A year can be a very long time in football. Just ask Steven Pienaar.
The man they call ‘Schillo’ back home in South Africa found himself in welcoming surroundings on Thursday afternoon as he faced the media at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground following his last-ditch loan move from Spurs.
A little over 12 months have passed since Harry Redknapp won the race to sign him on a four-year contract worth an estimated £16 million in total, yet Pienaar must have contemplated how things have changed since then as he made the familiar journey up the M6 the day before. Back then, the future seemed so rosy for a player who had finally lived up to the promise he showed as a youngster for Ajax Amsterdam as he prepared to join a club in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Yet despite starting in the memorable 1-0 victory against AC Milan in the San Siro, that was as it got for Pienaar in a Spurs shirt as first a persistent groin injury and then a lack of first-team opportunities finally got the better of him. But what was most revealing was hearing just how desperate he was to leave north London, with Redknapp apparently keen to hold on to the 29-year-old right up until Tuesday night’s transfer deadline.
“At first he said no, I can’t go. It was the most stressful moment,” said Pienaar at the press conference to unveil him as an Everton player for the second time.
“I had to push him to get him to say yes, and eventually it happened just 10 minutes before time.”
News of the return of the player known as ‘Peanut’ in the blue corner of Merseyside was understandably greeted with great excitement, while Bafana Bafana boss Pitso Mosimane also wasted no time giving his captain the seal of approval after a year of frustration. And with his 30th birthday looming large in just over a month’s time, there is little doubt that Pienaar needs to be playing regularly and a return to the ground where he has arguably produced the best football of his career seems to suit all parties.
Now back home in his home in Woolton in the outskirts of Liverpool that had been up for sale since his departure for London, everything appears rosy. But quite where this leaves Pienaar’s future with Spurs remains to be seen.
Details of the season-long loan have yet to emerge, although it’s unlikely Everton will have been able to finance his weekly wages of around £60,000 – meaning Redknapp’s side are paying a large slice of that figure. Unless he is prepared to take a hefty pay-cut on the remaining three years of that contract, a permanent return to Goodison Park seems impossible.
That leaves just handful of clubs who may be prepared to offer Pienaar an escape route from White Hart Lane, assuming he remains surplus to requirements on his return to north London at the end of the season. But for the player who was given his original nickname in the tough Westbury township in Johannesburg after watching Italy’s Toto Schillachi at the 1990 World Cup, it is hard to underestimate the relief he will be feelling now he finds himself back in the company of old friends in the city he now considers a second home.
Showing posts with label Steven Pienaar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Pienaar. Show all posts
Friday, 3 February 2012
Thursday, 26 January 2012
South Africa Road is calling for Bafana Bafana stars
It seems unlikely given that new QPR boss Mark Hughes has been linked to every player and their sister in this transfer window, yet should any of Steven Pienaar, Daylon Claasen or Katlego Mphela end up at Loftus Road they will find themselves in surroundings that sound strangely familiar.
Of the Bafana Bafana trio, Pienaar seems most likely to be taking a stroll down South Africa Road in London W12 over the next five days, perhaps even having time to pop into the General Smuts pub around the corner on Bloemfontein Road for a swift pint before he signs?
Unsubstantiated rumours also claim that Loftus Road is named after Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld - acknowledged as the founder of organised sport in Pretoria, where the famous stadium bearing his name played host to the 2010 World Cup. The area around the stadium is thought to have been named after the South Africa Pavilion in the old Exhibition Grounds, built in 1908 for the Franco-British exhibition, with many of the other roads in the area also bearing names from other parts of the Commonwealth.
As things stand, however, there's a long way to go until QPR fans will be firing up the braai to welcome any new signings from South Africa. Spurs have slapped a price-tag of around £6 million on Pienaar's head and confirmation that Hughes also has his eye on Wigan's Victor Moses - at 21, eight years Schillo's junior - is a worrying development for the Bafana captain.
