by Nqobile Dludla | Aug 2, 2014 | Sport
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END: Bloem Celtic team mates consoling tearful Limbikani Mzava after his penalty was saved by Mabokgwane, seeing The Clever Boys advance to the semi-finals with a 4-3 score. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
By Nqobile Dludla and Luca Kotton
Bivest Wits advanced to the semi-finals of the season’s first big tournament after trashing Bloemfontein Celtic 4-3 on penalties at the Bidvest Stadium on Friday night.
Wits goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane won the game for the Clever Boys by saving an attempt from Celtic’s Limbikani Mzava with the game at 4-3 in the MTN8 tournament. The match ended goalless after 120 minutes of play.
First to take the penalty from The Clever Boys was newly signed midfielder Dillon Sheppard who sent Bloem Celtic goalkeeper, Patrick Tignyemb flying the opposite direction giving his team a 1-0 lead.
Trying to catch up to The Clever Boys, Alfred Ndengane’s attempt was quickly deflected by Mabokgwane leaving the penalty score at 1-0.
Toriq Losper and Relato Lamola both added to the scoreboard, putting Bidvest Wits 2-1 over Celtic.
Despite the the crowd cheering on Clever Boys captain Sibusiso Vilakazi as he prepared to take a shot at penalty, he was denied by Tignyemb allowing Celtic to recover to 2-2 after Musa Lakay slotted his shot in. But Sthembiso Ngcobo quickly advanced the home team, earning Wits a 3-2 lead.
The unavoidable scoring machine, Joel Mogorosi caught up with The Clever Boys, equalising the score. While Phunya Sele Sele were still enjoying the equal scoreline, Onismor Bhasera sent Tignyemb flying the opposite direction, putting The Clever Boys in the lead with 4-3.
The goalless draw
The opening half saw Bidvest Wits failing to capitalise on promising goal opportunities. New defender Buhle Mkhwanazi’s header failed to materialise after receiving a corner kick from man of the match, Toriq Losper, sending it well wide.
While a failed free kick from Jabulani Shongwe had Bloem Celtic goalkeeper, Tignyemb reminding The Clever Boys why he is the best at what he does, the Witsies maintained pressure on the Bloem Celtic back line.
Coming in for a rebound, Losper’s header was denied by Tignyemb after receiving a well angled pass from Henrico Botes.
Bidvest Wits’ were often awarded corner kicks much to the frustration of Bloem Celtic coach, Ernst Middendorp, who spent a good part of the match jumping up and down on the sidelines and punching the air in frustration.
“There were a lot of fouls from Wits to which the referee refused to take notice of”, Middendorp said after the match.
Despite Midderndorp’s frustration, Bloem Celtic’s Ruben Cloete managed to break the Clever Boys back line only to have his attempt fly over the top of Mabokgwane’s goal post.
While the game gained momentum towards the dying minutes of the second half, the score still stood at 0-0 at stoppage time witnessing the game move into 30 minutes of extra time.
Bidvest Wits coach, Gavin Hunt told Wits Vuvuzela after the match: “We had a couple of opportunities and they [Bloem Celtic] also had a good couple of opportunities. I thought they battled well; they worked hard and outfought us but we stuck and held our ground”.
by Luca Kotton | Jul 25, 2014 | Sport
READY FOR ACTION: Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt looks on as his team tackle Platinum Stars in a friendly match at Sturrock Park before the new season.
Wits attacking ace Sibusiso Vilakazi will be staying with the Clever Boys as coach Gavin Hunt looks to improve on last year’s season with more points and another cup final.
There has been speculation over Clever Boy Vilakazi, last year’s captain and PSL player of the season. Hunt told Wits Vuvuzela that Vilakazi would be at Wits this season unless something came up from overseas.
Hunt said Vilakazi did a great job last season as captain, however he was considering removing him from that leadership role.
“Maybe we need to free him up a little bit,” Hunt said.
Last season Bidvest Wits finished third in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), reached the final of the Nedbank Cup and qualified to play in Africa.
With many new players coming in Hunt said, “It’s all about me putting the jigsaw together this season but I don’t have to change too much because we did very well last season.”
Hunt has so far signed nine players, with five of them being over the age of 30. “I don’t see age, I see players’ ability. I think all players that we have signed still have legs on them, they have a lot of streetwise, a lot of know-how but we did have a little bit of imbalance with experience last year and I think that cost us the league,” he said.
With goalkeeper Dennis Onyango having returned to Sundowns and Jackson Mabokgwane likely to leave during the new season, Hunt told Wits Vuvuzela he has a bit of a problem in the goalkeeping department.
