International Football
South Africa’s Coach, Baxter, Faces Dilemma over Captain
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
South Africa’s new manager is apparently facing a dilemma as he prepares a team to face the Super Eagles side that had always gotten a better result in previous encounters. Apart from not getting to meet his selected side until June 3, – seven days to the match with Nigeria, he is yet to name a skipper for the side.
Also, he still juggling between two jobs as his current contract with SuperSport United runs till June 24. He had to skip the club’s trip to Gabon for a continental assignment so as to concentrate on selecting a side to face Nigeria.
Sports Village Square gathered from reports emanating from South Africa that fans are still unsure of who will be donning the captain’s armband in Uyo, with Baxter having several options available to him.
The South African Football Association website however quoted the coach as saying he already had an idea of who will lead the Bafana Bafana.
He told the media South African media, “I know who the captain is, but I’m not giving it out today because I want the captain to hear it from me face to face and not read it one of the publications.”
Speculations are rife in the South African media that Itumeleng Khune, the goalkeeper of Kaizer Chiefs, is the most likely player to be given the skipper’s armband.
Some others claim he may give it to Dean Furman, the captain of SuperSport United, which he currently handles.
Sports Village Square gathered that other likely candidates include: Thulani Hlatshwayo and Hlompho Kekana – all who are skippers of their clubs.
Baxter is the only coach to have led a squad that first scored and defeated the Super Eagles 13 years ago.
He is quoted as being eager to see his side get off to a winning start and become the only coach of the South African national team to triumph over the Super Eagles twice.
He has named 25 players for the match with Nigeria. He picked only two from his club, Super Sport United which he will still handle till June 24.
There are six Europe-based players in the 25 man squad he has named for the Nigerian match.
He is reported to have recalled midfielder, Bongani Zungu, who is set to play in the Portuguese Cup final on Sunday for Vitoria Guimaraes, and striker Tokelo Rantie, who scored twice in Uyo in the 2-2 draw with Nigeria in November 2014.
“We have players who have been outstanding in the Premier Soccer League the whole season, and we also have continuity with a number of players that SAFA has invested much time in. I believe we have a good mix,” said Baxter, who is back as coach for a second time.
He added: “We have also looked at aerial strength and tried to spread that well throughout the team; it means if we can have good preparation before we go, then we have a squad that is capable of giving Nigeria a good game.”
Bafana Bafana Squad:
Goalkeepers: Darren Keet (Bidvest Wits), Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)
Defenders: Rivaldo Coetzee (Ajax Cape Town), Lorenzo Gordinho (Kaizer Chiefs), Sifiso Hlanti, Thulani Hlatshwayo (both Bidvest Wits), Tebego Langerman (Mamelodi Sundowns), Mulomowandau Mathoho (Kaizer Chiefs), Abubakar Mobara (Orlando Pirates), Ramahlwe Mphahlele (Kaizer Chiefs)
Midfielders: Keegan Dolly (Montpellier, France), Dean Furman (SuperSport United), Andile Jali (Oostende, Belgium), Hlompho Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns), Kamohelo Mokotjo (Twente Enschede, Netherlands), Aubrey Ngoma (Cape Town City), Bongani Zungu (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Forwards: Kermit Erasmus (Racing Lens, France), Thamsanqa Gabuza (Orlando Pirates), Lebogang Manyama (Cape Town City), Tokelo Rantie (Genclerbirligi, Turkey), Percy Tau, Sibusiso Vilakazi (both Mamelodi Sundowns).
International Football
Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony
Cameroon’s new coach Marc Brys penned a contract on Monday but the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the football federation did not attend the signing ceremony.
Brys has been handed a 2-1/2-year contract by Cameroon’s sports ministry but the federation (FECAFOOT) was conspicuous by its absence at the event in Yaounde.
Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint the 61-year-old Brys, who has no prior experience as a national team coach and has not previously worked on the African continent.
FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o issued a statement on Monday, excusing himself from the unveiling event.
