A SOWETO DERBY SO GOOD THE SPOILS HAD TO BE SHARED!

I wonder how many games it will take for coach Ernst Middendorp to realise that Siphelele Ntshangase and Ramahlwe Mphahlele are the main contributors to Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro’s goals. There was no need for Happy Mashiane and Kgotso Moleko since both were available for selection. As for replacing Castro with Willard Katsande, especially in the 66th minute, only he knows why he opted to do this. This then encouraged Orlando Pirates to stop worrying about our attack and start pushing forward more. Coach, you somehow contributed to the equaliser. Starting with either Dumisani Zuma or Philani Zulu in place of the young Mashiane was going to give Kaizer Chiefs the edge due to experience. By not playing Ntshangase, you are busy making Billiat and Castro ineffective. Hendrick Ekstein is good, but he runs with the ball too much and loses possession easily, whereas Ntshangase lets the ball run and dishes out defence-splitting passes. You should have started with him and, if you wanted to replace him, you could have done so with either Ekstein or Mahlasela to run at them. I wonder whether you have assistants who see the game differently or are they afraid of you? Come on, coach! Yoh, you are killing us! Clive, Tshwane

I would like to applaud the boldness of our coach for going for an allout attack against our bitter rivals Orlando Pirates. Leaving Willard Katsande on the bench left me bemused, but it was a masterstroke as we were able to penetrate their defence going forward. The substitution of Happy Mashiane was wrong as it allowed Asavela Mbekile breathing space. All in all, I see improvement in our team and well done to the technical staff for that. Tshepo Modike, Freedom Park

I had a ray of hope that Ernst Middendorp’s second stint would yield positive results, but sadly, my optimism seems to be a pie in the sky. Castles in the air. His first stint at the club between 2005 and 2007 brought home two titles, a commendable feat in my opinion, hence my initial delight upon his appoint- ment. The current stats, however, paint a hideous picture. The team is still precariously hanging on to the Top Eight spot, the status quo that prevailed when he assumed duty in December last year. A more disturbing trend is his persistent disregard of exceptionally gifted players such as Kabelo Mahlasela, Dumisani Zuma and Siphelele Ntshangase, just to mention a few. The recent spat between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba should have been an eye-opener for Middendorp that a coach who harbours grudges against his own players is doomed to fail. Lastly, your bench in the recent- ly-held Soweto Derby was awash with defensive-minded players. Why, dear Ernst? George Sithole, Honeydew

The best African derby was indeed anticipated by many in Mzansi. I thought the Glamour Boys from Naturena would have redeemed themselves after scoring from the penalty spot via the foot of Daniel Cardoso. Psychologically, Orlando Pirates were superior then their opponents on the day. One of Amakhosi’s defenders was supposed to track Thembinkosi Lorch as he ran like a madman in anticipation of the pass; however, they failed to do so, and it resulted in him scoring the equaliser. On the other hand, Leonardo Castro and Khama Billiat are not helping the team at all, but in the case of Daniel Akpeyi, I must say that the team made a good acquisition… nay, replacement. Terah Maqepula, Mount Fletcher

When Kaizer Chiefs were awarded a penalty, I expected either Khama Billiat or Leonardo Castro to take the responsibility and little did I know that Cardoso would step up to the plate. I admire the bravery of that guy! He knows very well that he is not in our good books following a series of costly mistakes. Well, taking that into consideration, one would have thought that he was going to stay very far away from the penalty spot. I have to admit, it was a welltaken spot kick. I have been very vocal about his poor performances in the past and I will be the first one to congratulate him on his overall performance. He did put on a good shift on the day, with some timely blocks and interceptions. We had some chances to kill off the game in the second half, but poor passing in the final third was our undoing. Daniel Akpeyi and Happy Mashiane did well, with the latter dishing some good passes at certain stages. If Mashiane is given more game-time, he will be a marvel to watch. Amos Tshukudu, Ga Maria

All the games that Kaizer Chiefs should have won they have either drawn or lost. We can go back to the games against Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City, and now Orlando Pirates. I have said before that Amakhosi need a quality striker to help in front of goal. Luvuyo Zideba, Cape Town

Although a draw against Orlando Pirates is never enough for Kaizer Chiefs, I think it was better than nothing on the day. We are a big team and a draw against our rivals is some kind of an insult to us as fans. Looking back at the game: we started very well, especially in the second half and managed to get a penalty that ended up in the back of the net. Unfortunately, just like in the previous Soweto Derby, we lost the plot. However, with the new coach on board, in Ernst Middendorp, I still have high hopes of getting the better of Pirates in future games. Rise Khosi rise! Letladi wa Ga-Mphahlele, Maralaleng

This is really unfair to most soccer-loving supporters. This derby delay must really be nipped in the bud. We leave our daily activities to go early to the stadium, while others arrive late knowing very well that the game will be delayed because of them. The PSL must do something about this, even if it means involving the boys and girls in blue. Matlala Elvis, Standerton

