OH, DEAR DOWNS, HOW COULD YOU LET THAT ONE SLIP?
What a disappointment from Sundowns. Firstly, thank you to the supporters for rallying behind the team for the whole season. To SA people, thanks for supporting my team from the preliminary games of the Champions League until our last game against Wydad. I'm so grateful, guys, for the support. We lost in the semi-finals and that was a huge embarrassment, especially at home and with the quality that Sundowns have. That should not have happened, but we all know that Sundowns has that weakest coach called Rhulani and his friends Mvala, Maema, Mbule, Mokoena and Mkhulise! Please don't give up easily… even Man City are struggling to win the Champions League. Thank you so much, guys. As for the team's performance, poor, very poor. Sundowns players are boring sometimes. They play like amateurs. They don't know how to turn and pass the ball – simple soccer basics. I'm a rugby player, but I can play better than Mkhulise. He is slow to everything. When will our teams play like Man City or Arsenal? With these kind of players, SA will still struggle a lot to qualify for the World Cup!
Waya Maxazi, Glenharvie
I wish to convey my greatest gratitude to the efforts made by all involved at Sundowns. The elimination from the Champions League on the away goal rule is a bitter pill to swallow considering the disallowed goal in the first leg. Truth be told, CAF is behind with this stupid away goal rule. The rule increases the risk of match-fixing based on the history of refereeing in the continent. Does CAF review the performance of its referees? If not, then Africa will never outclass European countries on the world stage. To all Sundowns supporters, let's restrain ourselves and never allow opportunists to divide us. This elimination should not make us panic. The experience of losing will always remind our players to be humble and protect the Sundowns badge. Let's embrace the elimination presented to the technical team, young players and the supporters. United we will conquer Africa and the North African dominance. Let's try again next year. The Sky is our only Limit!
Patrick Pilane, Sebokeng
It's very sad to accept that Downs' Champions League journey has come to an end. Scoring first gave South Africans hope. The game of football is always cruel. Wydad equalised, but Shalulile saved the day… or so we thought. We controlled the game as usual, but that Mvala own goal killed everything. We gave away the biggest chance to win the Champions League. We all wanted to play Al Ahly in the final. Maybe I have to accept that it was not our time but just our wish. Sundowns deserved better than this. I hope next season they will reach the final. I'm really disappointed, without blaming anybody, including the technical team, players and whoever played a vital role in trying to achieve what we wanted to achieve this season. I'm still Yellow with all my heart!
Terah Maqepula, Mount Fletcher
A coward coach will often shield himself from responsibility by pointing the finger of blame at individual players for Sundowns' elimination from the Champions League. Mvala has been one of our most outstanding players in the competition this season. Rhulani should ask himself if Boutouil is aerially better than Lebusa. The home game required a forceful player like Sirino to start the game. Wydad players were not going to cope with his pace. An astute coach would have realised that shortly after the second goal by Shalulile. He was supposed to introduce Zungu to stabilise the midfield and assist with defensive duties. Sometimes I wonder whether he is indeed inspired by Pep because he could have managed the game the same way Pep did against Bayern.
Thabo Mabetoa, Pretoria
Football will humble you. I listened to Rhulani after the Maritzburg game saying they are the African champions. He won the game before Saturday. He is still in disbelief that he lost the game, wishing for someone to wake him from the dream. People can say Sundowns played very well, but what matters is the result. Next season, they will be without Manqoba, he will be with English teacher (Komphela) and they won't finish the season. They will be fired.
Stephen Mpya, Mamphulo village
To lose by the away goal rule adds insult to injury. It's painful that the Brazilians bowed out of the semi-finals. Sundowns have been impressive in the Champions League this season. We applaud the technical department and the players for such a terrific performance. Let's also salute the 12th player, the die-hard supporters in the likes of Tente Mokoka, Terah Maqepula and Kenneth "Chukwu" Langa, to name a few. It's these staunch supporters who were the energy and inspiration that enabled the team to go past the hostile environment in North Africa when they played Belouizdad and Al Ahly, amid brutal refereeing. Let's congratulate Tau for reaching the final for the fourth time. He has ushered himself into the hallmark of Africa's football legends. When Pitso left the team, we thought Tau was left at the mercy of the trigger-happy management and fans. The Lion of Judah soldiered on despite the atmosphere of negativity. It's quite a pleasure to see him fearlessly roaring in the land of Pharaohs.
Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg
The boys gave everything, but the football gods decided otherwise. I can't fault the players. It pained me more when the fans sang "Ke letsatsi le bohloko", which means, "What a sad day". Yes, it was indeed sad considering we never lost a game in this year's Champions League. Sad to see young Mailula crying. Winning is already in his blood. Soldier on, young man. This isn't the time to point fingers, we must collectively share this pain and go back and try again next season. Some are celebrating being second-best in the league, saying it's mission accomplished, while their neighbours are celebrating Top Eight. Thobejane was right, football can kill you the real death! Mbule should be applauded for proving his critics wrong, after what was written about him and Jali. You can't keep a good man down. It will be injustice if he doesn't make it into the next Bafana squad. On a sad note, we are halfway into 2023, but we're yet to meet as Soccer Laduma readers' WhatsApp group members. The goal we set, of buying ourselves a banner, has vanished. What's holding us back, guys? We started like a house on fire, but now we're dragging our feet and it hurts…
Tente "The Brains" Mokoka, Sepharane
So close, yet so far! Sundowns did not use their 12th man and home ground advantage. The Yellow Nation packed the venue to the rafters. Experience was the difference between victory and defeat. The North Africans showed experience. Defensive frailties caused Downs' elimination. In the first goal, Modiba was caught on the wrong side of the attacker. Mvala had a good game in defence but became the villain by putting the ball in his own net due to poor communication between him and the keeper. In contrast, Rhulani, during the week, said the difference between Downs and Wydad is that they are good in the air and on setpieces. In the end, the analysis was spot on, but the tactics failed. In this competition, there's no room for unnecessary errors and you need to take your opportunities. This was the perfect opportunity to reach the final after the 2016 success. Rhulani has to be gracious in defeat, keep his head up high, take the lessons learned and go back to the drawing board, even though it's a bitter one to swallow. He's proven his mettle in the PSL, but he's still inexperienced on the continent and will get there.
Gavin Ryan, Witbank branch
As a Downs supporter, I agree with Walter Rautmann that Mngqithi must leave. In fact, both he and Komphela. How can two seasoned coaches allow a humiliating situation like this to prevail, to be led by a novice? What has Rhulani done for any PSL team since from the days of Platinum Stars? What did he achieve at Pirates? Nothing. Why was he not demoted too when he lost the Nedbank Cup game against Stellies? Manqoba and Steve, be man enough. How can you be second-best to Rhulani? Who is Rhulani? He did the same thing to "Micho". Leave Rhulani alone, let him assemble his own technical team and let's see how far he can go alone. Go out, guys, and prove yourselves that you are professional and well-travelled coaches. Follow Pitso and coach other teams and prove yourselves. It's about time, man.
Bizzarro wa Le Sandawana, via email
With disbelief, I read letters by fellow MAKE YOUR POINT contributors saying Downs did well to come away with a point from Morocco. They played really well despite going two men down in the first leg, but failure to score an away goal always meant they had a mountain to climb, not least considering their struggles against Wydad in recent times. I think the 5-2 thrashing they gave Al Ahly might have fooled Downs into thinking they can beat every North African team, but no matter how well they play against Wydad, they always fall short and it was always going to be difficult if the Moroccans were to score an away goal at Loftus, which they did. I write this letter as a jubilant Chiefs fan and I was behind Wydad on the weekend for obvious reasons. You can call me unpatriotic, but the same people were going to be all over our faces, not to mention timelines, had they made it to the final. What a peaceful weekend then. The legendary Thobejane once told us football can kill you the real death. This game really can send you six feet under. Gotta love it!
Marvin Matseke-Mabula, Burgersfort Leboeng Rutseng
DISCONTENT AS ARTHUR JABULANI ZWANE BRINGS NO JOY
"No South African coach will coach Chiefs and Pirates," once said a great living legend, Dr Kaizer Motaung. Pirates heeded the call and roped in Riveiro after the Ncikazi-Davids project folded. The results are there for everyone to see. Coincidentally, Chiefs acted contrary to Dr Motaung's advice and sadly the lack of results is evident to all. You see, I'm not averse to promotion, but one must earn that promotion – it can't just fall from the sky like manna from heaven. BEE is a good practice provided the beneficiaries also provide a good service. In the case of Amakhosi, it seems like it only serves the interest of the beneficiary and not the team. Rumour has it that he is compensated generously. Talk is cheap. We can't live on promises alone. I hope Mr Zwane will start delivering next season.
