WeeklySA_AdminRELEGATION THREATENED: Ever since the purchase of Bidvest Wits back in 2019/20 season the team have been engulfed with throngs of controversies
By Masoja Cele
Grappling Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila will on Sunday face Magesi FC in a crucial Motsepe Foundation Championship at Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein. Kick-off is at 15:00.
TTM who recently relocated from Limpopo to Free State are starring at the relegation axe with a sore eye. They are languishing at the bottom of the league table with four rounds to complete the season. After twenty six matches Vhadau vhadamani have only amassed a mere twenty points. They still have a tight programme to end the season. Next, they will host the title chasing Hungry Lions, University of Pretoria FC away from home and close down the curtain with a tricky fixture against rivals Baroka FC.
TTM have been engulfed with throngs of controversies ever since the purchase of Bidvest Wits back in 2019/20 season. Mostly of the storms explodes from the management. Players would always murmur about the non-payment of salaries. Most definitely, that will have a negative impact on the performance of the playing personnel. Coaches would be shown the door even before they unpack the luggage. In this campaign Vhadau vhadamani have employed and dismissed four coaches.
Among the quartet is the experience and well respected Jonny Ferreirra, Lucky Nelukau, Ricardo Moriri and Michael Loftman. However, it is rumoured that Ferreira has been re-appointed as the head coach.
Take all these shenanigans into perspective it will take a miracle for TTM to survive the dreaded axe to the Motsepe ABC League. Back to the game, if TTM nurse any hope of avoiding the chop they will have to win all their four remaining games and pray that the four teams above them stumble in their matches respectively. Players like former Free State marksman Moeketsi Sekola and Thabiso Nkoana should take responsibility of helping the team to get results against the visitors. The pair acquired enough experience while they were employed by DStv Premiership teams. Moeketsi went as far as representing the country with Bafana Bafana. Nkoana was also a devastating forward when he was in the colours of SuperSport United. Vhadau vhadamani have also lured the exciting Xola ‘’Black Berry’’Nkola from Snake Park Black Mambas and Luvuyolwethu Mpeta formerly with University of Pretoria.
Against Magesi they will be up a team that has announced their arrival to PSL with vigour and pride. The debutants have played twenty six matches and are quite safely perched in the mid-table with thirty three points. They will definitely want to improve to a better position. The Limpopo team also boast a few former DStv Premier League stars.
In another Motsepe Foundation Championship fixture on Sunday, Uthongathi FC will host at Priness Magogo Stadium in Durban with a 15:00 Kick-off.
TELKOM NETBALL FIFTH SEASON ANNOUNCED
ACROSS TWO PROVINCES: Will provide a platform for all the players and coaches to raise their hands for a chance to make the final Spar Proteas squad for Africa’s first Netball World Cup
By Sports Reporter
The Telkom Netball League will be the last opportunity for players either to get competitive game time or find form before the Vitality Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
The 2023 instalment of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) – South Africa’s domestic netball division – is set to start on April 27! The announcement was made by Netball SA together with its partner Telkom, at an official media launch at the Southern Sun Hotel in Sandton on Wednesday.
As it has become the new norm, the 2023 TNL will be played across two provinces, with the opening week taking place from April 27 to May 1 at the Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane before heading to Pretoria in May.
The news of the announcement has been met with great approval, especially as the TNL will provide a platform for all the players and coaches to raise their hands for a chance to make the final Spar Proteas squad for Africa’s first Netball World Cup – to be hosted in Cape Town from July 28 August 6.
Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane once said that their commitment since the year 2017 has been to take netball back to the people, and on April 21 2022, they announced their partnership with proudly South African sports betting operator, Hollywoodbets!
The two-year partnership between the parties commenced in April 2022 and saw Hollywoodbets as the official betting partner of Netball SA.
As part of the exciting partnership, the Hollywoodbets’ well-recognised (Star) logo would be displayed on all playing kit and on the court throughout the Telkom Netball League.
