Transvaal Springboks

The Transvaal Springboks association football (soccer) club in Liga Mundo was formed on January 12, 2008. The squad is "owned" by the Staatsregeringministrie vir Sport en Atletiese van Transvaal and managed by Bartnel Botha, the current Minister for Sport & Athletics in Transvaal.

The 'Boks play all their home matches at Loftus Versfeld Stadium (capacity 51,762) in Pretoria. On May 4, 2009 after their match against SiPS, the club moved temporary to Khomasdal Stadium (capacity 10,300) - the home field for Windhoek Welwitschia - for the duration of the Karma War as Loftus Versfeld was unusable.

Their kit colours are green and orange shirts with vertical stripes and black neck trim paired up with green shorts with orange trim. The Springboks had previously worn a kit consisting of green shirts with white trim and golden orange shorts with green trim but changed to the current scheme during the later third of Season 4 on January 27, 2009.

The club sponser since their first season has been Soundic Radio.

The Springboks, or Die Bokke as they are nicknamed in Afrikaans, have always played in the Primera Liga, the top-flight division of Liga Mundo. Their best finish has been 4th place, which has was accomplished in Liga Mundo Season 4. The club finished 7th place in their second season and faced relegation to the Segunda Liga until Hanslope Hornets, the club finishing above them, folded and the Springboks retained their spot in the Primera Liga.

Of the initial 18-man expansion roster, only defenders Joop Boekweg and Bert van der Meer, midfielders Dick Witchge and Henk Schot, and forwards Gert Grünholz and Ricardo van Deinsen remain with the club. Stien van Buyten, Mark Verwayen, and Balthazar Botha all joined during the inaugural season as junior prospect signings - therefore 9 of the 20 players currently signed with club have played in all four seasons in Liga Mundo for the Springboks.

Career Statistics
Includes regular season and cup matches

Liga Mundo - Season 1 Primera

 * EXPANSION ROSTER (January 12, 2008): Johann Berger, Joop Boekweg, Gert Grünholz, Huub Hoenkens, Patric Krejk, Glenn Mutsaers, Allan Pander, Henk Schot, Ricardo van Deinsen, Bert van der Meer, Martijn van der Woerdt, Merco van der Woude, Raymond van Eijk, Bram van Eijkeren, Rafael van Heijswijk, Pim Venema, Jurgen Winter, and Dick Witchge
 * ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Stien van Buyten (junior prospect) signed January 14, 2008; Merco van der Woude sold for $103,152 on January 25, 2008; Rusty Hedger signed as free agent January 26, 2008; Bushunmo Fuse signed as free agent January 28, 2008; Allan Pander released January 31, 2008; Balthazar Botha (junior prospect) signed February 2, 2008; Jurgen Winter released February 5, 2008; Gijs Oesterweld signed as free agent February 8, 2008; Rusty Hedger released February 12, 2008; Thanos Sietaridis signed as free agent February 16, 2008; Pim Venema  released February 19, 2008; Mark Verwayen (junior prospect) signed March 2, 2008

Liga Mundo - Season 2 Primera

 * ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Raymond van Eijk released April 13, 2008; Gijs Oesterweld released April 14, 2008; Menno Van Graejleven (junior prospect) signed April 14, 2008; Bram van Eijkeren released April 16, 2008; Knut Borgebäck signed as free agent April 16, 2008; Horace Elding signed as free agent April 19, 2008; Rafael van Heijswijk sold for $71,316 on April 26, 2008; Thurston Alderton signed as free agent June 9, 2008

Liga Mundo - Season 3 Primera
ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Martijn van der Woerdt released July 15, 2008; Glenn Mutsaers released July 15, 2008; Johan Zaanbeijer (junior prospect) signed July 16, 2008; Charles Brennan signed as free agent July 18, 2008; Bushunmo Fuse sold for $500,052 on July 22, 2008; Johan Zaanbeijer released July 26, 2008; Menno Van Graejleven sold for $122,052 on July 29, 2008; Leon Hooiber signed as free agent August 28, 2008; Thanos Sietaridis sold for $924,000 on September 9, 2008; Daniel Abanda (junior prospect) signed September 20, 2008; Mirko Zilic signed as free agent September 27, 2008; Johann Berger released September 28, 2008; Matthias Rieger signed as free agent September 29, 2008

Liga Mundo - Season 4 Primera
ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Paul Nlend Wome (junior prospect) signed November 7, 2008; Huub Hoenkens released November 10, 2008; Benny Dewhurst signed as free agent November 13, 2008; Daniel Abanda released November 29, 2008; Göran von Knorring signed as free agent November 29, 2008; Patric Krejk released November 30, 2008; Olav Froggnarson signed as free agent December 17, 2008; Knut Borgebäck sold for $900,060 on January 6, 2009; Horace Elding released January 6, 2009; Paul Nlend Wome sold for $1,008,000 on January 12, 2009; Detlef Botha (junior prospect) signed January 13, 2009; Emmanuel Hörtnagl signed as free agent February 1, 2009

Liga Mundo - Season 5 Primera
ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Benny Dewhurst released February 18, 2009; Cuthbert McGorry signed as free agent on February 18, 2009; Dingiswayo Ngwane (junior prospect) signed on February 18, 2009; Mirko Zilic sold for $315,000 on February 20, 2009; Dakarai Baako signed as free agent on March 1, 2009. * match played at Khomasdal Stadium in Windhoek

Season 4 Primera
NOVEMBER 28, 2008 - Arcadia "napping with their pants down"

“One of the best character wins in quite a long while” said Manager Bartnel Botha of the Transvaal Springboks during his post-game press conference.

“Arcadia is a cocky team that often takes us lightly because they forget that there are more than just 3 teams in the Primera – let alone the entire Liga. To beat them is always a welcome occurrence. Today was a huge victory for us. While we have stolen wins against the big three in the past, this morning’s match was just so much more gratifying because we struck back a few minutes after their early goal – and then when we lost one of our forwards to a red card midway through the second half, we not only held the Arcadians at the door, we were able to regroup a couple of minutes later and pot in the game-winner.”