Khama Billiat was signed as a mar-

quee player, meaning similarly to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no room for underperformance. He was signed to make a difference when the chips are down. Just like Thembinkosi Lorch has done for Orlando Pirates, Billiat was supposed to come up with something special; some individual brilliance. Unfortunately, he has failed in most of his games for Kaizer Chiefs. It is time for Gustavo Paez to be given these chances too. Allow Paez to play three games in a row to build his confidence alongside Bernard Parker. Ernst Middendorp is an experienced coach, so I am sure he has observed what I am talking about. Leon White, via email Tactical discipline on the part of Sir Ernst Middendorp has again proven to be what we have been missing during the last three discomforting encounters at the hands of our arch-rivals. Since Bucs players enjoy running off the ball, to stop them you need to be tactically disciplined and technically astute, close the spaces and small pockets behind you. By so doing, they get frustrated and become a so-so team. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t capitalise on their ailing goalkeeping department. Mamatonyane Maila, via email The Soweto Derby has come and gone, and my beloved Buccaneers have managed to steal four out of a possible six points from our noisy neighbours this season. We have stretched our unbeaten run against them to 12 matches… and counting. However, to be quite honest, I thought Kaizer Chiefs were better than us on Saturday. They created more scoring chances, though they failed to convert them into goals. We were a bit lethargic, especially in the middle of the park where Xola Mlambo had an off day. We were lucky to escape with a point and maybe history saved us, you know. Bongani Mgubela, Diepkloof “Complacent” is a word I can use to sum up the status quo at Orlando Pirates at the moment. The players seem overloaded with tactics and are better at chasing games than controlling a football match. I do not see the need to play three midfielders in South African football, so Musa Nyatama, Xola Mlambo and Man of the Match Ben Motshwari should only play together in the CAF Champions League. With that said, the derby was somewhat a disappointing dull affair until Kaizer Chiefs went ahead. I cringed every time Justin Shonga had possession – a talent indeed but just not firing on all cylinders. The brains trust has a lot of thinking to do if we are to salvage our season with a trophy or two. Up the Bucs! Mla Dhlomo, via email Eita. Come to think of it, it seems as though we have a lot of Elvis Chipezezes in our Absa Premiership! What I saw in the derby with Daniel Akpeyi was very amateurish. Every time when Orlando Pirates put pressure on Chiefs, he would fall, Humpty Dumpty style. Good to see Amakhosi are learning a thing or two from the folks from Ga-Mphahlele… or is it? Trust Thips, Mbalenhle

Quick One-Two’s

Congrats to coach Thabo Senong and the entire technical team, including the young soldiers on the field, for qualifying for the U20 World Cup in Poland. The consistency which Amajita have shown under coach Senong commendable and augurs well for the future of our national team. Our boys played well, especially holding out hoodoo team Nigeria and winning against Burundi. Madimetja Vic Mashamaite, Renstown Due to the favourable results over the weekend, many have already tipped Mamelodi Sundowns to win the Absa Premiership league title at the end of the season. I beg to delve deeper. It won’t be easy for Downs looking at their remaining games. I just hope criss-crossing the continent won’t take its toll on the players as we all know that coach Pitso Mosimane is aiming for the title. Aphane JM Libangeni, Vaalbank, KwaNdebele My word, goals galore at Etihad stadium on Sunday! Manchester City literally destroyed Chelsea in dramatic fashion. Twenty-five minutes into the game, the Citizens had already netted four goals. Talk ‘bout signed, sealed, delivered, with aplomb to boot. The disor- ganisation of The Blues’ midfield honestly cost the team. Jorginho and N’Golo Kante could not contain the telepathic passes of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogun. This then caused Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain and Pedro to be starved of the ball supply. Chelsea’s backline was found wanting and that left their goalkeeper dealing with the aggressiveness of Argentine Sergio Aguero and speedy Raheem Sterling. This team needs to develop stronger character to turn their fortunes around and give themselves an opportunity to be in the top four come end of the season. It’s time for them to go back to the drawing board and pull their socks up. Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg For a moment I thought my eyes were betraying me on Sunday even- ing when I witnessed my beloved Chelsea being annihilated by Manchester City, 6-0 to be specific. I have said this before and I’m going to repeat it, stuck record fashion: Maurizio Sarri is a liability to that team. If I were him, I would do the honourable thing and take the first flight back to Rome before being pushed out. If Roman Abramovich knows what is good for him, he must swallow his pride and bring back the ‘The Special One’ Jose Mourinho. Despite his reputation of falling out with players in the dressing room, history tells us that he is the only manager who knows how to bring the best out of The Blues. That will save us from further humiliation. Bongani Mgubela, Diepkloof

Our eyes feasted on a very competitive type of football in the German Bundesliga during this past weekend. Of particular note was the match between Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim. Dortmund had already buried Hoffenheim 3-0 in the first half, but the Bundesliga leaders threw away their lead to draw against their opponents. Hoffenheim made a dramatic comeback and scored three goals in the second stanza of the game. This was an indication that the league is becoming very competitive, just like the English Premiership. If we had to look at the top four of the Bundesliga, these teams are on each other’s heels. It is a tight race to the finish! The increasing competitiveness of the league will eventually impact the German national team in a positive way. Like the EPL, a competitive Bundesliga will enrich African football by offering young African footballers the opportunity to polish their talents. Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg