Victor Mpitsang Announced as CSA National Selector

The National Convenor of Selectors has been replaced as of October 21st. It’s been announced by Cricket South Africa that Victor Mpitsang is the latest National Convenor Selector, with his full-time employment commencing on November 2nd of this year. Choosing Victor Mpitsang for NCS will reward Cricket South Africa with an experienced individual. Domestic & international structures of professional cricket have been overseen by Victor Mpitsang, similar to his predecessor of Linda Zondi. He was blindsided & terminated from the position of National Convenor Selector.

Victor Mpitsang is aged forty & has sustained a prolonged career in professional cricket. This career began when scouting for the “Cricket Schools Programme’, locating next generation cricketers aged lower than nineteen. Victor held this position until being offered employment by the Proteas Women’s Team, taking the role of Bowling Consultant.

It’d be years before Victor Mpitsang terminated his employment with the Proteas Women’s Team. Afterwards, he’d take a Selectors position with the “South African Universities Cricket Programme”. While maintaining that role, Victor Mpitsang also became an Assistant Coach for the South African Under-19s Team. That placement was held until being offered a Selectors placement with the Proteas Male Team, where he’d uncover future international superstars. It’s this job that enabled Victor Mpitsang to reach serious consideration for “The National Convenor of Selectors”.

The Director of Cricket South Africa released a formal statement on Victor Mpitsang’s employment. Graeme Smith expressed that Victor is the correct choice, with the position of National Convenor Selector being vital for the CSA. Director Smith clarified that the importance of this role is why the decision-making process took longer than expected. However, it’s allowed all executives at Cricket South Africa to feel safe & secure in their decision.

Victor Reacts

November 2nd marks the date when Victor Mpitsang takes over the role of National Convenor Selector. He released an official statement on his eagerness & honour towards taking this role. Victor clarified that he’s looking forward to seeing what’s possible with this role and that he’s happy to leave retirement for such a prominent role. It’s unknown how long Victor Mpitsang will oversee CSA Selectors.

Cristiano Ronaldo Tests Positive for COVID-19

One of the world’s most influential & prominent athletes has contracted the coronavirus. The announcement that Cristiano Ronaldo has a positive infection of COVID-19 came from Portugal’s Football Federation. However, it’s explicitly stated that Ronaldo doesn’t have any symptoms on the virus & is sustaining an asymptomatic condition. He’ll now commit to fourteen days of self-isolation, being removed from his international duties with Juventus FC.

Juventus FC hasn’t maintained a single case of the coronavirus until Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s suspected that while competing against France, Lisbon, or Spain over the last several days, Cristiano Ronaldo had contracted the COVID-19 pandemic. This could’ve resulted from additional interviews maintained with Ronaldo. However, reports indicate that Ronaldo engaged with social festivities while visiting Paris on October 11th.

The Portuguese Football Federation provided a press release statement regarding Ronaldo’s infection of COVID-19. It was announced that Cristiano Ronaldo was released from Portugal’s National Football Team after testing positive. This means that his presence during an upcoming match with Sweden won’t be sustained.

Portugal FC finalized their press release by clarifying Cristiano Ronaldo is doing good & didn’t infect other club members. All players & team personnel received a PCR COVID Test on October 13th, with everyone receiving a negative result by the morning of October 14th. It was also confirmed that Fernando Santos would replace Cristiano Ronaldo during the upcoming Portugal versus Sweden match.

Infections Before Champions League Restart

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the exclusive footballer to test positive for COVID-19 on Portugal’s National Football Team during the 2020/21 Champions League Campaign. Multiple players on Portugal FC have contracted the coronavirus before the resumption of football. These individuals were lucky to avoid positive infections before seasonal matches began. Players infected before Cristiano Ronaldo on Portugal FC or Juventus before the 2020/21 Campaign include:

  • Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United & Portugal FC.
  • Blaise Matuidi from Inter Miami FC & Juventus FC.
  • Paulo Dybala from Juventus FC & Argentina National Football Team.
  • Daniel Rugani from the Italian National Football Club & Juventus FC.

