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When WAGs attack: A Diski Divas drama

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Two reality show divas axed for public fight, and Teko Modise takes ex-wife to court to protect privacy.

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South Africa’s first football wives and girlfriends reality show is coming apart at the seams.

Mzansi Magic’s Diski Divas has fired two of its stars, Wendy Parker and Kat Mohoaduba, for having a public fight.

It has since emerged that another diva faced trouble before the show started.

The Star has seen papers before the High Court in Joburg that show Teko Modise, ex-husband of diva Felicia Modise, tried to stop the show two days before it aired.

In an urgent application, former Bafana Bafana player Modise said Felicia “has a history of approaching the media and discussing my private life and private affairs, as well as without regard to my privacy and professional and public profile defaming my reputation”.

He used a copy of Drum magazine from April 9 as an illustration in his application.

In the news item, Felicia said she was tired of her ex-husband and that he was not ready to have a family.

In a three-page interview, she says of Modise’s relationship with his daughter: “She only sees her father on the soccer field like the rest of the country – it’s like we don’t even have a daughter together.

“My daughter doesn’t ask about him anymore. He is the ATM, even though I don’t want to look at him that way, but that is the only thing he does.”

In his application, Modise said: “I will be implicated and my life and privacy will be discussed on the show… I am sure she will not respect my privacy, my rights to dignity and good name.”

He complained that Felicia falsely marketed the show, stating that he and his new fiancée, Lizelle Tabane, would be part of it. Modise said the negative publicity affected his performance on the field. He said the publicity would not be healthy for his daughter either.

The parties settled out of court.

lerato.mbangeni@inl.co.za

The Star

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United chief executive lauds LVG

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has won plaudits for his first season in charge from the Premier League giants' chief executive, Ed Woodward.

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has won plaudits for his first season in charge from the Premier League giants' chief executive, Ed Woodward.

Under van Gaal, United have all but qualified for the Champions League – something they failed to do when the Dutchman's sacked predecessor David Moyes was in the manager's seat at Old Trafford – and Woodward said the club were well-positioned to challenge for silverware next season.

“As the season approaches its conclusion, we are pleased with the team's performance in Louis van Gaal's first season as manager and are well positioned to achieve a top four finish in the Premier League and to return to European football next year,” said Woodward in a statement announcing United's third-quarter results on Thursday.

“As we look forward to next season, on the playing side we expect to be challenging for trophies in all competitions and on the commercial side we are excited by the numerous opportunities for further growth, including the first year of our 10-year partnership with Adidas,” he added.

“We remain confident about the future of our business. Our commercial revenues were up year over year and we are raising EBITDA (Earnings Before Investments, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation) guidance for fiscal year 2015 from £90-£95 million ($142-$150 million, 125-132 million euros) to £103-£110 million.”

EBITDA is a standard measure of operating profit. - AFP

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Downs need this

Teko Modise believes it will be a travesty of justice for Mamelodi Sundowns to finish the season without a single trophy.

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It’s a travesty of justice for Mamelodi Sundowns to finish the season without a single trophy.

This is according to Sundowns playmaker Teko Modise, who has his sights on inspiring the Brazilians to Nedbank Cup glory this weekend.

“The team is spending millions every off-season to buy players to come and win something for the team so it’s an injustice for us not to win. Yes, we tasted victory last season but we need something this time too,” said Modise.

“Other teams are winning season in and season out. It’s high time Sundowns start doing so. With us the pressure is more of not winning enough trophies. With Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, more or less every two seasons, they win something.”

Sundowns competed for five trophies this season but they have missed out on four already – the Absa Premiership, the MTN8, the Telkom Knockout and the CAF Champions League. The Nedbank Cup, which they will battle for against Ajax Cape Town at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon, is their only chance of winning any trophy this season. Modise, whose side finished second in the league, is hoping they can atone for their lack of delivery this season and lift the title.

“It’s been a bad season. We have not won anything. Being second is never good enough. We need to do better and hopefully Saturday will be a consolation,” said the player nicknamed ‘The General’.

