by Luca Kotton | May 9, 2014 | Sport
READY FOR ACTION: Number seven,Jaryd Povall and his Brother,number six, stand in front of coach, Mark Sanders.
THE NUMBERS three to seven add a unique aspect to the Wits hockey club.
The men’s hockey squad includes brothers, Jaryd and Matthew Povall and three brothers, James, Craig and Michael Daniels. Between them, they hold three to seven of the 21 jersey numbers in the team.
Coaches views
Do the brothers come as a package, or is it a coincidence that all the brothers were picked for the squad? Wits Hockey coach Mark Sanders says, “They’re all good enough. That is the only coincidence.”
Interview with the two sets of brothers
Wits Vuvuzela spoke to the two sets of brothers and, perhaps naturally, found some rivalry between the sibling groups.“There are only two of us Povalls, so at least we don’t need a team bus to travel to
games and training,“ says Matthew. The Daniels brothers respond with laughter, and Craig adds, “Yes, two’s a company, threes a party.”
The Daniels brothers say it doesn’t matter to them that the Povalls are brothers. They are simply two team members, the same as everyone else in the squad. The Povalls say the three brothers are dynamic, hardworking and bring good energy to the team.
Commenting on the Povalls, Craig Daniels said, “They are brothers too, so sharing that experience of playing with someone that is so close to you is always special – especially at the level we are playing…Them being
brothers just contributes to how well they know each other on and off the park, which helps.”
All the brothers believe that being siblings and playing as team mates brings a different feeling to a team. The Daniels brothers stick up for each other, but also realise each of them can stand up for themselves. They are brothers and team mates on and off the field.
Since people were asking about the Daniels brothers on Twitter, Wits Vuvuzela posed the question: which set of brothers do they believe is more appealing to the ladies. “Definitely the Daniels’…We’re a lot more fun,” says Craig with a wink.
Another player, John Tatham, also has two brothers who play hockey, and if they were part of the team, it would be even more of a family affair.
Varsity hockey tournament
The Wits hockey team will be looking to improve on this past weekend’s performances, which saw them get only one point from three games. They will play the second leg of the Varsity hockey tournament this coming weekend in Bloemfontein against Kovsies, Rhodes and Tuks.
luca@witsvuvuzela.com
by Luca Kotton | May 6, 2014 | Sport
A drastically changed Clever Boys team lost to Maritzburg United 1-0 in their last home game of the season at Bidvest Stadium tonight.
Nine players from Saturday’s Nedbank Cup win over Kaizer Chiefs were replaced in the match against Maritzburg, in what was in effect a dead rubber for both sides. Maritzburg had already avoided relegation and have no chance of reaching the top eight in the league.
In contrast the Clever Boys have secured third position and cannot drop or climb the table in their last league game of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) season against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday.
NOT RESTED: Siyabonga Nhlapo was one of only two players not rested from this past Saturday’s clash against Kaizer Chiefs. Photo: Luca Kotton
The first half was a stalemate with both teams evenly matched.
Both teams saw half opportunities which were squandered by the players.
The game had lacked the the usual pace and excitement from both teams with players looking fatigued.
In the second half Maritzburg United seemed to kick into higher gear as their coach, Steve Khompela, made all three substitutes with 30 minutes still lefton the clock.
The switch paid off for Khompela as his players responded with a goal in the 70th minute by Kurt Lentjies, which proved to be decisive blow.
Following the loss Bidvest Wits coach, Gavin Hunt, told Wits Vuvuzela that none of the players on the field were particularly impressive.
Responding to a question about the team selection for next Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates, the coach as adamant: ” Back to the A-team,” he said.
by Luca Kotton | May 6, 2014 | Sport
Wits Hockey lost 4-2 to the University of Cape Town (UCT) in their last match of the Varsity Hockey Tournament at home last night.
PUTTING IN HIS ALL: Barry Morisse dribbles forward from his own half in a spirited performance which saw his team lose to UCT. Photo: Luca Kotton
Within two minutes of the first chukka, the UCT team managed to score their first goal. Supporters from Wits were not too thrilled with the early celebrations but their team still had lots to prove for the remainder of the game.
Wits were awarded two penalty corners and failed to convert either, while UCT took advantage and scored two goals in the first chukka from their penalty corners.
The visitors from the coast were not as dominant in the second chukka but they still managed to score another goal in the remaining minutes of the chukka putting them in the lead with a strong 4-1 score against the locals.
