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news on your phone: kickoff.com/mobile DECEMBER 2016 3
THEINSIDESCOOP
I
ncreasingly, sports
journalism relies on press
releases, tweets, institu-
tional websites and pre-
arranged and tightly policed
press conferences for the news
that sports fans seek daily.
The doors to the decision-
makers, coaches and the play-
ers are gradually being shut.
Almost all clubs now gener-
ate their own news, but this
is filtered to serve their own
interests and not to properly
inform.
It means that often reporters
do not get to the bottom of
sagas they should be properly
explaining to the public. This
is particularly true in soccer
where issues crop up regularly
but are never fully investigated
by the sports press.
It is often a lack of resources
or experience that is to blame,
but mostly because of the
firewalls that have been built
to keep questions out.
The public is the immediate
loser but, in the long run, the
sport suffers too as the lack of
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KICK OFF, PO Box 16368,Vlaeberg 8018
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KICK OFF TEAM
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BRAND MANAGER Themba Mntambo
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Lovemore Moyo
DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCERSStephenKihn,
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PRODUCTION MANAGER Kerry Nash
CONTRIBUTORS: Katherine Clulow, Keagan Dolly,
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The Secret Footballer, Makhosonke Zuma
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EDS LETTER
accountability and transpar-
ency casts negative aspersions
on the game itself. That leads
to a loss of credibility, which
impacts on the game’s ability
to attract followers and spon-
sors.
South African football is a
much easier environ for report-
ers to work than the English
Premier League, for example,
where access to role-players
is almost negligible outside of
press conferences.
But doors are closing as
marketing agendas trump that
of public interest. This is not
a healthy state of affairs. The
press does not help itself with
rumours now deemed worthy
of print, a lot of assump-
tions made by reporters, less
fact-checking and not much
analysis.
You can almost understand
the growing wariness. The first
obligation of the media is to
report first hand and it was to
this end that KICK OFF sent
Fabio De Dominicis to Egypt
to cover Mamelodi Sundowns’
glorious triumph in the Cham-
pions League.
He went independently and
under our steam, but cleverly
embedded himself in the same
hotel as the club to be able to
bring our readers first-hand
insight. Sundowns could have
blanked him and denied him
any access. Some clubs would
have done that. But they ap-
preciated the task he had to ex-
plain to readers back home the
magnitude of the achievement
of the winning the continent’s
top club prize.
So they welcomed him and
allowed him to speak to play-
ers and coaches, helping us to
produce this special edition
that celebrates a wondrous
moment in the history of South
African football.
The real winner is the soccer-
loving fans who now get to
read and see what went on
behind the scenes in Egypt
and learn the inside secrets of
success. We hope you enjoy
this tribute.
Mark Gleeson, Acting Editor
PICTURESBYRYANWILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX(1)

visit www.kickoff.comDECEMBER 20164
PICTUREBYGAVINBARKER/BACKPAGEPIX(1)

Mamelodi Sundowns players take in the atmosphere
at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria ahead of
their second leg CAF Champions League final.
6OperationEgypt
An inside look into Sundowns’ tough final trip to Egypt,
where their nine-month African safari culminated in glory.
12Dolly’sdiary
Keagan Dolly gives behind-the-scenes insight into the
Downs camp on tour in Alexandria.
18Missionaccomplished
A delighted Pitso Mosimane’s first exclusive interview as a
Champions League-winning coach.
20Continentalconquerors
Exclusive images from the final as Sundowns braved testing
conditions to lift the prestigious trophy.
24Nextstop:Japan
Sundowns will make history when they represent South
Africa at the Club World Cup in Asia.
28Chiefs’dealings
How effective have Kaizer Chiefs been in the transfer market
in recent years?
32IntheClubhouse
Kagisho Dikgacoi joins unique PSL homecoming list ... Plati-
num Stars’ penalty-taking goalkeeper ... meet Thanda Royal
Zulu’s goalscoring machine.
34OntheBall
Bidvest Wits’ foreigner dilemma ... Banyana prepare for
Nations Cup ... Cole Alexander reveals his secrets.
38Posterpower
A commemorative pull-out of Sundowns’ victorious Champi-
ons League-winning squad.
44Zimbabwe’scontinentaldream
The Warriors want to leave their mark at the Nations Cup.
48JusticeChabalala
The defender’s meteoric rise to the big-time at Pirates.
50KermitErasmus
We catch up with the Rennes striker on life in France.
54JosephMakhanya
The former Bucs skipper reflects on his career and fond
memories with the Soweto giants.
56SeydoubaSoumah
From Ajax Cape Town misfit to topscorer in Europe.
62ThaboSenong
The ambitious coach hopes to unearth the next generation
of South African stars.
64UltimateGuys’Day
An enjoyable day out for a lucky group of KICK OFF and
TopCar Magazine readers.
68Readerswrite
Your views on the game’s biggest talking points.
70Stuffwelike
The latest in popular gear and gadgets.
72 Laugh Out loud
Football can be a funny game …
74 Secret footballer
Injuries result in a lot more than you think ...
CONTENTS | December 2016

INTERNATIONAL Battle of the Coaches
OPERATION
EGYPT
FEATURE COVER STORY

news on your phone: kickoff.com/mobile DECEMBER2016 7
INTERNATIONALBattle of the Coaches
T
ake whatever image
you have of a sun-filled
holiday destination, the
immense Giza pyramids
protruding from a barren
landscape, the emerald-
blue Nile river flowing by, or any other
pre-conceived notions of what an
away fixture in Egypt en route to CAF
Champions League glory may be like.
Mamelodi Sundowns had none
of that, as they stuck to their guns
in trying conditions to achieve the
coveted star.
Cairo is hot, dry and dusty, and
covered in a brown haze as the squad
touch down in the Egyptian capital,
before a short connecting flight north
to Alexandria. It’s been a long and
tiring trip since their hero’s send-off
at OR Tambo International, and the
players are given the rest of their first
day in Egypt to rest.
Barely a few hours since their
arrival, and the South Africans already
face their first dilemma: Zamalek
have not given the team a venue
to hold a training session, despite
Masandawana’s kind hospitality in
organising a stadium each day the
Egyptians had been in South Africa a
week prior. The Sundowns camp is up
in arms, yet are not surprised at their
opponent’s attempts at derailing their
preparations ahead of the big final.
As is required when on tour, coach
Pitso Mosimane avails himself for
media interviews, discussing his side’s
trip, preparations and mental state,
considering Zamalek’s antics in failing
to provide a training venue for his
team. He’s wearing a custom-made
Sundowns jersey with the number
50 on the back, and the fixture,
date and stadium name of Sunday’s
final on the front. “I don’t know
why they gave me the number 50
– it doesn’t mean anything to me.
But what matters is what’s on the
front,” he adds as he points to the
Sundowns logo, before posing for a
picture.
It’s two days before the final,
yet as per Mosimane’s meticulous
preparations, he’s ensured that all
the day’s activities coincide exactly
with the routine that the squad will
go through on matchday, hence a
later breakfast, light snack, and late
lunch at 5pm.
The team will hold their first
training session that night at
8.30pm, the exact time as kick-off
on Sunday. As the team gather in
the lobby before boarding the team
bus ahead of training, a young
Egyptian child – the son of a guest
at the hotel – boldly approaches
the Downs players and staff,
happily high-fiving those slouched
on the comfortable couches, before
brazenly holding up the five fingers
on his hand – each representing
a Champions League title won by
Zamalek – before flashing a cheeky
grin and disappearing around the
corner, much to the amusement of
the squad.
The training session is closed
to all media and outsiders as Pitso
Mamelodi Sundowns did what
no other South African club have
managed in the past 21 years – win
Africa’s premier club prize,the
Champions League,after a tough
away trip to Egyptian giants Zamalek.KICK OFF’s
Fabio De Dominicis was with the team for the entire
duration of their stay in Alexandria,and gives his
account of what went on behind the scenes as the
Brazilians claimed Africa’s biggest accolade.
BY FABIO DE DOMINICIS

finalises his tactical plays, and the
team is whisked away in a bus with the
description ‘Golden WINNER traveller’
emblazoned on the side – tempting
fate, perhaps?
The roar of the bus engine echoes
through the lobby at 11pm, signalling
the team’s return – but the day is
not over yet as all the players are
immediately ushered into a room for
a video analysis session, reviewing
the first leg final in Atteridgeville and
discussing the team’s strong and weak
points, while scrutinising Zamalek’s
set-up as well. Various members of the
squad dutifully oblige as hotel patrons
eagerly ask for selfies as they walk by.
Sundowns conduct their last training
session in Egypt at the Borg El Arab
Stadium – the venue of the final.
They’re all set to leave the hotel,
and the lobby is abuzz with officials,
management and police. Outside,
clumps of stern-looking Egyptians are
involved in concentrated discussions,
with three jeep police cars – all filled
with masked, rifled and black-clothed
policemen – already flashing their blue
lights as the players file out the doors
and into the bus.
The nine-car entourage, led by the
captain of security in an unmarked,
tinted-windowed car, departs the
hotel complex and joins the two-lane
highway. Sirens pierce the evening
air as the convoy speeds along, the
police cars cutting off any traffic the
team bus takes a sharp turn and heads
towards the military stadium. Thirty
minutes later the entourage reaches
the stadium gates, where dozens of
army officials move large cones and
of management –
Zamalek has yet
to confirm the 40
VIP tickets, and
400 supporters’
tickets allocated
to the travelling
party, who are
now unsure
whether they’ll be
allowed to enter the stadium.
Legal and Commercial manager
Yugesh Singh is on his phone,
frantically trying to contact CAF, who
are not providing much help, with the
matter only being resolved much later
in the day.
A pleasant surprise awaits the
players after breakfast, as MetroFM’s
DJ Naves makes an appearance – the
born-and-bred Mamelodi Sundowns fan
has paid his own way to Egypt, not
wanting to miss the historic occasion,
and is invited in to meet the players,
who are thrilled to pose for the
customary photographs.
The rest of the day continues in very
much the same routine as the previous
two days for the players, except some
skip the optional 1pm snack – they’re
too nervous to eat.
At 4.30pm the squad gathers for
the pre-match team-talk, where the
starting eleven is announced, after
which the players return to their rooms
to prepare for the match, shower and
don their dapper suits before making
their way downstairs.
One journalist attempts to stick
his iPad into the team bus for a
shot, yet is hastily shoved away by a
Downs official. A pocket of Sundowns
supporters stand singing next to the
bus, cheering for each player by name
as he boards.
The full entourage departs at 6.30pm
under heavy security presence - 20
cars in total: eight police cars and
vans, with a police motorbike leading
the way. What starts out as a single-
line convoy soon gets dangerously
congested, with each vehicle trying
to keep as close as possible to the
team bus, which has the greater police
protection surrounding it.
The bright stadium lights appear
in the distance, and fortunately there
aren’t any fans on the side of the road
to intimidate the team – all home fans
had to be inside the stadium by 7pm
ahead of the 8.30pm kick-off.
Army personnel line the streets and
FEATURE COVER STORY
(Above) South
African chef Patrick
Ndukuya added a
taste of home in
every meal.
barricades aside and make way as the
team bus speeds past.
Inside, the Egyptian press already
have their cameras rolling as the
players disembark and head out onto
the pitch. All of a sudden there’s a
buzz surrounding Pitso, who’s involved
himself in a tiff with a CAF official
– he’s was upset after CAF held a
workshop regarding the logistics of
the final, as well as the draw regarding
the home and away fixtures of the
continental showdown, to which
Sundowns were not invited too.
A press conference is set for 8pm, 30
minutes before the scheduled training
session, but they’re now running late
and Pitso is agitated. In the press
conference room, a large contingent of
South African journalists are seated,
having just flown in from Joburg …
they too have not had it easy, with two
sets of camera equipment confiscated
at Cairo Airport after the crew tried to
film the arrival of the 140 Sundowns
supporters club owner Patrice Motsepe
had paid to bring to Egypt.
The crew would only have their
equipment returned on Monday – the
day after the final.
There is a visible sense of tension in
the air at the hotel the next morning –
the high fives and handshakes aren’t as
jovial as the previous days as players
and staff gather for 10am breakfast.
There’s a look of concern on the faces
“60 000 ZAMALEK FANS
ARE IN FULL VOICE...”
(Below) The
players get a feel
of the pitch during
training on the eve
of the final.