Modise, double PSL Footballer of the Season, has been one of the stand-out performers for Pitso Mosimane’s side and his efforts have been rewarded with three nominations for PSL awards.

“After all these years I am honoured to be nominated. Whoever wins it I am going to congratulate them. For me what is important is to do well for the team on Saturday. I had a great season last year but for now my goal is to play as best as I can for the team.”

For Modise and his teammates to make the grade, they will have to shrug off the challenge of Roger de Sa’s youthful Ajax side who have adopted a fearless attacking approach, which they execute with vigour. Modise, 32, knows that the men from the capital city have to be at their best if they are to outdo Ajax, who will pin their hopes on Granwald Scott, Bantu Mzwakali, Tashreeg Morris, Riyaard Norodien and Keegan Dolly among others.

“They are very young and energetic. They’re really good and once you make a mistake you know they’ll punish you. We’ll try and minimise the mistakes and score as many goals as we can,” said Modise.

“It’s going to be a tough game. It’s not like we have never played Ajax before but it’s a different game – a cup final. It’s going to be an emotional game and we need to be smart.”

Saturday will also see Sundowns bid farewell to their captain Alje Schut, who is set to return to his home country after three seasons at the six-time PSL champions. The towering Dutch defender has been an influential figure and Modise says Sundowns just have to win the Nedbank Cup in honour of the man who has served them with such distinction.

“He has adapted well to South African football and the guys have learnt so much from him. He says he wants to finish on a high and we want to ensure that he does. We have to send him off with a gold medal.” - The Star

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N West police ready for Cosafa Cup

The police are ready to maintain order during the Confederation of Southern African Football Association tournament in Rustenburg.

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Rustenburg -The police are ready to maintain order during the Confederation of Southern African Football Association (Cosafa) tournament in Rustenburg, North West police said on Thursday.

“This tournament is a major event for the province and it will receive the maximum policing it deserves. We have increased visible policing in the affected areas already,” said acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Lebeoana Tsumane.

Tsumane called on all soccer supporters attending the tournament to play their part in making the tournament a safe and joyful event for all.

Fourteen southern African countries, including South Africa, are scheduled to participate in the tournament. The other countries apart from South Africa are Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Seychelles, Mauritius, Swaziland, Madagascar, Lesotho, Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Zambia, and Malawi.

The tournament is to be played at the Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg and at Moruleng Stadium in Moruleng near Sun City. The tournament takes place from May 17 to May 31.

Tsumane warned soccer supporters not to bring any item such as bottles, sticks, knifes, firearms and other items which could be used as weapons as there would be security checking visitors and investigating all items brought onto the premises.

“We will also use this opportunity to track and trace wanted suspects on our list,” he said. “We want all our visitors to feel safe while they enjoy the tournament .Those who are found to be at the wrong side of the law will be harshly dealt with.”

ANA

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Ancelotti refuses to discuss his future

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti refused to say whether his time at the club could be coming to an end after his side crashed out of the Champions League.

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Madrid — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti refused to say whether his time at the club could be coming to an end after watching them crash out of the Champions League in the semifinal against Juventus.

Real Madrid put up a brave fight and could have won the tie if they had taken more of the chances they created in the first half, but all they had to show for 90 minutes was a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a second half goal from former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata earned Juventus a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate win.

“There is not a lot of sense in talking about the future. There is nothing to criticize. We are all sad, but that is normal after going out of the tournament,” said the Italian, who has a further year remaining on his current contract.

“We have to play two more league matches and we have to end the season as well as we can, then we can talk about the future,” he said.

Real Madrid tired as the game progressed while Juventus were able to withstand their constant attacks, that has led to Ancelotti being criticized for not rotating his squad to ensure his team was as fresh as possible.

“I am proud of what the players did in the game and what they have done all season. We have had moments when we have dropped out, but we have always given everything. We have pushed forward a lot in the last two matches and we had a lot of shots against Juve,” explained the coach, who believed “we have not had much luck and small details have made the difference.”

“We did everything we had to do. We attacked and we had chances and we gave everything,” he explained, adding that Juventus were an excellent team. – Xinhua-ANA

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Cup final - the vital battles

Rodney Reiners looks at key battles ahead of the Nedbank Cup final between Ajax and Sundowns.