“Our midfield, chronically our weakest aspect on the field, was phenomenal for us today and outplayed Arcadia’s stacked 5-man midfield line. We caught them napping with their pants down.”

“We are playing through probably our most difficult stretch in the fixtures right now, so to stay out of relegation and gain points at the expense of the stronger clubs is reinforcement towards our goal to finish in fourth place. At the very least we obviously need to avoid relegation, but after seeing the recent lacklustre performances of the two newly-promoted teams, our club feels that if we can at least split our points totals against the Big Three and walk away with 8 or 9 points – we have 3 in the bag already) and sweep against Estrella Roja, then a strong finish is possible.”

“However we need to focus one game at a time; our next Liga opponent (VolNation) we’ve had some unexpected success against but they never give us quarter so a 110% effort will be required from everyone.”

DECEMBER 5, 2008 - Springboks reach 150

Transvaal Springboks' 4-1 loss to VolNation Volunteers marked the club's 150th match played since the start of the squad in April 2007.

Since that time, the 'Boks have competed in two Transvaal World Cups, five UCFA Champions League series, and are currently in their fourth season of Liga Mundo play. While the Springboks had moderate success in the UCFA with one 1st place and two 2nd place finishes, success in the Liga Mundo has been hard to come by as the best the Transvalers have accomplished is two 5th place finishes in the top division.

In the course of 150 matches, Die Bokke have a record of 54 wins, 29 draws, and 67 losses.

Manager Bartnel Botha, who has managed the Springboks in 12 of their 20 campaigns, said the next six matches in league and cup play were the squad's easiest stretch of this season and full points from the four league fixtures must be secured should Die Bokke aim to finish mid-table.

"We are aiming for 4th place - anything better would be an outstanding success but also require a lot of luck on our part" said the manager during his post-game interview. "Meanwhile we are riding a strong cup run and hope to win our third round, which would be the farthest we'd have reached. Previously the club has not taken the cup competition too strongly, but this year we're trying to work hard and see how deep we can reach."

DECEMBER 12, 2008 - Springboks blank Gumbo Gods

Transvaal Springboks shutout the visiting Gumbo Gods 4-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria this morning. Newly-signed backstopper Göran von Knorring got the start in net but had little to do, with just 1 shot against him to deal with while Stien van Buyten, Matthias Rieger, Ricardo van Deinsen, and 16-year-old rookie Paul Nlend Wome (playing in his first league match) were the goal scorers.

Wome had played in two previous cup matches as a substitute, but today was his first league match and start. As the teenager told the press after the game: “Manager Botha told me when I was brought up from the junior team that I would not get much playing time for the first few years, even as a substitute. But he told me after practise this week that I would get to start against the winless Gumbo Gods. I am very pleased to have scored in my first league match.”

In other news, Manager Bartnel Botha has stated that the club is in negotiations to give former footballer and paramount chief Darakai Baako a try out for the final roster spot.

“After Mr. Baako’s defeat in the federal elections on December 1, he approached us about resuming his footballing career in some manner.”

Darakai Baako played with the Springboks during their UCFA campaigns and was the squad’s leading scorer in the inaugural UCFA Champions League. His stellar career came to a sudden end when he was involved in a smuggling operation in Angola and fled Transvaal for exile in PDSAR. Later he was pardoned and returned home to enter politics, successfully becoming elected African Paramount Chief in May 2008 on the coat-tails of his popularity as a domestic football star. He was trounced in the most recent elections a few weeks ago after critics chastised him for "doing absolutely nothing" during his term in office.

It is unknown which position Baako will be trying out for. “I’m versatile, I'm content to just be playing again so I’ll go wherever the manager needs me.”

JANUARY 2, 2009 - No Baako return; Elding suspended

Negotiations between Springboks club management and former noted UCFA ’Boks player Darakai Baako have fallen through, leading Manager Bartnel Botha to explain that “I seriously doubt we shall see Baako playing anytime soon, at least for this current season. We gave him a try-out but unfortunately were unable to find a suitable spot for him.”

Manager Botha also confirmed that midfielder Horace Elding will miss a month of play due to his 5-game suspension. “Horace won’t be suiting up until February” said Botha, “but I plan on using his vacancy to further develop our younger players and make some hard decisions regarding our midfield line-up. I also haven’t ruled out floating Horace on the transfer market although his suspension probably won’t make him too attractive to bidders.”

The controversial Horace Elding, one of the most penalized players ever in Liga Mundo (26 bookings during three seasons), was sent off during the Springboks’ second cup match versus VolNation Volunteers for making obscene comments and gestures about referee Fred Redkard. “I told him that if [Redkard] had one more eye, he’d be a cyclops. He took offense to that and when he showed me the red card, I asked him if he was flashing me his phone number for a date” chuckled a bemused Elding.

JANUARY 9, 2009 - Post-practise press conference

Manager Bartnel Botha spoke with the press after this morning’s practise regarding the departure this week of two ‘Boks players, Knut Borgebäck and Horace Elding. Borgebäck was sold Tuesday for R900,060 rand while Horace Elding was outright released the same day.

“Knut had been with the club since Season 2 but he had become the odd-man out on our defense. I felt that we could probably get some cash for him on the transfer market and then turn around and either sign a younger replacement or rely on promising 19-year-old Olav Froggnarson as the reserve defence.”

“As for Horace Elding, his lengthy suspension pretty much made him redundant as he would miss 5 of our 6 remaining matches. And at 35 years old, there was no guarantee either he would re-sign with us. The club management felt that his frequent bookings had worn out his effectiveness as a playmaker and goals scorer. Sure he may have potted in a few key goals for us – but one must ask how many games did he cost us?”

Manager Botha also stated that one of the forwards had been placed on the transfer market but would not confirm whom.

As to the outlook for the rest of the season, the manager told media that “we have three critical matches coming up and three from which any points at all would be considered a bonus. At this time it is unsure whether we shall field our strongest squad to attempt to contest these tilts for points against the Big Three - or just accept them as foregone defeats and utilise our younger players to gain them valuable playing experience. A lot depends on what our projected finish looks like in the coming weeks. If we are not facing relegation, then the opportunity for our developmental players improves.”

