March 2022

Kick Off

Soccer at its best!

Kick Off2 min read
2025 Fifa Club World Cup Will Be Better
The Intercontinental Cup between the European club champions and their South American counterparts, which was played between 1960 and 2004, created this notion that it was a match that decided‘who was the best football club in the world’. Notwithstan
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Kick Off
Zola Doda (Editor) Nick Said (Sub-editor) Daniel Mendes Lovemore Moyo Mark Gleeson Liam Bekker Baden Gillion Ernest Fakude Sipho Mlotha Lukhanyo Mtuta Kyle Lewis Brent Smith Shaistah Kader Nozuko Mkonwana Gallo Images, Backpagepix Clint Roper Andries
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LETTERS To The Editor
KICK OFF To air your views, email your letters to forum@kickoff.com The views expressed in the letters published do not reflect the views of KICK OFF magazine, its editor or publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit and shorten letters. Letter
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The Month That Was
• Mamelodi Sundowns part ways with long-serving Brazilian centre-back Ricardo Nascimento, who is sacrificed to create a foreigner slot for Bolivian import Erwin Saavedra.• Cape Town City forward Fagrie Lakay moves to the Egyptian Premier League, wher
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Why Chiefs need Khune
If anything, Itumeleng Khune’s predicament and his fall down the pecking order in the Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeping department has raised more questions than answers with the decorated keeper exiled to the stands. Bar one appearance in the MTN8 quarterf
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Is Gaba-Goal back?
A few weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations finals kicked off in Cameroon, Malawi international Gabadinho Mhango was going through a crisis at his club Orlando Pirates. The attacking player had endured a horrible opening half to the season without a
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‘I Will Come Back Stronger’
KICK OFF: How is the injury recovery process coming along? Lebohang Maboe: I’m moving close to the final stages of my rehabilitation, and I’m working tirelessly. I am close to getting involved in a friendly to have a feel of how far I am. I don’t thi
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‘We Couldn’t Agree With Sundowns’
KICK OFF: Congratulations on your move to MLS, but your football background is not known besides the fact that Maritzburg United found you playing for Nxamalala Fast XI in the SAB Regional League … Bongokuhle Hlongwane: I know, you won’t believe it b
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Why The Downs Move Failed…
Minnesota United’s new signing Bongokuhle Hlongwane inherited his football genes from his father Wiseman Hlongwane (40) – who is now the chairman of Nxamalala Fast XI after serving as a player for two decades. “He is my first-born child,” reveals Hlo
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Ins & Outs Biggest PSL transfers
(Mamelodi Sundowns) As far as marquee signings go, few in the history of the DStv Premiership rank higher than Mamelodi Sundowns’acquisition of Teboho Mokoena. The reigning league champions completed the signing of the Bafana Bafana star from Tshwane
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‘Iam Learning Fromthe Best’
KICK OFF: You made your debut with the name ‘Nyongo’ at the back of your jersey. Now you go by the surname ‘Xoki’ and your first name is spelt in two different ways. Do you mind clarifying your full name? Thapelo Xoki: My name is Thapelo. It’s just t
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Thembinkosi Lorch
ORLANDO PIRATES ■
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My Dream Team
I’ve played with many great goalkeepers like Avril Phali at Jomo Cosmos and Greg Etafia at Moroka Swallows, but if you look at Ronwen Williams and his longevity, he is doing exceptionally well. I played with him at SuperSport United when he was very
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‘Why We need a Biennial World Cup’
KICK OFF: What will make the African Super League succeed when the European version has spectacularly collapsed? Danny Jordaan: Because the European Super League was not football. The origin of that Super League arose out of the fact that all of thos
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Like Father, Like Son
KICK OFF: It must have been great to have a dad who played at such a high level when you were growing up? Did that influence you into wanting to be a professional footballer? Khanyisa Mayo: My dad used to take us to training sessions at every team he
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Team Of The Tournament
Mohamed Abo Gabal (Egypt) This may be a controversial pick given that Senegal’s Edouard Mendy was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament, but in truth he was not worked anywhere near as hard as Gabal. Mendy played behind a rock-solid defence and was only
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‘I Will Always Be Available For Bafana’
During the 2021 calendar year, no South African footballer scored more goals or was directly involved in more goal contributions at club level than Lars Veldwijk. The 30-year-old striker currently plies his trade in South Korea with top-flight side S
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Based Abroad
Keanu Baccus (Western Sydney Wanderers): The younger brother of Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Kearyn Baccus is a regular with his A-League team from Sydney. He played at the Olympic Games in Tokyo for Australia. Kurt Abrahams (Deinze): Abrahams’ career lo
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‘I Haven’t Retired Yet’
KICK OFF: What were your impressions of the Afcon in Cameroon? Asamoah Gyan: It was a very impressive event. The performances were worthy of the continent’s premier competition. There were naturally a lot of surprises; a lot of upsets which made the
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‘They Said I Faked Injury’
In 1994, the South African Football Association, in conjunction with their sponsors at the time SASOL, went on a national wide drive to assemble a group of the finest Under-23 talent coming up the ranks as the nation prepared for the qualifiers of bo
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Did You Know?
Date of birth: December 20, 1998 Current club: Paris Saint-Germain Previous clubs: AS Monaco In December 2015, at the age of 16 years and 347 days, Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player in French Ligue 1 when he made his professional debut for AS
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It’s A Culture Thing
Mamelodi Sundowns signed Teboho Mokoena and Surprise Ralani and I’ve been hearing a lot of conversations with people saying that this is making the PSL one-sided because all the best players are going to one club. I would like to disagree with that n

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