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The Nedbank Cup final between Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns in Port Elizabeth on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) hinges on who wins the individual skirmishes in vital areas of the park on Saturday.

The cliché trotted out by players and coaches before important football games such as this is always about “who’s better on the day” and “which team wants it most”. While these may be clichés, they are, in fact, spot on. Because that is all it eventually comes down – which players take charge of their respective field positions, and which individual performances contribute to making the difference between winning and losing.

GOALKEEPER DUEL

Anssi Jaakkola (Ajax Cape Town)

The big Finn has been extremely influential for Ajax over the last two years. Last season, he was nominated for the PSL Goalkeeper of the Season award, losing out to Kaizer Chiefs’ Itumeleng Khune. This season, though, his consistent form has seen him again being honoured in the category – and he should be the front-runner for the accolade this time around. Agile, a fantastic shot-stopper and superb on the cross ball, Jaakkola’s performance between the sticks will be crucial if Ajax are to have any chance of winning the Cup final.

Kennedy Mweene (Mamelodi Sundowns)

The Zambian is one of the top keepers on the continent. He stayed loyal to Free State Stars for many years, but was persuaded to join Sundowns when coach Pitso Mosimane took charge in 2013. It was a surprise signing at the time because the Pretoria club had Bafana Bafana man Wayne Sandilands playing well, but Mweene has gone to prove his worth. Known as a penalty-saver of note, the sprightly 30-year-old keeper inspired his country to victory in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, for which he was named as Goalkeeper of the Tournament, and he was also the PSL’s Goalkeeper of the Season in 2008-2009.

MIDFIELD BATTLE

Granwald Scott (Ajax Cape Town)

Scott’s influence and inspirational presence for Ajax were underlined when he was named as the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season at an awards ceremony on Tuesday night. The pugnacious central midfielder from Kensington is a footballer who never gives up. He makes Ajax tick by being the link man at the heart of their passing rhythm, while he also gets involved in the robust stuff, making tackles and closing down the space for the opposition. Make no mistake, when Scott is in there, urging, inspiring and driving the team forward, Ajax are a formidable unit.

Hlompho Kekana (Sundowns)

Kekana is the man that does the dirty work which allows the many creative sparks in the Sundowns side to blossom. With so much quality and awesome individual talent going forward, the Pretoria club needs an anchor, a boss man to call the shots… Kekana is that man. But, not only that, he has an extra string to his already threatening bow, in that he has a thunderous long range shooting boot. Last year, he won the PSL’s Goal of the Season award for a powerful, pile-driving bullet-shot that nearly broke the net in a game against Orlando Pirates. He’s a player for the big occasion – and, more than likely, the margin between victory and defeat for Ajax and Sundowns could well depend on whether Scott or Kekana gains control of midfield.

FORWARD WAR

Nathan Paulse (Ajax Cape Town)

Without a ball being kicked as yet, Paulse is already a key figure in the Cup final after Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane singled out the 33-year-old striker as a “difficult customer”. It’s not clear how Ajax coach Roger de Sa will approach his attacking selections, especially because he has the promising Tashreeq Morris as well. But there’s no doubt Paulse will play a role, be it from the start or off the bench. Defenders hate playing against the veteran from Athlone, he’s awkward, unorthodox, and his importance for Ajax cannot be emphasised more.

Cuthbert Malajila (Sundowns)

The Zimbabwean has been one of the leading lights in the goal-scoring department this season. His 10 league goals contributed to Sundowns finishing runners-up in the PSL and his performances were just as crucial in the Pretoria club’s run to the Cup final. Malajila played in his home country, Tunisia and Libya before coming to South Africa to sign for Maritzburg United in 2012.

It was here that his scoring exploits caught the eye of big-spenders Sundowns - and the next season he was on his way to Pretoria.

He hasn’t disappointed; Mosimane remains a big fan of his prowess and the striker is likely to keep Ajax’s young defenders on their toes on Saturday.- Cape Times

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Real’s $227m flops

Real Madrid paid more than 200 million euros to assemble their forward line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

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Madrid - Real Madrid paid more than 200 million euros ($227.76 million) to assemble their forward line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema but the attacking trio failed them again in the Champions League exit to Juventus.

