Cast a cold eye On life, on death Horseman, pass by! – W.B. Yeats, Under Ben Bulben The end came in ignominy. It was a desultory, disheveled, listless performance by a poorly managed team against Crystal Palace two Saturdays ago. Then, a 6-1 rout by Stoke on the final weekend in which Steven George […]
Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba’s gait is half-limp – probably a consequence of his days as a solid defender, captaining Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows – and half bounce, like the old township gentlemen, with shoes so shiny you can see your reflection in them. Born in Orlando East 64 years ago, Mashaba is a […]
“ . . . no harm can come to a good man either in his life or after his death.” – Plato I am destined to remember the 2nd of January 2015 for the rest of my life. It is the day that marks the beginning of the long goodbye and, in […]
Senzo Meyiwa was a sweet guy. As footballers go he was about as sweet as they come. I never knew him that well. The first time we met was in a lift in the Hilton Hotel in Yaounde. It was the week of the neutral-ground World Cup qualifier there against Cameroon’s war-torn neighbours Central […]
The life of a goalkeeper, if he isn’t the first choice, is like a scene from Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. While Estragon and Vladimir wait under a tree in the Irishman’s play, the goalkeeper has the bench. He waits there for something special: getting a chance in the team. There is no certainty […]