What the 2014 Fifa World Cup tells the world - Tiki Taka, Samba are dead and buried.

The 2014 Brazil Fifa World Cup came and went. Germany vanquished all and sundry and made history by becoming the first European country to do in South America. Amongst many firsts and surprises you already know, there was a question of the death of Samba football. Many think it never existed. The claim is that Brazil ever thrived on one many talents (once in a while two or three). The truth of that could be the hosts’ failure to perform without Neymar. The famous 7-1 loss is the tip of that iceberg.  That was supported by Argentina’s lack of sting if Messi got eliminated tactically. In truth, that Argentinian team was below par given an array of talent within the squad. All Germany did, was to eradicate his influence and then pounced and snatched the 2014 World Cup title from under their nose. Enough of the South American disaster.

In this exceptional extravaganza, Tiki Taka football proved dead and buried. When Barcelona failed in the UEFA Champions League and flunked in the L Liga race, alarm bells rang and the flashing lights beaconed. It never made headlines for sentimental reasons, until Spain came and proved the fact. The converted, the believers in the philosophy still think there is life, that it can still be taken to the intensive care unit and be resuscitated. One can be hopeful and claim that Spain were just ‘victory fatigued’.

Barcelona won too much in the last few years, so did Spain. Basically, the two (Barca and Spain) are more or less the same thing. Vicente Del a Bosque lacked motivation. After the 2-10 South Africa Fifa World Cup victory, he should have resigned. The new coach would have inspired the old warhorses. For the glory and employment reasons, he must have stayed, a noble idea. In that case, he should have overhauled that team. Having the World Cup medal, European championship medal, the UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup medal, I would never break a sweat, let alone a leg. Only the foolish would expect that anyway, that is why Spain left early for home.

Italy always present themselves as tough customers in any situation. After the horrible 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa were they were eliminated on the first round, few would bet against their resurgence. They have the quality of Andre Pirlo and Mario Balotelli to name just two. The former champions became the centre of attraction with their football and the discipline and defensive behaviour and pressing of their football godfather, Arrigo Sacchi. The 3-1 loss to Costa Rica embarrassed them, ushering the Azzuri through the shameful exit door for the second World Cup on the trot. It could have been they dwelt much on that, forgot to mould forward movements associated with modern football.

One could argue that Pirlo’s age had adverse effects, but he stood between the Italians and bad defeats many times. One thing best left alone, is the racist Italian football community. Balotelli never got the support of the ball supply needed to make an impact. This is not to say that his blackness had anything to do with it, but with a single quality pass, fortunes could have been changed. One must note that a record equalling 171 goals were scored in Brazil, proving the offensive modern game. Pressing remains the single most important tactic as proven by the champions, Germany.   

English football organisation and preparation proved insufficient. Talent and experience in imbalanced proportions became their downfall. The English Premier League quality came under the microscope. Given the touting as the best league, the team never measured up, neither did any team with a good measure of players plying their trade there. Belgium were one example of a team littered with talent gracing the Backlays English Premier League. They flattered to deceive. Few teams would relish the prospects of facing the team with Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Buckley, Lallana, Bailey and the like. Friendly matches do not demand the best of the teams.

Based on that fact alone, misjudging the capabilities of performance is the biggest setback. That team needed to go through the mill and face adversaries and adversities to mature. Until then, with all the razz mataz of the most watched league in the world, England will remain the laughing stock of the World Cups. Roy Hodgson started an excellent project which I think some else need to take to the next level, and now. One of the best qualities of the Englsih Football Association, is their poor choice of managers. From where I am sitting, they will let Hodgson stick it out, fatally blowing their chances away. As good as he is, he may not have the energy to transmit to the young Three Lions.

African talent counts for nought as maladministration reigns. The worst part of it is that the continent is proud of it. The way the football associations compete to display their folly is mind-boggling. As if that, the duels to portray the incompetence at top level had top prize money, the single mindedness and total focus on self-destruction, generation after generation, cannot be compared with anything in hell or earth. The continent boasts of top athletes in top leagues. These players trade with the best, they compete against the best. To leave their home leagues, they prove to be a cut over the rest. They get exposed to top training methods by the greatest managers of the game. Time and time again, they provide evidence that they can never be intimidated or under-estimated.

All the organisations do, is to prove to them that their overseas statuses mean nothing, that in Africa it is dog eat dog, and if one does not like the heat, they should leave the kitchen. No one is greater than a village donkey and the team listens to one army general, usually the receptionist at the national offices of the association. The lack of understanding that these players need huge insurances in case their careers are compromised, that they need a back-up system to enable them to afford medical treatment and surgery if need be, cause the unnecessary squabbles and in-fighting. The experienced players begin to bully the inexperienced and they pull their weight around. In retaliatory fashion, the young players begin to be selfish for the benefit of their future contracts. The tug-of-war, World Cup after World Cup, leads to one thing and one thing only – embarrassment.

How Fifa does not intervene, I do not know. I guess they do not care as long as Africans skin each other. What should happen, is the sanctions against teams behaving in that manner, for bringing the beautiful game into disrepute. In other words, ban the associations, the leadership and the countries from participating in the next two or three World Cups. By the same token, the ill-disciplined players holding the countries at ransom, should never have their big team contracts sanctioned. Such moves would be serious food for thought, if they affected big brothers in Europe and less so in South America. Probably you could be asking where they would get money and insurance to pay the mega stars. If one leads an organisation and they have no plan, they should leave their jobs. What does it profit an organisation to have a blind tour guide?

Many should have shared the revered blueprint of Germany success. The youth policy whose philosophy leads to national team football, is actually inverse. The national team philosophy is played throughout Bundesliga 6-9 (amateurs) as, of course from Bundesliga 1-5 (professionals). The schools follow the same. Actually, all football is played to produce the cup won on the 13^th of July 2014 in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium. Many countries try to do that, but the quantity of perfection is the difference. Few elements add up and the end product is there to see.

We wish to hear your thoughts and we next check on the football trends observed in Brazil.

Brazil braze Bafana, but why?

To cut the long story short, Robin Williams ahead of Senzo Meyiwa was gigantic mistake. A rookie to the deep end against five times FIFA World Cup champions is a huge risk that can make or break someone. If he does well, Amen, but as it turns out as it did, what next for the Supersport United goalkeeper and the Bafana coaches? What do they do with him now?