Ronaldo did manage to score from the penalty spot to give holders Real a 23rd-minute lead in the semi-final, second leg at the Bernabeu but faded out of the match in the second half, while Benzema and especially Bale missed a string of chances.

It was left to a Real reject to make the decisive contribution, their former striker Alvaro Morata, who joined Juve for 20 million euros in the close season, netting in the 57th minute to send the Italians through 3-2 on aggregate to face Barcelona in next month's final.

Morata's goal ended Real's dream of a record-extending 11th European crown and they are almost certain to end the season without winning one of the three major trophies.

Dumped out of the King's Cup by Atletico Madrid in January, they are four points behind La Liga leaders Barca with two games left and the Catalans can make sure of a fifth title in seven years with a win at Atletico on Sunday.

After a successful first season in Spain following his record move from Tottenham Hotspur, Bale has been under scrutiny amid Real's recent struggles, with many fans blaming him for the club's woes.

He won applause for testing Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon with a powerful long-range effort in the first half on Wednesday but later fluffed at least two opportunities, including a header from Ronaldo's lofted cross that he put over the crossbar.

“I couldn't quite get over the ball which was disappointing but it's one of them things that happens in football and you move on,” Bale told Sky Sports.

“As long as I keep trying usually one goes in but unfortunately it didn't tonight,” added the Wales winger.

“There's been some ups and downs (this season) but I feel personally I've played well.

“I haven't scored as many important chances as I would like but I think my general play has been good.

“I think my finishing has been a bit rusty this year and it's something to work on for next year.

“What don't kill you makes you stronger and I'll learn from this season a lot and take it into next season and have a good season.” – Reuters

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Relegation looms large for Hull

The Premier League relegation picture should become clearer this weekend as the five teams still in danger scramble for points in the quest for survival.

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London – The Premier League relegation picture should become clearer this weekend as the five teams still in danger scramble for points in the quest for survival.

With Queens Park Rangers and Burnley already down, third bottom Hull City need at least two points and probably three from their remaining two matches to stand a chance of keeping their top-flight status.

Defeat on Saturday at Tottenham will not mathematically send them down – since fellow strugglers Leicester and Sunderland play each other – but with a home match against Manchester United on the final day, manager Steve Bruce admits the situation is getting desperate.

“We still need a couple of results,” Bruce said this week. “Who knows? One might be enough. We’ve got to make sure we make a fight of it down at Tottenham, make a fist of staying alive.”

“We have to make sure we take it to the last day against Manchester United. Who knows what will happen then? We’ve seen strange results again.

“Teams expected to win haven’t and the bottom teams are winning.Leicester, in particular, have produced another win (against Southampton) which is quite remarkable. We need a reaction.”

Bruce said the club had targeted 37 or 38 points from the start of the season and, currently on 34, had simply not been good enough.

“We haven’t performed anywhere near to the level which we are capable of performing and when that happens you get frustrated,” he said.

Newcastle, one place and two points above Hull, could still be in big trouble if they fail to at least earn a point at QPR.

A draw last weekend against West Brom ended a run of eight straight defeats but the Magpies are still fighting for their lives.

“It is up to us to get to that 38, 39 or 40 point mark and then make sure it does not happen again next season,” defender Ryan Taylor said.

“I don’t want to go down. I have had it once before when I first signed and don’t want that feeling again. All I am thinking about is

helping this team pull through the difficult situation we are in.”

Having won six games out of seven to get out of the bottom three, Leicester can assure their safety by beating Sunderland, who still have a game in hand.

“If two months ago you’d have said it would be in our own hands going into the last game of the season, I’d have taken it,” manager Nigel Pearson said.

At the other end, Manchester United can seal the last Champions League spot by avoiding defeat against Arsenal.

And in the race for the last automatic Europa League spot, awarded for sixth, Tottenham will watching the results of both Southampton and Swansea.

Seventh-placed Southampton, one point behind Tottenham, host another relegation-threatened club, Aston Villa, while Swansea are another point behind before they face outgoing champions Manchester City.