gate entrances – 5000 in total have
been brought in for the match.
The un-mistakable roar of the crowd
bounces off the walls and reverberates
around the inside of the stadium. From
the stands, a close to 60 000 Zamalek
fans are in full voice, chanting,
shouting, jumping, waving their
scarves and Egyptian flags. A large
banner on the railing reads “Zamalek
Ultras”, and next to it, another that
reads “4/0” – the score necessary
for Zamalek to overturn the first-leg
deficit.
The Sundowns squad walk onto the
grass for the pitch inspection and
immediately the jeers and whistles
escalate from the stands. The squad
has not yet crossed the athletics track
and passed the touchline when they
are pierced by four bright green laser
beams, carried by unlawful fans seated
across the stadium.
The whistles and jeers continue
for the entire duration of the
pitch inspection, yet turn into an
indescribable roar as the Zamalek
players sprint onto the grass for the
warm ups. The ultras then begin a
chant en masse, all jumping in unison
and waving their scarves.
The stadium clock strikes 8.20pm
as the CAF and FIFA banners lead the
two teams out before the customary
handshakes between the players – the
only time any sort of friendly behaviour
would be seen over the 90 minutes.
Not five minutes into the game and
smoke, followed by blinding red sparks,
emerge in pockets around where the
ultras are seated as they begin lighting
flares. One is thrown towards the
Sundowns goal, but is immediately
doused by security personal who stand
in line, two metres apart, around the
entire field, with clumps of helmet and
shield-bearing guards seated at each
corner of the stadium.
Every decision that goes against
the hosts is met by a threatening jeer,
the partisan crowd shouting what
must surely be profanities in Arabic at
Gambian referee Bakary Gassama, who
remains firm amid protests from the
home team.
Masandawana supporters try make
themselves heard above the whistling
of the hosts. The humdrum of
continuous noise, chants and clapping
is endless as Downs are time and time
again put under the cosh, with Pitso
at the edge of the area shouting and
waving his hands, telling his side to
keep calm. He sends his substitutes to
go warm up behind the goals, with the
players immediately hurled with water
bottles from the stands.
At halftime in the media box, all
the South African journalists that have
travelled congregate, discussing the
game so far. Some are typing away
furiously while others cannot help but
chain smoke throughout, not at all
concerned to find out if the stadium is
a smoke free zone or not.
FEATURECOVER STORY
(Above) DJ Naves
pays the Downs
camp a visit on
matchday.
Surprise visitor
ThemorningofthefinalsawtheSundowns
campreceiveasurprisevisitor:MetroFM’sDJ
Naves,whometwiththeplayersandtook
photographswiththeteamafterbreakfast.
“I’vebeenaSundownsfansinceIwasa
youngkid–IthinkIstillhaveaposterfrom
whenIwas12thatIsaacShaisignedforme,”he
reveals.“Ithought,we’dnevergetachancetosee
thisinmylifetime,soIcancelledmyworkforthe
weekendandflewouttoEgypttoseeitmyself!”
ThelocalDJ–fullnameisLebogangNaves
–wasthrilledwithDowns’victory,andfeelsthe
clubhassetaprecedentinSouthAfricanfootball.
“InSouthAfrica,we’venevertakenplaying
inAfricaveryseriously,sothiswinhighlights
thefactthatwecantakeonteamsinAfrica,”he
said.“Forsuchalongtime,eachtimeweheard
AlAhly,Enyimba,ZamalekandTPMazembe,
wewerealwayswaryandafraid,butthisis
proofthatwecannowdomoreandstampour
authorityonAfricanfootball.”
(Below) Khama Billiat
and Denis Onyango in
deep concentration as
they enter the pitch.

The home fans have quietened down
considerably, with the Downs fans in
full voice during the half-time interval,
with the homely vuvuzela sound being
trumpeted and keeping the visitors in
high spirits.
The Zamalek ultras hit back with
their constant roar at the start of the
second half as they continue their un-
ending support of their team.
A loud bang pierces the night air as
fireworks are lit, accompanied by more
flares as the ultras look to get behind
their team again, and it seems to work:
on 64 minutes, a strike from range by
Stanley Ohawuchi spills underneath
Wayne Sandilands and Zamalek are a
goal to the good.
The stadium explodes, the rapturous
noise increases exponentially as the
expectant supporters begin to believe
once more.
Yet time is running out for the
Egyptians, and on 85 minutes
Emmanuel Mayuka misses a huge
chance which is followed by a
communal grown from the crowd. Two
minutes later, a desperate shot from
way out the box goes horribly wide,
signally the growing frustration and
near acceptance that this year will not
bring a sixth continental crown.
Shortly thereafter, noticeable
pockets of fans start streaming towards
the exits as the heavily-armed security
guards march their way to their
allocated positions around the two
dugouts.
The 90 minutes are up, with every
South African in the stadium screwing
their eyes towards the fourth official
who raises the digital scoreboard: four
minutes. Four minutes for Sundowns
to hold on and become continental
champions. The masses are now
flooding out the stadium, yet the ultras
keep going in one last hoorah before
finally conceding defeat.
Two hundred and forty agonising
seconds later, the Gambian official
blows the final whistle, and there’s
absolute pandemonium from the
Sundowns bench and players.
Mosimane looks up and beats his
breast on top of the Sundowns badge,
as players embrace, high-five and shout
with unparalled joy.
Patrice Motsepe has a permanent
smile across his face as players wave
the South African flag with pride.
Following the medal ceremony,
Hlompho Kekana proudly lifts the club’s
first-ever Champions League cup, albeit
in front of a now empty stadium, with
the ultras not sticking around to see
their South African rivals celebrate at
their demise.
The players then move onto the
piece of track directly in front of their
supporters and celebrate in song with
them, as cameras flash, the obligatory
selfies are attempted and the reality of
victory starts to set in.
The mandatory press conference
follows, as coach Mosimane is joined
by star winger Keagan Dolly. Mosimane
talks about the game, but hits back
strongly when asked by an Egyptian
journalist whether his side were using
time-wasting tactics.
“Are you serious? Oh, you are not
happy. I understand from the jersey
you are wearing, I understand. My
goalkeeper was down, you [Zamalek]
kicked him in the head. You hurt my
number one goalkeeper,” he said.
“We don’t waste time. We play fair.”
Motsepe enters the changeroom
to speak with his players and after a
lengthy chat, the players eventually
emerge and joyously make their way
onto the bus.
A sniper standing on top of a
military van leads the convoy out
the stadium. Traffic is halted and
streets have been cordoned off as the
entourage whizzes past, eager to return
“WE DON’TWASTE TIME.WE PLAY FAIR.”
(Above) Pitso
celebrates with
his charges in the
dressing room after
the game.
FEATURE COVER STORY
to the comfort of the hotel to continue
the celebrations.
Yet it’s a very unceremonious party
for most, with the pure emotion and
realisation of continental glory taking
its toll in draining everybody involved.
The bus only arrives at the hotel just
before 1am, and the players head back
to their room to shower, chill and bask
in their glory.
Some can’t stop looking at their
winners’ medal, with midfielder
Tiyani Mabunda rumoured to have
slept with his medal around his neck.
Management stick around for a few
drinks, but retire soon after.
It’s understandably a late start the
next morning, with only the players
who featured in the final called in for a
regeneration session at the pool. Only
eight pitch up – Mabunda still wearing
his medal, and almost jumps into the
pool with it still around his neck –
while others have overslept and have
not emerged from their rooms. But let
them be, they’re African champions.
Everyone appears for breakfast later,
all in their own time, before packing
up their belongings and meeting in
the hotel lobby one final time. Most
are on their phone, checking social
media and reactions to their victory
while others are playing music, joking
with one another and portraying a
winners’ smile. KO
PICTURESBYGAVINBARKER/BACKPAGEPIX(3)/RYANWILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX(1)/RYANWILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX(2)

INTERNATIONALBattle of the CoachesMAMELODI SUNDOWNS 2016 CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUEWINNERS
FIRST ROUND vs Chicken Inn
Johannesburg to Harare - 1 021km
SECOND ROUND vs AC Leopards
Johannesburg to Pointe Noire – 2 933km
Pointe Noire to Dolisie – 157km
GROUP PHASE vs Enyimba
Johannesburg to Lagos – 4 472km
Lagos to Port Harcourt – 488km
THIRD ROUND
vs AS Vita Club
Johannesburg
to Kinshasa
– 2 768km
GROUP PHASE vs Zamalek
Johannesburg to Cairo
- 6 247km
FINAL
vs Zamalek
Johannesburg
to Cairo - 6 247km
Cairo to Alexandria
- 178km
GROUP PHASE vs ES Setif
Johannesburg to Algiers – 7 405km
Algiers to Setif – 221km
SEMI-FINAL
vs Zesco United
Johannesburg
to Ndola
– 1 474km
SUNDOWNS’JOURNEYTOSUCCESSThe new African champions travelled a total of 67 222km, more than once
around the world, to win the top prize in African football.