Cristiano Ronaldo will resume his international contention with Portugal’s National Football Club in 2021 on January 3rd. It’s expected that Ronaldo will return to training by October 28th with Juventus FC. This means Ronaldo won’t return to professional football until November 1st.

South Africa Domestic Cricket Resuming on November 2nd

It’s been several months since supports of domestic cricket in South Africa have witnessed their favourite teams compete. The reasoning being is COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the South African Government to implement mandatory lockdowns on domestic & international sports. However, that’ll change in less than thirty days with the announcement that domestic cricket is resuming on November 2nd.

There’s been one instance of domestic cricket within the last several months, and that was the 3TC Exhibition in July 2020. The male & female division teams weren’t permitted to compete following the coronavirus, with South Africa’s international cricket teams being told they’ll have to wait longer to resume fixtures. Domestic matches will provide the “South African Cricket Association” with comprehensive data on realistic approaches to resumed international institutions. Information will take weeks or months to acquire, meaning the male & female divisions won’t return until likely Summer 2021.

The nation of South Africa remains under their COVID-19 lockdown at the lowest level of one, with five being the highest level & requiring the usage of strict protocols. Entering L1 has permitted domestic sports to reopen their private doors & begin scheduling matches, with the “South African Cricket Association” being the 1st sporting organization to announce their return. It should be noted that supporters aren’t permitted to enter cricket stadiums until a COVID-19 vaccine is released.

The Tournament

By November 2nd, players contracted through domestic South African teams will resume their competition. SACA confirmed that a four-day franchise competition is being implemented and will account for postponed matches seen throughout the pandemic. Whichever outfit dominates over this tournament & stands victorious will be considered the winners for the 2019-20 domestic season. Days later the 2020-21 domestic season, meaning that supporters will have to provide their full dedication to understand what’s happening amid all scheduled matched.

This tournament will have six domestic teams split into three groups, with each group containing two teams. All outfits will compete in several matches before the contest is concluded, with the dominating teams likely to play ten scheduled games before a winner is revealed. Fixtures will be held at stadiums in Newlands, Kingsmead, and Saint George’s Park.

South Africa Lockdown Affecting International Sports

COVID-19 has impacted the standard way of living worldwide, with most nations enforcing a lockdown onto their population. Whenever infection numbers have entered low percentages, these nations have reopened their economies & hoped that a 2nd outbreak wouldn’t occur. The South African government followed suit with this strategy and saw similar implications of increasing positive tests for COVID-19. It’s prompted the SA Government to announce a secondary lockdown, which has implicated everything from religious gatherings to sporting events. Below we’ve provided details regarding how South African sports on a national & international level will be adjusted in-correlation with the updated lockdown measures.

The “SA Level One Lockdown Restrictions” were beginning to ease, with South Africa’s borders reopening for international tourists. October 3rd saw more than 1800 cases of the coronavirus throughout South Africa, meaning a secondary outbreak could quickly be implicated. SA Medical Experts are working diligently to avoid the record high of 13,944 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours.

National & International Sporting Events

International borders throughout South Africa haven’t shut down, prompting South Africa’s Minister of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs to release new directives. These directives focus on the resuming of international sports, which technically was permitted last month with professional cricket. Orders express that cultural activity, professional-level sports team, and art institutions must engage with nations supporting a “Low to Medium” percentage of COVID-19 cases.

Nations under this status will be green listed, with specialized transports provided by SA Military. It ensures that professional athletes can eliminate contacting the coronavirus. Countries with high transmission infections of the COVID-19 virus won’t be permitted for specialized transport or standard travel.

The Implications

Various SA Sporting Associations have formally released criticism towards the South African Government. Risking the lives of professional athletes by having them enter nations with “Low to Medium” infections is concerning. It could prompt an influx of infections back home, which has become a recent concern with the reimplemented lockdown. Standard to the South African Government, the financial gain associated with professionals competing in permitted nations is exponential. Conventionally, SA Government Personnel has ignored these individual’s safety for their economic glory. This was seen with SA Cricket and SA FIFA.

