THE LATEST NFD NEWS

• After the acquisition of head coach, Sammy Troughton, there appears to be a renewed sense of optimism at struggling Witbank Spurs. “Every player now wants to show Troughton that they can also do it, while he’s trying his level best to improve things,” said a source.

• Meanwhile, Siyavutha, who’re known for being cash- strapped, have received a lucrative payout in the form of a FIFA solidarity contribution for their role in Percy Tau’s development - following his transfer from Mamelodi Sundowns to Brighton & Hove Albion! “FC Cape Town have successfully executed the case for Spurs as per our social media platforms. No longer can we allow SA and African teams to forfeit their rights to the FIFA regulation on the status and transfer of players as per Article 20 & 21,” said Errol Dicks, who’s now a specialist in this area. • An intense battle is raging between the top five Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League outfits, with just one point separating FC Zone Mavo, Mlambo Royal Cubs FC, Lumoja FC, Secunda M Stars and Acornbush United FC after four games. • Competition is also interesting in the Gauteng stream, where well- known sides Alexandra United, Baberwa FC and Swallows FC, were unbeaten after six matches – however, at the same stage, Alexandra Black Aces had suffered three defeats in a row before eventually walloping M Tigers 4-2. • The Athlone Stadium remains unavailable, with no fixed date for the return of second tier football. “There’s still no time set. Certain repairs are still being processed,” a source told Soccer Laduma.