With his path to regular first-team football blocked by the Premier League's best midfield combination, Pienaar is itching to make the most of the time he has left at the top and would probably jump at the chance of a move - if another club can match his estimated £60,000 a week wages. Nouveau-riche QPR are one of the few who can, although it remains to be seen how far the finances of Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes will stretch after the signing of Manchester City defender on a whopping £4 million a year contract.
For FC Lierse midfielder Claasen, wages would not be a problem. He was a star of the 2009 under 20 World Cup alongside Kermit Erasmus and has been attracting interest from big clubs in Holland and Scotland as well. But issues over whether Claasen would be granted a work permit given his lack of international caps and the galaxy of stars likely to be ahead of him in the pecking order at Loftus Road make a summer transfer the most likely scenario.
That leaves Mphela, who boasts a better goalscoring ratio at international level than Lionel Messi with 22 goals in 42 matches for Bafana. His failed trial at Celtic back in July looked like being 'Killer's' last opportunity to return to Europe after a spell in France when he was a teenager but news of QPR's interest may give him some hope.
A natural predator in front of goal, astonishingly Mphela still has his detractors in his homeland but has shown his ability to find the net at any level. He may not end up being the man to entrusted with the job of keeping Rangers up, although there would be a great photo opportunity if any of the Bafana stars do end up at South Africa Road this January.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Stevie P's White Hurt Lane
Life couldn't be any sweeter for Tottenham fans right now. Sitting pretty in third spot in the Premier League and with a midfield quartet that is the envy of every manager in the land, some are even suggesting that the north Londoners could become champions for the first time in more than half a century.
However, not everyone at White Hart Lane is enjoying the ride. It's now been eight months since Steven Pienaar made his last appearance for Spurs in the Premier League as he has been relegated to a largely peripheral role at the club thanks to a combination of injuries and the superb form of his team-mates.
Defeats in both Europa League matches that the 29-year-old South African captain has started since returning from a groin operation have certainly not helped his cause, yet there is already a sense that Pienaar may have made a serious error in deciding to join a club where he was always going to struggle to hold down a regular starting spot at such an important stage of his career.
Known as more of a tricky winger in his youth at Ajax Amsterdam, the player that won Everton's Player of the Season in 2009/10 was renowned for his phenomenal work-rate from his starting position on the left flank. His combination with full-back Leighton Baines was invaluable to David Moyes's side and made Pienaar an attractive prospect for several suitors - especially when he refused to sign a new contract at Goodison Park.
The decision to join Spurs when they already possessed a player as supremely talented as Gareth Bale in his position was therefore a risky strategy to say the least. With the superb Luka Modric pulling the strings in the centre, Aaron Lennon's pace and trickery on the right and now Scott Parker's calm assuredness at the base of the midfield diamond, the best 'Schillo' can hope for is a place on the bench.
How that situation may change in the near future is hard to envisage. Brazilian Sandro is still ahead of Pienaar in the pecking order, while even youngster Jake Livermore has been preferred by Harry Redknapp in recent matches.
Of course, it would be ridiculous to suggest that it's time for him to move on just yet. Rumours of a loan move in January are unlikely to materialise given the trouble Spurs took to sign him and there is every chance that a couple of injuries may end a situation he described as 'depressing' last month.
But with his 30th birthday just around the corner, Pienaar cannot wait forever.
However, not everyone at White Hart Lane is enjoying the ride. It's now been eight months since Steven Pienaar made his last appearance for Spurs in the Premier League as he has been relegated to a largely peripheral role at the club thanks to a combination of injuries and the superb form of his team-mates.
Defeats in both Europa League matches that the 29-year-old South African captain has started since returning from a groin operation have certainly not helped his cause, yet there is already a sense that Pienaar may have made a serious error in deciding to join a club where he was always going to struggle to hold down a regular starting spot at such an important stage of his career.
Known as more of a tricky winger in his youth at Ajax Amsterdam, the player that won Everton's Player of the Season in 2009/10 was renowned for his phenomenal work-rate from his starting position on the left flank. His combination with full-back Leighton Baines was invaluable to David Moyes's side and made Pienaar an attractive prospect for several suitors - especially when he refused to sign a new contract at Goodison Park.
