Red-flashing ref is sent to cooler
IT’S not often in sport you will find a situation where the referee has been sent to the cooler. Tsamaya had been wondering how Victor Gomes managed to keep out of the headlines in the past few weeks, but it turns out he’s been sidelined from top matches following a period where he flashed enough red cards to resemble a poker dealer. As Kenny Rogers sang in The Gambler: “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right. You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run.“But Gomes is a talented ref — he’ll be back.
AFTER starting the season poorly, Jomo Cosmos are showing signs of revival in the National First Division. The team that famously got promoted and relegated three times in six seasons, finished 14th in the NFD last season, narrowly avoiding going down to the third division. But Jomo Sono has got his lads playing again and they have moved up into fourth this campaign, 10 points behind leaders Chippa United. But please, Bra J, if you do get back to the PSL, no more claims of glory at being the only coach to have promoted and relegated a team three times — they are just too hilarious and our sides will split open like banana skins.
THE lights kept coming and going in the Premier Soccer League’s swish press conference hall in Parktown this week, causing the media briefing for Orlando Pirates’ cup match against Santos to run late. This prompted speculation that the PSL might be on the verge of announcing a new sponsor . . . Eskom.
KAIZER Chiefs’ victory against Orlando Pirates in the derby prompted the usual social media inventiveness from fans with a talent for photo editing. Willard Katsande’s man-of-thematch performance was highlighted in a mock movie poster starring the Chiefs midfielder and Bucs’ Kermit Erasmus, titled, “Machete”. The 18V-rated film was billed: “This film contains scenes of violence and is not suitable for Pirates fans.” That’s called rubbing it in.
JABU Mahlangu is back! This man could give a cat a run for its money, because he definitely has more than nine lives. Formerly Jabu Pule, Chiefs’ prince of skill, “Shuffle” has signed a three-month contract with SuperSport United. It’s all the more remarkable because the Pretoria club are among many to have given the errant kid from Daveyton the boot. He last made a comeback for FC Cape Town in the NFD two years ago but never kicked a ball, and last played for Osters IF in the Swedish third division four years ago. Tsamaya welcomes this last-ditch attempt to make something of his career. But please, Jabu, stay away from those places where they serve a cold one.