CHIEFS WEAVE MAGIC IN 120-MINUTE SPELL

Former Hellenic winger, Mark “Mega Ellis”

Kaizer Chiefs booked their place in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals after securing a hard-fought 3-0 extra-time victory against ABC Motsepe League side The Magic FC at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. I am happy with the result because it is vital that we win a trophy this season. Amakhosi head coach Ernst Middendorp and his technical team need to make sure that they win the Nedbank Cup because it is the only trophy that we stand a good chance of lifting. I don’t see us fighting for the league title as we have underperformed this season as compared to those that are leading the pack. Nemusunda Mmboniseni, Lion Park

I am really disturbed by the way Kaizer Chiefs tend to fare against lower league clubs. They needed an own goal to beat Tornado FC in the first round of the tournament and then needed 120 minutes to beat The Magic FC on Sunday. It seems like the football at the club is going backwards! These types of games present a perfect opportunity for Chiefs to use their fringe players and, in all honesty, they should have won by a rugby score line. Alas, a luta continua, with an A-list team nogal. They are denting their image as a club. I honestly do not see any trophies in the cabinet at Naturena if they persist with this kind of attitude. Simon Mogashoa, Ivory Park Ext 2

Congratulations to Amakhosi for making it to the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals. I hear a lot of criticism about Amakhosi labouring their way into the Last 8 of the competition, but so what? Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United are all out of the cup and that shows you how tough things are this season, especially in this cup. However, I am not impressed with the way Kaizer Chiefs made it difficult for themselves. If anything, though, their resilience and manoeuvres impressed me as they bulldozed their way in a bid to end their cup drought. There are a lot of improvements needed, but it’s a team under construction and we will get there. Keep up the good work, Middendorp and co. Kaizer Chiefs have to up the ante in the Nedbank Cup. I mean, how could they stretch a game they could so easily have won to 120 minutes? They did the same thing against Tornado FC! There’s no creativity in the team and the players must learn to be responsible on the field. Nevertheless, congratulations for proceeding to the Last 8. I hope that they will go all the way and win the trophy for their supporters. Seun Magakwe, Khutsong, Carletonville

The Magic FC made Kaizer Chiefs sweat for their win on Sunday afternoon. It isi so unfortunate that Chiefs don’t have a strong squad to win any trophy this season. I’m disappointed with some of the Chiefs players. Sorry to say, a player like Leonardo Castro doesn’t deserve to wear the Black and Gold jersey. Nghamula Moses Rikhotso, Mageva Village

My beloved Kaizer Chiefs are through to the Last 8 of the Nedbank Cup, but I remain very concerned going forward because in one match we have problems with the defence, the next match it’s the goalkeeper and this past weekend we needed to go to extra-time to advance to the next round of the com- petition! Yes, we won 3-0, but it took us forever to score. The boys should have killed the game in 90 minutes already, and to be honest, we only won because our opponents couldn’t match us fitness wise in extra time. I once said in these pages of Soccer Laduma that Gustavo Paez is a good striker but that we don’t utilise him well. He is the answer to our goalscoring problems. He is a type of striker who can put pressure on the opposition’s defence. Ask Mamelodi Sundowns defender Bangaly Soumahoro and Bloemfontein Celtic goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb, they will tell you. So, my plea to the technical staff of Amakhosi is to please give Paez game-time! Albert Khutshwa, Samora Machel, Cape Town

It’s a serious cause for concern watching Kaizer Chiefs struggle to find the back of the net against The Magic FC, an outfit from third-tier ABC Motsepe League. It was worse than watching paint dry. Oh, the tumble of the mighty. Maybe it’s high time we as soccer fanatics acknowledge that some of the players in our fold do not deserve to play for Chiefs. Overrated mediocrity at its utmost worse. Siphelele Ntshangase is way too confident and it’s very rare to see him going into a 50/50 tackle and come out with the ball unscathed. The less said about Hendrick Ekstein, the better. Coach Ernst Middendorp must afford Dax an equal opportunity like other kids and stop with his favouritism, which has seen him subjecting Dumisani Zuma to spells on the bench, yet prior to Ernst’s arrival in Naturena, he made Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro score goals on a regular basis. Owen Mafukele, Nkuri-Tomu

I would like to gloat and say to Middendorp, “I told you so!” But, on second thoughts, this boasting will serve no purpose if it’s not intended for the betterment of the team. The ink had hardly dried on the paper my previous humble request was written on, for the coach to give equal playing opportunities to other deserving players, when Dumisani Zuma came off the bench to create two goals against The Magic FC over the past weekend. We, the fans, are the custodians and spiritual owners of our teams. Without us, football will lose its appeal and attractiveness to the sponsors. Our complaints are genuine and should be treated with the respect they deserve. We are not on a witch hunt against anyone, but we are in this together with owners, players and coaches for the love and advancement of the team. We may not hold coaching badges, but believe you me, we are very knowledgeable and passionate when it comes to the beautiful game. To all relevant stakeholders in the game, ignore supporters at your own peril. George Sithole, Honeydew Amakhosi’s lukewarm results could be attributed to the lackadaisical

performances of some players, whose body language explains their comfort in donning the famous Black and Gold colours. It would be with a deep sense of great regret for most of these players to narrate their past association with Kaizer Chiefs without any tangible achievements to boast about. One such player who would disappoint most of the Khosi supporters has to be Sphelele Ntshangase, who is massively talented but consistently fails to reach his peak, as well as his diminutive twin Hendrik Ekstein. Chiefs as a brand has a reputation to safeguard, but some of the current crop of players continuously fail the team dismally. It’s a very concerning scourge! Loward Ziga-Khosa, Nkuri-Tomu