Katlego Mojela Dies During Training

TS Sporting has announced the unfortunate & untimely death of Katlego Mojela, their leading midfielder. The club, which operates under South Africa’s National First Division, reported that Katlego Mojela had collapsed while attending training on September 25th. The midfielder had complained of dizziness before collapsing to the ground, where team medical staff failed to renew the fallen footballer. The official announcement wouldn’t be confirmed until September 26th, 2020.

The TS Sporting Football Club released a formal statement regarding the loss, noting that Katlego Mojela’s passing was untimely & that his dizziness prompted an unexpected collapse. The local coroner’s office is expected to complete a full autopsy on Katlego Mojela’s death, with the remaining team receiving immediate COVID-19 tests. New symptoms of COVID-19 are revealed monthly, with TS Sporting FC not taking any chances.

Statements from TS Sporting continued by providing details on Katlego’s time with the club. The football joined during the 2019/20 National First Division season, where he’d compete in 27 matches & award the club with four goals. Katlego’s short time with TS Sporting was influential, with his presence enabling the club to qualify for the Nedbank Cup.

The team evoked that Katlego Mojela was dedicated towards professional football & went the extra mile to sustain his growth. It’d be revealed that without Katlego, TS Sporting has lost a primary member of their family & then condolences towards the Mojela family was given. TS Sporting evoked that Katlego Mojela is in their thoughts & prayers, with his funeral details not being revealed by the club.

Additional Condolences

The passing of Katlego Mojela has shocked the South African football community, prompting multiple organizations to announce their public condolences to the fallen footballer. This includes the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA). Condolences were provided to the Mojela Family & all other loved ones that knew Katlego.

It should be noted that the Premier Soccer League also expressed sadness towards the untimely & unexpected loss of Katlego Mojela. Details on his funeral haven’t been revealed, with the young footballer likely to have a private concession to honour his life. Public remembrance won’t be permitted following the COVID-19 Pandemic.

SASCOC Suspends Cricket South Africa

Suspension periods have been inflicted onto the Cricket South Africa Board, forcing the CSA to postpone operations until an investigation is completed. The “South African Sports Confederation & Olympic Committee” has forced leading personnel to take a leave of absence for thirty days. The announcement was made official by Ravi Govender, the SASCOC Chief Executive Officer.

It’s hope by Ravi Govender that the one-month suspension will eliminate governance & negativity issues associated with Cricket South Africa. The SASC demands that the CSA become more efficient & effective in their mandated business operations, which subsequently would be making governing the subsequent sports body easier.

Cricket South Africa have faced notable problems since late 2019. Reports were released that proved CSA involvement with unprofessional conduct of governance. It prompted for the CSA Chief Executive Officer, Thabang Monroe, to lose his position with the company. August 2020 marked the month when CEO Thabang would be terminated, which came after a nine-month suspension period.

When questioned on the professional behaviour of CSA Executives, Ravi Govender expressed deep concern towards the highlighted issues from 2019. It was revealed from their initial investigations that toxic behaviour seen throughout Cricket South Africa has occurred for decades. Ravi Govender confirmed that the CSA Board was informed to step aside, and a SASCOC task team will investigate documents over thirty days. Findings will be announced when punishments are determined.

Issues All Around

Issues in the Cricket South Africa Association is well-known, with criticism coming from all levels. Sponsors that support multiple CSA Teams have actively complained about governance issues. Players themselves have made complaints, with a collective of thirty leading male & female cricketers signing an agreement to not attend the “CSA Annual General Meeting”. That happened on September 1st, and the fallout since then has been extensive. When players complained, SASCOC took the severity of this issue to another level.

It should be mentioned that SASCOC’s governance over Cricket South Africa hasn’t been welcomed by everyone. The International Cricket Council hasn’t reacted positively to SASCOC’s involvement, believing their attempts to stabilize the sport isn’t legally valid. The ICC should be given that right.

Thembinkosi Lorch Under Investigation by Orlando Pirates

Allegations have flourished against Thembinkosi Lorch, a Midfielder for South Africa’s Orlando Pirates. These allegations regarding domestic abuse towards his girlfriend, with reports indicating that the 27-year-old footballer had strangled & assaulted his significant offer in rages of assault. This event occurred on September 6th but wouldn’t be revealed by SA Law Enforcement until the 7th.

