Posted on 27 November 2009 - 13:59

THE LEAGUE RACE

Two matches into the start of the second round of our pursuit of the league championship, our race has already been exciting following our matches against Santos and Supersport United respectively.

Against Santos, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth witnessed the intensity of our race when our opponents stretched us to the limit before we claimed all maximum points. We started like a house on fire threatening their defence with good runs that saw some players receiving cautions and marching orders in a manner that showed that there was no love lost between these two teams.

There was drama when a seemingly legitimate goal that would have snatched the equalizer for our hosts was disallowed. This resulted in a frenzy of accusations between players and officials that took some playing time. On close scrutiny, the referee could not have judged otherwise and had relied on the Assistant Referee to guide his decision. The referee had wrongfully ruled for a handball but had to consult with his assistant to confirm. Unfortunately, his assistant could not help because he was seemingly out of position to make an informed judgment to confirm a handball or a goal.

To further compound the situation, the drama followed shortly after the Thierry Henry’s infamous hand that guided the French National team to book their tickets for the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Dating further back, the Argentine Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” that accounted for England in the 1986 Fifa World Cup still makes football’s most interesting moment of history.

The subject thus further begs a probe into the use of technology in our games. Whilst I support the initiative, may I also suggest that technology could be used in other aspects of the game and not for the entire match. I believe we still need a human element of refereeing albeit supported by technology that could be applied to assist judgement over certain aspects of the game. For example, it could assist in some unsighted situations and not as a tool to regulate the flow and tempo of play since this can better be applied by a humane referee.

I am however happy that another school of thought proposes an increased number of officials; a matter that authorities are currently reviewing. Whilst this is the case, I may caution against overloading our decision making processes during a live match lest we brace ourselves for more confusion that will affect even the simplest of the spur-of-the-moment decisions.

To ease our emotions, may I remind us that our sport will still see costly human errors by both players and officials. The challenge will however remain with those that may be affected to either accept or raise protests that may land our entertainment into frequent disreputes.

SUPERSPORT

In a match that saw us enjoy ball possession and control in all departments, we ended up unfortunately losing against SuperSport United that is becoming our hoodoo in Tshwane. The earlier opportunities we squandered and the brevity of Emile Baron in our visitors’ goal proved decisive as we lost valuable three points to close the gap on our log standing.

The loss of Knowledge Musona after five minutes from the start of the match followed by the faulty lighting system in the second half obviously pointed to a bad omen for our team. Our team lost rhythm and strength whilst the opposition gained the upper hand. Playing and winning at Loftus after our misfortunes at the seemingly jinxed Orlando Stadium could have been the right recipe for our resurgence but again fate would have it otherwise.

The point’s margin now seems too wide but we should not forget that we once experienced the same when Orlando Pirates had a clear thirteen point lead ahead of us but ended as runners up when we rallied to lift the trophy in the end. Unfortunately this time around we seemed not to deliver when it mattered most. I do believe however that we shall rise and continue doing the best we can to make uncomfortable the current leading pack on our log standing.

WITS UNIVERSITY

Whilst I respect all opposition, I believe we shall rise and fight our way back by overcoming the likes of Wits University that we are facing over the weekend. We sure have a score to settle after they defeated us at Orlando Stadium in the first round. With them drawing their last match and with us suffering defeat, this promises to be a tough encounter for both teams that still want to exert pressure on the current leaders.

As can be seen from our fixtures in November, the journey has been challenging considering that we salvaged seven out of a possible twelve points on offer thus far. We shall therefore be pleased to wrap the month with a win against an equally determined Wits University. The mood in the team is positive and I still believe that it is not over until the final whistle that closes our season.

MATCH TICKET PRICING

The current raging debate on match ticket pricing is interesting and as usual, it would appear a focal point when Kaizer Chiefs is mentioned. I find it interesting that the fees can receive such media prominence when ticket pricing has been varied every time Kaizer Chiefs travels to away games. The truth is, Kaizer Chiefs is not the first team to increase its match tickets price as evidenced by the R30.00 that supporters pay when we often play away games.

To put matters into perspective, we increase our fees based on the category of our opposition. For example, our Category A matches that include opposition such as Orlando Pirates, Sundowns, and Supersport require increased personnel on security. This is a requirement to comply with the government’s legislation on crowd control measures during massive public events.

In the same token the legislation for increased emergency medical services and post stadium maintenance require some consideration on match fees. It is also a known fact that clubs do not own stadia but rent from either SA Rugby or Local Councils for use. Unfortunately, the cost of rent has not remained the same over the years. May I also ask the soccer public to reflect on implications for night games particularly when the cost of electricity is likely to rise at 45% next three years.

Therefore, whilst there is seemingly a frenzy to paint Kaizer Chiefs in a bad light for match fees, it should be noted that football comparatively remains the cheapest form of entertainment to others. To crown it all, football has not increased its fees in the last ten years despite the rising costs of goods and services.

Kaizer Motaung (Mr.)
Executive Chairman