Farewell to Parker

Probably one of the best young talents in our country as far as strikers are concerned. Bernard Parker is indeed a goal ace. And he has proved this by bagging 10 goals in 15 games early on in the season.

He futher complimented his club performance by delivering the goods for the national team as well. For some odd weird reason - coach Joel Santana still put him on the bench and used him as a "super-sub"....something that still bogles my mind. Now the 23 year-old striker has signed a deal with Serbian club Red Star Belgrade and leaves our shores sometime this week...Is it the right move?Will he still be a formidable force in the Bafana line up?Will he not just pay homage to the thorny issue that SA players fade out once they move to Europe?

I have complete faith and trust in Parker's ability and think despite leaving the Absa Premiership too early - he will still be one hell of a player..!! SO, there you have it....GOOD LUCK Mr. "Goals"....on your new adventure in Serbia.....hope to see you at the Confederations Cup..!!

His agents have defended the move saying: "Just because people (South Africans) are not exposed to leagues from Serbia and other countries besides the English Premiership and Spanish La Liga, does not mean those leagues are not good"....Mike Makaab also said Parker "will be a better player."

What do you think?

I'm officially a fan..!

I can now say I'm officially a fan...For the first time in my entire life I went to the Amakhosi Village (Naturena). I saw the boys hard at work today (Thursday) ahead of their Vodacom Challenge game against Man United.."they are going to trash those English boys"...!!

I grew supporting the mighty Amakhosi but had only seen most of them on TV and at some games I had gone to...but this...is totally awesome for me as I got to rub shoulders with "guys that frustrate me when they loose"....!! WOW..the joy's of being a sports journalist...

Farewell Mr. Parreira..!

I'm sure alot of us have been asking ourselves "Where is our soccer headed"?This, after our national coach Mr. Parreira left us to go home as his wife Leila is sick and he needs to be with her.

Trust me I'm a sensitive guy who understands family and heart issues..but im just wondering, If The Coach earned 1.8m a month..why couldn't he bring his whole family here and live comfortably while still implementing his plans for 2010?

He has had a heart to heart interview with the Sunday Times telling them why he is leaving SA for Brazil and how he might come back to be the Technical adviser of Bafana Bafana..He has also left us in the "capable" hands of Joel Santan..Joel who?Yeah..i know..!!I personally think, Jomo Sono would have been our best bet because he know the culture and the players have respect for him..then again what do i know..Im a Journalist not a soccer coach..!

Apology accepted!!

Orlando Pirates chairman, Irvin Khoza, has apologized for his use of the "K" word at a press conference 2weeks ago. His words: "Stop thinking like a kaffir because you are contriving and misleading about something that is not there" were directed at a black journalist. He was given a week to apologize by the HRC (Human Rights Commission). Khoza has done exactly that by saying that the recent racist video in the UFS has promted him to apologize. He said:"I humbly submit to all South Africans that at no stage did I intend to open the wounds and hurt our people who suffered from racism"...Well, Mr. Khoza, you made the right choice by apologizing in good time and by being the bigger person on this one. South Africans hope that it does not happen again because a man in of your statue can not be saying such demeaning things..TO A JOURNALIST NOGAL?

Reports say that this was Khoza's second apology for his use of the word and he humbled himself to repeat the apology..OK Mr. Khoza, you almost scored an own goal on this one but you redeemed yourself well..!

The balance in Mzantsi

Our soccer needs to find Balance..It is not good for our soccer to hire and fire coaches left right and centre! Ok, maybe Gordon Igesund had to go because there was no consistency in his perfomance as a coach and Mamelodi Sundows are now lying on the 13th spot in the league. This is even though they are considered to be a TOP TEAM..Kaizer Chiefs is down there with them (11th spot), and this can not be good for our soccer especially since the world cup is coming here in 2010..

All I am saying is that we need to find a balance somehow. Asern Wenger and Sir Alex Furgeson have been at Man U and Arsenal respectively for a long time. They did not always win (both of them went for about 4years without wining anything ) but stayed on in their teams..A call for Mzantsi to find a balance and sustain it..!

The Flag: A disgrace to our TRANSFORMATION..!

The Sowetan (11th Feb 2008) showed a picture of the old S.A flag that was paraded in Ghana during the Africa Cup of nations with a Benni McCarthy (who was not even in the squad) poster. How can this be?Haven't we been over this before, I thought S.A was transformed?First Polokwane, then Eskom and load-shedding- now its the S.A flag!Was it done on purpose or was it a pure mistake by the Ghana and S.A officicials alike? BBK (top soccer journalist in SA) said that the country's old flag "Leaves me cold"...It leaves me cold too, not because i hate it but because we are a transformed/transforming nation that deserves to live with the changes we have made to make our country a better place, not the kind of dictatorship apartheid embodied!To me it says that the SAFA big shots were satisfied with the old flag hanging up there for three weeks as our representation for being in Ghana..What did we go to Ghana for?

As if the first round exit in the Nations Cup was not enough...SAFA members have chosen to keep quite about the flag we waved about in Ghana. The boys did OK compared to when they left the tournament without scoring a goal! I think though, that this time around, S.A scored an own goal with the whole old flag thing..! I have to agree with BBK :"The only plausible explanation the duo (Raymond Hack and Molefi Oliphant) could give the nation is that they were walking around Ghana with thier eyes closed while enjoying whatever they went to Ghana for"...this whole situation leaves me feeling like i do not have any clothes on..Almost like my own country has stripped me naked!