Nedbank Cup

Full-Time: Chiefs 2-0 Polokwane

Date: 16 March 2013

Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium

A goal in each half from Sthembiso Ngcobo and Kingston Nkhatha saw Kaizer Chiefs with a rather comfortable 2-0 win over Polokwane City in the Last 16 of the Nedbank Cup at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.

The first 45 saw Polokwane with a lot of the ball, but for all their possession the NFD side struggled to break down the stubborn Amakhosi defence due to lack of skill and vision.

Consequently, the side from Polokwane let rip from long range but were unable to get the better of a superb Itumeleng Khune.

Instead, it was the Premiership side who proved to be more clinical in front of goal and accordingly took a one goal lead into the half time break through Sthembiso Ngcobo.

Polokwane City, though, started very brightly and Kagiso Mashini brought the best out of Khune in the 15th minute. The City attacker let rip from 25-yards, but Khune produced a great save diving high to his right.

Polokwane continued to see more of the ball, but it was at the other end where the game’s first goal came.

A corner was worked into the box in the 32nd minute, and with Polokwane unable to fully clear the ball, Siyabonga Nkosi played pin-point through ball for Ngcobo who slotted home in clinical fashion from 14-yards out.

Five minutes later, Siphiwe Tshabalala nearly doubled his side’s lead with a 22-yard effort, but he saw his shot just skim the wrong side of the post as Chiefs took a one goal lead into the half time break.

The second 45 saw the NFD side doing all the running as they tried to find their way back into the match, but much like the first half, they really lacked the quality to trouble the Chiefs goal.

Instead, it was the Amakhosi who looked the more threatening going forward and Ngcobo nearly grabbed his second in the 54th minute.

The Chiefs striker broke behind the Polokwane defence, using his pace to get the better of them, as he found himself one-on-one with the goalie, but despite rounded the keeper he saw his shot from an acute angle cleared off the line by the defence.

In the 74th minute Chiefs stepped one foot into the quarterfinals as second half substitute Kingston Nkhatha found the Glamour Boys’ second goal.

A mistake in the defence allowed Bernard Parker to pounce on the loose ball and drive towards the goal, where he proceeded to cut it back for an unmarked Nkhatha who produced a superb first-touch finish into the bottom right-hand corner form 14-yards out, 2-0.

Chiefs slowed the game after the second goal and controlled the midfield batter as the won 2-0, and sealed their place in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup competition.

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CAF Champions League

Result: Zanaco 0-1 Pirates

Date: 16 March 2013

Venue: Nkoloma Stadium

Orlando Pirates put in a tough shift in the Zambian heat to beat Zanaco 1-0 in their first round first-leg CAF Champions League clash on Saturday.

The Sea Robbers would have been eying an away goal coming into the game and it took just five minutes to arrive as Ndumiso Mabena rattled the back of the net.

Another boost was the fact that Benni McCarthy returned to action as he came on from the bench late on in the game as he continues his return to full fitness.

The conditions were not the best for the visiting side, as they had to deal with a difficult surface which cut up and was not really suited to a flowing passing game.

This meant that set-pieces would be vital for both sides and the decisive moment came via a Daine Klate corner as Mabena got up to power a header home.

Pirates coach Roger de Sa admitted after the game that he knew it was going to be difficult in those conditions, but was pleased with the way that his side adapted and defended.

The result means that a draw or victory of any kind at home in the second-leg will see them through, where they are like to face African giants TP Mazembe in the next round.

Pirates: Senzo Meyiwa, Thabo Matlaba, Happy Jele, Lucky Lekgwathi (c), Ayanda Gcaba, Onyekachi Okonkwo, Andile Jali, Daine Klate, Tlou Segolela, Ndumiso Mabena, Collins Mbesuma.

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Police should not cower in the face of unwarranted attacks on them-Premier Modise

Citizens who have no regard for the law should not expect any sympathy from the public, North West Premier Thandi Modise said in condemning the stabling of a 38-year-old Klerksdorp police officer by a 

 taxi driver on Saturday.

“Those who choose to undermine law enforcement officers and attack police officers thinking that their actions will be justifiable in the light of the criticism on police brutality should not expect any sympathy from the public. Police should not cower in the face of unwarranted attacks on them or look away when crime is committed because lawlessness cannot be the order of the day,” stressed Premier Modise.

In wishing the injured police officer a speedy recovery, Modise said the alleged actions of the taxi driver involved in the incident suggest that he could be one of those who think that police should be immobilised into inaction against lawlessness.

