Hey FIFA, WTF?

FIFA's recent update to their global ranking system has South Africa's steady progress upwards going sharply in reverse as we slid almost 9 places down the ladder. This despite winning and drawing our last two matches? It's taken a little over a year to claw our way up to 38 from 90 and now this setback, most likely due to a devaluation in the points gained during the first phase of this year's World Cup.

FIFA's system uses a formula to calculate the value of a match, but there has got to be some sort of imbalance when a drop that large happens to a team that has shown no discernible fault in performance. The Elo ratings, an adaptation of a ranking system used in the World Chess Federation, has us at 47.

We won't get too worked up about it. FIFA has promoted England to fourth ahead of Argentina and Brazil, which is just plain crazy. Any system that arrives at that conclusion clearly has a few kinks that need to be ironed out. Two big movers who overtook us are Jamaica and Belarus. Jamaica are now ranked at 38 and we're pretty sure that Bafana would smoke (ahem) their team. Maybe we need to organise a friendly.

Premier Underdogs

A rising tide lifts all boats. The people of Swansea are rising fast now that their local team has been promoted to the Premier League. One such boat is Capetonian businessman Brian Katzen a part of the consortium that bought a dismal football team a decade ago. His share amounted to R11 and a portion of the £1.7 million debt the team had.

Ten years later and defying the odds, the team is now valued at around R900 million. The town is overjoyed and sees the promotion as an opportunity to turn around a city looking to rejuvenate itself.

Swansea West MP Geraint Davies believes councillors can shape its future and build the local economy, if only it "Pulls it's finger out". Both the town and the team have big jobs ahead of them, but Katzen is optimistic.

"We were at the bottom of the pile, now we are on top. But we've kept our humility and will continue doing things the right way. Our business plan remains the same: the fans are our customers."

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers returned from a climb up Kilimanjaro for charity to discover that their opening game is Manchester City. “That’s like climbing Kilimanjaro twice!" he told Wales Online.

The team has had it's share of highlights in the past. Time will tell if they keep their form and remain at the top of their game or fade back into obscurity.

Fuel on the Fire

The legendary rivalry between Birmingham and Aston Villa doesn't require incendiaries to keep it burning, so people are questioning not only Villa owner Randy Lerner's motivation but his sanity by hiring the Nemesis' manager Alex McLeish. The obvious answer is that he knows something no-one else does.

McLeish first caused ripples when he resigned via email with two years still on his contract. Birmingham acting chairman Peter Pannu received the email while in Amsterdam securing the fourth player requested by McLeish. He's furious and seeking legal action.

Despite protests McLeish insists that given the opportunity he'll win the fans over, although starting off by bringing a few players over from his previous team is most certainly going to put him on the back foot. He has had public support from players he has managed and Ron Saunders, the only man to have ever managed both teams. Saunders' move from the one club to the other was arguably the beginning of the end for him. Five years after taking the post he left football for good. Will the same happen to Big Eck?

The Blues have reportedly narrowed their replacement list down to two: Chris Hughton and Roberto Di Matteo.

Where are the Amajimbos?

The opening ceremony for the U17 FIFA World Cup takes place tomorrow and over 500 aspiring stars will represent their country at the highest level at the Azteca stadium in Mexico.

This is the 14th tournament and the global audience catches it's first glimpse of the future icons of the game.

Africa will be well represented with four nations in attendance: Rwanda, the Congo, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast will represent. Africa is collectively the most successful continent at the tournament, with the trophy returning to her for 5 of the past editions.

But where are our boys? Where are the Amajimbos? Development at this level is clearly important, if you consider that most football powerhouses traditionally do well here. Consider that the USA is the only country to have made every single tournament and look at where they are these days. They take it seriously right from the start.

How do we shape up at this level, not necessarily in talent, but in development and support? Are we cultivating winners or expecting the cream to rise to the top all on its own?

