetho will be the fourth official.
In recent seasons, Sithole has refereed a Final specifically the 2009/10 Final between Kaizer Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town on 10 April 2010. Amakhosi ran out 2-1 winners in Durban.
Efforts to verify the appointments for the match were in vain as the PSL’s PR and Press Manager Altaaf Kazi couldn’t be reached for comment.
Benni McCarthy keeping Orlando Pirates calm for MTN8 Final
Benni helps Bucs for Final
Posted: 2011-09-09 09:03
Orlando Pirates striker Thulasizwe Mbuyane says the advice the team has received this week from Benni McCarthy has helped them prepare for the MTN8 Final. McCarthy is suspended for the match against Kaizer Chiefs, after a controversial red card in the League against Maritzburg United on August 24, but Mbuyane says he has been using his experience in Europe to keep the players calm.
"Benni is such a good motivator and he has played in massive, massive games. He has played and won a [Uefa] Champions League final!" Mbuyane tells KickOff.com.
"He is disappointed not to be able to play, but that has not stopped him helping as much as he can this week and he has been talking to the guys.
"He always gives such good advice, after all he has been coached by some of the best in the world, like Jose Mourinho, so he knows the right things to say and when to say them.
"He is a really good guy and he works really hard, it is such a pity he can't play this weekend but that's football …"
Mbuyane scored twice when Pirates won their last knockout final, beating Black Leopards in the Nedbank Cup decider in May, and he is hoping for more goals on Saturday.
"We want to prove that the three trophies we won last season was not a fluke as some people have been saying. We are in our fourth final in a row so that we have shown that we have been consistently good enough to reach this stage.
"I want to score and help the team win on Saturday because that is how you get remembered by a player; scoring goals in the big games."