Dolly’s
Diary
Thursday,October 20
We flew on EgyptAir to Cairo. I
sat next to Khama Billiat, Rheece
Evans and Asavela Mbekile on the
flight. Khama is a crazy guy, always
making jokes and laughing. I tried
watching “Burnt” – a cooking
movie, as there wasn’t much to
watch – but I then fell asleep and
slept right through – I didn’t even
wake up to eat.
The next thing I knew, I woke
up and we had landed. We took a
connecting flight, just the team,
which was very short, only an hour
– but I slept through that as well.
I’m rooming with Samuel
Julies – I’ve known him since
2006, and we grew up together
in the School of Excellence. We
always talk about our memories
together in the school, and how we
moved together to the development
academy of Sundowns.
Samuel is a cool guy – I always
enjoy hanging out with him. Funny
enough, we are both coloured but
speak Zulu to each other. He’s from
Kimberley, so I don’t know how
we manage to speak Zulu to each
other!
We had lunch at around 3pm as
most guys were still sleeping and
We then took a bus to the hotel.
For our first trip to Zamalek in the
group stages, we had stayed in
Cairo, so this was my first time in
Alexandria. It’s quite similar, very
warm and humid, and the conditions
are very similar to what we have in
South Africa. It’s cool to see new
places, and see what the people here
in Egypt get up to and get to know
their culture.
We arrived at the hotel around
10am and went straight to breakfast
– most of us were tired, so we didn’t
have much to eat. After that we were
shown to our rooms, and most of us
slept through the rest of the day.
FEATURE KEAGAN DOLLY

WORDS KEAGAN DOLLY
y
Mamelodi Sundowns star Keagan
Dolly takes KICK OFF’s Fabio De
Dominicis through a personal journey
of each day spent in Alexandria as
the Brazilians brought home their
first-ever continental crown.
rooms and played more PlayStation,
and went to bed around 11pm.
Friday,October21
I woke up at around 9am, with
breakfast at 9.30am. As we follow
the same schedule as matchday,
our meals usually consist of the
same things: breakfast is cereal,
boiled, scrambled or poached eggs,
tired. After that I decided to play
PlayStation – which I brought on
the trip – against Sibusiso Vilakazi.
I played as Leicester City, as I like
a challenge – playing as Barcelona
all the time makes it too easy. Vila
played with Barca though, and beat
me a few times.
I’m addicted to my phone – I’m
always on social media, Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook – I enjoy
watching funny videos people
post on there. That’s what I do in
my down time, or just chill in my
room – it’s the place to be with
the PlayStation. Normally Khama,
Hlompho, Denis, Themba Zwane,
Percy Tau and Vilakazi all come to my
room and it gets quite full.
Vila is quite competitive and
doesn’t like losing. I think I’m the
best gamer in the squad, on my day.
I also listen to a lot of music –
mostly Hip Hop, sometimes House
music. And before games, sometimes
Gospel. But mostly Hip Hop, while on
the bus going to the stadium.
At round 7pm we came down for
supper, and then went back to our
“KHAMA IS A CRAZY GUY, ALWAYS
MAKING JOKES AND LAUGHING.”
The view from
Dolly’s balcony at
the team hotel in
Alexandria.

sausages – no bacon as we’re in a
Muslim country – juice and coffee.
Then for our light snacks there’s
muffins, sandwiches and finger snacks.
Late lunch, which is our pre-match
meal, consists of pasta, chicken, fish
and vegetables. Supper is rice and
meat usually. My favourite meal is
pasta – mac and cheese – but not
every day as you get tired of it.
After breakfast we returned to
our rooms, and we started playing
PlayStation again, as there was
nothing else to do. I also listened to
music and talked to my girlfriend and
family at home.
At around 1pm we had a light
snack, after which we chilled again
in our rooms until 5.30pm, when we
gathered for a late lunch just before
training. At 7pm we had a video
session, going through our corrections
of the first leg against Zamalek at
home, and at 8pm we left for training.
There were a lot of police cars
around the team bus – it felt cool,
and it’s things you only see in movies.
I don’t know if it was needed for the
police to take us there, but you never
know, for security reasons.
We did our warm-ups, after which
we just focused on Zamalek and our
game plan and what we need to do
in different match situations. The
conditions here are not too different
to what we’re used to in South Africa
– it’s quite humid, almost like playing
in Durban.
There were flies everywhere, but
we’ll have to get used to that. But
these things are the reason we came
early to Egypt, to get used to the
conditions, and having been here
before helps as well.
We only got back from training at
around 11pm, and then had a video
session after that as well. We had a
late supper, and then went back to
our rooms, showered and slept.
Saturday,October22
Today was pretty much the same
procedure – we had breakfast at
10am, and then I slept for a bit as I
was tired after the late training and
video session.
We had a light snack again at
1.30pm, and in the afternoon I had
a KICK OFF shoot in the room – it
was really fun, just letting the people
know what we up to. It’s not every
day that they see what we do in
camp, and how our rooms look and
everything, so I think that’s good for
the people.
In the evening, we left for the
El Borg Arab Stadium for a training
session at final venue. It was good
preparation mentally, to see the
stadium, and then also the pitch to
MY ROOMMATE
Virtually inseparable, Keagan
Dolly (KD) and Samuel Julies (SJ)
room together on every tour, and
reveal what goes on behind the
bedroom door …
KO: Who’s the tidiest?
KD: I think Samuel – but we
had to tidy up a bit before you
came into the room! It was a
mess. When you go to boarding
school, you become lazy and
throw everything everywhere. But
Samuel is the tidiest.
SJ: I agree!
KO: Who snores the loudest?
KD: I don’t think I snore. My
girlfriend says I don’t snore …
SJ: This guy woke me up the other
day with his snoring.
KD: [laughing] He’s lying! But I
can’t say if Samuel snores – I never
hear him as when I sleep, I’m
knocked out.
KO: What nicknames do you have
for each other?
KD: I call him Sammy or Dumbayi
– a nickname he’s had since the
School of Excellence days. Most
people know him as that.
SJ: My lighty! I call him‘Choo-
choo’, from back in the day.
KD:‘Choo-choo’is actually
a nickname that came from
Westbury – they still know me
there as that. When I was younger
I used to have these pyjamas that
I’d want to wear every day, and it
had little trains on them with the
words‘Choo-choo’, so that’s how
the nickname came about.
(Above) Dolly
claims to be the
best PlayStation
gamer in the Downs
squad.
(Below) Messing
around in one of the
equipmnt carrier
bags brought on
the trip.

know what boots to wear.
My new boots hadn’t arrived – I had
seen the other sponsored footballers
with the new colourway, and I really
wanted to use them, especially for
the final. I was stressing as I really
wanted to practise in them, and
not play in new boots on matchday.
Luckily I got them just before training
and they were very comfortable.
The stadium itself was very big, and
we knew it would be full and the fans
would be hostile come the final, but
we are used to those things. The grass
on the pitch was a bit thick, but it
allowed us to play – it wasn’t bumpy,
we could pass the ball and play our
football.
After training, we had a late supper
and went straight to bed.
Sunday,October24
Matchday. Waking up I was relaxed,
checking social media on my phone,
the usual. I didn’t go to our ususal
1pm snack as I was sleeping. Only
when I woke up around 3pm I realised
it was the day of the final, and that
all our hard work, perseverance and
travelling boiled down to this day.
I started getting nervous, and I
remember speaking to my girlfriend
and telling her
that, but she
helped calm me
down, and my dad
as well. I tried
telling myself it
was just a normal
game, but I knew it wasn’t.
DJ Naves came to visit us in the
morning as well – he’s a big Sundowns
fan, and I’ve known him for a while.
And seeing him come, as well as the
minister [Fikile Mbalula] and the club
president [Patrice Motsepe] and the
few supporters as well, gave us that
extra bit of motivation to work even
harder during the game.
Before the pre-match meal, I was
listening to Gospel music – Kirk
Franklin. At 4.30pm we had our
pre-match talk and the team was
announced.
At 5.30pm we had our pre-match
meal, and then went back to our
rooms to get suited up. To be honest,
I’m not a suit guy – I like being
comfortable. We then boarded the
team bus.
For the first
few minutes
on the bus,
people had their
earphones in and
were listening to
music, and trying
to focus. As we
approached the
stadium, we
started singing,
to get the
anxiety and fear
out of us.
Once we got
to the stadium,
everyone was
hyped up. We
went straight
to the dressing
room, and didn’t
actually see how
packed it was.
After dropping
off our bags, we
went out for the
pitch inspection.
That’s when it hit me … there were
whistles, people screaming and
throwing bottles on the field, lasers,
everything – they really tried to scare
us, and personally, it did really scare
me.
But doing that before our warm up
and absorbing the atmosphere was
key for us, so when we went out for
the warm-up, we knew what to expect
from the Zamalek supporters.
Before the first whistle, all I was
thinking about was getting my first
touch and making it count. I feel your
first touch determines how the match
will go for you.
As the game went on, I knew the
longer we kept it at 0-0, the better
our chances were, and taking that
scoreline into half-time, I knew we
had a proper chance of winning.
At half-time, Pitso told us we were
doing well and dealing well with the
pressure Zamalek put us under.
In the second half, after conceding,
I just saw fireworks, people jumping
up and down and taking their jerseys
off. But I wasn’t nervous, and just
focused even more, and told the guys
if we score one, everything changes
again.
I looked up at the clock around the
77th minute mark, and knew if we
continued defending the way we were,
we’d win.
At the final whistle, I ran to
Hlompho Kekana first, shouting,
hugging and jumping up and down.
We were overjoyed. Then we were
FEATUREKEAGAN DOLLY
LIVING THE DREAM
Dolly has progressed in leaps and bounds
following the return to his boyhood club after a
four-year stint at Ajax CapeTown.
“It’s been a crazy year for me ... I still can’t
believe where I am,”he says.“In the space of a
few months, I won the league with Sundowns,
I’ve been at the Olympics, I played in the MTN8
final and won the Champions League – what
more can I ask for?This is what I dreamt of
when I started playing football.
“Moving to Sundowns gave me the
platform to win trophies, and was one of the
best decisions I took for my career.With the
teammates I have, I’m constantly motivated
and learn from them daily.”
The speedy winger was included in a list of
30 nominees for the 2016 African Player of the
Year award, and feels just the nomination itself
is an achievement.
“Being nominated for CAF Player of the
Year, with people I look up to like Riyad
Mahrez, means the world to me, even if I
might not stand a chance of winning because
the other nominees are playing at the highest
level of the game,”he says.“But just being part
of the list means something huge to me.”
(Below) Celebrating
victory with fellow
CAF Player of
the Year nominee
Khama Billiat.
“ALL I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS GETTING MY
FIRST TOUCH... I FEEL YOUR FIRST TOUCH DETER-
MINES HOW THE MATCH WILL GO FOR YOU.”