The actions of Thembinkosi Lorch have been condemned by the Orlando Pirates, who claimed that violence against women is unaccepted in their football club. Representatives with the Orlando Pirates stated on September 8th that they’d launched an investigation into Thembinkosi Lorch. This investigation has commenced with immediate effect and will likely result in the footballer’s contractual termination from the Orlando Pirates.

An official statement regarding the allegations towards Thembinkosi Lorch was released on the Orlando Pirates website. It mentioned that the Code of Conduct & Pledge all footballers signed in their football club was disregarded by Thembinkosi Lorch. Club members agree upon their contract signing that they’ll stand against violence towards children & women, with this including domestic abuse. Orlando Pirates statement evoked that their Code of Conduct is effective on-field & off, 24/7. It’s for this core reason that allegations against Thembinkosi Lorch are being taken seriously by club leaders.

Issues with Lorch Continue

This isn’t the first incident with Thembinkosi Lorch in 2020. The midfielder was found breaking COVID-19 PSL Safety Protocols in late August. Lorch was attending social gatherings with Justin Shonga, his Zambian Teammate on the Orlando Pirates. Both footballers were given minor punishments for their actions, accepting financial charges & adhering to two PCR COVID-19 Tests. Members of the Premier Soccer League in South Africa condemned the actions of Justin Shonga & Thembinkosi Lorch. Recent allegations of domestic abuse against Lorch will likely increase his inevitable downfall in the PSL.

The Orlando Pirates will likely terminate their ongoing contract with Thembinkosi Lorch. This club has fought against the violence of women & children for years, serving as role models for victims of this very abuse. Employing a footballer that committed domestic abuse goes directly against their pledge.

Bruce Grobbelaar Takes Aim as PSL

The South African Premier Soccer League have had their honourability questioned again, this time from a former Goalkeeper that competed in the PSL. Bruce Grobbelaar competed for the Zimbabwe National Football Club between 1982-86, leaving for several years & then returning for the 1994 World Cup. Throughout his time with the Zimbabwe, 32 Goals would be scored by Bruce Grobbelaar.

Bruce Grobbelaar’s honesty overshadowed his dominance in the Premier Soccer League. There were moments when the Goalkeeper uncovered wrongdoings, and Bruce wouldn’t hesitate to discuss it with the proper authorities. Now in his older years as a professional soccer coach, Bruce Grobbelaar emphasized it’s unlikely that the PSL would provide him with another job.

Bruce Grobbelaar has sustained delegations with several football clubs in the Premier Soccer League. This comes after Grobbelaar took the helm of the Matabeleland Football Team in 2018. Competing in the “Confederation of Independent Football Association”, this club is operational in Zimbabwe. Their seasonal positions aren’t formidable & in 2018 their qualification number of 13th.

The Matabeleland Coach was interviewed on Zayn Nabbi’s “On The Whistle Podcast”. He was questioned why his return at the Premier Soccer League isn’t possible. Grobbelaar responded by noting if anything wrong happened, he’d challenge the PSL in court. Bruce mentioned previous instances where this had occurred but stated his desire to return. He placed the balls into the court of owners, saying they’ve got to have the strength to maintain Bruce Grobbelaar as their head coach.

Victory for Bruce

Bruce Grobbelaar spoke on previous opportunities with the Mamelodi Sundowns, mentioning they’d held discussions to create a coaching contract. Bruce was guaranteed by the position but was sidelined when told that Clemens Westerhof would takeover Head Coaching at Mamelodi. Grobbelaar believes this was purposely done in the early 2000s as punishment for challenging the PSL in court. However, that court case didn’t end & the foolish decisions of Mamelodi Sundowns caused a judge to award Bruce Grobbelaar with three years salary. He didn’t coach the football club for even a second. That event likely marked the final nail in Grobbelaar’s coffin with the Premier Soccer League.

