The 2024/25 PSL season’s first half has been as dramatic off the pitch as on it, with coaches under pressure and early sackings making headlines.
From abrupt sackings to mounting pressure on underperforming coaches, this campaign is shaping up to be one where the dugout is as unpredictable as the pitch.
Here, GOAL, delves into the managerial merry-go-round, focusing on the casualties, potential departures and the ever-looming shadow of performance expectations.
Kylian Mbappe has named Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane as players he wishes he could played against.
Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe has named two footballers he wishes he could have played alongside.
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The France captain has shared a dressing room with some high-profile players in his career, namely Neymar and Lionel Messi.
Mbappe starred alongside the Brazilian and Argentinian at Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, while he also spent a short time of his international career with Karim Benzema.
The 26-year-old, though, wishes he could have played with Les Bleus legend Zinedine Zidane and Los Blancos icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I would say Zinedine Zidane,” he told beIN Sports when asked which player he would have liked to play with.
“I’ve played with great players: Messi, Neymar, Griezmann, Pogba, Benzema…
“It would have been fun to play with Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s going to be very complicated now. But I was lucky enough to play against him, a legend of the sport.”
Mbappe has enjoyed fine goalscoring form in recent weeks for the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners.
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The ex-Paris Saint-Germain man has now struck 12 times in his 22 appearances for Real since joining the club as a free agent.
Paul Pogba’s older brother (right) has been punished for extorting the former Manchester United midfielder.
Mathias Pogba, the older brother of the former Manchester United midfielder, has been sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, after being convicted of attempting to extort the French footballer.
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The 33-year-old was also fined €20 000 (R380 000) but will avoid serving time behind bars. Instead, he will serve one year under electronic surveillance.
Five other men were also found guilty of extortion and related crimes, with sentences ranging from four to eight years handed down in a Paris court on Thursday.
Paul Pogba, 31, revealed he had been “tricked by childhood friends” who held him at gunpoint in 2022 and demanded €13m (£10.8m).
He confirmed he paid them €100 000 (R1.9 million). Mathias Pogba’s lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, described the sentence as “extremely harsh” and suggested they would appeal, speaking to RMC Sport.
The five other defendants received the following sentences: Roushdane K, eight years; Boubacar C, four years (with two suspended); Adama C, five years; Mamadou M, five years (with 12 months suspended); and Machikour K, four years (with three suspended).
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Last year, Paul Pogba told Al Jazeera that he had even considered retiring from football due to the traumatic extortion attempt.
South African goalkeeper Jethren Barr would have certainly wanted to stay on at Drogheda United, but he did not leave the club with a heavy heart.
Barr sounds grateful for the title he spent with the club and he is now looking forward to his next adventure in Europe, after being part of the Drogheda side that won the FAI Cup
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The former Maritzburg United and Bidvest Wits goalkeeper was on the books of Drogheda in the Ireland Premier Division for a season. The club did not renew his contract when it expired at the end of November, but he remains grateful for the experience there.
During the season, Barr sustained an injury which kept him out for a few months. By the time he came bac from injury, the club had signed another goalkeeper and it was not easy to get back into the team.
“Drogheda was good. I really enjoyed my time there. The supporters were close with us and we were close with them. It was a nice experience playing there,” Barr told the Siya crew.
“Ultimately, the injury that I got, which kept me out for four-five months, was just unlucky. I lost my place after that, and they ended up signing another goalkeeper who did well. It was a nice experience, and it was a tough league, especially for goalkeepers because it’s physical and demanding with the shots you face.
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“I am looking forward to what’s next. I am happy I won the cup with them. I am happy that I left the club in a very good way.”
Kaizer Chiefs legend Jackie Masike has passed away.
Kaizer Chiefs legend Jackie Masike has sadly passed away, the club have confirmed.
The Soweto giants confirmed on Friday that the former Chiefs player passed on Thursday evening.
“Kaizer Chiefs are deeply saddened at the news of the passing of the legendary Jackie Masike last night,” the club confirmed.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones and we wish them strength and comfort in this time of grief.
‘”Asinimali’s’ legacy as a Kaizer Chiefs great is undisputed and his contribution to the history of our Club will always be remembered and appreciated.
