Some call Jomo Sono our football's rabblerouser.
Some call Jomo Sono our football's rabblerouser.
"I speak my mind because I am not afraid of anyone," Sono, the Jomo Cosmos boss, would argue every time he publicly admonished anyone he believed was not doing things in the interest of soccer, particularly his colleagues in the Premier Soccer League's leadership.
He would also say the same about the hierarchy at Safa.
Sono, who made the crowds roar while playing for Orlando Pirates and just before his retirement at Cosmos, has also accumulated a good following because of his frankness.
Sadly though for Sono, he has been doing his fighting against "injustice" in football mostly from the touchline, unlike others who are credited with striving to put local football on the world map from within football's governing structures.
And it is because of this that Sono is sometimes deemed to be not that serious about helping local soccer to grow.
"I never attend those [PSL] meetings any more because all they talk about is money, money and not football," he said.
Sono has publicly mentioned this, which suggests that the PSL has a strange way of drawing up its agenda for meetings.
Contrary to accusations by some Safa big-shots, including their partners from the PSL, that I am Sono's fan, the man himself can attest to the fact that I am not.
Advocating that Sono should be part of the Bafana Bafana technical team can never be erased by cheap talk from Safa.
Nations that are proud of their legends have found a place for them in their national teams - look at Franz Beckenbauer in Germany, Michel Platini in France and UEFA and now Diego Maradona who was appointed coach of Argentina on Tuesday, to mention but a few. Is that too much to ask? Not really!
Insiders swear that Sono's name is among those nominated to be part of the PSL leadership when elections are held in two weeks' time.
Sono has tried in vain to hide his excitement over the prospect of being one of the official voices of the National First Division.
To his credit, Sono has also been sounding "statesman-like" lately.
Let's move on.
In case Sono was not aware, he actually belongs in those football boardrooms because that's where robust debate must take place and not in the media where issues turn into mud-slinging bouts. No one emerges a winner when that happens.
As a media man myself, I of course love to write on and read about soccer officials who make monkeys of themselves in public.
But all things considered we also have to see to it that the image of our football remains possibly on the positive side of things.
Sono being one of the custodians of our diski, must go in there and do it for Mzansi.
He must just do it with resolve. The same way Matsilele has been doing it for Jomo on the Cosmos bench.
What did I say? Ja, I meant it!
l There they go again!
First it was Raymond Hack, the Safa CEO, who attempted to win hearts by criticising the SABC over the lack of respect for fans when it comes to the coverage of Bafana Bafana matches.
Morena Mwelo Nonkonyana is also trying to pull wool over our eyes by sounding concerned with utterances such as "we can ill afford a Bafana Bafana that behaves like a rand in the world market and a source of amusement in Zapiro cartoons".
Guys, if you have nothing to say before TV cameras, just shut up! Stop annoying us, let alone boring us with your sweet nothings.
Bafana Bafana are 85th on the Fifa rankings because you are still blind to the fact that they are in reverse gear. With no "Plan B" in sight and with Joel Santana doing guesswork on our bench, your "rand" will continue to plummet, Chief.
Sono can achieve more in the boardroom
Some call Jomo Sono our football's rabblerouser.
Some call Jomo Sono our football's rabblerouser.
"I speak my mind because I am not afraid of anyone," Sono, the Jomo Cosmos boss, would argue every time he publicly admonished anyone he believed was not doing things in the interest of soccer, particularly his colleagues in the Premier Soccer League's leadership.
He would also say the same about the hierarchy at Safa.
Sono, who made the crowds roar while playing for Orlando Pirates and just before his retirement at Cosmos, has also accumulated a good following because of his frankness.
Sadly though for Sono, he has been doing his fighting against "injustice" in football mostly from the touchline, unlike others who are credited with striving to put local football on the world map from within football's governing structures.
And it is because of this that Sono is sometimes deemed to be not that serious about helping local soccer to grow.
"I never attend those [PSL] meetings any more because all they talk about is money, money and not football," he said.
Sono has publicly mentioned this, which suggests that the PSL has a strange way of drawing up its agenda for meetings.
Contrary to accusations by some Safa big-shots, including their partners from the PSL, that I am Sono's fan, the man himself can attest to the fact that I am not.
Advocating that Sono should be part of the Bafana Bafana technical team can never be erased by cheap talk from Safa.
Nations that are proud of their legends have found a place for them in their national teams - look at Franz Beckenbauer in Germany, Michel Platini in France and UEFA and now Diego Maradona who was appointed coach of Argentina on Tuesday, to mention but a few. Is that too much to ask? Not really!
Insiders swear that Sono's name is among those nominated to be part of the PSL leadership when elections are held in two weeks' time.
Sono has tried in vain to hide his excitement over the prospect of being one of the official voices of the National First Division.
To his credit, Sono has also been sounding "statesman-like" lately.
Let's move on.
In case Sono was not aware, he actually belongs in those football boardrooms because that's where robust debate must take place and not in the media where issues turn into mud-slinging bouts. No one emerges a winner when that happens.
As a media man myself, I of course love to write on and read about soccer officials who make monkeys of themselves in public.
But all things considered we also have to see to it that the image of our football remains possibly on the positive side of things.
Sono being one of the custodians of our diski, must go in there and do it for Mzansi.
He must just do it with resolve. The same way Matsilele has been doing it for Jomo on the Cosmos bench.
What did I say? Ja, I meant it!
l There they go again!
First it was Raymond Hack, the Safa CEO, who attempted to win hearts by criticising the SABC over the lack of respect for fans when it comes to the coverage of Bafana Bafana matches.
Morena Mwelo Nonkonyana is also trying to pull wool over our eyes by sounding concerned with utterances such as "we can ill afford a Bafana Bafana that behaves like a rand in the world market and a source of amusement in Zapiro cartoons".
Guys, if you have nothing to say before TV cameras, just shut up! Stop annoying us, let alone boring us with your sweet nothings.
Bafana Bafana are 85th on the Fifa rankings because you are still blind to the fact that they are in reverse gear. With no "Plan B" in sight and with Joel Santana doing guesswork on our bench, your "rand" will continue to plummet, Chief.