In the last few minutes of the game Wits was in charge and was able to score a goal with seven minutes remaining till the final whistle blew, they failed to score anymore goals and the score finished 4-2 in favour of UCT.
The man of the match award went to UCT’s Andy Winter, and the saver of the day was Wits’s Cole Zondagh, his third time during the tournament.
We just didn’t stand up and take responsibility in our roles.
Wits hockey coach, Mark Sanders spoke to Wits Vuvuzela after UCT scored from three of their set pieces, “We discussed all their set pieces we knew exactly what was happening … we just didn’t stand up and take responsibility in our roles.”
Sanders admits that the upcoming hockey tournament in Bloemfontein next week will be difficult. “It’s going to be a hard challenge but we can definitely work hard to get there, we got two big games that we have to salvage something out of but we can do it if we put our minds to it, if luck goes our way a little bit we can get there.”
by Luca Kotton | May 3, 2014 | Sport
TIGHT BATTLE: The Clever Boys captain, Sibusiso Vilakazi, gets chased by Kaizer Chiefs defender Erik Mathoho in a tense match at Bidvest Stadium. Photo: Luca Kotton
The Clever Boys are into the Nedbank Cup final with a resounding victory over Kaizer Chiefs on home turf earlier this afternoon.
The semi-final clash ended on equal terms (2-2) after extra time but Wits overcame the AmaKhosi 4-2 on penalties to win the tightly contested match at the Bidvest Stadium.
The first half of the match saw both teams return to the dressing room with a goal a piece. The Clever Boys broke the deadlock with captain Sibusiso Vilakazi netting a penalty past Chiefs captain, Itumeleng Khune.
Shortly after, another penalty was awarded, this time in Chief’s favour, with striker, Katlego Mphela, netting the equaliser.
Wits started the second half strongly with an early goal by ex- Chiefs striker, Amos Ngcobo. This was cancelled out by an easy tap in from George Maluleka after some good work by Kingston Nkhata, who was booed the during the entire match by his own supporters.
The first half of extra time held nothing exciting with both teams taking a cautious approach. The second half though saw pressure from Kaizer Chiefs, which saw them hitting the post in the first few seconds. Wits rarely troubled Chiefs in the last few minutes as the score held out to go into penalties.
Wits sealed the win by netting every one of their four penalties. Chiefs though, had failed to score two of their penalties with a miss by the iconic Siphiwe Tshabalala. Wits’ Moeneeb Joseph also managed a save against Reneilwe Letsholonyane.
Clever Boys coach, Gavin Hunt, was delighted by the victory and at the prospect of playing in a big final. Speaking exclusively to Wits Vuvuzela after the match, Hunt said, “it’s going to be a hell of a game whoever we play, where we play is going to big thing because the venue is always important.”
Wits will face the winners of the Orlando Pirates/Maritzburg United match later tonight at the Harry Gwala Stadium.
The date and venue of the game is yet to be decided and will be announced after the conclusion of the second semi-final later this evening.
by Luca Kotton | May 2, 2014 | News
The Wits Hockey Club are looking to do well in this year’s varsity hockey tournament, with the first leg starting on home turf tomorrow.
The tournament sees eight varsity teams competing in three rounds of fixtures in the Wits University set of matches before they move on to the next tournament.
PASSIONATE COACH: Mark Sanders,Wits men’s hockey coach, shows his player, Matthew Povall a trick or two. Photo: Luca Kotton
Wits hockey coach, Marc Sanders, is optimistic of his team’s chances at the tournament. He believes the key to success is a solid start. He hopes Wits will finish in the top four of the competition.
Sanders, speaking to his team in practice, says, “I like my team to train like they’re in second place and play like we are in first place.”
Wits’ first game is against Maties (Stellenbosch University) on Saturday afternoon, a team that Sanders considers Wits’ toughest opponents.
The next two matches will be against Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on Sunday at 12h45 and the televised game on Monday will be against the University of Cape Town at 18h45.
by Luca Kotton | May 1, 2014 | Sport
AGGRESSIVE AFFAIR : Wits and Pirates players enter into a scuffle over a bad challenge on a Clever Boys player in the second half. Photo: Luca Kotton
The Clever Boys battled hard against Orlando Pirates in their Premier Soccer league game on Wednesday night, finishing the game in a 0-0 draw at the Bidvest Stadium.
