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September Newsletter 01 FIRST TOUCH September 2018 2018 WOMEN’S AFCON: HEROINES WITHOUT CAPES LIVERPOOL'S FAB 3: PREDATORY REIGN IS JUST GETTING STARTED IS KHAMA BILLIAT THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOTBALLER IN SOUTH AFRICA? REMINISCING THE GLOBETROTTING CAREER OF KEVIN PRINCE- BOATENG FirstTouch Africa TABLE OF p.3 IS KHAMA BILLIAT THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOTBALLER IN SOUTH CONTENTS AFRICA? p.5 NATIONS IN FOCUS SERIES: DR CONGO, THE UNSUNG HERO OF AFRICAN FOOTBALL p.7 SOUTH AFRICA: PSL'S "SHAKESPEARE," STEVE KOMPHELA, MAY FINALLY WIN SILVERWARE p.8 HIDDEN GEMS SERIES: FRANCK KESSIE p.10 REMINISCING THE GLOBETROTTING CAREER OF KEVIN PRINCE-BOATENG p.12 2018 WOMEN’S AFCON: HEROINES WITHOUT CAPES p.14 LIVERPOOL'S FAB 3 PREDATORY REIGN IS JUST GETTING STARTED p.15 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: FIVE YOUNG AFRICANS TO WATCH IS KHAMA BILLIAT THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOTBALLER IN SOUTH AFRICA? Written By: Dennis Takaendesa time, not enrolled in a fancy youth football academy but "SHOULD YOUR SCHOOL had made the dusty Mufakose streets and pitches his own. He was already the most important footballer in Mufakose, PLAY GWINYIRO PRIMARY Harare and fast forward a few years, he has probably become Southern Africa’s pride and treasure. But who is SCHOOL, THEY WOULDN’T A he really? STAND A CHANCE BECAUSE THEY HAD KHAMA" EARLY CAREER I vividly remember as an eight year old student in primary Noises about him definitely got louder as he finished school being told that should your school play Gwinyiro primary school and soon became an Aces Youth Soccer Primary School, they wouldn’t a stand a chance because Academy player in Harare where he continued developing they had Khama. That was wisdom curated by slightly older into a professional footballer eventually grabbing the brothers and sisters of mine in Mufakose, a suburb in attention of Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League giants, CAPS Harare, Zimbabwe who had the privilege to be in his inner United who handed him his first professional contract. He circle and see him dazzle the Mufakose crowd, young and was so good that Makepekepe failed to keep Billiat for old alike. Khama Billiat must have been just thirteen at the more than three months as South African Premier League FirstTouch| pg.3 side, Ajax Cape Town paid big money and snatched him on to glory, winning the CAF Champions League for the from right under their noses. It was at Ajax Cape Town first team in their history in 2016, three Premier Soccer where his career really took off. League titles, the 2017 CAF Super Cup, 2014-15 Nedbank Cup and the 2015 Telkom Knockout. It was a pretty solid five years from 2013-18 with many armpits raised BLESSING THE SOUTH AFRICAN PSL GIANTS moments as silverware came like running tap water for Khama and the Tshwane club. In total, he scored 39 goals Its generally considered a big break or breakthrough for Sundowns in 99 appearances and was named the 2016 moment whenever a young player gets a chance to play PSL Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and for one of the big guns but for Khama Billiat, it was Midfielder of the Season. He was pimped to the individual different. The big guns got a big break by winning his continental award by teammate goalkeeper, Denis signature, he became an unfathomable blessing wherever Onyango who took home the 2016 CAF Player Of The Year he was. From 2010-13 at Ajax, Khama bagged a total 21 Award (for players based in Africa). goals in 89 appearances for the Cape Town club. One of the memorable moments in that period was when Ajax welcomed Manchester United for a club friendly in July “Khama Billiat must have been just thirteen at the time, not 2012. It was really a lowkey match as both teams fine enrolled in a fancy youth football academy but had made the tuned their methodologies before the new season, the dusty Mufakose streets and pitches his own. He was already the match eventually ending in a 1-1 draw but Khama left a lasting impression on Manchester United legend, Rio most important footballer in Mufakose, Harare and fast forward a Ferdinand. The retired England international described few years, he has probably become Southern Africa’s pride and Billiat as an agile and exciting player to watch, with great treasure.” speed and ball control. — Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa It just got even better for the Zimbabwean as he eventually got a trial with Russian Premier League side, Lokomotiv Moscow in 2013 even though he signed for the Shoe-Shine Piano Boys, Mamelodi Sundowns. STILL MARCHING NOW, NOW UNTO LEGENDARY STATUS The 28-year-old parted ways with Sundowns in the summer for another PSL giant, Kaizer Chiefs, for