Believe it or not, only 56 people are licensed to use cannabis meds in SA

There are 56 people in South Africa who have been granted special dispensation to import and use medicines containing cannabis, the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) said.

Everyone else who is selling and using medicines containing dagga or its derivatives are doing so illegally, Sahpra warned in a statement — and that carries more than one kind of risk.

"Suppliers and users of such illegal products are exposing themselves and others to legal and health risks as the safety, efficacy and quality of these products cannot be assured," it said.

And it knows that "a number of outlets and individuals" are selling products that contain marijuana, or oil from the plant, or derivatives such as tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabidiol for medicinal use.

The 56 licensed individuals are using their imported medicine under section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, which provides a process to import medicines not licensed in South Africa, as long as such use is motivated for the individual patient by an authorised prescriber.

Ideally such medicines are registered for use in the U.S., Australia, Canada, or Europe.

Other options may be available soon, though. Sahpra also said it has already inspected 16 applicants for licences that would allow them to grow cannabis for medicinal use, and another four applicants have such inspections scheduled. None have yet been approved, but Sahpra said it is taking "a developmental approach".

Under current rules potential licensees have to comply with strict provisions around security — to prevent diversion of any of their produce — and crop integrity, for instance in guarding against unintended cross-pollination of different cannabis strains.

— Business Insider SA

Chelsea To Reward Mourinho With Contract Extension

Jose Mourinho and Chelsea are ready to close to agreeing on a new contact that will keep the Premier League‘s best manager at Stamford Bridge until 2019.

Mourinho’s current deal expires in two years but after winning the Barclays Premier League title at the weekend, the Special One will be rewarded with a two-year extension.

Mourinho is the highest paid manager in the Premier League, and can expect to be handed improved terms on the current £12.5 million he earns per year under the terms of his current deal.

Since his return to London from Real Madrid in 2013, Mourinho has always insisted he no longer felt the urge to hop from club to club to prove his ability and chase personal ambitions.

From the moment he came back, he claimed this was a different project, and gave the impression he was out to build a Chelsea dynasty to compete with what Sir Alex Ferguson did at Manchester United.

Mourinho, who has won eight league titles in four different countries, says it is ‘impossible’ for him to match Sir Alex’s 13 Premier League wins but he is determined to achieve more at Stamford Bridge and continue to build a team which can better compete in Europe.

‘I’m here to stay,’ he said, earlier this year. ‘I belong to Chelsea and Chelsea belong to me. I gave a lot to Chelsea in the past but they also gave a lot to me. This is a different professional relationship. My next move will be if and when Chelsea decides it is time.’

Contracts don’t mean as much as they once did, because Mourinho knows that if he does not win a trophy next season he will be fired. That being said, it makes sense for Chelsea to lock up Mouinho for two more years as he is one of the best managers in the world. Source - soccer tickets online

Africa's Richest Man Wants To Buy Arsenal

Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote claims he still harbors hopes of one day buying Arsenal.

The Nigerian has an estimated fortune of $15 billion (£10.4billion) and is reported to have wanted to buy into the Gunners when former director Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith was selling her shares in 2010.

Arsenal's current majority shareholder is American tycoon Stan Kroenke, who remains committed to the Barclays Premier League club for the long-term. Uzbek magnate Alisher Usmanov controls around 30 per cent and has also expressed no desire to offload any of his stock.

Nevertheless Dangote, whose business interests include sugar, flour and oil, remains keen to become part of the Emirates Stadium club sometime in the future.

Speaking to Bloomberg, he said: "I still hope, one day at the right price, that I will buy the team.

"I might buy it, not at a ridiculous price but a price that the owners won't want to resist. I know my strategy."

Dangote, though, added no imminent bid was in the pipeline.

"We have 16billion dollars-worth of investments in the next few years. Right now I want to take my own business to a certain level. Once I finish on that trajectory, then maybe," he said.

Arsenal beat Hull 3-1 on Monday night to give themselves a good chance to finish second behind Premier League champions Chelsea, and will face Aston Villa in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 30.

Dangote, however, suggested Arsene Wenger's side should be achieving more.

He added: "(Wenger) needs to change his style a bit. They need new direction."

Juventus Vs Real Madrid Preview: All Stats

Juventus are UEFA Champions League semi-finalists for the first time since the 2002-03 season where they beat Real Madrid only to lose the final on penalties to AC Milan after a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.

Real Madrid are looking to become the first team to defend the Champions League in its current format, since AC Milan back in 1990 when the competition was then known as the European Cup.