Bidvest Wits continued their unbeaten run in the league with a third consecutive goalless draw, which sees them without a goal in over 270 minutes of playing time.
The game consisted of both teams missing key goal-scoring opportunities and was marred by consistent foul play from both sides.
Play was interrupted at one point with what looked like a serious injury to Burundian international Papy Faty. Faty was taken to hospital with suspected torn ligaments and a dislocated knee. He looks set to miss his team’s Nedbank Cup semi-final clash against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday
Sibusiso Vilakazi,the Clever Boys captain, sat on the bench for the duration of the game as Wits seemed to have rested key players for the clash on Saturday.
Kaizer Chiefs also shared the spoils with Free State Stars on Wednesday evening in a 1-1 draw in Polokwane.
by Luca Kotton | Apr 25, 2014 | Sport
WEDNESDAY night’s at home draw with Kaizer Chiefs was a fair reflection of the Clever Boys frustrating, score-scarce season.
While the match was packed with drama, none of the excitement resulted in any goals, leaving Bidvest Wits to continue their seven-match unbeaten run of which three were goalless draws.
The draws have resulted in the Clever Boys falling short of their main rivals Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs.
“We should have won the league this year, we have drawn five games like this at home when we should have won all of them comfortably,” Clever Boys coach Gavin Hunt said.
STALEMATE: Bidvest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs play out to a 0-0 draw, denting both their title hopes. Photo:Nqobile Dludla
Wednesday’s match saw an exciting first half with poor finishing being the only downfall for the Clever boys.
The second half saw both teams hit the woodwork, with both goalkeepers pulling off good quality saves.
The PSL League Title
A win for Wits would have surely handed Sundowns the Premier Soccer League title, but Mamelodi fans were still feeling good with the draw denting Kaizer Chiefs title hopes.
The Clever Boys have all but secured third position in the league with their nearest contenders SuperSport United languishing eleven points behind after their 0-1 defeat to bottom-of-the-log Golden Arrows.
The Clever Boys move their attention
The Clever Boys’ attention will now move to their semi-final clash for the Nedbank Cup on May 3 where they will again face Kaizer Chiefs. They will be looking for revenge after their disappointing league outing as well as a pay-out of at least R7-million for the cup winners. The home ground advantage for the Clever Boys may be a telling factor.
A Nedbank Cup victory would mean a lot to Hunt, who will be marking his one-year anniversary at the club next month. He said Wednesday’s match couldn’t be compared to the coming Nedbank Cup clash as they were completely different.
A new look team
Hunt has come to the Clever Boys and changed their style of playing drastically with some pleasing results. The team is on track to improve its log position from last season, where it placed fourth, by a slim margin.
This season has seen Bidvest Wits make big strides in their conquest to become the best team in South Africa with the likes of S’thembiso Ngcobo arriving from Kaizer Chiefs and Jabulani Shongwe arriving from Sundowns in the January transfer window.
The arrival of Hunt and the new players could put the team in a completely different position and next season could see the Clever Boys win their first PSL title.
“You will always aim to do better than last season, next season we going to go out for it and make sure we win something,” said Clever Boys left back Onismor Bhasera.
Wits will finish the season with three matches in the PSL against Maritzburg United, Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic, on top of their Nedbank Cup duties.
luca@witsvuvuzela.com
by Luca Kotton | Apr 25, 2014 | Sport
MOVING FORWARD: Wits University Football Club (W.U.F.C) coach, Karabo Mogudi, puts his team through their paces before their USSA Gauteng league match against TUT. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
WITS will not compete in this year’s Varsity Sports soccer tournament, since the men’s team failed to make it into the top three of the 2013 University Sports South Africa (USSA) Gauteng league.
Wits only finished fifth in the Gauteng league. To qualify for the Varsity soccer tournament, the top three teams competed in a national USSA tournament held in December. The top eight of the 16 teams qualified for the Varsity soccer tournament.
Why did Wits Not Qualify?
Commenting on the difficulty of the qualifying process, head of Wits soccer, Dennis Tshabalala told Wits Vuvuzela: “Gauteng is like South America in the FIFA World Cup. It is the most difficult route … Our seventh team in Gauteng can beat teams from the other regions who have qualified for the national tournament.”
