Few people last week bothered to watch the match between Bafana Bafana and Paraguay in groups of friends as they would normally do.
Few people last week bothered to watch the match between Bafana Bafana and Paraguay in groups of friends as they would normally do.
Clearly, the fact that leading to this international friendly Bafana were not at all encouraging positive comment must have forced some people to possibly watch the match on TV and alone at home. This in a way suggests some subtle loss of interest.
That being the case, others deemed it fit to be at Super Stadium last week. Bravo guys!
That being the case and contrary to a belief that soccer is South Africa's No 1 sport, the "caring" bosses at the SABC told the world that they were not going to televise the scheduled 7pm kick-off live.
The motivation being that "it's a fact that more people watch Generations than soccer games, as indicated by numerous surveys conducted over the years".
And also because "advertising space had already been bought to beam these prime-time shows".
This is what Kaizer Kanyago, the SABC's spokesman, told us a day before kick-off. Yet, when they changed their minds Kganyago decided not to inform Sowetan.
Anyway, it is because of this stand by the SABC that I have difficulties with Dali Mpofu's latest utterances.
Mpofu, the SABC's chief executive officer, in the presence of Fifa officials, said they wanted to get maximum access to the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. The question is on behalf of who?
Mpofu, among other things, also said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the games to the football-loving masses of our people and to unite the nation."
Two things. It's either Mpofu did not read Sowetan nor hear what Kganyago had said on radio last week.
But in the event he did not read what Kganyago had told us it would then appear that Mpofu is not also aware that Generations' viewers come first and the "football-loving masses" second in so far as the public broadcaster is concerned.
On Saturday at 8pm, AmaZulu played against Vasco Da Gama in a Nedbank Cup match, a game we were told would be televised by the SABC.
No doubt, with so many upsets in this competition, we naturally looked forward to watching the match live on the SABC, but that did not happen.
To make matters worse, if you will, there was also no Generations billed for that night.
Really, how can the SABC be so spiteful to local football followers?
If the SABC hopes to unite the nation (whatever that means) it must therefore stop speaking with a forked tongue.
I sometimes wonder if the SABC's attitude ever bothers the Minister of Sport, Makhenkhesi Stofile, at all. Mr Minister, ndceda!
While on the minister I have suddenly remembered something that left me embarrassed two weeks ago. And last week an almost similar incident happened again.
In the first instance, a caller phoned Kaya FM's Grandstand and used disrespectful words against Stofile, who was not even part of the show.
That rude caller was not reprimanded, save for a muffled protest after he had demonstrated his uncouthness.
Kganyago was also a victim of a foul-mouthed buffoon and once more he got no protection from Kaya. How sad!
The question is, why were those calls not cut?
Much as I don't agree with the idea of sending Bafana to a "two- year camp" as Stofile advocates, nor endorse the shabby treatment football fans get from the SABC, insults can never be equated to debate.
I thank you!
What must soccer fans do to win over the SABC?
Few people last week bothered to watch the match between Bafana Bafana and Paraguay in groups of friends as they would normally do.
Few people last week bothered to watch the match between Bafana Bafana and Paraguay in groups of friends as they would normally do.
Clearly, the fact that leading to this international friendly Bafana were not at all encouraging positive comment must have forced some people to possibly watch the match on TV and alone at home. This in a way suggests some subtle loss of interest.
That being the case, others deemed it fit to be at Super Stadium last week. Bravo guys!
That being the case and contrary to a belief that soccer is South Africa's No 1 sport, the "caring" bosses at the SABC told the world that they were not going to televise the scheduled 7pm kick-off live.
The motivation being that "it's a fact that more people watch Generations than soccer games, as indicated by numerous surveys conducted over the years".
And also because "advertising space had already been bought to beam these prime-time shows".
This is what Kaizer Kanyago, the SABC's spokesman, told us a day before kick-off. Yet, when they changed their minds Kganyago decided not to inform Sowetan.
Anyway, it is because of this stand by the SABC that I have difficulties with Dali Mpofu's latest utterances.
Mpofu, the SABC's chief executive officer, in the presence of Fifa officials, said they wanted to get maximum access to the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. The question is on behalf of who?
Mpofu, among other things, also said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the games to the football-loving masses of our people and to unite the nation."
Two things. It's either Mpofu did not read Sowetan nor hear what Kganyago had said on radio last week.
But in the event he did not read what Kganyago had told us it would then appear that Mpofu is not also aware that Generations' viewers come first and the "football-loving masses" second in so far as the public broadcaster is concerned.
On Saturday at 8pm, AmaZulu played against Vasco Da Gama in a Nedbank Cup match, a game we were told would be televised by the SABC.
No doubt, with so many upsets in this competition, we naturally looked forward to watching the match live on the SABC, but that did not happen.
To make matters worse, if you will, there was also no Generations billed for that night.
Really, how can the SABC be so spiteful to local football followers?
If the SABC hopes to unite the nation (whatever that means) it must therefore stop speaking with a forked tongue.
I sometimes wonder if the SABC's attitude ever bothers the Minister of Sport, Makhenkhesi Stofile, at all. Mr Minister, ndceda!
While on the minister I have suddenly remembered something that left me embarrassed two weeks ago. And last week an almost similar incident happened again.
In the first instance, a caller phoned Kaya FM's Grandstand and used disrespectful words against Stofile, who was not even part of the show.
That rude caller was not reprimanded, save for a muffled protest after he had demonstrated his uncouthness.
Kganyago was also a victim of a foul-mouthed buffoon and once more he got no protection from Kaya. How sad!
The question is, why were those calls not cut?
Much as I don't agree with the idea of sending Bafana to a "two- year camp" as Stofile advocates, nor endorse the shabby treatment football fans get from the SABC, insults can never be equated to debate.
I thank you!