Rowen Fernandez looks set to make his return to Bidvest Wits this season, after being seen training during the week with the Clever Boys.Hunt would not officially confirm to Wits Vuvuzela that Fernandez was joining the team but said he could add a lot of experience and potentially help Bidvest Wits in the goalkeeping department.
With scoreless draws being a thorn in the Clever Boys’ side last season, Hunt said players such as Henrico Botes and Christopher Katongo coming in would do well this season with other players that can deliver the ball.
He added that the team’s set pieces were not good last season and he was looking to improve this aspect to score more goals.
With the Bidvest under-17 team recently reaching the finals of the Engen Cup, Hunt has signed two youth players from the academy.The duo consists of 15-year-old Liam Jordan and 20-year-old Julian De Freitas.
The Clever Boys’ first official game of the season will take place on August 1 at Bidvest Stadium in a quarter-final clash against Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 competition.
by Nqobile Dludla | Jul 20, 2014 | Sport
- THE CHAMPIONS: A victorious tournament leaves the Celtics players jumping for joy.
Photo: Nqobile Dludla
By Nqobile Dludla and Lutho Mtongana
Bloemfontein Celtic walked away with the spoils at an inaugural pre-season event hosted by Bidvest Wits in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Celtic won the inaugural Charity Showdown at Bidvest Stadium following well fought battles over fellow premier league sides Bidvest Wits and AmaZulu. Mpumalanaga Black Aces also participated in the four-team tournament.
Celtic – the Phunya Sele Sele – beat out hosts Bidvest Wits 1-0 in the semi-finals and took the tournament with a 2-0 win in the final over Amazulu.
Not a tough nut to crack after all
The Clever Boys started off on the right foot, with newly-signed defenders, Buhle Mkhwanazi and Kees Kwakman pairing up to form a strong defence team alongside Siyabonga Nhlapo.
But this wall could not resist the pressure from Gabonamong Mogogi’s header received from Heinrich Issacs’ corner kick, earning Celtic a 1-0 lead.
Early into the first half, Sibusiso Vilakazi was denied a rebound free-kick by Celtic goal keeper, Patrick Tignyemb.
Celtic Joel Mogorosi proved to be a danger coming on strong in the second half, threatening to give Celtic two more goals, but Moeneeb Josephs denied the Celtic player’s attempts.
Despite their efforts, Wits failed to equalise, leaving the score at 1-0.
Celtic coach, Ernst Midlendorp was pleased to see his team advance to the final stage but said the performance “in certain departments definitely was not the standard you want to be competitive in, in the PSL.”
“The outcome was okay. We had a good defensive performance. We have worked on it in the past 3 weeks a little bit more but the movement combat, the build up, the right decision making, the final action, not positioning up and all the stuff you need to be dangerous in to counter your opponent, I think was very poor from our side,” said Midlendorp.
Conquering the Zulu warriors
True to Midlendorp’s assessment, the final clash with AmaZulu, also known as Usuthu, started off sluggish, with AmaZulu dominating the first half.
Michael Ntechane, 20, a Celtics fan, after the first half said, “They (Celtics) are under pressure and I feel they should improve in the second half if they want to win.”
Celtics came back strong in the second half where they managed to score two goals by Vuyani Ntanga and Gabadinho Mhango, giving Celtics the victory.
The two goals however, were not without struggle as Amazulu kept them on their toes with what was believed to be the “best defence” of the day.
AmaZulu booked their place in the final by beating Mpumalanga Black Aces 2-1 in the second semi-final.
The stadium was filled with Celtics supporters who sat through the cold and overcast day, sharing the victory with their team through music and dance, even after the game ended. The team itself was particularly pleased with their win over Bidvest Wits.
“Well, you know its football, you win or lose, we knew that they (Bidvest Wits) are competitive and they have been winning most of the games we played against them so we thought we should come and see what would happen and fortunately we were the ones who won today”, Celtics captain, Wandisile Letlabika said to Wits Vuvuzela.
Despite the knockout in the first semi-final on home soil, Bidvest Wits coach, Gavin Hunt said it was a good game.
“We had a lot of opportunities to score in early stages of the game and I’m sure we’ll be better as the season goes on,” said Hunt.
The inaugural Charity Showdown tournament was aimed at raising funds for The Lunchbox Fund through playing soccer while enjoying a fun filled family day with exciting activities such as face painting, sack racing, snake and ladders for children and live performances. The event raised close to R150 000 by the end of the day.
See more photos from the event on our Facebook page.
by Luca Kotton | Jul 16, 2014 | Sport
Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt has opted for a mix of youth and experience in the team’s new signings. Photo: Bidvest Wits.
Nine new players have joined premier league side Bidvest Wits ahead of the start of the season in August.