These two teams are both amongst the top six sides in European Cup and Champions League history to reach the final four.

Team News

Juventus

The Italian side have one notable injury in that Paul Pogba is out of the first leg and only questionable whether he will return to play at the Santiago Bernabéu next week.

Likewise, defender Martín Cáceres may return for the second leg but won’t feature in the first.

Kwadwo Asamoah’s season is over with a knee injury.

Real Madrid

Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the first leg with a knee injury. Javier Hernández and Jesé are the two strikers included the squad by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Luka Modrić is also injured and Sami Khedira has not been named in the squad for the first leg, meaning the defending champions are short in defensive midfield options. Sergio Ramos played alongside Toni Kroos in a 4-4-2 formation at the weekend.

Predicted Lineups


Juventus play with a 4-3-1-2 formation that includes former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra. Once again they have the best defensive record in Italy, conceding only 19 goals in their 34 Serie A games this season. They have kept clean sheets in their last three Champions League matches too. Paul Pogba’s absence should see Roberto Pereya start in midfield, with Andrea Pirlo creating chances from deep. Carlos Tevez is their top scorer in Europe this season.


Carlo Ancelotti started with a 4-4-2 at the weekend due to absences in midfield. The only change we’ve made from Saturday’s game is to start Gareth Bale over Javier Hernández. With Sergio Ramos lining up in midfield, this is his strongest back four and arguably his strongest XI with the absentees. Chicharito will probably start if the Italian goes for a 4-2-3-1 formation, flanked by Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale.

Key Matchups

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Stephen Lichtsteiner
Juventus’ right-back enjoys getting forward but we expect the Switzerland international to spend a lot of time in his own half over both legs to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s coming off a hat-trick from the weekend, although those goals were all scored in and around the six-yard box where you’d expect the Juventus centre-backs will be dealing with him. When he pulls out wide, Lichtsteiner cannot afford to let the Portuguese international have space in and around the penalty area on his lethal right foot. He’ll be supported often by Marcelo bombing on from left-back.

Gareth Bale vs Patrice Evra
Whilst the world record transfer signing hasn’t had too much love from his own supporters this season, Gareth Bale is a match winner. He provided a delicious cross from which Ronaldo scored Madrid’s third in their 3-2 win at the weekend, and is a threat at both creating and scoring goals. Patrice Evra will need to be careful in not getting too far forward from left-back because Bale has pace and is a great dribbler to cause danger to the Juventus defence. The French international could struggle when Bale cuts inside.

Carlos Tevez vs Pepe
Real Madrid conceded two goals at the weekend and Iker Casillas had to thwart a number of attacks late on at the weekend. The defending champions still don’t look the best at the back so the likes of Calos Tevez and former-Madrid player Álvaro Morata should see some sights on goal in this match if that trend continues. The Argenine is supported by the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Roberto Pereya creating chances in midfield.

Key Stats

16 – These two sides have on 16 occasions previously in this competition, with Real Madrid leading the way with eight wins to Juventus’ seven, and only one draw between them.

22% – Carlo Ancelotti has won only five of his previous 23 matches as a manager versus Juventus (D12, L6).

54 – Juventus have lost only one of their last 54 competitive matches at home (45W, 8D). That was to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia back in March.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Can Liverpool Beat Manchester United To Champions League Spot?

As we approach the final few games of the season, there are several prizes left to play for. The title race may be done and dusted, but the relegation scrap is still well and truly on. There is only one point between Aston Villa in 14th and Sunderland in 18th, and the fight for survival is set to go right down to the wire.

Until recent weeks, the fight for the top 4 Champions League places looked like being more or less over. Arsenal and Manchester United both hit some very good form and cemented their places, along with Chelsea and Manchester City, over whom there has hardly been any doubts. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, just like they have in the last few seasons, messed it up when it mattered most and looked to be out of it.

With 4 games to go though, everything has changed. Brendan Rodgers’ side are well and truly back in it after yesterday’s results. United have hit rock bottom when it comes to form, as a run of three successive losses means that they are just 4 points ahead of Liverpool in 5th. Their latest failure, a 1-0 loss at home against West Bromwich Albion, has put things in real doubt. They were on a 6-match winning streak till a fortnight ago when they lost 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge, before putting in one of the worst performances of their season in a 3-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.

Liverpool, on the other hand, aren’t in promising forms themselves, as they needed a late winner from Steven Gerrard to beat bottom club Queens Park Rangers at Anfield. Just like the Red Devils, their dazzling start to 2015 has been followed by a run of indifferent results.