Fabregas and the Future…

There's no denying that Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas has become an integral weapon in Arsenal's Premiership team, and the upper management echelon must have been nervous as rumors began emerging of a possible move to Barcelona FC.

As one of the best football clubs on the planet, and the current UEFA Champions, it is understandable why the Spaniard would feel drawn back to his home country, but today the 24 year old insisted he has not even opened a discussion with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

"I haven't spoken to the boss," said Fabregas, at a promotional event in Madrid. "He is the one who makes the decisions and I don't know if they want to sell me or not."

Nevertheless, Fabregas did also allude to Barca's success, going on to admit that a move to the Mediterranean team "guarantees winning titles." Watch this space.

The Spoils of War

In a post last week we looked at what happens to those that fail to retain their Absa Premiership status. It appears Vasco da Gama will learn all about that next season as they toil away in the National First Division without the R450 000 that would have come their way if only they had managed to pull off victory. As it happens, they were trounced, an aggregate 4-2 defeat at the hands of Black Leopards.

Leopards now take on the winner of the other semi-final, Port Elizabeth's Bay United. Relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2008/2009 season, United will no doubt feel confident they can force Leopards to spend another year in the lower league after their 4-1 victory over Thanda Royal Zulu.

 Leopards will want to do away with the foul taste left in the mouth after losing the final of the Nedbank Cup at the end of May with victory over United. The first of two legs takes place on 15 June, with the second happening on the 18th.

The Cost of Youth

The big English clubs are writing some big cheques here in the early days of the transfer season. What’s different this time is that they are paying top dollar to pick up young players, as in under 21. Manchester United has put paid on a 17 million pound deal for 19-year-old Phil Jones. Not to be deterred, this year’s Premiership comeback kids Liverpool splashed out 20 million pounds on 20-year-old Joe Henderson.

With rumours regarding Everton’s 19-year-old academy prodigy Jack Rodwell abounding, it would appear the big Premiership clubs are looking to rejuvenate their ranks in order to compete both at a local and European level.

The young players are winning the limelight on these shores as well. This year’s Absa Premiership player of the year, 21-year-old Thulani Cerero is drawing all kinds of attention from overseas, showing that when the market for players at their professional peak (25 to 28) is so ridiculously inflated, the one for the youngsters follows suit. Certainly clubs will trot out the well-worn “investing in youth” line, but simple economics is behind this summer’s expensive young acquisitions. The only question is will the bubble pop?

Politics is not related to morals... Machiavelli

So, Sepp Blatter has been reelected to the head of Fifa for a fourth time. It makes you wonder, how many corruption allegations does it take to get you thrown out of the top spot in these global sport organizations? With the interests of the public in mind, we will try to answer the question on a local, African level here.

Firstly, it appears that exposing corruption in African soccer can be hazardous to your health. The claims that Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou had been more focused on filling his pockets than producing the next Samuel Eto'o seem par for the course on the continent where, even in its first Fifa World Cup tournament, the prime mover for the South African bid's own brother couldn't help sticking his hand in the pot. As they say, it's a beautiful game. Too bad it's so chock-a-block with toads.

One Sided Finals

The Champions League, formerly known as the European Champions Cup and the European Cup, has had many a riveting final since it was first introduced in 1955.

Saturday's match between Manchester United and Barcelona at Wembley proved to be among the best of them all. Barcelona well and truly owned United, retaining 69% of overall ball possession and completing a total of 777 passes. As the saying goes, so long as the opposition don't have the ball, they can't score. Barca proved the adage true.

In its long and celebrated history, the Champions League has provided blessedly few one-sided finals, unlike, say, the Super Bowl. We searched high and low to dig up the five most one-sided Champions League finals in history, other than Saturday's game. It was hard work...

* 1960: Real Madrid slaughter Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3
* 1969: AC Milan pummel Ajax 4-1
* 1974: Only ever final played over two legs, and Bayern Munich batter Atletico Madrid 4-0
* 1989: AC Milan crush Steaua Bucharest 4-0
* 1994: AC Milan thump Barca 4-0