George Sithole, Honeydew
Zwane and his players have made me hate football. His post-match interview on Saturday was so disgusting that I quickly changed the channel even before he completed his rant. What he said shocked me and it says a lot about his football knowledge. Yho, I'm still flummoxed!
"Bhotsotso" Mkhize, Eshowe, Mpaphala
Zwane has failed dismally at Chiefs. He started the season without strikers, failed to fix his leaking defence game in, game out and failed to find a suitable box-to-box midfielder who could score goals. He relied on certain players even if they did not deliver. He failed to sign suitable strikers. You can't blame Bimenyimana, he did not sign himself. Zwane is the one to blame. He told us that he was pleased with Caleb when he signed him. After that, we don't know why he didn't play him. At the beginning of the season, he failed to sign Musa Kamara, a proven goal scorer. He also failed to sign one Nigerian striker who went to America and scored five goals in three games. To the management, please take him back to developing youngsters, I think that's where he belongs. If Chiefs are going to continue with Zwane, they must know that they'll end the ninth season without any silverware. Very soon they'll be fighting relegation. Please use the money from sponsors to buy quality players. The Motaungs must also know that no rich man will be buried with his money.
Neo Mahlangu, Tembisa
The more things change, the more they stay the same. When any machine is faulty and malfunctioning, a very tiresome process of troubleshooting begins and a whole lot of pertinent areas are diagnosed and eventually the culprit is located. But when an institution is malfunctioning, it's easy to pinpoint a problem. For Chiefs to operate at its optimum acceptable level, certain simple changes are required without scratching heads. Management is the problem here. These Motaung kids must just step aside and let knowledgeable fundi take over. Bringing back another Motaung is a recipe for another disaster – I'm referring to Bobby, in particular. It's such a pity that a brand of this magnitude has been brought down to its knees by the very same individuals who were supposed to nurture it. This notion of family business doesn't work for them. It's really time to give others a chance. We can blame coaches and players all we like, but the bottom line is that management is a big problem here.
Hofmeyr Kwitshana, Pietermaritzburg
QUICK ONE-TWO'S
Allow me to voice my pain on this dramatic weekend where most teams, especially our representatives in African competitions, were knocked out. Chiefs' poor performance continued with a record-breaking 12th loss. Zwane is not a bad coach at all because there are some coaches who failed to reach the MTN8, but some hooligans who call themselves Amakhosi supporters ruined his reputation by trying to harm him. There are some positives that the coach achieved, but history will judge him based on the number of his losses. But I'm happy Kaizer Jnr is organizing an assistant, in Ntseki, to help the young man. As for Sundowns, the football gods deserted them against Wydad. Better luck next time. After Mvala's late own goal, the writing was on the wall. Sundowns did their best, but I guess their best was not good enough. Mvala, lift your head up, young man. These things happen to the best in the world. Lastly, Gallants players were to blame for their loss because of greediness (demanding bonuses). They were supposed to save the team first and complain about bonuses later. Their greed led to their demise. They even forgot they were set to play against the Dube Birds, who were eyeing an MTN8 spot. Meanwhile, Polokwane City, welcome back!
Boitumelo Vanrooyen, Schweizer-Reneke
Thank you, boys, for making us proud by qualifying for next season's Champions League. Thank you, Ncikazi, for your contribution and for never sabotaging the system like other assistant coaches do. Your time to coach Pirates will come again in a perfect way. To coach Riveiro, what a first season you've had with your technical team. I like it more when you are reading the game sitting down next to the touchline. Happy days are here again.
Thokozane Dludlu, Emalahleni
I'm writing this epistle with mixed feelings. As an ardent Swallows supporter, I am thrilled that we finally qualified for the Top Eight. Congrats to Maswai-swai for the achievement, you've outdone yourselves, especially after losing six regular players at the beginning of the season. To the technical team, particularly Nyatama and Mammila, big ups to you guys. However, how on earth can a team fight relegation with four games to go and end up qualifying for the Top Eight? It reflects a poor standard of our football. At one stage, 15 teams were in the relegation zone, while Sundowns were running away with the league. I'm happy for the Birds and the golden senior citizens that support the team. We don't have to be admitted to hospital with our ailments associated with old age. We are going to have a fabulous winter. Thank you, Maswai-swai.