presented our medals and each of us
got a turn to lift the trophy – it was
very light, I was expecting to struggle
as I’m a small guy, but I could carry it
with one hand.
But it was amazing, living through
that moment. Then we went to
celebrate in front of our travelling
supporters – they deserve it all,
coming all the way to Egypt, and we
just wanted to make them happy.
I was then called for the post-
match press conference, so I missed
a bit of the celebrations. All I was
thinking of at the press conference
was what my teammates were doing.
I was almost falling asleep, sitting
there listening to them translate,
looking at one guy writing in Arabic,
and was really just wanting to be back
in the dressing room.
When I got back, we were still
waiting for Hlompho and Wayne
Sandilands to return from their doping
test – it takes a long time to pee
after a game. So we were just waiting,
playing music, singing, taking pictures
and enjoying the moment.
Then the Minister came in and had
a word, and our president as well –
let’s keep what he said to ourselves.
– all good things, obviously. Coach
Shakes [Mashaba] was there too,
telling us our happy they all are and
how proud we made the country.
And coach Pitso thanked us for
bringing him this far and giving him
this opportunity. We were all over
the moon and excited, laughing and
making jokes.
It was very quiet on the bus back to
the hotel as everything sank in, just
thinking about the whole campaign
and talking about how tough the
game was. I sat next to Samuel on
the bus, for each trip – wherever he
is, I am.
We arrived back at the hotel at
around 1am, dropped off our bags and
had supper – we had pap, from a chef
brought in from South Africa.
I hardly ate, because throughout
camp we can’t have dessert. But on
the last day they bring everything, so
I went straight for dessert – I have a
sweet tooth – and didn’t eat anything
else. Cake, chocolate mousse … I just
had a party.
After that, we went back to our
rooms to shower. Then a few guys
came to my room and we played a few
games of PlayStation – after a game,
I can never sleep. I only fell asleep
around 7am.
Monday,October24
We had a regeneration session at the
pool in the morning, but I couldn’t
wake up, and slept straight through.
Then it was breakfast, after which
we left the hotel for Cairo just after
midday, before heading home the next
day as the new champions of Africa. KO
MY TEAMMATES
Keagan Dolly gives us the inside
track of the star-studded Sundowns
squad.
Who eats the most?
Khama Billiat – even though he’s
so small, he eats a lot and is always
eating. There’s a few guys though
that love their food: Themba Zwane
is always closest to the food while
we praying so that he’s first in the
queue, and Siyanda Zwane as well.
Who’s always late?
Muzi Mashaba – he comes to
training any time he wants to.
Who sleeps the most?
Hlompho Kekana – he sleeps a lot.
And every time you see him, he’s
always tired. On the bus, even if it’s
a five-minute trip, he’ll be sleeping.
Who’s always on their phone?
That has to be me. I’m one of them,
along with Teko Modise … mostly
logged in to social media.
Who’s the toughest tackler?
Siyanda Zwane and Hlompho
Kekana – they both get stuck in and
don’t hold back.
Who’s the joker of the squad?
This whole team.You’d expect
people to be serious when you see
them from a distance, but even
older guys like Denis Onyango and
Anthony Laffor joke around. Khama
and myself always like to prank
people, and I like to tease everyone
– it’s a happy camp, and you can
joke with everyone in the team.
But Themba Zwane is the number
one joker – that guy is crazy, I think
there’s something wrong with him.
Who’s the fastest?
We have a few – Thapelo Morena is
quite fast. Asavela Mbekile, Rheece
Evans, myself, Khama, Tebogo
Langerman … but I think it has to
be between Rheece or Mbekile.
Who’s the most fashionable?
That’s obviously Teko Modise –
there’s no arguing that. He’s always
on point and knows how to dress,
and matches his clothes well.
Who has the wisest words?
A few of the older guys – Wayne
Sandilands is one of the guys you
can always talk to, and will always
encourage you. And Teko Modise
as well … most of the experienced
guys, as they’ve been in the game
and understand different situations.
“I WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE DESSERT,
AND DIDN’T EAT ANYTHING ELSE.”
(Below) Kissing the
surprisingly light
CAF Champions
League trophy.
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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has
finally achieved what he set out to do four years ago,
and delivered the coveted star at Chloorkop.
BY FABIO DE DOMINICIS
KINGOFAFRICA
‘Why has there been such a gap
until now?’”
The ever-increasing yearning
to conquer the continent
continued to grip Mosimane as
he led Sundowns for the first
time in Africa as their head
coach last season.
“If Sundowns had won it
last year in our first year back
in the Champions League, it
could have been by accident –
I’m not saying Bafana’s win in
1996 was by accident – but last
season we were just happy to be
competing,” he says.
“No-one expected us to win,
so there was no pressure. But
that’s when I started thinking,
‘No man. We have the quality to
win it, so why aren’t we?’
“So I investigated it … and
it’s not by accident that we got
here … it’s our preparations.
I know sometimes when I say
this, people will say, ‘Oh, he’s
arrogant and is blowing his own
trumpet’, but do you want the
truth or not? I investigated and
made sure I knew all the teams:
I recorded all the games of the
Champions League when I was
not available; I recorded all
the games of the Confederation
Cup, up to the final. Even
before, when we were not yet
participating, I was preparing
the team. At that time I joined
Mamelodi Sundowns, and we
were fighting relegation here.
But I still kept watching the
teams in the Champions League
and I recorded those games
I
t’s the morning after the
final, and as the awaiting
TV crews set up, Pitso Mo-
simane spreads himself on
a comfortable couch as he
gives his first exclusive interview
as a Champions League-winning
coach to KICK OFF.
“It’s unbelievable,” he
says, uncharacteristically lost
for words before composing
himself. “I’ve always said, ‘If I’m
dreaming, leave me to sleep!’ It’s
my biggest achievement, and a
different feeling … like winning
the championship in South
Africa, but on a bigger stage.
“A new history has been
written. We have matched any
team in South Africa and on the
continent: no one in Africa can
say they are bigger than us.”
It’s no secret Mosimane
has eyed continental success
for some time, meticulously
planning and pouring all his
resources into understanding
what it takes to achieve success
on the African continent.
“My obsession with the
Champions League started in
my days playing for Bafana
Bafana,” he reveals. “I remember
my first call-up for the national
team – we went to Lusaka
and lost heavily there. Even
though I was not in the 18-man
squad, and was just part of the
group called-up, I started to
question myself and ask, ‘What’s
happening? What is it that we
can’t do in Africa?’
“In 1995, Pirates won the
Champions League. But after
that, the period between Pirates’
triumph and Bafana Bafana’s
1996 Nation’s Cup success to
now, it has kept bothering me,
and I’ve continuously asked,
FEATURE PITSO MOSIMANE
PITSO’S
LUCKY
CHARM
PitsoMosimane
invitedhiswifeMoira
towatchSundowns
claimAfricanhonours
–herfirsttripinto
Africawiththeteam–
andfeelsherpresence
provedagoodomen.
“My wife came
to the first-leg in
Atteridgeville – she
normally doesn’t
come to the games,”
he says.“But I told
her she had to come
to Egypt as well, to
complete both legs,
as she’s my lucky
charm! So I invited
her to come to Egypt
as well. She’s knows
this has been my
dream and vision –
that’s why I came to
Sundowns – so it was
very special to have
her here.
“But she gets
nervous a lot in my
games, even at home.
When the match is on
the edge, she doesn’t
continue watching
onTV, and switches it
off!”he laughs.
and said, ‘I want to see how
the game is played at that
level. Is it the quality? Is it the
technique? What is it?’
“I gave myself three years –
now I can be honest and tell
you, as I’ve not said this before
– but it came now in year two.”
The previous evening’s final
was undoubtedly an energy-
sapping and mentally draining
test, considering all that was
seemingly against the visiting
South Africans. Yet having
withstood everything that was
thrown at them made the overall
victory even sweeter.
“I’ve never seen a sea of
White Knight fans like that,”
says Mosimane, referring to
the 60 000-odd Zamalek fans
that had packed into the Borg
El Arab Stadium. “It was
beautiful and unbelievable
… I’ve never seen that.
That’s why I told my
players to walk around
the pitch before the
game, to soak in the
atmosphere and let it
infiltrate their system, to
understand what to expect
when the match started.
“The Egyptians wanted
to win at all costs … they
didn’t provide us with a training
pitch, they gave us a hard time,
Denis Onyango was kicked in
the head, their technical team
coming to our technical area
during the game, the players
were falling all over the place,
the fans shone lasers and

win it, and win the league in the
same year, and win the Telkom
and get to the MTN8 final?
Excuse me my friend!”
The TV camera crews are
now ready to beam Mosimane’s
already-beaming face to the
world, as the sought-after
winner prepares to fulfil his next
media obligation. Yet he has
one final word of advice for his
fellow South African teams who
wish to emulate his African feat.
“If you want to play in the
Champions League, you can’t
have your pre-season in South
Africa, and play against a team
in the ABC Motsepe League, and
score six or seven goals … no,
no, no,” he says. “You’ve got
to be able to spend money and
travel, you’ve got to have the
right quality of players that can
sustain these kind of games. You
have to make your team play
friendly games outside of South
Africa – have these transits of
eight hours in other airports, go
to hotels that aren’t that good,
be able to travel six hours to a
match – after all that, then you
can do it.
“I think Wits can do it …
Pirates and Chiefs can do it, and
I think SuperSport and Platinum
Stars in the Confederation Cup
can also do it. But you have
to have the right mentality to
do it. You can’t say ‘Yes, we are
going to Africa’ and then don’t
field your strongest line-up. You
must walk the talk. South Africa
can do it.” KO
anything you can find … and
Sundowns manage to endure and
sustain all that.
“And that’s the beauty of
the Champions League … and
winning it, let me tell you, is
not child’s play. It’s huge. But
you must know that playing
in this competition, you will
have to sacrifice a few domestic
league and cup games … you
will lose some. You can’t have
your cake and eat it.”
Downs were, however,
initially knocked out of this
year’s tournament and re-
instated following AS Vita’s
misdemeanour in fielding an
ineligible player. And Mosimane
feels his side’s Champions
League success carries no less
weight – as compared to Bucs’
1996 triumph – despite the
much-discussed ‘back-door entry’.
“We’ve admired Pirates for
a long time, and now we have
copied them – they won the
star, now we have won the star,”
he says. “We played 14 games
to win it. People can pour cold
water on it and say, ‘you were
out, then came back through
the back door’. Yes, we were out,
but it was not our fault – it was
within the rules.
“If you field a player with
four yellow cards in the PSL,
the game will be given to your
opponents. If you pass a red
robot, you will get a fine, so
there’s no excuse. We won it fair
and square. To the critics, I have
this to say: can you come and
“NO ONE IN
AFRICA CAN
SAY THEY
ARE BIGGER
THAN US.”