Gavin Hunt, Bidvest coach, appears to have gone with a mix of youth and experience, with five of the new signings over 30-years-old.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela, Hunt said, “The team was very thin in defence, I lost some defenders last season so I had to replace them and strengthen the squad.”
“With the new guys on board, they bring a lot experience, played a lot games between them, versatile in their positions and that’s why we bought them.”
The experienced players include Platinum Stars striker Henrico Botes, Maritzburg United left-side player Dillon Shepard, Moroko Swallows defensive player Giorgi Nergadze, Zambian Christopher Katongo and Dutch Eredivisie star Kees Kwakman.
Hunt also opted for four young talents with Nedbank Cup young player nominee Vincent Pule And University of Pretoria star Buhle Mkhwanazi.
Thulani Hlatshwayo from Ajax Cape Town and 20-year-old Mthokozisi Msomi from Roses United, also join the squad which finished third in the league last season.
When Hunt was asked if he leans on either youth or experience, he said, “A bit of everything, we have lots of young players in the squad and the new signings were brought in to bring stability and help the young ones come on. The reason we came third was because we lacked experience and the combination of youth plus experience is what’s needed for season.”
Hunt will need the experience of the new signings as the team looks likely to participate in this year’s Confederations Cup based on a decision by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to increase the number of South Africa teams in the competition to four. Bidvest Wits together with Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates qualify for the tournament.
The Clever Boys will start their new season with a clash against Bloemfontein Celtic on August 1 at the Bidvest Stadium in Johannesburg.
by Luca Kotton | Jul 6, 2014 | Sport
READY: Bidvest Wits under 17 team always come in as one of the possible winners for the Engen tournament. Photo: Provided
Wits University will play host to the country’s top junior soccer players when the under-17 Engen Knockout Regional Challenge comes to campus from July 18-20.
The tournament sees the best of Gauteng’s youth teams taking part in the sixteen team showpiece.
The winner of the event will face the other regional winners around the country to lift the champions-of-champions trophy in Soweto in October.
Gauteng is arguably the most competitive leg of the tournament hosting teams like Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Bidvest Wits and last years’ winners Mamelodi Sundowns.
Engen sponsorship manager Brad Bergh emphasised the tournament is a foundation for developing future Bafana Bafana stars who will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Thulani Serero, Katlego Pule and Asive Langwe all of whom have played in the tournament.
by Luca Kotton | May 17, 2014 | Sport
RUNNER UP: Gavin Hunt, Bidvest Wits coach, shows his emotions during a home game against Kaizer Chiefs ealier this year. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
Orlando Pirates lifted the Nedbank Cup trophy today with a 3-1 victory over Bidvest Wits at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The Buccaneers have lost in three previous finals and this win over the Clever Boys finally gives their fans some needed relief along with a R7-million cheque for the club.
The 3-1 score line was not a true reflection of the game according to Bidvest coach, Gavin Hunt, who was visibly upset after the game.
Hunt said, ” The players are distraught, they know they were robbed.”
When asked if Bidvest Wits is looking to improve, he said,”Other institutions of football should improve, it was a disgrace,” pointing to his disapproval of the referee’s decisions.
Pirates were looking to win their first of four finals this season and got off to a shaky start with an early goal in the 27 minute by the Clever Boys midfielder, Jabulani Shongwe.
The first half was a physical affair with Orlando Pirates boasting the majority of possession with 56% but trailing Wits by one goal.
The Champions came out in the second half with renewed energy and were rewarded after 53 minutes by a Kermit Erasmus goal.
The on-field tension eventually erupted into a full on fracas involving managers, technical staff and players in the second half.
But Pirates were not easily distracted and former Bidvest Wits player, Sifiso Myeni netted the second goal putting his team 2-1 ahead.
The match was all but sealed with the second Erasmus goal after 73 minutes. The striker deservedly ended the game with the man of the match award.
by Luca Kotton | May 15, 2014 | Sport
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC: Sibusiso Vilakazi battles away in their Nedbank Cup win over Kaizer Chiefs. Photo: Luca Kotton
Sibusiso Vilakazi could finish this weekend with a cupboard-full of silverware and a cheque for R7-million for his team.
The captain of Bidvest Wits will lead his team in the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates on Saturday, and on Sunday, could walk away with any of 3 awards at the annual Premier Soccer League (PSL) awards.
The 24-year-old Soweto-born midfielder debuted for Wits in the 2009/2010 season after being groomed by the Bidvest Wits academy.
He has since notched up over 100 first-team appearances and been rewarded with the club’s captaincy and two national team caps for South Africa.
Vilakazi’s leadership saw his team finish third in the PSL this year and he has been nominated for the player of the season, the ABSA premiership players’ player of the season and the Nedbank Cup player of the tournament at the end of season awards.
