Ho Ho Ho - Its Easters
(by Siphesihle Mlambo)
So its easters again - as we say in township speak. And thousands of so called Durbanistas head home to the inlands, to places like Newcastle, Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg head home.
So I'm headed home. And am out of place. Again. I see schools of people waiting for drivers who are Johannesburg-bound hoping for a quick lift to places like the ones above.
So I'm shocked to see people lined up in volumes waiting for "transport" to places all over! I'm shocked to see policemen drive past the scene where 1000s are positioned waiting for what may seem as "illegal" lifts to places all over the N3 highway.
So exactly what is our KZN road transport department doing about this freedom to thumb a ride.
Is it then okay to allow people to travel on the National highways with devious means hoping to pay up to half price? Apart from offering themselves as roadkill (and to think the only sacrifice we needed this Easter was that of the Good Lord's); the onl reason a pedestrian should be there is because her car has broken down or she's a road construction worker.
A friend from the UK was alarmed when he saw more people on the roads than cars.
We know "there's a tourist in every one of us" but for God's sake hands off the highways.
That stretch is for SANRAL and for those travellers who do noth protest the high toll roads at all.
Not pedestrians who risk being killed by bumming a cheap seat.
I'd like to hear with taxi associations have to say about this.
SPORT
El Clasico - Part 2 - Copa Del Rey Cup Final
by Siphesihle Mlambo
FC Barcelona and Real Madrid met again for the second time in the space of four days at the Mestailla in Valencia to draw battle for the ultimate prize in Spanish Cup football, the Copa Del Rey, also famously known as the Kings Cup.
Barcelona fielded a strong side but chose to rest goalkeeper Victor Valdez who has not played in any of the Copa Del Rey games this season. Pinto was given the task to marshall the Barcelona sticks. In other changes, Mr Barcelona, the floppy haired Carles Puyol was given a place in the bench as he picked up a minor injury in the La Liga encounter of the El Clasico.
For Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho kept the same mentality. He did have a forced tactical change in defence as Raul Albiol picked up a red card in Madrid. In his place, Mou opted for Alvaro Arbeloa who would debutise at Right Back. This while Sergio Ramos would move into the Central Defensive position alongside Ricardo Carvalho who has been exceptionally brilliant for Real Madrid in his debut season at the Bernabeu club.
Barca Team - Pinto, Alves, Pique, Busquets, Adriano, Mascherano, Iniesta, Xavi, David Villa, Pedro, Messi.
Real Madrid Team - Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Carvalho, Marcelo, Pepe, Alonso, Khedira, Oezil, Di Maria, Ronaldo.
Mourinho opted to play Ronaldo as his top striker with Oezil and Di Maria supporting from either flanks. That decision which pundits were very critical of, saying Mourinho has opted for a defensive system. Ronaldo was hazardous, coming from all directions forcing Pinto to get into many a save. Even Pepe came close to scoring, plundering a bullet of a header onto the upright seconds before half time. This was an attempt that left the Catalan born goalkeeper routed on his heels.
Barcelona also had their chances, stringing together their silky touch pass and move football, but only really penetrated the Madrid defence in a few attempts. Case in point: when the magical Lionel Messi pierced through the Madrid defence like a hot knife through butter until being parried away by Casillas who sent the ball within David Villa's sight. But his attempted scissors' kick was wayward.
The match went into extra time, with Madrid having brought on Emanuel Adebayor to play as the top striker. Oezil made way, Ronaldo went to the right wing.
Barcelona brought on Affelay, Maxwell and Keita. All proved rather fruitless.
The deadlock was broken deep into extra-time when a quick passage of play saw Angel Di Maria break through down the left hand side. Di Maria showed Alves his heels. Dinked in a cute ball with the perfect weight, the ball rose above the Barcelona defence and was rocketed into the back of the net with a thunderous header by former World Player Of The Year Cristiano Ronaldo. 1-0 Madrid, 15 minutes to hold on...