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS PICTURE SPECIAL
CONTINENTAL
CONQUERORSIn testing conditions, Mamelodi Sundowns held
their nerve to complete their mission in Egypt
and earn the coveted Champions League star.
1 Team talk at
training on the
eve of the final.
2 Riot police on
guard.
3 Referee
Bakary Gassama
under pressure.
4 Zamalek
Ultras make their
presence felt.
5 Elation for
Pitso Mosimane.
6 Hlompho
Kekana kisses
the coveted cup.
7 Laser beams
distract the
Downs players.
8 Bassem
Morsy’s battle
wounds.
9 Sweet
success for
Sundowns.
1
2
3 4 9

5 6
7 8

visit www.kickoff.com
INTERNATIONAL Battle of the CoachesPICTURE SPECIAL
10
11
12
10 Club owner
Patrice Motsepe
all smiles in the
dressing room
after the final.
11 Khama Billiat
enjoying his
recovery session
in the pool the
morning after the
taxing final.
12 The
Sundowns squad
bask in their
CAF Champions
League glory.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
PICTURESRYANWILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX(3)/GAVINBARKER/BACKPAGEPIX(9)

‘C
ristiano Ronaldo
breaks through the
midfield and sprints
onto a Toni Kroos
pass. Hlompho Kekana races back and
produces a sliding tackle that steals the
ball away from one of world football’s
leading icons.’
This is a scenario that could well
play out at the International Stadium
in Yokohama on December 18 if
Mamelodi Sundowns go all the way in
the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan.
But they will have to get past two
opponents before they set up a dream
meeting with Ronaldo and his Real
Madrid teammates.
Sundowns become the eighth African
club to go to the annual event, which
world football’s governing body intend
expanding in the future to offer it a
Mamelodi Sundowns will
represent Africa at the
Club World Cup in Japan
in December, a chance to
showcase the brand to a global audience.
BY MARK GLEESON
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS CLUBWORLD CUP

better profile and to diversify the hosts.
Pitso Mosimane’s side meet either
Auckland City of New Zealand, or the
Japanese champions in their first
match on December 11 at the Suita
City Football Stadium in Osaka.
As hosts, Japan gets to enter their
league champions in the tournament,
but they must compete in a play-off
game against the Oceania Champions
League winners. The J-League season
only ends on December 3 so the
identity of Sundowns’ first opponents
– Kashima Antlers, Kawasaki Frontale
or Urawa Red Diamonds – will
not be known until the eve of the
competition.
If Sundowns lose their opener, they
go into the fifth place play-off on
December 14 and then head home.
If they win, however, it is into
the semifinals to play Atletico
Nacional, winners of this year’s
South American championship, the
Copa Libertadores. The Colombian
club earned notoriety in the 1980s
when drug lord Pablo Escobar
invested millions of illegal dollars
in the team in a money-laundering
scheme.
There are similarities with
Sundowns and their rise from
obscurity thanks to the ill-gotten
gains of Zola Mahobe.
Escobar provided money to
buy top foreign talent and also
retain the best local players, and
Atletico went on to become the first
Colombia club to win the top club
prize in South America in 1989 in a
dramatic penalty shootout.
But the next year Colombian
INTERNATIONAL
PREVIOUSTOURNAMENT
HOSTS/WINNERS
2000 (Brazil): Corinthians (Brazil)
2005 (Japan): Sao Paulo (Brazil)
2006 (Japan): Internacional (Brazil)
2007 (Japan): AC Milan (Italy)
2008 (Japan): Manchester United
(England)
2009 (UAE): Barcelona (Spain)
2010 (UAE): Inter Milan (Italy)
2011 (Japan): Barcelona (Spain)
2012 (Japan): Corinthians (Brazil)
2013 (Morocco): Bayern Munich
(Germany)
2014 (Morocco): Real Madrid (Spain)
2015 (Japan): Barcelona (Spain)
AFRICANTEAMSATTHE
CLUBWORLDCUP
Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
2000, 2013
Al Ahly (Egypt)
2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013
Etoile Sahel (Tunisia) – 2007
TP Mazembe Englebert (DR Congo)
2009, 2010, 2015
Esperance (Tunisia) 2011
Entente Setif (Algeria) 2014
MoghrebTetouan (Morocco) 2014
Sundowns could
go on to face Real
Madrid superstar
Cristiano Ronaldo
in Japan.

Asian Champions
Club America (MEX)
clubs were not allowed to host Copa
Libertadores ties because the drug
cartels had been threatening match
officials and the local league was
cancelled when referee Alvaro Ortega
was murdered.
But Atletico have fought back and
glory days have returned – in a lot
more legitimate fashion – losing only
once in 14 matches before they lifted
the 2016 Copa Libertadores trophy.
Four fans died, however, on a night
of boisterous revelry and the club have
since sold key players to Europe.
Auckland City, known as the ‘Navy
Blues’, have made more Club World Cup
appearances than any other side, no
surprise given the sparse competition
in the Oceania region.
Their coach Ramon Tribulietx is
from Barcelona and commutes halfway
across the world for months at a time
to do his job. The team has players
from Argentina, Croatia, England,
Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Serbia, Spain
and Cape Town-born Ryan de Vries.
After this year’s Club World Cup, the
future of the tournament is unclear
with no host yet named for 2017, but
indications are that it will be bigger
and better.
It is born of the old one-off clash
SOUTHAFRICANSATTHE
CLUBWORLDCUP
GrantYoung (Auckland City):
Young played for Auckland City at
the 2006 tournament in Japan and
in 2009 in Abu Dhabi when he was
38-years-old. He was Hellenic’s
all-time top scorer and played one
game for Bafana Bafana against
Australia in 1994. When his career
ended in 2005, he left
Cape Town to move to
New Zealand, taking
up the game again
in the amateur
league and
immediately
raining in the
goals. He was
voted best player in
New Zealand as Auckland
City went to the Club
World Cup.
KerynJordan(AucklandCity):
Jordan won the inaugural PSL title
with Manning Rangers in 1997 and
a cap for Bafana two years later.
He was then at SuperSport United
before playing in Thailand and later
moving to New Zealand.
He scored 76
goals in 100
games in
the national league,
quickly becoming a
hero Down Under
and played in the
Club World Cup for
Auckland City in
2006 and 2009.
After being
diagnosed with
cancer, Jordan spent 13 years
battling various tumours before
passing away at a care home in
Pretoria in 2013, aged just 37. He
is the father of junior international
forward Liam Jordan.
Ryan deVries (Auckland City):
De Vries was born in Cape Town,
but moved to New Zealand at
the age of 18 and scored at
the 2014 Club World Cup
where Auckland City won
an unexpected bronze.
He was top scorer in the
New Zealand premier
league last season and
is now a New Zealand
international, making
his debut for the All
Whites last year.
between the European and South
America champions that was moved to
Japan when Toyota became sponsors.
This grew into the Club World Cup
although it was initially treated with
some ambivalence by the Europeans.
But they take it a bit more seriously
now – playing a game in Japan is no
longer seen as a strange thing to do.
But there is still a sense that
European clubs see it more as
marketing exercise to increase ‘brand
awareness’ among Asian consumers,
while in South America it is the
absolute highlight of the club calendar.
Africa will be hoping Sundowns can
also boost its footballing profile by
making waves in Japan. KO
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS CLUBWORLD CUP
Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)
Winner 1
Atletico Nacional (COL)
Winner 2
FINAL
Real Madrid (ESP)
Winner 3
MATCH 2
11 DEC Osaka MATCH 4
14 DEC Osaka
18 DEC
Yokohama
J-League winners
Auckland City (NZ)
MATCH 1
8 DECYokohama
Losers Play-Off
MATCH 3
11 DEC Osaka
MATCH 5
15 DECYokohama
14 DEC Osaka
Losers Play-Off
18 DECYokohama
ALLTHEFIXTURES
Atletico Nacional
celebrate winning
the 2016 Copa
Libertadores.
PICTURESBYMATTHEWASHTON-AMA/GETTYIMAGES(1)/DENISDOYLE/GETTYIMAGES(1)/SANDRAMU/GETTYIMAGES(1)/ATSUSHITOMURA/GETTYIMAGES(1)/AFPPHOTO/LUISACOSTA(1)

I
t was on June 27 this year
that Kaizer Chiefs called
a press conference at
Naturena and, amid some
slick choreography, pulled a march
on the other teams by announcing
their new signings for the season.
Usually these announcements
come just before the new campaign
starts after clubs have completed
their transfer window scamblings.
The underlying message from
Chiefs was one of an efficient
organisation and solid pre-planning,
and there were smug smiles
from Bobby Motaung and Steve
Komphela who sat in front, the new
additions holding their jerseys aloft
for the snapping cameramen.
But in the audience, there were
confounded looks as the identities
of some of the new players were
revealed. Most, it was whispered,
lacked the lustre of a typical Chiefs
signing of yesteryear. Fair comment
or not?
Now, with the season in full
swing, KICK OFF looks at the last 35
headline signings made by Chiefs
and ponders whether the club has
been successful in the transfer
market over the last five seasons.
2016/17
Lewis Macha: Signed from
Mozambique, a less competitive
league than his native Zambia,
Macha made plenty of headlines
with the winner in the Carling
Black Label Cup, but injury has
hampered his opportunity since,
FEATURE KAIZER CHIEFS
CHIEFSBUYS–
TOPSORFLOPS?
although his poor first touch has let
him down in the few games he has
played.
Edmore Chirambadare: Plenty
of pace but little polish, he was
dropped immediately after his full
debut but has since partly redeemed
himself with a late equaliser in the
Telkom Knockout quarter-final
match against Free State stars.
Michelle Katsvairo: Steve
Komphela says the Zimbabwean
striker needs time, but of the
trio of foreigners signed for this
season, he has looked the one
with the most potential.
Ennocent Mkhabela: The hard-
tackling central defender, picked
up from SuperSport United, has
not had a chance yet as Willard
Katsande is the first choice in his
role.
Sibusiso Khumalo: Replaced
out of form Tsepo Masilela for
several matches before the
veteran was restored to left-back
and Khumalo left on the bench
to ponder what he had done
wrong.
Keegan Buchanan: A gamble
after a serious knee injury,
which kept him sidelined for
10 months, he is designed to
be the penetrative passer in
a role vacated by Reneilwe
Letsholonyane.
Ramalawe Mphahlele: Moving
from champions Mamelodi
Sundowns was a step up, said
the right-back, who has made
the role his own and is now a
national team squad regular.
Ryan Moon: The teenage striker
played just a couple of games
with Maritzburg United, but after
arriving at Chiefs got injured in
training and went straight onto
the operating table to have his
knee fixed.
(Above)
Chirambadare has
yet to realise his
full potential in the
gold and black.