The long version: From the days of the flamboyant players like Doctor Khumalo, Augustine Makhalakhalane, David Nyathi, Sizwe Motaung and Ace Khuse just to name a few, when the momentum of the infertile ‘shoe-shine’ piano that was created in the apartheid era as just pure entertainment for the black oppressed propelled the South African football, no further attempt was made to right the wrong of the ill-development of the sport of the marginalised. That excitement took over the game completely as the false sense of security of class was nursed by the victories in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and the subsequent qualifications to the FIFA World Cups and other AFCONs. All people failed to see that it was nothing but pride, black magic and the bitter-sweet reaction of the sudden taste of political freedom. The early successes were purely a case of a poor man suddenly getting a million bucks without any plan or budget.

I must say that at one point during the apartheid era, there were junior leagues from the under-8 age group going up. This was for the few elite groups like Greeks, Portuguese and other privileged white groups who had funds to entertain themselves and the townships and remote areas did not enjoy the privilege. The blacks sharing the table with these societies partook in these as an extension of gratitude and courteousness as it is rude to have a meal while someone is watching.

The true rainbow colours of the South African football were exposed when push came to shove as the weaknesses of the game were laid bare gradually until the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For starters, there is not much football development going at any level since the many coaches from Carlos Queirros to Carlos Alberto Perreira made proposal after proposal for the youth and reserve leagues to run. The issue is that there is too much money in the South African game, and too much of everything is bad. Too much interest is placed on first team football and no one entertains any distractions of developing youth football. It is time consuming and physically and mentally taxing.

Big clubs have what they call ‘development sides’ but not much attention is given to the player development detail and the execution of the plans in relation to the clubs’ first team football. The lack of philosophies for each club is easily visible as they cut and chop their technical teams at the drop of a hat. There is no football culture. As a result, no loyalty to the club is taken seriously unless one is talking of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates or Bloemfontein Celtics. For a country thought to be football crazy, it is a great shame that teams like Mpumalanga Black Aces among many, play home matches in front of just hundreds of fans unless they play Chiefs or Pirates. That is ridiculous. Where are the home-town heroes? I must say I actually like the 'shoe-shine' piano and think it could be a brand of football that would be South African trademark if done properly.

Each town should have its junior league with the residential areas contributing the young players and their community rallying behind the boys who they see growing up in the game. These players grow up to be home town heroes and all the people will see them grow and mature to be great national team players. The school football league should be very visible and serious provincially and nationally. One does not expect that to be in the same league as the college sports in the United States of America but that is the idea. The rugby fraternity do well in this aspect and have the Varsity Cup which football is trying to emulate. In the States, because of the local lads, the college sports are far more popular than the professional leagues because of the catchment areas of the athletes.

Across the northern border in Zimbabwe, where the ABSA Premier League always poached their best players since the days of George Nechironga, Gilbert Mushangazhike, the Mugeyi and Mbizo brothers, Ian Gorowa, Tauya Murehwa, Cleopas Dlodlo, Robson Mtshitshwa, Innocent Chikoya, Alois Bunjira, Thulani Ncube, Stewart Murisa, Adam Ndlovu, Nelson Bandura, Engelbergt Dhina and Benjamin Mwaruwaru, to the times of Tinashe Nengomashe, Cheche Billiart and Knowledge Musona to name a few, these players were identified at schools tournaments called NASH (a national association of schools) as well as others like the Peter Ndlovu Youth Tournament to name two. The organisation of these games is an on-going process and is a machine that produced all the big names including Peter Ndlovu, Adam Ndlovu and Benjamin Nkonjera among many. At one point, these school tournament winners went overseas further exposing them to the global game. The school league matches attract a lot of attention and interest all the time.

In all the league and Cup matches, there are always curtain raisers where youth teams and reserve sides play each other before main matches. In earlier years, as early as the gates opened around 09:00 hours on matches days, people would be thronging the stadium gates to enter and watch the young under 13 players and then the under 15, 17, 19 and the reserve sides. From that early age, budding stars would be noticed by coaches and fans and many people would even skip the main matches after watching the upcoming players. On other weekends, the fans would track their young heroes to smaller football grounds to enjoy these matches as they were free and entertaining, and risk being late for the big matches. The obvious advantages are that the coaches and people know their heroes and want to follow them. The young players grow knowing the pressure of big match fever and subsequently, they easily cope well under pressure and deal better with fame.

In South Africa, the big matches are never preceded by juniors or reserve sides. There are no curtain raisers, save for once in a blue moon Masters' games that are puled up as publicity stunts. Zimbabwe did all this youth development with very limited resources and became a South Africa league feeder base for many years. This kind of youth development could easily be implemented, instead of the fancy and complex projects that are one day wonders. A sustained player manufacturing factory demands the inception of the programs at village level and high density locations as well as schools.

It may be difficult to think and work along those lines. An easy and fast way to bypass a process that may be tedious for the football administrators, is to outsource this service to the experienced neighbours. South Africa needs to invest in the football projects in Zimbabwe. After all, the coaching in that country is top notch as many of them plied their trade here including Roy Barretto who won the championship with the Bucs, Shepherd Murape and Sunday Chidzambwa, though I must admit the facilities in some areas will need a lot of attention. That can be arranged though as part of the package can be the upgrade of facilities that the Zimbabweans can use after the partnerships are over. It is actually a long term strategy but the bosses must start to engage and think with their kidneys.

The dire need to correct the natural state of affairs in the short term calls for drastic recruitment of the entire Nigerian under 20 team that won the FIFA Under -20 World Cup in the UAE in 2013 and take them to the Home Affairs office to give them citizenship before they turn out for the Super Eagles. I am not aware of their source of prowess, although it should not be different from what the Ghanaians do. In Ghana, the process of development is well documented and well maintained. This dates back to the days Carlos Alberto Perreira when he started his career after he spent time as a fitness trainer. 

This will not be the first time that players and athletes are given citizenship for their protagonist talents. Many Kenyans and Ethiopians compete for adopted countries like The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and other Scandinavian countries. Mario Balottelli is of Ghanaian origin. We all remember France's Zinedine Zidane who has Algerian links. The now feared Belgian team comprises of Moruane Fellaine of Morocco, Mousa Dembele (Mali), Romeo Lukaku and Vincent Kompany (Congo) to name a few just for an idea. In Poland, a few years back, a team won promotion to the first Division and the directors flew to Brazil and brought 16 players. Bafana need 20 players and there will be nothing amiss about romping in the junior World Cup champions.

