The quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout were the main attraction the previous weekend, on the football front, with Richards Bay FC causing a massive upset by knocking Orlando Pirates out of the inaugural tournament. I wish the teams that have made it to the semifinals – AmaZulu FC, TS Galaxy, Stellenbosch FC and Richards Bay FC – all the best. It is interesting to know that we are guaranteed to have a new champion soon. It is also with a heavy heart that we heard of the passing away of AmaZulu striker, Bonginkosi Ntuli. My heartfelt condolences to the club, the family and everyone in the football fraternity because this is such a huge loss.
Doc answers your questions…
Please don't forget to send your questions to editor@soccerladuma.co.za for now, until further notice.
King-Babs Mogobye wants to know who I feel was the best between Diego Maradona and Pele. Honestly, I have always believed it is best to enjoy and appreciate people for who and what they are, rather than trying to compare them. It is the same with the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi debate. Sorry to disappoint you by not sticking my neck on the block, but that is just how I feel about it.
Danny Moreo is asking about individual records against the national team's ambitions, with Janine Van Wyk's case in mind.
I believe these kinds of issues should be handled better, behind the scenes, so that they don't play themselves out in the public like we have seen. The coach has the prerogative to select the best team possible, but whether we like it or not, we have to consider things like individual records way before the game so that we can plan accordingly. I believe better communication and planning is what we needed the most, in this case.
Being Doc
As a football person, through other sporting codes you learn to appreciate the effort being put in by individuals and the team. In order for them to succeed, they sometimes have to do things you don't get to experience in your own sporting code. Sometime you might think they are going through hiccups, only to find that it is normal practice for them and that opens your eyes. I usually ask myself, "What is stalling football from being like other sporting codes? Why are we behind the other sporting codes when it comes to competing against the rest of the world and standing our ground?" I don't have the answer, but I believe if we start by competing fiercely against our continental rivals and dominate them, then we will be able to progress further. We might have an opportunity to play at the World Cup, but we hardly make it past the group stage and come back home. It has happened ever since we took part in the World Cup and that means there is something for us to learn from our Rugby counterparts. Imagine an African country reaching the finals and lifting the trophy. It shows that consistency, continuity, trust, belief and putting politics aside can take any sporting code to the next level. That's how you get the players to see the bigger picture and the need to give their all to represent their country. That can only be done if the leadership is on the right track, otherwise we will forever be bemoaning missed opportunities. For us to have won Afcon 1996 and qualified for France 1998, it was because the direction was there for us. There was a pathway for us to walk on and it wasn't by fluke.
World Cup Fever: Let's not forget that the Proteas are doing duty…
I know the Springboks celebrations, after they won the rugby World Cup, are still continuing and we are all in a happy space. The entire country is still celebrating this historical moment because Springboks signify a lot of things within our country. It is my great pleasure and honour to congratulate the 2023 Rugby World Cup Champions as they continue to inspire all of us. This is history in the making because we are the only ones to have won this World Cup four times, which is more than any other country. New Zealand have won it three times, which means the winner in the final was destined to make history and that turned out to be us. I always thought All Blacks were our hoodoo team, but we've managed to beat them twice in a short space of time, in the World Cup warm-up match as well as at this World Cup, sending out a strong message. Having said that, congratulations once again to the Springboks. Congratulations to coach Jacques Nienaber and his technical team, captain Siya Kolisi, the players and everyone in the team for a wonderful achievement. Job well done, guys! Through sport, we elevate souls, we bring hope to our country, we bring hope to our people and I'm sure those who were betting against us have their tails between their legs right now. These are the same words that we also heard when we were addressed by the ate President, Nelson Mandela, when he told us sport was the only way we could send a strong message to the rest of the world. To show them how united we can be and how we can bring smiles and hope to our people. That's exactly what our national rugby team has done and I must commend Siya for his speech after the final. That was touching, emotional and profound. I hope people heard and understood that speech because it is very important that we do something about it. He had words of wisdom, hope and encouragement for our country. This achievement is a result of working hard and remaining disciplined all the time. It is great to see the country being in such a happy space, after being through a lot. On October 28th, everyone was glued to their television screens and that brought the memories of the 1996 Afcon final.
When we were driving to the stadium, it was empty on the roads and we kept wondering where the people were, only to find that they were sitting in front of their television sets, waiting for the game to start. Yes, that was not a World Cup, but it made a difference in terms of bringing people together. To all the South Africans, I must say, you've proved, showed and witnessed that together we can become a stronger nation. Things start to happen when we all pull in the same direction and do things together. No one made a call to support the Springboks because it was a decision that came from everyone's bottom of the heart and look what has happened. Imagine if we had the same mentality and approach to everyday life problems that our country is faced with. We would definitely become better human beings and an even better community and country. It has been really beautiful to witness all races and genders coming together in support of our national team and I hope that unity will continue to prevail long after the World Cup final whistle. I don't think anyone thought of loadshedding or even stealing from anyone that Saturday night. I'd like to believe that was one of the quietest nights in the country because all our energy was focused on the Rugby World Cup final and cheering our Springboks on. As much as we celebrated the Boks, let's not forget that the Proteas are doing duty for our national team in India and they also need all the support they can get. We have to rally behind them as well because they are raising our flag. I understand that there were complaints about certain things that didn't happen when Banyana Banyana played at the World Cup, but look what happens when we all pull in the same direction. Yes, all the attention is on the Boks, but we also have Banyana Banyana who have secured a place in the next round of the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifiers, while Bafana are preparing for next year's Afcon as well as World Cup qualifiers. I really hope they all get the same support so that they can make us proud. Once again, congratulations to the Boks for putting us on the map, once again, and this is very important. This win and achievement couldn't have come at a better time for our country. We want to say through sport, we try to sort a lot of things out in South Africa and wins like this one go a long way in making that dream a reality.
Doc's memory bank: We knew we had to deliver
I remember in 1996 as we were about to play the Afcon final against Tunisia, we heard that the 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning team would be at the stadium to wish us well. Some of the cricket players were also there to wish us well. The mandate was simple: we had to win the trophy and add it to the country's trophy cabinet and contribute towards the country's happiness index. We just couldn't disappoint because all eyes were on us to get the job done and continue to unite South Africans. As we were about to sing the national anthem, the Boks started walking around the field with a banner written: "The Boks support Bafana Bafana" and that was so emotional to watch. That was the spirit and motivation we needed to overcome our opposition. From that moment, we knew we had to deliver and emulate our rugby brothers and that's a moment I will never forget. It was an unbelievable situation and that showed how strong we are when we stand together. Rugby players' presence at a soccer match motivating their football counterparts is something special. That's what holding hands and standing together is all about.
Doc's Friend Zone
This week, I'm not going to go for an individual who has been a great friend over the years. With the Springbok jolly mood as well as our Proteas making it to the semifinals, I feel it is only fair that I shower praise and acknowledgement to all the friends from different sporting and entertainment codes. People don't know about the friendships we share with people from different sporting codes, arts and culture because we are all about entertainment. I have good friends from cricket, netball, rugby, football, boxing, athletics and even guys from arts. I always appreciate and encourage these guys and it is always unbelievable when we meet up because we share the love for sport or arts. I always cherish the moments we share whenever we meet up at events or just casually because that's when we learn about different sporting codes and the entertainment industry. I really appreciate the love, encouragement and respect we always share because we are all about keeping our country and people entertained. To all the friends I have made, I would like to encourage you to hold hands and continue to make a difference in our country through our individual talents. We have the power to bring peace and harmony to our country.