2015/16
Siyanda Xulu:Well paid at Chiefs
after moving back home from Russia,
where he was on US$30 000 a month,
but is now frozen out at the club.
Camaldien Abraw: Chiefs won a
controversial case with Bloemfontein
Celtic to obtain the services of the
Togo international, but he only scored
six goals last season and is ruled out of
this entire campaign after serious knee
surgery.
Daniel Cardoso: A persistent shin
injury made him a risky buy from Free
State Stars and continued problems
have meant he has spent little time on
the pitch in Chiefs’colours.
Keegan Ritchie: This was the second
time Chiefs signed him, on this
occasion from Bloemfontein Celtic,
(Below)
Mthembu has
not taken
his scoring
from from
Rustenburg to
Gauteng.
(Left) Ndulula
never started a
game for Chiefs.
2014/15
Ovidy Karuru: The Zimbabwean
international midfielder arrived at
Naturena amid great expectation
having previously played in Europe,
but left two seasons later after just
two starts, both in the Nedbank
Cup.
Levy Mokgothu: One of the more
bizarre signings, the left-back joined
from Moroka Swallows in 2014 and
never kicked a ball for Chiefs, but
made two appearances for Bafana
Bafana in that time.
Phakamani Mngadi: A junior
international winger who was
developed at the Aspire Academy
and played in the lower leagues in
Belgium with Eupen. He was signed
on loan, but played just a handful of
minutes as a substitute in a league
game against University of Pretoria.
Siphelele Mthembu: After
impressing at Platinum Stars,
Mthembu was signed to ease Chiefs’
scoring woes, but has made just
six starts in more than two years.
He has scored five goals in total,
including a hat-trick in the Nedbank
Cup. He was transfer-listed at the
start of the season.
but Ritchie served only as cover for
Masilela, and has since moved on.
Bongani Ndlula: A national team
regular when Chiefs bought him from
AmaZulu, he never made a single start
for Amakhosi, playing five matches
as a substitute, and was shipped out
within 12 months to Chippa United.
Sula Matovu: A Uganda international,
who was signed after trials and had
previously been in Sweden, was let go
after just one year and a few fleeting
appearances.
Edward Manqele: Weight problems
and a failure to make the grade after
his transfer to Mamelodi Sundowns
left Manqele looking a one-season
wonder, although he is back in the
frame again and seeking to prove
detractors wrong.

2012/13
Siboniso Gaxa: Gaxa was a
marquee signing in 2012 after
returning to the PSL from
Lierse in Belgium and played a
major role in Chiefs’two league
championships in 2012/13 and
2014/15. Was dumped by the club
at the start of this season after 133
starts, but has lodged a dispute
saying he is still contracted.
Morgan Gould: The powerful
centre-back had two long-term
injuries while at Chiefs that
hindered his stay. Still managed
to play a reduced role in their
two championship successes, but
left at the end of last season for
SuperSport United.
Mulomowandau Mathoho: One
of Chiefs’best buys in recent years,
‘Tower’remains an integral part of
the side after his 2012 arrival from
Bloemfontein Celtic and is one of
the top centre-backs in the league.
Tsepo Masilela: The left-back had
spent a season on loan at Spanish
La Liga side Getafe before joining
Chiefs from Israeli club Maccabi
Haifa. He has been a regular when
fit bar earlier this season, when
he lost his place to new signing
Sibusiso Khumalo. He appears to
have won it back, for now.
Kgotso Moleko: It is only since
the arrival of Komphela at Chiefs
that right-back Moleko has played
somewhat regularly with his first
three seasons spent mostly on the
sidelines. He is in and out of the
side this campaign.
George Maluleka: Maluleka was
a January signing in 2014 and
was a prised capture from Ajax
Cape Town. He has never quite
managed to nail down a regular
starting place, but played a big
part in the second championship
for Stuart Baxter in 2014/15.
Sakhile Hlongwa: An 18-year-
old signed from the eThekwini
Coastal Academy who never
made a single appearance for
Chiefs. Later had spells with
Thanda Royal Zulu and Mthatha
Bucks in the National First
Division.
2013/14
Katlego Mphela: Injury-prone
Bafana Bafana forward that was
signed from Mamelodi Sundowns
in January 2014 and finished his
first season well with goals in four
consecutive matches at the end
of the campaign. Two more in the
opening two games of the next
season promised much before
he was sidelined and made just a
handful of appearances after that.
Ivan Bukenya: Versatile Uganda
international who never quite
settled at Chiefs, making 19 starts
in three seasons, seven of those
in the cups. Was released at the
end of the last campaign.
Knowledge Musona: The
Zimbabwe international returned
to Chiefs on loan from German
Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim
and delivered. He netted 11 goals
in 20 starts, but was adamant
about returning to Europe and
signed in Belgium.
THEONESTHATGOTAWAY
Chiefs have had some high-profile
exits from the club in recent seasons
that have been felt on the pitch.
Reneilwe Letsholonyane was
allowed to join SuperSport United
at the start of this campaign and
his dynamism in midfield has been
missed.
Mandla Masango also did not
have his contract renewed at the end
of the 2014/15 season and eventually
moved to Denmark. Chiefs have
battled to find a replacement on the
right wing.
Tefu Mashamaite was another
whose absence was felt when he was
allowed to leave at the same time as
Masango and it took a full season for
the Chiefs defence to settle.
The club also almost lost the services
of goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune
at the same time after failing to
agree a new contract, before the
Bafana Bafana shot-stopper lowered
his salary demands and returned cap
in hand to sign a new contract.
(Below) Bukenya
never quite made
the grade at
Amakhosi.
Brilliant Khuzwayo: The goalkeeper
has been a dependable option when
called upon, but remains very much
number two to Itumeleng Khune.
Reyaad Pieterse: Pieterse left Chiefs
at the end of last season having
become frustrated at playing second-
fiddle to Khune. He did appear to be
ahead of Khuzwayo in the pecking
order though, and is now fighting for
a place at SuperSport.
Siyabonga Nkosi: The midfielder
played out the final three seasons
of his career with a second spell at
Naturena after leaving for Europe in
2007, and later returned to play for
SuperSport and Golden Arrows. Very
much a bit-part player.
Kingston Nkhatha: Arrived from
Black Leopards and was a steady if
unspectacular scorer. Would end his
stay two-and-a-half seasons later with
20 goals in 68 starts and as the target
of the‘boo-boys’in the stands, much
to the annoyance of Baxter.
Matthew Rusike: Never nailed down
a regular starting place in three
seasons and is now at Helsingborg
in Sweden. The Zimbabwe
international’s best campaign was his
last in 2014/15 when he netted two
goals in seven starts. KO
PICTURESBYLEEWARREN/GALLOIMAGES(1)/LEFTYSHIVAMBU/GALLOIMAGES(3)

CLUBHOUSE Behind the scenes in the big-time
Cavin Johnson says he has full
faith in Mbongeni Mzimela to
continue taking penalties for
Platinum Stars after the goalkeep-
er slotted his spot-kick against
Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Mzimela kept his cool to net
Mzimela adds name to select group
Mzimela is not the first keeper
to take penalties in the Premier
Soccer League.
Mamelodi Sundowns’Zambian
international stopper Kennedy
Mweene netted 14 penalties dur-
ing his time at Free State Stars.
Another current Sundowns
keeper, Denis Onyango, also has a
PSL goal to his name after netting
for SuperSport United in a 3-1 vic-
tory over Black Leopards in 2008.
That was not from the spot, but
rather open play as he hoofed the
ball up field and caught Leopards
keeper Mashudu Mamphitha off
his line.
ByNickSaid
Homecoming
revolution
Kagisho Dikgacoi played his
first Premier Soccer League
game in almost seven-and-
a-half years when he turned
out for Lamontville Golden
Arrows against Maritzburg
United earlier this season,
but is well down the list of
longest period between
matches in South Af-
rica’s top flight.
Dikgacoi had last
played for Golden
Arrows in a 1-0
win over Bay
United in May
2009 before
departing for
then English
Premier-
ship side
Fulham.
After
spells at Crystal
Palace and Cardiff
City, he then returned to
his former PSL club at the start
of this campaign.
He netted on his‘second
debut’for Abafana Bes’thende
against Maritzburg, but was
sent
off in the
next game,
some seven
years and
five months
since leaving
Durban.
But that is no
way near the
record holder
for longest period
between South African
top flight games, a mark
set
by cur-
rent Cape
Town City coach Eric
Tinkler.
Tinkler leftWits University
for Portugal in July 1990 and
it would be 16 years and two
months before he returned
to action in the elite league.
He re-joinedWits ahead
of the 2005/06 season
after successful spells in
Portugal, England and
Italy, but they were cam-
paigning in the National
First Division in that season
following an unlikely
relegation.
So his next top-flight
appearance was as
a substitute in a 2-1
victory over Kaizer
Chiefs five matches into
the following campaign in
September 2006.
Three other players have
more than a decade between
South African top-flight ap-
pearances.
Benni McCarthy
left a loan spell with
CapeTown Spurs in
the 1997/98 season to join Ajax
Amsterdam and would not play
again in the PSL until the start
of the 2011/12 season when he
joined Orlando Pirates – a gap
of 14 years and four months.
Current Pirates assistant
coach Bradley Carnell enjoyed
a fine career in the German
Bundesliga after leaving
Kaizer Chiefs in 1998 and only
returned in August 2010 when
he signed with SuperSport
United. He had 12 years and
three months between PSL
appearances.
And Nasief Morris spent
just over a decade outside of
South African shores when he
departed Santos for Greek side
ArisThessaloniki in May 2001
before returning to join Super-
Sport in August 2011.
By Nick Said
from 12-yards in what proved to
be the winner as Dikwena ended
a run of seven matches without
a win.
The 31-year-old had earlier in
the match saved a penalty as well
from Arrows’Clifton Miheso for a
fine‘double’in the game.
Johnson tells KICK OFF that
Mzimela is one of the team’s
designated penalty-takers and he
thought in the moment that the
stage was set for him.
“It’s the ground where he made
his PSL debut and he had saved
a penalty already in the game, so
I thought this would be a good
moment for him,”Johnson says.
“He is one of our penalty-takers
and is very consistent when we
take them in training. I don’t
think it should matter that he is
a keeper, I have always said that
a football team is made up of 11
players, and he can contribute
this way also.”
Mzimela had earlier in the sea-
son scored for Stars in a friendly
penalty shoot-out with Orlando
Pirates in the Maize Cup.
“He is never nervous and is a
very cool character,”Johnson says.
“I wondered if the setting against
Golden Arrows would make him
a little bit nervous, but it didn’t
at all.”