a new challenge. He has already scored 5 goals and assisted 3 others in all competitions for Amakhosi who are currently sitting third on the PSL league standings, a point behind bitter rivals Orlando Pirates. Chiefs will be confident that Billiat can help bring to Soweto , some long lost silverware. The Amakhosi gaffer, Giovanni Solinas was not slow to heap praise on Billiat and highlight his importance to the team; “Barcelona have ten players and Messi. Kaizer Chiefs have ten players and Billiat. Khama is the best player in the PSL and he’s one of those rare players who makes the difference.” — Giovanni Solinas, Kaizer Chiefs Coach 2016, THE CROWNING YEAR KHAMA, THE WARRIOR At Mamelodi Sundowns, Billiat cemented his place not He has been capped thirty times now by Zimbabwe and just as great footballer in the country but across Africa. scored ten international goals. He is a major ingredient in Bafana BaStyle refined their attractive style of play the Warriors of Zimbabwe setup and a protagonist, as he nicknamed shoe-shine piano with Khama in their ranks as oversaw the operation where most successful nation in the he eventually formed a formidable partnership with youth biggest Southern Africa Football tournament, COSAFA took striker, Percy Tau who recently got signed by English home two more titles in 2017 and 2018. He is a crowd Premier League side, Brighton & Hove Albion. With both favorite and big game player for every club he has played of them not short of pace, trickery and killer instinct - it in the most followed and competitive league in Southern was like watching Messi and Suarez decimate their Africa, he is a midfielder, a goal scorer, and a dazzler. He opponents at Barcelona.He played an indispensable role is Khama Billiat and perhaps the most important footballer in the team as Sundowns marched in the Southern African football right now. FirstTouch| pg.4 identity but way ahead in its football one. Now, why is this so? NATIONS IN FOCUS SERIES: DR CONGO, THE PERSONIFICATION OF CONSISTENCY IN THE GAME DR Congo, the It is an undeniable fact that West African nations such unsung hero of as Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast together with North Africans ones in Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and the likes of Tunisia are hugely celebrated for their successes in African the football and quite rightly so if you ask me. In fact, the Pharaohs of Egypt is the most successful men’s football football team in Africa with a record seven AFCON Written By: Dennis Takaendesaa titles while Nigeria’s Super Falcons have won the most titles in the Women’s African Cup of Nations history Whether you are African or not, you probably have come with ten. The Leopards of DR Congo might have won across the fact the continent is richly endowed with vast the tournament just twice, but have really been the natural resources. It’s almost the singular biggest most consistent and stable performer on that stage in reservoir for the world’s oil and minerals. What’s also true recent times. They have hardly missed an AFCON is that the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular is a tournament since 1994 while the above big guns have major powerhouse if not “the powerhouse” of everything. gone AWOL on a number of occasions. You might Put aside the cobalt mines providing the mineral for global hardly see them on trophy podiums or the biggest of smartphone manufacturers such as Apple, the Central tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, but it will African country is also a rich pool for footballing talent. definitely won’t be a lack of talent issue. Their current They are a nation still figuring out their democratic 40th place ranking on the Coca-Cola FIFA rankings, FirstTouch| pg.5 and third in Africa behind Tunisia and Senegal just further “Despite DR Congo’s political and social challenges as tells the story of how good they are. They were even the a country, football has not stopped progressing and highest scorers of the 2018 World Cup qualifier games for filling out some socio-economic gaps. For instance, at Africa, with Egypt slightly pipping them to a spot in Russia. club level, DR Congo’s domestic clubs have won the Despite DR Congo’s political and social challenges as a second highest number of continental titles, that is the country, football has not stopped progressing and filling CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederations out some socio-economic gaps. For instance, at club level, DR Congo’s domestic clubs have won the second highest Cup. They have a combined eight titles, six shy of the number of continental titles, that is the CAF Champions leaders, Egypt.” League and the CAF Confederations Cup. They have a combined eight titles, six shy of the leaders Egypt.
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