rondwisan
16-06-2010, 05:56 PM
kayakna telat dikit yaa ..., ndak pa-pa dech ... :):D:peace:
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The A-Z of South African football
Introducing the world’s barmiest footballing nation including fans who make a spectacle with their spectacles and Archbishop Tutu offering FIFA officials tickets to heaven…
A is for... Argentina
The most famous game in South Africa’s apartheid history came in 1976, when a multi-racial side – said to be the first selected on merit rather than by skin colour – played Argentina (although because of FIFA sanctions, they went under the guise of a South America XI). Astonishingly, South Africa won 5-0, with striker Ace Ntsoelengoe scoring four of the goals.
B is for... Bafana Bafana
The nickname was taken by the South Africa national team after their readmission to FIFA in 1992 following the end of apartheid. It's Zulu for ‘The Boys, The Boys’, and although some say it has negative or patronising connotations, it actually carries a sense of endearment, rather as ‘lads’ would in English.
C is for... CAF
South Africa was one of the four original members – along with Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia – of the Confederation of African Football when it was founded in 1957. Although it is often claimed that their failure to take part in the first Africa Cup of Nations, held that year in Sudan, was down to their refusal to send a mixed-race side, the reason was more to do with finances than racial discrimination.
D is for... Disaster at Ellis Park
The 2001 tragedy – at one of 2010’s World Cup venues – in which 43 people were killed still haunts South African football. With the ground already overcrowded and thousands outside trying to get in, an equaliser from Orlando Pirates in their derby against Kaizer Chiefs led to a fatal stampede.
E is for... Essop ‘Smiley’ Moosa
In November 1972, Berea Park beat Rangers 3-1 in the semi-final of the NFL Cup – a competition for white sides – their victory inspired by a 19-year-old prodigy with suspiciously bronzed skin called Arthur Williams, who seemed extremely popular with fans in one of the non-white pens.
Williams, of course, was a fake name, and the player was actually Essop Moosa, the brilliant Mamelodi Sundowns winger. Although nothing in the NFL rules said teams had to be all-white, Moosa, whose ID book classified him as ‘Indian’, was warned by police not to try the stunt again.
To make things even worse, Indians and Coloureds were then banned from playing in the ‘African’ league, despite technically being ‘black’, by virtue of not being ‘white’. Rejected on all sides, Moosa fell into severe depression and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. His (much) younger brother Zane would later play for the post-apartheid national side.
F is for... Farce
The integration of football was a slow and difficult process, with the proliferation of leagues and mergers leading to confusion that entrepreneurs tried to exploit. The most bewildering example came on the opening day of the 1986-87 season, when a packed house at Ellis Park and millions watching on TV saw two sets of players wearing Orlando Pirates shirts walk out for a game against Jomo Cosmos, each claiming to be the ‘true’ version.
Even worse, the leader of one of the factions, China Hlongwane, was surrounded on the pitch by furious rivals and stabbed repeatedly before being dragged away to hospital where, remarkably, he made a full recovery.
G is for... Gary Bailey
Although he was born in Ipswich, Bailey grew up in South Africa and began his career with Wits University in Johannesburg. He joined Manchester United in 1978, going on to win the FA Cup in both 1983 and 1985, and was part of England’s squad at the 1986 World Cup. He returned to South Africa to join Kaizer Chiefs in 1988, and is now one of the country’s most recognisable sports broadcasters.
H is for... Helmet, Miner’s
Also known as a makarapa and standard gear for the South African fan – usually in club colours, along with a pair of outsize plastic glasses. The helmets came about after a fan was hit on the head with a missile, and Kaizer Chiefs fanatic Alfred Baloyi was given one by a construction worker friend as protection. A talented artist, Baloyi began painting his helmet.
I is for... India
A team of Indians from South Africa toured the mother country in 1921. Attendances exceeded 100,000, and the tour helped lead to the foundation of the All-India Football Association. A reciprocal tour was undertaken in 1933, but attracted far less attention than rugby or cricket tours.
J is for... Jeff Butler
An Englishman who had led Kaizer Chiefs to the league title, and is rated by many their greatest ever coach, Butler was the first national coach of South Africa after their readmission to FIFA. He was soon dismissed, however, when it emerged that he hadn’t actually played for Notts County, as he claimed on his CV, although his cousin had.
K is for... Kaizer Motaung
A star of South African football in the 60s, Motaung left Orlando Pirates to join the NASL’s Atlanta Chiefs in 1968. Fans in his township clubbed together before his departure to buy the best possible clothes, to show Americans that Africans knew how to dress with style. On his return, Motuang poached several of Pirates’ best players to found a new club, Kaizer Chiefs, thus establishing the biggest rivalry in South African football.
L is for... Lucas Radebe
Arguably the most successful South African footballer of his generation, and Nelson Mandela’s idol, but it’s amazing he survived long enough to reach such a lofty status.
During his days with Kaizer Chiefs, he became an activist against the regime, carrying a knife and a sjambok (a rhino-hide whip) to mete out a crude form of justice, while hijacking company cars to strike against businesses allied to the government. A decade later, he was playing for Leeds United in the Champions League semi-final.
M is for... Mark Williams
Hardly a big name (although he must be the only player ever to have played for both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brazilian side Corinthians), but in 1996 Williams achieved immortality, coming off the bench to score the two goals that gave South Africa victory over Tunisia in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. Glory achieved, he drifted back into obscurity: the five goals he scored in that tournament represented more than half his overall total for his country.