The decision to join Spurs when they already possessed a player as supremely talented as Gareth Bale in his position was therefore a risky strategy to say the least. With the superb Luka Modric pulling the strings in the centre, Aaron Lennon's pace and trickery on the right and now Scott Parker's calm assuredness at the base of the midfield diamond, the best 'Schillo' can hope for is a place on the bench.
How that situation may change in the near future is hard to envisage. Brazilian Sandro is still ahead of Pienaar in the pecking order, while even youngster Jake Livermore has been preferred by Harry Redknapp in recent matches.
Of course, it would be ridiculous to suggest that it's time for him to move on just yet. Rumours of a loan move in January are unlikely to materialise given the trouble Spurs took to sign him and there is every chance that a couple of injuries may end a situation he described as 'depressing' last month.
But with his 30th birthday just around the corner, Pienaar cannot wait forever.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Boo-boys no match for Killer instinct
Katlego Mphela must be wondering what more he has to do to capture the hearts of Bafana Bafana fans.
Taunted by some sections of the Port Elizabeth crowd who demanded his substitution in the first half of the Nelson Mandela Challenge against Ivory Coast on Saturday, ‘Killer’ responded by scoring with a brilliant free kick from 25 yards out to take his international tally to 22 goals in just 42 appearances.
Clearly with the emotions running high, Mphela’s reaction afterwards as he cupped his ear towards supporters and then appeared to push his team-mates away as they attempted to congratulate him told its own story. That Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane was forced to issue a plea to call on the nation to support a player who has scored more international goals than Lionel Messi actually beggars belief, especially when the 26-year-old product of Jomo Cosmos is the only South African who ever looks like scoring these days.
The lack of creativity in a side still clearly reeling from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the African Nations Cup should certainly be of more concern, with the return of captain Steven Pienaar failing to provide Mphela with enough ammunition in front of goal. A midfield of him, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Daylon Classen, Kagisho Dikgacoi and Reneilwe Letsholonyane was full of effort but ultimately lacking the crucial link in the final third. How Mosimane must have wished Ajax Amsterdam’s Thulani Serero had been fit enough to play.
But having found the net against teams like Spain, Serbia, France, Ghana and Egypt, Mphela now finds himself third on South Africa’s top-scorers’ list behind Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy. Yet the fact he remains unappreciated by so many fans remains a mystery.
The equally spectacular free kick against Vicente del Bosque's side in the 2009 Confederations Cup announced his arrival on the international scene more than four years after his debut and Mphela has since 17 goals in just over three years – not bad in a team that has consistently struggled to create chances in that period.
Granted, some of his tally may have been against lesser lights like Thailand and Guatemala but McCarthy’s record of 32 goals from 79 games also included several against minnows and to be in with a chance of overhauling that total is an indication of just how good a player Killer is. And with him only turning 27 later this month, Mphela can write his own piece of history just by letting his feet do the talking.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Pitso Mosimane faces day of destiny
"In the unlikely event that we don't qualify, then it will be a blessing in disguise for us as hosts of the next tournament in 2013 because it gives us time to focus all our energy towards that tournament that is just a year away," is a quote - you may not be surprised to hear - from the South African Football Association's vice-president Mandla ‘Shoes' Mazibuko.
Now forgive me if I have missed something here but surely the prospect of Bafana Bafana not making it to a second successive continental showpiece would be an unmitigated disaster for what is by far Africa's richest football body? Failure to qualify for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January would mean that South Africa will be kicking their heels until the World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign begins in June next year.
And that's what makes Saturday's meeting with Sierra Leone in Port Elizabeth so crucial, especially if your name is Pitso Mosimane. The Bafana coach enjoyed a great - if uninspiring - start to his tenure but the disastrous defeat to Niger in Niamey means it is all out of his hands now.