Netball South Africa further announced that there will be two new teams added to the league, which will then bring the total number of competing teams to fifteen.
The two additional teams are from the Free State and Limpopo provinces. They will be known as Free State Sonoblomo and Limpopo Lilies, respectivel
Meanwhile Global sports company PUMA on Friday announced a long-term extension to the exclusive kit partner agreement with Netball SA.
The agreement, originally signed in 2019, sees PUMA supply kit for all teams under the auspices of Netball SA including the senior and junior national teams, umpires, teams in the National Premier League as well as the Netball SA executive. In addition, PUMA produces official replica and fanwear.
Sports:
Briefs
F1 ‘WORKING VERY HARD’ ON AFRICA RETURN
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali has revealed that races in London, South Africa and East Asia are possibilities for the global motorsport series. There are 23 Grands Prix pencilled in for the 2023 season after the Chinese race was cancelled in December amid ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the country.
Domenicali has given his thoughts on possible new hosts, telling Sky Sports that Formula One was “working very hard” on a race in Africa. “As I always said, we need to find the right partners, the right middle-term plan,” he added. It was reported last June that talks were held over a return to South Africa, which last hosted a Grand Prix in 1993, but Domenicali stressed the need for creating a long-term event in the continent.
“What I want to avoid is that we go there one year and then forget it,” he said.
SAFA ON CAF CLUB LICENSING REGULATIONS
South African Football Association (Safa) technical director Walter Steenbok says they are moving ahead with the implementation of the Caf Club Licensing regulations to enforce coaching licenses on the Premier Soccer League benches and other lower divisions. Speaking to journalists during the media roundtable with Safa leadership in Johannesburg yesterday, Steenbok says they are banking on the long overdue Safa Congress this weekend to ratify the regulations that would see coaches producing licenses to sit on the bench as it happens in Caf inter-club competitions.
“This issue of coaching qualifications was raised even by the first TD technical director Serame Letsoaka that we had in 2012. Coaches were even given enough leeway and enough time to be able to get the right qualifications. But when you have a lot of teams in the PSL who are not employing qualified coaches, it talks to our members,” he said.
NO RETURN SERVE FROM NADAL
Rafael Nadal says he is in a “difficult” situation as he does not know when he will return from his injury lay-off. The 22-time Grand Slam winner was initially ruled out for six to eight weeks with a hip injury but has now not played since January 18.
Nadal confirmed he will miss the Madrid Open, which starts on April 25, and there is doubt over his participation at the French Open in May. “The injury still hasn’t healed,” the 36-year-old Spaniard said.
CHEETAH SIYA NOW A SHARK
Siya Masuku’s move from the Cheetahs to the Sharks is a done deal, according to his agent, with the pivot signing a two-year deal with the Durban franchise. The Sharks have been in need of a flyhalf to back up Curwin Bosch and Boeta Chamberlain, with the latter having to operate at fullback because of an injury to Aphelele Fassi.
Masuku recently returned to action for the Cheetahs after recovering from injury, but his agent, Michael Thomas, confirmed that the 26-year-old has signed with the Sharks. “Yes, he has signed a two-year deal, but when he’ll start will probably be determined by the Cheetahs,” Thomas said.
TIGER OUT OF THE WOODS
Tiger Woods has completed “successful” surgery on his ankle following his withdrawal from The Masters earlier this month, the 47-year-old announced Wednesday.
The 15-time major winner made the cut at Augusta National despite admitting to “constant” pain, only to pull out of the major before the resumption of the rain-delayed third round.
Visibly struggling to walk during a grim start to his round, Woods later explained that the withdrawal was due to a reaggravation of his plantar fasciitis, a tissue inflammation that causes pain on the bottom of the foot.
The surgery, performed at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City, was deemed to be “successful” by Dr Martin O’Malley, according to a post from Woods’ Twitter account.
Published on the 95th Edition