As we all know, this record 5-0 defeat to Brazil was never an event. It has long been coming and small flukes here and there, including one recent against Spain must never let people think all is well, or as they say, rest on their laurels, neither should Gordon Igesund be blamed as has been the case with all the coaches we hired and fired for the country’s incompetence in developing quality players. 

Bafana Bafana must hit the goal spot

Watching Saturday night's Bafana date with the Algerians, it was not really that cosy romantic outing, as rubbery as it was. The hosts flirted well but the Arabs did not buy it. South Africa managed to dig deeper into a cocky situation that is desperate. Precisely, when it mattered, they failed to hit the spot.

As hosts, they have a free ticket to the tournament as well as having a new coach in Gordon Igesund, a few  warm-up matches old already, the expectations of doing well on the basis of the latest shows sends chills down my spine. They played a goalless warm-up match against the North Africans ranked second on the continent after their loss to Norway just days ago.

A draw following a loss is an improvement. Referees being less sympathetic following SAFA 'match-fixing scandals' make it an uphill task for the home country. While there were deserved penalty situation, the officials looked the other way. The bottom line, Bafana failed to do what championship contenders do; to convince themselves, the officials and the crowd that they are championship material.

For that to happen, Katlego Mashego and Tokello Rantjie have to score and not just once. They must do better than their displays so far. Bernard Parker, again, Shabba and Yeye must be more creative and ruthless.

The midfield has to work hard to close down attacks and make Bafana very hard to beat while being creative to open up opposition. There is not much time to sort that out. Judging by the recent inconsistency, playing the next six matches without a loss does not sound realistic and that would be fatal for the local game. Actually, scoring a goal in the next match is but a hope.

It is no brainer that the game of football presents us with similar supernatural trends in leagues and sometimes globally over certain weekends. One weekend or so in a year, we get all fixtures drawn, some weekends there are huge scores and in others, the ball just won't get into the net.

There are single matches that we witness and one gets assured that they will never produce a goal even if played for the duration of our lifetime. At least with Bafana, they threaten more with every match. Thinking like Igesund, a man does not enter the arena and climax, or should not. This patriotic optimism is built on emotion and hope.

When facing journalists, the coach puts up a brave face and assures the nations that 'cometh the moment, cometh Bafana'. Behind closed doors and in the dressing room, I guess he is banging the doors and keeping the water bottles, curses and swears. With clenched fists, he pounds the walls and rants his garments. What the team needs to do now, is to save him the blushes. Bafana must play to appease him. They may not have it in their feet and brains, but then, it must come from the heart.

As a football loving nation known for spectacular stadium shows and passion, they owe it to the fans. Following a mind blowing 2012 South Africa Fifa World Cup display on and off the pitch, the impromptu Africa Cup of Nations presents an opportunity for a better spectacle, again, on and off the pitch.

The difference is how the run-up to the tournament was positive then and lacklustre now. It was bigger nations then and smaller ones now. It was Carlos Alberto Perreira then and Igesund now. It was a mediocre run then and it will be better now.

A few days before meeting Carpe Verde in the opening match of the tournament, the South African hitmen are aware their preparation are nothing if they are linient and goal shy. There are no prizes for guessing that their priority will be to hit that goal spot. Ayihlomi' hlasele! 

Cry the beloved Orlando Pirates

The home advantage myth suffocates football progress perennially. The recent ousting of Orlando Pirates from the Africa Champions League by the Angolan champions is the latest example. Home advantage is not an advantage. It must be made such.

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana‘s failure to participate in the AFCON 2012 was a

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result of thinking the home ground scores goals for the hosts. Both situations were repeats. The teams approach matches with an attitude of getting one result here and finishing it off there.

I coached teams that suffered the same fate. The amount of complacency in the technical department and the players can be annoying. Experience would have taught many clubs, but, year in and year out, the story is the same.

Football never responds to muti or juju anymore. Bafana turned on the style during the Confederations Cup and lulled in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. All African teams thought playing on the continent was a license to the Cup. Save for hosting,South Africa have a tall order to participate at any stage on merit.

The problems lie with the administrative and operational attitudes. The developmental structures are tertiary worries of the industry. The slide in the packing order is accelerated by easy targets from Zimbabwe. The northern neighbours are not even benefitting from dominating the ABSA Premier League.

The Zambians garnered enough experience to go on and win the AFCON. It would be mischief to say they must be thankful to South Africa, as some alluded. Chipolopolo had hearts of oak and the fighting spirit of a buffalo mother.

The South African league is not in the Top 10 leagues in Africa, thanks to the performance of Supersport in previous Africa Champions League and Orlando Pirates in 2012. The league lost the two spots to Zimbabwe who benefitted on the exploits of Dynamos in previous years. The Castle Premier Leagueranks higher than the ABSA Premiership.

The north and western African countries dominated these competitions at club levels and then their national teams bullied the south of the Sahara. To restore order, Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns,Supersport United and Kaizer Chiefs must find it worthwhile to play to win these Cups. The domestic league and Cups must be lucrative enough.

Maybe after all the troubles of fixtures, travelling and competing outside the borders, whatever price tag is on the prize is not worth the sweat to the club bosses. That affects the clubs themselves, the nations and the continent.

If players get paid well in their clubs, good business practise would dictate wasting fewer resources on futile continental commitments and national duties. This is great for their families and national teams suffer. Africa will remain a laughing-stock, but tho cares about Africa!

As for the Buccaneers, they did not defend at all when playing at the Orlando Stadium. The game became a proper match in Angola, but their fate was already sealed. Is there a chance they will make the cut next year? Time will tell, but given their erratic domestic form, only die-hard fans will put their treasured private tools on the vice.

From this desk, we can only say, ‘God willing’.

Some football lingo to take to the pub

Without trying to put the race issue to debate, there is a dilemma on which meaning 'Suarez' should take. Until now, being 'Suarezed' meant an irreversible and unfair advantage gained by one by unscrupulous means. This followed the way Luis Suarez stopped a last minute goal bound shot by hands in a quarter-final match against Ghana in the FIFA 2010 South Africa World Cup.  

Being de-Jonged is synonymous with a proverbial body blow is one's affairs after the infamous Nigel de Jong's FIFA 2010 South African World Cup final wild kick at an opponent's mid torso.