Steven Gerrard will play his last home game for Liverpool, against Crystal Palace, while Burnley host Stoke and West Ham take on Everton in the weekend’s other games. – DPA-ANA

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United director defends Glazer family

Manchester United's “one-year experiment” without Champions League football has not seriously harmed profitability although it was painful, the club's group managing director Richard Arnold said.

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London - Manchester United's “one-year experiment” without Champions League football has not seriously harmed profitability although it was painful, the club's group managing director Richard Arnold said.

United's worst Premier League finish in 2013-14 meant they were absent from Europe's blue-riband club competition this year, giving further ammunition to critics of the Glazer family who bought the club 10 years ago.

Marking the anniversary of the Glazers' takeover of England's biggest club, the Independent Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) this week issued a statement accusing the Americans of “ownership crime” saying they had saddled the club with debt.

However, Arnold said the owners' “long-term vision” meant the three-times European champions remained strong, on and off the pitch, and were still competing for the world's top players.

“Yesterday was the 10-year anniversary of the our current owners and that long-term approach they've taken, the vision they've shown and the decisions they've made have borne out on and off the pitch and they've been strong,” Arnold said at the Daily Telegraph Business of Sport forum in London.

“(MUST) would have their view. I wouldn't agree with it.

“It's a unique position to be in, the way that fans feel about a club and that is at the heart of everything we do. You can't take that for granted.”

United are virtually assured a top-four finish in the Premier League, after slipping to seventh last season, meaning a return to the Champions League, albeit probably via a playoff.

Arnold said the real pain of not rubbing shoulders with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich was felt by the players and fans rather than the club's bean counters.

“Whatever you call the competition, not being at the top table that you can be in is a matter of pride, it's where the players want to play, it's what the fans want to see, not being there hurts, it's a key achievement milestone for us.

“In taking the long-term vision, structuring the business to be profitable and having a diversified income stream, it's a much smaller number than people expect in how it's affected our profitability and our ability to compete economically for the best players.

“But the fact we manage our finances to make sure that in the long term we are sustainable and solid doesn't take away from the fact that not being in it was really painful.

“We have only had a one-year experiment and it's not our plan to make it a longer one so dear God let's not try that experiment again!”

United will announce their third quarter earnings on Thursday. – Reuters

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Emotional farewell awaits Gerrard

An emotional Anfield will witness the end of an era when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard makes his final home appearance.

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London - An emotional Anfield will witness the end of an era when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard makes his final home appearance after more than 700 games and 17 years playing for his boyhood club.

Tickets that normally cost 47 pounds ($73.52) are on sale on the internet for more than 1,300 pounds such is the demand to see the Gerrard's last match on home soil against Crystal Palace after his exceptional, glittering, one-club career.

Last week the former England skipper was part of a guard of honour saluting champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and this week Palace's players are expected to line up and applaud him as he leads the team out of the Anfield tunnel for the last time.

After Saturday's match, Liverpool have one game left at Stoke City on the final day of the Premier League season on May 24 when Gerrard, who turns 35 at the end of the month, will bid farewell to his adoring fans before joining LA Galaxy.

With Chelsea having won the title and Burnley and Queens Park Rangers already relegated, the only issues still be decided are who fills the third relegation spot and the destination of the three Europa League places.

Liverpool will clinch one of them with a win over 12th placed Palace who are chasing their highest finish in the Premier League era.

Liverpool still have a remote mathematical chance of making the top four but, wherever they finish, Gerrard will no doubt relish his last home appearances in a red shirt.

He said earlier this week, the spark went out of his game when manager Brendan Rodgers told the midfielder earlier this season that he would have a restricted role in the side.

“When a manager gets you into the office and says your role is going to change and it's going to become more limited - that's when you make your decision.

“It's not a selfish thing but coming on as a sub is just not the same buzz so things have changed this year,” he said at a gala dinner for former Liverpool players.

Two matches that are likely to have an impact on both the Europa League and relegation spots are between Southampton and Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur and Hull City.

