Early battle for Bulls

to this provincial capital.
The Mighty Bulls are here for tomorrow’s preliminary round, first leg tie against Lidoda Duvha at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
But the Mbada Diamonds Cup finalists found themselves having to fight earlier than scheduled as they spent much of the day holed up at OR Tambo International Airport with their hosts apparently going back on their pledge to fly them from Johannesburg.
The ABSA Premiership whipping boys , who fell 0-1 to Orlando Pirates on Wednesday night, instead offered a bus for the over 320km journey.
Caf regulations state that a visiting team can only be made to travel by road for a distance not exceeding 200km.
While confirming having made an undertaking to fly the visitors, officials from Black Leopards sought to justify their sudden about turn on the fact that “the plane that is available has no rights to land at the Polokwane International Airport.”
It was a lame excuse that Mighty Bulls owner Eric Rosen could not fall for with the firebrand administrator launching into a tirade that saw their hosts making hectic and unsuccessful last-minute efforts to book his team onto a late afternoon flight.
“This is a sick joke,” a frustrated Rosen told the Black Leopards officials.
Coach Joey Antipas and his men only got here well after 4pm after deciding to take the road.
However, instead of putting their feet up and relaxing after a taxing journey the Mighty Bulls immediately proceeded for a light workout at the Polokwane Rugby Club as they continued to fine tune for a tricky assignment against an outfit that is home to the Zimbabwean pair of striker Kingstone Nkhata and assistant coach Sunday “Mhofu”Chidzambwa.
Despite all the hullaballoo that characterised their arrival the Mighty Bulls, who were immaculately dressed in designer suits provided by their African Safari sponsors Mbada Diamonds, remained in high spirits.
“It’s all mind games,” said assistant coach David George , a veteran who has seen it all on the continent after a lengthy spell as assistant coach of perennial campaigners Dynamos.
“When travelling in Africa you should expect anything and we have been urging the boys to maintain their focus and not to expect royal treatment because we are not here for a holiday but an important assignment.
“The delay in our travelling has forced us to alter our training programme a bit but there is no way we are going to use that as an excuse.
“We have just had a light workout and will get a feel of the match venue tomorrow (today) and after which we will decide on our starting XI.”
With a cartel of continental rookies among the herd that is here skipper Marlon Jani made use of Motor Action’s close to four hour drive from OR Tambo International Airport to tell his tales of travelling on the continent during his days with Blackpool and the Young Warriors.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean head of delegation Dennis Tshuma will take up Motor Action’s travel woes with the match commissioner at a pre-match conference slated for this evening with indications that the visitors will seek some sort of compensation.
“Motor Action’s sponsors Mbada Holdings played their part really well by ensuring that the team travelled conveniently and the onus to take care of the team once they touched down in Johannesburg fell on Black Leopards and we are not amused with the manner they handled the whole issue.
“We are grateful to Mbada Holdings for going out of their way to make sure that the delegation was comfortable as we waited for the mess to be sorted out.
“We will take up the matter with the match commissioner when we convene the pre-match conference and I will also note it in my official report,” said Tshuma who is a Zifa councillor.