CLUBHOUSE
Images of Sipho Moeti using
his knees to press the ball in a
classic showboating incident
as Baroka defeated Platinum
Stars in theTelkom Knockout
caused controversy after he
received a booking for his
actions.
The furure around the inci-
dent has turned Moeti into
something of a celebrity as
it was picked apart by social
media, but it should not de-
tract from the fact that he has
made an outstanding start
to the campaign with strong
performances for his side.
Moeti, 31, has been some-
what of a journeyman with
his patience tested playing
lower division football at
Orlando Black Poison,Yebo
Yes FC,Vardos, Roses United
and African All Stars.
He also had a brief stay at
Free State Stars and played
one game for Moroka Swal-
lows in the 2014/15 season.
“I have been around in the
lower divisions for way too
long that you don’t have to
doubt me when I say I respect
my job,”Moeti says.
But how does someone
who is considered a‘show-
boating expert’even talk
about respect?
“Reality is that I have so
much ground to cover in
making up for all the time lost
from the years that I spent
playing in the lower leagues.
People might have their own
opinions about my game, but
this is what I am and I am not
going to change.
“I respect my job and what
they signed me for here at
Baroka is what I am doing
now. Baroka liked what
they saw in me when they
spotted me at the Maimane
Phiri Games and I will never
change.
INTRODUCING
SIPHO MOETI (BAROKA)
“Coach KgolokoThobejane
also says I must also do what he
signed me for, so that is what
matters most. If you don’t like
my style, from wherever you are,
then there is nothing that I can
do about that.What matters is
that my employer is supportive,”
he states.
Moeti knows too well about
the divided opinion that has
previously left him alienated by
some coaches.
“Coaches are not the same,
which is why I was signed by Free
State Stars, but then never got a
chance because the coach that
they had at the time felt my style
didn’t suit what he wanted.
“I am from Soweto and I have
always played with kasi flavour.
What is strange is that when
Stars signed me, they knew this.
At Swallows I got a chance to
play my first game in profession-
al football, but my progress was
then blocked by All Stars who
wanted money for my transfer.
“It then became a contractual
dispute and I eventually termi-
nated with All Stars. If it wasn’t for
the contract fracas I will have
played more at Swallows,”he
says.
Moeti credits Mamelodi
Sundowns assistant coach
Rhulani Mokwena for encour-
aging him not to lose hope.
“Rhulani was my coach at
Black Poison and told me my
chance would come because
I am a good player.Though
my other friends all gave up
on football, I held on to my
only hope with the help of
Rhulani.
“My dad also told me to
leave the game and go back
to school, but then Rhulani
told me that I deserve to play
in the PSL. I am now working
hard so that I can still play for
at least another five years.
“I have suffered a lot in
this game, but the thought
of giving up on football has
never crossed my mind. From
my earnings in football I now
want to get into business to
sustain myself past my play-
ing days,”he says.
ByLovemoreMoyo
GOALMACHINE
ThandaRoyalZulustrikerMhlengiCele
saysno-onewillstophisgoal-scoringex-
ploitsthisseasonashechasestheNational
FirstDivisionGoldenBoot.
Cele has been in stupendous form for
the NFD pacesetters on his return to the
club, netting 12 goals in 10 appearances
by mid-November.
Thanda, who had a disastrous
2015/16 campaign and only retained
their NFD status on the final day of the
season, are gunning to return to the
PSL for the first time since they were
relegated at the end of 2008/09 season.
‘’Idon’tseeanythingstoppingme
otherthaninjuriesandthosearethings
youcannotcontrolinfootball.Theway
thingsaregoing,I’mstillgoingtoscore
moregoals,’’CeletellsKICKOFF,addinghis
strike-ratehasnotgoneunnoticed.
“Whenyouaredoingwellthere’s
alwaysclubslookingforgoalscorers.
Clubshavesaid,‘Comethisside,we’ve
gotmoneyandwecanaffordyou’.AndifI
continuebanginggoals,Ithinkattheend
oftheseasonIwillgetanotherchancein
top-flightfootball.’’
The29-year-oldisnostrangertothe
top-flighthavingspenttwoseasonsat
ChippaUnitedbetween2014and2016
beforereturningtoThanda,whohadsold
himtotheChilliBoyz.
He didn’t play much in Port Elizabeth,
netting just two goals in his time there.
‘’IhadoffersinthePSL,butIthought
comingbacktoThandawastheright
decision,’’hesaid.‘’GoldenArrowsand
MaritzburgUnitedcameknocking,butI
rejectedthem–Icouldn’treturntothe
PSLbecauseofmypreviousexperienceat
Chippa.IwantedtogobacktoThandaand
showpeoplewhoMhlengiCelereallyis.
“Iwastheonlyonewhohadthedesire
ofcomingbackandrelaunchingmycareer
intheNFD...eventheclubwasdoubting
meinitially,butThandahasalwayshada
specialplaceinmyheart.’’
ByRobin-DukeMadlala
PICTURESBYANESHDEBIKY/GALLOIMAGES(1)/MICHAELSHEEHAN/GALLOIMAGES(1)/LUKEWALKER/GALLOIMAGES(1)/ASHLEYVLOTMAN/GALLOIMAGES(1)

ON THE BALL
Mamelodi Sundowns’suc-
cess in the African Champions
League has created a major
headache for the Premier Soc-
cer League (PSL) which has the
potential to force the domes-
tic season to run up to three
weeks longer.
But remarkably, The Brazil-
ians could play as many as 60
matches this season – a
new rcord for a South
African club – as they
chase silverware on a
number of fronts.
To put that into perspec-
tive, European champions Real
Madrid played in 52 games in
the 2015/16 season on the way
to their continental triumph.
But how to squeeze those
matches for Sundowns into
an already congested season
remains a puzzle the PSL
are finding difficult to solve,
though the Tshwane side’s exit
from the Telkom Knockout at
the quarterfinal stage does
offer some reprieve.
A trip to the Club World Cup
in December and the hosting
of the African Super Cup in
February has added further
pressure to the fixture list,
though the side should at least
be spared entering the prelimi-
nary stage of the Champions
League in 2017 due to their
status as holders. It means
they will only enter that com-
petition in March.
As to whether the season
will be extended, KICK OFF
understands that the PSL have
taken a‘wait-and-see’stance,
having rescheduled Sundowns’
opening league game of the
season against Highlands Park
for the end of November, the
weekend of the Telkom Knock-
SUNDOWNS FACE SQUEEZE
AS NEW RECORD LOOMS
THE BRAZILIANS COULD PLAY AS
MANY AS 60 GAMES THIS SEASON.
up against Algeria, Tunisia and
Senegal in a horror group.
If Sundowns exit the
Nedbank Cup or Champions
League competitions early,
that also opens up a new set
of dates for matches to be
played.
Should the league be ex-
tended, KICK OFF understands
that it will likely only be by one
week and not the three that
the PSL had suggested was
possible last month.
In this scenario, the final
week of the campaign would
be on June 7 and the Nedbank
Cup final pushed out to June
14.
The problem in extending
beyond that is the staging of
the Confederations Cup in Rus-
sia that starts on June 17.
Should Zimbabwe or
Uganda pull off a miraculous
Nations Cup win to rival that
of Zambia in 2012, they will
be playing in that tournament
and their players lost to PSL
clubs at a potentially crucial
stage of the season.
Ghana too have PSL play-
ers in their squad and
are a more likely bet
to go to Russia.
But all these match-
es do open up the potential for
some record-breaking feats for
Sundowns players.
Themba Mnguni is the long-
standing holder of the the
record for the most starts in a
season for Sundowns – 48 in
the 1997/98 campaign.
The likes of Khama Billiat,
Dennis Onyango, Hlompho
Kekana and Tiyani Mabunda
would all have a shot at break-
ing that record if they stay fit.
By Nick Said
out semifinals. The catch-up
has begun.
There is also a suggestion
that the club could play games
after the knockout rounds of
the African Nations Cup finals
have been played.
Those finish on January 23
and with the league only set to
resume on February 7, there is
potentially two weeks to play
with if Zimbabwe or Uganda
do not make it out of their first
round pools.
Sundowns have Zimbabwe
stars Khama Billiat and Uganda
goalkeeper Dennis Onyango in
their squad, with the Warriors
PICTURESBYSYDNEYSESHIBEDI/GALLOIMAGES(1)/ASHLEYVLOTMAN/GALLOIMAGES(1)

ON THE BALL
NAME: Shu-Aib
Walters
NICKNAME: AB
BORN: 26/12/81 in
Mowbray, Cape Town
LOVELIFE: Single
PREVIOUS CLUBS:
Bluebells AFC,
Milano United,
Newtons FC,
Rygersdal Aces,
Clyde Pinelands,
Vasco da Gama,
Bloemfontein Celtic,
Maritzburg United,
Mpumalanga Black
Aces
CAR: Mercedes Benz
CLK 500 convertible
CELLPHONE:
i-Phone 6
Onthepitch
How did you end up as a goalkeeper?
Up to the age of 16 I was playing as a right half in the Under-17
team and upfront in the U-19 team while featuring as a goalkeeper
in the senior team. So at least that proves that I could also play
other positions as well. I enjoyed being a keeper a bit more than
the other positions because I was inspired by Andre Arendse and
Peter Schmeichel while growing up.Taking the choice of being a
keeper over all other positions has worked out well.
Did you meet anyone famous during the 2010World Cup
when you were in the national team?
We were waiting for the same flight with the French squad at the
airport in Bloemfontein, so we got to chat a bit. I did have a bit of
a chat with Hugo Loris, Djibril Cisse and Patrice Evra, and what I
noticed is that the whole team was very friendly towards us.With
Evra, he was playing for Manchester United at the time and that
being the team that I support, I felt fortunate to be with him.Then,
just prior to the 2010World
Cup, I also exchanged jerseys
with [Germany goalkeeper]
Manuel Neuer. At the time
he was a nobody and was
the third choice keeper in the
national team, and not even at
Bayern Munich yet. I also didn’t
really know him at the time,
but I feel fortunate that I still
have his jersey now when his
SHU-AIB WALTERS (CAPE TOWN CITY)
profile has grown to be this huge.
What kind of gloves do you prefer, seeing as there are so many
styles and cuts nowadays?
Three years ago I contacted a United Kingdom-based company
called SELLS and they agreed to sponsor me with gloves. I have
been using the roll finger cut which is very popular amongst
goalkeepers. It is a very comfortable fit for me as it has a rolled
effect around the fingers with a bigger surface on the hand for
ball contact. It is a brand that looks afterVictorValdes and Simon
Mignolet, amongst many other keepers.
How loud are you as a goalkeeper, and what kind of
relationship do you usually have with defenders who are also
people with different characters?
On the field all my teammates know that I am very vocal and a
bit crazy. However, I always make it known that I don’t mean bad
when I shout at you because this is all part of doing my job.There
have been occasions when some teammates didn’t like what and
how I said things to them on the field, but then I always make the
effort to explain myself after the game. I never get personal with
my teammates … I just have that winning mentality in me.
Offthepitch
Is it true that goalkeepers usually have the biggest appetite in
the team?
That is true! I am known for eating a lot. I really do enjoy my meals
and as I have gotten older I have found myself craving the sweeter
things which obviously means I will gain a bit of weight. My
favourite dish is seafood and I always look out for that whenever I
am eating out. However, I have to also make it known that in our
team Judas [Moseamedi] andTshepo [Gumede] are also known to
be big eaters – they really love their food.
If you could go back to your teenage years, what would you do
differently?
I think I would have made an effort to complete my studies much
earlier because it is only recently that I have been able to complete
my Sports Management diploma. I would have also been more
compassionate towards the underprivileged in this world and be
spending a lot more time in orphanages like I am now doing.
You were born the day after Christmas ... how do you usually
celebrate your birthday?
With me it is really difficult to be celebrating – I celebrate on
Christmas Day and we all just become merry.There is always a
good vibe and I make sure that there is a braai.
How often are you at the barbershop?
I go there once every month. If the game is on television or I have a
public appearance to make I also make the effort to look the part,
just like most guys in the team. It helps to always look presentable.
ByLovemoreMoyo
GIANLUIGI
BUFFONOR
DAVIDDE
GEA
BUFFON
CAPEARGUS
ORCAPE
TIMES
TIMES
V&A
WATERFRONT
ORCANAL
WALK
WATERFRONT
ABSAORFNB
FNB
KEVINHART
ORCHRIS
ROCK
CHRISROCK
SPOTLIGHT