Whether Egypt's under 23 side are good enough to do them a favour remains to be seen, although Niger's away record is about as convincing as Arsene Wenger's excuses after the north London derby at the weekend. Safa's head henchos will certainly have their fingers crossed that things go their way but don't be surprised if you hear more statements like the one above if it doesn't.
That was the official party-line when Joel Santana's squad crashed out of the race for Angola 2010 and it didn't convince anyone then either. Carlos Alberto Parreira eventually salvaged some face for the national team at the 2010 World Cup and things looked to be progressing nicely under Mosimane until his last match in charge.
Shorn of captain Steven Pienaar and a number of key personnel who were either out of form or favour at their clubs, a first competitive defeat for 'Jingles' would now prove to be terminal if Niger come away with all three points. A draw and a South African win would be enough, however, so Mosimane will be hoping there will no need for more excuses come Saturday night.
Now forgive me if I have missed something here but surely the prospect of Bafana Bafana not making it to a second successive continental showpiece would be an unmitigated disaster for what is by far Africa's richest football body? Failure to qualify for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January would mean that South Africa will be kicking their heels until the World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign begins in June next year.
And that's what makes Saturday's meeting with Sierra Leone in Port Elizabeth so crucial, especially if your name is Pitso Mosimane. The Bafana coach enjoyed a great - if uninspiring - start to his tenure but the disastrous defeat to Niger in Niamey means it is all out of his hands now.
Whether Egypt's under 23 side are good enough to do them a favour remains to be seen, although Niger's away record is about as convincing as Arsene Wenger's excuses after the north London derby at the weekend. Safa's head henchos will certainly have their fingers crossed that things go their way but don't be surprised if you hear more statements like the one above if it doesn't.
That was the official party-line when Joel Santana's squad crashed out of the race for Angola 2010 and it didn't convince anyone then either. Carlos Alberto Parreira eventually salvaged some face for the national team at the 2010 World Cup and things looked to be progressing nicely under Mosimane until his last match in charge.
Shorn of captain Steven Pienaar and a number of key personnel who were either out of form or favour at their clubs, a first competitive defeat for 'Jingles' would now prove to be terminal if Niger come away with all three points. A draw and a South African win would be enough, however, so Mosimane will be hoping there will no need for more excuses come Saturday night.
Monday, 8 August 2011
Testing times for 'Sicknote' Schillo
When Steven Pienaar signed for Tottenham Hotspur back in January, the name Darren Anderton was not one Spurs fans expected to be reminded of.
But with yet another injury to his troublesome groin having apparently ruled the Bafana Bafana international out of the season opener against his old club Everton on Saturday, the 28-year-old is fast taking on the 'Sicknote' moniker that was reserved for the ex-England winger during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Despite spending a large proportion of his 12 years at White Hart Lane on the physio's treatment table, Anderton carved out a solid career in north London and is widely regarded as a loyal servant to the club (even if he is still waiting on a promised testimonial). If Pienaar is to be held in the same regard then he had better hope his injury troubles become a thing of the past.
Just five starts in the Premier League so far have yet to convince most Spurs fans that he was worth all the fuss following the switch from Everton in the last transfer window. With Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon occupying the wide positions and several other options in the centre of midfield, it remains unclear exactly how Harry Redknapp sees the new South African captain fitting into his plans.
His absence will give fringe players like Niko Kranjcar and Danny Rose the opportunity to establish themselves higher up the pecking order, although the potential sale of Luka Modric to Chelsea could hand him a much-needed lifeline.
Pienaar's withdrawal from the Bafana squad that will meet Burkina Faso in Johannesburg on Wednesday night is also the second successive international that he has been forced to miss. That's not great when you are trying to prepare for two crucial African Nations Cup matches that will determine the fate of Pitso Mosimane's men.
Siphiwe Tshabalala has taken over the armband in his absence and has also now amassed more caps than his more illustrious compatriot but doubts remain whether either is the right man for the job long-term. Spurs team-mate Bongani Khumalo - who made his debut on loan to Championship side Reading on Saturday - is most peoples' favourite and with Pienaar's 30th birthday coming up in March, he may find himself quietly moved to one side if the injury problems persist.
