Vuvuzela South Africa

In the first MTN 8 Wafa Wafa semi-final at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, Ajax took down Kaizer Cheifs 1-0 with a controversial penalty when Thabang Rooi was penalised in the box for a physical tackle  and midfielder Dipsy Selolwane scored from the spot in the 63rd minute.

Well the penalty wasn’t that controversial – it was quite clear, but the referee, Peter Mabuza got into “delayed decision” mode (one of many questionable decisions) and that angered the Amakhosi fans whose unacceptable behavior of raining down cans and missiles on to the pitch  is a great cause of worry, with less than 300 days to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The two clubs will have to do it again at Orlando Stadium next Sunday, 23 August 2009 for the return leg for the MNT 8 Wafa Wafa Competition.

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Wow, will the excitement never end – another Pirates Chiefs vs Derby!

I’ve hardly gotten over the felling or irritation at the Buccaneers dismal failure in the penalty shootout arena – I mean I’ve seen kids kicking a tennis ball around in Cleremont who could shoot better than that. And I just don’t buy  Coach Ruud Krol’s  “well it was stress – they shoot perfectly in practice” defence either. These guys are professionals, earning a living playing soccer – they are supposed to be able to perform under stress.

Anyway, now my rant is over and my hope is on the Buccaneers once a gain to pull it off

No Friendly between Amakhosi and the Buccaneers

Kaizer Chiefs new coach Vladimir Vermezovic, has quickly learnt there is no such thing as a soccer friendly between Amakhosi and Orlando Pirates.Yesterday he emphasised he would field his strongest team against Buccaneers in the second Telkom Charity Cup semi-final at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium today.

The former Partizan Belgrade defender and coach was last week had a baptism of fire into the intense rivalry between the two clubs and he now has some idea how important it is to win a Soweto Derby.

According to Sports Chirp Vermezovich said:

“We want to play in the final. We are ready despite a couple of worrying injuries and I will start with what is my strongest side and if we make the final, which I hope we do, then I will decide the plan for the final.

“It is tough playing two full games in one afternoon. There is not much time for the winner to rest after the games as the final kicks off at 5pm, but will be ready as we played in a similar tournament (Premier’s Cup in PE) in an earlier pre-season tournament, so I have an idea of what to expect.”

The Kaizer Chiefs coach said he would use a rotation policy this season as he has  27 players who will all get a chance with the rotation policy.

Bafana Bafana Stars

Although Orlando Pirates Coach Ruud Krol is playing it cool, saying he is actually more focused  on next Wednesday night’s MTN8 quarter-final clash against Ajax Cape Town at Ellis Park, he must be hurting seriously after the defeat in Port Elizabeth and wants to set the record straight, so he is sure to be rolling out his big guns in the form of his four Bafana Bafana stars, midfielders Teko Modise, Benson Mhlongo, striker Katlego Mashego and defender Innocent Mdledle.

They started pre-season training later than the rest of the squad due to the fact they helped Bafana Bafana finish fourth in the Confederation Cup last month.

Orlando Pirates' Frank Olivier

Orlando Pirates new signee Frank Olivier, the Cameroonian international, who made his debut in the 2-0 win against Manchester City last month says on the Bucs website:

“Games against Chiefs always have a special significance, hence there’s no way we can take it lightly. We are looking forward to the match with great anticipation and nothing less than a victory will make us happy…besides, we owe it to our supporters,” he added.

Krol  has a talented squad and also has the option of throwing in his two new strikers-  former Chiefs star Gert Schalkwyk and Dennis Masina, who he signed from Supersport United for their debuts.

My Prediction

My personal prediction – besides the disastrous penalty shootout, Orlando Pirates looked stronger in Port Elizabeth, and looking at the squad, I’d say they are going to run out  a stronger team on the day – Up the Buccaneers!

Sundowns vs Platinum All Stars

The other Semi-final between Sundowns v Platinum Stars – kick off 10:00

The final will kick off at 5 pm.

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More than 20 000 spectators are going to set a world record when they blow their Vuvuzelas for 30 seconds before the Orlando Pirates meet Kaizer Chiefs in the Vodacom Challenge at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth this evening.

And it would seem that because of their 2 -0 Victory over Manchester City in Polokwane and their longer rest period after the game, the mighty Buccaneers are tipped to win this game to meet the blues again in the final at Loftus on Saturday.

The Buccaneers have the Edge

According to Kickoff, Orlando Pirates Coach, Ruud Kroll believes his boys have the edge.

“Recuperation is very important in football and the fact that Chiefs played a top team like Manchester City yesterday [Tuesday] does give us an advantage,” Kroll says. “From our side, we have prepared well and are relaxed.”

Pressure is on Chiefs

And when you speak to Amakhosi manager Bobby Motaung he says the pressure is on his team after their defeat to City on Tuesday.

“The game in Durban was almost like a practice match; there was no pressure on us to win,” he says. “But the pressure comes with Thursday’s game because there is no ‘friendly’ match when we play Pirates.

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Kaizer Chiefs one of South Africa’s leading soccer clubs is back home at the Mecca of South African Football – the Orlando Stadium in Soweto. The Glamour Boys will play their homes games here this season.

Chiefs will play their first game at Orlando this season against Bidvest Wits University in the quarterfinal of lucrative MTN8 on 4 August 2009.

Chiefs will then play the Absa Premiership opener for 2009/10 season on the 8 August 2009 against unpredictable, Santos. The kick off for that game is at 20h15.

New Home and Away Kits

For the 2009/2010 season, the Glamour Boys’ new home and away kits will continue to be a desired item for fans, capable of inspiring, joyful, and brilliant football both on and off field.

In keeping the authentic football passion alive, Nike and Kaizer Chiefs today officially unveiled their new 2009/2010 home and away kits on field at the revamped Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

The much sought after Gold Jersey has undergone a few changes that will give the new home and away kits will a striking appearance.

Nike’s Stylish Design

“We are excited to launch our new home and away jerseys here at Orlando Stadium today. Nike‘s innovation, stylish design and attention to comfort will allow us to win on and off the field. We look forward to inspiring our supporters in our new jersey and continuing to make history with our partners,” says Jessica Motaung, Marketing Director, Kaizer Chiefs.

Kaizer Chiefs will wear the new kit for their first match against Manchester City, who they play against in the Vodacom Challenge on 21 July 2009 in Durban.

New Nike Home and Away Kits for Kaizer Chiefs

New Nike Kit for Chiefs

The new home kit design features a fuller colour-way on the body and sleeves of the jersey, with black trim on the round collar, sleeves and breathable mesh side panels on the jersey. The authenticity of the jersey lies firstly on the inside collar which has a high quality woven label that reads, ‘Kaizer Chiefs’, while engineered into the side seam is a small black label that reads ‘Amakhosi 4 Life’.

Supporters Can Buy New Kit from 27 July

Supporters will be happy to know that these brand new Kaizer Chiefs’ home and away replica jerseys will be available in leading retail stores from 27 July 2009.

Amakhosi 4 Life!

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