“The Media article by SAPA on the incident suggests that the police officer involved acted in self defence and within the confines of the law. We welcome investigations into the incident and hope that they would clear the police officer if at all the attack on him was unwarranted. While we are opposed to police brutality, we are equally opposed to attacks on law enforcement officers by taxi drivers and any section of our communities,” she added.

According to the police, the taxi driver was allegedly asked to stop after committing a number of traffic offences in full view of the officer, who was on-duty in a marked car.

The driver stopped the car and allegedly had a heated argument with the officer, which led to him taking out a knife and chasing after the officer.

“The taxi driver got to the officer and stabbed him in the back. The officer took out his firearm and shot a warning shot in the air but the driver did not retreat as he advanced to stab him again,” said Spokesperson of South African Police Service in the North West Province, Brigadier Thulane Ngubane who confirmed that police are investigating two cases of attempted murder.

The officer then allegedly shot the driver in the chest.

Police arrived on the scene shortly afterwards, and the two were taken to hospitals in the area.

Nedbank Cup

Result: FS Stars 1-2 Celtic

Date: 16 March 2013

Venue: Charles Mopeli Stadium

Bloemfontein Celtic fought back from a goal down to beat local rivals Free State Stars 2-1 in their Nedbank Cup last 16 clash at the Charles Mopeli Stadium on Saturday.

Luyolo Nomandela had given Ea Lla Koto the lead but Lyle Lakay equalised and substitute Lennox Bacela snatched victory late on for Phunya Sele Sele.

The game got off to a slow start with both sides having to try their luck from distance but the hosts would then take the lead in the 19th minute.

Nomandela latched onto a lobbed pass from Dove Wome and fired past Patrick Tignyemb to continue his stunning form.

Celtic were struggling to get things going but had a chance in the 36th minute when Joel Mogorosi curled a shot at goal only for Kennedy Mweene to make the save.

Wome then saw a shot deflected just wide of the target on the stroke of half-time as Stars went into the break with a narrow advantage.

Celtic came out a different side in the second period as Johannes Motlhaping fired a shot just over early on before Wome had a shot turned around the post.

Lakay would then bring the game level in the 65th minute when he latched onto a loose ball and fired a piledriver into the bottom corner via the fingertips of the goalkeeper.

Chances came for both sides in the final few minutes but Bacela would decide matters when he got onto Lerato Manzini’s flick and slid his shot past the goalkeeper to send Celtic into the quarter-finals.

FS Stars:  Kennedy Mweene, Enva Wiltwer, Daniel Cardoso, Luyola Nomandela, Dove Wome, Angelo Kerspuy, Sadate Ouro-Akorika, Mbhuyiselo Sambu, Danny Venter, Paulos Masehe, Fikru Lemessa

Celtic: Patrick Tignyemb, Tsietsi Mahoa, Johannes Motlhaping, Dominic Isaacs, Limbikani Mzava, Lyle Lakay, John Aruwah, Joel Mogorosi, Kurt Lentjies, Lerato Manzini, Ruzaigh Gamildien.

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Johannesburg – ANC stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is shocked by comments from the NPA that she might be prosecuted for the deaths of two men, her lawyer said on Saturday.

“Mrs Mandela wishes to express her surprise and shock at the statement issued by one Phindi Louw on behalf of the National Prosecuting Authority in which she asserts that there are processes currently underway which will lead to her prosecution for the deaths of the late Lolo Sono and Siboniso Tshabalala,” attorney Pops Templeton Mageza said in a statement.

“To her knowledge, these are matters that have already been comprehensively dealt with in open transparent televised public hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).”

Louw could not be immediately reached for comment.

The remains of two men were exhumed on Tuesday, 25 years after they went missing.

The bodies were found in Avalon Cemetery, in Soweto.

Mageza said Madikizela-Mandela had offered to present herself at the TRC.

“The TRC subpoenaed and called before it all persons who could assist it in arriving at a determination as regards how the two cadres whose bodies have now been identified had been murdered,” he said.

“These witnesses included the late Xoliswa Falati, Jerry Richardson and Mr Sono father of late Lolo Sono.”

He said the TRC issued a final report on the disappearance of the two. It determined that Sono and Tshabalala were murdered by Richardson.

“According to Jerry Richardson, at the time of his trial, he did so as the deceased had passed information to apartheid police on the presence of two MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe) cadres – Tebogo Maluleke and Sipho Mbenenge.”