Southampton and Spurs are in contention for European places while Villa and Hull need points to guarantee their safety.

Villa have improved since Tim Sherwood became manager in February and could also qualify for the Europa League by beating Arsenal in the FA Cup final on May 30.

Hull slipped into the bottom three after losing 1-0 on Saturday at home to Burnley, who were subsequently relegated because of other results.

Five clubs - Villa, Hull, free-falling Newcastle United, who visit QPR, Sunderland and Leicester City, who face each other, are still in danger of going down with only four points separating Villa on 38 and Hull on 34.

The key relegation scrap is at Sunderland, who improved their chances of staying up after winning 2-0 at Everton last week while Leicester look set to escape after winning six of their last seven.

Unlike in the past when Manchester United played Arsenal and titles or cups depended on the outcome, all that is at stake at Old Trafford on Sunday is who will finish higher in the top four and qualify for the Champions League group stage.

The fourth-placed team will have to successfully negotiate a potentially tricky Champions League playoff round.

Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion will be in a relaxed mood when they meet at The Hawthorns with Jose Mourinho's side having won the title and the Baggies safe in mid-table. – Reuters

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Depay wants to be the ‘next’ Ronaldo

Memphis Depay arrived in England and announced his intention to become one of the best players in the world.

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Memphis Depay arrived in England and announced his intention to become one of the best players in the world.

Speaking just days after his £25m move from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester United was confirmed, Depay laid out his ambitions at Old Trafford and his inspirations so far, including Louis van Gaal and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Depay was compared to Ronaldo recently by Netherlands team-mate Leroy Fer, and it was not a comparison which Depay shied away from. Rather, he embraced it and said he is aiming for Ronaldo's stature at the very top of the world game.

“I believe I can be one of the best players in the world and I have to dream and believe to achieve that,” said Depay, at an Under Armour boot launch in London yesterday afternoon.

The 21-year-old has had a brilliant 12 months, scoring twice at the World Cup in Brazil last year before being the best player and one of the leading scorers in this year's Eredivisie, which PSV have won easily.

“You just have to work every day on your dreams,” Depay explained. “My dreams started with going to the World Cup and then, when I was there, I scored two goals, becoming the youngest-ever Dutch goalscorer, and I was very happy. But when the World Cup was finished, I realised that was not it. I had to do more on the pitch.”

Tottenham tried to sign Depay last summer but he decided to stay at PSV, a decision vindicated by his performances this season, and his eventual move to United. “When I made the decision to stay, I wanted to be champion and top scorer,” he said. “We became champions in the Dutch league and, with one more game left, I can become top scorer. It was a good choice.”

Now Depay will be reunited with Van Gaal, his coach from the World Cup, and he is looking forward to working with a manager who has been so important to him. “He is different,” said Depay, with real admiration. “His performance on the training ground is different from other trainers. After the World Cup, he told me to stay hungry and I told myself to stay hungry.”

Depay wants to reach the top and he is open in his admiration for Ronaldo, whose free-kick technique has inspired him to develop his own effective way of scoring from dead-ball situations.

Depay said that it was “great to hear” Fer compare him to Ronaldo. “It is great to hear that from other players,” he said. “But I am 21 and I have not reached the level of Cristiano Ronaldo. He is a big hero for me and one day I hope to reach that level. He scores so many goals and I want to fight to be one of the best players in the world.” – The Independent

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Morata fires Juventus into the final

Juventus have booked their place in the Champions League final, crushing Real Madrid’s dream of an 11th European crown.

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Madrid - Juventus shattered Real Madrid's dream of a record-extending 11th European crown when Alvaro Morata scored against his former club to secure a 1-1 Champions League draw with the holders on Wednesday and send Juve into the final 3-2 on aggregate.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted a 23rd-minute penalty to give Real the upper hand before Morata stunned the Bernabeu when he rifled a shot into the roof of the net off goalkeeper Iker Casillas 12 minutes into the second half.

Spain forward Morata, a Real academy graduate considered surplus to requirements, also scored in the Italian champions' 2-1 win in the first leg in Turin and Juve will bid for their third triumph in Europe's elite club competition when they face Barcelona in Berlin on June 6.

