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The Intercontinental Cup between the European club champions and their South American counterparts, which was played between 1960 and 2004, created this notion that it was a match that decided‘who was the best football club in the world’. Notwithstanding the success of European clubs like Real Madrid and AC Milan – Santos and Sao Paolo in the CONMEBOL (South American Football Federation) – the truth is football was and is still far bigger than just Europe and South America. And even though all the World Cups have been won by European and South American countries, it is fair that all countries and teams are given equal opportunities to win competitions. While Europeans and South Americans played in the Intercontinental Cup, later renamed Toyota Cup, CAF Champions League winners and Asian…

KICK OFF: You made your debut with the name ‘Nyongo’ at the back of your jersey. Now you go by the surname ‘Xoki’ and your first name is spelt in two different ways. Do you mind clarifying your full name? Thapelo Xoki: My name is Thapelo. It’s just that it was misspelled at the Home Affairs. In my ID, it doesn’t have an ‘h’. That’s why it is spelt differently by people. It’s supposed to be Thapelo with an ‘h’. About my surname changes, I made my professional debut in 2014 as Nyongo. I used the surname, which is my mother’s, until 2018. Before I went to stay with my father, I was using the surname Nyongo all these years because my father never paid damages to my mother’s family.…

KICK OFF To air your views, email your letters to forum@kickoff.com The views expressed in the letters published do not reflect the views of KICK OFF magazine, its editor or publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit and shorten letters. Letters shorter than 200 words will be given preference. Please note there are no prizes for star letters at this time. Ghana hurtus There is nothing sweeter than laughing last. Let me take this opportunity to express my feelings towards the Ghana Football Association. You hurt us when we were protesting against the match official [referee Maguette N’Diaye] not Ghana Football Association. You called us names for the world to see us as feebleminded people. You disrespected us. Remember when the match official gave a dubious penalty against Senegal,…

Minnesota United’s new signing Bongokuhle Hlongwane inherited his football genes from his father Wiseman Hlongwane (40) – who is now the chairman of Nxamalala Fast XI after serving as a player for two decades. “He is my first-born child,” reveals Hlongwane senior, who was told about his son’s abilities when he was 14. “One day while at home washing the car, his coach [Thothi Cele] told me to come and watch the boy in action because he has magic in his feet and is destined for professional football. “The boy had been staying with his mom and had just come to live with me at the start of Grade 8. So, to me, the coach prophesised all of what is happening with the boy now. “I also played the game…

Australia Keanu Baccus (Western Sydney Wanderers): The younger brother of Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Kearyn Baccus is a regular with his A-League team from Sydney. He played at the Olympic Games in Tokyo for Australia. Belgium Kurt Abrahams (Deinze): Abrahams’ career looks to have stalled a little this season as he has been used mostly off the bench at second-tier Deinze, where he moved from Westerlo at the start of the campaign. He has yet to make the move up to the top-flight as expected. Lyle Foster (Westerlo): Foster is on loan at second-tier Westerlo from Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes and has played a leading role in their promotion push this season. After finally getting a run of games under his belt, he is making good progress. Keith Groeneveld (City Pirates):…

Date of birth: December 20, 1998 Current club: Paris Saint-Germain Previous clubs: AS Monaco 16 In December 2015, at the age of 16 years and 347 days, Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player in French Ligue 1 when he made his professional debut for AS Monaco against Caen, breaking the record previously held by Thierry Henry. 19 In 2018, at the age of 19, Mbappe became the most expensive teenager when he joined PSG from AS Monaco for 180-million Euros, making him also the second most expensive player after Neymar. Mbappe moved to PSG in 2017 on an initial loan deal before the transfer was made permanent. 19 At 19 years and seven months, Mbappe scored France’s fourth goal in a 4-2 win over Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final, becoming…

GOOD MONTH FOR … MAMELODI SUNDOWNS BAD MONTH FOR … FAN SAFETY ALSO LAST MONTH… Mamelodi Sundowns part ways with long-serving Brazilian centre-back Ricardo Nascimento, who is sacrificed to create a foreigner slot for Bolivian import Erwin Saavedra. Cape Town City forward Fagrie Lakay moves to the Egyptian Premier League, where he signs for Pyramids FC. City sign Venezuelan Darwin Gonzalez as his replacement. Swallows defender Thabo Matlaba completes a move to Royal AM, who also sign Mxolisi Macuphu, Marlon Heugh and Shaun Mohaila from TS Galaxy. Roger de Sa receives a four-match touchline ban for his role in the fracas after Egypt’s quarterfinal victory over Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations. Cape Town City FC sign Cameroon midfielder Brice Ambina on a three-and-ahalf-year deal. Stellenbosch sign Venezuelan forward…

KICK OFF: What will make the African Super League succeed when the European version has spectacularly collapsed? Danny Jordaan: Because the European Super League was not football. The origin of that Super League arose out of the fact that all of those clubs each faced serious financial crises. Barcelona were almost €980-million in the red. That is why they let Lionel Messi go, even though he was prepared to take a massive pay cut. The brutal truth is that they just couldn’t afford his salary anymore. This concept of Galacticos and having the most expensive superstars in the world for Real Madrid, and the bank giving you a loan, was no longer viable. The bank would at one stage demand the loan be repaid and so Madrid (€850-million in debt),…

In 1994, the South African Football Association, in conjunction with their sponsors at the time SASOL, went on a national wide drive to assemble a group of the finest Under-23 talent coming up the ranks as the nation prepared for the qualifiers of both the 1995 All-Africa Games and 1996 Olympic Games. The team failed to qualify for both tournaments, but it was through that SASOL identification programme that Frank Schoeman was discovered in Gqeberha. All he knew at the time was amateur football but after being selected and travelling to the United Kingdom, his ambitions and hunger grew. “I went for SASOL trials when they picked up an Under-23 team around 1994 and I made the cut for the squad which went to the UK along with Shaheem Bobbs,…

Mamelodi Sundowns signed Teboho Mokoena and Surprise Ralani and I’ve been hearing a lot of conversations with people saying that this is making the PSL one-sided because all the best players are going to one club. I would like to disagree with that notion. Sundowns is the best team in the country because they are signing players who are best suited to their style and culture – a culture that was started 10 years ago by their former coach Pitso Mosimane. Sundowns is buying all the best players because they want to progress – they want to compete in Africa and be the best team on the continent. Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, on the other hand, are also signing quality players but those players are not compatible to the…