But give the number of times his groin seems to have been afflicted in recent months, the prognosis doesn't look good. The problem first appears to have surfaced back in October 2010 when he was forced to miss a month of Everton's campaign and it also caused him to have two seperate lay-offs after moving to London, ruling him out of the Champions League quarter-final aganst Real Madrid.
Rumours that he was suffering from a hernia appeared to have dissipated as Pienaar prepared for the new season, although this latest setback makes the decision for him not to have surgery back in June now look extremely ill-judged.
But with yet another injury to his troublesome groin having apparently ruled the Bafana Bafana international out of the season opener against his old club Everton on Saturday, the 28-year-old is fast taking on the 'Sicknote' moniker that was reserved for the ex-England winger during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Despite spending a large proportion of his 12 years at White Hart Lane on the physio's treatment table, Anderton carved out a solid career in north London and is widely regarded as a loyal servant to the club (even if he is still waiting on a promised testimonial). If Pienaar is to be held in the same regard then he had better hope his injury troubles become a thing of the past.
Just five starts in the Premier League so far have yet to convince most Spurs fans that he was worth all the fuss following the switch from Everton in the last transfer window. With Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon occupying the wide positions and several other options in the centre of midfield, it remains unclear exactly how Harry Redknapp sees the new South African captain fitting into his plans.
His absence will give fringe players like Niko Kranjcar and Danny Rose the opportunity to establish themselves higher up the pecking order, although the potential sale of Luka Modric to Chelsea could hand him a much-needed lifeline.
Pienaar's withdrawal from the Bafana squad that will meet Burkina Faso in Johannesburg on Wednesday night is also the second successive international that he has been forced to miss. That's not great when you are trying to prepare for two crucial African Nations Cup matches that will determine the fate of Pitso Mosimane's men.
Siphiwe Tshabalala has taken over the armband in his absence and has also now amassed more caps than his more illustrious compatriot but doubts remain whether either is the right man for the job long-term. Spurs team-mate Bongani Khumalo - who made his debut on loan to Championship side Reading on Saturday - is most peoples' favourite and with Pienaar's 30th birthday coming up in March, he may find himself quietly moved to one side if the injury problems persist.
But give the number of times his groin seems to have been afflicted in recent months, the prognosis doesn't look good. The problem first appears to have surfaced back in October 2010 when he was forced to miss a month of Everton's campaign and it also caused him to have two seperate lay-offs after moving to London, ruling him out of the Champions League quarter-final aganst Real Madrid.
Rumours that he was suffering from a hernia appeared to have dissipated as Pienaar prepared for the new season, although this latest setback makes the decision for him not to have surgery back in June now look extremely ill-judged.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Tshabalala staying put? You'd batter believe it
Of all the Bafana Bafana players you would have expected to be plying their trade in Europe by now, Siphiwe Tshabalala would have been the most likely candidate. His spectacular goal in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup ensured the man from Phiri in Soweto became a household name overnight and looked destined for a big overseas move.
But 13 months on and the 26-year-old is still at Kaizer Chiefs. Rumours of moves to Turkey, Greece, Spain and even English Premier League heavyweights Manchester United have so far failed to materialise - despite Chiefs' willingness to allow him to leave the club for the right price.
A well-publicised trial with Championship side Nottingham Forest back in January looked as though it had paved the way for Tshabalala to finally make his move but their failure to win promotion and the subsequent sacking of manager Billy Davies ended those hopes. Now, with the new campaign just weeks away, it looks increasingly likely that the player who stepped in for the injured Steven Pienaar to captain Bafana against Egypt last month will spend another season in South Africa's Premier Soccer League (PSL).
It's not for the want of trying either. After his client made no secret of his desire to play overseas (a night rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez et al at Fifa's gala dinner back in January after he was nominated for 'that' goal against Mexico only increased his determination), Tshaba's agent Jazzman Mahlakgane has been working overtime to secure a new deal but to no avail.