Real pushed desperately for the goal that would have taken the game to extra time but squandered a host of chances and Juve remained on course for a treble of European and domestic league and Cup titles.

“Many people said Juve was not a team that deserved to be here and we have proved them wrong game after game,” Juve midfielder Arturo Vidal told reporters.

“They (Real) have some spectacular players but we are a very united team,” added the Chile international.

“We all know what Barcelona are, they have an incredible side, but we will see who is the best and we will put our lives on the line.”

After Ronaldo's penalty following a clumsy Giorgio Chiellini foul on James Rodriguez, Real could have been further ahead at the break.

Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema all wasted chances on a warm night in the Spanish capital with Real dominating as expected.

The match opened up in the second half and Juve were rewarded when forward Morata found space in the area after a clever layoff from Paul Pogba.

Chances came thick and fast at both ends and Rodriguez powered a shot narrowly over the crossbar, Real keeper Iker Casillas saved brilliantly from Claudio Marchisio and Bale nodded over when well placed.

“Juventus deserve to be in the final while we missed our chance,” Real defender Sergio Ramos told Spanish television.

“After the first goal it seemed like the tie was won but that wasn't the case at all,” added the Spain international, whose side now face the prospect of ending the season without winning any of the Champions League or Spanish league and Cup.

Ronaldo, level with Barca forward Lionel Messi at the top of the 2014-15 scoring charts, became the first player to score at least 10 goals in four different Champions League campaigns.

He jointly holds the all-time goals record for the competition of 77 with Messi.

Reuters

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Why do we have play-offs?

Matshelane Mambolo laments the need for promotion/relegation play-offs, after an already drawn out season.

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I am tired. And I should be looking forward to a deserved rest. But that cannot be, for two weeks of unnecessary slog await the football slave that is me.

The Nedbank Cup final match between Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns should be the last official clash of the season. And the following night we all assemble at the Sandton Convention Centre to celebrate the stars who entertained us since August.

But no, that is not how it is going to be – thanks to the bloody play-offs! Why do we have them, really? So that some good-for-nothing Premiership team that had a forgetful season can be given the chance of staying up at the expense of a National First Division (NFD) side that worked their socks off all season to finish second?

Surely that is not right? Surely a team that finishes second from bottom in the elite league should be automatically relegated and the one that finishes runners-up in the tier two division be promoted?

The play-offs are very unfair to the lower division side and need to be done away with completely. When a team has worked as hard as Jomo Cosmos did to finish second behind Golden Arrows, surely they shouldn’t be made to then work extra hard to earn their promotion?

What makes it all the more wrong is the fact that the team finishing third in the NFD, in this case Black Leopards, are also competing in the play-offs. Imagine Leopards winning the play-offs, surely it just is not fair for Cosmos who beat them in the league throughout a season where they played against everybody twice.

I know they are a sensible lot, the men and women who make up the PSL Board of Governors, and at their next seating will look into this system and change it.

Those with clubs in the NFD, in particular, should be vocal on this issue if they know what’s good for them, for in their current format the play-offs are pro the Premiership sides.

It wasn’t surprising that Moroka Swallows and all their fans celebrated like they’d won the championship on Saturday when they beat Bloemfontein Celtic to finish in the 15th spot, offering them a second chance at staying up in the lucrative elite league.

This is not how it should be. The league must revert to the two-up, two-down policy of the past. If they must have the play-offs, then have the team finishing third in the NFD take on the one finishing 14th in the Premiership battle it out.

That should make the competition much more interesting than it currently is where teams can have as wretched a season as Swallows did and still have hope of staying in the top echelon . Oh, and by so doing extend our season unnecessarily thus denying us of a deserved rest. It’s not right. - The Star

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Fifa exec banned for eight years

Fifa has banned former vice president Reynald Temarii for eight years for taking Qatari powerbroker Mohamed bin Hammam’s money.

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Zurich — Fifa has banned former vice president Reynald Temarii for eight years for taking Qatari powerbroker Mohamed bin Hammam’s money to pay legal costs in a corruption case linked to the 2022 World Cup vote.