Manchester City were challenging for the title in 2014, but have shown mid-table form since the turn of the year. They seemed to be losing their grip on their Champions League spot, but with a 6 point-lead and a game in hand, they should limp through.

The Remaining Fixtures

A look at the remaining games for Manchester United and Liverpool shows a similar kind of run-in for both sides. Louis Van Gaal’s men travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace next weekend, before hosting the most in-form team in the league, Arsenal. They end their campaign with another tricky assignment, away at Hull City. The Tigers are on a good run of late but in a hell of a fight at the bottom, and may need a victory to stay up on the final day. On current form, there isn’t a single game where one can confidently say that United will win.

Brendan Rodgers’ side, on the other hand, go to Stamford Bridge next week to face Chelsea, who will most probably be Champions by then. This is followed by a straightforward-looking home game against Crystal Palace. Their final game in a tough one, as they travel to the Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke City.

Neither side has an easy game, but United’s opponents have much more to play for than Liverpool’s. Crystal Palace’s season is more or less done, as they have all but secured survival. Arsenal are looking to finish as high as possible, while Hull, as stated earlier, are hanging on for their lives.

Even though Liverpool’s games look tough on paper, they will want to get something from all of them. Chelsea will be up for the game against the Reds, but if they have sealed the deal by then, there will be a party atmosphere at the Bridge which Liverpool can use to their advantage. Stoke are in 10th and hardly have any motivation to go the extra mile in their final home game of the season.

The 4-point lead that United currently hold though will be vital. Overturning this deficit will need Liverpool to take at least 7 points out of their remaining 3 games, while hoping United’s drop continues.

In all likeliness, Van Gaal’s men look good to just about scrape through and seal a return to the Champions League. But they will know that they have got out of jail, as a slightly better showing by either Liverpool of Spurs would have seen them drop out. In the end, Chelsea and Arsenal are probably the only two teams happy with their Premier League seasons. Everyone else at the top has under-achieved. The managers have it all to do in the transfer window to make sure that Jose Mourinho doesn’t establish his dominance for several years to come.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Bafana's Rantie And Bournemouth On Verge Of EPL Qualification

South Africa has had its fair share of superstars plying their trade in the English Premiership. Talented individuals such as former Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe, Mark Fish, Quinton Fortune, Aaron Mokoena, Benni McCarthy and Shaun Bartlett all left an indelible mark in a league described as the worlds best.

Another local gem is about to be unleashed.

AFC Bournemouth all but secured their promotion to England’s top-flight on Monday night following their emphatic 3-0 home over Bolton Wanderers, meaning South African striker Tokelo Rantie could feature in the Premier League next season.

The Cherries win all but cemented second spot in the Championship, with third placed Middlesbrough needing to overcome a goal difference of 19 to overhaul them with just one match left in the season.

Bournemouth will join Watford as the two automatically-promoted sides to the Premier League for next season. It however remains to be seen whether or not the club will retain the services of Bafana Bafana forward Tokelo Rantie, who was not in the squad in Monday night’s victory.

The 24-year-old, who was the club’s record signing two years ago, has only played a bit-part role this season, scoring twice in 12 League matches. Rantie still has another two years left on his contract with the club, after signing an initial four-year deal when he joined in 2013.

Man United Most Popular Team In SA On Twitter: Report

Manchester United may not be at the top of the English Premier League log, but they certainly are number one on South African Twitter.

Twitter recently released stats on which EPL teams have the most fans and followers on Twitter in every country around the world, compiled into an interactive map.

Each team has been assigned a colour related to their team jersey and you can view the map with all or individual teams and compare numbers between two teams.

In South Africa, Manchester United leads with 23% users being Man U fans, Arsenal comes in second at 20.6% and Chelsea in third at 17.83%. Globally, it seems Chelsea takes the number one spot.

Didier Drogba Foundation Raises £400 000 At Charity Ball

Didier Drogba, one of Africa and Ivory Coast’s most popular sportsmen, is living up to his promise of playing an immense role in improving his native country through various novel philanthropic activities. The striker, who currently plays for Chelsea FC, set up the Didier Drogba Foundation in 2007 with the aim of providing financial and material support in both health and education to the Africans.