Ronaldo's second goal versus Barcelona? This one, for the memory books. His celebration saw him skid 20 yards on his knees in absolute euphoria. The whole Madrid team joined in to hug and congratulate the Portuguese man on a splendid effort.
Barcelona would soldier on, looking for that illusive equaliser. Gerard Pique was thrown forward as a striker. Nothing yielded. Even after Angel Di Maria received his marching orders for a late challenge on Dani Alves, the cup was on its way to the Spanish capital for the first time in over 18 years.
Mourinho's men would hold on to a historic victory, and their first triumph over Barcelona since the 2007/08 season.
Don't Drop The Ball! by Siphesihle Mlambo
So when Real Madrid finally won their first Copa Del Rey since 1993, almost 18 years ago, a certain Seville-born Real Madrid defender named Sergio Ramos decided it would be fruitless to celebrate this coup without an element of some stupidity.
As the Madridsta's paraded the Spanish capital in an open roof top double deck bus with Adidas, Audi, Bwin and all sort of Real Madrid inclined regalia, Ramos, obviously very tired and excited, decided it would be pleasant to pose for the roaming cameras and put the trophy on his head. He hurled the cup up onto his head and failed to cap it neatly onto his oblong head and the cup pulled him forward and bang, down the cup went.
The bus ran over the cup and damaged the handle of the cup. Supporters tried to land their hands on the cup and failed as the police officials were nearby and returned the cup to the top of the bus.
HISTORY MADE
It is careful to note that former greats from Real Madrid such as Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo were at the Mestailla to witness Mourinho's Real Madrid pull off a spectacular fete.
We will remember that Zidane, a World Cup winner and former World Player Of The Year, and Figo, a former World Player Of The Year, were a part of the remarkable Gallacticoes, a team of the world's best that included the likes of Hierro, Casillas, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Beckham and many other world class footballers.
The Gallacticoes however failed to win the Copa Del Rey, and it is surely, a beautiful fete to see the new Madrid, Mou's Madrid win the Kings Cup.
Of course Mou's Madrid is strong, but Pep's Barca is a well-oiled machine that rarely runs out of batteries.
Hala Madrid!
(by Siphesihle Mlambo)
So its easters again - as we say in township speak. And thousands of so called Durbanistas head home to the inlands, to places like Newcastle, Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg head home.
So I'm headed home. And am out of place. Again. I see schools of people waiting for drivers who are Johannesburg-bound hoping for a quick lift to places like the ones above.
So I'm shocked to see people lined up in volumes waiting for "transport" to places all over! I'm shocked to see policemen drive past the scene where 1000s are positioned waiting for what may seem as "illegal" lifts to places all over the N3 highway.
So exactly what is our KZN road transport department doing about this freedom to thumb a ride.
Is it then okay to allow people to travel on the National highways with devious means hoping to pay up to half price? Apart from offering themselves as roadkill (and to think the only sacrifice we needed this Easter was that of the Good Lord's); the onl reason a pedestrian should be there is because her car has broken down or she's a road construction worker.
A friend from the UK was alarmed when he saw more people on the roads than cars.
We know "there's a tourist in every one of us" but for God's sake hands off the highways.
That stretch is for SANRAL and for those travellers who do noth protest the high toll roads at all.
Not pedestrians who risk being killed by bumming a cheap seat.
I'd like to hear with taxi associations have to say about this.
SPORT
El Clasico - Part 2 - Copa Del Rey Cup Final
by Siphesihle Mlambo
FC Barcelona and Real Madrid met again for the second time in the space of four days at the Mestailla in Valencia to draw battle for the ultimate prize in Spanish Cup football, the Copa Del Rey, also famously known as the Kings Cup.
Barcelona fielded a strong side but chose to rest goalkeeper Victor Valdez who has not played in any of the Copa Del Rey games this season. Pinto was given the task to marshall the Barcelona sticks. In other changes, Mr Barcelona, the floppy haired Carles Puyol was given a place in the bench as he picked up a minor injury in the La Liga encounter of the El Clasico.
For Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho kept the same mentality. He did have a forced tactical change in defence as Raul Albiol picked up a red card in Madrid. In his place, Mou opted for Alvaro Arbeloa who would debutise at Right Back. This while Sergio Ramos would move into the Central Defensive position alongside Ricardo Carvalho who has been exceptionally brilliant for Real Madrid in his debut season at the Bernabeu club.
Barca Team - Pinto, Alves, Pique, Busquets, Adriano, Mascherano, Iniesta, Xavi, David Villa, Pedro, Messi.
Real Madrid Team - Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Carvalho, Marcelo, Pepe, Alonso, Khedira, Oezil, Di Maria, Ronaldo.
Mourinho opted to play Ronaldo as his top striker with Oezil and Di Maria supporting from either flanks. That decision which pundits were very critical of, saying Mourinho has opted for a defensive system. Ronaldo was hazardous, coming from all directions forcing Pinto to get into many a save. Even Pepe came close to scoring, plundering a bullet of a header onto the upright seconds before half time. This was an attempt that left the Catalan born goalkeeper routed on his heels.
Barcelona also had their chances, stringing together their silky touch pass and move football, but only really penetrated the Madrid defence in a few attempts. Case in point: when the magical Lionel Messi pierced through the Madrid defence like a hot knife through butter until being parried away by Casillas who sent the ball within David Villa's sight. But his attempted scissors' kick was wayward.
The match went into extra time, with Madrid having brought on Emanuel Adebayor to play as the top striker. Oezil made way, Ronaldo went to the right wing.
Barcelona brought on Affelay, Maxwell and Keita. All proved rather fruitless.
The deadlock was broken deep into extra-time when a quick passage of play saw Angel Di Maria break through down the left hand side. Di Maria showed Alves his heels. Dinked in a cute ball with the perfect weight, the ball rose above the Barcelona defence and was rocketed into the back of the net with a thunderous header by former World Player Of The Year Cristiano Ronaldo. 1-0 Madrid, 15 minutes to hold on...
Ronaldo's second goal versus Barcelona? This one, for the memory books. His celebration saw him skid 20 yards on his knees in absolute euphoria. The whole Madrid team joined in to hug and congratulate the Portuguese man on a splendid effort.
Barcelona would soldier on, looking for that illusive equaliser. Gerard Pique was thrown forward as a striker. Nothing yielded. Even after Angel Di Maria received his marching orders for a late challenge on Dani Alves, the cup was on its way to the Spanish capital for the first time in over 18 years.
Mourinho's men would hold on to a historic victory, and their first triumph over Barcelona since the 2007/08 season.
Don't Drop The Ball! by Siphesihle Mlambo
So when Real Madrid finally won their first Copa Del Rey since 1993, almost 18 years ago, a certain Seville-born Real Madrid defender named Sergio Ramos decided it would be fruitless to celebrate this coup without an element of some stupidity.
As the Madridsta's paraded the Spanish capital in an open roof top double deck bus with Adidas, Audi, Bwin and all sort of Real Madrid inclined regalia, Ramos, obviously very tired and excited, decided it would be pleasant to pose for the roaming cameras and put the trophy on his head. He hurled the cup up onto his head and failed to cap it neatly onto his oblong head and the cup pulled him forward and bang, down the cup went.
The bus ran over the cup and damaged the handle of the cup. Supporters tried to land their hands on the cup and failed as the police officials were nearby and returned the cup to the top of the bus.
HISTORY MADE
It is careful to note that former greats from Real Madrid such as Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo were at the Mestailla to witness Mourinho's Real Madrid pull off a spectacular fete.
We will remember that Zidane, a World Cup winner and former World Player Of The Year, and Figo, a former World Player Of The Year, were a part of the remarkable Gallacticoes, a team of the world's best that included the likes of Hierro, Casillas, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Beckham and many other world class footballers.
The Gallacticoes however failed to win the Copa Del Rey, and it is surely, a beautiful fete to see the new Madrid, Mou's Madrid win the Kings Cup.
Of course Mou's Madrid is strong, but Pep's Barca is a well-oiled machine that rarely runs out of batteries.
Hala Madrid!
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