AMAKHOSI IN UNSAFE HANDS!

When it rains, it pours! As much as I thought that Daniel Akpeyi is an international goalkeeper and could have dealt with that ball easily against Polokwane City, I still believe there is someone who should be held accountable for this! It has happened frequently where we lost valuable points and we kept our cool, but now it’s getting worse. What does Lee Baxter (goalkeeper coach) say or feel about these blunders and schoolboy errors? If Lee is failing to deal with his department, we might as well call Rainer Dinkelacker back or even Brian Baloyi for that matter. This can’t keep happening and then someone expects us as supporters to fold our arms. Tshepo Modike, Freedom Park Kaizer Chiefs gave away a victory that absolutely belonged to them by conceding a cheap goal. Daniel Akpeyi should have saved that ball from Polokwane City’s forward, Walter Musona. A draw is not a clear reflection of the game as Amakhosi should have wrapped it up. Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg I thought Itumeleng Khune’s injury would give others an opportunity to show us what they are made of. Alas, it looks like Mzansi’s number one’s gloves are too big to fill. After last Saturday’s game, I have realised that Daniel Akpeyi is a photocopy of Virgil Vries. Kaizer Chiefs must stop buying ‘leftovers’ and go for quality. How about swallowing pride and bringing back Thela Ngobeni? Nghamula Moses Rikhotso, Mageva Village Honestly speaking, it seems like the 2018/19 Absa Premiership season belongs to goalkeepers and their fumbles! Week in, week out, we see drama at the centre of which is a keeper. I mean, I have been so flummoxed that I can’t even recall very well which keeper started this comical game of errors. But I’m confident that we just might put something in our cabinet with the keepers we currently have in Naturena. Or maybe it is just my wishful thinking… Ofentse Kakapa Mahatlhe, Schweizer Reneke My beloved Amakhosi signed a new goalkeeper in an attempt to rectify the current troubling goalkeeping situation that we face, but, instead of proving to be a panacea, our new shot-stopper went onto the field to add to our woes last weekend. I hope that somewhere, somehow, the situation gets resolved soon because we cannot be frustrated like this in every game our team plays. Wire, Keiskammahoek I wonder when Ernst Middendorp will realise that some of the Kaizer Chiefs players are tried and tested. They are not fascinating to watch anymore and that’s a shame. There is no creativity at all, they play like headless chickens with no aim to win and if they are not careful they are going to kiss the Top Eight spot goodbye. Seun Magakwe, Khutsong, Carletonville Head coach Ernst Middendorp and his technical team are disappointing us week after week. I don’t see us fighting for the league title; it’s all over for us. I knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park against Polokwane City as they are playing good football and have good players. Amakhosi’s coach needs to turn the focus to the Nedbank Cup because that’s the only trophy we can win this season. It won’t be easy because all the coaches want to win it too. Seriously, we are tired of being the Absa Premiership’s laughing stock. Nemusunda Mmboniseni, Lion Park It seems like Kaizer Chiefs have lost momentum when it comes to maintaining the leadership of South African soccer. Gone are those days when Kaizer Motaung would spend days and nights looking for players for the club and nowadays Chiefs have become an ordinary club in whose games the supporters have to wait for the last whistle to celebrate. Sooner or later, the team will be fighting relegation at the rate things are going. The dignity they had during the time of Teenage Dladla, Ace Ntsoelengoe, Shaka Ngcobo, Malombo Lichaba and Doctor Khumalo is gone and it will never be regained. Amos Motloding, Jamela Village “Draw specialists.” That’s the tag that we have assumed of late. Coach Ernst Middendorp’s problems are compounded by the unnecessary chopping and changing of the goalkeeping department. I surmise even Brice Bvuma is more reliable than Daniel Akpeyi. The curse of the injury to Mzansi’s number one seems to be like a proverbial monkey on the back of our goalkeepers. Kaizer Chiefs have drawn matches they were not supposed to, and dropped points in games where a win seemed obvious. Ernst Middendorp’s weird and awkward substitutions have also cost us dearly in this regard. Furthermore, instead of him continuing with an all-out attack-minded approach, he resorts to defending a slender lead. Heaven forfend! Owen Mafukele-Valoyi, Nkuri-Tomu I think now the management of Kaizer Chiefs will finally realise that there is to be no cutting of corners in football. They must start buying quality now and invest more in their youth structures. In his final years, Stuart Baxter was grinding results with limited resources and, when he forwarded his wish list to the management, they told him it was ridiculous. Tired of riding on his luck, the Briton decided to jump ship. It is now or never. Siyabonga Nkalambela, Delft

BUCS GIVE VISITING AMAZULU 1-4 THE ROAD Now that’s how Orlando Pirates are supposed to play. Playing with three defensive midfielders is a constraint to our attacking abilities. I hope that our coaches won’t be pompous enough to change how we played as well as the playing personnel. What I liked was seeing that every cross played found three players in the ‘kitchen’. Justin Shonga is always reluctant to commit himself 100% with crosses, but at least this time around he had his teammates who were hungry enough to get ahead of him and score. If Thembinkosi Lorch continues playing the way he is doing, then we won’t have a choice but to win the league and to crown him Player of the Season. Tshepo Phuti, Mareetsane