Thabang Lehoko, via email
The curtain has come down on the DStv Premiership and I must congratulate Downs for continuing to show they're the best. But I'm watching Pirates with an eagle eye. They're going to challenge Sundowns next season not only for the league title but all trophies on offer. They showed that this season by clinching the MTN8 and reaching the Nedbank Cup final. Well done, Buccaneers. As for my team, let us rally behind them because they are not playing that badly, it's just the decision-making that's letting them down. Let us also support our coach, Makhosi. I wish all the topflight and Motsepe Foundation championship clubs all the best for the off-season. Go rest and recharge your batteries and come back strong. Soccer Laduma, keep up the good work of giving us soccer news as it is.
Albert Khutshwa, Lupapasi village, eCala
No one is happier with Gallants' relegation than the PSL hierarchy. After Maritzburg played their last game under protest, we would have been staring another court battle in the eye had they been the ones going to the second tier. Hard luck to the former, I guess they had their eggs in the wrong basket. Anyway, with Sundowns getting knocked out of the Champions League, can the PSL give the Pirates coach his award for being the top coach this season? For his maiden campaign, he did exceptionally well. Here's hoping he'll give Downs a run for their money in the Championship next season.
Nafie Moloantoa, KwaThema
So sad to see history repeating itself after Gallants did so well in African competition, only to end up being relegated, just like it happened with Cosmos years ago. Maritzburg will have to dig deep in the playoffs, while Chippa survived by goal difference. Pirates made sure they return to the Champions League after overtaking SuperSport to second spot after Sundowns and Chiefs looked to have a better season, yet towards the end, things turned ugly for the latter as they finished the season with three losses in a row.
Leponesa Chacha, Botshabelo
As much as I don't know how the procedure works in nominating the best players for the season, some fairness needs to happen. There are players who've been consistent but they were not nominated. How is it that Mayo is not nominated but Zwane is? Mayo literally carried Cape Town City with his performances and is their leading goalscorer. Zwane doesn't even have many assists. It mustn't be that because he plays for Sundowns he has to be nominated. There is no one more deserving than Saleng. I stand to be corrected, but no player has ever won 10 Man of the Match awards. As for Coach of the Season is concerned, it's unfair to have Rhulani Mokwena nominated because he didn't coach the team from the start of the season. He was part of a three-men coaches and took charge halfway with Sundowns already leading by many points. The contest should be between Riveiro and Hunt. The former is the only coach to ever take a DStv Premiership side to two cup finals in his first season, not forgetting Champions League qualification. Added to that, he won the MTN8, where he knocked out Sundowns. All is said and done, give Saleng his flowers. This is his season.
Morongwa Zwee Mokgohloa, Ga-Mokgohloa
Well done to Man City for winning the EPL. To my favourite team Arsenal, you tried your level best, but don't give up because there's always next time. Lift your head up. Do us, the Gunners supporters, proud in the Champions League next season. On the local front, hard luck to Gallants for going down to the Motsepe Foundation Championship. Go there and work hard, you'll come back.
Nyambeni Samson Khuphani, Tshiawelo
You've got to love and admire how Man City play football and make it look so easy to the eye. Even if you don't support them. The things that they do with the ball are so sensational. Oh, what about their fans!?
Siyabonga Nkalambela, Delft
Man City's 124 passes against Real Madrid's 13 in 15 minutes. By the 30th minute, it was 237 to 45 passes. I've never seen anything like that even on PlayStation. It was like one pal football, one pal being Courtois. If you didn't watch the game and think 4-0 was bad, well, if it wasn't for Courtois it could have been worse. Courtois, Vini Jnr and Benzema are Madrid and even Girona proved it when they beat them 4-2 in their absence. I knew Madrid were going to be exposed for what they really are, "a big counterattacking footballing team". I had a grudges against them in last season's final against Liverpool because they denied us a good football game and only pitched up for a goal and left, again with Courtois the difference. I've been advocating for Man City to win the Champions League soon in our Soccer Laduma readers' WhatsApp group, with most of the members backing Madrid. I even jokingly said in the first leg that Madrid could get four against vintage Citizens if they didn't choke – they did it in the second leg. How I wish that was the final. Now the question is can they finish it off against Inter? Which Inter is going to turn up?
Lucky Khunou, Meriting