In line with its goals, the Didier Drogba Foundation raised an impressive £400,000 at a charity ball in London a last week.  The ball was well attended by a stellar cast of famous footballers including some of Drogba’s Chelsea teammates. Among those present were Petr Cech, Eden Hazard, Bransilav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, Nemanja Matic, Thierry Henry, Louis Saha, Edgar Davids, Jermaine Defoe and Chelsea skipper, John Terry.

The funds will be directed towards kitting and completing the medical clinic which the Foundation has funded and built in the country’s capital, Abidjan. With the clinic near completion and set to open later this year, the Didier Drogba Foundation has also announced that it will fund and deploy mobile clinics that will operate in villages outside Abidjan.

The Didier Drogba Foundation also plans to build schools in Ivory Coast in the future. Former president of the Cote D’Ivoire’s Football Federation (FIF), Jacques Anouma serves as an Honorary President of the Foundation. - Ventures Africa

Preview: Espanyol vs Barcelona, Arsenal vs Chelsea

La Liga BBVA: Espanyol vs Barcelona

This Saturday, the all-powerful Barcelona will travel to Cornella El-Prat to measure forces with their neighbours and rivals of Espanyol for round 33 of the Spanish Liga BBVA.

Will Barcelona continue their winning streak?

Last Saturday, Barcelona had to dig very deep in order to overcome a well organized and hard working Valencia side at Camp Nou. A goal in the first minute of the match by Luis Suarez and another in the dying moments of the second-half was the best Barcelona managed to do to defeat a Valencia team which failed to convert a penalty kick during the early moments of the match.

After the break, the Catalan appeared to be fairly more confident and controlled the match the best they could until Leo Messi made his glorious walk towards the second goal just a few seconds before the final whistle.

To increase the team’s motivation levels, Barça granted another solid over Paris SG on Tuesday and booked their place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona won 5-1 on aggregate.

The upcoming clash against Espanyol will certainly be far from easy and Barcelona cannot afford any more slipups as the one from Sanchez Pizjuan against Sevilla if they want to maintain their advantage at the top of the table.

As for Espanyol, it is fair to say that the Blanquiazules have been having an overall good season so far. Their manager, Sergio Gonzalez, has been doing a very good job with the players he has at his disposal and the team is currently on a six match roll without a single defeat.

After defeating Athletic Bilbao two weeks ago at Cornella El-Prat, Espanyol failed to get anything better than a draw against the relegation-threatened Levante last weekend.

The match against their neighbours and rivals will definitely not be easy for the Periquitos, but they will surely do everything within their reach to cause Luis Enrique’s men a major upset.

My Verdict: Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona. FIXED ODDS BETTING : Take Barcelona to win to nil


Barclays Premiership: Arsenal vs Chelsea

There will be no London love lost on Sunday when an extremely motivated Arsenal entertain a surging Chelsea outfit at the Emirates Stadium in round 34 of the English Premier League.

Who will win the London derby?

After an excellent league run, Arsenal sealed their berth in the FA Cup final last weekend by defeating boogey Championship side Reading in extra-time. It was an extremely nerve wrecking match for the Gunners but the usual assasin, Alexis Sanchez, managed to find a way to overcome the opponents’ defence line on two different occasions.

As for the EPL, Arsenal are currently on an excellent streak. The last time they lost a league match was back in February at White Hart Lane at the hands of an extremely inspired Tottenham. That particular downfall and the defeat against AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League were truly an eye-opener for Arsene Wenger’s men who have won their last nine official matches.

This weekend’s clash against their city neighbours and rivals Chelsea will be a good test to this refurbished Arsenal and it will be interesting to see if they can, in a way, delay the Blues hypothetical EPL title celebrations for a few more weeks.

As for Chelsea, it is fair to say that the team has been affected by the somehow premature elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Paris SG in London last month. Regardless of that knock, José Mourinho’s boys continued their winning streak in the English Premier League and they are currently on a fairly motivating row of four consecutive wins. Last weekend, the Blues showed Manchester United that having more ball possession and plenty of chances to score doesn’t mean anything these days. With some mere 30% ball possession percentage, Chelsea overcame the Red Devils 1-0 thanks to a goal from Eden Hazard and put an abrupt end to United’s recent positive streak.

The clash against Arsenal might become one of the most important matches of the season for the Blues, since, if they manage to win it, they will build up a comfortable 13 point advantage over their neighbours and rivals and they will certainly secure the 2014-15 English Premier League title.

My Verdict: Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea. FIXED ODDS BETTING : Take Arsenal to win

It Doesn't Hurt To Apologise When You Vent Out On Social Media

Phew! The greatest thing about social media is its ability to share our experiences and emotions with the world. At times our tweets are clean, but at times we get it so very wrong.