Springbok Players Receive Death Threats

Racism throughout international sports has grown tenfold since January 2020, with the global political climate showing an incredible level of intolerance towards those of African or Jewish descent. The South African Springbok’s experienced their first onslaught of this political climate over the weekend of August 27th. Players like Marland Yarde announced that Springbok athletes were targeted with death threats from “Black Lives Matter Activists”. These BLM Activists issued threats of murder onto Springbok players after they didn’t kneel during the national anthem.

Instead of standing behind their athletes & protecting their safety, the South African Minister of Sports condemned the Springboks. Nathi Mthethwa demanded that the South African rugby team kneel in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. However, an ever-increasing number of athletes are refusing to kneel after an influx of violence has ensued from BLM Activists. The proof was shown throughout the death threats received over August 27th to 29th, and beyond.

Springbok athletes that refused to kneel during the anthem included Lood de Jager and Faf de Klerk. Both men are Caucasian & received an influx of hatred for their actions. Sports analysts suspect these ruby players will be forced into kneeling during the next match. However, this can go against their political views & religious beliefs. It shows that like most sporting associations worldwide in 2020s climate of hatred that any athlete not supporting the BLM Movement can be ostracized for their actions.

All Ethnicities Matter

Springbok personnel like Steve Diamond believe that the influx of criticism directed towards athletes not standing with the BLM Movement will end shortly. It should be mentioned that these men, and most athletes that haven’t stood in solidarity with this movement, have expressed their desire to see racism end for all ethnicities. These individuals believe that the BLM Movement shouldn’t be the exclusive form of racism that’s reverted in 2020, with multiple races facing an influx of unneeded & undesired hatred.

Formula One is the exclusive international sport that’s allowed for their athletes to wear “End Racism” shirts, standing with all ethnicities worldwide. It’s believed that the South African Rugby Association should follow suit, trying to assist in the systematic deconstruction of racism worldwide.

Peter Shalulile in PSL Golden Boot Contention

The South African Premier Soccer League has another contender for the Golden Boot Award. This follows as Peter Shalulile from Highland Park equalled the number of points scored as Gabadinho Mhango, meaning one of these two men will become the 2019/20 PSL Golden Boot Winner. It’s expected that Mhango will dominate over Shalulile for the victory of this award, even as Peter’s Highland Park dominated over Polokwane City on August 22nd.

Gabadinho Mhango plays for the Orlando Pirates, with their top scorer struggling to locate a goal into the net since the South African Premier Soccer League returned from COVID-19 postponement. The last time that Mhango scored on the net was against Chippa United in February 2020, showing that something about the postponement period has altered the skillsets regularly displayed by Gabadinho. Unless this changes quickly for Mhango, he’ll find his favouritism for the Golden Boot award dwindle to Peter Shalulile.

Two other players are jointly meeting the number of points scored on the net that’s been acquired by Peter Shalulile & Gabadinho Manga. This includes Kermit Erasmus for Cape Town City and Samir Nurkovic for the Kaizer Chiefs. It’s unlikely either of these men could outpace Peter Shalulile before the end of PSLs 2019/20 season.

High Performing Players of 2019/20

Bradley Grobler from Supersport United has proven himself a valuable asset in the PSL 2019/20 Season, acquiring thirteen goals. This ties Samir Nurkovic from the Kaizer Chiefs, with the Golden Arrows Knox Mutizwa not far behind their record as 11 points scored. Knox is tied with Bongi Ntuli from the Zimbabwean Internationals and Kermit Erasmus from Cape Town.

Below we’ve listed some of the highest goal scores that the South African Premier Soccer League has seen throughout the 2019/20 Season.

  • PSL Top Goal Scorers for 2019/20 Season
  • The Golden Arrows, Gabadinho Mhango.
  • Peter Shalulile from Highlands Park FC.
  • Kaizer Chiefs, Samir Nurkovic.
  • Knox Mutizwa from the Golden Arrows FC.
  • Cape Town City, Kermit Erasmus.
  • Themba Zwane from the Mamelodi Sundowns.
  • Black Leopards FC, Mwape Musonda.
  • Ndumiso Mabena from Bloemfontein Celtic FC.
  • Orlando Pirates FC, Tshegofatso Mabasa.
  • Waseem Isaacs from Stellenbosch FC.