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates must stand their ground when it comes to those teams. It’s time that we show them that we cannot be pushed around anymore. I mean, Esperance took Pirates for a ride by bringing the game forward, knowing they had just played in the Soweto Derby. They are using all sorts of funny tricks to bring our teams down. We must make them drive to Thohoyandou to play in that heat next time they come here. I am sick and tired of us playing the nice guys whenever they come to our shores. The worst thing is CAF will never take action against this pathetic behaviour. On a lighter note, expect the CAF Champions League 2019 to be contested by Sundowns and Pirates. Thabang Lehoko, via email

It was a magnificent atmosphere at Cape Town Stadium on Friday evening. The Citizens are playing a kind of football that is pleasing to the eye under head coach Benni McCarthy. I was a bit worried though when they missed numerous scoring opportunities, but come second half, they put away those. Teko Modise, when are you ever going to slow down? What is your secret, brother? Playing the whole 90 minutes at a high tempo at your age is nothing short of amazing. Keep up the good work, gents! As for Amakhosi, a wimpish walk to the quarters that was… but hey, they all count. Siyabonga Nkalambela, Delft

Congratulations to Amajita head coach Thabo Senong and his boys for winning the bronze medal at the 2019 CAF U20 African Cup of Nations after defeating perennial nemesis Nigeria 5-3 in a penalty shootout. Senong and his technical team must now start preparing for the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup to be staged in Poland. All the best to our junior national team! Nemusunda Mmboniseni, Lion Park

The 13-time UCL Champions, Real Madrid, have really been struggling since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Serie A giants Juventus. Following their shock 2-1 defeat at hands of relegation-threatened Girona, I don’t see them catching up with FC Barcelona at the summit of the Spanish LaLiga. Maybe they should channel their energies on defending their Champions League crown and forget about the league title. It was always going to be a mammoth task to find a replacement for a player of Ronaldo’s calibre. Bongani Mgubela, Diepkloof

I would like to applaud Frank Lampard’s Derby County for their sterling performance against Brighton and Hove Albion in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Although Derby lost the match to the English Premiership side, there can be some positives drawn from their defeat. They are playing a beautiful type of football since Frank Lampard took over the reins. I was so elated when I heard

that the former professional player had poured scorn the speculation that he will replace Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. Lampard should not be tempted to take over the Chelsea job as time has not yet ripened for him. I believe that he should stay at his current club in order to gain knowledge and experience in the maiden years of his coaching career. There is a difference between a knowledgeable and a seasoned coach. Lampard might be a knowledgeable coach now, but he is definitely not a seasoned coach. H can learn from the likes of Thierry Henry, who took a big challenge of coaching AS Monaco without being seasoned and experienced. Eventually things fell apart for him. Batsirai Kativu, via email

Let me congratulate Bloemfontein Celtic for beating the hard-running Richards Bay FC, even though it was not easy. The KwaZulu-Natal team had a good game in the first half, but their poor finishing let them down. Their performance was better than that of their opponents, but experience also give Celtic the edge over them. Siwelele struggled to contain the National First Division side, but they soldiered on. When Tshegofatso Mabasa scored that goal, Richards Bay’s defence showed their lack of experience, as all of them were lying on the ground. As for Patrick Tignyemb, he made an exhibition of himself! Yes, he always scores penalties, but that one was very poor to say the least. Madimetja Vic Mashamaite, Renstown

Ernst Middendorp should give Happy Mashiane, Dumisani Zuma, Kabelo Mahlasela, Dax, Philani Zulu and Siphelele Ntshangase a fair chance because it’s high time that Bernard Parker and Willard Katsande take a rest, especially in the remaining league games. I am only happy that the coach sees the potential in Hendrick Ekstein, Khama Billiat and Teenage Hadebe as they are our hard-working performers as of late. I think Zulu should be played as a left back like he used to and never disappointed. I begin to wonder if coaches do watch videos before being appointed. I’m highly disappointed in Shaun Bartlett because I expected him to be providing more help. I still believe that the team should add Siphiwe Mkhonza into the mix, as that will allow us to see the best of the likes of Ntshangase and Ekstein. Jameson Hlupo, via email

Every time a team loses, it is the coach’s head on the block. Yes, it is understandable that as the captain of the ship he must call the shots and suffer the consequences, but what about the players? They must shoulder the blame too, methinks. Coaches are also always blamed for favouritism, but why must a coach field passengers? He has to field those who are prepared to die on the field of play for him. I am saying this with my team Orlando Pirates in mind, whom I think should do away with deadwood and cut the squad to a manageable size. McDivett ‘Mac’ Khumbulani, Halfway House, Midrand