But again, it doesn't hurt to apologise when we say the wrong things.

What am I even rumbling about?

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has issued a public apology for his statements made on Twitter last Thursday night.

The Amakhosi ‘keeper was sent off for two bookable offences – first for time-wasting and then for showing dissent at the decision – in the dying minutes of his side’s 1-0 Absa Premiership victory over AmaZulu at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Post-match Khune took to social media to complain about the referee, Phillip Tinyane, tweeting: “@OfficialPSL but I did nothing wrong.u guys need to take action against this poor referees.

“Its about time action is taken against this referees by  @OfficialPSL. They’ve been very poor since beginning of the season.

“Its unfair how we are painted bad for our actions on de field but we are provoked by these referees, can call me names but I stand 4 what’s right.”

However, less than 24 hours later, Khune took to Instagram to apologise for his outburst.

“To the football fraternity, my Family,Friends,Teammates and Fans. No words can validate my careless statements on social media yesterday. All I have now are apologies for my choice of words which were not appropriate,” he said.

Kaizer Chiefs opened up a 10-point lead atop the standings with five matches remaining, thanks to a goal by Bernard Parker in the 18th minute.

Your Weekend Sports Preview

Sports lovers are in for a treat this weekend. We have SuperRugby, the Barclays Premiership, MotoGP, La Liga, the Masters and more rugby.

Here are some of the biggest sporting events to watch this weekend on DStv's SuperSport.

Golf: The Masters

So of course the second day of the 79th Masters Tournament, like the first, was all about the phenomenal Jordan Spieth. His 66 was arguably better than Thursday’s 64, a little more controlled, a little less hectic and reliant on the odd lucky bounce. The young man’s a genius. And most likely this year’s champion. But there are enough big names hovering around in case of any dramatic slip. You never know in golf. You just never know. Join the action today and tomorrow to witness the spectacular.

-14: Spieth
-9: Hoffman
-7: Rose, D Johnson, Casey
-6: Mickelson
-5: Els
-4: Na, Streelman, Haas, Moore
-3: Cabrera, Oosthuizen, O’Meara, Day, Scott, Matsuyama, Schwartzel
-2: Woods, Garcia, Willett, Henley, Blixt, Reed, B Watson, McIlroy

Verdict: I think Spieth will win if he manages to maintain his composure.

La Liga: Sevilla vs Barcelona

A hyper moralized Barcelona will travel to Andalusia to measure forces with Sevilla at the emblematic Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for round 31 of the Spanish Liga BBVA.

Will Sevilla be able to put an end on Barça’s winning streak?

Barcelona continued with their fantastic streak when they hosted Almeria last Wednesday. Luis Enrique’s boys sealed their 24th win of the season thanks to another excellent performance by the erratic Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who scored twice against the Andalusian team at Camp Nou. Barça’s Asturian manager implemented some changes in the team’s lineup against Almeria by giving some more playing time to young players, such as the centre back Marc Bartra and the talented deep-lying playmaker Sergi Roberto.

The unpredictable home defeat against Málaga in the end of February was an excellent eye opener for the Catalan team, who from that moment on embarked on a fantastic streak of seven consecutive wins for La Liga and two for the UEFA Champions League.

Verdict: Barcelona appear very strong and might just snatch it. Sevilla will aim for at least a point.

Barclays Premiership: Manchester United vs Manchester City

A motivated Manchester United will measure forces with their neighbours and rivals, Manchester City, at the emblematic Old Trafford for round 32 of the English Premier League.

Will City be able to return to winning ways against such a highly motivated United on Sunday?

The current EPL champions, Manchester City, have not yet managed to find a way to get back on tracks and keep collecting unimpressive results as we enter into the season’s final countdown. After an easy home win over a ten-men West Brom almost three weeks ago, the Citizens have once again been defeated last Monday’s night at Selhurst Park by a mighty Crystal Palace, who in the end were the fair winners of the match. A goal from Glenn Murray in the first-half and another one at the expenses of Jason Puncheon from a superbly placed free-kick right after the break, proved to be enough to impose the sixth defeat of the season to a deeply fragilized Manchester City, which has dropped to the 4th place of the table after their recent unimpressive results.

The defeats against Barcelona and the respective elimination from the UEFA Champions League had a major impact on the team and, if to that we add the EPL’s setbacks against Liverpool, Burnley and Crystal Palace, one can say that Manchester City are free falling and have very slim chances of recovering from such poor streak.