Wits soccer had an unfortunate year in 2013, Tshabalala added. In 2012 they qualified for the 2013 Varsity tournament and everything went well. In contrast, qualification for the 2014 tournament had many issues, including injuries and suspensions. This was put down to an overworked squad, said Tshabalala, who played in many matches and tournaments.
How is the team currently doing?
Wits are currently doing well in this year’s qualification process and are in the hands of Karabo Mogudi, who has a level three South African Football Association coaching badge.
Three Bidvest Wits academy players have come to study at Wits and are currently playing for the team, which shows the good relationship between the university and the Clever Boys, Thshabalala said.
Asked about the university soccer structures, he said: “USSA has always been a platform to showcase talent.” Wits had one of their very own, Tefu Mashamaite, scouted at the USSA national tournament a few years ago and he now plays for Kaizer Chiefs.
Wits’ next game is against Tswane University of Technology on Tuesday, April 29 and they will be looking to continue their good form in the USSA Gauteng league, which sees them currently coming third on the 2014 log.
VIDEO: Dennis Tshabalala talks to Wits Vuvuzela about Wits soccer not playing the 2014 Varsity Soccer tournament.
by Luca Kotton | Apr 25, 2014 | Lifestyle
By Luca Kotton and Zelmarie Goosen
MORE REFRESHMENT: Wits Vuvuzela’s Anazi Zote sitting at Vuyo’s enjoying a refreshing beer after a long day in class. Photo: Luca Kotton
EVERY weekend student, after a hard week of studying, need some time to relax and get away from the books. But making the student budget stretch to include the many great pleasures in life can be difficult.
For beer drinkers, a nice cold beer in the downtime is a good way to settle the nerves. So Wits Vuvuzela set out to answer the all-important question: “Where can we get the cheapest beer in Braam?”
While the locally-made Castle may be a popular choice for some, the sweet taste of the internationally awarded Black Label came out tops this time round. Known as the “Zamalek” for its strong after-effects, we decided to use it as our basis for finding the cheapest beer in Braamfontein.
We looked for this most popular beer at four different places and also made a mental note of the venue’s atmosphere.
[pullquote]So Wits Vuvuzela set out to answer the all-important question: “Where can we get the cheapest beer in Braam?”[/pullquote]
The prize goes to…
The most expensive Black Label went to the Orion at R23 for a “dumpie”, which is understandable considering its upper-class target market. The second most expensive Zamalek was found at Kitchener’s, at a cost of R21. We could argue they offer much more with their student atmosphere and vibey music. Their noisy neighbours, Great Dane, sold their dumpie of Zamalek at R20. This beer of choice goes down well with one of their famous hotdogs, while dancing on their five cent floors. The cheapest beer in Braamfontein was awarded to the new kid in town, none other than Vuyo’s which sells beer at R16. Sitting outside Vuyo’s, listening to old school tunes, while knowing Mama Vuyo was in the kitchen making our favourite South African food, led to one of the most relaxing sunsets we have experienced in Braamfontein.
The truism stands: you get what you pay for. A bottle store is still the cheapest, and that comes as no surprise, but we doubt a bottle store can offer you a night to remember with great music, great friends and, more importantly, great South African beer.
by Luca Kotton | Apr 17, 2014 | News
UNITED: Siwve Sopoha an EFF member from Marikana comes to Johannesburg in Support of his community members, Jonas Felling and Nathaniel Baase, who were both miners at Marikana. Photo: Luca Kotton
by Palesa Tshandu and Luca Kotton
Legal ballot voting in the industrial relations sector can be used to prevent violent strike action and promote solidarity among mine-workers, according to Prof Edward Webster.
“A ballot means that there is a democratic mandate that will pre-empt strikes,” suggests Webster who was speaking at phase two of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry panel discussion held at Wits University yesterday.
The discussion forms part of a series of seminars that examines violence in the industrial relations sector, an example of which led to the killing of 34 mine-workers at Lonmin mine in Marikana on August 16, 2012.
According to Webster, a Wits sociology professor, the process of ballot voting will be used as a tool for mine-workers to have some control in the decision-making process of strike action. Ultimately, this process will result in a negotiated outcome among mine-workers and their employers.
Power inequalities must be addressed
Society Work and Development Institute (SWOP) fellow and researcher Chrispen Chinguno suggests that the democratisation of the mining sector is necessary to address power inequalities that exist among mine-workers which ultimately promotes a culture of violence.