Fifa says its ethics committee ruled that Temarii accepting 305,640 euros ($343,000) from Bin Hammam in January 2011, breaching five sections of its ethics code.

Temarii was then appealing a one-year suspension by Fifa which barred him from voting in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup contests, won by Russia and Qatar, respectively.

Fifa had judged Temarii guilty of breaking confidentiality and loyalty rules by discussing the World Cup votes with undercover reporters from The Sunday Times.

The official from Tahiti was then president of the Oceania Football Confederation. – AP-ANA

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Stars on the move hunting cup glory

Ajax and Sundowns are set to lose some of best talent in the country when the season concludes with the Nedbank Cup final.

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The game that brings the curtain down on the 2014-2015 domestic football season is also the occasion that provides closure for a few individuals in the two participating teams.

When Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns meet in the Nedbank Cup final in Port Elizabeth, it’ll be a bitter-sweet afternoon for Keagan Dolly, Erwin Isaacs and Alje Schut – and, at the same time, it could well be the last local sighting of Khama Billiat and Rivaldo Coetzee.

Dolly bids farewell to Ajax to join up with Sundowns in June. He had already signed a contract with the big-spending Pretoria club in January, but was allowed to stay at Ajax, on loan until the end of the season.

Isaacs comes to the end of a hugely successful five-month loan spell at Ajax – he returns to his employers, Wits, in June. While Ajax are eager to make Isaacs’ move permanent, Wits’ asking price looks set to scare off the Cape club.

Sundowns skipper Schut will definitely be playing his last game for a club he’s grown very fond of. Last season, the giant Dutch defender captained the team to the league title – and, this campaign, they’ve ended runners-up to Kaizer Chiefs and made it to the Cup final.

The Pretoria club is keen to keep Schut, but the player has made up his mind that he wants to return home.

“In the meeting I had with the club, they said they wanted me to stay on,” said the 33-year-old Schut. “But I need to move on… I have to get started on to the next phase of my career, and perhaps do my coaching badges. I want to keep the good memories of my time at Sundowns…”

Ajax’s teenage central defender Coetzee and Sundowns’ tricky winger Billiat are in demand. The Cape club’s big brother, Ajax Amsterdam, are first in the queue, while there has also been interest in the 18-year-old from other clubs, both locally and abroad. Zimbabwean Billiat, who came to prominence at Ajax, has attracted interest from Belgium and France.

Both clubs are eager to hang on to their two star players – but it’s no secret that both Coetzee and Billiat are keen on plying their trade in European big leagues. If the right offer comes along, it will be difficult for Ajax or Sundowns to refuse.

Billiat, who like Dolly made the move from Ajax to Sundowns, believes the winger from Westbury will do well in Pretoria.

“He’s shown what he can do at Ajax, now he has an opportunity for a bigger challenge,” said Billiat about Dolly’s imminent move. “He’s definitely good enough. If he puts in the work, I firmly believe he can succeed at Sundowns.”

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is treading cautiously ahead of the Cup final against Ajax – not only because he has respect for the talent in the Cape club’s squad, but also because he and his team are under pressure.

“Sundowns are a big club, that is why you have to win something,” said Mosimane. “While we may have finished second in the league to ensure that we compete in Africa, we failed to retain our league title. It’s always good to give our fans something to smile about, and that is why the Cup final is important.

“Cape clubs are always difficult (Sundowns scraped past Parow’s Vasco da Gama 1-0 in the semi-final), they play with fire and passion, and always make things tough. Ajax have a number of good youngsters and, in Nathan Paulse up front, they have a striker who is always difficult to play against.”

While Mosimane will take his place on the Sundowns bench on Saturday, he will look across and see Ajax coach coach Roger de Sa’s place filled by assistant coach Ian Taylor. De Sa was sent off in the Cape club’s last league game for remarks made to the fourth match official – and the coach will watch the final from the stands.

But Mosimane wasn’t reading too much into that.

“That has no influence on the game,” said the Sundowns coach. “The players are still there, they know what to do, they have the system and the game plan… whether the coach is on the bench or not, it doesn’t matter.” - Cape Argus

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