Let's get a little serious though. Football language is a little technical sometimes and even accomplished coaches get tongue-tied once in a while. Here is a few things to know to take your local coach off-guard or to earn yourself a drink from a friend.

Technique is the commonly used technical term is football nowadays, having overtaken the term 'skill'. Soon you will see why. The natural gift of a player is the basis of the term. It covers everything the player does with the ball. It is often defined as the relationship between the two. Some examples here would include ball control, heading, passing, running with the ball and shooting. 

In earlier days, this was referred to as skill. To many, it is still the same, only that the other is not preferred. This is not so. Skill will be the performance of technique under pressure. The ability to get out of trouble in tight conditions. This can loosely be dribbling, shooting and the like. One must be careful to leave that obvious but invisible line.

Tactics would be a whole subject that would need a day to dissect. In general terms, it refers to the relationship of one player with others, but as we will soon see, it is split into many aspects that may not necessarily involve team-mates. Mostly, it will be a situation without the ball, but not always as we will get to that.

There is individual tactics, group tactics, departmental tactics and team tactics. Individual tactics will be instructions given to a player concerning where to go and where not to go as well as when. It may be simple tasks with the ball, like playing a free-kick, penalty-kick, goal-kick, corner-kick or even a throw in. It could just be the goalkeeping issue.

As you have already rightly suspected, free-kicks that may involve 2 or more players fall into the group tactics. The same goes for corner-kicks and the like - to say who positions himself where and why. The departmental tactics may involve the penetrative runs of attackers, or the way defenders must behave and so forth. Team tactics will also depend on the general picture involving every one, say in a Cup match played over two legs. Total defensive behaviour may be required, so players may be requested to play zonal marking.

Zonal marking is another term that can earn you money. There is a loose understanding of this phrase. In contrast with man-to-man marking, where each players may be concerned with marking an opponent, zonal marking means 'only marking of players entering certain zones'. You can opt to  withdraw to the centre line every time you lose possession and wait for the opposition to come, or it could be the defending third.

The most common things coaches and media people do, is to mark the field with invisible borders. The common one is the defending, midfield and attacking thirds which cut the length of the pitch. There is more thirds than that. Smart coaches know how to mark longitudinally. Viewed from one's own keeper, there is the right, centre and left channels.

Then, on the same note, there is this expensive piece of information. These channels will depict the game or match strong sides. This depends on the number of players in each one of these channels. Watching any match, this phenomenon changes like Christmas tree lights. The concept as you may be getting it now, is determined by the ball movement.

If the ball moves to the far right corner, like flies to sewer, players get attracted to that part of the field, even those not partaking in the action, due to their interest, they shift towards that channel. The channel with the most number of people becomes the strong channel. Tactically, the prudent thing to do in winning the ball from that situation is to switch play to the weaker channel and counter attack.

Counter attack is normally known as a fast break after gaining possession. In proper football terms, it is only a counter attack if it is executed in 7 seconds or less, or in less than 5 passes. I was still interested in channels and the ball.

If you are defending, the natural instinct is to stay between the ball and the goal. For the defending player, he is referred to as being goal-side of the ball. The attacker becomes ball-side of the goal.  Sorry to mess up your mind. That is why you are not a coach.

Anyway, take an attacking player, at the right flank. Naturally, he has a goal-post nearer to him, normally referred to as the near post. To be a little sophisticated, it is permissible if you said that it is the first post, or primary post. The far post, by deduction, becomes the second or secondary post.

While with the same visual still in your head, the attacker's intention is always to deliver the cross in an area at the far post. This area should be not overlap much past the post and should be far away from the goalkeeper's command. You have landed in the 'prime target area'. At this area, many goals have been scored due to the traffic having been concentrating on the stronger channel ignoring the prime target area. Clever attackers will always  lurk on the blind side to surprisingly pop in with a goal.

This presents to you the 'prime scoring area' but as you may realise, it is purely statistical. One way of seeing a tactically aware wing defender, they ensure they can always see the ball and see the man so that as the ball is in flight to the prime target area, they follow the movement with quick little steps. And so does the goalkeeper.

FIFA, money, grass and roots

  
FIFA President, Joseph Blatter has offered to resign in 2014 if re-elected. In other words, he must be re-elected at all costs in June 2011. Less serious is the fact that if not re-elected, he will not quit. Then, there must be another no fly zone declared until he goes.

Talking about costs, FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke announced on Monday in Johannesburg, South Africa, that due to a very successful South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup, member associations in Africa will pocket US$800, 000 bonus each from the federation and a further annual US$250, 000 development grant.

He explained how good business it was doing business in the jungle of Africa, calling it 'a huge success from all fronts' and 'was not the financial failure that some people claimed it would be.' It is a welcome gesture to see the money being planted back to African football development.

It is traditional that the money will be channelled towards the development of football at grassroots level. The issue here will be the channelling. Usually it gets tunnelled in bottomless pits and develops into 'insufficient funds' projects that turn into white elephants. These elephants should actually be termed black since they are the Dark Continent species.

In the process, there is always great desire to fund football development from grassroots by African associations. Usually, there is no grass to see here. Football is always done on rock-hard surfaces. Villages and academies have been claimed to be 'on schedule' being developed. I think this is where the trick is. They are always at root level.

FIFA has done a great job in getting this money into capable hands, as you and I would blow it away overnight buying football equipment. We would probably get rooted into projects that generate interest among the youth too quickly due to lack of red-tape, but then, you need roots to establish a very strong base for any foundation, like building a house on a rock and not sand.

Could Sepp be trying to buy Africa votes here, or Valcke fancies himself a successor in the FIFA presidency?

Shappa Buccaneer

Football is coming home. South Africa will the 2017 African Nations Cup tournament, after hosting the successful 2010 FIFA World Cup and still hope to host 2014 FIFA World Club Championship as well as the FIFA U-20 Youth and FIFA Women U-20 tournaments. Bidding is one thing and hosting, another.

The real deal is that Orlando Pirates are the top team in the ABSA Premier League after a 2-0 victory over Free State Stars at Botshabelo Stadium.The Happy People were made happy by speedy Tlou Segolela in the first half. Andile Jali scored the second late in the second half.