ON THE BALL
GOODMONTHFOR...
Stuart Baxter
BAD MONTH FOR ...
Muhsin Ertugral
The Matsatsantsa coach helped
extend his side’s nine-match unbeaten
run in all competitions with victory
over Mamelodi Sundowns in the
Telkom Knockout.
The Turkish coach succumbed to
the pressure of recent inconsistent
results and tendered his resignation
after the 6-1 humbling by Super-
Sport United.
• Augusto Pala-
cious hired is
hired as Orlando
Pirates care-
taker coach, with
Benson Mhlongo
announced as
assistant coach
alongside Bradley
Carnell.
• KV Kortrijk striker
LarsVeldwijk
earns his first
Bafana Bafana
call-up, despite
having never
set foot in the
country.
• Roger de Sa and
Serame Letsoaka
part ways as
head coaches of
Ajax CapeTown
and Bloem-
fontein Celtic
respectively, with
Stanley Menzo
taking charge of
the UrbanWar-
riors and Hloni
Seema and John
Maduka named
interim coaches
at Celtic.
• Itumeleng
Khune, Keagan
Dolly, Denis
Onyango and
Khama Billiat
make the 30-man
shortlist for the
2016 CAF Player
of theYear award,
with Hlompho
Kekana and
Yannick Zakri
joining the four
as nominees for
the Player of the
Year - Based in
Africa prize.
ALSO LAST MONTH:
PLAYMAKERPALOOKA
SuperSport United celebrate after handing Orlando Pirates a 6-1 league defeat – a joint-record in the Soweto club’s history.
Sipho Moeti
The Baroka midfielder displayed
‘unsporting behaviour’while
showboating in a Telkom Knock-
out tie against Platinum Stars, and
was shown a yellow card.
Lebogang Manyama
The Cape Town City captain
scored a brace against Mamelodi
Sundowns, and has been the
driving force behind the City
Boyz’solid form in both league
and cup competition.
WORDS: “When I woke up
this morning I realised
I had received an email
at 3.30am from the coach
(Muhsin Ertugral). I would
have loved if he had engaged me first
before expressing his frustration ...
because you will remember whenever
we part with coaches, it is always in a
dignified manner.” – Irvin khoza on
Muhsin Ertugral’s resignation.
PICTURESBYDIRKKOTZE/GALLOIMAGES(1)/LEFTYSHIVAMBU/GALLOIMAGES(2)/SYDNEYSESHIBEDI/GALLOIMAGES(1)

news on your phone: kickoff.com/mobile NOVEMBER 2016 37
Every team needs a Forceful
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Kaizer Chiefs midfielder
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Khama Billiat has been the
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MAMELODI SUNDOWNS 2016 CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUEWINNERS
SOCCER AT ITS BEST
PICTURESBYGAVINBARKER/BACKPAGEPIX(1)

ON THE BALL
Unlike their male counterparts,
Banyana Banyana have never
failed to qualify for an African
Women’s Championship. Partici-
pation at this year’s tournament
in Cameroon makes it 10 in a row
for the national women’s team.
But they have never won
the competition, having been
runners-up four times in an
increasingly frustrating quest.
This year’s event finds Banyana
at a crossroads.The team has
just come off their best spell yet,
under the tutelage ofVera Pauw,
whose achievements in getting
the team to the Olympic Games
Banyana chase holy grail
has earned her a nomination
from FIFA forWomen’s Coach of
theYear.
But the Dutch national has
gone back home, leaving as-
sistant Desiree Ellis to step up
and take charge of participation
at the tournament where South
Africa meet the hosts, Egypt and
Zimbabwe in Group A.
They have avoided top-ranked
Nigeria in the group phase and
have been handed a draw that
gives South Africa every chance
of reaching the semifinals at
least. Nigeria were paired in
Group B with Ghana, Kenya and
Mali.
The tournament starts on
November 19 inYaoundé and
the final is in Limbe, the stadium
where Hlompho Kekana scored
his wonder goal for Bafana, on
December 3.
Ellis was among the very first
Banyana players and her selec-
tion as caretaker coach is proof
of progress through the ranks.
But she is also not going to tinker
with what she sees as a win-
ning formula developed by her
predecessor.
“We have come very close in
this tournament and we believe
we stand a good chance of
doing even better. I have kept
the bulk of the squad mainly for
the experience gathered over
the years and at the Olympic
Games,”says Ellis, who used to
work at KICK OFF.
“I’m more confident than ever
that we will do well this time
around, and I don’t mean it will
be an easy task. But in terms of
the selection, if it isn’t broken,
don’t fix it, and what we can
assure all South Africans is that
we will do the best we can to
emerge victorious.”
ByMarkGleeson
BANYANA’SMATCHES
Group A
19 Nov v Zimbabwe,Yaounde
22 Nov v Cameroon,Yaounde
25 Nov v Egypt,Yaounde
Semifinals
29 Nov inYaounde or Limbe
Third place play-off
2 Dec inYaounde
Final
3 Dec inYaounde

ON THE BALL
Wits’ foreigner
conumdrum
Secrets of the Stars Cole Alexander
BidvestWits will have a difficult de-
cision to make in January if English
forward James Keene makes a full
recovery from injury.
Keene netted eight goals in 12
starts after signing in January, but
was ruled out of the first half of this
season through injury. And in order
to play him next year,Wits would
have to de-register one of the cur-
rent foreigners in the squad.
The new PSL rules allows clubs
to have five overseas players
registered at any given time, mean-
ing they can chop and change
mid-season if they so desire.
Wangu Gome (Namibia), Moga-
kolodi Ngele (Botswana), Gab-
adinho Mhango (Malawi), Cuthbert
Malajila and Knox Mutizwa (both
Zimbabwe) are all registered for
the first half of the 2015/16 season,
meaning one would have to be
sacrificed for Keene’s return.
“In terms of our agreement with
James, we have committed to
helping him in his rehabilitation for
as long as that takes,”Wits CEO Jose
Ferreira tells KICK OFF.
“Once he is rehabilitated, a
decision will be taken on whether
we sign him into the future. If we
do that, then we will need to de-
register one foreigner.We will deal
with that when the time comes.”
It is not a foregone conclusion
that Keene will be reintegrated
into the squad however, with
Phakamani Mahlambi set to return
in the NewYear, Mutizwa perform-
ing well in the MDC and Bafana
Bafana forward Eleazar Rodgers
showing good form as well.
ByNickSaid
the SuperSport United mid-
fielder also played for in his
childhood years. His younger
brother – a die-hard Orlando
Pirates fan – plays for the
same club.
6Though Alexander’s father
is a qualified amateur
coach, his biggest critic is his
mom and he knows that if
she is happy then it means he
definitely had a good game.
7After attaining his mat-
ric, Alexander studied
towards a Sports Adminstra-
tion qualification at Boston
College, but then dropped
out due to football commit-
ments. He still has plans to
study again.
8Since his father is a
qualified boiler-maker by
profession, Cole has also since
mastered the art of welding,
declaring that he can safely
put together a gate. He
also earned money selling
bakery products made by
his neighbour, using all the
money he earned to buy
takkies.
9His family home in
Mitchell’s Plein is next
to the Lenteguer Psychiat-
ric Hospital and he is famil-
iar with patients jumping
over into his yard to steal
soft drinks!
10Two players that
lived in the same
neighbourhood as Alex-
ander – on the same road
where he grew up, and
where his parents still
reside – also made it to the
PSL: midfield duo Zairon
van Beulen and Graham
King, who both turned out
for Cape club Santos.
By Lovemore Moyo
PICTURESBYLEFTYSHIVAMBU/GALLOIMAGES(1)/PHILIPMAETA/GALLOIMAGES(1)/DIRKKOTZE/GALLOIMAGES(1)
1Cole ‘Santiago’ Alexan-
der is the second born
child in a family of three
brothers. His older brother
Dale is studying part-time
towards a Law degree
while working at Sanlam.
His younger brother Seth
is in Grade 3. Though Seth
is 17 years younger, Cole
is still the one known as
‘mommy’s boy’ at home.
2Being the fitness
enthusiast that he is,
Alexander was a super wel-
terweight amateur boxer
back home in Cape Town,
but lost the two fights that
he was involved in. He is
still involved in kick-box-
ing and USC boxing.
3Alexander is on the
verge of getting
married to his girlfriend
of seven years and is a
born-again Christian who
attends the Central Baptist
Church in Tshwane.
4Such is the football
rivalry in the Alexander
household that while Cole
and his dad are Manches-
ter United fans, his mom
brothers support Liver-
pool. Chaos always breaks
out in their household on
days of the North West
derby!
5Cole’s dad is the coach
of local junior team
Leeds Lentegeur FC, which

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