The Springboks have not played a league match in almost three weeks with back-to-back byes, but that downtime has not distracted the coaching staff. “We probably have the best form seen on our squad all season.”

JANUARY 12, 2009 - Springboks get million rand transfer

Transvaal Springboks received their first one-million rand offer for a player when 16-year-old Paul Nlend Wome was sold for $1,008,000.

“I am quite pleased – actually, quite surprised - with the quality of the offer. With six forwards, Wome wasn’t going to see much playing time, if at best 3 games this season, to put in the time, money, and effort to develop him. Ultimately we looked at what he had the potential to bring to the table, and we figured that we could easily find someone just as suitable right now on the market if need be. So we floated him on the transfer market to see if anyone would bite. To our pleasant surprise, we received three offers.”

Paul Nlend Wome was brought up through the junior programme and had played in two matches and netting one goal before being dealt by Manager Botha. He had the distinction of being the youngest player (to date) to don the green and orange in any match. He was also the Springboks’ second player of colour, the first being forward Bushunmo Fuse who played in the ’Boks’ first two seasons and lead in team scoring in Transvaal's first season.

Manager Bartnel Botha also added that “…we have given up interest in signing Dakarai Baako as he has since informed me he now plans on trying out for the expansion Windhoek Welwitschia in the Vedder League.”

JANUARY 13, 2009 - Botha Brothers re-united

The Transvaal Springboks announced this evening that Detlef Botha, younger brother of forward Balthazar Botha, has been promoted to the senior team from the juniors. The two brothers last played together over four years ago when Balthazar was still on the junior squad and Detlef was a 15-year old trial prospect brought up to the Juniors from the Minor programme.

Nineteen year-old Detlef Botha joins the Springboks midfield corps and will jump into the role of spot kicker – an area of talent Die Bokke have been lacking in for a couple of seasons. Manager Bartnel Botha – no relation to the two brothers – had this to say about the latest signing: “Detlef has already been written in for a start this Friday against the Gumbo Gods and I am looking forward to seeing what he brings to our team. He has been a tough, fundamental player for the junior side and his addition comes at a perfect time for us as I am in the midst of retooling our midfield.”

The junior signing now brings into question the roles of midfielders Henk Schot and Mark Verwayen, both who have been with the ’Boks since Season 1 (Schott is one of five original ’Boks still remaining). There have been rumours from the clubhouse that Manager Botha had also recently put out an offer for a spotkicker midfielder just prior to Detlef Botha’s release from the Junior Springboks. If the transfer offer is successful, then it is inevitable that either Schot or Verwayen will get the cut. While the speedy 25-year old Schot is somewhat more experienced than Verwayen, the younger (21 years) Verwayen has also been showing much promise the past two seasons. What is for sure is that carrying seven midfielders would be not feasible for finding adequate playing time – unless the squad perhaps went with a 5-midfield formation.

JANUARY 16, 2009 - Die Bokke massacre Gumbo Gods 7-1

The Springboks pulled off their most lopsided victory today at the Penske Center, when Transvaal defeated the hapless Gumbo Gods 7-1. The six-goal margin of victory is the highest ever from any Springboks match.

Forward Balthazar Botha, energised from playing alongside his younger brother Detlef who was making his senior debut, hammered the ball home for four goals in a row during a 36 minutes span in the first-half.

Midfielder Stien van Buyten set up Balthazar for a breakaway five minutes from the opening whistle. Eight minutes later, brother Detlef Botha crossed the ball for Balthazar to head it clean past Gumbo keeper Eric Rothwell. Three minutes later, a foul in the Transvaal penalty area allowed Adrien Whittle to pot in a rare goal from the penalty kick for Gumbo Gods, only their fourth tally of the entire season.

The ’Boks went up 3-1 at the 32-minute mark when Balthazar connected on a Dick Witchge pass to head in his natural hat-trick – then four minutes before the half whistle, he notched his fourth in a row from a penalty kick.

Transvaal then began to run away with the lead during the second half of the match as newcomer Detlef Botha and veterans Gert Grünholz and Dick Witchge shellacked a shellshocked Rothwell to round out the final result at 7-1.

“It was a pretty sad affair” commented Manager Bartnel Botha after the game. “To see this kind of result in first division football is shocking. I gave all our third-liners and juniors the starting nod, and prior to kick off I admit I wondered if we were perhaps taking them too lightly and it could in fact backfire in our face. We expected a strong result, but certainly nothing like this – especially with arguably our least talented line-up of the season, certainly on the attack. You have to feel for the handful of fans who stuck around to the very end… I suppose perhaps a morbid curiosity to see just how bad it could get.”

The match was notable as all midfielders and forwards chalked up at least 1 point, with all but two notching at least 2 points.

The next outing for Transvaal Springboks features a friendly meeting with Voobaha National at Loftus Versfeld. Said Botha: “This match was arranged for two reasons – namely, to gauge comparison between a strong Segunda and an original Primera side. As well, both clubs have some South African heritage in the ownership – so we are billing this as the first of a two-game meeting between us in what we are billing the South African Cup. Hopefully we can make it an annual event.

JANUARY 24, 2009 - Transvaal shocks VolNation 2-0

The Springboks chalked up another home win against VolNation on Friday, shutting out the Volunteers 2-0 at Loftus Versfeld.

“VolNation Volunteers are definitely the class of the league year in year out, but for some reason we’ve actually chalked up a few wins against them here at home” said an obviously pleased Manager Botha after the match.

“In the past, our results here at home against them have been relatively good, although close matches in which one goal is the decider. Our away form against then has been atrocious. My theory on why both teams don’t do well at the other’s home grounds is the time difference and the long flight from Neyland to Pretoria takes a toll on the players.”

“Now that all said, this year our previous three meetings [1 league, 2 cup] have been all one-sided definitely in their favour, so I am pleased beyond belief with the result on the pitch today. Our players played smartly, and while we did not have ball advantage, we made the most of our possession and fired off more shots than they did. Our defense held firm and out-classed them while our midfield and forwards matched them pretty evenly.”

“I think we also caught them off-guard by not playing our traditional formation, I decided to take the risk with something we don’t normally do and it seemed to pay off.”