Kaizer Chiefs had a comfortable 3-1 win courtesy of Siphiwe Tshabalala who scored twice, after having spent days overseas hunting for English football contracts. Chiefs moved to 2^nd behind The Sea Robbers with this win over Maritzburg United at the FNB Stadium.

Jose Mourinho on Coach of The Year; 'Give it to me' and he is right

The year is drawing to an end and I have good memories of the 2010 football, especially the FIFA World Cup. The controversies of the tournament led me to write one article in which I suggested FIFA should abolish offside rule altogether among other laws. One reader made the best comment ever on the story. 'My bro, you are going crazy now, you are losing it. I am serious'. That is my highlight of the year.

Talking of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Spain were victors without playing much football. Their first and second round encounter were lucky affairs that showed much fatigue on the part of the Barcelona contingent that made the bulk of the players. It was a breathe of fresh air to see the traditional owners of the Cup, Brazil and Germany, to some extent, Argentina, France and Italy were not even in the final.

Spain were coached by Vicente del Bosque. He proved to be a good tactician and though a little boring for a conductor of orchestra, he won the FIFA World Cup. Spain did not a perfect record but achieved the objective. Among the contenders of the Coach of the Year, is Carlo Ancelotti of Chelsea, Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Pep Guardiola of Barcelona.

Jose Mourinho wants it and has openly said, 'Give it to me'. This is why. At Inter Milan, he won the ultimate national cup, the national league and the European championship. He did that is style. Basically, he won everything there was for him to win. He ran out of competitions to win and did not have competitors at all. That puts him on top, whether you like him or not.

What exactly is Ibumba International Festival?

Introduction

Ibumba International Festival is an innovative programme which will see football and the arts come together to engage young people families and the community at large. The usually large annual gathering and engagements of arts, culture, theatre and football is set to finish the festival in a social manner. The event will take place on the morning and afternoon of Wednesday 22 December 2010.

History of Football at Ibumba

This high quality programme is part of Ibumba International Festival which was founded as "Ibumba Winter Festival" by the world travelled Siyaya Arts in 1996 as a way and means of giving back to the community their skills, expertise, successes and experiences. The name "Ibumba", meaning the "clay used to mould" was adopted as it reflects the spirit of which the founders strive, i.e. building a tomorrow for the arts, today. It is their continual belief that the festival will help to mould a future for the arts by impacting the individual, the family, the community, the country, Africa and the world. The festival strongly supports the work of local artists and the community as they continually allocate local artists and productions prime performance spaces even when they have international participation. Since inception, the festival has been primarily funded by Siyaya Arts through performances, sometimes with minimal support from the corporate world and donor world.

The Festival The Players

Invitations have already been sent to 8 different area/sector teams in Bulawayo. The defending champions, Team Makokoba are expected to give the aspiring teams a torrid time. Team Nguboyenja, Team Barbourfields and Team Mzilikazi will be looking to close loopholes that saw them lose out the last time around. Newcomers, Team Njube and surroundings and Team Nkulumane and Nketa are expected to come to add the flavour. They are known to have the talent that will keep fans entertained and even challenge for the honours. Of course, Team Artists and Team Media appear underdogs on paper, but then football is not played on paper. You will also remember how many artists and media personnel could have easily became professional footballers. Ezrom Nyandoro, Zimbabwe Warriors and Mamelodi Sundowns performed arts for Siyaya as a youngster 14 years ago.  

A community team has been tasked with the effort of putting together and registering a pool of 25 players per team to play in the festival tournament. The games will be open to anyone regardless of sex, age and profession as long as the players are willing to play as a team for social purposes and abide by the festival rules which will strongly based on the general FIFA football rules. Teams will also pay a nominal non-refundable registration fee of $20 per team. Organisers are also having finishing touches on a delicious list of prizes that will be announced on the Ibumba Festival website http://www.ibumbafestival.com/ when the programme is released.

The 2010 Festival Theme – "LOL"

 LOL. Laugh out loud? Yes, here it is but "Live Out Loud" Asked about the idea, Simon Mambazo Phiri of Siyaya Arts, the brains behind 2010 Ibumba Festival said, "This is an expression of the way we expect our work, audiences, partners and the community to blossom as we aid the regeneration and branding of Zimbabwe and take a role in confirming that it is Time for Africa. This theme will be used to maximise freedom of expression as anything 'said out loud' has a bigger chance of being heard. We will shout out, and  loudly" Already the publicity of the event is loud and they say the music will even be louder and the festival will be embracing for all and sundry. Unless you will be watching football anywhere else, here it will also play a role in making the noise for sure.

2010 Team Menu

The last two editions of the festival has seen football being played and special 2010 edition honours the historic first ever Africa hosted FIFA World Cup and comes in with promises of an improved programme of the world's beautiful game. Previous plans and executions will be retained and improved and the main focus is to make football part of the festival. As we "Live out Loud" at Ibumba 2010 we look forward to making the games more exciting and friendly.

Football matches were first played in 2008 at Robert Tredgold where four teams of Artists were drawn to play for the ultimate prize of a Floating Shield and some prize money. 2009 saw four teams consisting Siyaya Artists, Team Makokoba, Team Mzilikazi and Team Barbourfields and the games were played at Ross Camp and the Shield and prize went to Team Makokoba

 Your Support

Such a huge and world class event will attract global attention. An exclusive commercial sponsorship package is being offered to all to consider being a partner or sponsor of Ibumba Festival Football Tournament and be associated with the festival’s diverse aspects, which are multi-cultural, inter-disciplinary, inter-racial, inter-sexual, celebratory and above all, community oriented. The generosity of the corperate world, individuals and well wishers will go a long way in making the block blaster of a show into a wild minster entertainment extravaganza.

The hire of Ross Camp Stadium is $100.00 while security will cost $200.00 to make it a truly save family environment. The match official fees will be $200.00 as it is intended to make football matches both entertainment and value with professionalism. At this point, prizes and awards are expected to be around $800.00 while balls and nets will take $100.00 of the budget. With a transport budget of $200.00, the minimum total sponsorship of $1600,00 is sought from all those who can help. More can be done for the benefit of the community. The sponsors and advertisers will be given publicity on this blog as well. 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Asked about what exactly they expect from the sponsors, Mbazo said, "We are very flexible in our approach and welcome any new and interesting suggestions with regards to partnerships provided that they are in keeping with the ethos of the festival and add value to our event." He said they have in place an immediate decision making capacity on anything that people may require in terms of ideas or information, adding, "There are a number of different ways in which we see partnerships working but these are by no means set in stone and we are prepared to negotiate with interested parties at any time. Our door is always open." He expressed how keen they were to engage many stakeholders. Their biggest wish is that the partnerships they set up in 2010 are for the long term rather than simply for the 2010 event as this enables them to keep the momentum going.

