Second Take

 Harry Kane lost the ball. In the instant Kane mis-kicked, and the ball was on its way out, a defender fouled him. Penalty! How was this a penalty, the guy had lost the ball before he was kicked?! For me, this was one of the most ridiculous penalties ever awarded for a foul in an English PL match. Penalties are supposed to be awarded if an attacking player is fouled and denied a goalscoring opportunity. Penalties are also routinely awarded for any foul inside the penalty box. But, surely, fouling a player who has already lost the ball, and it has gone out of play as a result, and giving him and his team a second undeserved chance, is unfair? I think this rule needs to be clarified and changed so that it makes sense.

  Who are your top ten all-time SA men’s footballers? Here’s mine.   1.       Ace Ntsoelengoe 2.       Jomo Sono 3.       Benni McCarthy 4.       Doctor Khumalo 5.       Lucas Radebe 6.       Banks Setlhodi 7.       Patson Banda 8.       Nelson Dladla 9.       John Moshoeu 10.    Neil Tovey/Andre Arendse 

  The UCL QF draw has come and gone. There will be elation and trepidation around the world, some of it misplaced. Football, like most sports, can be very unpredictable. So-called underdogs can become giant-killers, while so-called big dogs can exit with a whimper.   The form book places Bayern München, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and PSG as favourites to progress to the semis. The resurgent Chelsea is in with a good chance, and so are giant-killers Porto. Liverpool has had a very poor season domestically, however it has done very well in Europe, so odds are probably even that it might scrape through. Similarly with Real Madrid.   Football, however, doesn’t care about form. It is what happens on the day that matters. An underdog can come with fantastic tactics, or their players could play like lions, while the favourites surrender. We wait with eager anticipation!