Kagisho is king of the palace
Other clubs in England are interested in the Free Stater
CRYSTAL Palace’s remarkable revival has been the talk of the Premiership, and Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi’s key role personifies that success.
Dikgacoi, 29, returned to the Premiership as one of Palace’s senior squad members, expected to help lead less experienced players into one of the world’s toughest leagues. Critics pointed to that inexperience being exactly the problem for the London club, and by November they were stone last.
Tony Pulis’s appointment and transformation, leading Palace to 11th, has him being mentioned by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho as a contender to knock Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers off the manager of the season perch. Palace’s survival would be the club’s first in five attempts in the Premiership era.
Dikgacoi, a bit-part player when he signed for Fulham from Golden Arrows in 2009, has played whenever he’s not been injured, notching 23 league appearances.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Pulis won manager of the year because he’s done a fantastic job,” Dikgacoi said on Friday. “He made us believe in ourselves, and that we are good enough to play in the Premier League. He made us strong, especially keeping the shape, and we don’t concede goals easily now.
“It’s a tough league and takes a while for a promoted team to gain confidence. Initially we never went to the market for big players. We made signings in the second transfer window, and that’s also helped.”
Dikgacoi is fit from a hamstring injury that kept him out of Palace’s 3-2 win against Everton at Goodison Park in midweek. His season included a notable performance in Palace’s 1-0 home win against Chelsea last month.
“I came straight from Arrows to Fulham in 2009, and that’s not easy for anyone,” the soft-spoken Free Stater said.
“I went to Palace in the Championship, got that experience and adapted to English football.
Liverpool have a chance. But they still have to come to Selhurst Park
I’ve found it a lot easier because I’m surrounded by the players I played with in the Championship.
“Playing the Hazhards, the Suarezes, you need mental and physical strength. Once you realise they’re human like you, they are the ones who fear you. Look at Palace — the spirit, togetherness and our aggression towards opponents have really been a threat.”
With his contract up at the end of the season, Dikgacoi would prefer to stay in familiar surroundings. Familiarity such as the understanding the Bafana player has established with Australian Mile Jedinak in central midfield. “We’ve played together for probably more than 100 games. It makes things easier,” Dikgacoi said.
The player’s agent, UK-based Matt Kleinman, said Dikgacoi has a strong negotiating po- sition, and other clubs are interested.
“He’s had a brilliant season. Palace have exceeded all expectations and in many ways KG personifies that. Because people in certain quarters were questioning whether he could make the step up, especially after playing a bit part at Fulham. And he’s silenced many critics.”
Not always given the credit he should receive for joining the elite band of EPL South Africans, Dikgacoi has become the sophisticated man about London, where he has a penthouse flat in Wimbledon. And he has the best front-row seat on one of the league’s tightest finishes in years. Who will win between Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City?
“I had this question in February and I said give me a call after three weeks. I still don’t have an answer. Liverpool have a chance. The only thing is they still have to come to Selhurst Park in their second-last match [on May 5], and we’re going to make it difficult there.”
sports@timesmedia.co.za
NORMAN Arendse is on a collision course with his South African Football Association (Safa) colleagues after he broke a confidentiality agreement that bound the investigation into allegations over beleaguered Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund’s conduct this week.
Several Safa executive committee members said yesterday they want stern action taken against Arendse after he named Safa CEO Dennis Mumble in a radio interview as the person who initiated the investigation into Igesund.
The executive committee members said Arendse also brought Safa into disrepute when he broke the agreement intended to protect the identity of those who appeared before the investigating task team and told Robert Marawa on his 083 sports@6 show that Bafana captain Itumeleng Khune declined to be interviewed on the record during the investigation.
Journalists were not given Arendse’s report at the media briefing called to announce the findings on Thursday as it has not been ratified by the Safa national executive committee, which can accept or reject it.
‘‘He hung the captain [Khune], the CEO [Mumble] and all of us [at Safa] out to dry. What effect will this have on Khune now?” asked an irate executive committee member.
‘‘I intend to call the other executive committee members and we will ask the president [Danny Jordaan] to initiate disciplinary action against Norman next week for bringing the association into disrepute.”
Another executive committee member said: ‘‘I am still shocked by what I heard on Thursday. Those utterances took Safa 10 steps back.”
But Arendse was unfazed yesterday, insisting that his colleagues can do as they please.
‘‘They can be upset and take it up with the president and the NEC [executive committee]. I am satisfied that I did not say anything on the show that falls outside of the report. You were there at the press conference and I told you guys that if I had my way, I would make the full report available.
‘‘You will see that his name is mentioned [in the report] but it is mentioned in a different context. He is the one who negotiated the agreement, eventually, with Mumble.”
Mumble declined to comment yesterday.
Safa vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana will be watching developments with a beady eye as he himself was suspended a few months ago for making utterances that were deemed to have brought the organisation into disrepute.
Nonkonyana told a TV sports programme in October that should Bafana fail to win the African Nations Championship (Chan) earlier this year, then Igesund “should do the honourable thing” and quit.
Arendse described Khune as ‘‘one of our key witnesses” last month and the Kaizer Chiefs player’s decision not to testify on the record is believed to have contributed towards the investigation’s collapse.
You were there at the press conference and I told you guys that if I had my way, I would have made the full report available
Arendse led the task team set up by Safa to investigate allegations that Igesund influenced players to demand bonuses ahead of Chan in January.
It also investigated allegations of soccer agents influencing Bafana selections.
The task team cleared Igesund of all wrongdoing this week.
It made several recommendations that raised eyebrows.
It recommended, among others, that the Bafana head coach not have a player agent as his own agent. Also, player agents not be allowed in the team hotel before and during matches of the national teams.
Jordaan earlier suggested that Igesund would be evaluated over his tenure when he returns from the tour to Australia and New Zealand next month.
He said Igesund has been under constant monitoring over the past few months and the executive committee will decide his future after the tour Down Under. sports@timesmedia.co.za