__________________________________________________ ___
The A-Z of South African football
Introducing the world’s barmiest footballing nation including fans who make a spectacle with their spectacles and Archbishop Tutu offering FIFA officials tickets to heaven…
A is for... Argentina
The most famous game in South Africa’s apartheid history came in 1976, when a multi-racial side – said to be the first selected on merit rather than by skin colour – played Argentina (although because of FIFA sanctions, they went under the guise of a South America XI). Astonishingly, South Africa won 5-0, with striker Ace Ntsoelengoe scoring four of the goals.
B is for... Bafana Bafana
The nickname was taken by the South Africa national team after their readmission to FIFA in 1992 following the end of apartheid. It's Zulu for ‘The Boys, The Boys’, and although some say it has negative or patronising connotations, it actually carries a sense of endearment, rather as ‘lads’ would in English.
C is for... CAF
South Africa was one of the four original members – along with Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia – of the Confederation of African Football when it was founded in 1957. Although it is often claimed that their failure to take part in the first Africa Cup of Nations, held that year in Sudan, was down to their refusal to send a mixed-race side, the reason was more to do with finances than racial discrimination.
D is for... Disaster at Ellis Park
The 2001 tragedy – at one of 2010’s World Cup venues – in which 43 people were killed still haunts South African football. With the ground already overcrowded and thousands outside trying to get in, an equaliser from Orlando Pirates in their derby against Kaizer Chiefs led to a fatal stampede.
E is for... Essop ‘Smiley’ Moosa
In November 1972, Berea Park beat Rangers 3-1 in the semi-final of the NFL Cup – a competition for white sides – their victory inspired by a 19-year-old prodigy with suspiciously bronzed skin called Arthur Williams, who seemed extremely popular with fans in one of the non-white pens.
Williams, of course, was a fake name, and the player was actually Essop Moosa, the brilliant Mamelodi Sundowns winger. Although nothing in the NFL rules said teams had to be all-white, Moosa, whose ID book classified him as ‘Indian’, was warned by police not to try the stunt again.
To make things even worse, Indians and Coloureds were then banned from playing in the ‘African’ league, despite technically being ‘black’, by virtue of not being ‘white’. Rejected on all sides, Moosa fell into severe depression and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. His (much) younger brother Zane would later play for the post-apartheid national side.
F is for... Farce
The integration of football was a slow and difficult process, with the proliferation of leagues and mergers leading to confusion that entrepreneurs tried to exploit. The most bewildering example came on the opening day of the 1986-87 season, when a packed house at Ellis Park and millions watching on TV saw two sets of players wearing Orlando Pirates shirts walk out for a game against Jomo Cosmos, each claiming to be the ‘true’ version.
Even worse, the leader of one of the factions, China Hlongwane, was surrounded on the pitch by furious rivals and stabbed repeatedly before being dragged away to hospital where, remarkably, he made a full recovery.
G is for... Gary Bailey
Although he was born in Ipswich, Bailey grew up in South Africa and began his career with Wits University in Johannesburg. He joined Manchester United in 1978, going on to win the FA Cup in both 1983 and 1985, and was part of England’s squad at the 1986 World Cup. He returned to South Africa to join Kaizer Chiefs in 1988, and is now one of the country’s most recognisable sports broadcasters.
H is for... Helmet, Miner’s
Also known as a makarapa and standard gear for the South African fan – usually in club colours, along with a pair of outsize plastic glasses. The helmets came about after a fan was hit on the head with a missile, and Kaizer Chiefs fanatic Alfred Baloyi was given one by a construction worker friend as protection. A talented artist, Baloyi began painting his helmet.
I is for... India
A team of Indians from South Africa toured the mother country in 1921. Attendances exceeded 100,000, and the tour helped lead to the foundation of the All-India Football Association. A reciprocal tour was undertaken in 1933, but attracted far less attention than rugby or cricket tours.
J is for... Jeff Butler
An Englishman who had led Kaizer Chiefs to the league title, and is rated by many their greatest ever coach, Butler was the first national coach of South Africa after their readmission to FIFA. He was soon dismissed, however, when it emerged that he hadn’t actually played for Notts County, as he claimed on his CV, although his cousin had.
K is for... Kaizer Motaung
A star of South African football in the 60s, Motaung left Orlando Pirates to join the NASL’s Atlanta Chiefs in 1968. Fans in his township clubbed together before his departure to buy the best possible clothes, to show Americans that Africans knew how to dress with style. On his return, Motuang poached several of Pirates’ best players to found a new club, Kaizer Chiefs, thus establishing the biggest rivalry in South African football.
L is for... Lucas Radebe
Arguably the most successful South African footballer of his generation, and Nelson Mandela’s idol, but it’s amazing he survived long enough to reach such a lofty status.
During his days with Kaizer Chiefs, he became an activist against the regime, carrying a knife and a sjambok (a rhino-hide whip) to mete out a crude form of justice, while hijacking company cars to strike against businesses allied to the government. A decade later, he was playing for Leeds United in the Champions League semi-final.
M is for... Mark Williams
Hardly a big name (although he must be the only player ever to have played for both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brazilian side Corinthians), but in 1996 Williams achieved immortality, coming off the bench to score the two goals that gave South Africa victory over Tunisia in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. Glory achieved, he drifted back into obscurity: the five goals he scored in that tournament represented more than half his overall total for his country.