Transvaal Springboks now go on the road for two tough matches against Arcadia FC and Atlético Luz Del Mar before finishing out the season at home against Estrella Roja.

“Those two tilts will be tough for us. I know for a fact that Arcadia is still smarting from their first loss ever to us back in November and will be out there playing hard for revenge. As for ALDM, there’s a team which since Season 2 even more so than VolNation has given us a ton of trouble. They have a phenomenal defensive corps which can smother out the opposition.”

JANUARY 25, 2009 - VolNation Stuffed By Transvaal

When you ask a VolNation Mighty Volunteer fan which game of the season they are most anxious about, you'd think that you'd get a Big Three response. However, every fan will tell you that it is the Transvaal match in Loftus Versfeld Stadium that gets them the most uptight. A check of the history shows that VolNation has never won here in league play, which made this match such a big one in VolNation's quest for a fourth straight title. Once again, though, history rears its head at the Mighty Vols, and the Mighty Vols were just unable to overcome, dropping a 2-0 loss at the worst possible time.

Form issues were really hitting the VolNation back line, which forced Coach Philip to start a back-up keeper and some defenders that really had no business on the pitch. The hope was that the midfield could cover and Robertson and Goodwin could capatalize on some shots, but Transvaal was able to really take advantage of the Mighty Vols weaknesses. While the Mighty Vols dominated possesion, it was Transvaal who got the opportunities, and welcomed the newcomer Rojas into the league with a baptism by fire. Rojas was simply not Sørgård, and two got through.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the shakiness of Rojas, Thurston Alderton was spectacular. In the last few matches against Transvaal, the VolNation forwards were able to have their way with him, but not tonight. Alderton shone tonight in stopping some wicked shots and the three-man defensive line got a lot of credit in not letting the Mighty Vols get many good shots.

All in all, while hopes were high in reversing this losing trend, the Mighty Vols were just not up to the task. Now, all they can do is wait to see what pans out.

JANUARY 30, 2009 - A successful season

Manager Bartnel Botha told the press after this morning’s match against Arcadia FC that the season has been “…an unqualified success for us” even though there are still two games left in the regular season.

Due to VolNation’s late victory today versus Estrella Roja, the Springboks have clinched at least a fourth place finish in the Primera – “which was our goal since the start of this season. We have a very slim chance to take third place but that would require three upsets, all of which I do not envisage occurring” said the manager.

Regarding today’s defeat, the manager had little to comment except that… “we knew it was going to be a real tough contest for us, and in all likelihood the better team won today. We were unable to anticipate their game and thus we spent most of the match playing catch-up. However it wasn’t a blow-out like we’ve seen in previous seasons between our two clubs, so I’ll take the one-goal-loss in stride.”

Bad news struck the Springboks very early on when veteran, original ’Bok Gert Grünholz left the game on a stretcher just five minutes from the opening whistle. “Gert is gone for the rest of this season and probably into the start of the next.”

The injury was a tough setback for Grünholz, who had struggled all last season to regain his captaincy form he displayed in the first two seasons for the Springboks – only to see his strong comeback progress this campaign come crashing down from sudden injury.

“Gert has suffered for playing minutes this season but nevertheless had been making the most of his limited playing time and putting the ball in when he can. We were actually expecting to see some improvement over the off-season despite his age. He actually wasn’t supposed to start today but he was literally a last minute switch for Benny Dewhurst.”

Manager Botha confirmed that he had one final offer on the blocks for the transfer deadline. “We’re trying to bring in a chap by the name of Emmanuel Hörtnagl, who at one time used to play in our domestic league for Johannesburg. The Botha brothers know him well and suggested that we try to pick him up on transfer. He plays for an amateur side somewhere in Europe – but he should be a good fit for our midfield if we can get him.”

According to clubhouse rumours, the manager plans on over-hauling the ’Boks’ midfield corps in the off-season once progress reports on performance come in.

FEBRUARY 5, 2009 - A look ahead to Season 5?

With three games remaining – two league matches and a friendly versus expansion team Compostela Artois – and baring some major upsets the Transvaal Springboks almost guaranteed to finish the Primera Liga in fourth place, Transvaler Daaglikse Sportnuus sat down with Springboks manager Bartnel Botha to discuss what he saw on the drawing board as the club headed into Season 5:

''“Once our coaching staff has completed their player assessment reports on player development from the off-season, I will be examining points in our roster where we can strengthen ourselves. I will be taking a long, hard look at our midfield line and making some difficult decisions to further consolidate and fortify it.”''

''“We have two anchors in Dick Witchge and Matthias Rieger, arguably two of the best midfielders playing in the league this season – both are having strong seasons. After that we have five players jostling for 2 to 3 remaining spots depending on what formation we go with. Emmanuel Hörtnagl has only just joined us while Detlef Botha is a definite keeper. I can see him over time evolving into another Dick Witchge once Dick is retired.”''

''“So that leaves Stien van Buyten, Henk Schot, and Mark Verwayen – all who have been with us since Season 1. I am eagerly awaiting to see just how much they will improve over the off-season. Their future with the club is interlinked and really depends on how they have all progressed in relation to each other, who has and who hasn’t between them. I also haven’t ruled out cutting two loose and then finding something on the transfer market. It’s going to be very interesting to say the least.”''

As for the forwards and defence, Manager Botha did not see much change happening with them.

“It’s possible we might contemplate moving one of our forwards who isn’t getting much playing time, but that will also depend on how Gert Grünholz recovers from his injuries.”

Season 5 Primera
FEBRUARY 16, 2009 - Improved Springboks gearing up

The strongest campaign yet for Transvaal Springboks combined with a strict training regimen throughout the season has paid off with massive dividends, as the club management reported tonight that all but two players increased in +/- skill and nine players went up by one full skill level. One player decreased and one remained unchanged.

“The results of the performance assessment today were beyond our expectations” said an ecstatic Manager Bartnel Botha. ''“It drastically changes our off-season planning now as we were expecting to make one perhaps two player moves. However at this point I’m thinking we might just sit with what we have and make any moves closer to the transfer deadline next season.”''

“Or we’ll ride the current roster and then go for a big-name signing in Season 7.”