What Sponsors Can Expect

Ibumba International Festival are prepared to offer promotional opportunity in return for various levels of spend or in-kind support like branding and naming rights for the whole football tournament, branding, logos and web addresses on all flyers produced and distributed throughout Bulawayo (via venues, tourist racks, shops, restaurants etc), via door drops to targeted households in the townships and suburbs, branding and web links within the official festival programme (as long as the partnership is confirmed before going to print) as well as logos and mentions on the Partners page on the www.ibumbafestival.com website plus addition of a direct link from the festival website and reference on their sister sites at www.sabelamusic.com and the www.siyaya-arts.com site. They will also be mentions in national media coverage through their media partners and through theirr press campaigns and mutual e-mailer to their client databases of over 5000 addresses to announce the partnership.  

Conclusion


Also in the package is the tickets for hospitality and reduced price ticket offers for partners' own clients for other festival events. This list is not exhaustive and other suggestions can be discussed depending on your funding and desires. They offer an excellent opportunity for strong brand promotion and involvement in a niche arts market which targets and involves the young as well as the established artists and audiences. Ibumba Festival Community Football Tournament is an opportunity for artists, the young and families to create a unique home grown community engagement project, and a chance for companies and businesses to engage corporate sponsorship.

As you go to the arts and theatre festival and enjoy the diski, remember to make a difference in the community you so much love, but not for just your self, but for those growing up so they can have the same or even better opportunities that you had in times gone by. Wishing you a "Loud Festival" at Ibumba 2010! See you there.  

What exactly is wrong with our clever selves?

Today America votes. It takes one Republican president 8 years to destroy US, and Americans think it will take one Democratic president 2 years to repair the damage. They over-rate Obama. I guess it's the same as if it takes 8 monkeys to cross the Atlantic ocean 2 nights, then 2 monkeys will take 8 nights. The good thing is that dolphins don't have to vote. They would reason that the Republicans brought USA to its knees, hence it will take the Republicans to lift the US out. Elephants would really remember who got them there and they would not tolerate the small of whoever is responsible for their demise. There is this animal whose memory is so short it cannot count to 4. After hitting 3, it draws a blank. Which of the animals will vote today? That is why I am not a politician. I just don't get these things. Anyway...

Football is not divorced from politics. Nigerians got their feet tangled in the sport and FIFA banned them from international competition. It was always the desire of the government to see the national association stops the participation in football until the Nigerian Football Association house was in order. A few issues were thrown in and then it seems like after some manipulation somewhere, FIFA lifted the ban and Nigerian football will continue to nose-dive down. I can confirm they are not dealing with the far east betting syndicates. I urge you not to put your money on that one.

The Zimbabwe Warriors' coach, Tom Saintfeit will be keeping his fingers crossed hoping to hear the out-come of his work-permit application outcome next week. Given the relationship of this guy with a convicted criminal who threw matches, it is hoped he is clean. His appointment coincided with investigation of that national association bosses into the betting scandals with the Malaysian guys. Saintfeit has to work magic if he gets his permit. If he doesn't, I guess he will be earning his monies as he is the current employee of the association. His players are tainted with syndicate dollars and at least the government has promised not to interfere or prosecute the guilty ones. This makes me think that Zimbabwe and Nigeria should exchange governments. Africa is indeed a very interesting place and this may happen in a matter of hours.

The one time weird story that kept the impatient South Africans almost toyitoying was the appointment of their national coach after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. When the national association hired the $250 000 per month earning Carlos Alberto Parreira, they asked him to set up structures and recommendation to develop the game as a lasting legacy. He was to recruit and nurture one local coach to take over after he was gone. When he left, SAFA were going to interview candidates for the national team job. They have not implemented any of the the Brazilians recommendations that included junior league for under 19 players, reserve team league or even the quota of foreign players. The truth is that South Africa will hire someone sometime and ask him for recommendations and he will tell them the story they do not want to hear and then he will be fired. Now that Pitso Mosimane is the boss, usually that guy comes in as an unsolicited 'advisor' who eventually operates as a smooth criminal to 'hit' a coup.

The story is more or less in Botswana, where coach Stanley Tshosane has made a minor country into an overnight giant after the Zebras made Tunisia and Togo bite the dust in the 2012 AFCON qualifiers. Zimbabwe tasted the same dust in a friendly. Tshosane's job security is as safe as the gold bar covered by half a layer of a domestic spider's web. I guess they also want Tom Saintfeit, in which case, since he is lodging in their backyard, they can ask him to coach at night while his work permit is being sorted out.

My point actually, was the fact that Madinda Ndlovu will coach the Warriors in a friendly in Maputo soon. Ndlovu was given charge with Norman Mapeza the last time the national team was on duty. Ben Moyo delivered the message to the players that Mapeza will assist Ndlovu. As if the Belgian's departure after the immigration people showed him the border gate, the national association came back to tell the players how much a lier Moyo was. He addressed the players to say that the 2 coaches were in the government of national unity under a global football agreement. The confused players could not even see where the goals were on match day.

At this point, since it is just a friendly against Mozambique, Ndlovu is the coach and the bosses are still to come and tell players the match for money or that Saintfeit has come and will be assistant to Madinda. Do not rule out a foreign assistant coach. Crazier things have happened, and more are coming.

Rest in ring pieces Paul.

One of the best things about this blog is the fact that it sends only positive vibes about life. For a moment I will have to musk that trademark tradition with the best excuse of the year, for everything ranging from football to the sin of illicit cohabitation, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I will talk of fishy death, but first the other symbol of the world cup.

South Africa had the most comprehensive bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was eventually hosted by Germany after some scandal equivalent to the selling of the 2018-2022 bid votes currently under investigation by FIFA. An Oceania non-cast vote from a New Zealander called Damn C resulted in Mzansi losing the vital spot. At that point, South Africa had shown it was more than ready to host the world showcase.

