Kick Off July 2022

Andile Jali’s constant exclusion from the national team by coach Hugo Broos is baffling to say the least. Broos has made his point clear that as long as he is in charge of the national team, he doesn’t see himself selecting Jali or his Mamelodi Sundowns clubmate Themba Zwane. Most coaches who leave players out of the national squad do not make that decision in perpetuity – it’s a temporal one that is revisited at a later stage in most cases, depending on how well a player is performing. But when it comes to Jali, it’s evidently clear that the stubborn Belgian coach has no plans to change his decision – it has been set in stone. And that is where the problem lies. This is not fair on Jali…

Are PSL teams fair to players? What a wonderful 2021-22 season we had indeed. Players will now switch to other teams to strengthen their squads and it will be interesting to see what happens. It was so painful to see Siyethemba Sithebe being side-lined by AmaZulu for the second half of the season because he agreed terms with Kaizer Chiefs. Players have to move for greener pastures, so in the PSL some teams don’t treat players fairly. Football is a short career and players must make money quickly. Marumo Gallants know that they will lose Miguel Timm, but they play him, and he was excellent, so why don’t other teams do the same? Stop punishing players when they move while having few months left in their contract. The PSL is…

Congratulations to Arthur Zwane As a Kaizer Chiefs fan, I’m glad the management have finally decided to name Arthur Zwane as the permanent head coach. I think this is a very good and a wise move. Even though it has come late, I’m really happy with the decision. My wish was for management to let him and Dillon Sheppard take charge of 2021 CAF Champions League final before they handed the reins to Stuart Baxter. Their momentum, together with that of the players, was still very high and very much full of confidence. I swear if they were given that opportunity, we would’ve won something this season. What needs to be done now is not to put pressure on him and his assistant, but give them as much support as…

GOOD MONTH FOR … ARTHUR ZWANE Zwane will realise his dream of being a permanent head coach in the PSL and will do so with traditionally the biggest club in the country as he seeks to restore former glories at Kaizer Chiefs. BAD MONTH FOR … KHURISHI MPHAHLELE The Baroka FC owner has put a lot of time and money into the Limpopo club but has paid the price for poor decision-making in the boardroom as the side contemplate GladAfrica Championship football next season following their topflight relegation. ALSO LAST MONTH… Mamelodi Sundowns complete another major capture with the signing of SuperSport United midfielder Sipho Mbule, who joins former teammate Teboho Mokoena at Chloorkop. Former SuperSport United tactician Kaitano Tembo is unveiled as the new head coach at Sekhukhune United.…

KICK OFF: How are you digesting the feeling of being Peter Shalulile right now given how much you have raised your profile? Peter Shalulile: To be honest, it is not easy to be me because everyone wants a piece of me. This is the time when I have to weigh up who I give time to because I have people that have always supported me, especially family and friends that have always been there for me. It is not easy to be me because any mistake that I make now is going to be something big with everyone that has been looking up to me. It’s amazing how much of a mental battle success can bring considering that you are still faced with improving from the levels you have reached.…

Kaizer Chiefs finished another season without a trophy after they were dumped out of the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup by Mamelodi Sundowns and TS Galaxy respectively, and losing the race for the league title with four matches remaining. AmaKhosi came excruciatingly close to winning a trophy in the 2019/20 campaign, losing the league in the final half-hour of the season, and then had a fairy tale run in the 2020/21 CAF Champions League but were denied in the final by Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahly. The question now remains: where is it going wrong for Chiefs? For possible answers, one must take a trip through history. With the fall of Chiefs’ league authority in 2016, began the rise of Mamelodi Sundowns’ reign. The Brazilians have ruled the Premier Soccer League with…