Platinum Stars would like to dismiss out of hand media reports that coach Steve Komphela is about to be relieved of his duties at the club.

The management of Platinum Stars is fully behind the coach and his technical team and not once has the issue of Komphela’s discontinued employment been raised within the club.

When Platinum Stars appointed Komphela in June this year it was with a long-term view to the success of the team. The club is delighted with the choice that it has made and we remain convinced we have found the right man to take this team forward into what we see as a bright new future, said the Club’s Managing Director, Ian Riddick. Continue Reading

Primedia Sport has acquired the commercial rights to Johannesburg’s most famous football venues.

The appointed agent of Stadium Management South Africa, Primedia Sport is proud to be able to offer exciting new commercial and advertising opportunities at National Stadium South Africa (formerly known as Soccer City), Orlando Stadium and Dobsonville Stadium.

National Stadium is being newly reconstructed, in line with the significant role it will play in next year’s FIFA World Cup. It will boast a capacity of 94,700, and is widely regarded as the home of football in South Africa. Orlando Stadium is the new home ground of Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa’s best supported team, and the stadium was reopened after considerable reconstruction last year.

Dobsonville Stadium has been revamped to seat 24,000 passionate supporters. The stadium does not only host football games, it is an athletics venue as well. Dobsonville Stadium is the home ground of Moroka Swallows.

Along with Rand Stadium, Orlando Stadium and Dobsonville Stadium, both in Soweto, have been set aside as official training venues by the City of Johannesburg.

The opportunities for companies and brands to align themselves with these famous sites and reach the hundreds of thousands of spectators that they draw include:

• Stadium naming rights
• Sponsorships (partners and suppliers)
• Stadium advertising
• Suite bookings

Soccer City in construction for 2010

By getting involved, clients have the opportunity to reap the benefits of association with the sports hosted at these venues, gain substantial media exposure, and / or leverage the direct benefits of hospitality or preferred supplier status by signing up as an official supplier or partner. Continue Reading

The 27-year-old is the first Asian player to ply his trade in the South African top-flight having joined from Home United in Singapore, and adds to coach Steve Komphela’s front-line options for the new season.

Stars fans got a first sight of Murakami in Saturday’s Telkom Charity Cup at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace and he did not disappoint, providing a clinical finish to Dillon Sheppard’s pass in the Final against Orlando Pirates.

Komphela is delighted with his capture, who stood out immediately after his arrival in the country two weeks ago.
“I have really been impressed by him,” the coach says. “He has played in the J-League in Japan and played in Brazil. He really is a good player and I wanted to sign him as I know he will be an asset to Stars.” Continue Reading

The former Bafana Bafana midfielder, who has 20 international caps to his name, put pen-to-paper on the new deal on Tuesday.

He will be available for selection for coach Steve Komphela at the 2009 Telkom Charity Cup to be played at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on Saturday, where Stars will meet Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals.

The former Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United player made seven appearances for Stars in the 2008/09 campaign, having joined in January this year, the last of which came on March 4 in a 0-0 draw with Free State Stars. Continue Reading

Kaizer Chiefs have long been hailed as South Africa’s leading club for being both the country’s most successful and most supported team.

The club has also become a rite of passage for young, great players to wear the club’s famous Kaizer Chiefs gold jersey.  For the 2009/2010 season their new home and away kits will continue to be a desired item, capable of inspiring, joyful and brilliant football both on and off-field.

In keeping the authentic football passion alive, Nike and Kaizer Chiefs officially unveiled their new 2009/2010 home and away kits on field at the revamped Orlando Stadium in Soweto – both iconic destinations considered by many to be the home of football in South Africa.

The notable changes to the new home and away kit will give the Amakhosi a bold and striking appearance to pursue even more success. Continue Reading

Platinum Stars have announced the appointment of David Vilakazi as assistant coach to fellow Steve Komphela for the 2009/10 season with immediate effect.

Vilakazi, who was head coach of First Division Coastal Stream side Carara Kicks last season, as the Welkom side came within a whisker of promotion to the Absa Premiership, joins Stars on a two-year contract, with an option of a third year.

Also joining the technical team is Obed Legobate, who was previously National Supporters Coordinator for Suppersport United for four seasons, following that, he made the move to Platinum Stars Supporters Club where he also assisted in coordinating the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in preparations for the 2009 Confederations Cup. He has been appointed Team Manager for the new season.

Vilakazi, who like Komphela is from the Free State, is regarded as one of the best young coaches in the country. He spent 10 years as a player with Fairway Stars, who would later become QwaQwa Stars and then Free State Stars, captaining the team to success in the Coca-Cola Cup final in 1994 when they beat Hellenic 3-2.

After hanging up his boots in 1996, the 42-year-old took up the head coach position with Bloemfontein Young Tigers the following year, and spent nine seasons with the club before his departure in 2006.

He then worked as assistant coach at Maritzburg United (January to June 2007), before making a return as assistant at his old club Free State Stars (2007/08).
Continue Reading

Kaizer Motaung has done very well as a soccer entrepreneur by starting and growing Kaizer Chiefs into arguably the biggest soccer brand in the country. The same applies to John Comitis who owns Ajax Cape Town.

He’s built this club into a sustainable long-term business with fantastic infrastructure. Patrice Motsepe is a mining entrepreneur who has not shown any acumen in sports despite his noble and very grand intentions.

For Patrice, Mamelodi Sundowns is like a sideshow which he is not giving the attention it needs to be really financially successful. He is just throwing money at it with very little strategy. Then there is Dieter Bock who bought Moroka Swallows and is only seen once or twice a year at the club’s prize-giving ceremonies. Continue Reading

It’s impossible not to see and hear nears about how the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is imploding. At the heart of the matter is the R700 million the corporation has lost during the last financial year. The drama has included the resignation of the majority of the board members, the ongoing court dispute between the former CEO and the board, and it goes on.

However, what concerns some of us is the R100 million the SABC owes to SuperSport for its sub-licenses for televised Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches and cricket matches. The public broadcaster has already bankrupted, and almost bankrupted, most of its independent production houses by failing to pay these suppliers amounts reported to be about R55 million. Continue Reading

Witbank now have a Premier Soccer League team in Mpumalanga Black Aces but unfortunately there are problems regarding the use of premier stadium in that city, the Witbank Stadium, otherwise known as the Johan Van Riebeeck Stadium.

The cause of all the problems is the Pumas Rugby Union’s unwillingness to share this facility which is actually owned by the Emalahleni Municipality. The Pumas are leasing it for R150 (this is no typo) – I repeat R150 per month. Continue Reading

The first of the brand new stadiums being built for the 2010 World Cup has now been completed a full year ahead of the tournament. I’m referring to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. This is a very big psychological milestone for preparations for 2010 as it will hopefully ‘unblock’ all the obstacles facing the other new stadia so that they are all finished in good time.

The Eastern Cape has been greatly affected by the plummeting fortunes of the motorcar industry and hosting the 8 World Cup matches that it has been allocated could help to kickstart the economy of this region which is heavily reliant on the motor vehicle Industry – VW, General Motors and Mercedes Benz (Daimler-Chrysler) are all based here. Continue Reading