An even better bid plan was presented 2 years later and justice was meted and sanity prevailed. After all was said and done, the 2010 FIFA World Cup came amid all negative news about strikes, incomplete stadia construction, crime, inability of a black man to organise, cannibalism as well as short time expensive love on the streets of Jozi. A few journos had to go around looking for crime and very few were successful in finding it. As soon as the first whistle was blown, one cunning South African hater of the beautiful game made noise like a monkey that had picked up a whistle and the world caught the fever; iVuvuzela.

After all the noise and doubts about the Africans inability to organise the world's biggest show, all everyone could fault the continent's character was a Chinese plastic horn that cost less than $2,00 at the beginning of the tournament. It went on to cost $20,00 during and after. So grief stricken was the world that South Africa put up a show and a half, that every other confederation and association banned the instrument that makes far less noise than a Formula One car. No one is asking a soul to accept the vuvuzela and one commentator even tried to twist things and called it a 'vevezuela'. After all, it is not easy to blow. Anyway, there was satisfaction that the symbol of the African World Cup does not overshadow anything else anywhere.

Last week, the custodians of the instrument, the South African football lovers stooped to a low that could have had the world grinning ear to ear. Two mischievous Kaizer Chiefs fans failed to blow the Vuvuzela and decided to dump it on the field of play. Luckily, as we all know how much Zulus like meat, a Shaka descendant was disgusted at the site of this huge vegetable ball and he also dumped it in the field of play. The South Africa Premier Soccer League threatened to ban the vuvuzela and not the cabbage. To me, given my meaty background, a cabbage is a symbol of poverty which must be totally banned.

Owing to a special place in our hearts, the Vuvuzela can never be banned. Whatever the reason that led to the vuvuzela turning into a missile, you can rest assured it was the last you saw of it. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will ever be remembered for that horny instrument. It would have been so sad to see the legacy of the historic football event being eroded by 2 Amakhosi fans. The Chiefs boss, Kaizer, apologised and stated such will not be tolerated and must stop forthwith.

The South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup legacy instrument, was hand and glove with a mollusk of the deep seas, but then, a very sad and new chapter in our lives after the epic event hit the world early this week as well. As popular as the vuvuzela, Paul the Octopus rocked the world by random 'predictions' of match outcomes. He had an excellent report card scoring over 90 % success in his career as a 'chancerer'. The mollusk died after its 2 year life span his the mark. For the rest of the world, they mourned the 'hero' of the world cup and for some of us, we are going for calamari this weekend. If you are lucky to be served Paul's brains, it may be your chance to predict the Brazil world cup results, unless the Zimbabwe Warriors are involved. Then you may need to speak Malay or Thai to break into the match betting syndicates.

Rest in ring pieces Paul. 

FIFA over the Top?

The biggest news of the week, albeit on a negative note is Nigel De Jong's sliding tackle on Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa's standing left leg in City's 2-1 Premier League victory on Sunday. Ben Arfa now requires surgery and Newcastle are stroking the FA  to punish the Dutchman whose coach backed him as a good professional and national coach, Bert van Marwijk has dropped him out of  his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden this week.

Nigeria qualified for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup being coached by a local coach. They were playing good football, well, that is why they qualified anyway. The Nigeria Football Association replaced the good local with a bad foreign coach who made the team play rubbish. They were an embarrassment to Africa and their nationals. The government could not deal with the bitter taste of events in their mouths and rightly suspended the team from competing for 2 years.

FIFA threatened to endorse the decision by banning the Nigerian football indefinitely. The government must have been happy with that FIFA decision but surprisingly, the politicians developed cold feet and reneged on the threat which they actually withdrew. I am not sure why. Nigeria played really badly during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With that kind of unfootballness of the national association both suspension should be enforced and not run concurrently.

FIFA made very sensible decision, only they were to eager to poke their nose. They should have let the government's ban run and then enforce theirs, and that is exactly what the country and many other African states need. Sanity must prevail so people can take the game seriously. FIFA's bans will usually run until the political interference is over. Well, they try to be hard while being soft and that is exactly what we get. These guys must get a working game plan.

Let's get back to the game. Kevin Davies of Bolton Wanderers is one of the most consistent strikers that I truly love. His injury bug is a major drawback for this workaholic. His English squad call up is well overdue and it is good that he will be rewarded. But is he going to baby sit youngsters that Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott and David Johnson or he will actually represent?

FIFA over the Top?

The biggest news of the week, albeit on a negative note is Nigel De Jong's sliding tackle on Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa's standing left leg in City's 2-1 Premier League victory on Sunday. Ben Arfa now requires surgery and Newcastle are stroking the FA  to punish the Dutchman whose coach backed him as a good professional and national coach, Bert van Marwijk has dropped him out of  his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden this week.

Nigeria qualified for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup being coached by a local coach. They were playing good football, well, that is why they qualified anyway. The Nigeria Football Association replaced the good local with a bad foreign coach who made the team play rubbish. They were an embarrassment to Africa and their nationals. The government could not deal with the bitter taste of events in their mouths and rightly suspended the team from competing for 2 years.

FIFA threatened to endorse the decision by banning the Nigerian football indefinitely. The government must have been happy with that FIFA decision but surprisingly, the politicians developed cold feet and reneged on the threat which they actually withdrew. I am not sure why. Nigeria played really badly during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With that kind of unfootballness of the national association both suspension should be enforced and not run concurrently.

FIFA made very sensible decision, only they were to eager to poke their nose. They should have let the government's ban run and then enforce theirs, and that is exactly what the country and many other African states need. Sanity must prevail so people can take the game seriously. FIFA's bans will usually run until the political interference is over. Well, they try to be hard while being soft and that is exactly what we get. These guys must get a working game plan.

Let's get back to the game. Kevin Davies of Bolton Wanderers is one of the most consistent strikers that I truly love. His injury bug is a major drawback for this workaholic. His English squad call up is well overdue and it is good that he will be rewarded. But is he going to baby sit youngsters that Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott and David Johnson or he will actually represent?

FIFA over the Top?

The biggest news of the week, albeit on a negative note is Nigel De Jong's sliding tackle on Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa's standing left leg in City's 2-1 Premier League victory on Sunday. Ben Arfa now requires surgery and Newcastle are stroking the FA  to punish the Dutchman whose coach backed him as a good professional and national coach, Bert van Marwijk has dropped him out of  his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden this week.