The most noticeable improvement came in the midfield, traditionally a chronic problem area for strength. “We went up 4 points there, which was also where we were planning on making the most critical moves” said the manager.

Goalkeeping increased by 1 level, while defense and forwards increased by 2 points each. The only players which didn’t see any improvement were Mirko Zilic, the 35-year-old defender and 34-year-old fan favourite and original ’Bok Gert Grünholz. ''“Unfortunately Gert’s performance was hampered by his untimely injury, but we were actually expecting him to decrease – which he didn’t, as he has been responding well to injury rehab. As for Zilic, his playing days are drawing to a close, so he was expected to drop.”''

FEBRUARY 16, 2009 - Dewhurst wants out; Zilic shopped around

Benny Dewhurst asked club management today to put him on the transfer list. Apparently the forward, who played in seven matches this past season, does not see his playing time improving.

“Last season Balthazar Botha, Gert Grünholz and myself were all competing for the same starting spot – but it seems that Balthazer will be moving into it full time next season. While Gert seems content to wind down his career with most of his playing time on the sidelines as a substitute, I’d rather see what my chances are elsewhere.”

Added to the transfer list was Mirko Zilic, the 35-year-old fullback who switched with Leon Hooiber for the usual third defensive spot. With Hooiber and the quiet force Joep Boekweg making noticeable strides this year in their performance, and 20-year-old Olav Froggnarson nipping in the wings, the club has said they want to try and move Zilic while they can still hopefully get something for him.

“Don’t get me wrong, Zilic is a good defender but at his age, he’d be better used on another club needing some temporary advantage in making a promotion or cup run.”

“With Olav Froggnarson, a Norwegian immigrant who signed in December with the club and played in two matches and a bundle full of talent waiting on the sidelines just itching to get in playing time, by shipping Zilic we can then focus on Froggnarson seeing more playing time if we lose guys to injury or face a weaker opponent. Under some good training guidance, this youngster could easily develop into the club’s best defensive utility player two to three seasons from now.

“People talk about Bert van der Meer as being our keystone on defense, well just you wait and see what Froggie turns out to be like. His idol is none other than Lois Luis - and it shows why in practise...”

FEBRUARY 17, 2009 - Kak Cup

Transvaal Springboks and Arcadia FC will face off in the first-ever Kak Cup, a best of three series featuring the worst line-ups possible between the two clubs. The concept behind Kak Cup is to give the fringe players some playing time to boost their form and experience in prime positions as well as to see how different the results are when played with weak(er) squads.

The opening match is this Friday morning at Arcadian Stadium with the re-match played at Loftus Versfeld the following week.

FEBRUARY 18, 2009 - Busy day for 'Boks on transfer line

With Benny Dewhurst and Mirko Zilic released or soon to be sold for cash, the Springboks made further move towards more youth with two additions to their defensive reserve ranks when 20-year-old Cuthbert McGorry was signed as a free agent while 16-year-old Zulu junior prospect Dingiswayo Ngwane was promoted to the senior club.

“These two players were signed with the future in mind” explained Manager Bartnel Botha. “I wasn’t planning on making any drastic changes to our starting eleven but with Dewhurst and Zilic now on their way out, we had the room and money to acquire the services of some talented youngsters.”

“While I was casually scanning the latest transfer wires, McGorry’s name popped up out of the blue as having just too much going for him to pass up on. We anticipate him paired up with Olav Froggnarson to develop into the core of our defense in three seasons’ time.”

“Dingiswayo Ngwane is a raw youngster that will become a work in progress for the next two to three seasons - but he also has the potential to become a calming presence on defense.”

Ngwane becomes only the third player of colour signed by the Springboks and observers are watching him with a cautious eye in light of the recent Paul Nlend Wome tragedy to see if he can secure a long-term spot on a squad dominated by Europeans.

“I could have tried out for Windhoek Welwitschia, but I want to prove that Africans can play with the very best - here in Liga Mundo” said Ngwane when besieged by reporters after practice this evening.

Both McGorry and Ngwane have already been given starts in the upcoming Kak Cup series versus Arcadia FC. “I want to see what they can do when put up against one of the best teams in the league” said Botha.

FEBRUARY 20, 2009 - Die Bokke played like ‘kak’

The Springboks were shutout 3-0 by Arcadia FC in the first match of the Kak Cup. Manager Bartnel Botha claimed the loss was due to “poor form” prevalent throughout the roster.

“I’m not sure just how irregular and weakened Arcadia’s line-up was, but after our huge skill increase all of our players save for two ended up having poor form. Combine poor form with a line-up consisting of reserve players for starters, and no small wonder we left Arcadian Stadium on the wrong side of three goals.”

Back-up keeper Göran von Knorring got only his fourth start while the defence featured two brand-new acquisitions making their debut in the bottle green and orange sweaters.

“Our midfield consisted of four youngsters who in future seasons will form a formidable backbone for the team” – however the most glaring weakness was in the offense.

“In respect of what the Kak Cup is intended to be, we sat out Charles Brennan and had Ricardo van Diensen watching from the sidelines. However we had only one healthy forward to suit up, as an injured and hobbling Gert Grünholz was pressed into emergency service and defenseman Olav Froggnarson moved up to the attack.”

The second leg of the best-of-three tournament will move now to Loftus Versfeld.

MARCH 2, 2009 - Dakarai Baako returns to ‘Boks

Manager Bartnel Botha confirmed today that controversial UCFA Springbok forward and former Transvaler African politician Dakarai Baako has signed with the Springboks. Baako was released yesterday by his previous club Windhoek Welwitschia for undisclosed reasons; performing in only one match for the Wels during which he was suspended.

“I know a few weeks ago I said that there was no place for Mr. Baako, however since the departure of Benny Dewhurst we had one spot open up on our forward line and he expressed interest in taking it” said Manager Botha at the press conference.

“I am here to play football!” said the flamboyant Dakarai Baako to his fans waiting for autographs after the press conference. “I appreciate the Welwitschias giving me a starting place to play, but I did not see myself fitting in there as the eighth midfielder on a midfield-heavy squad. I asked Manager Botha to re-consider his earlier decision not to sign me. I told him that Liga Mundo is the place to play football and I wanted to be a part of it. He said that the club would take me on as long as I did not cause any disruptions and use my place on the team as a soapbox for politicking.”