Their upcoming match at Old Trafford will surely be a very complicated one and, in case of defeat, the Citizens will eventually say goodbye to the second place of the EPL table for good.

Verdict: Manchester United will pile more misery on Pellegrini.

Lions vs Sharks

The Lions have been a shining light in a so-far dire Super Rugby campaign for the   South African sides. With four runs on the trot, including a record-equalling three away wins and a last-gasp victory over trans-Jukskei rivals the Bulls, the men in red have built up a fine head of steam. They should feel confident of beating the Sharks at the Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park) and give their home fans something to cheer about at last.

Johann Ackermann’s team has shown a resilience under talismanic skipper Warren Whitely that was sorely lacking in seasons past and their miserly defence has seen them get past more fancied opponents. A place in the playoffs beckons for the ninth-placed Lions if they can maintain their run and pivots Marnitz Boshoff and Elton Jantjies stay injury-free.

The Sharks find themselves on the opposite end of the form spectrum as they are coming off a humiliating 52-10 loss to the Crusaders at King’s Park in Durban. Loose forward Jean Deysel was red-carded for kneeing in that game, continuing a worrying penchant for indiscipline that has been a hallmark of the Sharks’ season so far. They were lucky to escape with the points against the Chiefs two weeks ago when both captain Bismarck du Plessis and centre Frans Steyn were sent off for infractions.

With all three stalwarts suspended for the next few games, new head coach Gary Gold faces an uphill battle. As it stands, the Sharks are two places ahead of the Lions in seventh and remain in contention for a playoff spot. To do that, they will have to rein in their emotions and plug the holes in their defence.

Verdict: Lions are usually at their best when playing at home and i dont see the Sharks upsetting them.

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

The reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, kicked off the ongoing Indian Premier League 2015 positively by beating Mumbai Indians by a margin of seven wickets. The latter managed 168 for the loss of three wickets in the allotted twenty overs and the former smashed 3-170 with nine balls remaining. Royal Challengers Bangalore held the seventh spot in the previous tournament by grasping just five matches out of 14, lost nine and attained 10 points. They will be playing their opening game of the event against KKR.

Players to watch

Gautam Gambhir tasted his maiden fifty of the event for KKR vs. MI as Suryakumar Yadav and Manish Pandey contributed 46 and 40 runs. Robin Uthappa, is capable of scoring brisky runs whereas Shakib Al Hasan and Andre Russell are tremendous all-rounders. Morne Morkel, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine and Umesh Yadav bowled superbly in the last match.

AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle were the star performers in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 while Rilee Rossouw has improved in the shortest versions of the game. Nic Maddinson, Dinesh Karthik, S Badrinath, Mandeep Singh, Vijay Zol and Yogesh Takawale are useful batsmen of RCB. The formidable bowling unit will be looked after by Mitchell Starc, Adam Milne, Harsh Patel, Sarfraz Khan, Iqbal Abdulla, Darren Sammy, Ashok Dinda, Abu Nechim, Varun Aaron and Sean Abbott.

Verdict: RCB will walk away victorious, but inly if they manage to fully utilise their arsenal.

Exciting Times Ahead For Lafarge Orlando Stadium

Lekker things keep happening in the townships! What do i mean?

The vibrant township of Soweto is synonymous with football in South Africa as it houses three Absa Premiership clubs, that are among the biggest in the country. These are namely 2013 CAF Champions League finalists Orlando Pirates, reigning champions Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows.

Now thats something right? Read on: The stadiums too have a dose of nostalgia embedded on them.

First built in 1959, Orlando Stadium has a rich and proud history associated with soccer, entertainment and the surrounding community’s involvement in the political struggle for recognition. Demolished in 2008 and rebuilt at a cost of R280 million, the new 35 000 capacity stadium featured in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Fast forward to 2015, Lafarge South Africa, one of Southern Africa’s leading building materials manufacturers, concluded a sponsorship deal with Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) for the exclusive naming rights to Orlando Stadium in the heart of Soweto: to be known as the Lafarge Orlando Stadium.

Branding is currently underway and the dramatic transformation of the Stadium’s appearance will be revealed at a prestigious launch function scheduled for May.

"The exciting branding project with Orlando Stadium will emphasise that we have always been, and always will be, very much a part of the South African community," said Lafarge South Africa’s Country Marketing Manager, Alta Theron.

Exciting times surely lie ahead for Lafarge Orlando Stadium and the screaming Vuvuzela's will tell the true story come May.