Nigeria qualified for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup being coached by a local coach. They were playing good football, well, that is why they qualified anyway. The Nigeria Football Association replaced the good local with a bad foreign coach who made the team play rubbish. They were an embarrassment to Africa and their nationals. The government could not deal with the bitter taste of events in their mouths and rightly suspended the team from competing for 2 years.

FIFA threatened to endorse the decision by banning the Nigerian football indefinitely. The government must have been happy with that FIFA decision but surprisingly, the politicians developed cold feet and reneged on the threat which they actually withdrew. I am not sure why. Nigeria played really badly during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With that kind of unfootballness of the national association both suspension should be enforced and not run concurrently.

FIFA made very sensible decision, only they were to eager to poke their nose. They should have let the government's ban run and then enforce theirs, and that is exactly what the country and many other African states need. Sanity must prevail so people can take the game seriously. FIFA's bans will usually run until the political interference is over. Well, they try to be hard while being soft and that is exactly what we get. These guys must get a working game plan.

Let's get back to the game. Kevin Davies of Bolton Wanderers is one of the most consistent strikers that I truly love. His injury bug is a major drawback for this workaholic. His English squad call up is well overdue and it is good that he will be rewarded. But is he going to baby sit youngsters that Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott and David Johnson or he will actually represent?

FIFA over the Top?

The biggest news of the week, albeit on a negative note is Nigel De Jong's sliding tackle on Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa's standing left leg in City's 2-1 Premier League victory on Sunday. Ben Arfa now requires surgery and Newcastle are stroking the FA  to punish the Dutchman whose coach backed him as a good professional and national coach, Bert van Marwijk has dropped him out of  his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden this week.

Nigeria qualified for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup being coached by a local coach. They were playing good football, well, that is why they qualified anyway. The Nigeria Football Association replaced the good local with a bad foreign coach who made the team play rubbish. They were an embarrassment to Africa and their nationals. The government could not deal with the bitter taste of events in their mouths and rightly suspended the team from competing for 2 years.

FIFA threatened to endorse the decision by banning the Nigerian football indefinitely. The government must have been happy with that FIFA decision but surprisingly, the politicians developed cold feet and reneged on the threat which they actually withdrew. I am not sure why. Nigeria played really badly during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With that kind of unfootballness of the national association both suspension should be enforced and not run concurrently.

FIFA made very sensible decision, only they were to eager to poke their nose. They should have let the government's ban run and then enforce theirs, and that is exactly what the country and many other African states need. Sanity must prevail so people can take the game seriously. FIFA's bans will usually run until the political interference is over. Well, they try to be hard while being soft and that is exactly what we get. These guys must get a working game plan.

Let's get back to the game. Kevin Davies of Bolton Wanderers is one of the most consistent strikers that I truly love. His injury bug is a major drawback for this workaholic. His English squad call up is well overdue and it is good that he will be rewarded. But is he going to baby sit youngsters that Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott and David Johnson or he will actually represent?

FIFA over the Top?

The biggest news of the week, albeit on a negative note is Nigel De Jong's sliding tackle on Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa's standing left leg in City's 2-1 Premier League victory on Sunday. Ben Arfa now requires surgery and Newcastle are stroking the FA  to punish the Dutchman whose coach backed him as a good professional and national coach, Bert van Marwijk has dropped him out of  his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden this week.

Nigeria qualified for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup being coached by a local coach. They were playing good football, well, that is why they qualified anyway. The Nigeria Football Association replaced the good local with a bad foreign coach who made the team play rubbish. They were an embarrassment to Africa and their nationals. The government could not deal with the bitter taste of events in their mouths and rightly suspended the team from competing for 2 years.

FIFA threatened to endorse the decision by banning the Nigerian football indefinitely. The government must have been happy with that FIFA decision but surprisingly, the politicians developed cold feet and reneged on the threat which they actually withdrew. I am not sure why. Nigeria played really badly during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With that kind of unfootballness of the national association both suspension should be enforced and not run concurrently.

FIFA made very sensible decision, only they were to eager to poke their nose. They should have let the government's ban run and then enforce theirs, and that is exactly what the country and many other African states need. Sanity must prevail so people can take the game seriously. FIFA's bans will usually run until the political interference is over. Well, they try to be hard while being soft and that is exactly what we get. These guys must get a working game plan.

Let's get back to the game. Kevin Davies of Bolton Wanderers is one of the most consistent strikers that I truly love. His injury bug is a major drawback for this workaholic. His English squad call up is well overdue and it is good that he will be rewarded. But is he going to baby sit youngsters that Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott and David Johnson or he will actually represent?

Is This The Way For FIFA To Go?

The contemplation of FIFA to scrap the extra time for the FIFA World Cup, should be made global. FIFA, who are expected to go into an IFAB meeting this October 2010, to discuss among other football issues, the much talked about goal-line video technology, has proposed through President Sepp Blatter, either going into extra time after 90 minutes or revisit the golden rule, where the team that scores the first goal in extra time wins the match.

My view is that there should never be extra time at all anywhere for whatever reason. There must never be drawn matches even in leagues matches. Sepp Blatter saw the growth in the business revenue graph of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but the goal tally was inferior to the previous tournaments. Any idea of encouraging forward thinking football is welcome. Personally, teams during the World Cup practised anti-football tactics and played not to lose. The idea of encouraging positive forward thinking football is welcome.

Blatter is of the opinion of even bringing back the sudden death end game in extra time. To me the golden goal rule must never return. After the 90 minutes, sponsors do not want to pay extra air time for TV and other advertisers who bought space after matches need to be accommodated. People who drive long distances from afar need to have the matches concluded and travel on time. Even at World Cup level, group stage matches must be concluded with a winner.

It is noble that FIFA extended the 6th men team at UEFA Champions' League matches. They cover for the much awaited goal-line video technology that may never arrive. The good thing about the 6 official-team is the amount of jobs this creates. In the English Premiership alone, 40 more men and women will be employed. Consider those in the Championship going down! All leagues must be forced to implement this rule. I must say that 6 as they are, they are just as blind as the 4 we had. There has been a case of questionable decisions already.

In the UEFA Champions League, penalties have been wrongly given or denied. Jermaine Defoe handled the ball before scoring against Young Boys when he was facing the 6th official manning the goal-line. Jersey tagging is still unabated, but I still think they are very helpful and are necessary development to the game.

I still insist though, let's get the goal-line technology Sepp! Anyone with me?