Overseas target
Vilakazi’s performance has attracted some interest from Brondby in Denmark and the Clever Boys captain may be jetting overseas by the beginning of next season.
According to Vilakazi, he spent a week in Denmark on trial and a transfer there looks likely. Vilakazi has spent the last 5 years of his professional career with the Clever Boys and has no regrets.
“So far it has been great. I have worked through step by step, baby steps as well. I hope I can grow better and better.”
With an exciting weekend ahead for the Clever Boys captain, he said, “I’m hoping it will start with the cup final and we will see what happens with the awards but I’m hoping we lift the trophy.”
The final showdown
The Nedbank Cup final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, on Saturday afternoon, will be a tightly contested match if the draw in their last meeting is anything to go by. Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt said, “Winning the cup will define if the season is good or bad.”
Vilakazi will no doubt play a vital role in the clash on Saturday afternoon and said, “It comes down to that important day, what happened in the past doesn’t matter, we focus on what’s happening now.”
Vilakazi said that his team deserves at least one trophy for the season. He would be lifting the trophy as captain if they win and he added,” I believe in my team and each and every individual.”
by Luca Kotton | May 9, 2014 | Sport
BIDVEST WITS has moved all of its attention to the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates, after sealing third place in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
The final will take place on May 17 at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, after much discussion amongst the Nedbank Cup organising committee and the PSL.
The Clever Boys final showdown against Orlando Pirates will be the biggest match of the season for the Braamfontein-based team, which will be looking to pick up silverware for the first time since 2010. Incidentally, the trophy the team won then was the Nedbank Cup.
Hunt vs Vermezovich
Orlando Pirates are under the reign of their recently appointed coach, Vladimir Vermezovich, who only took charge of the team almost a month after his appointment due to work permit
issues. Vermezovich guided his previous team, Kaizer Chiefs, to two cup finals but never a Nedbank Cup victory.
HEATED AFFAIR: Bidvest Wits players clash with their Orlando Pirates
counterparts in the last match between the teams. Photo: Luca Kotton
The Serbian coach was confident of his team’s victory in the final and said: “It will be a disgrace for a team of Orlando Pirates calibre to go a season without a trophy, so we will have to win this one.”
In contrast, Gavin Hunt, the Bidvest Wits coach has tasted success in the Nedbank Cup with his previous team. Hunt guided Supersport United to a Nedbank Cup victory in 2012.
How the teams face up
In head-to-head statistics, the Buccaneers hold the edge over the Clever Boys as they have won 24 of the teams clashes with their opponents having only won 12. Their last two matches in the current season saw a home win for Orlando Pirates in February and a stalemate at the Bidvest stadium at the end of April. Going on the head-to-head games the outlook wouldn’t be positive for the Clever Boys trophy aspirations but Hunt had
previously told Wits Vuvuzela, “Cup games are completely different to league games, you can’t compare.”
Fringe players get the chance
Wits failed to beat Maritzburg United in their last home game of the season on Tuesday night and Hunt gave many of his fringe players an opportunity to play, making nine changes from the team that won the Nedbank Cup semi-final against Kaizer Chiefs. Hunt said: “I gave players a chance but the players are not good enough, some of them. Some players have been here for two or three years now and they won’t be here next season.”
Who will be missing?
Hunt said he would go back to his “A” team for the Nedbank final.The only big blow for the Clever Boys will be the absence of Papy Faty who is out for nine months after a tackle from Oupa Manyisa in Bidvest Wits’ last home clash against the Buccaneers.
Orlando Pirates may be without striker Lennox Bacela, who injured his ankle in their 2-1 semifinal win over Maritzburg United.
The spectacle
The final in Durban which will see the winning team bagging R7-million in prize money is sure to be a spectacle. PSL chief executive, Brand de Villiers said: “We are planning a spectacular event on May 17 and we urge football fans to purchase their tickets early.”
Danielle van de Merwe, the Bidvest Wits marketing manager, told Wits Vuvuzela: “The club will notify the supporter club members of any travel arrangements made.”
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 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 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 Staff Reporter | Apr 29, 2014 | News
This information was received from Wits University.
“Due to the PSL match between Bidvest Wits Football Club and Orlando Pirates taking place at the Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday, 30 April 2014, traffic to the Braamfontein Campuses will be severely affected between 17:00 and 21:00.
To avoid congestion, especially at the Yale Road north gate to Empire Road, all University traffic to Braamfontein Campus East should enter and exit through the Yale Road south gate (Jorissen Street) from 17:00 onwards. To enter and exit Braamfontein Campus West, kindly use the Enoch Sontonga gate.
Kick-off is at 19:30 and tickets will only be sold at Computicket at R45 per person (grandstand), R40 per person (normal stands) and R20 per child under the age of 13 years.”