Dakarai Baako was a veteran of the UCFA Springbok squads but his political career and personal off-field problems with the law prevented him from making the transition from UCFA to Liga Mundo when the Springboks joined the league.

Asked whether we could regain his famed scoring prowness of his UCFA days, Mr. Baako shrugged and replied “I have to play it one game at a time.”

MARCH 10, 2009 - Die Bokke win season opener

The Transvaal Springboks pulled off a convincing 3-0 win against Estrella Roja yesterday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld. The match was the first time in club history the ’Boks had won their season opener.

All scoring for the victorious home side occurred in the second half – with two goals coming off corner set-plays. The first goal was scored at 65 minutes when Ricardo van Deinsen connected on a Dick Witchge pass after the midfielder had been fed the ball by cornerman Detlef Botha.

Five minutes later, after Detlef Botha left the match injured, his substitute Emmanuel Hörtnagl then had to step up for the corner kicking duties at 85 minutes. Although not noted for his freekicking abilities, Hörtnagl lobbed the ball deftly through traffic to a ready and waiting Mathias Rieger on the penalty crease, who then made quick work to boot the ball in past Estrella Roja keeper Michel Raskenstam.

Seven minutes later, Raskenstam then came up short when Charles Brennan sized him up on a one-on-one breakaway to score Transvaal’s third tally and put the game beyond the reach of the visitors.

“This was a great team effort today where we made the most of the few chances we had” said Manager Bartnel Botha. “Estrella Roja played a real tight defensive game to limit our chances to five shots, so to bag three goals from those opportunities shows the character and skill of our offense today.”

“My only cause for concern was Detlef re-injuring himself. He pulled his hamstring in our friendly versus Duckies last week but the doctors had cleared him yesterday. He will likely sit out next week as I need him back at 100% when we begin our grueling three-game series against the Big Three teams in the later half of the month.”

Manager Botha also told the press that it was “highly likely” former-UCFA Champions League star Dakarai Baako would make his Liga Mundo debut next week when the Springboks hit the road to take on the Swamplandia Sinners.

MARCH 16, 2009 - ’Boks head into uncharted territory

“That we are sitting with six points after two matches doesn’t surprise me much – however, being alone at the top of the table does. It’s quite shocking really, something I never expected...”

Those were the first words of Manager Botha during this morning’s post-game conference at Purgatory Palace after the Transvaal Springboks defeated the hometown Swamplandia Sinners 3-0. Charles Brennan scored twice and Ricardo van Deinsen once while Thurston Alderton picked up his second clean sheet in a row.

“I expected a win against Swamplandia, although admittedly a much closer result than what we walked away with as MudBug’s crew have always proven a troublesome opponent for us over the seasons. But seeing the Big Three teams performing sub-par the past couple of weeks is really alarming – especially since our next three league matches are all against Big Three sides.”

“I have told our boys not to get their hopes up and think just because we are sitting in first place that means we can slack off. The next three weeks in the league will be our biggest tests yet as we’ve never done well on the road versus the Big Three. No doubt they will all be gunning to reverse their fortunes in the table at our expense.”

“To our own benefit, we haven’t even seen our top line-up out there yet. I’ve been inserting second-liners here and there so as to give them some playing time as well as let a couple of our key vets rest up from injuries and recover poor form in time for the three upcoming clashes.”

MARCH 20, 2009 - Shorthanded ‘Boks win cup match on road

Playing down a forward for almost half the match after Charles Brennan was ejected, the Transvaal Springboks fought back for a 2-1 win in their first cup match of the season against new Segunda side Kelville FC. The teams meet for the second round next week at Loftus Versfeld.

Captain Dick Witchge got the Primera leaders on the scoreboard 13 minutes into the game after defender Joep Boekweg boomed a clearing pass up the centre. Unlucky thirteen reared its head 13 minutes later when Barney Logan headed the ball past ’Boks keeper Thurston Alderton to even the scoring at one-all.

Disaster struck early in the second half when Charles Brennan was ejected from the game. Now faced playing short-manned for the long haul and on the road against a plucky opponent, the Springboks midfielders stepped up their pressure as they put up a defensive wall to deny the Kelville forwards the ball as Alderton faced 5 shots – all of them in the first half.

Stien van Buyten, who is having a break-out campaign and finally settling into a veteran role after four seasons as a second-tier player, struck back fast and hard against Kelville when Matthias Rieger set him up for a close shot in the penalty area.

With the slim lead, the ’Boks defensive game was key as they clung on for the road win.

“Today’s match was another character win, losing Brennan so early in the match could have been what shot us in the foot, however our midfield out-hustled theirs and was the factor in the win. I’m really pleased as historically our midfield was our weakest part, it’s nice to see them now often being our strongest factor. That all said, but this game was by hard our most difficult challenge and it only goes uphill after this.”

Transvaal now faces struggling Arcadia FC in what many are billing the match of the week. Arcadia FC has been on a surprising skid after being billed the team to beat and will now be fired up to take their frustrations out on the ’Boks – while Die Bokke will be looking to one-up a side that has often given nothing but contemptuous disrespect to the boys in green and orange.

“Of the Big Three sides, beating Arcadia would be the sweetest victory of all because they more than any other side are a cocky bunch. God as my witness I hate them and it’s great to see Courtney and the rest of them being knocked down to size. And, I would so love our team to be a part of that” said midfield spotkicker Detlef Botha in the dressing room after the match.

MARCH 24, 2009 - “Met God so my getuie haat ek hulle…”

“With God as my witness, I hate them…” Those fateful words, uttered last week by midfielder Detlef Botha when asked about the upcoming match against Coach Courtney’s crew, hung over the Springboks yesterday like cloud of impending doom as they made their way to Arcadian Stadium.

Would the boastings of a 20-year-old second-year player jinx his teammates – or galvanise them?

Thankfully for Die Bokke’s faithful, those boastful words were exactly what were needed to spark Transvaal to arguably one of the club’s biggest wins ever as the Springboks defeated Arcadia FC 3-1 while on the road. Only once before has Transvaal been able to overcome the talented Arcadian side in thirteen outings – and never leaving Arcadian Stadium with a single point… until yesterday morning.