“May your soul rest in peace.”
The Premier Soccer League have also confirmed that a moment of silence will be observed for the upcoming matches.
Statement:
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) is deeply saddened by the passing of football legend Jackie “Asinamali” Masike.
A highly respected figure in South African football, Masike had a distinguished career with Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, leaving an enduring legacy both on and off the field.
To honour his remarkable contributions, a moment of silence will be observed at the Carling Cup match on Saturday and all Betway Premiership fixtures next week.
The PSL extends its heartfelt condolences to the Masike family during this difficult time.
“Somebody said that football’s a matter of life and death to you. I said, ‘Listen, it’s more important than that.'” An unforgettable quote by Liverpool’s legendary manager Bill Shankly sums up better than anything the grip soccer has on so many of our lives. Whether you call it soccer, football, calcio, or whatever, there are over 3.5 billion of us obsessed with the beautiful game around the globe. So where did it come from, and who can we hold responsible?
When you drill down into the story of the game, these are three main eras where we can search for the culprit responsible for inventing soccer:
Ancient Times
There is evidence that people have been kicking balls for a laugh for years. FIFA cites cuju as the earliest form of soccer. Played in the 3rd-2nd century BC in China with a feather stuffed ball, the aim of the game was to keep it off the ground and kick it through a hoop.
To get a better idea of what this looked like, check out this Manchester City video showing Bernardo Silva testing out his cuju tekkers to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Other early versions of soccer include Episkyros, which was played by the ancient Greeks. Using their hands and feets, two teams would attempt to get the ball past each other’s white line. It was enjoyed by Spartan warriors, so you can imagine it was pretty violent, too, much like a precursor of rugby and the NFL.
The Romans ran with the concept and invented Harpastum, which was even more brutal.
Medieval Europe
The ancients weren’t the only ones who enjoyed soccer with a slice of brutality. In the Middle Ages, two teams of unlimited sizes would battle to drag an inflated pig’s bladder across markers on either side of the town. Records suggest that pretty much anything went in terms of tactics… just as long as nobody died.
Remarkably, the game is still played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the English town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Legend has it that this Royal Shrovetide football match was first played not with a ball but with a severed head following a public execution. You can watch the highlights of last year’s game here.
The Birth of Modern Soccer
Back in the 19th century, the Brits started making rules about pretty much everything under the sun. Soccer received the regulation treatment from a few brains at Cambridge University in 1848. The Cambridge Rules insisted the game be played almost entirely with the feet, thereby drawing a clear marker between soccer and rugby from then on.
Although no one person can claim to be the sole inventor of soccer, there is one name that is bandied around more than others. Ebenezer Morley was the founding father of the English Football Association and drafted the 13 original laws of the game in a pub in southwest London on 26 October 1863.
The “Laws of the Game” are still used today—albeit with modern updates—which is why England is called the Home of Football, and England fans passionately sing ‘Football’s coming home’ just before they get knocked out of a tournament.
It was during this era that soccer gained its name. To distinguish it from rugby football, this version of the game was called association football. Oxford University students abbreviated it to “assoc football,” then shorted it further to “soc” before affectionately rounding it out to “soccer” just as rugby became “rugger.”
Colonialism helped spread soccer around the world including Brazil. / Sven Simon/IMAGO
Soccer’s Global Domination
Soccer spread around the world as a consequence of British imperialism. The game was taught in British schools as part of Victorian ideals about moral and physical discipline known as ‘muscular Christianity.’ Soldiers, sailors, rail workers and expatriates then shared the game wherever they landed. It was easy to learn and needed little more than a ball and open space to play; soccer soon took off around the world.
In 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) brought international governance to the sport and united all nations under a single set of rules. The first World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay and was won by the hosts.
Only 13 countries participated in that inaugural tournament—a far cry from the record number that will compete in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. FIFA has faced criticisms of diluting the the tournament with this latest expansion from 32 to 48 teams. However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists the goal is to make the game more global than ever.
After all,135 of FIFA’s 211 members had never qualifiedfor the tournament and now more countries than ever will have the “chance to dream.”