Last week, Jazzman admitted for the first time since the Forest trial that there is a strong possibility his client will still be wearing the famous gold and black strip of Amakhosi next season. Now that may not be such a bad prospect for someone who has yet to taste domestic league glory but it’s also slightly embarrassing given Tshabalala’s insistence he would be leaving.
Even at a decent asking price of around €1.5 million, it seems there is no club out there willing to take a punt on an established international who actually now possesses more caps than Pienaar. The main stumbling blocks seem to be his propensity to suffer from injuries and a lack of playing experience outside South Africa, although the latter that hasn't stopped several of his Bafana team-mates making the move in the last few weeks.
In a similar boat has been striker Katlego Mphela, but even he looks as though he may be heading to Europe with Dynamo Kiev and Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa reportedly both ready to make an offer (not that you can begrudge his superb record of 19 goals in 38 caps). That could leave Tshabalala as one of only a handful of last year's World Cup starting line-up still in South Africa, with only goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane alongside him.
At least it's not all doom and gloom for those famous dreadlocks though. The discussions with overseas clubs may not have gone so well of late but at least Jazzman has been proactive in helping Tshaba to purchase the franchise four local fish and chip shops as an investment for the future. Far too many famous Bafana players have fallen on hard times when their careers are over and his new empire should ensure he is never short of a penny or two in years to come.
But ask the player whether he would swap all that for a chance in one of Europe's top leagues and you can bet Tshaba would snap your hand off.
But 13 months on and the 26-year-old is still at Kaizer Chiefs. Rumours of moves to Turkey, Greece, Spain and even English Premier League heavyweights Manchester United have so far failed to materialise - despite Chiefs' willingness to allow him to leave the club for the right price.
A well-publicised trial with Championship side Nottingham Forest back in January looked as though it had paved the way for Tshabalala to finally make his move but their failure to win promotion and the subsequent sacking of manager Billy Davies ended those hopes. Now, with the new campaign just weeks away, it looks increasingly likely that the player who stepped in for the injured Steven Pienaar to captain Bafana against Egypt last month will spend another season in South Africa's Premier Soccer League (PSL).
It's not for the want of trying either. After his client made no secret of his desire to play overseas (a night rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez et al at Fifa's gala dinner back in January after he was nominated for 'that' goal against Mexico only increased his determination), Tshaba's agent Jazzman Mahlakgane has been working overtime to secure a new deal but to no avail.
Last week, Jazzman admitted for the first time since the Forest trial that there is a strong possibility his client will still be wearing the famous gold and black strip of Amakhosi next season. Now that may not be such a bad prospect for someone who has yet to taste domestic league glory but it’s also slightly embarrassing given Tshabalala’s insistence he would be leaving.
Even at a decent asking price of around €1.5 million, it seems there is no club out there willing to take a punt on an established international who actually now possesses more caps than Pienaar. The main stumbling blocks seem to be his propensity to suffer from injuries and a lack of playing experience outside South Africa, although the latter that hasn't stopped several of his Bafana team-mates making the move in the last few weeks.
In a similar boat has been striker Katlego Mphela, but even he looks as though he may be heading to Europe with Dynamo Kiev and Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa reportedly both ready to make an offer (not that you can begrudge his superb record of 19 goals in 38 caps). That could leave Tshabalala as one of only a handful of last year's World Cup starting line-up still in South Africa, with only goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane alongside him.
At least it's not all doom and gloom for those famous dreadlocks though. The discussions with overseas clubs may not have gone so well of late but at least Jazzman has been proactive in helping Tshaba to purchase the franchise four local fish and chip shops as an investment for the future. Far too many famous Bafana players have fallen on hard times when their careers are over and his new empire should ensure he is never short of a penny or two in years to come.
But ask the player whether he would swap all that for a chance in one of Europe's top leagues and you can bet Tshaba would snap your hand off.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Bongani bides his time
It must have been a strange feeling for Bongani Khumalo as he touched down on South African soil early on Thursday morning. Part of the Tottenham Hotspur squad that arrived for their pre-season tour that will take in matches against Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the 24-year-old may have been on the same flight as the likes of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart but his career in England has yet to really take off.
