THE news that the domestic game’s perpetually biggest football duel of the season between Simba and Young Africans (Yanga) was postponed doubtlessly prompted great disappointment among the fans of both football powerhouses.

Indeed, legions of Simba’s and Young Africans’ aficionados had been waiting with breathless excitement for this particular football contest to take place last weekend and the fact that it was unfortunately postponed  plunged the fan-bases of both football juggernauts into gloom.

Without wishing to get into the claims and counter-claims made by both football giants, it must be recalled that it is the ardent football supporters who are the real losers in these off-the-pitch battles that absolutely benefit no one.

Therefore, since there remains plenty to play for, one hopes that these off-field disputes can be expeditiously ironed out so that we can all return to the main business of the beautiful game, which is actually slugging it out on a football pitch.

Let us maintain this football theme and ponder the upcoming CHAN Finals, which will be pleasingly co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

To put it a tad more succinctly, East Africa’s Big Three countries will co-host the CHAN Finals in August this year.

With the competition now almost upon us, it should be noted here that the important construction of new football stadia is proceeding at a wonderfully encouraging pace.

And, lest we forget, it should be pointed out that the CHAN Championship is exclusively reserved for home-based players on the African continent.

Here in our neck of the woods, passionate football fans will be crossing their fingers in the hope that our Taifa Stars will be a class apart once the much-anticipated football tournament gets underway.

However, in order for the Stars to make headway in the CHAN tournament, they will have to be fully prepared as opposed to being underprepared.

Towards that end, it is comforting that the Taifa Stars just wrapped up their participation in the COSAFA Cup.

Granted, although the Stars were sent packing at the COSAFA Cup group stage, it is almost certain that the team’s coaches will be able to learn vital lessons from their charges’ displeasing displays in the post-match analysis of the Stars’ Group C encounters.

Hopefully, then, it is hoped that these lessons will stand the Taifa Stars in good stead once the CHAN competition is up and running.

Let us now switch gears and discuss the gentlemanly sport of cricket where two illustrious South African cricket greats were inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s Hall of Fame recently.

Indeed, the two erstwhile South African cricket stars being referred to here are the former skipper of the national South African cricket team, Graeme Smith and his unflappable compatriot Hashim Amla.

Both aforementioned South African cricket maestros were widely regarded as two of the finest of their generation.

In addition, it should also be acknowledged that both South African cricket icons were also widely admired for their unique batting skills.

To sum up, this is a well-deserved accomplishment for these two extraordinary South African batsmen, who are held in great esteem arguably across the entire world.