Chinguno challenges the concept of a ballot system drawing on the participation of miners as integral to the process of striking. He said, “a ballot works as an individual vote, striking needs participation”.
According to Webster, the introduction of the ballot system in the industrial relations sector offers an alternative approach to the prevalence of violence, as it calls for miners to act in a democratic manner when addressing conflict.
The suggestion of a ballot for miners was met with mixed reactions. One miner said: “We know that they will break us, they want to divide us, and we know this.’’
In the coming weeks the Commission will host other discussions on the violence that occurred at Marikana.
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by Luca Kotton | Apr 17, 2014 | Sport
Bidvest Wits stole a late victory over Moroko Swallows last night, as the league leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, kept their lead at the top of the table.
The Clever Boys finished 2-1 in their crucial PSL (Premier Soccer League) match against the Swallows on their home turf at Bidvest Stadium.
Despite the win, time is running out for the Wits team as they remain eight points behind the table toppers with five games left to play, despite them having two games in hand over Sundowns.
The Clever Boys will have to win their remaining fixtures and rely on other teams to get results against Sundowns in their remaining three games, if they are to lift the PSL trophy for the first time in the modern era.
GRINDING IT OUT : The clever boys celebrate after a late winner from captain, Sibusiso Vilakazi, which gave his team the crucial three points needed to remain on track with the league leaders Sundowns. Photo: Luca Kotton
On loan Sundowns midfielder, Jabulani Shongwe, who plans to ink a permanent deal at Bidvest Wits next season, told Wits Vuvuzela, “We still have hope of winning the league, we don’t know what will happen in the remaining games but we will try our best to win all our games.”
In the face of rivalry with his parent club, Sundowns, for the league title, Shongwe added, “Sundowns can slip up and we can win our remaining games to win the league … I think they will slip up. “
Wits hungry for victory
Their 2-1 victory over Moroko Swallows left the Clever Boys still in contention for this year’s hotly contested title. The performance showed a side hungry for the three points as they spent most of their time in the Dube Birds half, creating multiple goal scoring opportunities.
The deadlock was finally broken after 83 minutes as Ethiopion striker, Getaneh Gibeto, tapped in from close range after some exciting play from the captain, Sibusiso Vilakazi.
With the game looking finished, Moroko Swallows equalized with their first attempt on goal in the second half with captain, Lefa Tsutsulupa, netting for the visitors in stoppage time.
With time running out, Vilakazi netted the winner to out-do his Swallows counter-part. This sent the crowd into a frenzy as a Vilakazi’s goal gave the team and their fans new hope for the league title.
Other match results
Chiefs won their game against Polokwane 2-0 to keep the pressure on Sundowns, who were 1-0 winners against the in-form, Mpumulanga Black Aces.
by Luca Kotton | Apr 11, 2014 | Sport
SUPER SUBS: Erwin Issacs talks tactics with the Bidvest Wits assistant coach before him and Asive Langwe went on to change the complexion of the game.
A 1-0 VICTORY over Platinum Stars on Wednesday night have left the Clever Boys in good position going into the title finale.
The win for Bidvest Wits have put them in touch with league leaders Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs with six games remaining for the Clever Boys.
Title Hopes
Anything can happen in an eagerly anticipated finish to the Premier Soccer League season, which sees Wits eight points off the leaders, Sundowns, with two games in hand.
The title hopes this season are shouldered upon the experienced players for Bidvest Wit. Substitute player Erwin Issacs said the Clever Boys had a chance because they were underestimated by bigger teams.
[pullquote]”…We are all about the fight, team spirit and the three points.”[/pullquote]
“People are looking at the top teams like Sundowns and Chiefs, they don’t worry about us. We will come from behind, we need to win our two games in hand and we know we only two points behind. We are all about the fight, team spirit and the three points,” Issacs said.
Bidvest Wits vs Platinum Stars
The first half of Wednesday’s match was a tactician’s dream, with both teams held to a goalless stalemate.
The second half seemed to be heading the same way, until Bivest Wits coach Gavin Hunt made a match-changing substitute in a last ditch effort to win the game.
The substitute, left-wing Asive Langwe, scored 82 minutes into the match in what would be the decisive blow as the Clever Boys held out for the win.
Next fixture
Bidvest Wits next fixture is against Moroko Swallows on April 16. The Clever Boys will have the home ground advantage and will be looking for another win.