While Modric and the debate about his future at the club will inevitably be the centre of attention throughout Spurs' sejourn in SA, Khumalo will just be glad to be part of the group having spent time on loan at Preston North End and on the treatment table after sustaining a broken foot that ended ihis season back in April. If things go well, he could even find himself making an official appearance in the Lillywhite shirt for the first time over the next couple of weeks.
But with Spurs widely acknowledged as a genuine top-six side these days, that is probably as good as it is going to get for the immaculately-spoken central defender who still plans to one day finish the degree in finance he abandoned to pursue his football dream. Harry Redknapp's assistant Kevin Bond made no secret of the fact that Khumalo is likely to go out on loan again this season, with Glasgow Rangers or Bristol City the likely destination.
Clearly, they see the player who announced himself on the global stage with the second goal of Bafana's memorable win over France at the 2010 World Cup as one for the future. That is fair enough given Khumalo's experience in English football amounts to a handful of games on loan in the Championship, although the number of defensive frailities at White Hart Lane may mean he is called upon sooner than Redknapp might hope.
But another season outside the spotlight of the English Premier League may actually be just the ticket for him. It's questionable whether a spell at Ibrox would provide a sterner test than Ashton Gate - save for the Champions League experience Khumalo could gain in Scotland - and given the success young defender Steven Caulker has last season at Bristol City, Spurs may look closer to home.
For now, though,Bongani has been given the opportunity to show that he belongs in the company of some of the world's best players. And with the presence of Bafana team-mate Steven Pienaar on tour and the friendlies against two sides he will know very well from his PSL days, South Africa should be the perfect platform to do just that.
Who knows, maybe then Harry will keep him on just a little bit longer?
While Modric and the debate about his future at the club will inevitably be the centre of attention throughout Spurs' sejourn in SA, Khumalo will just be glad to be part of the group having spent time on loan at Preston North End and on the treatment table after sustaining a broken foot that ended ihis season back in April. If things go well, he could even find himself making an official appearance in the Lillywhite shirt for the first time over the next couple of weeks.
But with Spurs widely acknowledged as a genuine top-six side these days, that is probably as good as it is going to get for the immaculately-spoken central defender who still plans to one day finish the degree in finance he abandoned to pursue his football dream. Harry Redknapp's assistant Kevin Bond made no secret of the fact that Khumalo is likely to go out on loan again this season, with Glasgow Rangers or Bristol City the likely destination.
Clearly, they see the player who announced himself on the global stage with the second goal of Bafana's memorable win over France at the 2010 World Cup as one for the future. That is fair enough given Khumalo's experience in English football amounts to a handful of games on loan in the Championship, although the number of defensive frailities at White Hart Lane may mean he is called upon sooner than Redknapp might hope.
But another season outside the spotlight of the English Premier League may actually be just the ticket for him. It's questionable whether a spell at Ibrox would provide a sterner test than Ashton Gate - save for the Champions League experience Khumalo could gain in Scotland - and given the success young defender Steven Caulker has last season at Bristol City, Spurs may look closer to home.
For now, though,Bongani has been given the opportunity to show that he belongs in the company of some of the world's best players. And with the presence of Bafana team-mate Steven Pienaar on tour and the friendlies against two sides he will know very well from his PSL days, South Africa should be the perfect platform to do just that.
Who knows, maybe then Harry will keep him on just a little bit longer?
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Mbazo stuck between rock and a hard place
2011 has hardly been best year so far for Aaron Mokoena. Sensationally dropped by Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane back in March for the squad's biggest game since the 2010 World Cup, 'Mbazo' also saw his status as a first-team regular at Championship side Portsmouth brought into question as manager Steve Cotterill left the 30-year-old on the bench for the tail-end of the season.
He was back in the starting line-up for Monday night's 4-0 pre-season win over neighbours Havant and Waterlooville but with the competition for a starting spot likely to heat up as the first game of the new season gets closer, it's very doubtful whether he will stay there for long.