Richardson applied for amnesty at the TRC on the basis that he received orders to murder the two from Madikizela-Mandela.

The TRC found that there was no evidence to support his claims.

“In so far as Mrs Mandela all that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission observed was that: ‘… Madikizela-Mandela was negligent in that she failed to institute enquiries into the deaths of the two cadres at the time…’,” Mageza said.

TRC investigator, Piers Pigou, using information from the National Intelligence Agency said at the time Richardson was paid R10 000 by police for information about the whereabouts of the bodies of Sono and Tshabalala.

Former national police commissioner George Fivaz said that Richardson would not give the information unless police paid R10 000 for his informing activities.

Richardson was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime and later died in prison.

“It is difficult to legally imagine how and what new evidence is contemplated, if the TRC confronted with so much diverse testimony, some of which possibly inadmissible in the courts, courts could come to a finding different to that of the TRC,” Mageza said. – Sapa

The ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) will discuss the progress made in certain provinces, including work by the ANCYL, during a meeting in Pretoria, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Saturday.

He said the national working committee (NWC) was giving the NEC updates on Limpopo, the North West, the Eastern Cape and the Free State.

“The NWC has been doing a lot of work in those provinces and in the league. So the NEC will get an updated report on the work we are doing there,” Mantashe told reporters.

He said branch general meetings had started in the Free State.

This comes after a task team was sent to the province in December when the provincial elective committee was disbanded by the party leadership.

The task team had until the end of March to hold a new Free State elective conference.

Mantashe said on Saturday that this deadline might be extended.

“From the report of the NEC team to the Free State we think that we will have to stretch the deadline to end of April.”

He said in the Eastern Cape the main problems were at local government level.

“There are quite a number of municipalities that are in trouble for one reason or another.”

He said the African National Congress’ NEC had been meeting in Pretoria since Friday and it would conclude the meeting on Sunday.

“We spent the last day up to now with the induction of the NEC,” Mantashe said.

“The induction of the NEC covers the main primary documents of the ANC, its constitution, strategy and tactics and we are now busy with the Freedom Charter.”

He said the reason for this was to ensure that the NEC had the same flow of understanding of policy position as the ANC.

The NEC was also expected to discuss whether to retain the ANC Youth League’s leadership, or place it under interim leadership.

The ANCYL has been led by its deputy president Ronald Lamola since its former president Julius Malema was expelled from the party.

In December, Malema sent the ANC conference in Mangaung a letter asking for his job back, but at the time Mantashe said it had been received too late, and that the programme had already been adopted.

The ANC and ANCYL have held two meetings this year to discuss weaknesses within the party’s youth wing, including its lack of a permanent leader.

Delegates at the ANC conference resolved that the incoming NEC should meet the ANCYL to sort out issues between the two.

In his organisational report at the conference, Mantashe said the ANCYL was acting in a similar manner to forces which were against the party.

Mantashe would not be drawn on whether the ANC Youth League would be disbanded.

“No I don’t know that. We are going to the NEC. We will give you the outcome of the NEC.”

Mantashe said the details of the NEC meeting would be given during a press briefing on Monday. – Sapa

Nedbank Cup: Kaizer Chiefs v Polokwane City

Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium

Time: 20h30

Channel: SABC1, SS4

Absa Premiership log leaders, Kaizer Chiefs, will be looking to keep their Nedbank Cup campaign alive when they take on National First Division outfit, Polokwane City later today.

Chiefs haven’t won this trophy since before it was rebranded to the Nedbank Cup, their last victory came in 2006 when it was known as the ABSA Cup.

Stuart Baxter’s side are well on the way to claiming their first Absa Premiership title for nearly a decade, and the coach will be keen to try and help earn his side a league and cup double this campaign.

The Amakhosi have been in formidable league form so far this season, losing just one game of their campaign so far and scoring 39 goals along the way.

Their last encounter saw them play out a drab 0-0 draw with arch-rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the Soweto Derby, and they will now be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on lower league opposition in today’s game.

Baxter, who is looking for his first piece of South African silverware, told the Siya crew, “It’s not a question of making the league more important. There are no guarantees in any competition, we have to concentrate fully on every game we play. For us it’s the next game, and the next game is always the most important, so it’s going to get our full attention.”

Last year:

Chiefs: Lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals v Free State Stars

Polokwane: Lost 2-0 in the Round of 16 to Roses United

Players to watch:

Chiefs: Bernard Parker

Polokwane: Koketso Mmotong

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