COLUMNS
Tim Spirit: Klopp and Fifa must give Africa some respect
Be careful what you say. You can say something hurtful in 10 seconds, but 10 years later, the wounds are still there, cautioned American author Joel Osteen.
This week, Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp shot his mouth off about Afcon being “a little tournament”. Well, to Klopp, it might be a “little tournament”, but, to us, the event is a major competition on the continent.
Side Entry: Pub-crawling Rassie’s absence may be keenly felt by Boks next year
If his beer, whisky and Jägermeister posts on social media are anything to go by, SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus’ ban by World Rugby for misconduct came just in time for him to enjoy a well-deserved break after a stressful year helping the Springboks return to play internationally.
STORIES
Pitso Mosimane’s chances of extending his stay at Al Ahly as head coach have received a massive boost with the re-election of the club’s president Mahmoud El Khatib on Friday. Mosimane had vested interest in the outcome of the polls because the election of the new board of directors comes while the 57-year-old is in talks with the north African powerhouse about a new deal.
Swallows boss hints at overhaul in the Birds’ nest
The significant number of grounded aircraft and helicopters in the precinct of Rand Airport in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, made for a metaphor that resonates perfectly with what Swallows FC is currently going through. The area is home to the headquarters of Swallows chairperson David Mogashoa’s Bahwiti Investments, which in turn is the beleaguered Soweto club’s offices, as the club is listed among his properties. The Dube Birds are flying low this season, triggering fears that the club could go back to its relegation days. This has triggered calls from a section of the club’s supporters that Swallows must fire head coach Brandon Truter, but Mogashoa differs with those who say the coach must go.
United legend thrown into the deep end
Michael Carrick spent 12 seasons as a player at Manchester United, featuring in nearly 500 games for the Reds, 316 of them in the Premiership. On Sunday afternoon, the former midfielder will take to the field for the first time as a coach as he faces the table-topping Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Virus stymies Proteas-Dutch tour, but India series still alive
Despite the premature cancellation of the Proteas’ ODI series against the Netherlands yesterday, there was still good news: India confirmed that they were committed to visiting South Africa for the series, which starts next month and concludes on January 26, according to our source.
South African cricket was again visited by the spectre of Covid-19 when the historic ODI game against the Dutch was postponed on Saturday due to the discovery of a new strain of the virus in the country this week.