Orlando Pirates’ electrifying speed against AmaZulu was incredible and man-of-the-match Thembinkosi ‘Monate Mpolaye’ Lorch is already a contender for the Player of the Season award. That back-heel pass was a highlight for me. Give the boy a Bells! Mpumelelo Mpumi, via email The Buccaneers demolished AmaZulu and their performance on the night was better than that which they produced during the week against SuperSport United. As always, Pirates started well by applying pressure at 15000km/h, but they were caught off guard as they went forward without numbers at the back. Thaw was a great breakthrough by Cavin Johnson’s lads, but credit to Bucs for the immediate response as they pulled a goal back. Tactically, Pirates exploited their opponents through the wings as Thembinkosi Lorch and Vincent Pule ran into the spaces. The pace of the Houghton-based side worked for them as AmaZulu did not know how to deal with the situation. After halftime, the away side came out organised and the introduction of Tshepo Gumede brought stability at the back. Pirates were more aggressive though and that is what won them the game. We hope that they will keep their momentum and show consistency. Madimetja Vic Mashamaite, Renstown What a cracker of a game between Pirates and AmaZulu. We need this kind of attitude in each and every game. Up the Bucs! Shavula Tsotetsi, via email I’m becoming a huge advocate for Ben ‘Tshwara Tshwara’ Motshwari to be the first name on the team sheet, alongside my captain Happy Jele, as he hardly puts a foot wrong. The fact that he hasn’t featured much, if not never, for the South African national team level is a true testament that the scouting here lacks professional maturity, but that’s a story for another day. Orlando Pirates played with two in midfield and, almost like magic, the free-flowing, goal-scoring Buccaneers were back again. Well played by my Man of the Match Motshwari and the almighty Pirates. Up the Bucs! Mlamuli Dhlomo, via email This Orlando Pirates technical team makes me jealous, seriously. They might not have won anything so far, but I admire what they are doing, unlike my beloved Amakhosi. I watch most of their games and they are playing an attractive type of football. But what stands out for me is what coach Micho and his technical staff do when they are a goal down – they introduce more attacking players. For me, that is very good thinking because they are looking for goals. And their players put a lot of pressure on their opposition. The same can’t be said for our team, as we tend to bring on defenders to defend for a draw or to want to concede less. Does that win you games or titles? No ways! Any hopes of silverware at Naturena? So, so, so slim. Albert Khutshwa, Samora Machel Quick One-Two’s Dear Editor: I am an ardent reader and loyal supporter of Soccer Laduma since its inception. It is the only publication that keeps us sane in this country, what with all the challenges and depressing issues we encounter in our ever day lives. Wednesday is such a huge day for us soccer lovers, for we get to lay our hands on this great publication. I am definitely certain that if Soccer Laduma was a political party, we will win with a two-thirds majority. However, there is this section of overseas-based players’ guide that depresses me big time and I am sure my fellow readers experience the same. There are more than 100 players that feature there, but only 5% of them have positive results against their names. Now, this is a jawbreaker and I have tried to avoid reading it, hoping to see different results, to no avail. I am afraid it’s ruining my excitement of reading Soccer Laduma as I repeat reading the publication twice or even thrice a week. How about the editor cut down on the number of players featuring on that page to save us from the painful and horrific spectre of reading those statistics? Thabang Lehoko, via email Our PSL is always fascinating, especially towards the end. No one can precisely predict which team is going to win the league. It would be just desserts if Orlando Pirates can win it since they almost won it last year and, above all, they are playing attractive football. If Ernst Middendorp had joined a bit earlier, Chiefs would be competing for the league title as he has brought a lot of stability in the team. Sphelele Shozi, via email I don’t understand coaches or people who always complain about weather conditions, like Cape Town being windy and rainy for playing football, or the heat in Rustenburg and in Limpopo, especially in Thohoyandou. Both teams play in the same conditions. If it made any difference or was an advantage, teams from these areas who should be ‘used to’ these conditions would collect at least a guaranteed minimum of 35 home ground points, but some are battling in the relegation zone, so I do not understand what the fuss is all about. Lucky Khunou, Meriting Let me take this opportunity to con- gratulate Free State Stars for winning the Free State derby. It was much better than the most-publicised and well-marketed Soweto Derby that oftentimes fails to produce results. Supporters got something in return for their money as there were goals scored. Xolani Ngwekazi, Wolseley, Western Cape When I looked at the PSL log standings on Sunday evening, I could only come to the conclusion that Chippa United are not safe from relegation and are among the contenders for the dreaded drop. I’m of the opinion that the Eastern Cape people are not happy about the way the Chairman (Siviwe Mpengesi) runs his team and