Recent stories that the player who won a total of 104 caps is therefore looking for a new club two years after his arrival from Blackburn Rovers were denied by Cotterill a couple of weeks ago, although he did hint he would be allowed to leave for 'a decent fee'. I've been in regular conversation with Mokoena's new agent Dietmar Wendorff (he split from long-term business manager Rob Moore - owner of the Extra Time Agency that also looks after Steven Pienaar and Benni McCarthy - just before the World Cup) and he insists his client has made it clear he would like to leave Fratton Park.
Where he will eventually end up is anyone's guess, although it is hard to imagine a return to the Premier League given the dramatic dip in his performance levels. The UAE has been mentioned by Wendorff as a possibility but given the fact that Mokoena has yet to announce his international retirement, only a move to another major European league would be enough to convince Mosimane he is worth a recall.
His actions after being dropped for the home African Nations Cup qualifier against Egypt in Johannesburg earlier this year may have burned his bridges for good, however. Understandably irked at Mosimane's failure to inform him personally that he was surplus to requirements for such a big match, Mbazo decided to get his retaliation in first and arranged a personal press conference on the eve of the match that most fans in South Africa agreed was ill-timed to say the least.
Regular football and a successful Championship season at Fratton Park may not help his quest to add to his 104 caps - even in a division that is becoming increasingly Bafana Bafana dominated of late. His chief rivals for a starting spot in the national team are both likely to be plying their trade at a similar level next term (Bongani Khuamlo is expected to go on loan from Spurs to Rangers or Bristol City and Morgan Gould is on trial at Crystal Palace this week) and they will take some dislodging after successive clean sheets against the triple African champions.
So it doesn't look good for the international career of a man who this time last year was the proud ambassador for his country's arrival on the global stage. But with his Pompey place also under threat and the riches that are meant to be on offer to him in the Emirates, Mokoena's best bet might be to take the money and run.
He was back in the starting line-up for Monday night's 4-0 pre-season win over neighbours Havant and Waterlooville but with the competition for a starting spot likely to heat up as the first game of the new season gets closer, it's very doubtful whether he will stay there for long.
Recent stories that the player who won a total of 104 caps is therefore looking for a new club two years after his arrival from Blackburn Rovers were denied by Cotterill a couple of weeks ago, although he did hint he would be allowed to leave for 'a decent fee'. I've been in regular conversation with Mokoena's new agent Dietmar Wendorff (he split from long-term business manager Rob Moore - owner of the Extra Time Agency that also looks after Steven Pienaar and Benni McCarthy - just before the World Cup) and he insists his client has made it clear he would like to leave Fratton Park.
Where he will eventually end up is anyone's guess, although it is hard to imagine a return to the Premier League given the dramatic dip in his performance levels. The UAE has been mentioned by Wendorff as a possibility but given the fact that Mokoena has yet to announce his international retirement, only a move to another major European league would be enough to convince Mosimane he is worth a recall.
His actions after being dropped for the home African Nations Cup qualifier against Egypt in Johannesburg earlier this year may have burned his bridges for good, however. Understandably irked at Mosimane's failure to inform him personally that he was surplus to requirements for such a big match, Mbazo decided to get his retaliation in first and arranged a personal press conference on the eve of the match that most fans in South Africa agreed was ill-timed to say the least.
Regular football and a successful Championship season at Fratton Park may not help his quest to add to his 104 caps - even in a division that is becoming increasingly Bafana Bafana dominated of late. His chief rivals for a starting spot in the national team are both likely to be plying their trade at a similar level next term (Bongani Khuamlo is expected to go on loan from Spurs to Rangers or Bristol City and Morgan Gould is on trial at Crystal Palace this week) and they will take some dislodging after successive clean sheets against the triple African champions.
So it doesn't look good for the international career of a man who this time last year was the proud ambassador for his country's arrival on the global stage. But with his Pompey place also under threat and the riches that are meant to be on offer to him in the Emirates, Mokoena's best bet might be to take the money and run.
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