And a key factor in that victory was the man at the centre of the verbal jousting – Detlef Botha himself – as the tough-minded midfielder scored the go-ahead goal and picked up one assist to go along with his first-ever X11 selection.

Heading into the match, there was some concern over attacking formation as forward Charles Brennan was forced to sit out a one-game suspension accrued from the cup match versus Kelville United. Balthazar Botha got his first start of the season but never looked out of place as he got the Springboks on the scoreboard around 9 minutes into the first half.

At the end of the first half, the score line was Botha Brothers 2, Arcadia FC 1. Dick Witchge would bag the ’Boks’ third tally in the middle of the second half when Detlef Botha set him up from a freekick set-play.

Despite a disadvantage of possession, the Springboks lead in shots on net with 8 for Arcadia’s 5. Keeper Thurston Alderton saw his clean sheet streak stopped but nevertheless walked away with man-of-the-match honours as well as garnering X11 selection in the Primera for the third week in a row.

After the final whistle, on-field officials and stadium stewards made for Detlef Botha in case he tried to use the win to further provoke the Arcadian crowd - however the heavy security was not required as he amicably waved to some fans wearing ’Boks colours and then quietly took time out to sign autographs for Transvaler and Arcadian fans alike before leaving the pitch.

Next up on the slate for Transvaal is the second-leg cup match against Kelville United at Loftus Versfeld – although cup competition is under review by the club.

“Depending on whom we’d play in the next round, we may decide to tank our cup effort this year if we make it past Kelville” stated Manager Bartnel Botha to the Arcadian and Transvaler press after the match.

“This is the first season where we have been in a strong position to challenge for the league championship, so each and every game is now important. There aren’t any teams at all we can afford to take lightly in the Primera, so the question has arisen ‘how will we find playing time for our junior signings?’ We may just use those matches in the next round as experience for them and not worry about the results or the cup this year. Each week our focus has been narrowing down on making a strong league run.”

MARCH 24, 2009 - ‘Boks plan to tank quarter-finals

Springboks manager Bartnel Botha confirmed comments reported in Transvaler Daaglikse Nuus that baring injuries the Primera leading side will tank the Cup quarterfinals should they make it past Kelville United later this week.

“As much as it pains me to harm our cup chances, our recent success has simply caught our club off-guard in what was supposed to be the first of two building and consolidation seasons. We have the players we want for the long haul - but for our club to have longterm success, we need to develop our youngsters and the only way that will happen is to give them playing time. However, with the Primera so tight for competition with no free wins, given one choice or the other, our boys have unanimously chosen to focus on Liga performance and the future at the expense of cup glory today. Our goal is still fourth place but will ride the tide and see where it lands us.”

“I won’t comment on what kind of line-up we would field except that it would involve a lot of second-line players and back-up keeper Göran von Knorring would get all cup starts in the quarter-final round.”

MARCH 30, 2009 - Springboks weary from road trips

Watching the Springboks make their way slowly through the airport in Franzharia for their quarterfinal cup match Friday against FC Franzharia, their dejected appearance would fool anyone from realising they had just come off their two biggest wins this season. Rather, they looked like the walking dead from a battlefield.

“It’s been awhile since we played at home, the wear and tear of travel is starting to catch up with us” said defender Olav Froggnarson as he hobbled his way along on crutches.

The fatigue showed in many of the Boks’ top stars, reinforcing Manager Bartnel Botha’s decision to field a sub-par squad against FC Franzharia. “Our defense is still looking pretty good, but our midfield and forwards have been taking a battering” said Dick Witchge, another of the walking wounded. “It’s our style to play bone-crunching football, but after a while it does catch up to you.”

Previous to their arrival in Franzharia, the Springboks had pulled off another upset at the expense of the Big Three by defeating the VolNation Volunteers 2-1 at Neyland, the win there a first-ever for Transvaal in five seasons – although Detlef Botha downplayed the win by saying “until we beat ALDM next week, then we’re still the Primera bridesmaids to the Big Three as far as I’m concerned. That win against VolNation was a fluke, we may have outshot them but we somehow stole victory from the jaws of defeat... in all honesty they should have run roughshod over us as we were playing on fumes from our earlier tough match against the Skirts” – ‘skirts’ being some sort of sideways reference to Arcadia FC’s female coaching staff.

Veteren defender Bert van der Meer put it a little more diplomatic: “As far as most of us are concerned, the Big Three are still the class of the league and until they are beaten, they remain as such. We’re all enjoying our time in the first place spotlight but at some point we’re going to slip – this is after all a year of consolidation for us. The pieces are all there, but we are still a little raw. What is really exciting about our current 7-game winning streak [edit: going back to last season] is if we are over-performing now, imagine what this crew will be like next season and those that follow? Many of our youngsters, like the Botha brothers and Stien van Buyten are taking commanding roles on the field. Mark Verwayen has been on the fringes the last couple of seasons but is making the most of his time and played a great game against VolNation.”

Van der Meer then laughed, adding: “I just hope there’s still a place for me!”

APRIL 3, 2009 - ’Boks shrug off loss to FC Franzharia

Transvaal Springboks suffered its first defeat of the season when they dropped a 4-1 cup decision to FC Franzharia. Gert Grünholz scored from a penalty kick in the 65th minute to tally the lone goal for Die Bokke. FC Franzharia scored off an early corner conceded in the opening minute of the match. Sloppy and disinterested play from the Springboks continued to Franzharia’s second goal and the field opened up for the home side when Dakarai Baako was booked for his brutal play and sent off. The booking was not well-received by some, as one unidentified, disgruntled player was heard to chirp that ‘Baako is useless even when we’re not trying...’

In his post-match press conference, Manager Bartnel Botha shrugged off the loss, saying that “The result should surprise no one – least of all ourselves. We had already told people that we weren’t going to take this match seriously.”

The Springboks now return home to Loftus Versfeld to regroup and take on Atlético Luz Del Mar – hoping to pull off a three-game sweep of the vaunted Big Three.