“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote Eto’o.
“Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony.”
His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.
Eto’o balked at Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the minister.
In Cameroon, the government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body FIFA.
Any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football.
FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team.
Earlier on the weekend, the minister had defended the appointment, saying he had acted in accordance with national and international regulations.
In a letter to FECAFOOT, Kombi said his ministry’s appointment of coaching staff “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations”.
He said FECAFOOT had suggested three candidates to the ministry but their salary demands ranged between 1.5 million euros and 2.5 million euros ($1.63 million and $2.71 million) per year.
“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.
-Reuters
Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked its president to propose an alternative coach for the national team, deepening a standoff with the sports ministry.
FECAFOOT on Wednesday accused the ministry of unilaterally appointing Belgian Marc Brys as coach and other staff to manage the Indomitable Lions, who are five-times African champions.
The dispute risks a potential ban from international competition as world soccer’s governing body FIFA has strict rules against government interference in national federations.
In a statement, FECAFOOT said its emergency committee had met on Saturday and unanimously confirmed that the federation had not been involved in the appointments in alleged contravention of regulations.
As a result, it asked its president Samuel Eto’o to propose a national coach and other management staff for the national side within 72 hours.
Responding to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the ministry said the result of the FECAFOOT meeting was “an appeal. It is not yet a decision.”
On Friday, Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi wrote to FECAFOOT to defend the coaching appointments, which he said were in accordance with national and international rules.
In a letter seen by Reuters, Kombi said the ministry’s move “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations’.”
A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the authenticity of the letter.
Kombi’s letter also said the salaries requested by three candidates earlier proposed by the federation for the position of coach ranged between 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) and 2.5 million euros per year.
“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.
FECAFOOT did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.
-Reuters
RELATED STORIES:
BREAKING! Turmoil in Cameroon federation over naming of new national coach Brys. https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/breaking-turmoil-in-cameroon-federation-over-naming-of-new-national-coach-brys/
Soccer Cameroon appoint Brys as new head coach https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/soccer-cameroon-appoint-brys-as-new-head-coach/
International Football
National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami –
Powerful left-wing back in his playing days, Felix Owolabi has expressed great grief over the loss of a son of former teammate, Segun Odegbami.
Both Felix Owolabi and Odegbami share common traits as the earliest tertiary institution footballers featuring for clubs and the national team.
While Odegbami was a mechanical engineering student at The Ibadan Polytechnic, Owolabi was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos.
Both were players of the then rampaging IICC Shooting Stars and the Africa Cup of Nations winning team of 1980. The crucial goals that won the cup for Nigeria were scored by the duo.
While Owolabi’s goal against Morocco sent Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final match for the first time, Odegbami’s two goals in the final against Algeria put a stamp of definity to Nigeria’s victory before another club-mate Muda Lawal put in the third.
“We have come a long way”, remarked Owolabi in a message to the Sports Village Square Thursday morning.
“I have just arrived from Morocco on a national assignment trying to adjust and deal with the extreme and gruelling hot weather here in Nigeria when I got the sad news of the sudden death of the son of my dear brother and senior colleague Dr Olusegun Odegbami.
“Hearing the death of Oluwagbeminiyi Omo Odegbami, I paused for a moment and did not know what to say.
“All the media both print and electronics carried it as a breaking news.
“And that was when it dawned on me that I had to call ‘Big Sheg’ as he is fondly called by me.
“His authoritative confirmation about it dealt a blow on me and put me total darkness.What would have happened to this our vibrant and such an enterprising Oluwagbeminiyi?
“Why would death be so so wicked to suddenly take this gentleman away from us without notice. Going on a journey that he will need not to look at anybody, an eternal journey till Christ come.
“My heart and that of my entire family are with you and the rest of the family”, remarked Owolabi.
“It is well. I pray that God grant him eternal rest. I pray also that the almighty God grant you the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Today the death of Oluwagbeminiyi has made me to believe and conclude that death is real and it is universal
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