APRIL 6, 2009 - Shortmanned ‘Boks draw ALDM 2-2

Transvaal hosted Atlético Luz del Mar in a tight match at Loftus Versfeld this morning and walked away with a 2-2 draw despite finishing with ten men. Detlef Botha was booked and sent off for injuring Rodrigo Abreu while the Springboks were down 2-1 however around ten minutes later forward Ricardo van Deinsen bagged his second goal of the match. Abreu scored both goals for ALDM before Detlef Botha cheap-shot Abreu to take him down and out of the game. “He was becoming a threat to us so I played him hard” said Botha from the sidelines after being sent off.

While some fans were disappointed at the result, one of the most evenly matched and close meetings with ALDM since Season 1, Manager Bartel Botha was upbeat: “Looking back at our last three matches, to gain 7 out 9 points from the Big Three – 6 of those points coming from on the road - and concede only 1 point in return... am I happy? You bet I am!”

Transvaal hosts FC Franzharia in a cup draw Thursday and then faces their first league meeting versus promoted SiPS next week. Tickets prices for Thursday’s match have been slashed as poor attendance is anticipated as the ‘Boks are expected to field a weak squad to simply go through the motions of providing opposition.

“Göran von Knorring will get his second start in net and the rest of the line-up will be younger players and second-stringers – but we’re going to mix things up a little” said Manager Botha. “Our focus right now is on preparing for SiPS and getting our form back up. These recent weeks have been a strain on us.”

APRIL 13, 2009 - Botha Brothers take down SiPS

At Loftus Versfeld this morning, Transvaal defeated SiPS 4-2 with the Botha Brothers scoring three of the Springboks’ goals and the fourth coming as an own-goal by SiPS captain Hessu Öörni.

Detlef Botha got Transvaal on the scoreboard after hammering home a free kick past SiPS goalkeeper Matias Hammevik in the second minute of the match. SiPS then leveled out the score when Hessu Öörni booted a penalty kick past Thurston Alderton around ten minutes later. The visitors then took a rare lead against the Primera leaders when Pasi Viuhko was set up by Öörni on a corner at the 27th minute. SiPS then ran with the lead for the rest of the half although Transvaal was leading with shots and possession.

Action in the second half was fairly quiet until the 58th minute when Charles Brennan set up Balthazar Botha for a close try against Hammevik to score and cancel out the SiPS lead. One minute later, Joe Boekweg took possession after the kick off and booted the ball down to a ready and waiting Balthazar Botha, who then launched a long-range shot against a dazed Hamervik.

Nine minutes later, the Springboks gained a two-goal lead when Hessu Öörni fumbled the ball into his own net. The final score was 4-2 with Transvaal bombarding Hamervik for 11 shots versus 5 for the visiting Finns.

“I was fairly confident that we could beat them today” said Manager Bartnel Botha. “SiPS were the only team in our five pre-season games that we managed to get a win against and currently they seem to be in a slump right now in the standings.”

Next up for the Springboks is the mid-season back-to-back series against newcomers 1984 Duckies FC.

“This is a series which we are taking very seriously because the Duckies have been making an excellent run in the Primera against the Big Three and can pose a threat to our lead in the Primera. If we can win both matches, then it should give us some breathing room at the top - but I don’t plan to take them lightly and we shall be out in full force with our characteristic crunching style. I’m really glad that we face them first on their own turf as it puts more pressure on them.”

APRIL 28, 2009 - Springboks go Duckie hunting

Trasnvaal Springboks scored a 2-0 win over 1984 Duckies FC at Loftus Versfeld yesterday morning.

Ricardo van Diensen scored from a shot close in against Duckies keeper Claus Holten at the 65th minute to put Die Bokke on the scoreboard first. Twenty-five minutes later and down a man after Gert Grünholz had been sent off, midfielder Henk Schot bagged a long-range shot in the final minute of regulation to seal the deal.

The victory, coupled with a 3-0 loss by Estrella Roja, gave Transvaal a 6 point lead in first place.

As Manager Botha explained afterwards, “we’ve been playing kind of flat lately, but the boys improved their form leading up to the match and it was good preparation for a tough triple-header re-match coming up in two weeks against the Big Three. Those matches will pretty much determine if we will end up taking the championship this season. We face a struggling SiPS squad next week so we’re hoping to use that as a springboard to fire us up and come out hard against the always-dangerous Atlético Luz del Mar on the road the following week.”

MAY 4, 2009 - Khomasdal new home for Die Bokke

Springboks manager and Minister of Sport & Athletics Bartnel Botha announced today that future home games for the Transvaal Springboks will be played at Khomasdal Stadium, home field for Windhoek Welwitschia of the Vedder League, for the duration of the Karma War which has engulfed Transvaal.

Namibia, a province of the Federal Republic, has been relatively untouched by the invasion of South Africa. The Khomasdal will provide a cozy location for Liga Mundo football as the stadium only holds 10,300 compared to the 51,762 seats at Loftus Versfeld.

The Springboks and the Welwitschias play on different days and start times, so there will not be any conflict of matches at the same time.

"Once the Karma War and hostilities have ceased, then the Springboks will return to Loftus Versfeld" said Manager Botha.

Player merits

 * Detlef Botha - 3rd most sending-offs (1 red card) in Season 4 Primera
 * Charles Brennan - 2nd leading scorer (8 goals) in Season 4 Primera; 3rd most bookings (5 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera
 * Horace Elding - 1st most sending-offs (2 red cards) in Season 2 Primera; 1st most bookings (8 yellow cards) in Season 2 Primera
 * Gert Grünholz - 3rd most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 3 Primera
 * Matthias Rieger - 1st most assists (7) in Season 4 Primera
 * Ricardo van Deinsen - 2nd most bookings (6 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera
 * Bert van der Meer - 2nd most bookings (8 yellow cards) in Season 1 Primera; 2nd most sending-offs (2 red cards) in Season 2 Primera; 1st most bookings (7 yellow cards) in Season 3 Primera; 1st most sending offs (3 red cards) in Season 3 Primera; 1st most bookings (8 yellow cards) in Season 4 Primera

"Zero Heroes"
The following players were signed by the club but never participated in a competitive match.